The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-16 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVKA'ING, APRIL 16, 1858.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDB.—TaviaDay, Aran 16.
Tim Loki) Cluxcasusa to his son on tin wendock
o'elook.

Ties Kande el WEST/MATH sedil that as Tuesday
ant he wield premed a petition ben 410 et the Initsbitemie
of %limit praying for the sappremiss el barrel organ
playin
the subject.
ia Ihe streets. The noble deed laid • kell on the
table on

THE PATRIOTIC FUND.
The Duke of NORFOLK g" notice that on Monday
next he should move for retains eseasoted with the Penton°
Fund.

HOUSE OF 0011140N8.—TatraaaiT, Aram 16.
Mr &yaws teak t►e Ask at dew o'clock.
PRIVATE BEBINZBB.
Teta RIAIIING;irIISd Radcliffe Water • Eden
Valley Railway ; aad Rawtaritall Water;
Madras Inisatka sad , Malvern Iprovement*
Pealcartas math
Liagairupwliao Gus ; etslardildra Pot-
teries ; facia Foam laastai ; sad Sly Valley
Railway Bills wars read a tkbd am mai pain/

MAYNOOTH ENDOWMENT.
Mr. SPOONER postycesd his mottos on the subject of
WElL)(eyetooth from Turellay mat to Thur.:by, Ebb inst. (A
)
PROPERTY QUALIFICATION OP MEMBERS.
Mr. L. RING gay. ZOOM that on Thursday nett be would
move for lam to kbe in • bill to abolish the poporty quali-
fication for members. (Rase, hoar )

WEIGHTS AND MEASURE&
Mr. JOHN LOCKE gave notsos that on Tuesday net he
would move Ike have to bring Inn bill to masa the Act
6 and 6 Wm. IV., e. 63, reletialr to weights and 111111111EMIS.

ROMAN CATHOLIC SOLDIERS.
Mr. Serjerat DEASY pve ratios that on Tuesday May
4, he would all the attention of the house to the espediemey
of making adequate provision for the religiooa wants of
Roman Catholic soldiers in this country and in ladle, and
providing school, for their children ; and move an addnes to
her Majesty on the subject.

THE BRIDGES OVER THE THAMES.
Sir W. FRASER sake& the Chief Commissioner of
Worka whether there was any objection to the bridge about
to be erected over the Thames next above Waterloo-bridge
being balled Sebastopol-bridge ? whether there wee aay
&tendon of providing additkmal insane of midair the
Thames for vehicles, either by building • bridge near
Charing-cross, or by purchadng Waterloo-bridge, and
°ping it free of toll ?
J. MANNERS, before enawering the question,
would remind his hos, and pliant friend that some time
back, on the occasion of the visit of the Emperor and
Empress of the French, it was proposed and consideredwhether rytugt not to change the names of Waterloo-
bridge and Trafalgar-nuars, in compliment to the visitors.
The good saw of the country rejected the proposal. He
mot say he considered the present proposition quite as much
out of plum. There was, however, another objection to it.
During the Crimean war there wee a general complaint that
we were always too late—the same observation applied to this
proposal. If it bad been made immediately after the termi-
nation of the war It would no doubt have been favourably
received; but now when the public attention wail di-
:acted to the glorious and heroic actions of our troops
to another questa, it wee rather out of place, end for
his own part weal see wish to change the name of West-
minster- esemintedi as it waa with the place where
they pert eirdw legbistive functions. As to the second
part of the question, there was no intention on the part of the
government to construct another bridge over the Thames
for the convenience of the metropolitan community.
LIGHTHOUSES AND BEACONS ON THE COAST.
Lord C. PAOKT then rose to call the attention of the
house to the present modes of superintending the lights,
buoys, and beacons on the coeds of Great Britain antitre-
land, and to the manner in which funds are now, sad have
been, raised to defray the expenditure thereon ; and to move,
that this house will, upon this day week, resolve itself into •
committee, for the purpose of considering an address to her
Majesty, praying her Majesty to direct that measures may be
taken for giving effect to the recommendation of the solace
committee on Lighthouses of 1846, namely, "that all ex-
pmees for the erection and maintenance of lighthouses,
floating lights, buoys, and beacons, on the coast of the
Called Kingdom, be henceforth defrayed out of the public
revenue." He observed that it was of vita importance that
there should be a simple and uniform system of lighting and
buoying the coasts of this country, whores. he showed that
there was no mutton whatever • that every harbour in Rag-
land was buoyed, lighted, and signalled on an entirely dis-
tinct Bytes& France, as well as other maritime 00
had • simple system whereby it waste were approached
without danger, and even in Scotland the Commissioners of
Northern Lights had adopted a similar system. He con-
trasted the costs of lighthouses in France, superior as the
French lights were, with that of our own, whence he in-
ferred a meat of due care and economy in our expenditure,
which was extravagant, and which, he contended, could be
reduced without &Scatty. He suggested means fur esta-
blishing a more efficient system of lights and a better or-
ganisadon by • central board under the immediate control
of parliament.
Mr. LINDSAY seconded the motion.

Mr. HENLEY quite admitted that this subject was
a very importantconcurred in 0011 A respects
a the vine of ths noble lord, but he thought that
to ask the house at once to transfer the expen-
diture upon lighthouses to the public revenue was
taking a step in haste, and doing that for which se yet then
was not sufficient ground. He therefore proposed to the
noble lord that he should withdraw his motion, upon which
the government would issue • commission to inquire into the
subject. (lien, hear.) He thought that by this course the
house would be enabled to obtain valuable information upon
the subject, and thus be put in • position to do that which in
its wisdom it might think fit. (Hear, haw.)
Mr. LINDSAY said that ho was most desirous
that something should be done to amend the existing system
of light dues. Amain, Fran." Prussia, and even Russia
had adopted the principle that • nation was bound to
place lighthouses on her own shores. That same
principle had been affirmed in the committee of that
house which had sat upon this question. Was it just, then,
while other countries gave us the benefit of their light-
houses without charge, and whilst we admitted that, upon
principle, we ought to do so too, that we should continue to
place • tax upon foreign vessels in this respect ? And in the
result we were not one whit the better, foe the toll only in-
mired the freight; the increased freight was charged to the
merchant ; the merchant cast it on the manufacturer, the
manufacturer on the retailer, end the retailer on the con-
sumer. At every step it was increased • and thus we
we not only no better, but setnilly wane off
than we should be if ain lighthouses were pro-
perly and directly supported out of the mono.
The Americans complained loudly of the present
under which each of their steamers paid 621. for lighiriamres.
Had they subjected our vessels to • similar tax the steamers
of the Canard line done would have paid, in the year 1650,
no lees than 3,2564 The house might be sore that the
Americans felt very sore on this subject, and thought that
their ships should be treated more on terms of equality. On
the whole, be (Mr. Lindsay) was inclined to prefer • royal
commission to • committee of inquiry.
Mr. LOWE said that all the evil complained of by
the noble lord arose out of the double government
under which the whole of our lighthouse system was placed,
between the Board of Trade and the Trnity-honee. The
proposition of the noble lord did not go to the abolition of
this double government, but would retain the present imperfect
machinery while transferring the whole expense to tle con-
solidated fund. He (Mr. Lowe) was 'stinted that the only
effectual way of working the system would be under one
single head, and for that reason he must object to the
motion sf the noble lord. He did not think it
fair to call on • minister of the crown for estimates
over which he was subsequently to have no con-
trol. If the whole of our lighthouse system were placed
under the Board of Trade it would then be a fair subject for
consideration whether the charge should be defrayed out of
the consolidated toad, _ _ _

Mr. CARDWELL observed that a single government
meant nothing more nor less then that • large expiating
and the patronage it involved, should be at once tranrhrnd
to the Board of Trade. He contended that there was really
no double government and no divided responsibility, and
that before this charge should be gad upon the Consoli-
dated Fund, and this increase of power and patronage given
to the executive government, the house ought to be informed
upon many most important points. He should therefore
support the proposition for Inquiry.
Mr. BENTINCK recommended Lord C. Paget to adopt
the suggestion of Mr. Henley.
Lord PALMERSTON said, although on the main points
he agreed with Lord C. Paget, as important changes in the
constitution and of the Trinity House bad been
made since the year 1 he obesity recormosedsal him to
accept the proposal for a royal commission. There was •
great plausibility is the argument that these doss ought to
be borne by the public at large ; on the other hand, the
change should not be made until the proper department had
the power of controlling the expenditure and providing foe
the efficient performance of the service. Farther inquiry on
dime points, he thought, was requisite.
The discussion wee continued by Mr. White, Mr. A.
Smith, Mr. Philippe, Mr. Cowan, and Mr. J. Swart.
Lord C. PAGET withdrew his motion, upon the under-
▪ in
that that the goveressiat would nom a royal com-
mission.