The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Tinsnmy, SC
'be Smuts took the flair at a quarter to four ceoiock
PRIVATE BILLS.
The following bills were read a third time and pampa
BarryHarbour ; Brynmawr Gen; ChesterandWeetL%eakize
Junetion Railway ; Edgware, Highgate, and Loudon Rail-
way; Hounslow and Metropolitan Railway; louneestou and
Routh Devon Railway ; Leeds Improvement Acta Amend.
went ; Ryde Gee ; South Devon Railway ; Stonrbridge
Improvement ; Thetford and Watton Railway; and Wiven-
boo and Brightlingses

NEW MEMBERS.
Lord Itror and Mr. M. Cl/lAMBUS took the oaths and
their sesta for the borough of Devonport.
Lord 0. Mu/Ewa) took the oaths and his seat for
=dare.
THE " DEAD-LOCK " TN THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE COLONY OF VICTORIA.
Lord R. MONTAGIT asked the Secretary of State for
the Colonies; whether he had received further papers from
Victoria, relitive to the "dead-lock" in that oolony, which
be could,
lay upon the table, together with his replies' to
them.
Mr. CARDWELL said he should be happy to lay on
the table the papers, so far as they at present went. There
was in the newspapers yesterday a telegraphic statement
that the difficulty had been brought to • solution. No
such intelligence had reached him. So far as he knew,
the Legislative Council having rejected the tariff bill
the ministry resigned, and negotiations had been entered
into for the purpose of forming another ministry. Those
negotiations were not successful, so far as he knew, but he
would lay the papers on the table.
COMPULSORY CHURCH RATES ABOLITION BILL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER postponed
the second reading of this bill till Wednesday next.
THE PROPOSED EUROPEAN CONGRESS.
Mr. DISRAELI—I take this opportunity of making an
inquiry of some importance. I should like to know
whether the government have any communication to
make to the house respecting the proposed, and I believe
intended, conference at Paris. I wish to know whether it
is • fact that her Majesty's government has acceded to the
invitation of one of the great powers, and has consented
to attend the conference. I also wish to know whether
there is any truth in this announcement which
I find in • foreign journal, which is treated
generally ea • semi-official journal, namely, that
the three courts seek conditions of agreement in territo.
rial compensations which would offer indemnities and
satisfaction to the claims of Prussia, Austria, and Italy-
the difficulty in the present state of affairs consists in
finding compensations suitable in each cam. I wish to
ask whether there is any authority for this statement so
far as the government of her Majesty is concerned.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I will give
the right lion. gentleman the beat answer in my power. I
should perhaps have been able to have given my answer in
more entire confidence, and to have imparted to him the
best information in our possession, if I had been aware'
that he was about to ask the question to-day. During the
business hours of to-day I have had no communication with
the Foreign-office on this important "object. Ido not
think, 'peaking of what was known up to this morning
that there is anything of consequence to add to the
short statement made in another place by the Secretary
for Foreign Affairs. Her Majesty's government is enter
taming with earnest desire, though perhaps not as yet
with sanguine hope, the proposal for a meeting or confer-
ence among the powers of Europe, thinking that the
chances presented were, at any rate, chancel which it was
their duty not to pass by in view of the extreme calamity
which it is bought to prevent, and which, but for that
opening, appears to be impending over a great part of
Europe. They have therefore acceded to a proposal made
to them so far as to entertain the question,
but the precise terms upon the basis of which
the invitation was to be addressed to the powers of
Europe have not, I think, been finally adjusted, according
to the latest information that I have received. At the same
time I do not think that there is any reason to suppose,
so far as present information goes, that difficulty is likely
to arise upon the adjustment of those terms. With re-
gard to this pa sage, on which the right hon. gentleman
asks a specific question, and whether there is any foun-
dation for the statement, what I should say is, that I
think that statement goes beyond the state of facts. I
cannot say precisely, indeed it would be dangerous to
describe what, after all, must depend on documentary
evidence which will be shortly in the possession of the
house ; hut I do not think that the statement that the
three court" are seeking conditions of agreement in terri-
torial compensations as a basis is an accurate description
of that which is taking place. (Hear, hear.)
THE TERMINABLE ANNUITIES BILL.

Mr. SHRBIDAN asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer if he would fix a night for the discusaion of the
Tertainable Annuities Bill.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he pro-
posed to
the
on with the bill tonight, and his impression
was that the discussion on the question to be relied by the
Lon. member would be more germane to the Terminable
Annuities Bill than to the Customs and Inland Revenue
Bill. He did not anticipate any lengthened discussion on
the motion that would be raised by the hon. member for
Buckingham. When they had passed the second reading
of the Customs Revenue Bill he would make a state-
ment explanatory of the Terminable Annuities Bill,
which as yet he had been able only Imperfectly to unfold.
If they did not decide the question of the fire insurance
duty on the motion of the hon. member for Buckingham,
the hon. member for Dudley ought to have the opportu-
nity of raising the question on the Terminable Annuities
Bill.