The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-23 00:00:00

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT•

HOUSE OF LORDS. —THIIRSDAY, FEB. 22.
The LORD CHApourin took hie seat as the woolsack
shortly before 5 o'clock. ,

NEW PEEL
Viscount HALTIPLE, lately lmown• es Sir Charles Wood
book the oath and his seat. The aoble lord was introduoed
by Viscount Sydaey and Viscount Evereley. •

_
THE ROYAL MESSAGES.
Th. rc'hal 'ear" on the approaching marriage of the
Princess ohms and on the provon for his Royal High-
ness the Prime Alfred were reed by tbe clerk at the table,
end a humble address was agreed to, setting forth the
desire of their lordships to concur in the proposed provi-
sionh
The Sale of Land by Auction Bill and the Art Bill were
pared through committee. •
A question put by the Duke of 800011100711 relative to
the orders in council on the cattle dinase drew from the
Duke of ARGYLL a remark to the effect that there was
some doubt whether the Cattle Pimple Bill of Mr. Ward
Hunt, now in the House of Oommons, could be passed into
law before the let of March ; and am in that cam there
'would be a dangerous interregnum with regard to the
powers of the local authorities, to obviate that it might be
necessary to resew the. orders in council. To this Lord
Ruoranata added that, in his opinion, it would be abso-
lutely impossible to peas that hill.
Their lordships adjourned at 23 minutes to 8 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THueaDat, Fla. 22.
The MUM took the chair at 4 o'clock.
Mr. Roeiwreog, the member for Berwiekon-Tweed, end
Mr. M'Evor, the member for Meath, took the oaths and
their seats.
LONDON (CITY) TRAFFIC REGULATIONS BILL.
Upon the motion foe the second reading of this bill,
• Mr. AYRTON said it was not his intention to pro-
pose the rejection of the bill, but ;after the second
reading he should move that it be referred to •
committee of twelve members, of whom five should be
notninated by the omunittee of selection, and which should
be Instructed to inquire into the best means of regulating
the traffic not only of the City but of the whole metropolis.
The bill was read a mooed time, and in accordance
with the suggestion of Mr. Apton was referred to • select
committee.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES (IRELAND).
Mr. LAWSON (Attorney-General for Ireland) gave
notice that to-morrow he would move for leave to intro-
duce a bill to amend the law relating to contagious diseases
amongst cattle in Ireland.
PETIT JURIES (IRELAND).
Mr. LAWSON also gave notice that on Monday be
would move for leave to bring in a bill to consolidate and
amend the law relating to petty juries in Ireland.
INDIA.
Lord STANLEY asked the Under Secretary of State
for India whether he era' prepared to state what steps
would be taken by government in coesespence of the report
of the second commission on the grievances of Indian
odlona
Mr. ST ANSFELD said the question was one of • difficult
and complicated character. It had, however. met with the
earnest attention of the Secretary of State: It was impos-
sible for him to state the conclusions at which the noble
lord had cot bean able to arrive, nor could he name • day
when he should be able to make that statement.
Lord STANLEY asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies whether it was intended to tratisfer the Straits
settlements from the Indian to the Colonial Department ;
or whether that project had been definitively abandoned.
Mr. CARDWELL replied that the project had not been
definitively abandoned. The question with regard to the
military defences was still under the consideration of tho
War Department, and until that question was settled the
question of charge to the Exchequer could not be deter-
mined.
EPPING FOREST.
Mr. DOULTON asked the First Commissioner of Works
whether he was aware of ieclosnres now e in
Epping Forest to the extent of many hundrercrfelid,bespe-
eially neer Lovelatoo. Woodford, and Epping ; whether he
was aware that Lord Cowley had already , enclosed nearly
300 acres since the announcement was made of the inac-
tions of her Majesty's government in reference to open
spaces ; whether the crown bad any rights over the land so
enclosed, or if not, the ate per acre at which the crown's
forestal rights had bean purchased ; and whether it was
the istention of her Majesty's government to take any
steps to prevent any further enclosures pending the intro-
' duetion end passing of the bill promised to be introduced
early this session.
Mr. CHILDERS said be was not aware of any inchoate
now going forward in Epping Forest, except those portions
of it over which the forestal rights of the crown bad been
purchased. The government had no means of knowing
what was done with private property. It wee possible that
Lord Cowley had embeed a certain number of acres, but
that property had been purchased by Lord Morningtou
Nome years ego. The particulars relating to the sale of
lands had been laid before parliament two years ago; they
bad been purchased at the rate of 4/. or 61. an sore. With
respect to the other lands, two committees had been ap-
poieted re consider the question, one in 1883 and the other
is 1865, but in oonsatmece of the rionfilotiog reports pre-
sented by those committees the government had not arrived
at any final decision upon the matter.
Sir W. HUTT asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether the government proposed to introduce any mea-
sure to authorise the collection of agricultural statistics in
Great Britain?
Mr. GIBSON, who answered the question, said it was
the intention of the government to ask for the same vote
an they asked for last year in connection with agricultural
statistics.

-----
CATTLE PLAGUE STATISTICS.
Mr. 0. STANLEY sated the Presideot of the Board of
Trade, if the reports of the veterinary departmeot relatieg
to the cattle pine* could specify in more detail the Mures
of the cattle attacked, killed, or died ; if cows, ous, or

waives
Mr. BRUCE, who replied to the question, said up to the
present time the inspectors bad not distinguished in their
returns between oxen, cows, and calves. Under the bill
which hnd just been passed the local authorities were re-
quired to make the returns to the Privy Council in torch
!arms, and at snob times as the council might direct. He
saw no oojection to the adoption of the suggestion of his
hon. friend • on the contrary, he thought it would be •
great advantage to adopt it.

DISEASES IN SHEEP.
Sir J. C. JERVOISE asked the Vice-President of the
Committee of Council on Education, whether, in view of
the Order in Connell 4th July, 1863, end also of the order
19th Fetomary, 1866, relating to "sheep pox or variola
ovine," hts ►ttention had been given to the eighth report I
of the c mimimioners of her Majesty's Customs, in which
that des eder was termed " grab or variola ovine," the first
name implying a disease not uncommon in this country,
and very easily cured. And, whether he bad noticed, in
the sane- report and page (26), that mention was made of
" &mem which were sometimes erroneously supposed to
be pecuilr to foreign cattle, but which in reality bad
existed in the United Kingdom many years before the im-
portation of foreign animals commenced.*
Mr. BRUCE replied that ho bad read the report referred
to, end 1,,0nd it stated that the sheep affected by scab were
rather more than one per cent. But he could not believe
that thr commissioners meant to say that the scab wee the
varioln ovine, es the two diseases were wholly different.
The main luestioo was whether the varlets ovlna was con-
tagion•. and whether stringent precautions ought not to be
taken aceinst the spread of that disease. Out of 70 that
bad mowed from Copenhagen and wore taken into North-
ampto"•bire, eight died of the vesiols ovine, aid cf 88
Englielt cheep 10 bad died, and 10 more were now suffering
from the same complaint. The district in which they were
had hen isolated.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
•-

Mr. LOCK. &eked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's
government to introduce any bill into parlisment dung
she prei.eot session to amend the law relating to weights
sad measures.
Mr. CHILDERS. who replied to the question, said it
wee the intention of the government to introduce s bill
during the present session.