The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-19 00:00:00

THEATRES.

Mr. O'BEIBNII asked the Home Secretary whether it
was ids invention to introduce any measure for the better
regulation of theatres and places of public amusement in
Great Britain.

Ik. WALPOLE said he hoped to bring in a bill on the
su'oject, in whisk some of the recommendations of the
committee of last session would be carried out.
THE FENIANS IN IRELAND.

Colonel ORKVILLE asked whether the Secretary for
Ireland was in possession of any further information with
regard to what was taking place in Ireland.
Lord NAAS—I have no further information beyond this
—that I received a telegram two hours ago stating that
everything was perfectly quiet, and that there was no ap-
pear, roe of any renewed attempt at insurrection in the
county of Kerry. From information received by the go.i
vernment it appears that at no time was there more than
120 or 130 engaged. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRUEN asked whether the government could con-
firm the public reports of the gallant conduct of Police-
constable Duggan, who was attacked and wounded while in
the discharge of hh, duty in carrying despatches? He
vdshol also to know whether they could confirm the re-
ports with regard to the conduct of the Roman catholic
priest—the Rev. Mr. Magill—who give information at the
police barracks of Roes Bay of the approach of the Fenians,
and who on being charged by them with being an informer
boldly and loyally stated that such was the fact, and endea-
veered to persuade them from their mad enterprise?
Lord NAAS said that the Recount of the occurrence with
regard to the police constable which appeared in the
morning papers was entirely correct. The constable showed
the greatest possible gallantry and devotion to his duty.
After he was wounded and fell from his horse he endea-
voured to struggle on ea best he could in the performance
of his duty. He was unfortunately unable to proceed, and
WAS obliged to take refuge in a house where he was fol-
lowed by some armed men. With respect to the Roman
catholic priest, the government had reason to believe,
from the information at their disposal, that the account
given in the newspapers as to his conduct was also per-
feotly correct. (Hear, hear.) Shortly after the attack
upon the police constable, the same party who made the
attack was met by the reverend gentleman on the road not
far from the pollee barracks in Ross Bay. They stopped
him, and Le warned them of the very perilous and
wicked course they were pursuing, and endeavoured to per.
male them not to make the attack which he was led to
believe they intended to make upon the barracks.
Th-7 advanced some bather distance towards the bar-
racks, when it appeared that his counsel prevailed, for at
MO yards' distance they turned off, and made for the
mountains. The rev. gentleman then visited the wounded
min, and remained with him until the doctor arrived.

The Vice-President of the Board of Trade Bill, which
substitute• a secretary to the beard, with a seat in the
Hou.e of Com Lions, for a vice-president, was read a second
time.

In committee of the whole house, resolutions fixing the
new scale of excise duty on sugar made in the United
Kin;dom and on sugar used in brewing were agreed to, on
the motion of Mr. RUNT, and after a protest by Mr.
J. R. Kerns against the classification of the duty as the
protection of one clam of sugars at the expense of another.
The resolutions relating to the duty on dogs were
reported and &weed to.
THE RESOLUTIONS ON REFORM.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. AYRTON again brought on the subject of parlia-
meatary reform. He saia he believed there was no dispo-
sition whatever on the part of the members of the oppo-
sition to make any factious opposition to any reform
measure proposed by the government, but they were truly
desirous to settle the question, and he put it to the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer whether, on his receiving an as-
surance that no obstacle would be offered to a bill being
allowed to go into committee, he would not bring in a bill
►t once.

Tha CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I am will-
ing to accept the assurance of the lion, gentleman that
he has made the observations he has offered in no un-
friendly spirit towards her Majesty's government ; and
I shall reply to him in the same manner. I assure him
that he mistakes the character of her Majesty's govern-
ment if he thinks they have formed any erroneous or
exaggerated ideas of their own importance. They are
tery anxious to take each a course as will further the
advancement of good legislation in this house, and if
possible the settlanent of a question which so greatly
interests the parliament and the counlry at large. (Cheers.)
With great respect to the hon. gentleman I must say
I cannot th:nk we have erred in the coarse we have taken.
In adopting that course we have acted as far as possible in
the strictest adherence to parliamentary precedent and
practice—not from any suplrstitious veneration for Fir-
lia.swnt,ry precedents, but because we know that
those precedents embalin the wisdom and practical saga-
city of generations. We thought it was absolutely
neJessary,or. our part to have recourse to procedure by
resolution. When I addressed the house I might have
confined myself to arguments in favour of that course, and
if I had dopes° I should have been strictlyin onler. Butit was
represented to me by gentlemen on this side that it was
desirable the general character of the resolutions should
ho stated. so that the house might understand whether the
resolutions expressed merely pnnciples for oar guidance,
or whether they went into great detail. I wished that
the house should undentand that they were resolutions
which embraced principles ; and I took the opportunity in
some degree to %indicate that course. lam myself con-
tincad th,t it would he impossible to bring forward resolu-
tions as the basis of a bill, especially a bill on a subject so
vast as that of the representation of the people in
parliament, except by way of expressing principles
I cannot say we Lave bad any cause to regret the course
we have adopted. All that has happened since has satisfied
us that its effect has been to facilitate our future progress;
and whatever criticisms may have been passed upon the
resolutions, or upon us, we have had no cause to regret what
we have done. I hope, therefore, that her Majesty's go-
vernment may be allowed to pursue the course they have
elected to follow. They would hot pursue that course if
they believed it would lead to delay ; but they are con-
aimed, after the cordial reception it has met with on the
part of the house, that it will facilitate legislation. I may
VI permitted to say that the resolutions which lie upon
Vie table of the house express a policy, and that they are
all connected together, though as to the precise applies.
lion of that policy it may be perfectly possible that