The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-06 00:00:00

THE CHITECH-RATE BILL.

Mr. WALPOLE asked the hoe. member for Btoke-upon-
Tient whether he intended to goon with his proposed reso-
lution as an amendment to the second reading of the Church
Batts Abolition Bill, or whether he would consent to poss.
paw the consideration of that resolution no bl the house had
determined the main question raised by the bill, namely,
the absolute and unconditional abolition of church rates,
without say substitute being provided for them.
Mr. B. HOPE could not mint the *avail of his right
boo. friend, cosmdering the posi.ion which the tight
bon. gentlemen held iu that house, and considet log that he
was tha eel, minister of the crown who had proposed from
the treisury bench that particular compromise which he
(Mr. Hope) recommended. He would, therefore,
draw las motion, and allow a division to be taken on the
main question. if the bill of the hon. member for Burt Bt.
Edmunds (Mr. Hardcwitle) passed its recood reading he (Mr.
Hope) would reserve his resolution till the motion foe going
into committee, and if the bill were lost he would bring
forward his resolution as a substantive memoir..
THE REFORM LULL.
- -

Mr. CRANFORD—I wish to ask the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, whether hie bill for amending the repro-
seetat'un of the people will apply to the whole of the
United Kingdom ; and if not, on what day the bill to
amend the representation of the people in Scotland will be
brought under the attention of the house?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The bill
which,eoeording to the notice I have given, I shall have
the honour to ask leave to introduce on Monday next will
apply only to England and Wale,. On that day I shell,
I hope, be able to inform my hon. friend what is the course
we propose to lake with respect to `Soothed and Ireland.
Mr. HUNT-I beg also to ask a question with respect to
the reeisionetheeleatoral statistics to which the righthon.
gentleman referred the other evening. I wish to ask, for
the information of the house, what is the nature of that
revision to which those statistics have been enbmit'ed,
sod whether the government bill will be finally settled
before that revision is concluded 2

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The re-
vision of the setiaties must be interpreted as alevision of
the prose only. Sabstantiallythe statistics have been very
warty completed for some short time; but in particular
ewes there are answers which we are expecting. However,
they may be so slight that it may not be worth while to
incur further delay, and I thiek I can venture to assure the
Loom that the tables will be circulated is full not later
than Saturday morning. (Cheers.)
THE DEVONPORT ELECTION.
On the motion that the Speaker to leave the chair, In
ordsr that the house might go into committee of supply.
Lord C. PAGET explained that be had beers in ewer the
other evening is stating that the telegram to the dockyard
authorities at Devouport, directing facilities to be given for
serving dockyard men with fipsker's warrants, bad been
sent by the orders of the Duke of Somerset. Though the
duke subsequently approved the telegram, he was not aware
of its being sent until some days after.
Mr. HORSMAN read a letter from Mr. Phino, explaining
that he had nothing to do with the petition, and did not
concur in the prayer for the seat.
Sir J. PAKINGTON pressed for a further inquiry into
this impropertraesection by means of a select committee.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave some
further explanations for the purpose of shawls( that the
Admiralty Sad not been guilty of any error, and he pro-
mised in a day or two to lay before the house she explana-
tions which had been asked for from the dockyard autho-
rities.
In answer to • question from Mr. ROZBOCII,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the service of
the Speaker's warrants at the residences of the men would
not be auffieient.
The subject dropped after a few words from Mr. HUNT
and Mr. B. 00CNIANZ.
THE SECRETARY FOR WAR'S PATENT.
In answer to asperities from Captain VIVIAN,
The Marquis of HARTINGTON stated that a docameal
had been drawn up by Sir G. C. Lewis defining the respec-
tive functions of the Semetary for vra and the Comman-
der-in-Chief, which was signed by the Qum', sod skill re-
medied in form, and he promised to lay a copy on the
table if at were moved for.

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALMFS.
Hr. D. GRIFFITH put some4iicitui in reference to
recent sweats in the Danubian dies. bet
The CHANCELLOR of the CHEQUER, on the
ground that • conference of the great powers was about to
meet on the subject, declined to sity more than that the
object of that conference would be to carry out the treaty
of 1856.
THE ARMY ESTIMATES.
In committee of supply,
The Marquis of HAIITTNGTON mond the truly esti-
mates, and stated that they showed redivide. of 263,4471.
over those of last year, sod amounted on the whole to
14,095,001. ; being a oostinuation, however oomparatively
small, of rededicate in successive years, white had mashed
in the aggregate to above two millions, There had been
an increase of 71,0331. for the commissariat, owing to
the price of revisions; 56,2001. for the militia, 13,103
for the volunteers, sad 30,8001. in the item of works,
sad yet then had been a general diminution of
a quarter of • millitm ; besides which an antici-
pated reduction by the withdrawal of Imps from
New Zealand bad not yes taken place. There was
to be • diminution of British troops in India, namely,
65,287 men as against 71.014. The number of moo pro-
posed for the present year was 142,477, there being no
change in the number of the artillery, cavalry, or guard.,
but two companies in certain battalions of the infantry
would he reduced, making a decrease of 4,360. The sow
blishment of infantry would be 39 battalloce in the eolo-
nice, 50 in India. and 50 at home. The officers who would
be placed on half-pay would be provided for by 60 unat-
tached lientenanteoloaeloies and majorities, and the re-
taining of the remainder as supernumeraries until they are
absorbed in their regiments by filling up vacancies. Is refe-
rence to the obvious falling off of reeruitieg in the army it
had not be considered desirable to hike any steps to hold
out further inducements to met to Wed notil after
inquiry by a royal commission, which would be appointed.
rd which would deal also with the subject of limited
enlistment. He stated that the militia would be called
out in the usual way, and would this year be eatitled to
sew clothing, which Recounted for the ligrillie; and that
for the volunteers was caused by the increase in men
claiming the bounty for efficiency, while the whole fore,
numbered 178,000 this as against 170,0C3 last year. Is
regard to the manufacturing department, there was
little change in the amount of charge; as related to
the question of ordnance, which it involved, it had
appeared that the system of both Armstrong and Whit-
worth were valuable both as regards heavy metal, rifling,
and strength ; the difficulty as to the Whitworth system
being that sufficient quantities of the steel required were
not easily obtained, while Armstrong's was found to be
adequately strong for all purposes of actual envies. In the
navy prefers)°, wee given to Whit worth, sod is the army
to Armstrong. A number of large guns on Whitworth's plan
were beiog constructed for movies is the may. There had been
constructed of large guns-30 of wise and twelve tons, 27 of
seven toes, sod 229 of ale and • half tons, while • large addi-
tional number death were nearly ready, some of them being
of 22 tons, and some of 18 toes. Witt regard to moan arms
and supplying the army with breech-loading rides, none of the
pleas of converge') had been accepted, and no contract had
been made, but Schneider's system promised to be one
which might be adopted. Alluding to the asses of Fenian-
: ism in the army in Ireland, be stated that they were most
probably those of men who had enlisted for the purpose of
, eedeavouring to corrupt the men ; there had never for a
moment been any serious doubt of the loyalty of the
soldiery. The matter would be, however, isveratigated
carefully. He concluded by moving a vote of 142,477 men
for the service of the correct year.
General PEEL, after criticising some arithmetic-!
• blunders in the est,mater, expressed h s gratification at
the announcement of a royal eocamisaion co recruit-
' ing, and hoped that the house would undertake the
inquiry into the management of the Army Reserve
Fund. He discussed the plan for reductioo, condemn-
ing the dismissal of • single drilled soldier from
the army at the present moment, sad wanted the
' committee that in the present unsettled state of our &nise-
i manta no great reduction was possible. He also coedemned
the excessive expenditure in the administrative depart-
• meats, pointing particularly to the large amount for pen-
lions and Toth inf allowances.
A long discussion followed, in which the militaty mem-
' bers of the bona* took the leading part, the subjects de-
• bated including, inter alia, the improvement of small arms,
musketry teeining, fortifications, military education, the
' reserve fund, promotions, War-office clerkships, sad the
marriage of soldiers. Eventually the vote of 138,117 men
for the British army was agreed to, as was also the next
vote of 178 men belonging to the native Indian army em-
ployed in Labium.
On the vote of 5,362,5001. for the general staff and reel-
' mental pay, • discussion was raised on the expediency of
maintaining the Hythe and Fleetwood Schools of Musketry
on the present system, by Sir 0. Rome & who moved the
omission of 10,G,:31. from the expenses of those establish-
ments. Ultimately the Marquis of Hartington heeling
• promised to institute an inquiry into the system of teach-
ing, the amendment was withdrawn and the vote agreed
to, after a motion to report progress had been negatived by
55 to 4&
The Princess Helena's Annuity Bill was read a third time
and passed.
The Prince Alfred's Annuity BM was committed pro
• former__

The Marine Mutiny Bill was read a seeond time.
The Peecione Bill passed through oommittee.
The remaining business was disposed of, and the House
adjourned at 20 climates to 1 o'clock.

Tait INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTIIIIAL EXHIBI-
nom—We understand that the prospects of the Grand
International Horticirdraral Exhibition and Botanical Con-
gress, to be held at South Kensiegtoe is May next, are
moat aneoureging. The ground to be occupietzl,ibythe show,
which is a portion of the site of the '62 . bition, is
already under preparation for the erection of the monster
tent, and according to the plans which have been adopted,
the interior arrangements will be made most effective. The
complimentary banquet to the learned foreigoers who are
invited to take part in the proceedings, or to attend aide's- ,
✓ates from foreign governments, and which, thanks to the
pity cot ?oration, is to he held is the Guildhall, is drawing
in as subscribers to the fond many who are anxious to do
homage to the distinguished visitors who will honour the
occasion with their presence. Whilst the Botanical Out-
grew which is to be under the presidency of K. de Candelle,
is assuming from day to day a more prac.ioal shape;
several eminent botanists both at home and abroad
have already joined in working it oat to a successful
The meetings of the congress are to be held
in the Raphael Cartoon-room at South Keesiagtoe, by per-
mission of the Committee of Council on Education. This
great horticultural movement, it should be remembered, is
wholly of au independent character, aid it must be a source
of great gratification to the friends of ecientifio horticulture
in this country that it has attracted so large an amount of
voluntary pecuniary support, without which, indeed, ft
could not have been attempted. The expertise, however,
will be heavy in proportion to the magnitude of the under-
taking, and we learn officially that farther aid is necessary
to secure that the combined exhibition and congress be oar
raid out in a spirited manner, which is highly desirable,
having regard to their international character.
COBDEN MEMORIAL—A meeting of subscribers
to the Cobden memorial at Manchester was held yesterday
afternoon, Mr. Malcolm Roes presiding, to decide upon the
appropriation of a balance of the fund after defraying the
cost of a statue, 2,50 W., by Mr. Marshall Wood. The total
subscription is 4,42 W. It was resolved, on the unanimous
reoommendstion of the executive committee, to devote a
sum of sot lees than 1,250!. to the endowment of the chair
of Political Economy at Owee'e College, Manchester, on
condition that its professor deliver each session a course of
weekly evening lectures, to which any of the public primary
school teachers or pupil teachers engaged in Manchester
or Salford shell have free admission. The remainder of the
food would be invested as a prise-fend for these teacher
students. It was explained that the object le to seamy a
more general diffosioa of knowledge of political economy
amen; the people by first of all promoting its acquirement
by the primary school teachers.

01,ERKZNVali ORICHOVO AND THE
„ POOR.

, .
The peat-houses of Clerkenwell are as revolt-
ingly unfit for sleeping-places as when we com-
mented on them last. On Sunday evening forty men
and women were crammed into wards with nominal
accommodation for thirty, and, having been locked
up in the dark, were left to scramble or fight for
room as they thought fit. At 9.30 p.m. the pad-
lock wan, at our request, removed from the door of
the ward for males, on the western side of the
yard, and, after borrowing a workhouse lantern
from a pauper attendant, we walked to its extreme
end. It was but a few paces, yot we are unable
to fully describe the scene, from physical inability
to remain in the foul effluvia we met. The instant
the door opened a chorus of complaints was offered
up by the occupants of the bunks, who were lying
perfectly naked upon straw mattresses, with a
single rug over them. A division between each
sleeping-place has been put up, as advised by Mr.
Farnall ; but these divisions are made to aggravate
the very evils they were designed to prevent. In
many of the narrow spaces partitioned off for one
person, there were, on Sunday, two naked
men lying, their bodies in such close contact as
to look like one many-legged double-headed mon-
strosity rather than two human beings. When asked
why they took off their shirts, the reply was the
same as at our previous visit : "It's impossible to
keep them on for—(insects)." No shirt or substi-
tute for shirt is provided by the workhouse, no
bath is given, and no work enforced. Two stupid-
looking dazed youths had not succeeded in forcing
themselves into one of the already occupied bunks,
or in finding room to lie down, and were now
sitting patiently in the dark, at the feet of their
more fortunate brethren. They neither looked at
the faces of those coming in, nor spoke, nor moved,
but followed the lantern with hungry eyes, as if
its light conveyed some dim sense of warmth and
comfort. Meanwhile, those in bed clamoured
loudly on the insufficiency of straw in their
mattresses ; the impossibility of sleeping two
in a bed; the cold, the insects, and the
thinness of the rugs. Accepting an invitation to
see "the sort o' thing a poor man had to lie on who
would have to look for work to-morrow," we passed
to the far end of the closet. It was impossible to
stay there. No one had complained of the smell,
but the foul, acrid stench of human bodies and
human breath was so overpowering that it was with
some difficulty we struggled against nausea and
dizziness, and made for the door. This was re.
locked, while the people within growled and
shouted, and finally kicked at it, and were left to
wallow in the darkness and their filth, like so many
obscene animals who were disgusting to others and
hateful to themselves.
Crossing the narrow yard and descending a few
steps, we are at the door of the cellar where the
remaining male tramps are lying. This unlocked
and opened, the first object the light from the lan-
tern falls on is the figure of a perfectly naked
man, who has just succeeded in opening the cellar-
window. This forlorn being goes back to his lair,
and, wrapping his rug round him, cowers down in
corner, in a manner horribly suggestive of
a wild beast. " We're bein' poisoned," "We can't
breathe for the bad smell," "Turn out the man
with the sore leg," " Here's another one here with
fever," were shouted out; and it was found that the
window had been opened and the disturbance made
because the dreadfully noisome condition of one
casual made his present* dangerously offensive even
to the obtuse senses of the poor wretches round.
He was an old feeble creature, who had gone to bed
in his clothes, and who promptly turned up his
tempers when asked what he suffered from. A
foul and dirty bandage, saturated with matter and
discoloured with blood, concealed his sore, the
rank, putrescent smell of which filled the
atmosphere of the ward. Bad as the stench of
the first sleeping-place was, it became insig-
nificant when contrasted with this • while the
closely packed naked figures, the squalid room, and
the darkness, made up an aggregate of disgusting
horrors exceeding anything yet revealed of any
other workhouse in England. The man with the
bad leg eagerly availed himself of an offer—only
made through the accident of our visit—to be
taken into the house, and was removed to the re-
ceiving ward. Shake-downs were ordered for the
twos lads • the casual accused of fever denied the
charge, and so was again locked up with the rest,
who were left to squabble for room, to swear, to
recriminate, and to inhale the shockingly: poisonous
air until the morning.

PRINTER& PENSION SOCHI/T.—The annual meet-
ing of the subscribers of this society as well as the election
of tan persons to its benefits took place yesterday afterooon
at the London Tavern ' • Mr. C. Heed, F.&A., in the chair.
The report, which was read by the secretary (Mr. Hodson).
stated that with the view of concentrating the effort, of
the existing trade charities, the society had agreed to au
amalgamation with the almshouse Society, and it was be-
lieved that tide change in the constitution of the charity
would immeasurably add to its benefit.. The anniversary
festival held last July ender the presidency of the Right
Hon. W. E Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was
attended with great success, and the funds of the corpora-
-1 tion were increased 4281. by the event. The arsenalsub-
' soriptions of the past year had amounted to 6421.1.. Bd., and
the life subscriptions to 4901. 18s. The amount of the funded
property of the corporation was 11,7561. 12s. 2d. During
the year, evidence of the thankful spirit with which the
beciefits of the charity were received, was found in the fact
that the relatives of pensioners had written to the com-
mittee gratefully acknowledging the usefulness of the
society's operations. A feeling of regret bad been expreesed
that there was no means for giving temporary relief to she
disappointment of unsuoceedul candidates at elections, and
in order to meet the desire that 110100 provision should be
made for those persons, a private subscription was set on
foot sod a donation of D. bad been given to each aosuccens-
ful candidate on last year's list. The chairman moved the
adoption of the report, and expressed his satisfaction at the
satisfactory results which had attended the labours of the
society. He announced that this year's festival of the
charity would take place on the 6th of April. Ten pen-
sioners were elected, being two in addition to the usual
number. _

ROYAL INSTITUTION Or GREATBRITACR.—At the
general monthly meeting yesterday, Sir Hairy Baked,
Bart., M.D., D.C.L. P.R.'S., president, in the than, Mr.
Charles Joseph Hyde Allan, Mr. George Ached Ames, Mr.
John Boyle Barry, M.R.C.S., Mr. Edward Ladd Batt,
John Conolly, M.D., D.C.L., Mrs. Katherine Sophia Eliza-
both Foote, Mr. James Park Harrison, M.A., Mrs. Flies-
both Mary Hopgood, Mr. John Mortimer Hunt, Sir James
Lomita, Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart.. Mr. Brinsley de
esPriNixon, Mr. J. Bertrand Payne, F. 14.0.8., tile. Jo-
ayne Sir Samuel Morton Feb.o Bart., WE, Mr.
David Tradliobertsoo, Mr. Pendell Rani, Mr. James Gra-
ham Stewart, Mr. Daniel Charles dtiebel. and Mr. Willbm
Castle Smith, were elethed members of the Res al Inetitu-
non. The special thanks of the members were returned to
the donors of the following additions to "The Donation
Fund for the Promotion of Experimental Rosesrobes :"
Captain Douglas Calton, C. 8.. 101. ; Mr. Harry Mackenzie
(3rd donation), 101. 10e.; Mr. Samuel Reynolds Sully. F. R.
(4th annual dosation), 201. ; d Mr. Adam Murray (2nd
donation), 61. 6.. The decease of Mr. William Thomas
Braude, D.C.L, and E, he., hammy professor
of chemistry in the Royal Institution, was aonounoed from
the chair. [Mr. Braude was elected profaner of ebemistry
1813, and honorary professor in 1852.] The presents re-
ceived since the last meeting were laid oe the table, and the
thanks of the members returned for the same,

RAILWAY AND OTHER RILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT.
—Yesterday Messrs. Smith sod Frere, the examiners of
stauding order proofs, resumed their duties at Westminster
with the following twits :—Before Mr. Smith The op-
=odors', &detach, sad Bristol Railway petition was
adjourned until March 20. The staadwg orders
ware declared complied with M the opposed cues of the
Somerset sad Dorset and Bristol and North Somerset Rail-
way, and the Bristol and North Somerset Railway (Bristol
lines). The ooesideration of the opposed Bristol sod North
Somerset Railway (Soutbrrn &Moslem) was adjonreed.
MKS was no appearatme entered is the Deposed case of the
Metropolis Gas Act Amendment. Mr. Trees declared that
the standing orders had been complied with Ii the unop-
posed Putney and Fulham sew Berke, pootposed petition,
and the opposed Slough Om patties. There was me ap-
prisew entered either to the Skipton and Ilkley Railway
or the Westminster Boulevard (both opposed),