The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-02 00:00:00

DLTTII ON SUGAR.

Mr. GLADSTONE said that as great doubt prevailed,
especially among those engaged in the sugar trade, as to
the period when the new system of duties on sugar would
come into operation, he would ask the Secretary to the
Treasury to give as melee information on that subject as
he could.

Mr. HUNT replied that in consequence of the negotia-
tions with other countries, the new system could not come
into operation until let of April, and possibly it might be
delayed to the lit May.

LIEUTENANT BRAND.

Mr. OSBORNE asked whether there would be
any objection to lay the correspondence between
the Admiralty and Lieutenant Brand before the house!
Sir J. PAKINGTON—In answer to the question which
has been put to me by the hon. gentleman the member for
Nottingham, I have to state that some correspondence has
taken place between Lieutenant Brand and the Admiralty.
As soon as Lieutenant Brand landed in this country he
addressed a letter to the Admiralty on the subject of the
reproof he had received in consequence of his laterite the
hon. member for East Surrey, and I am bound to say that
that letter was written in very becoming and proper terms
—(hear, bear)—and was acknowledged by the Admiralty.
These were the only letters that passed, and if the hon.
gentleman will move for their production, I shall be happy
to present them to the house.
VARIOUS QUMTION3.

The usual Friday evening's questions (on the motion for
going into committee of supply) dot not embrate many
subjects of general interest. Mr. Bruen asked for a copy
of the law officers' opinion on which John Morris, a
Fenian prisoner, was discharged, a request which was re-
fused by Lord Naas ; and Mr. Goldney brought under the
notice of the house the existing law as regards the right
of access of light and air to ancient windows ; after which
Mr. B. Cochrane called attention to the exportation of
Coolies from the East Indies, drawing a shocking picture
of the hardships suffered by these men.
Lord filch* (supported by Mr. Candlish and Mr. Powell)
urged the Home Secretary to bring in a bill to amend the
law of master and servant. Mr. K Potter expressed an
opinion that very few cases of hardship occurred, and
doubted whether the bill would be waist setory if founded
altogether on the report of last year's committee ; and Mr.
W►lpole replied that he was in consultation with the
AttorneyAleneral on the matter, and, without giving any
pledge as to time, would do his best to bring in a bill this
session. _ _ _

The subject of reform was revived by Sir William Stir-
ling-Maxwell, who premed on Mr. Disraeli the justice of
giving additional representatives to Scotland, and expressed
the disappointment felt there on its omission from the
government proposals. Instead of 52 members, Scotland,
he argued, would be entitled to 69, if judged by popula-
tion, $6 by taxation, and 78 by the mean of the two ; and
he urged the impolicy of creating an impression that Scot-
land was treated with less consideration by thecomervative
than by the liberal party. The appeal was supported by
Sir J. Ogilvy, Sir B. Colebrooke, Mr. Kinnaird, and Mr.
M`Laren, who insisted that by increase of revenue and
population Scotland was entitled to twelve additional
borough members, and by Major Cumming Bruce, who
urged the claims of the Scotch universities to two repre-
sentatives.

An attempt was made by Mr. Hadfield to give a wider
range to the discussion by dilating on the general ques-
tion of reform, but it was checked by the Speaker.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
her Majesty's government had not arrived at the conclusion
that there was too much representative power in England.
The conclusion at which they had arrived was that that
power might be more efficiently distributed. Upon that
they were clear and unanimous In their opinions; but there
was a great difference between curtailing and diminishing
representative power and distributing it in • manner
which rendered it more efficient. They had made
proposals which they sincerely believed would
render the representation of England more effi-
cient. They should call into ,direct representation in
that house a number of town, which had risen into note
since the passing of the act of 1832, and also proposed to
give more representation to large districts of the country,
which all candid people had for some time acknowledged
were under-represented. They saw no reason to believe
that the representative power of England was greater than
its population, its property, and those mixed considerations
which ought to decide the adjustment of such important
demils, warranted, and therefore theycould not at all admit
that in attempting to improve the representation of Eng-
land and Wales they were bound to consider the claims of
any other part of the United Kingdom. It was very much
to be deprecated that any just claims which might be
urged by any part of the kingdom should be satisfied by
means of sacrifices on the part of England which could not
be defended or vindicated. Having said so much, he de.
sired Scotch members to understand that when her 'Nls.
jesty's government considered the case of Scotland, they
would deal with it without any prejudice or any foregone
conclusion, and solely with reference to the claims which
that part of the United Kingdom might put forth to repre-
sentation in that house. (Hear hear.) No doubt the
Scotch universities might appeal with ride and confidence
to the constituency which represented their interest and
their character ; but to whom were they indebted for that
constituency? Why, in 1859, when the present govern.
ment were in office, they introduced the measure which
gave • corporate representative character to those univer-
sities, and thus enabled them to make a claim which pre-
viously they would have been unable to prefer. Therefore
it could not be supposed that her Majesty's present ad-
visers were insensible to the claims of the great seats of
learning. For his own part he was always favourable to
having mixed with the great material interests which
must always constitute the bulk of a great representative
assembly constituencies which were founded upon intel-
lect and education. The government were not insensible
to the claims of Scotland. On the contrary, they were
willing to consider them, but they could not consider them
on the principle that the representation of Scotland was
to be improved by the sacrifice of English interests.
Mr. OLIPHANT wished to know when the Scotch
Reform Bill would be laid upon the table.
Mr. SCHREIBER asked the right hon. gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he could inform the
house of the number of male occupiers resident in the
borough. and cities of England and Wales who would I.
placed upon the register for the election of members of
parliament by a household suffrage, accompanied by a three
years' residence and the personal payment of rates.
Neither of these last-mentioned questions was answered.
The Speaker left the chair, and the house went into com-
mittee of