The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-03 00:00:00

THE

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will show. First—certain Acts relating to the Irish
Church were, at the insiamee of Mr. °LAMSON%
read by the Clerk at the table, the right hon.
gentleman then moving, " That this House
" will immediately resolve itself into a
"committee to consider the said acts." At
this stage Lord STANLEY interposes. salting the
the House, instead of going into committee,
to agree to his amendment. The decision
of the House therefore will be taken on Mr.
GLADSTONE'S motion for going into committee.
Technically, the question put by the ?basses will.
be " That the words proposed [by Lord firs:nail
"to be left out stand part of the question." If
the House votes by a majority to go into com-
mittee, the amendment is disposed of, and the main
question, Mr. GLAMTONE'S other resolutions,
comes on. If on the other hand, it decides that
the words shall be " left out," Lord STANLEY'S
amendment will become a substantive proposition,
and as such would probably be withdrawn.

THE Duke of CAMIZIDOE so rarely takes part
in the debate. of the House of Lord/ that his
speech last night on corporal punishment in the
army claims attention on that ground alone.
We regret to read in it a tacit protest
against the abolition of the lash. His ROYAL
Mamma did not, it is true, ask his fellow Peers
to alter the Mutiny Bill, but the tenor of his
remarks was to make his listeners feel that a
powerful adjunct to discipline and good order
would be lost, and that in troubled times evil
consequences might ensue. We are happy to
believe that a higher clan of men will gradually
be induced to enlist ; that the Drag will live to
smile at the bugbear his imaginative fancy conjures
up ; and that the absence of a punishment he
admits to be brutal and degrading will be feund to
neither lower the tone nor lessen the stamina of
the British soldier. That no efficient substitute
has been provided, and that, as the law stands,
certain flagrant offences will be allowed to pass
with comparative impunity, is really a matter
beyond the range of the opponents of the cat.
Their object is gained when the power to inflict a
torture they deem demoralising to the army, and
worthy only of savages, is wiped out of the statute-
book ; and the providing deterrent punishments
and the maintenance of proper discipline are
matters they are content to leave in the hands of
the authorities. We must protest, however,
against the tono adopted by Lord HANDINGE and
some of the other peers. The former talked of
" the concessions made by the Government on
" this subject," and made a merit of " corporal
" punishment being now restricted to two offences
" instead to twelve as before last year." This is
much as if a cabman prosecuted by the Society
boasted of only beating one horse to death in a
year instead of three as in his hot youth ; or as if a
garotter declared that he only singled out fat gentle-
men with big watch-chains for the exercise of his
art. The lash has gone just as the thumb-screw
and the " Little-Ease" have gone, because it was
opposed to the spirit of the age. Its infliction at
all was a blot upon our civilisation, and a disgrace
to the country ; and we need have no fear that
the disciplinarians of the British army will be so
untrue to themselves as to allow military offenders
to run riot unchecked.

THE noble example of Mr. PEABODY has been
followed, though in a different direction, by Mr.
WHITWORTH. Great wealth has been devoted to
great objects ; and the luxury of doing good
indulged in to the benefit of the community. To
found thirty scholarships of 100/. a year each,
for the education of young men who have already
distinguished themselves beyond their fellows by
industry and perseverance, is to provide a stimulus
to humble talent and obscure genius which will pro-
bably lead to noble results. These scholarships are
to be applied to the " further instruction of young
" men, natives of the United Kingdom, selected
" by open competition for their intelligence and
" proficiency in the theory and practice of mocha-
" nice and its cognate sciences, with a view to the
" promotion of engineering and mechanical industry,
" and with the hope of bringing science and in-
" dusby into closer relation." The Pamperer of
the COUNCIL for EDUCATION will be trustee for
the management of the endowment fund ; and in
an official letter published this morning hints are
given of establishing in the great (Notre' of menu•
factoring industry fit places for scientific instruc-
tion in matters pertaining to productive industry.
Hopes are expressed that Mr. Warrwoarre's
munificent example may be extensively followed,
and a promise of State assistance and co-operation
implied. Here is a signal opportunity brought
home as it were through the doors of the great
and wealthy. The return is immediate, and the
result certain. Give to the keen brains and de-
termined wills of our most promising mechanics
the advantages of education, and the augmented
happiness and prosperity of the nation will
assuredly follow. We appeal especially to the
manufacturing and commercial interests, because
it seems to us they furnish the only instances
of this kind of large-minded liberality.