The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY, Mazes 27.
IN the Hones of Loans, yesterday, Earl Meant
called attention to the commission on the neu-
trality laws. He said he did not complain of the
course taken by the government, and he did not
altogether approve of it. He wished to move for
the further correspondence with respect to the
Alabama claims, for it appeared to him there was
a danger of falling into the opposite extreme to
the feeling which prevailed during the civil war,
when there was a large party which manifested a
strong partiality for the Southern States and
whose conduct had considerably hampered him as
minister of the crown. The Alabama escaped
while the law officers of the crown were consult-
ing as to whether she could be legally detained,
and when she escaped she was not armed, and it
was doubtful whether her detention could have
been legally justified. She received her armament
at the Arotes,and it was, therefore, not correct to
say that she was fitted out in a British port ; but
he could make allowance fir the natural and just
indignation of the Americans at her depredations.
Her Majesty's government had done all in their
power under the municipal laws of this
country, and could not be held responsible for any
breach of them to a foreign power, and he cited
American precedents in support of this view. It
was monstrous to assert that, because a vessel had
escaped unarmed from one of her ports, this
country was to be held responsible for all her
future acts, and contended that under their own
laws and precedents the government of the United
States would have taken precisely the same course
that he had taken on behalf of this country.
The LORD CHANCZLLOR said the neutrality com-
mission had agreed upon their report, and it was
on the point of being presented. He trust-d that
if the recommendations of the commission were
adopted they would avoid all future difficulties
with respect to the neutrality of the country. Lord
Stanley had taken a wise and conciliatory course
in offering to submit the case to arbitration, but
when a further demand was made to min up this
question with that of the recognition of the Con-
federates as belligerents, he was quite justified,
according to every principle of international law,
and above all the precedent of the United States
themselves, in affirming that this was a question
which every state was entitled to decide for herself.
Lord WR6TBDP.I gave an elaborate expisition of
the international and municipal law bearing on this
question, showing that Mr. Seward's propositions
were from either pointof viewaltogetheruntenable.
He regretted that the United States government
should have ignored the undeniably favourable
disposition of the government and the great
majority of the people of this country towards the
United States, and have not reciprocated the
cordial and friendly overtures which had been made
to them. _

The LORD CHANCELLOR said the negotiations were
net broken off. Mr. Seward had proposed a
general commission to investigate all claims, and
Lord Stanley had asked for more definite informa-
tion with respect to the scope and !object of this
commission. _ _ _

The subject then dropped, and the house ad-
journed at 10 minutes to 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.— FRIDAY, MARCH 27.
IN the Horse of COMMONS, Mr. J. S. MILL gave
notice of bis intention, immediately after the Easter
recess, to move for leave to bring in a bill for the
establishment of municipal corporations in the
metropolis, and for the creation of a corporation
of London.

Lord STANLEY gave notice that on Monday next,
on the motion for going into committee on the
Irish church, he will move an amendment that
this house, whilr admitting that considerable
modifications in the temporalities of the united
church in Ireland may, titer pending inquiry, ap-
pear to be expedient, is of opinion that any pro-
potation tending to the disestablishment or disen-
dowment of that church ought to be reserved to
the decision of a new parliament.
In reply to Mr. HORRMAN,
Lord STANLEY said he doubted the expediency
of offering • mediation which was not asked for,
to put a stop to the war now raging between
Brazil and its allies on the one part, and the state
of Paraguay on the other, but if the mediation of
her Majesty's government were asked for, they
would do all they could,either alone or in co-opera-
tion with any other power, to bring about a re-
°conciliation.

On the motion for going into committee of
supply, several subjects were brought forward,
one beibg thnt of compulsory pilotage, a motion
for the abolition of which was brought for-
ward by Mr. Candlish. In the course of the dis-
cussion which followed, Mr. Cave admitted that
gross anomalies existed, and said an attempt would
be made to correct them in the Merchant Shipping
Act. The motion was withdrawn.

Another subject was that of the British Museum,
to the condition of which Mr. Gregory called atten-
tion in a lengthened speech ; Mr. Disraeli replied,
sod stated that government have determined to
bring in • bill to separate the collection, removing
a portion of it to South Kensington.
Lord W. HAY also called attention to the corre-
spondence respecting British and native systems of
government in India. adducing • number of
reasons why our government of that country creates
dissatisfaction among the natives. Amongst the
errors committed by the government, he said, were
the continual changes of law which were
taking place, interfering with the prejudices
of the people. Another was that our financial
system was unsuited to the country. One great
cause of dissatisfaction was the increased cost of
food and of fuel. In the construction of public
works woods had been cut down to such an extent
that the rain-fall had become defective. A great
many of the evils existing in India arose from our
failing to consult the natives as to what we were
doing, and our not employing them in the adminis•
tration of the country.
Mr. Smotzrrr severely criticised the corre-
spondence and said he thought it ought to be con-
signed to ihe waste basket.
Mr. Fswesrr said no one could deny that our
rule in India had increased the material prosperity
of the country, and because that was so the Gover-
nor-General seemed to think that the people must
necessarily be more happy, which was a mistake.
The people seemed to think that we had no sym-
pathy with them. In fact, our faults wecis not of
the heart, butof the head. What India was-suffer-
ing from was centralization.
Lord CRANDOEMB believed that the evil of over-
regulation was growing in India to such an extent
that nearly all the time of the officials was occupied
in drawing up minutes and returns. The system
of official distrust as practised at home was quite
out of place in India, and there ought to be
a more intimate knowledge of the popular wants.
It was better to run the risk of a few mistakes
than io lose all elasticity and vigour of government
in that country.
Mr. Nicol. called attention to the failure of the
Bank of Bombay, the entire capital of which had
been lost, and to the hardship thereby inflicted on
the shareholders, who, on the faith of its being a
government institution, had invested their savings
in it.
Sir H. Rawtitisoi: complained that the Secretary
for India had refused to produce the minutes of the
Council of India on the subject.
Mr. AYRTON dilated at length on the same
theme, condemning severely the conduct of the
government officials who were connected with the
bank.

SIT S. NOIITHCOTE euil a commission had been
lamed by his direction to inquire into the subject
of the failure of the Bank of Bombay ; and he six-
phiuted that the government had been induced to
become shareholders in the new Bank of Bom-
bay rather than that the Bank of Bengal should
open a branch at Bombay, or that one great bank
should be established for the whole of Indic
Passing from this to the subject brought forward
by Lord William Hdr,' he expressed his concur-
renoe in many of the views that the noble lord had
*op/reseed.
The subject then dropped.
Another discluseion took place on the subject of