The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-27 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat at five o'clock,

GRAND JURIES SILL

Lord CAMPBELL, in moving the second reading of the
Grand Juries Bill, explained that its object was to
change the mode of swearing witnesses who had to give
evidence before grand juries. At present the mode was
for the crier to administer the oath in open court while
the business of the court was proceeding, and much con-
fusion often resulted from it; but by this bill the oath
would be administered by the foreman of the grand jury

hl their own room.
After a brief discussion, the bill was read a second

DIVORCE, &C., BILL,

On the motion for going into committee on the Divorce
and Matrimonial Causes Bill,
Loed LYNDIIURST brought up the report of the select
committee on the subject, and explained the recommenda-
tions contained in it. The noble and learned lord
said that the committee were unanimous in the
opinion that there should be a special court to try divorce
and matrimonial cases, and that an alteration should be
made in the existing law, to allow a woman who had
become divorced from her husband, on account of cruelty
or adultery, to hold property which previously belonged
to her, and to give her the right to sue and be sued.
A discussion ensued, after which the bill went through

committee.
The Sardinian Loan Bill, the Seamen's Savings Banks
Bill, and the Industrial and Provident Societies' Bill, went

through committee.
Their lordships rose at five minutes to eight o'clock

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TIIURSDAY
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINES4.
The following bills were read a third time and passed
Dawson's Estate; Dunblanc, Donne, and Callander Rail-
way ; Ingham's Estate ; Perth, Almond Valley, and
Mt.:Owen Railway; and Stirling and Dunfermline Railway.
POSTAL COMIUNICATION WITH. AUSTRALIA.
Sir J. PAKINGTON asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether her 'Majesty's Government had completed ar-
rangements for postal communication between England
and Australia, and, if so, what was the nature of the

arrangements ?
Mr. Wiasos said the right hon. baronet had put a num-
ber of questions, from time to time, relative to the postal
arrangements to be agreed on between this country and
Australia. It was a matter of no small difficulty to ar-
range a service of such great importance to give satisfac•
tion to this country, and also the colonies. There were
many interests to be consulted, and recollecting the many
failures in former experiments, it was necessary that the
arrangements now made should not only be of a satisfac-
tory nature as regarded the colonies, but such as would
partake of a permanent character. After great con-
sideration and invitations for tenders, the object of
which was to test all the routes by which Aus-
tralia may be reached in the shortest time, the result
of which was the Government in this country, and those
who represented the colonies here, decided that the
best way to reach Australia was overland to Suez,
through the Red Sea—(hear)—round Point de Galle and
Cape Louis and Melbourne. The treasury then
authorised the Board of Admiralty to issue notices for
tenders for that route, and four had been sent in. One
tender proposed to carry the mails for a comparatively
small sum of money, but there was this disadvantage
accompanying it, that the vessels for the service were not
ready, and the Government would have to wait twelve
months for their building, and three months after that,
before they could be on the station. That proposal, with
the uncertainty'of the company being formed, and consi-
dering the urgency of the case, the Government declined
to accept. The next tender was of a similar character,
and the government would have to wait for the building
of the vessels. The third offer was from a very powerful
company, capable of carrying out the service, who had
in their possession a sufficient number of vessels, and of
the requisite size, but they proposed as a condition, that
the service should not commence until their vessels
were disengaged from the transport service, which would
not be for some months, and they refused to be
bound by the conditions for completing the voyage
within the given time laid down by the Government,
and the Government consequently declined to accept
their offer. The fourth tender was, by a considerable sum
of money, the largest in amount, but it contemplated the
immediate commencement of the service with vessels
recently built. The company were willing to accept the
contract, subject to the penalties for the non-completion
of the voyages within a certain period, and they also
undertook, for the same sum, to commence the service
from Southampton (although the Government only re-
quired it from Suez) and take letters and passengers
direct to the Australian colonies. (Hear, hear.) That
appeared to the Government an important advantage,
because if the service were only from Suez to Australia
it might occasionally happen that the Australian mail
would arrive too late at Suez to meet the home Indian
mail, and in that case there would be a delay of a fort-
night at Suez until the mail arrived there. Upon com-
munication with the Secretary for the Colonies,
acted as the representative of the Australian Colonies
in this matter, and as they were willing to pay half the
amount of any contracts entered into for the conveyance
of the mails, the Treasury could not hesitate to pay a
sufficient amount of money to secure this great advant-
age for the colony. The company who undertook
this service were strangers to the Government, but
,t enquiries had been made as to their responsibility,
the result of which was that the government were per-
fectly_satistied as to the ability of the company in point
of capital, knowledge, energy, and business-like habits, to
carry out the contract. (Hear, hear.) The first vessel
was to be ready for survey in August, depart from this
country direct for Melbourne, round the Cape of Good
Hope in October, take up her station in Suez in January,
followed by a second in November, a third in December,
and a fourth in January, and so on so as to keep up a
regular communication with the Australian colonies. The
vessels were to be of 2,200 tons burthen, 500 horse power,
and fitted with powerful screws. Everything had been
done that was possible to ensure punctuality, speed, and
to give entire satisfaction to the colonies. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. PAKINGTON said the answer of the honourable
gentleman was perfectly satisfactory, and asked if mea-
sures had been taken to ensure the vessels would not be
less than 2,000 tons each, and whether any stipulation had
been made for the amount of speed to be maintained
throughout, and the maximum period of time the voyage
was to occupy between Southampton and Melbourne.
Mr. WiLsoN said the vessels were not to be less than
2,000 tons burthen, but two vessels of 1,800 tons each
would be used temporarily for the first two or three
voyages, by which time others of a larger tonnage would
be provided to take their place. The voyage was to be
accomplished in fifty days, and the penalties for delay
were £5O the first day, increasing £5O per day for every
day's delay after.
Sir J. PAKINGTON : What is the duration of the con-
tract ?