The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-31 00:00:00

cease—and being convinced that the merit■ of the case are as
clear as the sun at noooday—(laughter)-- I confidently look
to the result of the division which is now about to take
place. (Cheers.)
The committee divided and the numbers were :
Ayes
Noes
Majority for the government 15
The position of the tellers revealed the fact of the ma-
jority being for the government, and the announcement of
the numbers was delayed for more than a minute by the
deafening cheers of the ministerialists. When order was
at length restored,
The remaining clauses of the bill were passed through
committee.

Upon the motion that the bill be reported (which was
also greeted with cheering),
Mr. F. FRENCH said that before the house agreed to
the motion, be wished to call the attention of the house to
a statement which had been made by the noble lord the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs—a statement which he (Mr.
French) considered to be prejudicial to the honour and in-
,' dependence of the house. The statement, be was told, was,
that a deputation of Irish members wanted to have an in-
terview with the Prime Minister on Monday last on the
subject of the Galway packet contract. He (Mr. French)
bad asked every Irish member he hail met, and on the part
of every one of them, and on the part of himself, be wished
to may that there was no foundation for such a statement ;
and that the Irish members never thought of having
an interview with the noble lord. Such an interview was
not asked for by the Irish members, but by • certain Judi-
vidnal who was not concerned with Irish intereate in any
way, and who was a clergyman. The proposal for the in-
terview was made by him ; and the statement that he was
authorised to ask for it by the Irish members was wholly
and totally untrue.
Lord PALMERSTON said he hoped the house would
allow him to answer the question instead of the noble lord,
because what the noble lord had stated was founded entirely
upon a communication which had been made to the
noble lord by him (Lord Palmerston.) The real'
state of the case relating to that interview he (Lord
Palmerston) would state to the house exactly as it occurred.
There was no use in concealing names. (Hear, bear.) The
Rev. Father—Mr. Daly--called upon me on Saturday and
urged upon in. reasons why the decision of the government
with regard to the Galway packet line should be recon-
sidered. Well be (Lord Palmerston) stated to Mr. Daly
that he did not consider him authorised to represent any
body on the subject, and he declined to enter into • dia.
cession with him on the Galway packet contract. He
(Lord Palmerston) did not consider him an ambassador
of the Irish members or of the company in particular. He
said it was a public question. It was a matter which should
be discussed publicly in the House of Commons, and
not in a private manner is his (Lord Palmerston's) room.
(Cheers.) Mr. Daly thereupon said, "If you won't
discuss it with me, will you discuss it with a deputation of
Irish members r' He (Lord Palmerton) said be did not
see it was a matter between him and the Irish members,
but between the government and the Galway company.
The Irish members would do no more than take part in
the discussion on the subject. " But," said Mr.
Daly, "you are mistaken, because the Irish members
must take some action upon it." He (Lord Pal-
merston) said that action would he upon the discussion.
" But," said Mr. Daly, " that won't exactly do. I wish to
bring von a deputation of Irish members on Monday."
" Well but," said he (Lord Palmerston), " Monday is the
day appointed for the budget. The Galway contract is a
different question. (Laughter.) There is no discussion
coming on on Monday about the Galway contract.
There ts no reason why I should twelve a deputation upon
that day, and if they came to me they could tell me no
more than I know already, and ! could only say to them it was
a public question, to be discussed in the Home of Commons."
" Well but," said Mr.Daly—(laughter)—" I am anxious you
should see them on Monday, because they must take action
upon the subject, and that action must be taken on Mon-
day evening. (Laughter.) " Well," said be (Lord Palmer-
ston) " I now understand you ; and when it is put to me in
that way, I must, with all deference and respect to the
Irish members, entirely decline receiving any deputation
at all." This was the whole of the conversation which
he (Lord Palmerston) had mentioned to his noble
friend and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
lie did not know what authority Mr. Daly bad to
bring to him a deputation of Irish members ; his noble
friend dial not say that Mr. Daly was so authorised, and it
was for Mr. Daly and the Irish members to settle the
question. daughter and cheers.)
Colonel DUNNE said that he denied that any man bad •
right to go to the noble lord as a deputation purporting to
represent him or any other Irish member. He should have
"gthe budget in any case.
eetsl subject then dropped.
The Consolidated Fund (10,000,000/3 Bill passed through
committee.

The Drainage of Land Bill was read a second time.
The Volunteer. Tolls Exemption (No. 2) Bill passed
through committee, and
The house adjourned at twenty-fieo minutes to two
o'clock.