The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-24 00:00:00

BANKRUPTCY BILL.

Colonel SYKES moved the following resolutions :
"That on all occasions when candidates are invited to com-
pete for public employment under the crown, British sub•
jeer born in India should be allowed to compete on the
same footing as other British subject* ;" and "That Doc-
tors Thompson, Goodhall, Pulney Andy, Muncherjee Beram-
jee Colab, and Surgeon Pickachy, all British subjects,
having been prohibited from competing for the office
of assistant-surgeon in the royal army, at • pub-
licly advertised meeting appointed for the 18th of
Febraary last in London, it is the opinion of this
house that such prohibition was unjust, impolitic,
and uncalled for." He contended that the prohibition.
while it was • violation of guarantees given by parliament
and the crows, was disadvantageous to the public service
in India, and it disappointed hopes and expectations which
the people of our eastern empire were encouraged to enter-
tain.
The motion was seconded by Mr. LATAID.
Mr. T. G. BARING, remarking that the second resole-
ties conveyed • direct censure upon the Secretary of State
for War, said this wee not a question of the
employment of natives of led* but whether they should
be employed in the British army, in the general medical
service of the crown, in all parts of the world. The opinion
of the best authorities, epee which the Secretary of State
had acted, was that natives of India were constitutionally
unfitted for service In all parts. of the world, and, so far
from the prohibition being unjust, impolitic, or improper,
the Secretary of State would not have fulfilled his duty had
he acted otherwise.
After • few observations by Mr. J. B. Smith sod Captain
Jervis, and a reply by Colonel Sykes, who considered the
objections of Mr. Bruin utterly groandler, the motion was
withdrawn.
ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.
On the order of the day for going into committee of
supply,
Mr. H. SEYMOUR moved, " That in the opinion of this
house the state of the ecclesiastical law in England
and Ireland, and of the courts in which it is ad-
ministered, sod especially the act commonly celled the
Clergy Discipline Act, require to be amended and
reformed, and that it is incumbent on the government to
direct • measure to be prepared for that_purpose." He
said he regretted exceedingly that the Home Secretary
had refused his reset to the motion be had made for some
returns in referees to the ecclesiastical courts. Last year
the motion was carried, but the returns had never been
produced, the reason he understood being that they would
owl a large era, sad the Home Secretary declined asking
the sane of the house to the expenditure.
Sir G. C. LEWIS, having explained the reasons why
certain Mums relative to this motion had not been pro-
duped. added, with regard to the gearsl question, he was
not disposed to assert that the present state of the
ecclesiastical courts was satisfactory. He did not doubt
but that, if time permitted, a measure of reform might
with advantage be introduced. He was ant, however, pre-
pared to enter into any formal engagement on the subject.
Mr. NEWDEGATE bore testimony to the unsatisfactory
slate of the ecclesiastical courts, which he said was a dis-
COFtNISH MINER& grace to the church. It was dreadful to see such a miserable
Mr. KERSHAW asked the of State for the auras that of Mr. Bouwell so lung Pending, and entailing
Home Depareart whether be would ob to reoornmead se melt "Pm"'
her Majesty tonne her royal commission to inquire into the Mr. HADFIELD would undertake to prophasy that the
moral and sanitary state of the operative miners in Cornwall aerie lord at the bend of the government would never be
and Devoashire ? Wooed to reform the church of England, for if be did all
!Sir G. C. LEWIS said he bad already stated generally the seelestastical bodies in the kingdom would be about
that he thought • commission ought to is..tie to inquire into his 6815.
the moral and sanitary state of the operative miners ro Mr. H. SEYMOUR said be was satisfied with the
CornwalL He did not, however, like to pledge himself as °pistons elicited from both sides of the house, and also with
to time. the partway ansatisfeetory answer of the right hoe. g en-
POLAND. tleman—(a laugh)—and withdrawing his motion, he
Mr. HENNESSY asked the Secretary of State for Feeeivi would state that he should take the earliest opportunity of
Affairs when the papers relating to Poland would be laid again bringing the subject under consideration.
upon the table of the house : whether the despatch (from The motion was then withdrawn.
Viscount Palmerston to Prince Talleyrand), which oceitains LAW FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRES.
the statement that "the rights of the Czar are incoetesta- Mr. HANKEY rose to cell the attention of the house to
ble," would appear with the other papers ; and if not, (be present date of the law respecting the prevention of
whether that despatch was authentic : and what were the Gres in the metropolis.' The hon. member said that public
nears which influenced her Majesty's government in with- streaks had naturally been directed to this subject in con-
hold_ ing its error from the house? sequoia of the greet fire which had lately occurred near
Lord J. RUSSELL said that as the oorrespocdeooe bad London-bridge. The house was probably not aware
taken place whilst his noble friend at the heed of the Igo- of the great amount of property exposed to
vernment was Secretary of State for Foreign Alflabs, his had the risk of are in the metropolis. He believed
thought better to consult his noble friend as to the pro the value of the house property to be about three hundred
prier of procaring It. His noble [need lied net en yet had millions sterling, and the moveable property in houses,
illimmse to consider the docks, ke., to be at least six hundred millions. That was a
TIAN. ;I'S PICTURES. vas. amount of property, and yet, strange to say, it was
Lord H. LENNOX asked the Chief Commissioner of practically all left without any municipal regulations what-
Work/, if any plans had been prepared under his sanction, ever for its protection against fire—a state of things alnicet
for meting a building behind the National Gallery, in unexampled in the whole world. With regard to the pro-
Trafelgarequare, for the reception of the "Turner Pictures," seat state of the law he might mention that directly
and if so, whether it was in contemplation to commence the after the great fire of London of 1666 public attention
execution of any such plans without previously obtaining was drawn to the matter, and an set of the Common
the direct sanction of parliament' Council was passed, giving elaborate directions as
Mr. COWPERsaid that the improvements which bad bees to the course to be pursued in the event of fire. The
made in the National Gallery were so arranged as to assist municipality made may admirable and very minute regula-
aoy large pla n that might to adopted for exten:lfathe tuns for the security of property—the Lord Mayor was to
National Gallery inthe rear over the site now occu by atteutl with all his officers on the occasion of i fire, and
the barracks and St. Martin's workhouse. He piano every alderman was to keep 12 buckets and • hand-squirt
is his poseession showing how accommodation might be pro- constantly in • state of readiness. Upon application to the
vided in that direction for all the pictures, ancient and present town clerk, he found that functionary not aware of
modern, which might is entrusted to the National Gallery. the existence of any such regulations. All, therefore, that
A separate wing could at any time be erected fur the they now had to depend on was the existence of the act of
Turnerpietures. Clorennient nothaving, however, considered 1774, which was pared for the peeler of regulating the
rose plans, he °odd not say what steps might hereafter be number of fire-engines, buckets, and ladders, to be kept in
adopted. the 148 parishes of Leedom. Under the act in question
Lord H. LENNOX—WiII the right hon. gentleman give every parish was bound to keep at least oue, and
me an assurance that whatever decision government may gsrerally twc engines, and a certain number of ladders.
OM' to, nothing will be done without the exprer ea notion That was the only act relating to the subject of fire, and
of parliament first obtained any hon. gentleman who had anything to do with parochial
Mr. COWPER—I entirely decline toenter into any** arrangements in Lyndon would know that such an arram,e-
on the subject. I certaiuly do not contemplate anything went as the one proposed was perfectly. melees so far as 'a-
like erecting a building without the direct sanction of par- prded pro.ection from fire. The engines were kept up in
'lament, but Ido sot conceive that the noble lord has a a very inefficient manner, and practically the act was a
right to got up in his place, and ask me to give • pledge not dead letter. Such was the state of things until if 14,
to do that which lam not at all likely to do. when the right hon. baronet the member for Carlisle (Sir
Lord H. LENNOX would recur to the subject on going J. Graham), then the Home Secretary, with the present
tido supply on Friday next. Dole of Newcastle, brought in a bill to extend the original
PORTO NOVO. parochial arrangement. That bill, however, still
Mr. IL. SEYMOUR asked the Secretary of State for went on the vicious system of the parochial at-
benign Affairs if he would lay upon the table of the house a rangement, for it obliged every parish to keep to many
espy of any despatches coonected with the attack on Porto engines for every 100,000 of the population, and tour men
Move in the month of May hut? to be useful as firemen. There would therefore be • body
Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to say that the de- of about 800 men without any organisation, and practically
'patches of the naval and military commanders would be very ill adapted for the service. He thought be might
produced. really say that up to the present moment r o satisfactory
SUEZ CANAL—GUANO. legislation existed on the subject. (Hear, hear.) He might
Mr. GRIFFITH asked the Secretary of State for Foreign be told there was a brigade, called the fire brigade, in Lon-
Affairs whether Mr. Colqubono. the English consulliennel don, which had practically prevented public attention being
in Egypt, together with the English consul in Alexandria called to the want of legislation, because the formed a very
and other gentlemen, had lately (on 29th June) visited the efficient body. No doubt they were • ly efficient
works of the Suez Canal, and bad expressed his satisfaction for the purpose intended, but on .sio y not for
with what he hail seen and beard there; and whether such the general protection of life and property in
approval was to be understood to be qualified by the condition the metropolis. The brignie consisted of 106 or
that forced labour should not be employed on the works of 109 men with 16 engines at stations iu various parts of Loa-
the canal, and that the obligations in that rawt of the don, but it was formed out of a previous system by which
Pacha of Egypt towsrds the Porte be faithfully fulfilled' all the insurance offices of London kept a certain fire este-
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had seen the report blishmeot of their own, partly as • sort of advertisement
alluded to by the bon. member in a foreign news- and partly to put out fires where the offices were directly
paper, but had received no information on the interested. That system having been found a very expeo-
subject from the consul-general. The consul bad sive one, it was suggested that it would be far better to
informed him of his intention of visiting the earl, but had form one brigade by the union of all the men, sad from that
not sent any information as to the result. He would take suggestion originated the fire brigade which had now
that opportunity of answering a question which had been existed since 1833. He admitted it was • meet
put to him respecting the exportation of guano. The useful and admirably conducted establishment under
question was whether the Peruvian government bed opened the late Mr. Bmidwood, whose services were most
the Guano trade? He had received no information to that invaluable to the fire-offices—(ber, hear)--and nothing
effect ; on the contrary, his information was, that the late . could show more clearly the value they placed on his Ger.
contract haying expired it was their intention to invite I vices than what had jest been doneby the fire insurance
tenders for • new retract. What her Majesty's government ! companies of London. He believed they had subscribed a
had asked was that the pear should be sold at • carter ! sum of 7,0031.. in order to give Mr. Braidwood's widow an
price, and thee the redo should be opred to all nations. annuity of M. • year and at her death the7,oool. was to
THE GREAT TASMANIA. go to her children. (Her, bear.) But he contended it
Carter AROHDALL riled the Seerrary et Star for was ea erroneous principle, founded on theory, that Mr-
India if an inquiry had taken pros into the conduct of the inane offices were interested in putting out fires in London.
*Seers in Carnes that signed she inspection report of the It was *complete error. The firs. principle of fire in.
Great Termer provisos to her departure foe England, inucacc was that a premium should be fixed, formed

At the evening 'KURA
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL brought up the report of
the committee which had been appointed to draw up rea-
sons for disagreeing with certain of the Lords' amendments
to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Bill, and on his motion
it was read by the clerk at the tab*. and subsequently
Wood to.
MILITIA ESTIMATES.

Mr. T. G. BARING brought up the report of the °out.
mitts' ou the militia estimates.

GALWAY CONTRACT.
Mr. GREGORY brought up the report of the select com-
mittee appointed to examine into the Galway contract.
The hon. member subsequently gave notice that be intended
on Friday next to ask the First Lord of the Treasury what
was the intention of her Majesty's government with respect
to the renewal of postal communication between Galway
amd America. (Cheers.)