The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-16 00:00:00

SALMON FISHERIES.

In reply to a question by hir.6REGIO 14,
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that the report of the commis-
stoners on this subject had been presented to the house,
but he did not know if it had been' circulated. and the
government could not take any steps until it had been.
THE OUTBREAK OF CONVICTS AT CHATHAM.
Alderman SALOMON!!! wished to ask the Secretary of
State fur the Home Department if be could give information
concerning the outbreaks of the convicts at Chatham ; if
be was aware of any alleged causes for those outrages ; and
what steps had been taken to prevent their recurrence.
Sir G. C. LEWIS said perhaps the most satisfactory
way of answering the question of his boo, friend would be
to state shortly what took place in reference to the recent
disturbances at the convict prison at Chatham. Early in
January an attempt was made by six persons to escape from
the prison. That attempt was frustrated, and the men were
removed to Millbank Penitentiary. Early in the present
month a disturbance occurred among the convicts at St.
Mary's Island during dinner, the ground alleged being the
poverty of the soup. That complaint was entirely un-
founded. Ten of the men were removed to separate cells
to await the decision of the director of prisons. Captain
Gambier went down on Monday, the 11th instant, and he
was trying those persons, when it was reported to him that
the men on the parade returning to their work
were in a state of insubordination. A number
of men began shouting and throwing up their hats.
They were separated by the civil guard, and the remainder
were ordered by the governor to return to the prison. Thane
men obeyed the order, and the remainder were sent to their
cells. Some of the remainder began shouting, and shut the
doors on the other prisoners, thereby preventing them enter-
ing their cells. The disturbance became general, and Cap-
tain Chunbier remonstrated with them, and the military
were sent for. During the interval before the arrival of the
military, the convicts broke some windows. As soon as the
military arrived the disturbance was suppressed
without loss of life or any serious wounds, and
the prisoners were locked up. It was not true
that any of the warders had been severely wounded as
was stated in some newspapers. The following day Captain
Gambier went down, and 46 of the ringleaders had 36
lashes each, and all who had taken part in the outbreak
were confined to their cells and placed on bread and water.
The hon. gentleman asked him as to the cause of this serious
disturbance. He (Sir G. Lewis) had investigated the rase,
and he was not able to give any satisfactory reason for it. The
°Moen of the prison themselves were not aware of the peecise
causes which provoked this outbreak. No specific grievance
had been alleged by any of the convicts while under exami-
nation ; but he (Sir G. Lewis) believed that the refuse of
the hulks had been transferred to the prison, together with
some of their inferior officers, and the consequence was,
that the discipline underwent relaxation, because it was not
so strict in the hulks as at Chatham.

'fie;u"l;"jeCCti;;;la;;Piei.--
LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS IN INDIA.

Mr. EWART asked the President of the India Board
whether any measures would be adopted by her Majesty's
government for giving improved local legislative councils to
India, of which British settlers as well as natives of India
might, to a certain extent, be members, in conformity with
the recommendation of the select committee which lately
considered the subject of British settlement in India.
He considered that British settlers, who were every year
becoming more numerous in India, and to whom we
were greatly indebted in restoring our authority in the late
mutiny, ought to be represented in local legislatures, and
that natives might also to be introduced to a limited extent
oa the plan which bail been found to work so well in
Ceylon.
Sir C. WOOD said the hon. gentleman had not over-
estimated the importance of the subject, but the difficulty
of it was as great as its importance. The committee of
which the hon. gentleman (Mr. Ewart) was chairman, re-
commended the introduction of the native element into
council at Calcutta, whereas the public feeling of late was
in favour of local legislatures. The natives had been to a
lugs extent entrusted by the government with important
powers, and which they had exercised with judgment and
an impartiality as gratifying as it was unexpected. With
rePtrd to Ceylon, it was hardly as large as one of the presi-
dencies of India. He (Sir C. Wood) had been in communica-
tion with the Governor-General on the subject. and he ex-
pected almost by the next mail his opinion thereon,
and before he received that despatch he should be very sorry
to express any °pinkie of his own.

ANNEXATION OF MENTONE AND ROQUEBRUNE.
Mr. B. 00CHILA.NE wished to ask a question of the
noble lord the Secretory of State for Foreign Affairs respect-
lag the annexation by the French empire of Menton' and
Enquebrune. Be desired to know whether the noble lord
the Secretary for Fond& Attain had had any mosionuti•
cation with Sir James Hodson respecting this matter.
THE TEMPORAL SOVEREIGNTY OF THE POPE.
Mr. GRIFFITH mid he wished to ask the noble lard
the Secretary at Slate for Foreign Affaba, whether it was
to be understood that it was the meaning and intention of
her Majesty's goverameat to give any eacouregement to the
idea that any scheme having for its object the retention of
any part of the tempest sovereignty of the Pope as a pos.

Lord J. RUSSELL said the hon. gentleman the member
for Lanarkshire (Mr. B. Cochrane) had put a question to
him with respect to the annexation of Mentone and Roque-
benne to the French Empire. The state of the case was
this. Ventimiglia was the boundary of Sardinia, according
to the arrangemente which had been made. Nice was until
last year likewise a part of the Idngdom of Sardinia. Be-
tween Nice and Ventimiglia were these two communes of
Mentone and Roquebrune—Mentone, a large and beautiful
town, being on the border of the sea. Also on the border
of the sea was the town of Monaco itself. With regard
to Menton. and Roquebrune there had been at various
times. and for a long period, a contest between
the Kings of Sardinia, as Dukes of Savoy, and the Prince
of Monaco. Of late peers the King of Sardinia had said
that it was extremely iuoonvenient that those towns, which
were between his doluinione, and enclosed within his teni-
thrice, should be the cause of disturbances, and should pre-
vent the operation of his customs and other laws. In 1848
there was a declaration on the part of those towns that they
would throw off the domination of the Princes of Monaco,
and would either erect themselves into a separate state or
become a part of Sardinia, and thereupon the Sardinian
government placed a small garrison of it) or 40 men in those
towns. Subsequently the Prince of Monaco endeavoured to
obtain a restoration of those towns, and the British government
declared that they could not consider that trio/action as
lawful, as those plaoes had no right to separate themselves
from Monaco: The King of Sardinia had continued to keep
thaw towns ; bat last year the position of affairs wee en-
tirely changed, becalms Nice, being • pat of the kingdom
of Sardinia, was ceded by the King to the Emperor of the
French, was occupied by the French troops, and was placed
under French law. It became a totally different situation
of affairs. The King of Sardinia had no longer the power
towy that those towns were inclosed in his own dominions.
As thehon. gentleman had stated, or implied, a part of the
mountain district came into the hands of the French govern-
ment, and this territory of th e Prince of Monaco, which was not
five miles broad and therefore part of the Alpine region, be-
came
annexed to the French territory. The Prima of '
Mosso, had not received for a long time any revenue from
those towns. The Emperor of the Freoch offered him
4,000,000 francs for them, which it was supposed would
produce a 'avenue of 120,000 francs, or something under
5,0004 a year. That awn was accepted by the Prince of
Monaco, and he wished to place Monaco itself under the pro-
tection of the Emperor of the French. The French govern.
ment iu answer said that Monaco was recognised as an in-
depeodent principality under the treaty of Vienna, that
they wished to leave it so, and that they did not ask for
anything more than they had obtained by that convention.
He (Lord J. Russell) could not see that there was any great
Mical importance to be attached to this transaction.Ftlair.) The territory of Ventimiglia was the frontier of the
alian kingdom before this transaction, and it would still re-
main so and all the declarations of the Sardinian government
were applicable to that frontier and not to those towns.
The hon. member for Devices had asked him a question,
which he would read with the permission of the house.
(The noble lord here read the question amid much laughter.)
He profaiied himself unable to give &precise answer to that
question, as it paned his comprehension to tell what it pre
&sly meant. (Laughter.) He could only say that the
wish of her Majesty's government was that Italy should be
left to the settlement of her own affairs, and tf the Mop
and the King of Santini& could come to any arrangement
which would be satisfactory to themselves, bar Majesty's
government would also be matisfied. As to the distinctions
of spiritual and temporal power, the government had no
intention of interfering. Another gentleman had asked a
question respezting the Stade duties. Her Majesty's
government had several times stated that many propositions
had been made, but after various discussions the opinion of
the law officers was that no right we might have could be
asserted without greatly complicating negotiations, and
therefore that the only practical way of settling the ques-
tion was the payment of an indemnity. Hanover had
shown herself willing to enter into negotiations, but it
would be a serious detriment to her interests to do so with
only a single power, so as that the flag of that power only
should be exempt from toll. It was then proposed that
the indemnity should homed, one-third by Greet Britain,
one-third by Hamburg, and the remaining third by all the
other powers whose flap were interested in the navigation of
the Elbe. The proposal eras accepted bythe British government;
but Hanover then demanded that six-sevenths of the last
third should be also paid by Great Britain and Hamburg.
Having taken the opinioo of the Board of Trade, her Ma-
jesty's government had objected to that prepaid, and the
Hanoverian government entertained a strong hope that the
division first proposed would be accepted by the other
states. To the last question he had only to reply that there
would be no exemption until all the other powers had
cane in.