The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-26 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 26, 1861.

the experiment. He feared it would alter the character of
the constituency, Ind that it would introduce a system of
canvassing and eb.ctioneering into the body of the clergy,
which would be highly untlesiruble. To use an American
Phrase, it would convert every meeting of the country
clergy into a " caucus " or electioneering club ; and it
would tend to the clubbing of one college against another.
At the same time, as he did not perceive any disposition on
the part of the house to overrule the opinion of the House
of Commons, he had no intention of opposing the motion.
Ile coositiercil that the measure was somewhat oleo experi•
ment,and that there were certain portions of the bill which
might be improved. He tberefore threw out the suggostion
that the bill should continue in force only for a period of
three years, or to the end of the then session of parliament.
After a reply from the Earl of Yowls, the bill pulsed
through committee.

COPYRIGHT OF DESIGNS BILL.
The bill wan read a second time.
SALMON FISHERIES BILL

---
This bill also reeled through committee, sonic smend-
meats being speed to.
IRREMOVEABLE POOR BILL

On the order for going into committee on this bill,
Lord REDESDALE add that this bill was • most im•
portant measure. He bought forward statistics to slow
the great changes it would effect in particular districts.
He admitted that in many respects the points which were
touched by this bill required legislation ; but he thought
that sufficient time had not been allowed for the considera-
tion of the working of the measure. He would not, how•
ever, offer any captious opposition to the bill, but he
thought the government would do well to postpone it.
Marl (MANVILLE mid he really saw no reason why
the house should not proceed with the measure.
The bin went through committee, and
The Dublin Revising Barristers Bill, the Lunatic Asy-
lums (Ireland) Act Continuance Bill, and the County Cess
(Ireland) Act Continuance Bell also p►ssed through coin-
_

The Drunkennes (Ireland) Bill, the Landlord and Tenant
Law Amendment (In•lrnd) Act Proceedings Bill, the Lo.
comotives Bill, •nd the County Surveyors (Ireland) Bill,
way sad a third time sad passed.
The Local Government Act Amendment Bill passed
through committee.
The Crown Suits Limitation Bill, and the Criminal
Protnediap Oath Relief Bill (after some dimension and
opeition) weic read a second time.
The house adjourned at a quarter to 11.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.THVINDAT, Jinx 25.
(Continued from yesterday's Ezpress.)
SUPPLY.—REPORT.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER contended
that any apparent excess of the estimates was caused by
the het that at the time they were drawn it was not within
the knowledge of the War-oelee what the expense would be
of troops on web* in India, and how much was due from
the Indian government on that account.
Mr. T. G. BARING urged that the excess stated was
erroneous, and the sum he should have to ask on a vote for
the China war was one which it was impossible for the war
department to have been aware of in March last.
Mir H. WILLOUGHBY observed that a much larger
number of men had been kept up for the army than had
been voted by the house.
The house having gone into committee of supply,
On the vote of 75,0001. for civil contingencies,
Mr. WILLIAMS objected to an item of 1501. for the
purge of the FAA of Carlisle from Dublin to Holyhead,
and a sum of 512/. for the expenses of a patent, extending
the barony of Lord Brougham to his brother.
A discussion was raised se to how reductions should be
moved in a vote of this kind, in the course of which Sir J.
GRAHAM said that if the recommendation of the select
committee on üblic amounts was adopted, the civil con-
tiogencies would not be again voted in their present in-
convenient form • and the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
promised the best consideration of the government to the

Mr. B. OSBORNE was objecting to the item for the
Fine Arts Commission, when be was interrupted in the
midst of a quotation by the hour having arrived when the
sitting must by the rule of the house be suspended.
The house resumed at 6 o'clock.
ADMIRALTY IRON.

Mr. HENNIMY asked the junior lord of the Admiralty
whether the iron alluded to by him, on the 21st of Jose
last, respecting the steamship Hibernia, was the same as
the iron-oased ship Defence was being constructed of, and
which was manufactured for hissers. Palmer by Messrs.
Beale and On. of Rotherham, as shown in Parliamentary
Paper No. 341 of the present session.
Mr. WHITBREAD said it was the same, haring hem
tested and found to be the best suited for the purpose. He
could out answer the Letter part of the question.

tura out that the reductions which Mr. Wilson stated had
been made in 1859-60 were not brought to ac-
count in that year. While waiting for au explanation,
he was much surprised by seeing • statement
of Mr. Laing, that the expenditure of 1860-61
was actually 200,000. more than that of 1859-60.
Mr. Laing—who everybody would be glad to hem was
niueh better —had winos returned to this country, and bad
admitted that he had been misled by a statement put forth
in the askant' Claatte by the financial government of
India. The truth, therefore, stood exactly as that which
he (Sir 0. Wood) bad illustrated—namely, that the re-
duction stated by Mr. Wile), for 1859.60, was not brought
to account until 1860.61. He now came to 1860461. The
expenditure in that year was 46,000,0001., and the income
:19,100,0001. The estimated deficit was 6,500,0001., but
there was ipcluilei in that compensation for lessee in the
mutioy end other charges, which brought it down to
3,500,0001.
Mr. H. SEYMOUR asked whether that included the
borne charges?
Sir C. WOOD mid that his calculation included all the
charges on the revenue of India. The actual expenditure
in 1859:60 wax 50,475,00 W. ; the expenditure in 1860-61 was
46,067,0001., showing an actual reduction of 4,400,0001,
r The regular estimate for 1861.62 was contained in the
palthe table, and was framed in Marsh
MT." on
It showed a cash balance of 11,448,0001.,
but in the despatch received from India, dated the 2nd a
May the estimated cash balance was taken to be 12,850,000/.
I in the official year ending the 10th April, being 1,400,0001.
more than was anticipated in Much. Eiace that time the
same system had beau pursued, and therefore he thought
he might speak with confidence of the estimates of the
current year. Mr. Laing, in his official estimates, was
nether too favourable. That gentleman proposed to transfer
balf a million to the local budget, and he made re-
audioss in the home charges beyond the govern-
ment estimate. to the extent of 300,0001., and by those
means he arrived at a surplus of nearly 250,0001. Taking
the income to be as it was, and allowing for no reduction of
expenditure, there possibly might be • deficit of 1,000,0001.
in the mune of the current yea; but as at the end of the
year he hoped the expenditure mad the income would be
brought into a state of equilibrium, there would for the
future be no necessity for say loan whatever for Indian
urposee. Of the expenditure for the present year,
WIII,OOOI. at least would be found to be due to
the recent famine in India ; and the charge for
guaranteed interest was no lees than 1,300,0001.,
which, with the lo on exchange of 473,0001., would
amount altogether to 1,773,000/. The duty on salt bad
been most productive, mid be was happy to say that, owing
tette improved condition of the people of Inch--although
the duty bad been very considerably increased—the con-
sumption had in no degree diminished. In Bengal where
the duty was 25 per cent., the consumption had in-
creased 30 per cent. It was only on the item of
opium that any falling off was apprehended ; but in
view of that apprehension, Mr. Laing had taken • very low
figure for that item. The reduction was of course mainly
on account of the military expenditure, which the house
would be glad to bear had not been carried to • very great
extent. He did not mean to my that it had been carried to
the extent it might be carried, but it was qu;te impossible
to reduce rapidly without exciting much discontent in so
large a number of men as bad been in the military service
of the Indian government. Seven hundred and seventy
seven native regiments had been broken up since 1859, sod
including the police, the reduction in tie native armed
force was not lees than 200,000 mem. The reduction in ex-
penditure was from 24,750,000/. to 15,500,0001., showing a
reduction of about nine millions and • qua-ter. (Hear.
The extent of the area of the famine was more reetr
than was at find imagined, and was confined solely to the
north-weetern provinces. During its continuance 143,000
people were daily employed is the relief work, and the
famine also led to considerable emigration from these
districts. He next wished to refer to the evils which had
arisen in the lower provinces of Bengal in regard to the cul-
tivation of indigo. Those evils, which were of long standing,
were felt with great intensity last year, and had been pro-
ductive of much loss and suffering. It a by a letter
from the Lieutenant-Goveraor of Be written in 1854,
that while the English capital introduced into the country
ought to prove the greatest blessing to the population gene-
rally, the circumstances were such that the ryots considered
the cultivation of indigo as their direst curse, and there-
fore he v-as not surprised to hear that its cultivation
had emend to • great extent. The bill on the
subject which was introduced by the Indian government
was only of a temporary character, but he must
say it was not of a character to operate very favourably
on the exist* state of thimp. He was not surprised that
the planters who had lost money largely should have got
irritated and resorted to legal means to enforce their con-
tracts against the ryota, but a state of feeling arose from
the adoption of that course which could not but be lamented.
At the lame time the conduct of the lodise government wee
not in any way reprehensible. It was their duty to hold the
males of justice as impartially as they could between the
planters mud ryots, and to see that the ryots did not suffer
from op on, sad the planters from violence. The
planters had lately taken • step which, however justified
by law, was not one which could be approved when viewed
as a matter of prudence. They had of course • right to
raise their rents, but that had been done to au extent
which did not seem to be wise, considering the excited state
of the population. He regretted to add that that had feel-
ing had been aggravated by an occurrence to which his at-
tention was some time ago called—the circulation, under an
official freak, of • translation of • Bengal play. That moat
improper act on the part of the official authorities had been
disclaimed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who had
written a despatch in which he said that it had been done
without his knowledge, and that when it was brought
to his notice he expressed his strong disapproba-
tion of it. Unfortunately, however, It had given rise
to the unfounded suspicion that the government had been •
party to the proceeding. As he had observed already, the
government should be entirely impartial between pknter
sod ryot, and he should be extremely sorry if by word or
act the government should appear to aggravate the bad
feeling which already existed. The next point was one
which was always of importance to this country, but at the
present moment vitally so-bemeant the cultivation of
cotton in India. Different opinions were entertained as to
the capability of India to produce cotton in quantity and
quality adequate to supply the British manufactures, but
he was convinced, in opposition to a very
high aulhority, that if proper means were takes
India might be made • source of supply to such an extent
es to render this country in a great measure independent of
America. It was probable that the supply of cottonifrom
India this year would be very much in excess of what it
had ever been before. Upwards of 620,000 boles had
already been shipped from India to this country, and
300,000 or 400,000 more were likely to come in the course
of the year, so that the supply would be 320,000 more than
usual. (Hear, hear.) He trusted that the increase in the
price of cotton would greatly extend its cultivation in India,
and that the natives would improve in the processes of pick-
ing mad cleaning which they had hitherto so much neglected.
The lodise government had gone to great pains and expense
to maintain if it could be grown in that country, and he did
think it was well worth the attention of those persons in
England who were interested in the effort, to use their ex-
ertions in contributing to its successful result. Hs was
happy to my that • Mr. Heywood bad been deputed by
all parties interested at home in the prodnotioe of cotton in
le& to go out there, and the government had sanctioned
his being accompanied by D. Forbes, the geutlemaa best
acquainted with the cultivation of cotton in the
different districts of India. He hoped that those
gentlemen would be able to lay the foundation
of a system which would greatly increase the
supply of cotton from India. The duty of the govern-
meat was to improve the communications with the cotton-
growing districts, which at present did not pommies easy ac-
cess to the sea. The principal sources of suppl), to say
nothing of the subordinate ones in the North-West Pro-
vinces, were Dharwar and Serer. With regard to the find,
• road was in course of construction, which had already ad-
vanced as far as the frontier of the presidency of Madras. A
portiou of it would cross the °haute, and the Madras go-
vernment bad been requested to expedite its completion as
much as possible. With respect to Berm, two means of
communication were being prepared—one by the East
India and Peninsula Railway, and the other by • branch
at Nagpoor. The southern part of the Berm district would
he opened by means of the Goolavery. No time had been
lost in conducting the works upon that river. When Cap-
tain Mayne was in this country be applied for a quantity of
machinery to forward operations along the course of the
river, and that machinery was sent out at mace. The wo-k
was progressing satisfactorily, and had been favourably re-
upon by Sir Wm. Denison, the Governor of Madras.
*original difficulty by which the work was impeded was
• the want of money, but that had been got over, and any
I necessary amount would now be forthcoming. The house
I would be plowed to hear that only that morning they had
I determined that orders should be meat to India to prosecute
the opening of the Oodsvery as fast as possible, consistently
with the proper execution of the works. (Hear, hear.) He
entertained no doubt that the operation would, in the end,
be commercially succesful, but that was • point which
I ought not at the present moment to be looked at too closely.
lie had nothing more to say with regard to finance; but
there were some points connected with the political
administration of India upon which he wished to
make • few observations. He believed that Lord Can-
ning's policy in respect to the native princes and
chiefs in India was sound in principle, and would
lay the surest foundation for the nuuatenasoe of our power
in that country. (Hear, hear.) In past years the tendency
of our rule hid been rather to °ppm, than to mediate
these influential persons, but in late years that line of
policy had been entirely reversed. New treaties bad been
made with several native princes, and territories had been
assigned to them which, without weekeniog our empire,
had increased their dignity and honour, and made them feel
that their rights would not be usurped or Invaded by the
British government. The Sikkim war just concluded
presented • remarkable proof of our improved policy
in dealing with the native rulers. The Its