The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

The principal measure which engaged the atten-
tion of the House of Lords last evening was the
poor Relief 818, which passed through committee
after a pretty full discussion. Time was, however,
found to read the Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Bill
a second time ; and to pass the report of amend- .
reente in the Pharmacy and Sale of Poisons Act
Amendment Bill.
The proooedings in committee upon the Public
Schools Bill, which occupied the early sitting of
the House of Commons, were prefaced by a
general discussion upon the measure, which occu-
pied one half of the time between two and
seven o'clock. In committee there was a
good deal of discussion as to the constitution of
the bodies which are to suggest the new govern-
ing bodice to be established under the bill, and
Mr. Ayrton made an unsucoorsful attempt to in-
clude St. Paul's School within the provisions of
the measure. The four first clauses were agreed
to, and the sitting was soon afterwards suspended.
When the bonne reassembled at nine o'clock,
Mr. Bright called attention to a petition presented
by himself on the 13th May, from 36 out of 38 of
the members of the House of Assembly of
Nova Scotia, and by 16 out of 19 of the members
elected by that colony to the House of Commons
at Ottawa, complaining of the injustice which had
been done to Nova Bootie by the Confederation
Act of last session. In a speech of more than an
hour's duration the hon. gentleman narrated at
length the steps which led to the framing of the
Confederation Act, and the instances in which the
people of Nova Scotia had manifested their dissatis-
faction with its provisions. Nova Scotia, he argued,
was always opposed to a union with Canada, and
desired merely a confederation of the maritime
provinces. Already the evil effects of the forced
union, hastily authorised by parliament, were ap-
parent. The Canadian oath of allegiance had
been altered to prevent the Nova Soothing refusing
to take it; and it was not thought well to call
out the Nova Scotian militia during the present
year. Under thesecircumetaneee Mr. Bright invited
the house to concur in an address requesting her
Majesty toappoint &commission or commisaionersto
proceed to Nova Scotia to examme into the whole
case; and he warned the house and the govern-
ment, that if they refused to accede to this request,
they would aggravute the hostility by
the Nova Scotitins towards ; would
estrange the affections and sympathies of the
colonists from this country; and might so increase
their sympathy with New England as to drive them
into union with the United States—a result which
the English parliament ought to do nothing to
hasten. The motion having been seconded by
Mr. Baxter in a brief speech, Mr. Adderley rose
to deliver the answer of the government. While
he admitted the existence of great dissatisfaction in
Nova Scotia, tberighthon. gentleman characterised
the allegations upon which the dissatisfaction
rested as unfounded, characterised the course re-
commended by the hon. member for Birmingham
as insane, and asserted that the objections of the
Nova Scotian were at the present time being met
by a different and more satisfactory process. He
denied that the Confederation Act, which was
passed almost unanimously by the imperial parlia-
ment came upon the peopleof NovaScotatt by surprise,
or was passedagain.sttheir wishes. Onthe contrary
so long ago a 518.54, Mr. Howe and Mr. Johnstone,
the leaders of the two parties in the Nova Scotia
Assembly proposed the union, not of the maritime
provinces only, but of all the North-American
provinces; and in 1861 the subject was referred to
in a resolution of that body as one which had been
" long mooted and discussed." There was no
reference to the question of confederation during
the election of 1863 ; and even at the late election
no opinion had been expressed directly adverse to
that measure. To issue a commission of inquiry
would be offensive to the new dominion,
would shales its credit, and interfere with
all its operations ; but the legislation of the par-
liament at Ottawa, • ly that which had
reference to the tariff, was day by day removing
the objections entertained by some of the Nova
Scotians to union with Canada. A little time
would settle all these difficulties, and he implored
the house not to complicate them by agreeing to
the motion of Mr. Bright. Mr. Aytoun
supported the resolution of the hon.
member for Birmingham; but Mr. Cardwell,
concurring with the Under Secretary of
State, pointed out that, eo fur from the scheme
of confederation having taken the people of Nova
Scotia by surprise, it was first proposed by Nova
Scotia, and for a long time opposed by Canada;
and that so late as March, 1867, the Assembly of
the former colony expressed their satisfaction
with the measure which was afterwards passed
by the imperial parliament. He characterised
the issuing of a 00131111136011 as a step of great
hazard ; but recommended that when a new
governor-general of Canada was appointed he
should be instructed to direct his attention to the
removal of any just causes of complaint which
might exist on the part of Nova Scotia. Mr.
Gorat maintained that the Nova Scotian had
at least a right to an inquiry; and contended
that, upon the principle on which the house
acted last year—that of yielding to the wish of the
colonists—they could not refuse what was asked
for by the delegates from Nova Scotia. After a
few observations from Admiral Erskine in Ruppert
of the motion, Mr. Kerslake was unable to obtain
a bearing for even ten minutes on the other side of
the question. Mr. Bright, in reply, questioned
the propriety of the tone adopted by Mr. Adder-
ley, and said that it compelled him to
divide the house. On a division the motion warn
dejected by a majority of 98-183 to 87. Sir C.
o:Loghlen postponed a motion of which he had
given notice with reference to the Knights .of
Windsor; and, after running through several
orders, with a alight delay upon the Ecclesiastical
Titles Bill, the house passed the Established
Church (Ireland) Bill a third time, and soon after-
wards adjourned.