The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PMIMDMNT.

SOUSE OF LORDS.—TuuDa.y, FEB. 18.

IN 010 HOUSS Of LOUD/ yesterday the Loan
CHANCILLOR moved the meend reading of the Pro-
missory Oaths Bill. Few persons had any idea of
the number of these oaths required to be taken on
entering on office, which occupied no low than 300
pages of the report of the cemimisszonera, and some
of them were exceedingly frivolous. In 1363 a com-
mission was appointed to inquire into this subject.
Some of the commissioners would have all these
oaths abolished aa useless and detrimental to
morality. He did not go so far as that; but he
thought that the oaths should be sparingly used.
This bill, therefore, preserved five oaths—the oath
of allegiance, the judicial, the official, the military,
and constables' oaths.
Lord LYVEDEN complained that the noble and
learned lord had not adopted the recommendations
of the commissioners in their integrity.
Earl Ilcssexx believed that the Dill would effect'
a groat improvement ; but he suggested some alte-
rations in the provisions of the bill.
After some observations from the Bishop of
OM7ORD and Lord Wesreenv, the bill was read a
second time, and referred to a select committee.
The house adjourned at twenty-live minutes to 7.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--Teeseae, FEB. 18.
IN the House of COMMONS, Mr. DODSON, the
chairman of committees, called attention to the
state of private legislation, which he described as
most unsatisfactory in many respects ; and he
moved a series of new standing orders, with a view
of remedying these evils.
A short discussion ensued, in which Mr. Cave,
Mr. C. Forster, and Mr. Bonverio joined, and
eventually the debate was adjourned for a fort-
night.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE, in replying to a question
from Mr. Fawoett, Savo some information respect-
ing the Abyssinian expedition. He stated that
the Egyptian government had given every facility
for disembarking the troops and forwarding sup-
plies. The Egyptian government had not been
asked not to interfere, but there having recently
been some movements which indicated an Intention
on its part of sending troops into Abyssinia, a re-
presentation was made to the Viceroy of Erept,who
said the reinforcements of the Egyptian troops had
been greatly exaggerated, but that he would recal
a portion of them lie did not know on what
foundation the reports in the papers as to the ad-
vance of the Egyptian troops rested, but in tho
dematches which ho had received there was no
mention of anything of the sort. lie bad no in-
formation that our troops were suffering from want
of water. On the contrary, his information was
that they were abundantly supplied.
Mr. SEELY called attention to the correspondence
relating to the cost of building the Frederick Wil-
liam and of repairing the Brisk and the Cadmus,.
and moved for a select committee to inquire and
report as to theapplication of moneys voted by par-
liament for the use of the Admiralty; and, secondly,as
to the method in which the accounts should bc pro-
pared for presentationtothehonse. Hogaveamassof
figures in reference to the cost of building and re-
pairing ships, with a view of showing that the ac-
counts were misleading, and that the actual *oat
both of building and repairing ships was much
more than was represented if the indirect charges
were all includes. The commissioners of 1861 re-
ported that the accounts of the Admiralty were
elaborate and minute, but not to be relied on for
any practical purpose. On these grounds he asked
the house to agree to his motion.
Mr. Cocas answered the statements of Mr.
Seely in detail. The criticisms and statements of
the hon. member, he remarked, were much ex-
a;gerated, and thereby lost much of their value.
Fastening on a statement of the hon. member's at
Lincoln that the Frederick William bad cost
282,0eui. and might have been built in a private
yard for 134,0001. lie showed that the Frederick
'William had been first laid down for a two
decker and then converted into a three decker, and
from a sailing ship into a screw steamer. Ho also
showed by reterence to the cost of repairs of ships
built in private yards as compared with those
built in her Majesty's dockyards, that the latter
were the cheapest in the end. As regarded the
accounts, the Admiralty had appointed a com-
mittee of three heads of departments to devise a
mode of making out the accounts which would be
more simple and easily understood, and said he
inh nded to submit their report to parliament. He
however should not object to the select committee if
its inquiries were limited to dockyard expenditure.
Mr. CHILDERS said of late years there had been'
a progressive improvement in the accounts,but they
were still capable of improvement. Ho entered
into an elaborate argument to show that they must
not look upo capital invested in stores and
machinery in the dockyards as capital on which in-
terest should be charged and added to the cost of
the work done.
Mr. SAMUDi remarked that the accounts of the
Admiralty were not made out in a form by which
the cost of any particular ship could be arrived at.
Ho was entente, on the question of the cost of
ships in private yards as compared with ships built
in her Majesty's dockyards, when
Mr. Coati interposed, and stated that his obser-
vations on that head referred ontyto wooden ships,
and that iron ships built in private yards were as
good as those which were built in her Majesty's
dockyards.

Vie motion was then agreed to.
' On the motion of Lord ENFIELD, the select COTE-
mittee appointed Out year to inquire as to the law'
and practice relating to the summoning, attend-'
mice, and remuneration of special and common
juries,was re-appointed.
Mr. CotEnteez moved for key. to bring in a bill
to repeal certain tests and alter certain statutes
affecting the constitution of the University of
Oxford and the colleges in that university.
Mr. HARDY said ho should not offer any opposi-
tion to the introduction of the measure, but should
offer all the opposition he could at its future
stages.

Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
Leave was also given to the O'CoNoa Dow (who
moved it in the place of Mr. CYlleilly) to bring in
a bill for further re -elating the sale of fermented
and distilled liquors by retail on Sunday in
Ireland.
Mr. Pim moved for leave to bring in a bill fur-
ther to amend the law relating to the tenure and
improvementof land in Ireland. The bill, he said,was
substantially the same as that introduced in 1866
by Mr. C. Fortescue. Its first object was to give
to limited owners who wished to improve their
property the power of charging a portion of the ex-
pense on their successors. Its second object was
to give to tho limited owner power within certain
limits to make contracts as to time. The third object
was, in the absence of any specific contract, that the
tenant should be secured compensation for the im-
provements he had effected ; and the fourth to
abolish the power of distress.

Mr. Veto 36 characterised the bill as unjust, and
as containing incurable defeats.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
Bills were also introduced by Mr NORWOOD
for conferring admiralty jurisdiction on the
county courts ; and by Mr. HUNT for transferring
to the consolidated fund the sum produced by the
accumulation of certain fines, penalties, and fees,
Levied and paid in Ireland.
The Industrial Schools (Ireland) Bill was read a
second time.
The Habeas Corpus Suspension (Ireland) Act
Continuance Bill passed through committee, a
clause moved by Mr. Bagwell, enacting that no
prisoner should be detained longer than three
months unless a fresh warrant was lodged for his
detention, being negatived by 31 to 18.
The house adjourned at five minutes to 11
o'clock.

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