The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

[By British and Irish Magnetic Yelegraph]

HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY•

The Lord Chancellor took his seat at five o'clock.
In reply to Lord Polworth,
Lord Stanley, of Alderley, stated that the customs
authorities had sufficient power to take steps for prevent-
ing the spread of the cattle murrain, which it appeared
was raging in central Europe, from spreading to this

country.
The House adjourned at a quirt3r past five,

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

The Speaker took the chair at four o'clock.
The Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee, and Scottish Cen-
tral Railway Companies Bill, and the European and
Indian Junction Telegraph Company's Bill, passed a
seccnd reading.
Mr. Palk gave notice that on going into committee on
the Army Estimates, he should call attention to the
report of Sir J. M•Neill and Col. Tulloch.
Sir F. Kelly asked when it was the intention of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, by resolution or otherwise,
to alter Mr. Gladstone's Act of 1853, relating to the In-
come Tax.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer explained that the
resolutions which he had placed on the paper, would
have that effect. Upon those resolutions, a bill would
be framed, in which he proposed to insert a provision,
exempting incomes under n5O from the tax, and limit
ing the continuance of the tax to three years.
In answer to Mr. Crosby,

The Attorney General said that it was :not contem-
plated to introduce any measure to lessen the
expenses of bankruptcies. The whole subject of amend
ing the laws relating to the winding up of insolvents'
estates was still under consideration.
I❑ answer to Admiral Walcott,
Sir Charles Wood said it was intended to give for the
Arctic Expedition a simple medal without bars.
In answer to Lord William Graham,

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the
account with regard to commissariat stores be-
tween England and Sardinia was under adjustment,
the amount of the claim by this country was about
£17,000, and the amount admitted by Sardinia was about
£15,000, the margin of £2,000 was still under considera •
tion.
In reply to Mr. Layard,

Lord Palmerston said it was true that an
offer was made to Sir John APINITeiII and Colonel
Tulloch, during the past week, of £l,OOO each,
and the offer had been refused, though not indignantly,
Upon the authority of the Russian minister at this court
he was enabled to contradict the report of a treaty
between Russia and Persia. It was not true that the
negociations between England and Persia were broken
off.

Mr. Horsman, in answer to Mr. Conolly, said,
after communicating with the superintendent,
the government had resolved to bring in
a bill for the re-distribution of the Irish constabulary,
with reference to the area and population of the counties
in Ireland.

On the motion that the house at its rising do adjourn
till Monday, .
Lord Palmerston promised that steps should be taken
to prevent the spread of the cattle murrain to this
country.
The motion was agreed to.
THE CHINESE WAR- ADJOURNED DEBATE.

The debate on the resolutions of Mr. Cobden, in reference
t) China, was then resumed by Mr. Warren, who declared
his opinion that the case of the Arrow was seized upon by
Sir John Bowring as a means to the attainment of an end
upon which he had previously decided, and was but a
flimsy pretext for hostilities. He could not but deprecate
the occurrence that had taken place, and he referred to the
decision of most of the law lords in the debate in the upper
house, as a proof of the illegality of the proceedings.
The Lord Advocate remarked upon the injustice
of personal attacks, upon an absent man espe'
cially, as from the circumstances of the case
the whole of the question could not come undar
consideration. He then entered upon the legal question,
contending that the ordinance was a legal instrument, and
maintaining that under any circumstances it was necessary
for the interests of the British crown to secure reparation

for any injury to a vessel sailing under British protection,

The French and American ministers had concurred with the
British authorities in the steps which had been taken,
and he thought that, so far from being open to censure, Sir
J. Bowring deserved praise for his promptitude and deci-
sion. He admitted that, owing to the horrors of a Chinese
war, great care should be taken not to get into one, but
they had also to take care that, by too great forbearance,
even worse consequences did not result.
Mr. Whiteside contended that the Lord Advocate's argu-
ments contained no reply to the statesmanlike speech of
Lord John Russell on the previous night. He repeated the
arguments of the supporters of the resolution, and,
referring to the Blue Book, remarked upon the absence
of any copy of the register of the Arrow, which he
believed had been intentionatly omitted, and added, that
the only information on the subject contained in the papers
was to be found in the shape of an extract in a newspaper,
called the China Mail. It had been said that it was
the duty of the country to stand by the acts of its
representatives, but it was not their duty to stand by injus-
tice, spoliation, and unchristian conduct. The conduct
.of
Sir J. Bowring was unjustifiable, and based upon a con-
temptable quibble, and lie left the case with confidence to
the justice of that house.

Mr. llorsfall contended that the Chinese believed the
lorcha to be a British vessel at the time of the outrage, and
held that the hauling down of the flag was an intended
insult, and that therefore the conduct of the British authori-
ties was justifiable.
Lord Robert Cecil vindicated Commissioner Yeh's pro-
clamation offering a reward for English heads, observing
that if pirates descended on the British coast a similar
proclamation would have issued from the treasury. The
conduct of the British authorities had been in direct viola-
tion of every principle of international law.
Sir Charles Napier defended Sir William Seymour, and
stated his conviction that, could it have been avoided, his
humanity and discretion were sufficient guarantee that
hostilities would never have been commenced.
Lord Goderich supported the resolution.
Mr. Bentinck opposed the resolution on two grounds—

first, on the ground of its probable effect in complicating
the Chinese question; and second, on the ground that he
as a conservative would lend no hand in bringing the party
with which Mr. Gladstone belonged, into office, in
combination with the conservative party.
Admiral Berkeley defended Admiral Seymour and Sir
John Bowring.
Sir J. Graham eulogised the character of Sir M. Sey-
mour for bravery, humanity, and discretion, and spoke to
the: ability of Sir J. Bowring, as a public servant, though
he considered him upon the whole as more remarkable
for his self confidence than for the soundness of his govern-
ment. If in that case Sir John Bowring had erred, he
believed that he had acted according to what he believed
to be the wishes of his government, and this he hoped to be
able to show. He argued that the loreha was not a British
vessel, her owner being merely a quasi British subject, as
was admitted by the government, and the ordinance
not being conferred by the Q seen in Council, nor pro-
claimed in the colony the Arrow was ❑ot therefore entitled
to the licence, and Hobe had been, her license had expired
and no steps had been taken to renew it; of this feet Sir
John Bowring was aware, and there was no doubt that for
motivee which he (Sir James Graham) would not scrutinise