Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-19 00:00:00

NAVIGA.TIAN LAWS

Mr. Hutt called. attention to a communication from
Lord Malmesbury to the Chamber of. Commerce of Gree-
nock, which appeared to be an attempt to remove the'old
Navigation Laws. Such an attempt was to be carefully
guarded against as a return to an erroneous system. If
our shipping interest had been depressed lately, that of
other nations had suffered still more, and the evil could
not therefore be attributed to the abolition of our old
restrictions.

THE NEW FOREIGN OFFICE

Sir B. Hall asked the reason which had induced the
first Commissioners of Works to reject those plans for the
construction of the new Foreign-office which had received
the two first premiums, and to adopt that which had only
received the third.

Lard J. Manners said that no steps could finally be
taken without the consent of the House. It was.neces-
sary that government should bring the matter to an issue,
and they were only acting on the precedent of the late
government when they repudiated all obligations to be
guided by result of competitive exhibition. The
government acted on the recommendation of a select com-
mittee on the subject.
Some remarks were offered on the same subject by Sir
G. C. Lewis, Mr Tite, Mr. Coningham, and Lord Pal-
merston, in which it was strongly urged upon the
Government to take no further steps till the opinion of
the House had been ascertained.

ENQUIRY INTO THE STATE OF THE ROOKS AND
STORES AT WEEDON, &C.
_ _

Mr. Turner called the attention 'of the House to the
reasons why the Royal Commissioners for enquiry into
the state of the books and stores at Weedon, Woolwich,
and the Tower are unable at present satisfactorily to
make their report. They were unable to do so without
accounts from their accountant and from the Government.
After some observations from Colonel Boldero,

General Peel expressed the anxiety of Government that
the report should appear as soon as possible, and promised
all. the assistance in his power to that end..

THE CHARLES-ET-GEORGES

Mr. Kinglake iii enquiring whether the papers relat-
ing to the capture and restoration of the Charles-et-Georges
would be laid upon the table, and complained of the
delay which had taken place, and demanded explanation.
Mr. S. Fitzgerald, in replying to Mr. Caird; stated
that a proposition had been made for throwing open the
trade in guano, but at present they had led to no result.
Replying to Mr. Hutt, he declared that the communica-
tion to which he had referred, had no meaning in favour
storing the old Navigation Laws. It merely asserted
an acknowledgement,h that the princapal of reciprocity
had not fairly been carried out by other nations. As to
the affairs of Charles-et-Georges, he promised that
the papers should be in the hands of members on Mon-
day at the furthest.

The motion for adjournment till Uonday was then
agreed'to.

THE INDIAN LOAN BILL.
On the question that the house go into committee, on
the Indian Loan Bill, _

Lord Stanley entered into some, explanation respecting
the discrepancy between the figures he quoted on Monday
and those in Parliamentary returns. These discrepancies
arose from the differences of value assigned to the sicca
and the company's rupee, and froM the fact that certain
items of revenue were not included in the returns. He
entered into other explanations of a few of the other
topics of his previous statement. _ _

The HonSe then went into committee on the bill.
Sir C. Wood made some observations on the' confusion
which would arise if different standards of the rupee were
taken in the estimate. He complained that the statement
of the noble lord respecting.. public works had been
neither full nor satisfactory. He should offer no
opposition to the loan, but strongly reprobated any
liability on the part of this country for Indian debt.
He reviewed the various items of revenue, in which he
saw the chances of decrease rather than of increase. The
only hope, therefore, of restoring the balance between
income and expenditure, lay on the reduction of the
latter. He did not, however, believe that any great
reduction could be made in the civil service, especially at
a time when they were improving the Indian adminis-
tration, for military expenses might, he trusted, be
reduced, but the noble, lord had entered into few
explanations on that subject. He called upon the House
to encourage as far as possible the subscriptions' of
natives tO all loans or commercial undertaking in India.
It was of;the utmost importance to both countries that a
balance should be established between income and expen-
diture, now that we had entered upon a new epoch, it

he was

was the proper time to make the attempt, am
much disappointed at finding no enlarged views ' upon
the great . point in the speech of the noble lord.

Sir E. Perry -said, that the real question was
the balance of expenditure and revenue. On this
head the speech they
.had just heard gave the most
globmy aspect possible, without offering any statesman-
like view of remedying the evil. If it was not possible
to find a remedy, our bst course would be to sever our
connections with India. It was our first duty to compel
the expenditure to be brought within the income. For
then it would be necessary to encourage the employment
of :native talent - If- the natives were properly treated,
they would be ready to co-operate with their money in
providing for the necessities of their country.

Mr. Liddell defended Lord Stanley from- the charge
of not being prepared with measures for the equalisation
of Indian revenue and expenditure.

Mr. V. Smith suggested that the grievance of India
should be referred to a select committee.

Mr. Vansittart pointed out some of the mischief which
had arisen from our intcrferference with the land tenure
in India. He strongly objected to the employment of
natives in high official positions, which required the
ability and honour of English gentlemen. -

Mr. Crawford made some observations upon the im-
practicability of constructing cheap railways in India, or
of obtaining, without Governmel4 guarantee, money for
railway purposes in the country.
Mr. Cardwell thought it was premature to attempt to
accommodate income to expenditure in India, when we
were scarcely recovered- from so severe a shock. Under
the many diffioulties of increasing the revenue, our atten-
tion ought to be devoted to the decrease of expenditure,
even upon public works. Ho objected to the system of
guarantee, and preferred that public works should at once
be nonstructed with public money. Looking at the great
development of trade and internal communication in India,
he could not take a- gloomy view of its future finance.'

Sir TI, thought that, as tho money was to

be spent at a distance, there ought to be an appropriation-
in the act, defining the distinct object to which it was to
be devoted.

Mr. Lowe argued, that when it was found to be equally
difficult to reduce our expenditure and to increase our
revenue, it yet remained for us to introduce a better
feeling among the natives, and thereby to increase the
the cultivation and the profits of land. .He agreed with
former speakers in representing the system of guarantee
as• impolitic, expensive, and useless. Referring to the
proposed union of the superior and inferior Courts in
India, he thought it would be more advisable to wait till
such a measure could be done effectively, and continue at
present the existing system.
Lord Stanley fully concurred in the last observation.
In reference to the objections made to the system of
guarantee, he observed that it only involved the payment
of interest under certain circumstances, while if the
Government undertook the works it must find the capital.
He made further explanations on points of detail referred
to in the debate.

Mr. Kinnaird defended the principle of guarantee,
without which public works could not have been success-
fully undertaken.

Colonel Sykes declared the prospects of India to be
satisfactory, if the confidence between the Government
and the natives could be restored.
The resolution necessary for the introduction of the
bill sanctioning the loan was then agreed to, and the
House resumed.

FORMS OF PRAYER BILL.
The occasional Forms of Prayer Bill was read a third
time and passed.

SUPERANNUATION EfILI

This bill was read a second time, after a protest from
Sir H. Willoughby, on account of the increased expense
it would involve, and some explanation from Sir S.
Northcote.

SALE OF POISONS BILL

This bill was read a second time, after a short discus-
sion.

The Manor Court (Ireland) Way Bill was read a second

time.
The House adjourned at forty minutes past twelve

THIRD EDITION.

MID-DAY EXPRESS.

NORTHERN TIMES OFFICE, SATURDAY,. 3 P.M.
FRANCE.

PARIS, Saturday Morning,

The Moniteur of this morning contains the-fol-
lowing :—" A large military forage magazine at
Vincennes was burnt yesterday evening. Two-
thirds of the stock of hay was consumed. The loss
is estimated at 200,000 francs."

The Paris correspondent of the Herald again
remarks that the warlike preparations still
continue. The manifestation in favour of peace,
which was being prepared by the Chambers of
Commerce, has, it is said, been regularly burked
by the threatening paragraph in the Patrie. The
journals are silent, and no channel is left for the
public to express their pacific views.
According to the Paris correspondent of the
Times, the great instigator of war is Prince
Napoleon, and his influence with the Emperor is at
present extraordinary. The cool reception given
by the Senate to the proposal for an increase in the
Piinees' income was intended as a rebuke to him,.
for indulging in such eagernes for war. At Paris,
the same dark uncertainty prevails, as to whether
the issue of the present crisis will be peace or
war.