Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-26 00:00:00

TENANT RIGHT (ITJELAND)

Mr: Kirk asked the Attoriley-Geneial for Ireland'
whether it was his intention to bring in a Bill for the
amendment of the law of Landlord and Tenant in Ireland,
and if so, about what time he would be prepared to lay it
on the table of the house.

CRIMINAL LAW (IRELAND)

Mr. Dobbs asked the Attoiney-General for Ireland
whether any steps had been taken to consolidate and
amend the Criminal Law of Ireland, and to assimilate it
to the Criminal Law of England ; and whether it was the
intention to propose any measure on the subject during
the present session, and if so, when he would be prepared
to introduce the same.

Mr Whiteside gave a similar answer• to both questions,
namely, that bills an these subjects were in preparation,
and would be introduced as soon as possible.

CONSULS IN JAPAN

On motion for adjournment till Monday,
Mr. Monckton Milnes called attention, to the appoint-
ment of consuls 'and vice-consuls in Japan, in connection
with the evidence and report of the recent committee on
the consular service. He complained that distinguished
persons already in the East were passed over, while un-
qualified persons were sent from thiS country to fill those
offices.

Mr. S. Fitzgerald protested against questions of this
kind being put without imperative necessity, as being
personal' and Invidious.

- Mr. Wise remarked on the importance of those officers,
who would be the pioneers of our commerce in Japan,
and thought that proper care had not been taken in their
selection. He urged that the consular service in Japan
should be made a close service.

Lord Palmerston entered into some explanations
respecting the consular appointments- of the late Govern-
ment. The motion for adjournment till Monday was
then agreed to.

STATE OF AFFAIRS ON THE CONTINENT,

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Lord Palmerston rose, pursuant to notice, to call the
attention of the house to the present state of affairs on
the continent, and to ask Her Majesty's Government
whether they are in a condition to make to the house
any communication calculated to encourage the hope that
there will be no interruption of the general peace of
Europe He did not blame the Government for having
as yet made no communication to the house, as nothing
of sufficient importance had occurred to justify such a step,
but it was the duty of private members to afford them"
an opportunity of, stating the actual state of affairs.
If the prospect of peace had greatly diminished
he would say forewarned! forearmed ! It 'was better
that commercial men should know the worst. Preparations
for war of every kind, both by land and sea, were going
forward in Europe, and it was natural that they should
ask what it was all about. Had any one nation grossly
insulted or injured another. He was not aware that any
such cause was in existence, or that any quarrel had arisen
between the powers of Europe which justified an appeal
to arms. Was there any intention of abrogating existing
treaties, • France, he believed, though not altogether
. .

•
satisfied with the treaties of 1815, had, under all its
changes of government, constantly respected and observed
those treaties with singular good faith ; and he did not
believe that the present Government had any intention of
violating them ; nor did he believe that Austria, who
founded on these treaties her right to Italy, intended
to attack. The wise Government of Sardinia could
not have the insane project of abrogating those
treaties ; nor could Piussia or Russia have any object
in so doing—to what then were they to look for the
cause of alarm ? It was the dangerous and unsettled
state of Central Italy, and the jealousies and difference
of France and Austria in that quarter, from whence the
danger arose. Occupations of parts of Central Italy by
those two great military Powers, which at first were
only professed to be temporary, had now lasted for ten
years. The mutual and simultaneous retirement of both
Powers from these positions would be the only means to
re-assure Europe. It was contended that in that case a
revolution would explode all over Italy. This was a
serious charge against its Government, and even if this
were probable, it was no reason why France and Austria
should go to war to prevent it. There was a danger
apprehended to the Catholic religion. He believed on
the contrary that an improvement in the administration
of the Roman States would be of the greatest service to ,
that religion. The Government of this country was on
the best possible terms with those both of France and
Austria. We could not be suspected of selfish objects,
and our friendly interference might cause the best possble
results. He knew that the Roman States would exclaim
to the foreign armies which protected them, " for heaven's
sake don't leave us." The reply to this was—" Reform
your own administration, and you will have nothing to
fear." This would not be the first time the European
Governments had given advice to the Roman States. If
our government were to obtain from France and Austria
a promise to evacuate the Roman States, never to return,
it might then address itself to the other powers, and en-
deavour to bring about a reform of the administration
of central Italy. It was his duty to bring forward this
subject, as the time for voting the estimates was at hand,
and it was time they knew whether they were to expect a
general conflagration or whether there was any ap-
pearance of tranquility which would enable us to
frame our arrangements on a peace establishment.
He had given no notice of motion, nor taken a
day on which a lengthened discussion was likely to
arise, that government might, if it thought fit,
plead that the state of affairs did not permit detailed ex-
planations. It was simply in the interest of peace that
he called attention to the subject.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer acquitted the noble
lord of being intiaenced by any party feeling, informing
his present line of conduct. The present state' of affairs
fully justified him in the inquiries he had made. Pre-
parations for war were notoriously going on, and two, at
least, of the great powers were notoriously marshalling
their resources. He argued with the noble lord that it
was neither the wish nor the interest of any of the powers
of Europe to violate any of the treaties of 1815, but he.
could assure the House that, in the present critical state.
of affairs, that this government had .not been idle, and
had used all their endeavours to prevent the interruption
of peace, on cordial terms with France and Austria ; our.
Government could offer advice—both, however, without
any danger that these motives would be mistaken, or any
fear that they had any interest beyond the general interest
of the continuance of peace. The Right Hon. Gentleman
then declared emphatically, and amid loud cheers, that
communications had been received both from France and
Austria—communications leading to the hope that the
Papal States would ere long be evacuated by the troops
both of France and Austria ; and this with the full con-
currence of the Papal Government. Lord Cowley- had, in
consequence, been despatched to Vienna on a confidential
mission, of which he could only say it was one of peace
and conciliation. He appealed to the house, considering
the importance attached abroad even to the chance
expressions of its debates, at present to postpone further
discussion, declaring his belief that the present difficulties
would be set at rest on principles consistent with the
dignity and the welfare of Europe. _ _ _

Lord John Russell congratniated the house on the
answer it had just received to the question of the noble
lords He rejoiced that the government had taken aright
view of their position, and that great advantages had
already accrued from their interventions. He expected
from the intelligence of Lord Cowley, everything that
prudence could obtain, and trusted that future difficulties
would be settled in the same way by the intervention of
diplomacy, without appeal to arms.
The house then went into committee of supply.
NAVY ESTIMATES.

Sir J. Pakington rose to move the navy estimates. He
commenced by tracing the gradual increase of these
estimates of late years. His demand for the ensuing year
would be 0,81.013, being gboqt 41,0QQ,,Q00