Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-15 00:00:00

At a late hour this afternoon Parliament was prorogued
by royal commission. It was known that the Queen would
not be present, and consequently but little interest was
excited by the ceremony. The commission under the ,oTeat
seal, authorising the lords commissioners therein named to
prorogue the present Parliament was read by the clerk at
the table, as also a second commission, authorising.
the lords commissioners to give the royal assent to
several public and private acts agreed upon by both
Houses, amongst which were the Consolidated Fund
(Appropriation) Bill, Stamp Duties Bill, Customs (No. 2)
.Bill, East India Loan Bill, Militia Pay Bill, Corrupt
Practices Continuance Bill, Reserve Volunteer Force of
Seamen Bill, Inclosure Acts Amendment Bill, Stock
in Trade Exemption Bill, Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Bill,
Episcopal and Capitular Estates Continuance Bill, In-
closure Bill, Poor-law Board (Payment of Debts) Bill,
Medical Acts Amendment Bill, Weights and Measures Acts
Amendment Bill, Militia Laws Amendment Bill,
Coinage Bill, Probate and Letters of Administration (Ire-
land) Bill, Police (Counties and Boroughs) Bill, Westatin-
ster New Bridge Bill, Law Ascertainment Facilities till,
Charitable Trusts Acts Continuance Bill, Charitable Provi-
dent Societies Bill, European Troops (India) Bill, Divorce
Court Bill, Imprisonment for Small Debts Bill, Bankruptcy
and Insolvency (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill, Sale of Gas
Bill, Sessional Divisions Bill, Thames Waterman and Light-
erman Bill, and a large number of railway and other private
bills. _ _ _

The Lord Chancellor, remaining seated, then read
THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.
MT LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

We are commanded by Her Majesty to release you from
further attendance iu Parliament, and at the same time to
convey to you Her Majesty's acknowledgment for the
zeal and assiduity with which you have applied yourselves
to the performance of your important duties during the ses-
sion of parliament now about to close.

Various circumstances, which occasioned interruptions
in the usual course of business, prevented the comple-
tion of important meatuns which Her Majesty pointed out
to the attention of her Parliament at the beginning of the
present year ; but Her Majesty trusts that those matters will
be taken into your earnest consideration at an early period
of the next session.

The war which had broken out in Northern Italy having
been brought to a close by the peace of Villafranca, various
overtures have been made to her Majesty with a view to ascer-
tain whether, if Conferences should he held by the great
powers of Europe for the purpose of settling arrangements
connected with the present state and future condition of
Italy, a plenipotentiary would be sent by Tier Majesty to
assist at such Conferences ; but Her Majesty had not received
the information necessary to decide whether she may
think fit to take
.part in any such negotiations. Tier
Majesty would rejoice to find herself able to contribute to
the establishment of arrangements calculated to place the
general peace on a satisfactory and lasting foundation.
Her Majesty, in accordance with the stipulations of the
treaty of Tiensing, has instructed her plenipotentiary in
China to repair to the Imperial Court at Pekin, and Her
Majesty trusts that such direct communication with the
imperial Government will have a beneficial effect upon the
relations between, the two countries.

Her Majesty commands us to inform you that she looks
forward with confidence •to the continued maintenance of
those friendly relations whieh so happily subsist between
Her Majesty and all foreign Powers and States.
Her Majesty is glad to be able to congratulate you on the
complete restoration of tranquility in her Indian dominions.
It will be her earnest endeavour to promote their internal
improvement, and to obliterate the traces of those conflicts
which Her Majesty witnessed with such deep concern.
The financial arrangements of that portion of her Ma-
jesty's empire will continue to engage Her Majesty's serious
attention.

Her Majesty has had much satisfaction in giving her
assent to the bills which you presented to her for the
formation of a naval and military reserve force. A com-
plete and permanent system of national defence must at all
times be an object of paramount importance.
GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

Her Majesty commands us to convey to you her cordial
thanks for the readiness and zeal with which you have pro-
vided the necessary supplies for the service of the year.

MY. LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
Her Majesty commands us to express to you her heartfelt
gratification at witnessing the general well-being and con-
tentment which prevails throughout her domimons. The
happiness of Her Majesty's people is the object dearest her
heart. In returning to your respective counties, you
will have duties to perform intimately connected
with the attainment of this great end ; and Her
Majesty fervently prays that the blessing of Almighty
God may attend your exertions in the performance of those
duties for the common good of all classes of Her Majesty's
subjects. -

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—SATURDAY,
The Speaker took the chair at twelve o'clock.

NEW WRITS.
New writs were issued for Hertford, in the room of the
Right Hon. W. Cowjuer, who has become Vice-President of
the Board of Trade; for Liskeard, in the room of Mr. Grey;
and for Berwick-on-Tweed, in the room of Mr. Earle.

THE PONTEFRACT INQUIRY.
Mr. WESTREAD adverted to the report of the Pontefract
Committee, and directed the attention of the hon. member
(Mr. Overend) to the concluding paragraphs. He thought
that, under the circumstances, the hon. member ought to
resign his seat. (Cheers, and No, no.) The report recom-
mended that Mr. Childers should be restored to his former
position ; but that was impossible, unless a resignation took
place, for Mr. Childers had long been before the House with
a vast 'array of witnesses prepared for the inquiry, which
could not now take place this session. He moved that the
report be now read. (Cries of Oh, oh.)
Mr. CRAWFORD seconded the motion.

Mr. C. SELWYN said what the paragraph meant Was, that
as there was a misconception between the parties, both par-
ties should be placed in their original position, as though
no agreement had been entered into. He was a member of
the committee, and drew up the paragraph. He knew that
that vas the intention of the committee in agreeing to it,
and he did not see that the -hon. member (Mr. Westhead)
hsd any ground for calling up= Mr. Oyerend to resign.
The Pontefract petition might easily be referred to 'another
committee ; and he moved, as an amendment, that the order
fort" 11--"---4- " A-keliarzed. '• •

irontetract petniou ok;
G. GREY said the House could always make good an
error of its own, but this was no error of the House. The
a __ the,Parties to their original