The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-11 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN POSTAGE.

The Earl of HARDWICKE rose to put the following
questions to the Government :—To inquire of the Post-
master-General whether he had not recently received
through the medium of the Lieutenant-Governor of Vic-
toria a memorial from the Melbourne Chamber of Com-
merce urging on him the importance of immediately re-
establishing postal steam communication with Australia,
and, referring to the large sums the Legislatures of:the
colonies interested are willing to place at the disposal
of the Imperial Government towards effecting the ob-
ject ; and to inquire whether he will have any objection
to lay a copy of such memorial on the table of the house.
Viscount CANNING said he concurred with the
noble earl in deploring the inconvenience to which the
Australian colonies had recently been exposed by the
withdrawal of steam from the mail s ervice to that part
of the world, and he acknowledged the obligation that
lay upon the Government to supply the deficiency as
soon as possible. The memorial referred to by the noble
earl reached this country 4 or 5 days ago, but, owing to
some mistake, it did not come into his hands until with-
'in the last few hours. It was generally to the effect de.
scribed by the noble earl, but it did not mention any
specific sum as that which the colonies were prepared to
contribute towards the re-establishment of postal steam
communication, although it dealt with the question in a
very large and liberal spirit, indicating that the colonies
were willing to act generously in the matter. Of course,
after what he had said as to the receipt of the me-
morial, he could not be expected to state what steps
the Government might resolve to take. He had
no doubt, however, that the proposition submitted
by the colonies, coupled with the desire of the
Government to re-establish steam communication as soon
as possible, would speedily lead to a practical issue. The
Government had already applied to the Oriental Com-
pany to ascertain at what cost they would undertake to
re-establish steam communication with the Australian
colonies, and the company had signified their inability
to give any specific answer until they had received some
information from Australia, and other parts, He need
not say that the delay thus occasioned had been a source
of much regret to the Government ; but he trusted that
not much more time would be lost, and he could assure
the noble earl that as soon as the Government received
an answer, they would proceed at once to make an
arrangement either with the Oriental Company or with
some other parties. The noble viscount concluded by
stating that he would lay the memorial on the table upon
a future occasion.

Their lordships then adjourned at ten minutes past
eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
CENSURE OF THE GOVERNMENT.

Sir E. B. LYTTON gave notice that on Friday, on
the house going into committee of supply, he should
move that, in the opinion of. the-house, the conduct of
the Government with reference to the recent Vienna
negotiations had been such as.to shake the confidence
of the country in the present Ministry.
ARMY AND MEDICAL OFFICERS.
Mr. STAFFORD inquired whether Dr. Andrew
Smith had retired from the medical board, and whether
Dr. Hall after the publication of the report of the Se-
bastopol Committee still continued Medical Inspector-
General of the army in the East ?

Mr. PEEL stated that Dr. Andrew Smith continued
in office until his successor was appointed. Considering
' the great amount of current business performed in that
department with which he was connected, it would be
very inconvenient that there should be any break in the
' persons officiating as heads, and considerable time was
necessary in order to find persons properly qualified to
succeed Dr. Andrew Smith. With respect to Dr. Hall
during the time that Lord Panmure had been at the
head of the War Department no complaints had been
made with respect to the mode in which he had dis-
charged his duty ; on the contrary, most satisfactory
opinions had been expressed as to the mode in which
Dr. Hall had performed his duties. He (Mr. Peel) was
aware that the Sebastopol committee had stated that
there was some difficulty in reconciling the letter of Dr.
Hall as to the state of the hospitals with their actual con-
dition ; the latter was, however, written In October,.
and there existed therefore no sufficient grounds for his
removal by Lord Panmure.
Captain STUART wished to know whether the Go.
vernment was satisfied with the duties as discharged by
Dr. Hall ?

Mr. PEEL said that since Lord Panmure had been
at the head of the War Department there was no reason
to be dissatisfied with the performance of tin duties by
Dr. Hall.

Mr. ROEBUCK wished to know why the fact of the
report having been made by Dr. Hall in October last
constituted any ground for the non-removal of Dr. Hall!
Mr. PEEL stated that the reason why Dr. Hall had
not been relieved in office was because, since the appoint-
ment of Lord Panmure, no grounds of dissatisfaction
had been shown with the conduct of that officer. With
respect to the removal of Dr. Hall, the question had no
doubt arisen from the circumstance of a letter having
appeared in the Times a few days since, relative to the
alleged inefficient supply of necessaries for the wounded
soldiers after the late attack on the Russian works.
Upon this subject he would, with the permission of the
house, read a statement which he had received from the
medical officers with the army, showing that such a state
of things could not by possibility have existed, and that
the statement that upon the 18th or 19th of July the
wounded soldiers were left the whole day without any
food, except some dry biscuit, was destitute of fcunda-
tion.

Mr. STAFFORD rose to order. His question had
no reference relative to the letter which had appeared in
the Times.

Mr. PEEL said that as the question of the hon. mem-
her was an exact repetition of a question put to him a
few days since, which appeared to discredit the state-
ments of Dr. Hall, he thought it not unreasonable that
the house should allow him to read the letter in vindica-
tion of the character of Dr. Hall.
Mr. ROEBUCK rose to order. The hon. member
for Northamptonshire (Mr. Stafford) had stated that his
question was not founded upon any letter such as had
been referred to, and the house had a right to put faith
in the statements of that hon. member.
The SPEAKER intimated that as objection was taken
to reading the letter, it was not competent for the hon.
member to do so.
Mr. PEEL would not persist in reading the letter ; ho
would simply state that, as the writer of the letter in the
Times to which he had referred had stated that his name
would be at the service of any authority applying for it,
a letter had been sent from the War Department on the
following day, addressed to the editor of the Times, and
requesting, in order that the inquiry about to be made
might be conducted in a satisfactorymanner, that the
name of the writer should be furnished. The editor of
the Times had, however, begged to be excused from giv.
ins up to the department the name of the writer.
inquired
.whether the Attorney.
arTdilvihen, receive instructions to file an
DEAN AND CHAPTER OF WINDSOR.
knights
.; and in what state the -
Genierr.aMl did not,
information against the Dean and Chapter of Windsor, for
an account of the disbursement of the revenues belong.
given instructions on the subject ;
pro
such instructions were ei l
bni
ut aut r
play
da
ed r
The A.TTORN .
EY-GENERAL at present ?
icuegedtion
stated that he had
that an information had been filed,and .
not recget'hivettaerdnk,
defendants to
by the .. plead,
He also stated that hon.
members desiring information on the
. subject of charity
suits instituted by him
might be obtained at the office
of his solicitor at the corner of Great George-street,
Westminster, where
every suit. a record was kept of the stage of

MILITIA ARTILLERY.
Capt. ESAIONDE inquired whether it was the inten-
tion of her Majesty's Government to send militia regi-
ments of artillery to any of the encampments at Alder.
shott, the Curragh, or elewhere ?
Mr. PEEL stated that the militia artillery was in-
tended only for garrison duty, and that therefore the
field exercise to be learned at the camps was not suitable
to that branch of the service.
THE NEW TURKISH LOAN.

Er. RICARDO wished to know whether her Majesty's
Government was about to guarantee a loan to his Ma-
jesty the Sultan, and if so, when and in what form the
noble lord would bring that question before the house ?
Lord PALMERSTON stated that a treaty had beia
signed between France and England on the one hand,
and the Sultan upon the other, by the terms of which
the Governments of France and England made certain
engagements with respect to a loan of 5,000,000/. which
the Sultan was to raise. The engagement on the part
of this country was that her Majesty would recommend
to the House of Commons to guarantee one-half of that
I loan, the otheF half bang guarAuteed by krance. Whe