The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

DtiTY ON RAGS.

Lord STANLEY asked the Under Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Government was
in cornmunicati ,n with any foreign Power with a view to
the reduction or abolition of the export duty imposed by the
latter on rags; and whether there would be any objection
to an early production of the correspondence.
Mr. LAYARD said the subject had not been lost sight
of by her Majesty's Government, and, as negotiations with
Austria, Portugal, and other States were proceeding, he
gusted the question would not be then pressed.

SALARY OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
CHARITY BOARD.

Mr. FEE.RAND asked the First Commissioner of the
Charity Board, in what act of Parliament the clause was in-
serted which increases the salary of the secretary from
£6OO to £BOO ; and whether public notice was given to the
house that such clause was intended to be inserted ?
Mr. LOWE said he had hoped the bon. member who
had access to the act of 1860 would have taken the trouble
of informing himself on the subject—(laughter)—but, as the
hon. member had not done so, he (Mr. Lowe) had done so him-
self. The officer in question was a barrister, and as there had
teen an increase in his duties it was thought only just that
there should be an increase in his salary. He availed him-
self of that opportunity to make a personal explanation
in reference to what he had said on a previous
evening, and he wished it to be understood that
it was not his intention to have said anything dero-
gatory to the commissioners of the charity, which ho con-
sidered one of the ablest, most industrious, and honourable
bodies in her Majesty's service.
REMOVAL OF THE ASSIZES FROM YORK.

Mr. MORRITT asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether it was finally decided that the
assizes should be moved from York to any other place
Sir G. GREY said that no final decision had been
came te, and no opinion had been expressed on the
subject, but assizes must always necessarily be held
et York. It was recommended that assizes should be held
at Leeds, but there could be no decision on the subject
until there had been an order in Council.
GOVERNMENT ANNUITIES BILL.

Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether it is was intention to proceed with the
Government Annuities Bill this evening.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
had no objection to postpone the bill, and regretted that its
object had not been properly understood. He would there-
fore postpone the committee until Monday week.
THE CAPTURE OF BRITISH VESSELS.

In reply to Mr. S. FITZGERALD,
Mr. LAYARD repeated the statement he had made the
other evening as to instructions having been given to Lord
Lyons on the subject of the Saxon, who had communicated
with the American Government, and an investigation
was ordered by Mr. Seward, which was going on. He
believed that his noble friend (Earl Russell) had been
misunderstood as to what he was reported to have said on
this subject,but the papers that were laid on the table of the
other house would be presented as a matter of course to this
house,

RUMOURED INTENTION OF THE AUSTRIAN
AND PRUSSIAN FORCES TO ENTER JUT-

LAND.
Mr. NEWDEGATE asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, whether, in the event of the Austrian and Prussian
forces entering, or proposing to enter, Jutland, her Majes-
ty's Government would not consider such action or inten-
tion as inconsistent with the plea upon which the German
forces have entered Holstein and Schleswig, and, therefore,
requiring more energetic and decisive action, diplomatic or
otherwise, on the part of her Majesty's Government in the
sense of the treaty of 1852 ?
Lord PALMERSTON—We have no definite accounts
of the intentions of these Governments to enter Jutland.
The only information on the subject was that contained in
the newspapers ; it is to the effect described by the hon.
member. No doubt such an entrance would be considered
an aggravation of the violent outrage and injustice which,
in our opinion, uasbeen committed by the entrance into
Schleswig, by which great sacrifice and bloodshed had taken
place, and for which these two Governments (Austria and
Prussia) were answerable. (Hear, hear.) Withregard to
the latter part of the question as to what change of course
the Government would be ready to take in the event
alluded to, without intending disrespect to the hon. mem-
ber or the house, I must decline any answer as to the future
Policy.