The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-11 00:00:00

PRIVATE BILLS.
On the order of the day for going into committee of
supply,
Lord R. CECIL moved that, in the opinion of the house,
it was expedient that the duty of ascertaining the facts upon
which legislation in respect to private bias was to proceed
should be discharged by some tribunal ext ilia; to the house.
He contended that there was the strongest n( cessity for the
alteration which he proposed.
Mr GIBSON admitted that the existing system entailed
very arduous duties upon hon. members; still, whatever
might be done to meet the objections raised on that ground,
it was necessary that there should be an ultimate appeal to
Parliament. He did not believe that dissatisfaction existed
out of doors at the decisions of committees, and he feared
that if any suggestion such as was now made, or of which
they had heard previously were carried out, the result would
be merely to create additional impediments to and conse-
quently increase the expense of private bill legislation.
The discussion was continued by Colonel Patten, Lord
Stanley, Mr Lowe, Mr R. Hodgson, Mr It. Dutton, and
other memb ere, the balance of opinion being that the exist-
ing system was very far from perfect and required amend-
ment. There was not the same concurrence of mind as to
the beat method of improving it; for whilst some contended
that tl..e committees on private bills should act as a jury
with the, chairman as judge, others advocated the plan of
Lord Cecil, and all urged that it was desirable that where
great public works ware concerned the members of the corn-
mitt ee should possess a knowledge of the localities.
"Ultimately the motion was withdrawn, a division being
impassible without counting out the house, in consequence
of 19 members only being present.
Mr J. B. SMI EH moved that the increasing trade and
commerce of India, and the consequent increasing demand
for a portable circulating medium, requires that a gold cur-
rency should be established in that empire. The hon. gen-
tleman observed that constant complaints were received
from India with regard to the difficulty experienced in in-
troducing commodities owing to the absence of a convenient
circulating medium, and called upon the Government to
state what their intentions on the subject were,
Colonel SYKES, speaking from his own personal expe-
rience, said there was no doubt whatever that the natives of
India were quite ready to receive Europearr gold coins pro-
vided they could be assured of their purity. If a gold coin
were introduced, made of pure metal, of a certain weight
and certain conventional value, the people would take it ;
but then the Government must consent to accept it in pay-
ment of taxes at its market value.

Sir C. WOOD admitted that the subject was interesting
and important ; but the paper circulation in India had been
very successful, and was accepted by those who were en-
gaged in commerce there. For gold there was little demand,
whilst silver and copper circulated extensively. Even if a
gold coinage were established, he doubted whether it would
be of any great assistance in conducting mercantile opera-
tions. What the Indian treasuries desired was that the
sovereign should be received by them at a particular rate ;
and he did not deny that it would be of advantage if the so-
vereign of England and of the colonies were airculated in
India, and that it would be a great accommodation to trade.
The value the treasuries wished to place upon the sovereign
was 10 rupees ; but the fact was, that the sovereign was
worth more than that in the market, and to adopt the stan-
dard named by the treasuries would involve a considerable
sacrifice. He was unable to ascertain what was the value
of gold in the markets of India with such certainty as to
place any reliance upon it ; but the memorials upon this
subject were under the consideration of the Government of
India. He could not therefore undertake to give an assur-
ance of what he was disposed to do until he had received
their opinion.

After some remarks frcm Mr WATKIN and Mr GOSCIIEN,
the motion was withdrawn.

EDUCAT lON.
In answer to Mr DUNLOP, Mr H. BRUCE stated that
the Government, having determined upon issuing a com-
mission to consider if it were not possible to erect a na-
tional system of education on the foundation of the old
parochial system in Scotland, had come to the conclu,ion to
suspend the revised code until the inquiry had been com-
pleted, provided, however, that it was completed within 12
months.

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.
In reply to Mr A. Sxmr, Lord C. PAGET said that the
scheme for the organisation of the proposed school of naval
architecture had not been concocted by the Admiralty, but
by some of the most eminent naval architects in the coun-
try. The site at South Kensington had been selected for
the establishment on account of its economy and eligibility.
The house then went into committee of supply.
GRANT TO SIR ROWLAND HILL.
Her. Majesty's message for granting £20,000 to Sir Row-
land Hill having been read,
Viscount PALMERSTON said—Sir, I trust the house
will be disposed, without any objection, to concur in the
recommendation of her Majesty which has just been read.
(Hear.) Sir Rowland Hill is a man of great genius and
great sagacity, and of great perseverance and industry, and
who has rendered very important services to this country,
and, I may say, to other countries also. Sir R. Hill had
observed that the postal department was more a department
for the performance of services than a mere department for
the collection of revenue ; and,with a boldness which stag.
gered a great number of persons who had not looked at the
question from the same point of view from which he had
regarded it, he recommended a large reduction in the rate
of postage, in confidence that in the end it would bring the
revenue up to the same amount,seeing that in the meantime
it would confer the greatest possible benefit to the commu-
nity at large. There were grave doubts about it; many
people thought that his expectations were too sanguine,
that the number of letters would not increase to the extent
he had reckoned, and that the revenue would not recover
the great shock which the, reduction to a penny would
create. These predictions were falsified, and all his cal-
culations turned out to be correct, (Cheers.) He has
for nearly a quarter of a century performed the very
ardno as duties which devolved on him in the execution of
his scheme. He is now at a time of life when his health can
nut be supposed to have withstood the effect of the great
labour which attached to his office, and the Treasury, on that
ground, have given him permission to retire, and they have
done that which I am sure the house will look upon with
indulgence—they have given him his full salary for life.
(Cheers.) He is now in the 70th year of his age, and his
health has been shattered by the labours he has had to per-
form. Under these circumstances, her Majesty has thought
that this house would consider that the great services which
Sir Rowland Hill has performed would recommend him for
a grant which would enable him to make those arrange-
ments for his family which the short period during which
Providence may permit him to enjoy his retiring pension
would otherwise probably not enable him to make. The
result of his labours hag really been beneficial beyond that
which may strike persons at first sight. It is quite clear
that the facility which the penny post has given to all the
transactions of commerce, to all the communications con-
nected with the industry of the country, must have been
infinitely advantageous to general industry of the countrj,,
and also by that means that the revenue, not of the Peet_
office merely, but the revenue which arises out of the
general industry and prosperity of the country. In that
point of view he has performed a very great service to the
country. But there is another point of view from which his merits should be calculated, namely, the degree of
happiness and comfort which his invention—for I may call
it an invention.—his plan, has conferred on the poorer classes
of the community, upon the millions, and that for a great
period of time. When the postage was as high as it was
before his plan was introduced, the relatives of poor
families who were scattered in differect parts of the
country had their communications cut off; for how could
a poor labouring man pay 18 or 6d for a letter ? The
communications of families were as difficult if not more
difficult, than they are now betweeze England and Aus-
tralia. Well, sir, the cultivation of the affections is a
thing that raises men in their, Own estimation, which
es their morals and
tend to make them u- due
raises them in the standing 'they occupy in society. It im-
' improves all those qualities which
I aay thE, m„it members of society. Therefore,
fact of his plaits O Sir Rowland Hill, independently of the
are. having contributed to the general prosperity
of the cony
uproenmanifested by its having conferred such
great bceneflts all the labouring and poorer classes of
the Ceimmunity, and entitle him to the approbation and the
(Cheers) s which this heeme may be disposed to confer en him.
the
Period before his plan came into
,
operation, the number of letters transmitted through the
•
tphoes
number c
t oruarnssemoift
ttehde
wy eaars
6ev485 76 millions, while in 1863
3
Millions. Now that is a
measure of the degree in which that plan had assisted the
industry and contributed to the comfort and happiness of
the community in this country. There are various arrange.
plan independent of the mere
amount of money paid for letters ; among others, the faci-
orders
ments connected with this
lity which his arrangements have given for money
for the transmission of money in small stubs from one pari
what an immense advantage
of the country to another. In 1838 the amp
ef money
might be
orders at the Post-office was £313,000. In 1863 it was
£16,494,000. (Hear, hear.)
that must be to the community at large—the facility of safe
transmission of small sums which otherwise it
very difficult and expensive to transmit. Then there is the
book post, wle,eli is greatly to the interests of literature,
and is an arrangement which has been most extensively
taken advantage of. The gross revenue of the Post-office
has increased very greatly, but of course the facilities that
have been given have multiplied the number of offices, and
therefore naturally increased tho outgoings. But the gross
receipts in 1838 were £2,865,000, while in 1863 they were
£38,700,900; therefore showing that Sir Rowland Hill
was perfectly borne out in reckoning that at no distant
period the receipts of the Post-office would recover the
diminution which the first introduction of his plan would
naturally create. In point of fact, everybody is familiar
with the merits of Sir Rowland Hill's plan, and with the
good effects it has produced ; and I am persuaded the house
will willingly concur in the proposal which is now made to
them. (Cheers,)
Air W. WILLIAMS disapproved of the grant, on the
ground that Sir Rowland Hill had received so liberal a
retiring salary.
Mr J. EWART cordially concurred in the vote, believing
that Sir Rowland Hill had conferred an immense benefit
upon commerce.
INIr TURNER believed that the whole community of