The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-17 00:00:00

MARCH 17, 1852

nesday, between eleven and two, at the office of Mr.
I Morgan, Liverpool.
G. rke, Bryn Malley, Denbighshire, limo burner
55., on Wednesday, March 31, or any subsequent Wed-
nesday, between eleven and two, at tho office of Mr.
Morgan, Liverpool.
W. Pownall, Macclesfield, silk manufacturer, is. 6d.,
on Thursday next, and three following Thursdays, be-
tween eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Graham,
Coleman-street.
R. Summers, Bath street, City-road, pawnbroker and
silversmith, 9s. I ld., on Thursday next, and three fol-
lowing Thursdays, between eleven and two, at the office
of Mr. Graham, oleman-street.
H. J. Cook, Hedge-row, High-street, Islington, linen-
draper, id., on Thursday next, and three following
Thursdays, between eleven and two, at the office of Mr.
Graham, Coleman-street.
W. Taylor and J. Wylde, Wood-street, City, and
Lock's-fields, Walworth, flock manufacturers, Bd., any
Wednesday, eleven and three, at the office of
Mr. Whitmore, Basinghall-street.
T. E. Southee, Fleet-street, advertising agent, 2a. 5d.,
any Wednesday, between eleven and three, at the office
of Mr. Whitmore, Basinghall-street.
A. Heilbronn and J. Harrison, Great St. Helen's,
City, drysalters, Is. 10d., any Wednesday, between
el.ven and three, at the office of Mr. Whitmore, Basing-
hall-street.

NOTICES OF CERTIFICATES.
In the Country.
D. Little, Liverpool, merchant, April 8, at eleven, at
the Court, Liverpool—T. Ramsden, Chester, timber
merchant, April 8, at eleven, at the Court. Liverpool—
Mary Ann Keel, Liverpool, coffee-house keeper, April
6, at eleven, at the Court, Liverpool—D. Morton, Wal-
sall, Staffordshire, chemist and druggist, April 7, at
half-past eleven, at the Court, Birmingham—W. Wor-
ley, Smethwick, Staffordshire, licensed victualler, April
7, at half-past eleven, at the Court, Birmingham.
CERTIFICATES GRANTED.
J. J. Hatch, Friday-street, City, furrier, certificate of
the first olass—J. Sherwin, Liverpool, baker, certificate
of the third class—G. Nock, Frith-street, Soho, gold-
smith and jeweller, certificate of the third class—S. V.
Burge, Taunton, Somersetshire, saddler, certificate of
the second class—T. Dixon, Bradford, Yorkshire, iron
merchant, certificate of the second class—J. Roberts,
Rhyl, Flintshire, innkeeper, certificate of the first class,
after twenty-one days from Feb. 19—T. H. Harris,
Liverpool, shipowner, certificate of second class, after
twenty-one days from March 4.
PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.
J. Armstrong, sen., and J. Armstrong, jun., Carlisle,
Cumberland, attorneys—C. Boultbee and J. B. Stedman,
Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, surgeons and apothecaries
—E. M. Matthews and J. Stephenson, Tynemouth,
Northumberland, ship chandlers—D. Noble and J.
Fielding, Salford, brewers—E. Noah and P. Aaron, Bir-
mingham—H. and J. Crossley, Woolwich—J. Hann, W.
Clark, and A. W. Makinson, New Palace.yard, West-
minster, civil engineers (so far as regards J. Hann)—J.
11. Berrey and G. Sutton, Acresford, Leicestershire and
Derbyshire, brewers—T. Cummins and J. Firbank,
Gateshead, Durham, painters—W. and I. Haywood,
Rood-lane, City, merchants—T. Lowis and G. Kerr,
Newport, Monmouthshire, drapers—J. Brown and
H. Axe, Sheffield, slaters—L. A. Reeve and E.
Benham, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden, publishers
—W. H. Cook and J. Morley, Kingston-upon-
Hull, drapers—W. and J. Shaw, and J. Caudwell,
Manchester, bakers (so far as regards J. Caudwell—B.
J. Nowell and J. Hemingway, Isle of Anglesoa, J. B.
Hemingway, St. Mellons, Monmouthshire, and C. Pear-
son, Leequith, Glamorganahire, contractors—E. B.
Dimmack, Thompson, J. Firmstone, and J. K. Black-
well, Pontypool, Monmouthshire, coal and iron masters
(so far as regards J. K. Blackwell)—W. G. Baker and
IL Dunn, Nowcastle-upon-Tyne, brewers—R. Silk and
T. Brown, Long-acre, coach builders.
INSOLVENT PETITIONERS.
George Williams, Helston, Cornwall, butcher.
Henry Young, Newport, Isle of Wight, smith.
Robert Moffatt, Wolverhampton, carpenter.
John:De Grey, Wolverhampton, baker.
Evan Davis. Bradley, Staffordshire, miner.
Robert Johnson, Runcorn, Cheshire, grocer.
John Smith Deane, Altrincham, Cheshire, painter.
Peter Saunders, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, cordwainer.
Wm. John Thompson, jun., Birmingham, revenue officer.
James Hardy, East Dereham, Norfolk, millwright.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATION.
F. Robertson, GirvAn, surgeoa, to meet within the
George Hotel, Girvan, March 19, and April 13, at
twelve,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 16.
EDUCATION IN IRELAND.
The Marquis of CLA.NRICARDE rose to ask her
Majesty's Ministers whether it was their intention to
propose any alteration in the present applica-
tion of public money to educational purposes in
Ireland. He expressed his conviction that any
amelioration in the condition of Ireland must be
based, in the first instance, on the diffusion of
education in that country. The present system worked
well, ho believed ; it had been prepared with great care
and deliberation, after long consultation with the hier-
archy of the country, and since its first establishment its
sphere of operation had continued on the increase, and
there were at present 562,000 children receiving instruc-
tion under it. The Noble Marquis then briefly traced
the progress of the National School system, from 1832
down to the last report which had been presented on
the subject, with a view to show the progress which it
had made. In 1834 there were 789 schools, giving edu-
cation to 107,000 children; in 1843 the schools had in-
creased to 2,912, and the children to 353,000; in 1846
the number of schools was 3,600, and scholars 455,450;
and according to the last report, in 1850, notwithstand-
ing the great extent of emigration in 1849, the number
of schools was 4,547, and the pupils receiving instruc-
tion 511,639. Additional accommodation had since
been obtained, and the schools now numbered 4,600,
having 526,000 scholars. Now, he maintained that
these schools ought to be preserved by the Government
of the country, fur he took upon himself to say that
there did not exist a better system of Christian educa-
tion in any part of the civilised world. The books of
the National Society were sought after not only by
schools in this country but in various parts of the conti-
nent; and it was a system of education eminently prac-
tical. There were seventeen model schools in diffe-
rent parts of Ireland, besides those which he had
mentioned, and the whole system was calculated to be
of the utmost benefit to the country. This being
the case, he was sorry to have had hie attention lately
called to a speech delivered by her Majesty's Attorney-
General in Ireland. He did not wish to find fault with
any particular words of that speech, but with its general
purport, which appeared to be to find fault with the pre-
vent system of national education, and to state that ha
should endeavour to induce the Government to lend their
support to a different system. He stated that Lord
Derby had said that he would have an honest inquiry to
see what could be done. Such a speech coming from so
high an authority would certainly have the effect of
leading persons to suppose that the present Government
were inclined to extend their plans of education to other
systems than that of the national board, in contradiction
to the policy of their predecessors. When they consi-
dered all the difficulties with which the national school
system had had to contend—all the antagonism which it
had to encounter—it was impossible not to award praise
to those noble, learned, and reverend persons by whose
untiring zeal and assiduity—by whom its success had
been mainly secured.—(gear, hear.) He hoped the
present Government would support the system; but if it
was said that the matter was under the consideration of
the Government, and a doubt was thrown upon it, it
would be most injurious, not only to the system itself,
but to the Government; and ho thought he was doing
no bad service to her Majesty's Government by asking
tho Noble Earl if it was his intention to make any
change whatever in the appropriation of the public
funds?
The Earl of DERBY said he was sure that their Lord-
ships and the Noble Marquis himself must suppose. that
if any person were personally interested in the well
working of the system of education in Ireland, it must
be the individual who had then the honour of addressing
their Lordships; because, without taking to himself any
further credit, he was the person during whose adminis-
tration as Chief Secretary of the Affairs of Ireland, the
various reports of former commissions and plans pre-
pared by learned and painstaking individuals, were ex-
amined; and the Government of which he was a Mem-
ber, came to the conclusion that it was necessary to
introduce a now system of combined education. It was
his good fortune to be the organ of that Government in
framing the original regulations and introducing that
system. He had watched with the deepest interest, he
needly hardly say, the progress and increase which the
Noble Marquis had so ably sketched of the number
of schools and scholars under the system then intro-
duced. He believed no step which could be taken
could have any effect in weakening the influence
which that system had produced on the minds of the
people of Ireland. He believed it had deeply
rooted itself in the institutions and affections of the
people, and that the progress of that system was as
certain as he believed its results, on the whoslee,af
had
e
been beneficial. Great as had been the increase
d not
it a
number of schools and pupils, he believed.
been more than commensurate with thwe
given in Ireland
point of quality, of the educationnßoaarg improvement, in
under the auspices ofas compared
some twenty
with the quality of the the
Nationaltion givend
ce should be withdrawn
years ago. And he also believed, that if at that mo-
ment all Government assistan a
from that and all other schools,
advantage would have been derived. The people of Ire-
land now knew and appreciated what really good education
was, as compared with that prevalent some 20 or 25
years ago; and they would not be satisfied with
wines-
, tion ofa ano; inferior quality to. that which they now re-
ceived. Nor did he believe it to be in the power of any
class of persons, however great the influence they might
i
exercse
over a portion of the population, to support
schools of an inferior character, in opposition to those of
the present system.—(Hear, hear.) He gladly joined in
the tribute of respect which the Noble Marquis had paid
to those Reverend and Learned persons to whose assi-
duity the progress of the system was more to be attri-
buted, than to any assistance which had been given by
the Government. He had spoken of this as a system
of education, but at the same time it was impossible
that the Noble Marquis must not acknowledge,
as ho must himself, that in the course of
twenty years various modifications in the de-
tails had been introduced, various alterations in
the minor details of the board, and even some connected
with matters of primary importance. For example, he
understood, for he had not of late, attended minutely to
the details of the education in progress; but he believed
that that which in the first instance was rendered com-
pulsory, namely, the use of Scripture lessons in all the
schools, had, from various causes, been left to tho will
and pleasure of the managers ; and, consequently, in
Many ;schools whore Scripture leaseno were not used

there was less of Scripture education given in those
schools than was originally contemplated in the syetem.
He did not mean to say that, although that was the case,
there was not given to the great bulk of the Roman Ca-
tholic population a far more enlightened education than
they would ha ee received if that system had not been es-
tablished. But various modifications, of which that was
one, had taken place from time to time. They were
aware that some time ago various objections, based on
religious grounds, were taken on the part of the Presby-
terian bodies, who held aloof with as much perseverance
as many—he might say almost the whole—of the united
church of England and Ireland, The absence
of that co•operation he felt it to be a great mis-
fortune. He felt it to be a great misfortune that the
system was not taken up by them, because they would
by this time have obtained great influence over the edu-
cation of the people, and thereby over the minds not
only of the Protestant, but the Roman Catholic popula-
tion—an influence which ho did not mean to say would
have been improperly, but beneficially used. But while
he regretted that the Protestant clergy of England had
stood aloof to such an extent, he was not ashamed to
say he considered it a matter of the greatest importance
to ascertain whether, without departing from the original
system, it might not be possible to introduce into that
system such modifications as might mitigate the objec-
tions, and induce the clergy to co-operate far more
largely than they had hitherto done in the system.—
(Hear, hear.) He had not had time to read much; and
ho hoped his Right Hon. and Learned Friend the At-
torney-General for Ireland, if he heard what was then
taking place, would not think that be was treating him
with disrespect, if he frankly avowed that he had not
read the speech to which the Noble Marquis had alluded.
But this he knew, that he had had communications with
him ou the subject, and he knew his straightforward
and candid character too well, not to believe
that he had made no statement in which he
was not entirely borne out and warranted by the lan-
guage which he (the Earl of Derby) had used. He
thought an investigation would tend to remove misun-
derstandings on both sides, and he intimated at that
time that he was strongly disposed to submit the ques-
tion for their Lordship? consideration, and to move that
a Committee of that House ho appointed. There was
one point which he thought it desirable to consider, how
far this system was practicable with a combined educa-
tion, which would bring up the youth of Ireland in con-
stant and familiar intercourse with those of a different
religious persuasion to themselves, and teach them rather
how many points there were in which they agreed than
on which differed; how far such a system was an exclu-
sive system, not practically, but in its results; how far
the schools under Presbyterian management were prac•
tically confined to Presbyterians; how far in the south
and west of Ireland, where the great bulk of the people
were Roman Catholics, and the schools were under the
management of Roman Catholic patrons, and had Ro-
man Catholic schoolmasters—and as the great majority
of the people were Roman Catholic ho did not complain
of that—he thought it right that they should know by
the investigation how far this system was practically
a system of combined education. He thought for
that purpose it was desirable that a Committee should be
appointed; he thought that the labours, and investiga-
tions, and suggestions of that Committee might remove
a portion of the objections that now existed. If the re-
sult of the inquiry was to find that, practically speaking,
in the great majority of schools in which it was intended
a combined system should prevail, there was in reality
an exclusive system; that there were Presbyterian
schools here, and Roman Catholic schools there, from
which a portion of the community were practically ex-
cluded by the rules of the board, ho hoped it would not
be considered as anything that would in the slightest
degree trench on the existing system, if they entered
into a calm inquiry how far assistance might to a certain
degree be afforded, even to schools which did not come
within the letter of the law, whether by the supply of
school requisites, or by the supply of the literary works
of the board, which fully deserved the praise the Noble
Marqrais gave to them, and which he believed had been
adopted, not only throughout this kingdom, but in a
great part of Europe also, and had been recognised both
by Protestant and Roman Catholic. He said that there I
were other schools which were excluded from the ad-
vantages of coming under the direct superintencd,reinvecefraonmd
control of the board, and yet if these schools might be
admitted to the advantages which they might d
the assistance of the board, without sacrificing their own
principles, he did not see that they (the Government)
were in the slightest degree violating the principles on
which the board was founded, if, adopting the example
which was set in this country in the first instance, they
consented to give some assistance to those schools, be
they Protestant or Catholic. He did not shrink from
the consequence adverted to by the Noble Marquis. If
they gave such (assistance to Protestant schools they
could not withhold similar assistance from Roman Ca-
tholic schools. In 1831 and 1832, when this system was
first originated, there was a difference of feeling from
that which prevailed now which would have rendered
any assistance to a school exclusively Roman Catholic
on the part of her Majesty's Government a matter of
absolute impossibility. He had reason to believe that
the feeling which then existed did not exist in the pre-
sent day. He believed that the objections which were
then entertained, as to educating Roman Catholics as
Roman Catholics, had not the same weight in the minds
of the people now that they had in 1831, He believed,
that affording such assistance to a school composed of
Roman Catholics, would not meet now the opposition
and objections which it would have met with in 1831 and
1832; but, he admitted, that if they gave such
assistance to schools exclusively Protestant, they
could not refuse it to schools exclusively
Catholic. Whether it was possible to combine
the independence of these schools, in their internal ar-
rangement, with the superintendence of the board, when
they received aid from the national funds, was a matter
on which, at the moment, he could not give a positive
opinion. He thought it was a subject that if they sub-
mitted it to a Committee—if they ascertained that, prac-
tically combined, education had been the rule, and ex-
clusive education had been the exception—he thought
it then deserved their attention whether they should ex-
tend the principle still further, and without, in the
slightest degree diminishing the influence exercised by
the Board of Education, whether thee, might not on the
one side or the other extend the benefits of a good educa-
tion, assisted by Government, supplied with the hest
books, and controlled by Government. His Right Hon.
Friend the Secretary for Ireland was perfectly right in
stating that he did desire him to overcome the opposi-
tion of the Protestant clergymen to this system; he did
desire that an investigation should take place into the
practical working of that system, into the modification
which from time to time it had been thought neces-
sary or expedient to make in the regulations of
the board in the course of the last twenty years, with
the yet further modification which, without departing
from the principle, might be adopted; and he was fur-
ther justified in saying that he desired the co-operation
of the clergy—that he desired, above all, to have the
means in Ireland, as far as possible, to extend to Ro-
man Catholics and to Protestants, under the superin-
tendence of the board and of the Government, the ad-
vantages of a good moral, literary, and religious edu-
cation. Further than that, he then expressed his opi-
nion that the appointment of a Committee, fairly
chosen, and entering into such an investigation, might
tend to remove difficulties from, and give facilities to,
the extension of education. Neither he nor her Ma-
jesty's Government were in the slightest degree pledged.
But ho was of opinion that an investigation by a Com-
mittee was desirable, for the purpose of seeing how far
modifications might be introduced into the existing
system which might have the tendency, not of diminish-
ing the influence of the board, but of carrying out more
extensively those great objects which to u great extent
had been accomplished, and which it was his earnest
desire to see thoroughly and completely carried out.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he was glad
that tho Noble Earl had thought fit to give so full and,
in many respects, so satisfactory an answer to the ques-
tion put to him by the Noble Marquis. To the honour
and credit of the Government to which he had himself
the honour to belong, they gave to the system of educa-
tion in Ireland the most anxious attention and their un-
bending support. The Noble Earl, from the knowledge
he had of the subject, would be aware of the mandyiffidiffi-
culties they had to encounter in carrying it out—
eul-
fatal if it had not been for the happy and
ffotrhtuaitt
ties which ho did not hesitate to say would have
epereoevierd.
system
cir-
cumstance that there were at the head
distinguished for their
prelates of two churches equally
Noble Earl well knows, the
and by the anxiety, as the
enlightened character and their liberality
those two prelates, the
to all classes;
labour, and the assiduity
made acquainted with the
people of Ireland had
educationi had
enlightened, instead of —if he
system had been kept ablieveen,oand_thegngorreaantt meadssucoaftiothe
eioanyT—hwaaitnth all the success that
blessings of
bhteohpawenoutblhey' have anticipined.
but with a much greater degbereee
might use
had theda nfeodexrpenrroce
before.
thheatt,oliietheTattahlal:
attended,whieh they
could fairly
Andhad
would
dn
not s inferenceay could
not
to
he f successeybi
sfeteeube h
de r
ewwo u
but if it were touched, it should be touched
with the
greatest care. The Committee could be so composed as
to produce good results; but he
was against going into
that Committee, with any view that 1t le substantial
foundation of that system should be departed from.
Now, the substantial foundation of that s 'stem was a
when the
common education for all. And, 3
Noble Earl
threw out as a suggestion the possibility of having
separate grants for Protestants and Roman Catholics
and Presbyterians, he trusted he would consider whether
by such grants, he would not cause the common system,
of education to be the exception, and exclusive educa-
tion the rule; and that all the grants of money, and all
the exertions of disinterested men to carry the present
system out, had been wasted. Another reason for their
being cautious was this—he bad mentioned that the
success of the system was owing to the exertions of two
prelates. Unfortunately they had at this moment to de-
plore the loss of one of those distinguished prelates,
who had done honour to the church with which he had
been connected. Much would depend on the choice of
the person who would be his stiec. essn and upon the
state of things which he would
find.ert That,•
he said,, was
an additional reason for not
disturbing the system
which, he held, was at the present moment successful.
The Earl of DE RSA
T said the object was to ;give a
general education. He denied that the present system
education. He
afforded a general ethought it desirable
to have an investigation,
with a view not to separate, but
to unite all classes.
said,
The Earl of RODEN when. this system was
proposed to the house he felt it his duty to oppose
first
that no measure should
it. He thought
by her Me.iestY's Government under a Protestant Con-
stitution that had not for its foundation the teaching of
the Scriptures and the spread of the Bible among the
children who were to be admitted to tho schools. He
had learned since that Roman Catholic children to a
large amount were attending, and were very glad to
attend, schools under scriptural education. He could
not agree with the Noble Marquis that this system of

education in Ireland was successful. He admitted that
the books were good, that some of the schools were
good, but the great majority of the schools did cot
give an united education, and were exclusively
Roman Cetholic. He was certain that the op-
position of the Protestant clergy was from con-
scientious motives. The Noble Earl had stated that an
inquiry might be of use, and that, if it should appear that
grants might be properly made to Church education
schools, it should be so. Ho was glad to hear it. He
believed that no fewer than 10,000 persons had, through
the reading of the Scriptures, been brought out from
the Church of Rome, and this had taken place in the
diocese of Dr. M'Hale, an eminent man, a man of great
talents, and who, he believed, sincerely maintained his
opinions because he had, in accordance with these
opinions, opposed the establishment of these melees!
schools. Throughout his diocese there was not a na-
tional school to be found, and consequently the children
went to the schools were the Scriptures were taught.
Lord MONTEAGLE said he thought the Noble
Earl who had just sat down would enter into the
proposed inquiry on principles entirely opposed to the
system. This, no doubt, was a fitting question te
be the subject of a Parliamentary inquiry ; but
the investigation, in such a case, could only be
with a view to partial amendment, not to complete
alteration; because a system such as the national system
of education in Ireland was not to be lightly dealt with.
But considerable dangers would arise in the event of the
Legislature sanctioning such suggestions as those of the,,
Noble Earl (Earl of Roden). On the very first vote ot.
money for the encouragement of a separate system et
education for the peasantry of Ireland the knell of the
national system would be rung,—(bear, hear.) N°
doubt there were numerous cases in Ireland in which
the Protestant children had been withdrawn from thec
national schools; but in all those cases it would be found
that it was because the Protestant minister had with-
drawn his presence from the school in order to es-
tablish a separate school for the children of his owl;
creed. There was a most serious principle involved
in this demand of separate grants. If the Legis-
lature conceded the demand of the Noble Earl
(Earl of Roden), that the Protestant children bo eau"
cased in exclusively Protestant schools, then, logically'
theyg would be bound to admit that e whole of 91
education of the Roman Catholic children of Ireler
opurigehsttstoorbeirplcnedd._in(tHheearh,anhdesaor.f) the Roman Catholic
consequence of the first concesTsihoins;waonudk,l to 04!
without
wishing to depart from his invariable rule of speaking
with the utmost respect of the Roman Catholic clergy
such men in Ireland, he did not hesitate to say that sileVe
consequence would not tend to the advancement of t""
objects which a wise Legislature should have in viewc;
(Hear, hear.) In conclusion, the Noble Lord moved for
the production of the letter of Mr. Stanley to the Dul
of Leinster (as we understood), explaining the views is
Earl Grey's Government with regard to the @stabil°
went of the national system of education in Ireland.
The Earl of DONOIJGHMORE thought that the OP
tem of common education, it it meant merely the educe'
tion of the children of different creeds in one school, liso,
not succeeded to any great extent in Ireland in effectin
the principal object for which it had been established;s
for he believed that religious rancour was fully es tfehal
this moment in Ireland as it had been in 1832. A l'o-e
and illustrious Duke (Wellington) had once used thee
expression in their Lordships' House that there wer
6,000,000 of Roman Catholics in Ireland, and thate
whether their Lordships liked it or not, there these tail'
lions were. He (Lord Donoughrnore) might suggest an
analogous argument on this occasion. There were 1,6 v,,,
educated gentlemen, Protestant clergymen, in Ireland'
These These rev, gentlemen were conscientiously opposed
the system of national education; and whether tb".
Lordships liked it or not, these individuals would coo"
tinue to be opposed to that system. This was the fact;
and it was absurd to maintain that that system could be
a thoroughly national system which had not obtained
the sanction of persons of such influence and
u
position. He could not perceive the peculiar difficul-
ties which were alleged to he in the way of 11
satisfactory settlement of this controversy. It seemed
to him that the solution of the problem was to be found
in such a now system as would make the patrons of the
several schools the judges of the character of the reli'
gious education which should be given, with the proviso
that the minimum of religious instruction should be the
reading at the stated intervals of the scriptural extracts
decided upon us part of the arrangements of 1832 in re-
ference to the national schools. Certainly such a solo'
tion would be accepted with satisfaction by the large
majority of Irish Protestant clergymen. He was glad
that there would be a Parliamentary Committee on the
whole question, and he was not without hopes that the
advocates of a change would produce such evidence be-
fore the Committee as would be calculated to remove all
further doubts upon the desirability of resorting to 8
new and batter system.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE replied, in a few
brief observations; and after some conversation between
the Noble Marquis, Lord DE Ros, and the Earl of
DONOUGEIMORE, the subject dropped.
The House adjourned at Half-past Seven until to-
morrow (Thursday) afternoon.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 16.
PERFORATED POSTAGE STAMPS.
Mr. MUNTZ'moved for a Select Committee to in-
quire and report upon the areement entered into be-
tween the Commissioners of Inland Revenue end the
_
patentee relative to the construction of the
perforating the sheets of postage labels, and whether i.
would be desirable to carry out the principle for gehera:
use. He said the patentee (Mr. Archer) bad invented
b."
machine for perforating sheets of postage etanePa,Lif,
which great benefit would be produced to the publie•and
had submitted his improvement to the Goverrioe°,thg be
had asked for no remuneration beyond what be taibar et
entitled to in proportion to the advantage derived - °
d the
,o,butthawyhoeffnerthede machine for
his invention. The Commissioners of Stamps an •th'
Commissioners of Inland Revenue were satisfied w!-„
rannorattoh;
the invention,
onlyues t2i°,onool.f,
ianlvluendeticlon to, although the
machine itself cost 1,0001., and the patent 1,1001.. 'vitae
out taking into account the years which Mr. Archer 11..".
devoted to the invention. He thought, teso, that ".
Archer had not, in other respects, been fairly trestru..
He had offered to stamp the whole of the sheets of Fos'
age labels for a certain sum a year. One of the Com-
missioners had taken advantage
of this, and after haviagt.
informed the person who at present held the contract of
Mr. Archer's offer, continued the contract to that pewrsor!
at a reduced rate. Ho hoped the Governmentwould
not oppose the motion.
Mr. GROGAN said he had given notice of the fel'
owing amendment to the motion : —For a Select Commit-
tee to inquire and report upon the present mode of en-.
graving, printing, and gumming the postage label stamps,
and likewise whether and how the perforating machine,
invented by the patentee, could be applied to the Fame
with advantage to the public. He agreed with what the
Hon. Member for Birmingham bad said on the subject,
but as his amendment was an extension and not a con-
tradiction of the motion for inquiry, he hoped it would
be adopted.
The question having been put,
the Hon. Member for Birmingham was, that itas
of
an agreement to exist between the Commissioners
Mr. HAMILTON said the objection to the motion of
when no such agree-
mentlnland Revenue and the patentee,
1847 the
true that
and to the Commis-
patentee presented to the Post-officen
for perforating stamps,
sinners of Inland Revenue.
a P awould be attended with
public; but he stated that
existed. It was quite truthat in
which according to his
ns Jon o the de-
ftrrwoamit with
r. m regard
owtAoTtTha
he would leave the question ofof
stamps.
Li
de-
cision of the Commissioners
tie could not
proposed by the
advantage and saving to !vrewp nompe
a.. t
Hon. Member
consent to the inquiry s
Dublin, he thought° amendment of
the House
the Hon. Member
fed
to institute
ought to adopt it, an the inquiry proposed
forAßilierrmainfgewh ham;
in ito
rdbsu
object in bringing nd Mr. GEscir,
Mr. MUNTZ said as his only
for-
ward the motion was to have the matter investigated,
ho was willing to withdraw it in favour of the amend-
ment, He admitted there was no bona fide agreement,
but the Commissioners of Stamps had acknowledged the
principle that the patentee should be remunerated ac-
cording to the advantage derived by public from
the
his invention.
The original moti •
on having been withdrawn, the
amendment was put and agreed to.
PROPOSED RAILWAY FROM OBAN TO
GLASGOW.
Mr• J. STUART rose to move a resolution as to the
expediency of assistance being afforded by Parliament
and the Government to facilitate the intercourse and
traffic between the Western Highlands and Isles and the
1 southern parts of the kingdom, by the construction of
a railway from the town and harbour of Olean, in Ar-
gyleshire, to Glasgow. The Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man, after having presented a petition from about 300
proprietors, clergymen, and other inhabitants of Inver-
ness-shire, in favour of his resolution, proceeded to say
that a grant of public money had formerly been pro-
posed by the late Chancellor of the Exche-
quer for the relief of the inhabitants of the
Western Highlands and Islands, by facilitating emi-
gration among them. The measure which he had
then to submit to the House was one of a different cha-
racter, but was framed for a similar purpose. It wall
well known that the benevolent project of the late Go-
vernment had failed from peculiar circumstances. His
(Mr. Stuart',) object was to direct the attention of the
House to certain facts which would show, as he believed,
that a grant of public money might be made for the
construction of a railway between the port of Oban, in
Argyleshire, and Glasgow, without any ultimate loss to
the national revenue and with great benefit to the in-
habitants of a district placed at present under very pe-
culiar disadvantages. Such a railway would open up a
communication between the remote and secluded Western
Highlands and Islands and the great lines of communi-
cation throughout the kingdom. It would supersede
the long and dangerous navigation by which the traffic
of that district was at present conducted; and that

traffic, he should remind. the [louse was of an ex-
tensive character. The Chambix of Commerce of

Glasgow, whose members must have been Per"

fectly accputinted with the whole subject, had memo-
rialised the late Chancellor of the Exchequer in favour
of the project, and had expressed their belief that
it would ho difficult to conceive how the public
money could be more legitimately or usefully employed
than in aiding in the construction of such a work. Tbe
condition of the inhabitants of that district was at pre-
sent most deplorable in consequence of the want of that
system of communication. Such an application of tho
public funds had been sanctioned by some of the wisest
of English statesmen a century ego, when roads had
been constructed in the Highlands under the direction
of General Wade. In the year 1847 the late Lord 0•
Botitinek had brought before the House a prop for
an advance of public money for the construction of an.
extensive system of railway communication in Irehin:l:
..c
and, although that project had been rejected the Go" 0.
went by whom it had teen opposed had themselves ou