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

instructions were sent to Lord Lyons to ask for such re-
dress as we were entitled to from the American Govern-
ment : but before the receipt of any instructions Lord
Lyons had communicated with Mr. Seward, t.o. on the
30th of January, ordered an inquiry to be ra rde into what
had taken plaoe. The last information receiTed was that
that investigation was going on. With retard to the second
question, the hon. gentleman was slightly in error as to
what Earl Russell promised to give the other night. He
promised that a certain list of claims should be hid upon
the table of the house. There was no objection on the part
of the Government to give a list of all the claims ; but they
were naturally anxious not to do anything which might in-
terfere with the interests of any persons who had claims
against the Government of the United States. Of course,
the papers laid before the other house would be laid before
this house also.

BANK ACTS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Sir E, COLEBROOK asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether he intended to proceed with the second
reading of the Bank Acts (Scotland) B:11 this evening.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied in
thee affirmative; but there would be a committee on the
bill, when a further discussion might take place.

EXPLANATION.
Mr. AYTOUN was understood to offer an explanation
to the house with regard to an expression ho had made use
of in the discussion on Kagosima. With reference to tho
conduct of Mr. Moss, he had used the word "crime," but
he had received a letter from that gentleman stating that
in the course of the affair spoken of, the gun had been dis-
charged by accident, and not by order. Ho therefore re-
gretted having used the word "crime," which was not a
suitable word under the circumstances.
THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS.
Mr. FERRAND hoped he might be allowed to move the
adjournment of the house, in order to defend himself against
the attack which had been made upon him by the right
hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Lowe). What he (Mr, Fer-
rand) said was that the right hon. gentleman had told a
member of the house that he (Mr. Ferrand) had been right
in opposing the proceedings of the Charity Commissioners
in his own neighbourhood ; that the commissioners were
wrong; and that the Government wale about to introduce
a bill to put a stop to the fraud of which he complained.
Having made this statement, he begged to withdraw the
motion. (Laughter.)
THE DANISH PAPERS,

Lord J. MANNERS asked when it was probable that
the Danish papers would be presented ?
Mr. LAYARD said not a moment's time was being lost.
He believed the papers would run to between 600 or 700
folio pages, but he would do his best to get them out as soon
as possible.
Lord J.MANNERS reminded the hon. gentleaaan of his
promise to give the papers by instalments. (A laugh.)
WEST RIDING ASSIZES.

On the order of the day for going into committee o:
supply.
Sir J, HAY moved that an honourable address be pre-
sented to her Majesty, representing to her Majesty the town
of Wakefield, the capital of the West Riding of Yorkshire,
as the place suggested by a large majority of the magis-
trates of the West Riding as the best for holding an assize ;
that Wakefield, containing as it does the West Riding
Prison, the head-quarters of the West Riding Constabulary,
the West Riding register-office, and the West Riding pro-
bate-office, is also geographically the central town of the
West Riding, and possesses every convenience in courts,
railway communication, and hotel accommodation for the
purpose; and praying that her majesty will be graciously
pleased to nominate the town of Wakefield as the assize
town for the West Riding of Yorkshire. The hon. and
gallant member, in support of his motion, stated that 191
magistrates of the West Riding expressed an opinion that
Wakefield should bo the assize town, whereas only 59 were
in favour of Leeds.
Mr. LEATHAM seconded the motion, and in a very
humorous speech pointed out the great superiority of
Wakefield to Leeds, both as regarded population and the
convenience of the bar and the bench.
Sir G. GREY, having complimented the hon. member
who had just sat down on having made a very amusing
and a very talented speech, proceeded to quote the sec-
tions of the Act of Parliament under which the order in
council had been made. Ho stated that the Lard Chan-
cellor, Lord Wensleydale,' Lord Cranworth, and Earl De
Grey and Ripon. wore members of the committee to
whom the decision of the question had been relegated;
and that ho himself had invariably replied to applications
and memorials from every quarter that hit, could not form
any opinion until the whole case was before him. The
committee, too, considered the subject carefully, and had
come to the conclusion, having regard to no private in-
terests and no reference to political feeling, but guided by
the objects of the cheep, speedy, and effective administration
of justice, that Leeds had the preferable claim, and that it
would be most conducive to those objects that the assizes
should be held at Leeds.
Mr. BEECROFT supported the claims of Leeds on the
grounds of its large population, great amount of assize
business, and on account of the hotel accommodation and
railway facilities afforded in that town.
Sir G. GREY begged to correct an omission, and to state
that neither Lord Wensleydale nor the Secretary of State
for India attended the Council; but they had sent in their
written opinions to the chairman.
Mr. _ROEBUCK said the Privy Council had determined
and said that the assizes should be removed from York to
the West Riding, and also that they would recommend to
her Majesty's Government that Leeds should be the town.
Parliament had said that the Privy Council was the best to
decide on that matter ; and the house having passed an Act
of Parliament giving that power to the Privy Council, he
wanted now to ask the house why they interfered with the
decision of the Privy Council. (Hoar, hear.)
Colonel SMYTH was of opinion that the assizes ought
not to be removed from York ; but if there was to bo a
change, he would say that Wakefield was the most fitting
place.
_ _

Mr. BAINES deprecated any interference by the House
of Commons in a question which had been settled by the
authority to which it had been delegated by ,Parliament
itself. The Privy Council had considered the matter by
the aid of all the lights it could obtain, and by the aid of
the most important tribunal that could be devised, and the
consequence of attempting to appeal from that decision
would be endless confusion. The intention of the old law
was that the assize should be held in the most important
town of the county. That principle had been followed out
in recent times—such, for example, as in the case of
Lancashire, in which the assizes had been moved from
Lancaster, first to Liverpool, and then to Manchester,
Now, Wakefield could not bo considered the chief town
of the West Riding, for, as compared with Leeds, it was but
a fourth or fifth rate town. The hon. member impugned the
figures which had been quoted to show that Wakefield was
more eligibly situated as regarded the population in the
registration district of llalifax, and his belief that there was
not a shadow of reason for attempting to disturb the deci-
sion of the Privy Council.
Sir J. PAKI?GTON had been a member of the Royal
commission in 1857 to consider the question. They had
come to an unanimous decision against transferring the
West Riding assizes to the town of Leeds, the majority
being in favour of retaining the assizes at York. At the
same time a minority had come to the opinion that a case
had been made out for the West Riding having a separate
assize, and it was his firm belief that, if the question had
been between Leeds and Wakefield, the commission would
have decided in favour of the latter. For that reason he
should, if the question went to a division, vote for the
amendment of the hon. member for Wakefield.
Mr. lIADFIELD said that at an influential meeting held
in Sheffield it had been decided that Leeds ought to bo the
assize town for the West Riding; but at the same time they
had an intention ultimately to ask for a division, which
would make Sheffield also an assize town.
The house then divided—
For the original motion
For the amendment
Majority
Sir J. D. Hay's motion was therefore lost.
THE LAW OF SETTLEMENT.

On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair being
put, - _

. •
Mr. WARNER, who had a motion on the paper calling
attention to the operation of the law of settlement on the
condition of the working classes, said that ho had, since
giving notice, had an opportunity to some extent of ex-
plaining his opinions to the house. lie had also ascer-
tained that those feelings ware gaining ground, for the
President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Milner Gibson) had
publicly declared his opinion that the question of union
rating was only a question of time, and that the law of
settlement must go when they came to union rating. Ile
(Mr. Warner) was satisfied with that declaration, and
thought he should best serve the cause in which he was in-
terested by leaving the subject to be discussed by the com-
mittee on the poor laws, which he understood would be
reappointed. Ho begged therefore to withdraw his motion.
GENERAL GOUGII.