The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-31 00:00:00

THE RESEARCII.

Sir F. SMITH asked the Secretary to the Admiralty
whether he had received from the naval Commander-
in-Chief at Devonport any official report of the
damage done to the Research in the late experiment ; and,
if 60, whether he had any objection to lay it upon the table
of the house ; and, if he had not received such report, was
it their intention to call for it ?

Lord C. PAGET said that from the returns ho had re••
ceived it appeared the damage which the vessel sustained
would cost the public £l9 in labour and £5 in material.
Sir If. SMITH said that on Thursday next he would
move that the returns in question should be laid on the
table.

Lord C. PAGET—I have no objection to do se.
SILVER COIN.

Mr. BRINES asked the Secretary to the Treasury,
whether the Mint wore taking any pleasures to remedy the
present deficiency in the supply of silver coin ?
Mr, PEEL replied in the affirmative.
THE RUSSO-AMERICAN LINE OF TELEGRAPH
vrx BEHRING STRAITS.

Mr. WATKINS asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies if any application had been made to her Majesty's
Government, or to the local authorities, by or on behalf or
Mr. Collins, the Concessionaire of the Russo• American
Line of Telegraph, intended to pass via Behring Straits,
for permission to carry a portion of such line through Bri-
tish Columbia—and, if so, whether such permission had
been, or was proposed to be, given?
Mr. CARDWELL said that such application had been
made and permission for the construction of the work in
question had been given on terms that were determined.
THE LOWER PROVINCES OF NORTH AMERICA.
Mr, HOPWOOD asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, if a union of the three Lower Provinces of North
America, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Ed-
ward's Island was in contemplation; and, if so, what
was to be the nature of that union, federal or legislative.
Also, what steps, if any, had been taken by these provinces
towards the union, and it they had received the approval of
her Majesty's Government.
Mr. CARD WELL said that the three colonies had
agreed to appoint delegates to consider the expediency of
bringing the three provinces under one government.
EX-GOVERNORS OF COLONIES,
Sir W. JOLLIFFE asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, when the memorials and correspondence of the
ex-governors of the colonies on the question of their super-
annuation, and rewards for services, moved for by the hon.
member for Honiton, were likely to be in the hands of the
members of this house.

Mr. CA.RDIVELL said ha hoptA the papers relative to
the matter would shortly be in the hands of members, but
he believed that their contents were familiar to them all.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY AT BURLINGTON

HOUSE.
Mr F. S. POWELL asked the First Commissioner of
Works whether he intended to afford the house an interval,
and, if so, what interval for deliberation after making his
statement relative to the Government proposal for erection
of the National Gallery at Burlington House before asking
the house to vote money for that purpose.
Mr. CO WPE R, said that personally he would wish to
meet the views of the hon. member without infringing the
rules of the house, which prohibited any discussion on a
vote in supply until that vote was proposed. He had no
wish to avoid giving the fullest information in committee
of supply. In order that an opportunity might be afforded
for ample discussion of the vote it would Atot be taken to-
night, but on the next evening, when it could come on first.
THE GAOLS LILL.
In reply to Mr. NEWDEGATE,
Sir G. GREY said that he proposed to pr=od with this
bill as quickly as possible as the other house was desirous
that it should be sent up to them for consideration as soon
as possible.

THE STEAM RAMS.
Mr HODGKIN SON—In reference to Mr Solicitor. Gene-
al's statement in the Court of Exchequer on Thursday last,
that the case of the Attorney-General v. Laird, and others,
rela.ive to the seizure of the Confederate rams, had been
arranged, asked Mr Attorney-General whether ;the
arrangement alluded to involved the purchase of
those vessels; and, if so, whether only at their fair value or
at some higher price; whether the inducement to the Crown
to make such arrangement was a doubt as to the construc-
t' Lion and application of the provisions ortberFiourgeivgenssEelns;
- listrnent Act with regard to equipping and arming
whether it was part of the terms (4f arrangement that the
alleged misdemeanour under the seventh section of the
.1
Foreign Enlistment Act should be condoned by the
Crown, and that no claim for compensation for the
to., seizure should be made by the defendants ; and,
whether any legislation would be proposed in order to
obviate in future the doubts and difficulties attending the
construction and enforcing of the Foreign Enlistment
Act, and thus prevent the arrangement of the recent case
operating as a premium to ship builders to speculate on
building vessels of war for belligerents.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the house
was probably aware that in the month of September
just pror to the seizure of the vessels named, persons who
• ores,rited them-e;ves as their ownitrs, made overtures to
th- Government for their purchiset which were refused,
bet these were rejected on 'be gt.c.und that the amount

asked exceeded their .1121. The Gore: .meat, acting on
the information recei (I from the Ad iralty, agreed to
purchase the vessels at much larger ce than was asked,
the understanding bein: that there wa • no admission made
by alleged owners of an misdemeanour, or any admission
on the part of the Governs. ent that such misdemeanour had
not been committed. The C :had not acted upon
a belief that their case would ced, but from a desire
to terminate the controversy L,..tive to a very im-
portant subject, the continuance of which might
'be attended with very injurious consequences.
There was no condonation of the misdemeanour by the
Crown, and under the terms of the arrangement it
was quite impossible that there could be any clause for
compensation. With regard to the last question, he h0p,..1
it would not be found necessary to introducs any newl GO-
lation on this subject, but that parties would be influenced
by what had already occurred, and Government would
act up to what they considered was the law in reference to
this matter. In reply to some other question, the right
hon. and learned gentleman said that the amount on the
present value of the vessels was £195,000 and that £25,000
would be required for their completion. £300,000 had been
asked for them.
THE REVIEW IN HYDE-PARK.
In reply to Major KNox,

Sir G. OBEY said that the arrangements on Saturday
were made after communications with Sir Richard Mayne,
and due deliberation on the means best adapted to provide
for the convenience of the public, and the result was that
there was no obstacle or impediment throughout the pro-
ceedings.
Mr PAULL asked some information as to the arrange-
ments that had been made.

Mr CO WPER said that 4,000 tickets had been given to
the commanding officer a of the volunteers for distribution
amongst their respective corps. He observed that the con-
duct of the male spectators towards the ladies was most un-
gallant in preventing their seeing the movements of the
volunteer corps.

DUTIES ON SPIRITS.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,

Mr. WHITESIDE moved the following resolution :
That, in the opinion of this house, it is expedient that the
existing duties on spirits should be reduced. He referred
to the views and opinions which had been expressed by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer with regard to the duties upon
spirits; to the course of legislation, in pursuance of his
financial policy, on the subject of those duties, and to its
unfortunate fiscal and moral results, especially in the
stimulus given to illicit distillation, which, as he showed,
had largely increased iu Ireland, with its inseparable com-
panion, crime, attributable solely to the present high duty.
The last increase had, he said, led to extensive and poison.
ous adulteration, and, as his last experiment had failed, he
urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to retrace his steps.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, after a
general reply to the observations of Mr Whiteside, remarked
that the question did not apply to Ireland alone, but to the
three kingdoms, and that the policy which guided the Go-
vernment in relation to the duty on spirits was the reverse
of that which they were bound to keep in view with regard
to other branches of trade ; they had had to look, not to the
expansion of the trede, but how to raise from the smallest
area of consumption the largest amount of duty. The pro-
posed reduction of the duty on spirits from 10s to 8s would
not, in his opinion, replace, by the increase of consumption
or by the reduction of elicit distillation, the loss of duty;
nor would it be justifiable to legislate with the view of aug-
menting the consumption of ardent spirits. He disputed
the inferences drawn by Mr Whiteside from his facts re-
garding the increase of illicit distillation in Ireland, Accord-
ing to all the evidence, though there might have been an
occasionai increase, it had never been so great under the
present as under the low duty.

Sir S. NORTHCOTE said that, although the Chancellor
of the Exchequer had been disappointed in the results of
his experiments, be did not think Parliament should at
once pronounce against it and reverse its policy. He thought
it would be better to wait till this subject had come before
the committee now sitting on Irish taxation.

After some remarks by Lord C, Hamilton, Mr Mengel],
and Lord Naas, the resolution was withdrawn.
MK HOME AND THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT.
Mr ROEBUCK wanted to ask a question of the Under
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and it was one to
which he begged the attention of the noble lord at the head
of the Government also. It referred to the treatment of an
English subject abroad. This gentleman, Mr Home, had
a power, he believed, of bringing spirits to his call. (A
laugh.) He was what was styled a Spiritualist ; but that
had nothing to do with it, for Mr Home waa, he believed, a
man of good behaviour. Well, this gentleman went to the
Papal States, and did not controvert any of the regulations
of the Roman Government. He had gone to Rome to cul-
tivate one of the fine arts, and in order to carry out that
design he took a studio and incurred considerable expense.
Some time after his arrival he received a notice desiring him
to call on .Signor Matteucci, the Minister of Police. Ha
went to Signor Metteucci's office, and the Minister asked
him his age, and on his stating it Signor Metteucci expressed
his opinion that Mr Home was eight or nine years older
than he stated himself to be, to which opinion the gentle-
man himself demurred. The controversy went on, and
Signor Metteucci said " You have published a book in
France anti England stating that certain spirits wait upon
you ?" " Well," said Mr Home, "I have done that,"
"Then," said Signor Metteucci, " will you undertake that
no spirits will come to you while you are in Rome ?" (A
laugh.) Mr Home replied "No, I cant do that; the spirits
come to me of their own accord ; they dont come when I
call them, and I cant answer for the spirits—(laughter)—
but I will answer for this, that I will hold no sean4e—l
will do nothing to solicit their coming to me—l will do
nothing contrary to the law of the city of Rome." There-
upon Signor Mettaucci gave him to understand that he
should not bo interrupted in his stay. Some time after-
wards the person second in command of the police of Rome
sent for Mr Home, who went to his office and found no one
there. After his return home he received a peremp-
tory message to wait upon this second Minister of
Police, and on presenting himself the following day
that functionary said to him, "You were not here yester-
day." Mr. Home replied, " I was, and I have a consul to
prove it," The other then observed, " I don't care whether
you were here or not, you must ga out of Rome in 40 hours,"
I hat was the whole story. (An ironical " hear" from one
or two hon. members.) Well, "hear." (A. laugh.) He
had heard the noble lord at the head of the Government
talk about Citis Roinames sum on one occasion. He now
wished for a very much stronger application of the term.
Mr. Home was an English citizen, and wherever he was
the wsis of England should protect him against any in-
fringement upon his liberty which the law did not allow.
Hear.) He wanted to know whether the noble lord at the
head of the Government would allow any English citizen to
be treated in the manner Mr. Home had been—whether he
would not protect an Englishman wherever ho wandered
with the name of an Eagiish citizen. He wanted to ask the
Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whom he now
perceived in close consultation with the noble lord, whether
he would not protect this gentleman against the proceedings
of the Papal Government. God knew that he had no feel-
ing about the Papal Government; and as for the old gen-
tleman at the head of that Government, ha had a high re-
spect for him, and hoped he might live many years in the
enjoyment of his high position. And as for Mr Home, in
the presence of the right hon. gentleman the President of
the Board of Trade (Nlr. M. Gibson), he must say that he
regarded this spirit-caliing as an hallucination. (Laughter,
and hear, hear.) He had no feeling on the subject of that
wonderful power, except one ot, he might say, contempt for
the whole thing—(renewed laughter, and hear) ; but Mr.
Home being an English citizen, he was anxious that this
country should protect him as long as he did not disobey
the law. That gentleman, at forty-eight hours' notice,
was put into a railway carriage and ignominiously ex-
pelled out of the Roman States; and when Lord Russell
was asked what he would do, he said, " I will do nothing."
(Laughter.) It might be said that Mr. Home went into
the Roman States knowing that the Pope was all-powerful
and despotic;
but—he knew he was going on a violent
hypothesis....jf
an English merchant went to Russia,
and the Emperor said, "Cut off that English merchant'd
head," would England stand it ? (A. laugh, and hear, hear.)
glleentalpempeaaled to then,andhe 11a3eogb1;o
begged
atoskpwrohteectthethr isanuynthfoinrtgunhaatde
been done by her M,jesty.a Government to procure him
redress.

Mr. LAYARD much regretted that Mr. Home had put
himself in the position which led the Roman Government
to call on him to leave Rome. 1%. Home appeared to have
infringed the _Roman laws. (No.) Well, the Roman Go•
vernment said that the intercourse he had, or believed he
had, with certain spirits of the other world was against their
law—(a laugh)—and they required him in consequence to
leave Rome. Without saying fora moment whether Mr.
Home had or had not communication with these spirits and
without attempting to justify the Roman law or palliate the
conduct of the Roman authorities, yet the Roman law was
as he had described ; and when a gentleman was in a coun-
try it was his duty to conform to its laws—or, if he did not
so conform, the Government had a right to remove him
should it think fit. Under our own Alien Act when a
foreigner had violated our law we could remove him. «e
could not force another Government to retain a British
subject in their territory who violated their laws. When
Mr. Home was first called upon by the Roman Government
to give certain explanations regarding a certain work that
he had. published and a certain intercourse which ho was
supposed by them to have with by no moans a good spirit,
but a spirit quite c4ntrary—(s laugh)—offici, communi-
cation on his behalf was made to the Roman authorities,
but they were determined upon the matter. They thought
it Altogether wrong that a person with such mysterious
nisi tants should make Rome his dwelling-place, and cora-
pelle cl him to depart in order to stop all intercourse there
with the evil one. (A laugh.) He did not say that that
was not foolish, bat such was the law of Rome —and the
house would see,tkat it was not a question of their protect-
ing a British sitt. Mr. Home had not been confined or
his property con cated—all that had been done to him was
that he was made to quit Rome within a ceitain time. That,
no doubt, had caused him inconvenience, as he had spent
,some money upon a studio,
and had desired to follow his
profession as a sculptor at Rome. Her Majesty's Govern-
went tied mride such remonstrances in the case as its na ure
permitted, 14-it these remonstrances were unavailing, and
he was re.hcy could du nothing to compel the Rowan

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