The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 17, 1864.

£l2 17s 4d. In 1859, when he was presented at court—
(laughter)—the expenses were £7l 13s 7d. He did not know
whether his court dress had coat him more than he expected
—(laughter)---but he had made an extraordinary spring. In
the following year it dropped to £l2 lls £2,400 a year was
wrung from the poor tax payers of this country by a Chan-
miler of Exchequer who said it made his heart bleed when
he was asked for 5d per day to pay the warrant officers of
the Royal Navy. (Hear, hear.) He would now give the
house some idea of the working of the board. In 1837 he
complained to the board that something was wrong in his
district: Mr Martin went down and held a court next day,
and nothing could be more fair, more proper, and he would
add more able than was the conduct of that inquiry. He
(Mr Ferrand) went home, and during the evening he re-
ceived information that Mr Martin had been got at by the
Whigs, (Laughter.) Mr Martin had acted so fairly that he
could not believe it. His informant, however, told him that
he had better get his solicitor. The next morning Mr Martin
went down to the court and conducted himself in a most
overbearing and violent manner. He positively refused evi-
dence. He went away from that meeting up to London, but
he did not send in a report. He (Mr Ferrand) wrote repeated
letters to the Charity Commissioners, but never received an
answer. He wrote again, informing them of the manner in
which the public money was being dealt with by one of the
charity trustees. The man died, and he wrote again to re-
mind the commissioners that the man had not paid the
money which was due to the charity. They never even an-
swered his letter. Again he wrote, and told the Charity
Commissioners they had treated him in a most offensive
manner by passing over his communications in silence, and
adding that if they did not acknowledge the receipt of his
letter he should send a copy to the right hon. gentleman the
Secretary of State for the Home Department. The house
should hear the reply: " I am to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 15th inet." That was the reply he got.
He came up and saw the right hon. gentleman the member
for Leeds, and asked him to move for the charity correspond-
ence of Bingle. The right hon. gentleman went and asked for
the papers, and of course it was said he should have them.
But he believed the right hon. member for Calne consulted
with the Secretary of the Home Department, and the result
was that the papers were not allowed. In conclusion, the
hen, member said that he had taken up the question, from
no other mctive than to protect the charities of England
from robbery and plunder, and to show the scandalous way
the duty of a public board, costing the country 518,250 a
3 ear, was neglected; and appealed to both sides of the house
to support him, if the Government obliged him to go to a
division.
Mr MORRISON condemned the speech of Mr Ferrand
as a spiteful personal attack upon the private character of
the commissioners, and declined to follow that bon. gentle-
man into the lobby upon such evidence as he had adduced.
Mr F. POWELL, speaking as one of the trustees of a
local charity, the administration of which had been cen-
sured by Mr Ferrand, entered his emphatic protest against
the hon. member's accusations. He hoped, however, that
the house would grant inquiry, and that hereafter the
charity commissioners would treat trustees with courtesy,
generosity, and confidence, for without that it was impos-
sible that charities could prosper.
Mr H. BRUCE said the tone and language adopted by
Mr Ferrand were such that Government could not accede
to his motion. Had that gentleman pursued a different
course he should have met the proposal with saying that
the subject deserved attention, but at this period of the
session it was too late to commence the inquiry, though
they would be happy to give an assurance that what the
committee asked for would be granted at the opening of
next session. Bat the speech had not been directed to the
merits of the question whether the powers entrusted to the
commissioners had been exercised for the public good ;
from first to last it was a personal attack upon the members
of the board. The characters of the commissioners, how-
ever, were toe well known to need any defence at his hands.
They were men of acknowledged ability, integrity, and
industry. The right hon. gentleman also denied the charges
of extravagance, mal-administration, and secresy, and con-
cluded by saying that inquiry would only redound to their
honour, and lead to an extension of the powers so advan-
tageously given to them, and he should have been too glad
to have consented to the motion had it been made with
common decency or delicacy.
Mr M. SMITH said that, knowing the commissioners
whose conduct had been so fiercely assailed, he felt it to be
his duty to declare that he believed the charges brought
against them by Mr. Ferrand were utterly unfounded, He
also spoke from personal knowledge when he asserted that
they had conducted their business in an admirable manner.
Mr OSBORNE was of opinion that the inquiry ought
to be granted, for if the charges alleged by Mr Ferrand
were proved to be unfounded, they must rebound upon his
own head, and the hon. member would never again be able
to bring forward another accusation in the house.
Mr ADDERLEY believed that more able and useful
public servants than the charity commissioners did not
exist. At the same time an accusation had been made, and
it ought to be inquired into. That accusation was that they
had appointed unfit inspectors; and he thought the Go-
verni.ent did ill to shirk an inquiry into a matter of that
sort, or seek to rebut it by taking exception to the tone,
temper, and manner of the mover.
Mr LOWE had been an unpaid charity commissioner for
five years, and bore his earnest testimony in favour of the
members of the board and of those who served under them.
After some observations from Mr J. A. SMITH and Mr
MALINS, both of whom opposed the motion,
Lord GALWAY said that one question at least required
investigation, and that was the law expenses. He should,
therefore, support the proposal for a committtee.
On a division the motion of Mr Ferrand was negatived
by 116 to 40.
The house then went into committee of supply on the
miscellaneous estimates.
On the vote of £166,500 for consular establishments
abroad,
In reply to Mr WILLIAMS and Mr A. SMITH,
Mr LAYARD claimed considerable credit for the Foreign
Office, for the reductions that had been made in consular
expenditure.
Mr AYRTON, referring to consular establishments in
America, thought it was extremely desirable that the con-
suls at Richmond, Charleston, and other towns in the
Southern States accredited to the Government of the United
States should have remained there, and should have been
accredited to the Government of President Davis. Lord
Lyons had entertained a similar desire; but nevertheless
the Foreign Office had gone out of its way to disclaim the
Confederate States, and President Davis was obliged to re-
quest the consuls to leave. He trusted this step would be
reconsidered, and that her Majesty's subjects in the Confe-
derate States would receive the protection they required.
The principal duty of the consul at Rome was to render
services to British travellers; so he did not see why they
should object to paying small fees towards his support. His
experience of consuls abroad was, that they rather encou-
raged the police to insist on visas. There was a sort of con-
cert between the consuls and the police to get money out of
travellers. He saw that the salaries of consuls to the Con-
iederate States were taken in the estimate, though there
were no such consuls. He would like to know whether
that course was to be continued in case the consuls were not
reappointed.
Mr LAYARD characterised the charge against the con-
sul of conspiring with the police as most unjustifiable, and
repudiated the accusation. The hon. member was bound,
on making such an accusation, to tell him (Mr Layard)
against whom accusation was levelled, that he might make
inquiries and satisfy himself of what he was well assured,
that such accusation was entirely without foundation. In
regard to the consuls to the Confederate States, the British
Government had been compelled to remove them on account
of their interfering to protect British commerce, and to pre-
vent British subjects being forced into the Confederate
army. No agreement had been made for reappointing them;
but, as those gentlemen had been removed for no fault of
their own, it would be unfair not to continue their salaries
until reappointed.

1 Sir G, BOWYER', said the burst of red. tape indignation
to which the house had listened was really enough to take
away one's breath—(" hear, hear," and laughter)—and
illustrated the saying that there was only a step from the
sublime to the ridiculous. As to the Consul at Rome, what
use was he? He was not there for the purpose of trade, be-
cause we haue no trade with Rome, and Rome was not a
manufacturing or commercial city. (Laughter.) The fact
was that the duty of the British Consul at Rome was to
foment discontent among the few persons who were still
discontented with the Remish Government. (Laughter.)
He said this advisedly, because the people of Rome began
to find that they were paying rather less than one-tenth of
the taxes paid by the population around them, while those
who had placed themselves under the King of Sardinia—
(laughter)—bitterly regretted what they had done.
(" Question I") The Consul at Rome was perfectly un-
necessary; the sooner he was suppressed the better ; and
the British political agent there might go along:with him.
(Laughter.)
Mr WHALLEY entertained the same opinion.
Mr D. SEYMOUR did not think the convenience of
British travellers a sufficient reason for keeping up a consul
at Rome, and therefore moved the reduction of the vote by
£lOO, being the amount of his salary.
Mr H. LEWIS said that the consul at Civita Vecchia
could do all the business; with reference to passports, and
that
he ought to be supported by travellers.
hit NEWDEGATE thought that the House should not
recede from the position it had come to to maintain a consul
at Rome for the sake of the commercial relations between
Rome and England.
Mr WHITESIDE wished to knsw whether a consul was
to be appointed at Rome according to the view taken by the
Under Secretary for Foreign Afitirs, as to the inferiority
or superiority of the Roman Government.
Sir O. BOWYER begged leave to remind the noble lord
at the head of the Government of the injunction—" Cave
consul ne quid respublica detremente capiat." (Cheers and
laughter.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that Rome was a great Euro-
pean capital, in which there was a large number of British
residents; and though it was impracticable to have diplo-
matic relations with the Papal Government, yet it was
necessary to have some recognised British authority who
could officially communicate with the Government of the I
place.

Sir G. BOWYER said the noble viscount at the head of
he Govtranaent was technically correct in saying that the

British Consul at Rome was necessary because we had no
diplomatic relations with that Court, but substantially he
was in error. Mr Odo Russell lived at Rome, had audiences
with the Pope, and was in communication with Cardinal
Antonelli and other authorities. If a Consul was necessary
for the protection of British subjects, of what use was Mr.
Odo Russell ? (Hear.) Was that gentleman retained at
Rome to make political capital—to write despatches of which
the Government at home could make political capital in
that or the other House of Parliament? (Hear.) Either
Mr. Odo Russell or a Consul was unnecessary at Rome.
Captain JERVIS wished to know why a consul was re-
quired at Rome, as well as Mr Odo Russell. He should
like to be informed what were the duties and what was the
salary of Mr. Odo Russell.
After some conversation,

Mr. LAYARD said a committee had enquired into the
consular system, and had reported in favour of it. The
committee were perfectly aware what salary was received
by Mr Odo Russell. (No, no.) Well, if they were not
he could not tell them. (Laughter.) Mr Russell is not
accredited to the Court of Rome and he is quite distinct from
the consul.

After some further discussion the vote was agreed to.
The next vote proposed was the sum of £166,503 for
consular establishments abroad.

Mr CLAY asked for some explanation with regard to
certain fees included its the vote.

Mr LAYARD hoped that the vote would be agreed to,
as he believed it was entirely for consuls, and that it did
not include any fees to the Russia Company.
Mr H. SEYMOUR moved that the chairman report
progress.

The committee divided
For reporting progress
Against it lll
Majority
Mr D. GRIFFITH then proceeded to denounce the
payment of fees to our consuls abroad, and demanded of the
Government that the practice should be discontinued.
Lord PALMERSTON said it was no doubt a matter
fairly open for consideration, whether those fees, which
were in reality mere notarial fees, ought not to be abolished.
He himself was in favour of their being retained, but other
gentlemen might hold a different opinion.
Sir M, FARQUHAR saw no objection to the payment
of a small fee by British subjects abroad.
The vote was then agreed to, and the House resumed.
PUBLIC AND REFRESHMENT HOUSES
(METROPOLIS) BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The House adjourned at a quarter to two o'clock.

Naval and Military Intelligence,

----_t-.

The Wellesley, 72, Capt. W. H. Stewart, C.P.,
flagship at Chatham, which took part in the naval
and military operations before the Prince of Wales
last, was towed up the harbour to her
opposite the ordnanee wharf yes-
terday.
moorings Saturday
The Irresistible, screw line-of-battle coastguard
ship, Capt. J. B. Dickson, ran through Spithead cn
Wednesday from Southampton Water, and an-
chored for the night in St. Helen's Roads. Yester-
day morning she weighed and proceeded on a
cruise in the Channel.
The Sharpshooter, 6, screw iron sloop, of 503
tons and 202 horse power, will be tried at the Mea-
sured mile near Portsmouth to-day, on the comple-
tion of her repairs and refit. A. special trial will
also be made of the patent bow rudder with which
she is fitted, and which was invented and patented
by Commander F. Warren, R.N.
At four p.m. yesterday a screw two-decker was
off Ventnor, passing to the eastward under her
three topsails and foretopmast staysail.
The detachments of nen-commissioned officers
and men of the Royal Engiceers selected from the
depot and other companies at head-quarters,
Chatham, to augment the companies employed on
the Ordnance survey of Great Britain, have re-
ceived orders to leave head-quarters to-morrow for
the respective companies to which they will be at-
tached—viz., the 13th, 14th, 16th, and 19th. The
whole of the volunteers have gone through a prac-
tical course of topography, military engineering,
and surveying, and are in every respect well qua-
lified for the responsible duties on which they will
be employed. The detachments will be inspected
at head-quarters this morning.
A court martial was held yesterday on board her
Majesty's ship Formidable, fag-ship of Vice-Admi-
ral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief
of Sheerness, on Mr. John Swanson, first-class
assisteengineer, additional, to her Majesty's ship
Trafalgar, 72, screw steam Coastguard ship,
Queensferry, North Britain, Capt. Charles F.
Schomberg- The court consisted of Capt. John
Futford, of the Formidable, flag-ship, president ;
Capt. James N. Strange, of her Majesty's ship
Dauntless, 31; Capt. the Hon. George D. Keane,
of the Naval Barracks, Sheerness; Commander
Richard Studdert, of her Majesty's ship Wellesley,
72; and Commander Arthur Barrow, of the Cum-
berland, 24, guardship of Steam Reserve, Sheers
nese ; Capt. Charles F. Schoenberg prosecuted,
and Mr. G. H. Knight, of the firm of Messrs.
Essell, Knight, and Arnold, Rochester, Deputy-
Judge-Advocate, conducted the case. The
charge against the prisoner was that he
while on board her Majesty's gunboat Mistle-
toe did, on or about the 26th of May, 1864,
negligently perform his duty by allowing the water
in the boilers of the gunboat to get .low, whereby a
serious injury was caused to them. Evidence was
given by Lieut. Alfred F. Maresceux, lieutenant in
command of the Miseltoe, and by Mr. T. Baldwin,
engineer of the ship, to the effect that during the
passage of the Miseltoe from Queensferry to Gran-
ton the water was so much reduced in the midship
boiler that the plates became heated, and the crown
of the firebox consequently came down from 4in.
to 6in. in the centre, and gradually diminished to-
wards the end for about 3ft. 6in. in length. It
appeared from the evidence that the boiler,
owing to the muddy state of the water,
had been priming very much, and that in
the short space of five minutes from the time at
which the steam water guages were properly run
up the water went suddenly out of the water guages,
and that the prisoner instead of himself taking
the necessary means to remedy the deficiency by
putting out the fire, informed his superior officer of
the danger. The superior officer immediately gave
the order for the safety valve to be opened, the fires
to be drawn, and the atop valve to be shut. The
prisoner read his defence, in which he stated that
the boilers had on several occasions acted in a aome-
what similar manner, but had righted themselves
again, and he imagined that they would have done
so on this occasion. He was not aware that the
danger was so great as it really was. He then pat
in certificates from the captains of six vessels in
which he had served. All of them spoke of him as
a brave, steady, and efficient officer. He then called
as witnesses Capt. Schomberg and Lieut. Mares-
ceaux. They deposed that he had always per-
formed his duty with zeal and great attention
to his official duties. The Court, after some time
spent in consideration, were of opinion that
the charge had been fully proved, but in conse-
quence of the high character of the prisoner they ad-
in the future,
judged him to lose six months' seniority in his rank,
and. be admonished to be more careful

The eeremony of publicly promulgating the find-
ingrecently assembled at Chatham, by order of Major-
and sentence of a district court-martial, Which
Gen. Eyre, for the trial of a sapper of the Royal
Engineers named Duncan M‘Millan, took place at

the presence a
the whole of the officers and men
at present at head.
Bromptoa Barracks yesterday, in

quarters, The crime for which the accused was

commit suicide by
:ried was that of attempting to
,hrowing himself into the water, with the intention

of droving
himself, and also for habitual bad con-
duct. The prisoner for some years past has had the

reputation of being the very worst man in the corps
to which he belongs. For the last three years he
has scarcely been a day out of the cells or prison.
The Court had sentenced him to six months' im.

Fort Clarence,
prisonment in the military prison,

Rochester.

Mr. IL W. IL Walker, iaspactor and auditor of
accounts in her Majesty's dockyards, was yesterday
engaged at Portsmouth yard in regulating the ac.
counts, &c., on the plan introduced by Mr. Stuns-

7eld, M.P. Mr. Childers, M.P., the successor of

Mr. Stansfeld at the Admiralty, was expected to

oin Mr. Walker at Portsmouth this morning.

The following naval cadets having completed the
course of instruction on board her Majesty's ship
Britannia (cadet training ship), Capt. Powlll,
at Dartmouth, received their certificates and quali.
fication for seagoing ships on the 14th inst. : First-

class certificates, it h 12 montlas'sea time and rating
as midshipmen—Ft, W. Craigie, Admiralty prize

for study, and second prize for seamanship; H. L.
Royle, Admiralty prize for seamanship, and prize
for study ; C. J. Reddie, prize for good con-
duct; R. F. Fegen, second prize for study
T. A. Hamilton, prize for good conduct.
Second class certificates, with six months'
sea time. F. E. Wolrige, D. Bogue, H. P. Harris,
prize for good conduct; A. APE wan, H. F. Murray,
Admiralty prize for drawing ; J. M, Callwell, second
prize for French ; A. F. Trench, R. J. Simonds,
F. L. Lawrence, C. K. Pu! vie, W. D. Walker, A.
aaggard, W. G. Ottley, prize for good conduct; C.
A, Hutton, W. C. Hathorn, G. A. Primrose, A. M.
Crawsie, E. Battersby, L. E. Vidal, M. Johnson, S.
Ewing, prize for good conduct; G. H. Deacon,
second prize for drawing; F. E. Crowe, Admiralty
prize for French ; H. B. Turner, F. 11. Henderson,
prize for good conduct. Third-class certificates.—
L. M. Kirwan, prize for good conduct; W. G.
Eden, S. H. Thompson, M. W. Hall, H. H. Brooke,
G. Wilson, R. C. Leader, R. C. Protheroe, R. M.
Brenburg, and G. S, Langton.
An Admiral's good-service pension is placed at
the disposal of the First Lord of the Admiralty by
the death of Admiral Sir A. Fanshawe, K.C.B.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty—Commander J. H. Furneaux to
be Inspecting Commander of the Coastguard, vice
Kane, deceased, Commander T. A. Swinburne's ap-
pointment having been cancelled ; B. S. Jackson,
master, additional, to the Cumberland for the Ser-
pent ; and J. G. Morgan, master, additional, to the
St. Vincent for the Sealark,