The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-13 00:00:00

STEEL SHOT.

Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, as
the First Lord of the Admiralty was reported to have stated
that the cast-iron shot were as useless as mud when fired
against ironclad ships, what proportion of steel shot and
shell were supplied to the Channel fleet, which he had stated
was ready to go anywhere on 24 hours notice ?

Lord C. PAGET replied that the subject of steel shot
had not been lost sight of, but he thought the house would
agree with him that it was not advlsable that he should state
at the present time what they were doing in the matter.
(A laugh.)

" OFFICIAL" RUSSIAN DESPATCHES,
Mr A. SEYMOUR asked the Under Secretary jof State
for Foreign Affairs if the Foreign-office had any knowledge
of a despatch, headed " Official," dated February 10th,
1864, and purporting to come from Gortchakoff at St. Pe-
tersburg to M. d'Oubril, at Berlin, which was published in
the Horning Post of July 4th. And, if the Foreign-office
had any knowledge of another despatch headed " Private
Communication," from Prince Gortchakoff to M. d'Oubril,
of the same date, but in a completely opposite spirit.
Mr LAYARD—In answer to my hon, friend I have to
state that we have no knowledge of either of these de-,
spatches.

CRIMES CCM:MT TED IN RAILWAY
CARRIAGES.
Mr BUTLER drew attention to the numerous crimes
which had keen recently committed in railway carriages,
and asked
whether it were the intention of the Government
to t'...are steps to prevent this recurrence. He would parti-
cularly refer to the case of assault upon a young female,
whose life would have been sacrificed had it not been
for the efforts of a gentleman in an adjoining car-
riage, and the case of Mr Briggs, who was murdered on
Saturday evening in a first class carriage on the North
London Railway. He wished to ask the Home Secretary
what was the amount of the rewards offered for the appre-
hension of the murderer by Messrs. Robartes and Co., the
bankers, by whom the deceased gentleman was employed,
by the Government, and by the North London Railway
Company; also whether there was any truth in the report
that the alleged murderer had been captured.
Sir G. GREY said he did not know what reward had
been offered by the railway company, but Messrs. Robartes
and Co. and the Government had each offered rewards of
£lOO for the apprehension of the murderer. He had not
heard that the alleged murderer had been captured ; but
he believed it had been ascertained that the chain which
had been taken from Mr Briggs had been sold yesterday
to a silversmith, who had given an excellent description of
the person who sold it to him.

THE SLAVE TRADE ON THE COAST OF AFRICA
Sir J. ELPUINSTONE asked the Secretary to the Ad-
miralty to lay upon the tableof the house a list of the steam
veEsela now employed on the West Coadt of Africa, with
their speed. as ascertained at the measured mile.

Lord C. PAGET said he could not consent to produce
such a list, as that would afford just the information which
the slave pirates would like to be in possession of,
THE OFFICE OF POSTMASTER-GENERAL.
Mr D. GRIFFITH rose to move the following resolu-
tion :—" That the practice of appointing a peer and privy
councillor exclusively to the office of Postmaster 'General
is one which is not directed or required by law, and does
not particularly conduce to the convenience of the distri-
bution of Ministerial appointments, or to the efficiency of
the public service." The question has lately been discussed
in that house as to what should be the proportionate distri-
bution in both houses of the members of the Government
who conducted the business of the several departments. Up
to the year 1822 the business of the Post Office department
was managed by two persons, who were called Postmasters-
General. In hat year the late Lord Normanby brought
forward a motion in that house for the reform of the depart-
ment. At one time the office was held by the Duke of York,
the younger brother of Charles 11., who appointed a deputy
to discharge the duties of the office. During the reigns of
the Georges various modifications were introduced ; but
the result was that, although there was no warrant to
authorise it, two Postmasters-Genera( were appointed.
An HON. MEMBER here observed that there were not
40 members present, and after the lapse of the usual in-
terval, the requisite number not being completed, the
Speaker declared the house adjourned at a quarter-past 7
o'clock.