The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening,

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the wool gal ;it
at five o'clock.

COUNTY COURTS BILL.

The Earl of DERBY presented petitions from places in.
Lancashire against this bill.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Earl of Abergavenny Estate—Kilkenny Cathe dna
Economy Fund—Downs Dock—London and Brighton a.nil
South Coast Railway (new line Battersea)—and Brien ',on
and South Coast Railway (Steamboats)—Rammell's Pat 3nt
Clyde Navigation Metropolitan Railway (Additic anal
Powers)—Metropolitan Railway (Notting-hill Extensiion)
—Alton, Alresford, and Winchester Railway bills vere
read a second time.
The Befast Central Railway—Manchester, Sheffield, and
Lincolnshire Railway—Tendring Hundreds—Ribbles dale
Railway—Edinburgh and Glasgow and Alloa Rail way
Companies—Okehampton Railway—North and South
Western Junction—Stockton and Middlesborough eater
—Nottingham Gas, and Lancaster Board of Health bills
were read a third:time and passed.
THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said owing to the
noble earl, the President of the Council, and the noble duke,
the First Lord of the Admiralty, not having returned from
Windsor, he begged to move the postponement of the con-
sideration of the first order of the day—viz., her Majesty's
message with respect to the pension to the Countess of
Elgin, and the grant to Sir R. Hill, until Monday nest.
The motion was agreed to.
CHAIN CABLES AND ANCHORS BILL.

The Earl of HARDWICKE moved the second reading
of this bill.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said he entirely
approved of the bill, which would prove exceed-
ingly useful in tending to diminish the great loss of ves-
sels in the mercantile marine in consequence of the use
of defective chain cables. With regard to the exemption
of the Admiralty from the provisions of the bill he could
only say that every chain cable after it was received from
the contractor was properly tested before it was put on board
one of her Majesty's ships.,
The bill was read a second time.
INSANE PRISONERS' AMENDMENT BILL.
The report of amendments to this bill was brought up
and received.
CHIMNEY SWEEPERS' REGULATION BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
COURT OF JUSTICIARY (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
GREENWICH HOSPITAL.
The Earl of HARDWICKE called attention to the letter
of Sir Richard Bromley to the Duke of Somerset on the ree
form of the government of Greenwich Hospital. The noble
earl said there was an institution in the'country which was
much cherished by the whole nation, and when it was
pointed out to foreigners, they were told it was England's
gratitude to her worn-out seamen, This institution was,
as far as money went, exceedingly wealthy, as it possessed
an estate of nearly five millions. This charity, he said,
was sick, and had been so for years, and the malady with
which it was afflicted was known as the house divided
against itself. Public attention had been called
to this state of matters by the publication of a
letter by Sir Richard Bromley to the First Lord of the Ad-
miralty respecting a reform in the management of the
charity. The gallant writer said that until unanimity pre-
vailed in the council, a state of matters detrimental to
England's worn-out defenders would prevail, and
that could only be done by able men being placed at the
head of the government of the institution. He hoped the
noble lord would inform the public what was intended to
be done for the future.
The Duke of SOMERSET said he shared in the great
desire that the funds of Greenwich Hospital should be
properly expended. He did not think that it was well to
draw men in middle life away from their families, and
crowd them together in a monastic sort of building at
Greewich. He did not propose therefore to build model
lodging houses forjmarr ied seamen, as the commissioners
proposed, or to take other measures which they suggested
for attracting and concentrating men at Greenwich. He
believed it would be much better to confine the hospital to
its original purpose of receiving disabled and helpless sea-
men. He would also retain the naval schools in connec-
tion with the hospital, which had worked so well of recent
years. He proposed to keep a part of the hospital, so that
in case of a great war we might not be without an •, hos-
pital for our seamen. As to the rest of the building he
desired to take some further time to consider what would
be the best way to use it. By this means he should find
himself in possession of an income over and above that re-
quired for keeping up the hospital to the extent, for the
purposes he had described, of £70,000 or £BO,OOO, which he
believed would be far more usefully employed in the grant
of pensions on which seamen might live in their native
towns, and amongst their own friends, than in keeping
them together at Greenwich, where they all said they did
not wish to be. By this means moreover, we should be
able to encourage and reward the best and most respect.-
able class of our seamen, who did not receive any benefit
from Greenwich Hospital, which they were strongly dis-
inclined to enter. He also proposed to abolish the present
double government of the hospital, and vest in a single
board.

Lord COLCLIESFER said that the statement of the
noble duke was highly satisfactory-.

After akw words from the Earl of SHREWSBURY and
the Earl of HARDWICKE,

The Earl of DERBY asked if it was intended to divert
a certain part of the funds of the hospital to the reward
of men who had deserved well of their country. This
might be a very desirable object in itself, but he did not
think it was consistent with the charter of the hospital
under which it was endowed for the benefit of sick and
disabled seamen.

The Duke of SOMERSET said that he did not intend
more than this, that by the adoption of the plan which he
proposed they would be able, while distributing the funds
of the hospital amongst those for whom it was designed, to
encourage a class of seamen whom it was very desirable to
encourage, but who, as he had mentioned, would not enter
the hospital.

After some further conversation the subject dropped, and
the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.---Last Evening.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
London and Seuth Western Railway (North Devon Exten-
sions)— Uiverscon Gas—and West Sussex Junction Rail-
way,