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

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
i
only say that every chain cable after t 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.
GREENWWH HOSPITAL.
The Earl of HARDWICKE called attention to the letter
of Sir Richard Bromley to the Duke of Somerset on the re-
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 bail(' model
lodging houses forirnarr 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 scluols it 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 posession 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, wa 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 pr 'posed to abolish the present
double government of the hospital, and vest in a single
board.

Lord COLCHESTER, said that the statement of the
noble duke was highly satisfactory.
After a fEw words from the Earl of SHREWSBURY and
the Earl or HARDWICKE,

Tha 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 ho 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 South Western Railway (North Devon Eaten.
sions)— Ulverscon Gas—and West Sussex Junction Rail•
Way,

BELFAST IMPROVEMENT (No. 2) BILL.
On the motion foi the third reading of this bill,
llr MAGTJIRE said that he had again to apply to the
house fora postponement of this bid. He travelled over the
ground that he had originally taken in order to show that
there was argument for the postponement of the bill, as a
strong feeling existed in Belfast against its provisions,
which was developed by the fact that no less than £20,000
had been subscribed by the Protestant as well asthe Roman
Catholic party to defeat the measure, which as
ob-
noxious to theinhabitants of Belfast generally. The
feeling was that the object of the bill was to
enable the Corporation of Belfast to disfranchise
a larger body of the inhabitants. Re contended that a
public and not a private bill was necessary in dealing with
the subject of the present measure, which was t)0 important
to be disposed of by private legislation.
Mr. WHITESIDE denied the accuracy of the statement
of the hon. member for Dungannon (Mr. Maguire) as to
the unpopularity of the bill, the necessity for which he said
was admitted by the inhabitants of Belfast, notwithstanding
the statement of the hon. member for Dungannon to the
contrary.

After some further discussion the amendment was with
drawn, and the bill was read a third timo and passed.
DUBLIN IMPROVEMENT BILL.

On the order of the day for the consideration of this bil.
Sir E. GROG AN moved several amendments, and en-
tered into details to establish the necessity of the course
which he advocated.

Sir P. O'BRIEN', as having been connected with the
corporation of Dablin, vindicated thisbody front the impli-
cation of being actuated by any unfair motive in regard to
this bill.

After some discussion a division took place on the ques-
tion of an amendment to the effect that there should be a
certain omission from the bill, exempting the corporation
from the liabilities specified in the body of the bill,

The house divided and the amendment was negatived,
the numbers being—

For the amendment
Against it
Majority
Mr. VANCE then moved that the bill should be mom-
witted, which led to another discussion and another divi-

sion.

For the an.lendxnent.
Against it .............
Majority
-11
The bill was accordingly considered, and ordered for third
reading.

GOVERNMENT MANUFACTORIES.
Mr COBDEN gave nonce that en an early day he would
draw attention to what he, considered an extravagant ex-
penditure on the part of Government in regard to public
manufactories.

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.
In reply to Mr A. SMITH, Lord C. PAGET said that the
scheme for the organisation of the proposed school of naval
architecture had not been concocted by the Admire:Ay, but
by some of the most eminent naval architects in the coun-
try. The site at South Kensington had been Selected for
the establishment on account of its econoney and eligibility.
The house then went into committee of supply.
GRANT TO SIR ROWLAND HILL.
Her. Majesty's message for grenting .L 20,000 to Sir Row-
land Hill having been read.
Viscount PALMERST. ON said—Sir, I trust the house
will be disposed, witheat any objection, to concur in the
recommendation of ',ler Majesty which has just been read.
(Hear.) Sir Rowland Hill is a man of great genius and
great sagacity, 'Aid of great perseverance and industry, and
who has reiriered very important services to this country,
and, I may say, to other countries also. Sir R. Hill had
observed, that the postal department was more a department
for the performance of services than a mere department for
the collection of revenue ; and,with a boldness which stag-
ge.red a great number of persons who had not looked at the
question from the same point of view from which he had
I regarded it, he recommended a large reduction in the rate
of postage, in confidence that in the end it would bring the
revenue up to the same amount,seeing that in the meantime
it would confer the greatest possible benefit to the commu-
nity at large. There were grave doubts about it; many
people thought that his expectations were too sanguine,
that the number of letters would not increase to the extent
he had reckoned, and that the revenue would not recover
the great shock which the_ reduction to a Lenny would
create. These predictions were falsified, and all his cal-
culations turned out to be correct, (Cheers.) He has
for nearly a quarter of a century performed the very
arduous duties which devolved on him in the execution of
his scheme. He is now at a time of life when his health can
not be supposed to have withstood the effect of the great
labour which attached to his office, and the Treasury, on that
ground, have given him permission to retire, and they have
done that which I am sure the house will look upon with
indulgence—they have given him his full salary for life.
(Cheers.) He is now in the 70th year of his age, and his
health has been shattered by the labours he has had to per-
form. Under these circumstances, her Majesty has thought
that this house would consider that the great services which
Sir Rowland Hill has performed would recommend him for
a grant which would enable him to make those arrange-
ments for his family which the short period during which
Providence may permit him to enjoy his retiring pensio-a
would otherwise probably not enable him to make. The
result of his labours has really been beneficial beyond that
which may strike persons at first sight. It is quite clear
that the facility which the penny post has given eo all the
transactions of commerce, to all the communications con-
nected with the industry of the country, must have been
infinitely advantageous to general industry of thecountry,
and also by that means that the revenue, not of the Post-
office merely, but the revenue which arises out of the
general industry and prosper* of the country. In that
point of view ho has performed a very great service to the
country. But there is another point of view from which
his merits should be_ calculated, namely, the degree of
happiness and com 'Jed which his invention—for I may call
it an invention—.his plan, has conferred on the poorer classes
of the commireit, upon the millions, and that for a great
period of thew. When the postage was as high as it was
before his, plan was introduced, the relatives of poor
families who were scattered in diffcrect parts of the
country had their communications cut cff; for how could
a Poor labouring man pay is or 6d /Dr a letter? The
communications of families were as difficult if not more
difficult, than they are now between England and Aus-
tralia. Well, sir, the cultivation of the affections is a
thing that raises men in their own estimation, which
raisea Them in the standing they occupy in society. It ins-
Proe:ea their morals and improves all those qualities which
tend
thed to make them useful members of society. Therefore,
say meri ts of Sir Rowland Hill, independently of the
fact of his plan having
aremanifested contributed
by
it
stohtahveinggenceorna prosperityfl.erred such
u c h
of the country,
all the labouring and poorer classes of
great benefits upon
the community, and entitle him to the approbation and the
rewards which this house
(Cheers.) In 1838, may be disposed to confer on him.
the Period before his plan came into
operation, the number of
post in the course of the ear letters transmitted through the
y as 76
millions, while in 1863
the number transmitted was 642 millions. Now that is a
measure of the degree in which that plan had assisted the
industry and contributed to the comfort and happiness of
the community in this country. There are various arrange-
meats connected with this plan independent of the mere
amount of money paid for letters; among others,
the faci-
lity
thywe ani
which his
of money in m
arrangementso have given enfor Money orders
for sums
from one part
of the country to another. In 1838 the amount of
„Lowy
orders at the Post-office was £313,000. In. 1863 it was
£16,494,000. (Hear, hear.) What an immense advantage
that must be to the community at large—the facility of safe
transmission of small sums which otherwise it might be
very difficult and expensive to transmit. Then there is the
book post, which is greatly to the interests of literature,
and is an arrangement which has been most extensively
taken advantage of. The gross revenue of the Post-office
has increased very greatly, but of course the facilities that
have been given have multiplied the number of offices, and
therefore naturally increased the outgoings. But the gross
receipts in 1838 wore £2,865,000, while in 1863 they were
£38,700,900 ; therefore showing that Sir Rowland Hill
was perfectly borne out in reckoning that at no distant
period the receipts of the Post-office would recover the
diminution which the fist introduction of his plan would
naturally create, In point of fact, everybody is familiar
with the merits of Sir Rowland Hill's plan, and with the
good effects it has produced ; and I am persuaded the house
will willingly coecur in the proposal which is now made to
them. (Cheers.)
Mr W. WILLIAMS disapproved of the grant, on the
ground that Sir Rowland Hill had received so liberal a
retiring salary.
Mr J. EWAP.T cordially concurred in the vote, believing
that Sir Rowland Hill had conferred an immense benefit
upon commerce.
Mr TURNER believed that the whole community of