The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
GREAT WESTERN AMALGAMATION BILL.
On consideration of the Lords' amendments to the Great
Western, West Midland, and South Wales Railway Com-
panies Amalgamation Bill,
Mr. D. GRIFFITIIS moved that the house do disagree
to new clause E, enforcing a revision of tolls whenever the
dividend of the united company's stock shall equal or ex-
ceed G per cent.
Mr. HODGSON sec .nded the motion.
Mr. MASt,EY supported the new clause.
Mr. D. GRIFFITH withdrew his motion, and the
Lords' amendments were agreed to.
The following bills Were read a third time :—Banff, Mac-
duff, and Tariff Extension Railway—Banff, Portsoy, and
Strathisla Railway—Dare Valley Railway—Hammer-
smith and City Railway—and Uxbridge and Rickmans-
w rth Railway.

GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY (STEAMBOATS)

BILL.

On the order for the consideration of this bill, as amended
by the House of Lords,
Mr. A. EGERTON opposed the bill on the ground that
it was not good public policy to permit railway companies
to become steamboat proprietors in addition to their present
responsibilities. In the past the house had repeatedly re-
fused granting such powers to railway companies. Here
power was sought to run boats between Harwich, Flushing,
and Antwerp. The subject should be referred to a select
committee. He moved that the bill be considered this day
two months.
Mr. WARNER seconded the motion.

('apt. JERVIS supported the bill. The house had
authorised the Great Eastern Railw.y to make a line to
Harwich at a cost of £25,000, and surely it would be mon-
strous to prevent them from bringing traffic to their line by
means of a new and expedition- line of packets: (Hear,
hear) Other railway companies had been permitted
to run boats, and there were the strongest reasons
why the powers sought should be conferred upon
this company. The transit of passengers and goods to the
north of Europe would be materially cheauened, an that he
was not surprised the General steam Navigation Company
opposed this bill in order to perp-tuare a monopoly. (Hear.)
Lord STANLEY opp,sed the bill on the ground that it
wou'd establish a monopoly over the sea traffic, which might
be worked at a loss so as to obtain traffic to this railwa y•
It would be well to refer the matter to a select committee,
and to take evidence upon the matter.
Mr. WOODD, as chairman of the committee, said the
company had made out a strong case to be allowed the
powers sought, but he objected delegating to companies
such extensive privileges.
Mr. M. GIBSON said there were precedents for the
granting of such powers as those sought by the bill. (Hear,
hear.) As the select committee of both Houses of Parlia-
ment had approved of the bills, he did not think the house
would do well to throw them out. No persons
haring established steam communication between Har-
wich and Rotterdam, were they willing to forego
giving powers to a company willing to give the
public that boon, because it was probable that in the future
some person might come forward and seek power to do it?
Sir H. CAIRNS denied that this was one of the excep-
tional cases in which powers to run steamboats should be
granted, looking at the past practice of the house. The
company might so arrange its railway and steamboat rates
as to run off all other competing boats.

Mr. CLAY said there were no boats to be rum off the
route.

Sir H. CAIRNS went on to contend that the commit-
tee had not put before the house sufficient evidence, as was
usual in similar cases, to support the granting of the powers
sought by the bill.
After a few words from Mr. CRAWFORD, amidst cries o

" divide,"
Mr. MASSEY said public policy was materially con-
cerned in this and similar measures. If they gave
enormous and ambitious railway companies extra p ,wers
as in this case they had no security that they would not
virtually end .w them with monopolies nimical to the public
welfare. In this case the railway company, would
enjoy a virtual monopoly. The bill was not originated
in that but the other house, the standing orders of which
were not very strict with respect to the introduction of such
bills. Besides, the select committee had net, as stated by
the hen. and learned gentleman opposite, adduced 'a suffi-
cient evidence why the house should accede to the bill.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY,
Mr. COBBOLD, as connec ed with the locality and its
railways, warmly supported the bill. This bill had not been
brought fo ward until every means had been taken to in..
duce existing steam companies to put on a regular line of
communication, one having existed for centuries. (Divide,
divide.)
Mr. LOCKE said the real question was whether the
General Steam Navigation Company, which ran from the
Thames end occupied a ions. time in the passage to Rotter-
dam, should have the monopoly instead of the new company.
(Hear, hear.) Harwich wa the natural port, and the
shortest and quickest sea voyage.
Mr. MALINS supported the bill.
Sir IL BRIJ' .E said the subject was thoroughly' investi-
gated by the committee, who heard counsel at gre4t length
on both sides. (Divide, divide.)
After a few words from Mr. HAISARD and Mr. ADAMS,
who trusted the house would not ac, unjustly to the pro-
moters after the great expense to which they hid been put,
The SPEAKER read the standing order of the hOuse, and
said, according to his interpretation, they had not in this
case been complied with. He suggested that the bill should
be
state recommitted, with an instruction to the committee to
their reasons for approving of the bill, which
they had not done, and which was imperative, according
to those orders.
Ultimately the proposition of the Speaker was'adopted,
and the amendment withdrawn.
LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY.
The further consideration of this bill was postponed till
Monday.
The Mor s.y shit e Railwa y and the North British (Steam-
boats) Bills were ordered
to be recommitted.
HOLYHEAD lIAB
Col. DUNNE gave notice that he would •morrow (this
day) ask the noble lord at the head of the U vernment
whsther it was the intention of her maisty
e Government
to pay any attention to the report or the H'
'olyhead commit-
tee, and that subsequently he should bring the subject be-
fore the house,
THE l ONSTR:UCTORS OF THE V
1d
Mr. FERRAND save notice that he shooei Monday
next move for a return relative to the ages,
sesteee' Bce
the two constructors of the navy, and also with regard, of
the recent appointment of Mr. E. J. Reed, together with
to
his qualifications as chief constructor of the navy.
MISCELLANEOUS AND CIVIL SE.sVICE
ESTIMATES.

Mr. MARSH gave notice that he should, on an early
day next session, move a resolutioa that, in the opiniou of
that house, the civil service and miscellaneous estimates
had been increasing, were increasing, and ought to be re-
duced.

STAFF-SURGEON D. W. EATON.
Mr. CONINGHAM asked the Under-Secretary of State
for War why Staff-Surgeon Deodatus Win. Eaton was die
missed while on sick leave, after 18 years' service, 10 of
which were in the East and West Indies, without any pre-
vi)us warning with no charge assigned, nor with any op-
portunity of explanation before either a court of inquiry or
a court-mar ia! been granted, and why had the applications
been
for it made by Mr. Eaton been ignored.
The Marquis of HAItTINGI ON said it appeared that
Mr. Eaton was insolvent in 1859 and bankrupt in 1862. It
was the wild course, though not the invariable practice,
when an officer had become bankrupt, and thereby avoided
his pecuniary obligations, to consOer such a person unfit to
hold the Queen's commission, and he was generally re-
moved. In this case. the circumstances that came out be-
fore th 9 court were brought in the usual manner to the atten-
tion of the Secrt-tart' of State fa. War, the late Sir G. C
Lewis, who, after examining all the facts of the case, saw
no reason for depai ting from the usual course, A court-
maltial was then considered unnecessary, as all the facts

were established in the Bankruptcy Court. Earl de G]

had been applied to, but he saw no reason why Sir G.

Lewis's order should be revised.

COU KT-MARTIAL ON CORPORAL TAKE,
Mr, CONING HAM asked the noble lord i e would
on the table of tne house the proceeding • the cot

martial on Corporal Blake,

The Marquis of HARIINGTON said the pipers at P
sent were not in England. It was unusual to present
proceedings of regime ntal courts-martial in India to Par

ment. If the finding of the court 'was correct, it would h.

a material bearing on Colonel Crawley's case Inquillef
had been sent to India to ascertain the facts, and for ti3lich
witnesses a 3 could give evidence on Colonel Crawley's tria]
in this country to be sent home.
FACTORY CHILDREN AND STEAM-BOILERS.

Mr. FER RAND asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether he intended to introduce any
legislative measure to place children employed in potteries
and paper-tu'ie factories under the protection of the Factory
Act; also, woe her his attention had boen drawn to 'the
grea destruction of human life for many years by the con-
stant bursting of steam boilers, especially by one near
Leeds a few days ago, where ten people were killed ; and it
so, whether he did not think that steam .boilers ought to be
placed undi-r Government inspection.
Mr. BRUCE (in the absence of Sir G. Grey) said it was
not the intention of his right hon. friend Sir G. Gre to
introduce any legislative measure with reference to those
children. The evidence and the report of the conamilion
had be, n so recently published, tha sufficient time had
not been afforded for their consideration. They would
be, however. considered during the recess, and then the
right hon. gentleman would determine whether or not he
would introduce a measure founded upon the recommen-
dations contained in the report. With respect to the
1 ursting of boilers, no doubt every year a considerable sacri-
fice of lire took place from it; but th- hon. gentleman could
hardly have considered, when he proposed to place theta
under Government inspection, what he was asking the Go-
vernment to do. Steam-boilers were scattered all over the
c untry, and they consisted of those used in manulactures,
for locomotive, and also agricultural purposes. Inspection
by Government was, to a considerable extent, a substittition
of Government responsibility for private responsibility ; 'and
unless they were enabled to make a real and complete in* ec
thin, it was better not to attempt fi

Colonel W. PATTEN asked if the hon. gentleman'a ob-
servations applied to the whole or part of the commissioners'
report. He alluded to that part of the report which 'was
more particularly interesting to Lancashire.
Mr. BRUCE said his friend referred to the whole of
the report.
THE TYRONE ARTILLERY MILITIA.
Mr. GETTY, in the absence of Major S. Knox, asked
,!
the Chief Sec e;ary for Ireland why the Tyrone Arti lery
Militia wr,s not allowed a practice ground, the shor s of
Lough Neagh being within reach, and suited to su h a
purpose; and why this regiment was not supplied !with
light field guns.
Sir R. PEEL said the point was sabmitted to the War
Department, but they declined to allow a prat ice .grourid on
account of the expense, The forts in the county of Tyrone
were being demolished, and from its inland position it was
considered unnecessary to continue the Tyrone Artillery
Militia. As to the supply of light field guns, it weal now
limited to Armstrongs ; and as nobody in the Tyrone Ar-
tillery Militia understood the working of them—(laughter)
—it was thought unnecessary to supply them.

THE CASE OF THE ( OTJNTESS DELLA. SETA

v. LORD VERNON.

Mr. HARVEY LEWIS asked whether the attention
of the Lord Chancellor bad been called to the case of the
Countess Della S •ta v. Lord Vernon, heard before Vice-
Chancellor Sir J. Stuart, and to the language and dernea...
nour of the Vice-Chancellor to the counsel and others con-
cerned in the case ; and it so, whether his lordship intended
to take any steps to prevent a repetition of similar proceed-
ings.
The SOLICITOR- GENERAL—In the absence of my
learned friend (the Attorney-General) I have to answer the
question, and perhaps the house will Pardon me if I make a
short statement of the circumstances of the case to which
the question refers, and I hope the house will be satisfied
with the statement I am about to make. The case came on
in the ordinary way before Vice-Chancellor Stuart; but,
before the nature of the case was explained to the court, it
was stated to his honour by one of the learned counsel em-
ployed in the case that some y.,ung ladies, infants and warda
of the court, wet e parties to the suit, and were not only very
materially interested in a pecuniary point of view, but that
their reputation would also be seriously affected by a (teens-
sion in open covet. It is the invariable practice of the Court
of Chancery to take all possible precautions for the protec-
tion of infants under its care—and it is right it should do so
with or without the consent of the parties, and the practice
has been indisputably established by the highest authorities.
Here it was not necessary that that rightshould be exercised
on the mere authority of the Vice •Chancellor, because, al-
though one party did object in one instance, and pressed his
objection, the learned counsel, with tha good judgment and
feeling which I trust ordinarily distinguishes the counsel
practising in all our courts, ev,ntually waives his opposi-
tion upon the representations made to him. The Vice-Chan-
cellor, therefore, in taking that eourse, acted in accordance
with the usual practice, and 1 am authorised by the Lord
Chancellor to say that the course which was taken meets
his thorough approval, as in all respects worthy of the duty
of the judge and the character of the individual who exer•
cisee that duty. The hon. memb-r's question further refers
to some other rat tters which subsequently occurred. The
course then taken by the Vice-Chancellor in the discharge
or his duty was very greatly misund rstood—(hear)—by
some persons concerned or not concerted in the cause—
Mr. MALIN S—Not concerned. (Hear, hear)
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL—My hon, friend, who
knows the circumstances, assures me that they wet-e not
concerned in the cause; but, at all events, by some persons
out of doors, who obtained information on the subject. The
result was that there appeared in acme of the public jour-
nals a representation of the circumstances, involving the
gravest imputation that could possibly be laid to the charge
of a judge, namely, that out of respect to the position of a
nobleman he had departed ft om the ordinary and proper
course in a court of law, and had, contrary to his duty, ano
for the reason there stated, determined to hear the cause in
Privete, in order to shield an influential, powerful, and noble
person from the possible exposure of circumstances whieh
ho desired to have concealed. Of course the house will
understand that if any judge had been capable of acting s
he would have been unworthy of the position which he held.
(Hear.) Now that charge is utterly groundless and most
calumnious—(cheers)—and arose out of an entire misappre-
hension of the circumstances. That imputation could not
but affect the mind of a man of high honour such as Vice-
Chancellor Stuart. (Hear.) It was quite open and com•
petent for him, if he had thought fir, to deal with it is a
grave contempt of court, and have brought the parties be•
fore him. His honour, however, did not think fit to do so,
and if in publicly adverting to those circumstances he may
have been betrayed into some warmth of language, if the
indignation, which must have been excited in the mind of
any
e fhisn a
observations,s n of b
onu m
or
1c aame
quiteto hi s
surelips andit ,
sinfluenced
necessaryth e tonefe r
me to vindicate him before this house. (Cheers.)
CUPOLA SHIPS.
Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if it
was true that it was the intention of the Board of Admi-
ralty to try the cupola ships Royal Sovereign and Prince
Albert without any masts at sea, or whether the tripod
masts proposed by Captain Coles were to be adopted ?
Lord C. PAGE T replied that it was n t the intention of
the Admiralty to fit those vessels with masts. They were
intended for harbour defences; but if sent to sea, tempo.
nary masts might be fitted in them.

- -
EtYll'at he should make his financial
THE INDIAN BUDGET.
Sirln acn.s‘wv eorotoroDilnrt.i
intimated
statement on Thursday next.
LANCAS R'S RIFLING OF FIELD ARTILLERY.
Mr. H. LEWIS (for Mr. Bernal Osborne) ~8
ked the
Under-Secretary of State for V/ ar if any steps were ab int to
be taken for the application of Mr Lancaster's system of
smooth oval-bore rifling to field artillery ; and if the corre-
spondence and papers relating to it would be 1 before
Parliament. Ala.), when the report of the Ordaance Select
Committee would be presented ; and if it was proposed to
remunerate the gentlemen whose services were commended
by the late Secretary of State for War in reference to the
subject.
he Marquis of HARTINGTON replied that it was not
the intention of the Government to take any a‘eps to wards
the application of Mr Lancaster'. system to the rifling ot
field artillery; and that the correspondence was so mixed
up with other matters that it would ne almost impossible to
separate them. With regard to the other question, the re-
port of the committee had been laid upon the table; but
inasmuch as none of the • ystems tried had been introduced
into
the service, it was not intended to remunerate the gen-
tlemen referred to.