The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

THE DANO-GERMAN WAR.

Earl DERBY said he had given notice to the noble lord
opposite (Lord Wodehouse) to put a question to him,
relative to a statement he had seen attributed to him
in the newspapers. The noble lord had lately been on a
mission to Copenhagen, and it was attributed to him, in
the course of a conversation, when M. Haile had asked
him if the withdrawal of the November Constitution
would put an end to the German invasion, that he
(Lord Wodehottse) had replied, " certainly not."
Earl GRANVILLE said he did not think it for the
public advantage that a question should be put to peers
who had been engaged in certain diplomatic measures.
The proper course would be for the question to be put to
the noble earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, as the
representative of her Majesty's Government.
Earl DERBY said he had not only given notice to his
Coble friend of his intention to put the question to him,
bat he said he should be obliged to him for putting it, as
it would enable him to remove the erroneous impression
that prevailed. Had he asked what instructions the noble
lord had received, then of course he should have put the
question to the noble earl the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs.

Lord WODEHOUSE said it would be seen, by his ac-
count of the interview in his despatch to Earl Russell, that
he had expressed his opinion that no measure that the
Danish Government had been advised to take would have
the effect of putting an end to the dispute. He remembered
that M. Halle had asked him whether any measures were
likely to stop the execution, and he gave answer that
be was afraid nothing was likely to stop that execution.
That was perfectly in accordance with what he, had heard
at Berlin. He could not have said that the withdrawal of
the constitution would have stopped the execution, because
he was not informed on that point.

Lord. STRA THEDEN inquired what credit ought to be
atttached to the allegation of Prince Gortchakoff, reported
by Lord Napier in a despatch from St. Petersburg, page
504, No. 4, of the Danish papers, to the effect that the
four Governments of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great
Britain are " now thinking and acting in harmony on a
question still more important than that of Holstein and
Schleswig."

Earl GRANVILLE said there was no truth whatever
that England had entered into any combination of any sort
or kind hostile to France.
IRELAND.

Lord CLEMENTS asked the Lord President what was
the amount of the funds at present vested in her Majesty
under the provisions of the 11th and 12th Vic., cap. 115,
and formerly the property of the " Irish Reproductive Loan
Fund Institution," and not disposed of; and he wished to
be informed how the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's
Treasury propose to dispose of that money for the benefit of
the poor ?

Earl GRANVILLE said that about £23,000 was appli,
cable, and that her Majesty's Government were considering
the advisability of applying some of the money in order to
teach the people how to grow flax.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Deal and
Walmer Gas, Globe Telegraph Company, and Pneumatic
Despatch Company.
VESTRY CESS (IRELAND) BILL.

This bill passed through committee.
ENCLOSURE BILL.
This bill was also read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OP COMMONS—Last Evening.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
THE BERWICK-ON-TWEED ELECTION.
Mr. LONGFIELD, the chairman of the committee
appointed to try the petition against the return of Mr.
Cargill for Berwick-on-Tweed, presented the report of
the committee to the effect that there was no evidence to
show that the hon. member was not duly elected.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
___ _

The Ipswich Gas Bill was read a third time and passed ;
and the following bills were considered and ordered for
third reading :—Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge Water
—Huntingdon and Godmanchester Gas—Lea Bridge Dis-
trict Gas—London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway
(Kemp Town Station and Lines) London, Brighton,
and South Coast Railway (Ouse Valley Line)—
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (Tunbridge
Wells and Eastbourne Line—Northileet District Gas—
Tunbridge Wells Gas—and Weston-super-Mare Pier.
The following bills were read a second time :—central
Wales and Staffordshire Junction Railways—Great Eastern
Railway (Junctions)—Great Eastern Railway (Metropoli-
tan Station and R,ilways)—Hampstead, Midland, North
Western, and Charing-cross Junction Railway.
TRANSATLANTIC STEAMERS,
On the motion of Mr. V. SCULLY. a return in a tabular
form was ordered of all transatlantic steamers (British or
foreign, and whether carrying or not carrying mails),
which, during the year 1863, left any port or ports in the
United Kingdom for any port or ports in North America,
arranged in chronological order, according to the dates of
their respective departures, as well as other details con-
nected with the transatlantic mail service.
NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Col. TAYLOR, a writ was ordered for
the election of a member for the county of Armagh, in the
room of Mr. Close, resigned.

THE SLAVE TRADE ON THE COAST OF
AFRICA.

In reply to Lord A. CHURCHILL,
Mr. LAYARD said that, unfortunately, notwithstand-
ing the vigilance of her Majesty's cruisers, they were toe
few in number on the east coast of Africa to operate effec-
tually for the suppression of the slave trade, and their
efforts were impeded by the conduct of the subordinates of
the Portuguese Government at Zanzibar.