The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-14 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 to which he
(Lord Wodehouse) had replied, " certainly not." ,
Earl GRANVILLE said ha 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
noble friend of his intention to put the question to him,
but he said he should be obliged to him for putting it, be-
cause it would enable 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 bo 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 whethLr any measures
were
likely to stop the execution, and he gave answer that
he 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
ho was not informed on that point.
Lord STRATIIEDEN inquired what credit ought to be
atttached re the allgation ot Prince Gortchakoff, reported
by Lerd Napier a despatch frolll St. Petersburg,-i page
501, No. 4, of the Danish papers
p, and. to the effect that the
four Governments of Austria,
and acting
Russia, and Great
Britain are " now thinkine.
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 cominatien of any sort
or kind hostile to
France.
IRELAD
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 notdisposedof; and he wished to
be i>lfertnedho 11 L w t e or s 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 advfsibility of applying SOTIIO of the money in order to
teach the people how to grow flax.
navATE BUSINESS.
The following bill? wete read o second time :—Deal and
Walmer Gas, Globe Telegtaph Company, and Fney.n3atic
Despatch Company.

VESTRY CESS (IRELAND) BILL.

This Lill pazvd through committee.
ENCLOSVBE BILL.

This bill vrne also read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--This Eveniusf_
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
THE BET WICK-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 Railways)—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),
accordingports inNorth
to
the America,date s
of
which, during the year 1863, left any port or ports in the
arranged
chronological
gaincya I poorrdteorr,
their respective departures, as well as other details con-
nected with the transatlantic mail service.
NEW WRIT. _ _ _

On the motion of COl.Tiyiiit;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.

BRITISH HERRINGS.
Mr. W. MILLER asked the Under Secretary of State
for Foreign Afairs, if any attempts have been made to in-
duce the Government of Austria to reduce the prohibitory
duty charged on the importation of British cured herrings
into that country; if so, what success had attended such
endeavours, and if he was willing to lay upon the table
of the house copies of the correspondence that may have
passed for the attainment of that object.
Mr. LAYARD said that the Austrian Government had
declined to enter into any negotiations cn the subject at
present; nor until they had revised their tariff in 1865,
when they promised that the subject should receive their
earnest attention.

THE COURT MARTIAL ON COL. CRAWLEY.
Sir J. FERGUSSON asked the Judge Advocate whether
the witnesses sent home from India for the defence of Col.
Crawley were privately cross-examined by the deputy judge
advocate at any time previous to their appearance before
the court martial at Aldershot ?

Mr. HEADLAM replied in the affirmative, stating that
it was necessary to make such examination for the purposes
of the court martial.

THE ARMSTRONG GUNS.
Admiral DUNCOMBE asked the Secretary to the Ad-
miralty if he would lay upon the table of the house Admiral
Kuper's official report of the performance of the Armstrong
guns in the action at Kagosima.
Lord C. I'AGET said that he had no objection to pro-
duce the report in question.
SOLDIERS WHOSE TERM OF SERVICE IS
EX FIRING.
Mr. D. DAMER asked the Under Secretary of State for
War if, in consequence of service of so many " ten years' „
men in the army, expiring in 1864-5, the Government wa
prepared with any proposition by which they may secure
the services of these old soldiers for a further period of 11
years, or, through them, making a sort of reserve in addi-
tion to the pensioners?
The Marquis of HAR TING TON said he would take an
early opportunity of making a statement on this subject.