The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-02 00:00:00

INLAND REVENUE BILL.

On the motion that this bill as amended be considered,
Mr. HUNT moved the omission of clause 21, and the sub-
stitution in its stead of a now clause, making the censent of
one justice sufficient in granting occasional licenses to sell
beer, spirits, or wine. and extending the operation of such
licenses from sunrise to one hour after sunset, and, on occa-
sions of public dinners or balls, to such hours as the justices
may allow.
Mr. AYRT ON objected to the alteration.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER supported
it, on the ground that it was a rational amendment in the
law. From 9,000 to 10,000 licenses had been taken out since
the law same into operation, and he did not believe there
was a single case in which mischief had resulted from them.
The clause was then read a first time.
On the question that the clause be read a second time.

Mr. DODSON proposed, as an amendment to the clause,
that after the word "license," at the end thereof, to add, in
lieu of the duty of ss. now chargeable, there shall be charge-
able for every occasional license the sum of 2s. 6d.
After some discussion, on the suggestion of the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER it was agreed that the
clause should stand over.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, the following clauses were agreed to : lsc. A clause
enacting that commissioners of taxes for any division of a
county may hold their meetings within an adjoining city
or other place of exclusive jurisdiction. 2d. A clause enact-
ing that income tax is to be deducted from coupons on stock
certificates, although the half-yearly payment is under 50s.
Mr. HUNT then moved that no mortgage, bond, in-
strument,
or any assignment thereof, given by way of
security, in pursuance of the provisions of the twelfth
section of an act passed in the last session of Parliament,
intituled, " An Act for the Better management of High-
ways in England," nor any contract, or agreement, or
appointment of any officer, made or entered into in pur-
suance of any of the provisions of such last-mentioned act,
shall be charged or chargeable with any stamp duty what-
ever. The hen. member said that it was no doubt owing
to an oversight that the Highway Act of last session did
not continue this exemption, and he would remind the
house that the South Wales Highway Act did contain it.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER strongly
deprecated the pernicious example of exempting particular
individuals, or classes of individuals, from the operation of
the general law ; and at any rate if such exemption was to
be made as that now proposed, it ought to be embodied in a
particular bill on the subject rather than at the last stage of
a mere revenue bill.

After a long discussion, during which the proposal re-
ceived much support from the opposition members,

The house divided—
For the clause ll6
• Against
Majority against the clause.. —3O

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then
moved the recommitment of the bill, in order to allow the
clause which had been passed is committee of ways and
means for the adjustment of the tax relating to railway ex-
cursion trains to be inserted. The right hon. gentleman
also proposed another matter of a technical nature, with re-
gard to the taking out of the tobacco license. Under pre-
sent arrangements, there was but one day for taking out the
tabacco license, namely the sth of July; but in order to
remedy the inconvenience under which publicans laboured,
he proposed that publicans should henceforth obtain their
tobacco license on the 10th of October, the day on which
they obtained their beer and spirit license.
Lord R. CECIL objected to the present mode of proceed-

ing on the part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
said it was hardly fair towards those who were opposed to a
tax on excursions to make the present proposition without
notice.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could sa-
me the noble lord that lie was not willing to do anything
without the sanction of the house, but he believed the
course he was now pursuing was for the convenience of all
parties.

Sir J. FERGUSSON said the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer was entitled to every forbearance, as he had given
the parties interested in the matter the fullest opportunity of
stating their case.
The house then went into committee, Mr. Massey in the
chair.

The clause adjusting the tax relating to excursion trains
was then agreed to ; as was also the clause allowing publi-
cans to obtain the tobacco license on the same day they took
out their beer and spirit license.
The house resumed.
THE PATRIOTIC ASYLUM AT WANDSWORTH
—ALLEGED MISCONDUCT OF OFFICIALS.

Mr. J. A. SMITH asked the Under-Secretary of State
for War whether his attention had been drawn to the re-
port of the Patriotic Fund, and the causes of the resigna-
tion of the majority of the members of the ladies' committee
of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Asylum appointed in Ja-
nuary, 1862. He also called attention to the admission of
the late Sir G. C. Lewis, that a girl of sixtetn years of age
had been flogged in that establishment, and further, that
the conduct of the officials who had committed this act was
condoned by the executive committee ; and to inquire
what steps had been taken to prevent the recurrence
of such practices. The hon. gentleman called attention to
the lamentable event which had taken place on another oc-
casion, when a girl had been burned to death. The girl
who had been burned was not a pupil of the school, but a
servant. He believed the chaplain had no more right to
send the girl to solitary confinement than he had to impri-
son any member of that house. An inquiry had taken
place before a coroner and a jury, and a verdict of " Acci-
dental death" had been returned; but ho knew the verdict
had been condemned by all the inhabitants of Wandsworth.
The lady superintendent was not at Wandsworth at the
time of the accident, and he thought it right to state that,
subsequently, two schoolmistresses had been dismissed for
alleged misconduct or neglect on the occasion. The
attention of the executive committee had been called
to the state of management of the school, and after some
discussion they appointed a ladies' committee to assist
them in the management of the school. A com-
mittee of 13 ladies had been appointed ; these ladies
applied themselves with great intelligence and industry
to an investigation into the state of matters in the school,
and the conclusion they arrived at was, that the moral dis-
cipline of the school was most unfortunate. Among other
things they found that a girl within a few months of 16
years of age had been flogged with a birch rod, under the
express orders of the chaplain. On another occasion two
girls had been sent to London by Capt. Fishbourne, the

senior hon. secretary, for the purpose of being mesmerised
(Laughter.) The ladies' committee reported that the punish.
_ .

Illent in the school was unsuitable and revolting, and re-
_ _ _ _

commended the dismissal of the chaplain. The executive
committee, though paying respectful attention to many things
in the ladies' report, declined to dismiss the chaplain ; and
as a reason for this, they stated that everything the chaplain
had done was underfthe direct sanction of the hon. secretary,
Capt. Fishbourne. It might be a good excuse for not dismis-
sing the subordinate officers, but the allegations afforded a
good ground for the removal of Capt.Fishbourne. It appeared
to him that the position occupied by Capt. Fishbourne was
a very singular and anomalous one. Capt. Fishbourne was
called hon. secretary, but he was told that he received a
salary amounting to as much as £730 a year. The hon.
member then called attention to the resignation of Lord
Colchester as chairman of the executive committee, which
was a proof in itself that things were not going on in a se-
i tiefactory manner. It was not his intention to say a word
aiaresPectruste4
the management
of the hon. gentleman to whom had been en-
that ta, the War
of the institution, but he thought
child 1,,:;7 Office was the guardian of the soldier's
tie.eatthenouBetified in bringing the matter under the no-
The Margate the *Under Secretary for War. (Hear.)
.hon.e_ reouera-bF as
Inintit
.1. TINGT ON said that, tough the
npastirliotic v orn, %el:zealot: to him, it was necessary
und
th
stated that he wal'inthiek6aiten
Dthe management of the
Department ; sad the n° WaY And control of the War
nagement of the
a question. almost '
Behot _ any way
r-- the present, distinctly
niseirteto:teraisthlee
in answering
might be called the °°l'.
It was tri:Pensible for the ma-
had no right to interfere rfevrdian °f
the „ til.at the War Office
him to interfere e, and it soldier's chi
with the m was eurewso Id, but he
Sir J. PAKINGTON ,71adgZent of tOs lei, tai "Peet
noble lord was exactly what he "—e answer gives
the honour of being a member- expected. Ais- a the
mittee, the house would probabl of the executive- hema4
few words of explanation, and Ile Pit hint to offerc--";
satisfactory both to the house and the hon. itwttlde
The executive committee had reason to be gentleman,
be dissatisfied
with the unusual form in which the hon.
tle
shaped his question, and which was unusnagleninrhad
Par-
liamentary form of question. The hon. gentleman headalogiven undue prominence to certain matters which had a ten-
dency to create a prejudice against the executive committee,