The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-12 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE HOUSE TO-MORROW.

After a short discussion on the practice of the house, the
proposed meeting of the house at 12 on Tuesday, and the
count out on Monday, the motion for the meeting
to-morrow at 12 to take the Salmon Fisheries Bill was
left intact on the paper, though Mr. Butt, in order to create
a discussion on the practice of the house, had moved that
the order be discharged, a motion which he subsequently
withdrew.

ENDOWED CHARITIES.
Mr. G. DUFF then rose to call attention to the abuses
existing in many endowed charities, with especial reference
to the bearing upon the amount of the Note for elementary
education. The hon. member divided the charities into six
classes, and dwelt upon the vices which had crept into the
management of them. His object in calling attention to
the abuses of those charities was not with a view to their
taxation, but their reformation. Taking the report of Mr.
Cumin for their guide, and making allowance for the in-

;ease since 1818, the amount of income possessed by these
particular charities could not be far short of £1,500,000. He
fully believed that if the income of the several endowed

schools was judiciously administered it would be amply suffi-
cient for the purposes of education without requiring any
vote from Parliament. It was not for him to go into the de-
tails of the measure suitable for remedying the vices which
existed in th• se charities; but he thought one great step
towards it would be gained by reconstituting the Committee
of Council on Education, and making it a committee of edu-

cation and charities.
EDUCATIONAL REPORTS.
Mr. W. E. FORSTER desired to ask the Vice-President
of the Committee upon what conditions he intended to allow
the publication of the reports of the inspectors of schools. It
appeared, according to the minute which had been recently
issued by the department, that no report was to be published
which contained matter of which the heads of the depart-

meat disapproved. If a report contained any controversial
matter it was to be sent back to the inspector, who was thus
made his own censor, in order that such matter might be
eliminated, and then, if the inspector was unwilling to make
the amendment, the report was not published. Now, it

seemed to him that that regulation prevented the inspectors
from fulfilling their very first duties—that of informing the
House of Commons, in the most complete manner, as to the

progress of the educational system, as only one side of
the question was thus made public. (Hear, hear.) The
report of Mr. Watkins, one of the oldest of the inspectors,

was not published last year, merely because it contained
something which the right hon. gentleman did not like.
The question was one not between the inspectors and the
office, but between the office and the House of Commons.

:Hear, hear.)
Mr. LOWE was afraid he could not give a very satisfac

;ory answer to the hon. member. The minute to which

the member made reference declared that the reports

of inspectors ought to be confined to the state of schools,
and to practical suggestions, and it was accompanied by a

statement that if a report did not conform to that injunction
that it would be sent back to the inspector to have it amended•
Well, that in reality was no minute, but simply a conclusion

drawn from an examination of a great number of previous

minutes. He at once admitted that he did not think it was

vious occasion. moved that the vDte be reduced by £B,OOO,

the estimate for a lighthouse off the Little Basses Rocks
near Ceylon. At all events, he hoped that item of the vote
would be postponed till next year, so that the total estimate
(which would be much more than £B,ooo).might be laid be-

fore the house. There had been already over £60,000 spent

in ten years upon the lighthouse, for which the original
estimate waw but £1,500, and to this day no lighthouse had
. .

been built.

Mr. A. SMITH supported the vote.
After some remarks from Mr. W. WILLIAMS and Lord

MONTAGU,
Mr. M. GIBSON said two years ago the house sanc-
tioned this light by voting £B,OOO for that purpose: A light
ship was built by the Bombay authorities instead of the
Trinity Board. The light ship had been built, and was at
Ceylon, and do doubt was in use. This vote was to pay for
works that had been in accordance with a vote of the house.

It was a disputed question whether a light ship was the
best mode of lighting those rocks, and the Government in-
tended to test it before building other light ships. The

work had been done for which this vote was asked for, and
must be paid. The light ship :was recommended by com-
petent naval officers and others, and any document relating
to it was in the Colonial-office.

The amendment was withdrawn.
On the vote being put,
Mr. A. SMITH called attention to the charge for the
lighthouse at the Bahamas, and asked for explanation. If
built of stone it would cost £35,000. The sum of £9,000
asked for was a re-vote, and there was no total of the coat
appended to the vote. There were already seven lighthouses
in the Bahamas, and his contention was that at least the
Bahamas should maintain them after they were built by
this country. He asked why the light charges had not be,n
enforced against the shipping interest. He moved the re-
duction of the vote by £9,000.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS objected to the expenditure for a
lighthouse for the lonian Islands, now that they were about
to be surrendered to the kingdom of Greece.
Mr. M. GIBSON said at present there was no change,
and so long as that was the case England would have to pay
her share of the maintenance of the lighthouses at Corigo.

With regard to the Bahamas, England was the only Power

who could place lighthouses there. The arrangement was

that England and America should divide the expenses by
maintaining a certain number of lighthouses on each side
of the straits. It was impossible to enforce a rate on the
people of the Bahamas, or the shipping frequenting them.
The lighthouses were for the protection of our shipping,
and it was a duty we owed to the commerce of the world
and humanity to maintain them. The £9,000 would covei
the cost of the two lighthouses proposed to be built.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS protested against any more money
being spent on tho lonian Islands for the present.
The amendment was negatived without a division, and
the vote was agreed to.
The vote of £6,000 for sheriff? court-houses, Scotland,

was agreed to.
On the vote of £27,000 for contributions in aid of local
assessments for the relief of the poor in respect of certain
descriptions of Government property,
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS called attention to the
petitions presented to the house from Deptford and
Woolwich, complaining of the mode hitherto adopted in the
distribution of the sum voted in aid of rates for Govern •

ment property, and praying for an amended distribution.
The present rule (which was very unjust) was, that the
Government should not make any contribu►ion to parish
rates except the Government property was equal to one-
sixth of the whole of the parish in which it was situated.
Government property ought to pay the same as private pro-
perty. The people of Deptford would be very glad to get
"• ' '

rid of the Government establishments, and have substituted
shipbuilding• yards, which would afford employment to the
poor of the district. He complained that the petition for-
warded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject
had not been answered. One-half of the parish of St.
Nicholas, Deptford, was Government property, equal to
one• third of the value of the parish.
Mr. M‘MAHON objected to the Government being cal 'ed
upon to pay rates where the local property was enhanced in
value by its proximity to large Government establishments.
He moved the omission of the vote.

Mr. W. MARTIN said Government held property which
otherwise would pay rates, and he saw no reason why, from
the circumstance of its being Government property, it
should be exempted from rates, and the whole burthen
thrown on the other portion of the parish.
Mr. J. Powell, Mr. Doulton, and Mr. I. Butt spoke in

favour of rating public property in all instances, and called
upon the Government to rescind the arbitrary rule they had
laid down in respect to this subject.
Mr. F. PEEL said that if the proposal were to be
adopted, it would be impossible to imagine to what ex-

sum of £30,C00.

proper to make public reports containing animadversions,
on the part of subordinates, as to the policy of the heads
of a department, and that it was the duty of a depart-
ment, if it was anxious to fulfil its functions, to prevent
its subordinates from entering into controversies with
those who were directly responsible to Parliament for
the conduct of its business. As to the question raised by
the hon. member for Elgin (Mr. G. Duff), he did not think
that the proposal of the hon. member ought to be
adopted. He saw no necessity for disturbing the exiting
arrangements with respect to the Charity Commission. He
had no hesitation in saying that a more excellent tribunal
did not exist, and that the commissioners were working im-
mense improvements. No case had been made out against
them, and he must say that he considered the department
with which he was connected utterly unfitted for the
exercise of judicial functions. However, he thought
it would be very desirable to allow the commissioners

tent the vote would be increased. The Government
maintained the principle of exemption from local rating,
but they gave voluntary contributions to certain parishes
with reference—first, to the proportion of the Government
property to other local rateable property, and secondly, in
reference to the money levied in the parish for the main-
tenance and support of the poor. He did not think the
tendency of Government establishments was to increase
pauperism in the districts where they were situated, and he
instanced Somerset House as a case in point. The officers
in the Government establishments were pensioned on retire-
ment, and they were not likely to fall upon the rates for
support. The contribution was considered more in the
shape of a gift to the local charities than a payment towards
the local rates. He thought if they paid the poor rate it
was as much as could be expected. They had to reconcile
conflicting interests, and he thought they did so by contri-
buting the portion they did to the rates.
Sir F. BARING thought that when the principle was
once admitted it was impossible to understand why the
Government should draw the distinction between the poor
rates and the other rates.
Mr. AYRTON said that the question was one of few
contributions to the public disbursements. With regard to
Deptford, the rule adopted by Government acted very
harshly. In Deptford, the poor rates last year were Bs. 3d.
in the pound. Now when they remember that a great
grievance was male of the rates in Lancashire rising to the
monstrous sum of 3s. in the pound, they should exhibit
more c3nsideration towards Deptford, and places similarly
circumstanced.

jected.

school.

to intervene in the affairs of a charity, although they
were not called upon to do so by the inhabitants of
the district, as the law now required. Then, again,
in the case of the charities over £5O he thought the com-
missioners ought to be allowed to interfere without their
being appealed to by a majority of the trustees; and that
the power of the majority of the trustees to dismiss
a schoolmaster should be extended to the masters
of grammar schools. Hitherto the Commissioners of Edu-
cation in making grants did so without any respect to the
existing endowmemts, but a minute had been recently issued
by which endowments were made in all cases to come in aid
of the grant.
Mr. WALTER admired the courage more than the dis•
cretion of the right hon. gentleman in justifying the minute
with respect to the reports of inspectors. It seemed to him
that the publication of the reports in their present shape was
only calculated to mislead members, and he therefore hoped
the house would express itself in the strongest terms against
all tampering with the reports for the future. (Hear.)
Mr. ADDERLEY confessed that long before he held the
office of Vice• President of the Committee of Education he

Mr. ANGERSTEIN opposed the course adopted by the
Government, and expressed a hope that a mere liberal and
generous policy would be adopted next year.

Mr. M'MAHON regretted that there were not more
country members present to suppert the Government
against the pressure which was brought to bear upon it
by the borough and local members Wherever Govern-
ment works were established, the value of property was
largely increased. It the works of Deptford were re-
moved to Cork, for example, did they suppose that the
people of Cork would m t willingly pay all the rates,and ask
no contribution from the Government, being well satisfied
with the advantages which the locality would derive from
the Government works?
Mr. PULLER said this was a question which should not
be left in the hands of metropolitan members only, but
should be dealt with in the spirit of justice and equity. The
Government should not claim exemption from paying their
fair share towards the public taxes in eve!), parish where
they had property, when railway companies and all other
public institutions were allowed no such exemption.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS said that the exemption
claimed for the Government property in Woolwich and
Deptford had created much discontent in those parishes,
and he hoped her Majesty's Government would reconsider
the matter.
Mr. W. MARTIN said if the Government establishments
were removed from Woolwich, the value of the land would
be doubled.
The vote was then agreed to.
THE VOTE FOR EDUCATION.

was of opinion that the inspectors very much departed from
their proper sphere in introducing irrevalent topics into
their reports. He therefore when in cffice attempted to cor-
rect that abuse by laying down a rule that reports should
be drawn up under five heads, and although he subsequently

abandoned it, he adhered to the right of striking out from
the reports all matter wholly irrelevant._ It was material
_ _ _

perhaps that men of the highest mental calibre—such as the
inspectors were—could not avoid the temptation of entering
into) controversial disquisitions, But it was undoubtedly the
duty of the heads of the department to prevent the conse-
quences of such an abuse being made public.

Lord R. CECIL said the complaint was thatyiee-Fesi.

dents of the Committee of Education should constitute
themselves—or the officers under them—censors, for the
pur pose of striking out of a report anything that might
happen to be disagreeable to the Minister of the day. The
right hon. gentleman had talked of loyalty in office, but
there was one thing more important than loyalty in office,
and that was loyalty to the House of Commons; and it
seemed to him that the recent arrangement was nothing
better than a conspiracy to keep the truth from the House
of Commons.

Mr. CHILDERS should regret very much if a return
were made to the inordinate length of the old reports. He
must say that, so far as the convenience of members was
concerned, the returns of the last few years were in a greatly
more convenient shape. He had the highest respect for
Mr. Watkins, but he could not help observing that, in re-
gard to the length of his reports, that gentleman was a spe-
cial offender. At the same time he hoped that all succinct
recommendations of the inspectors would not be excluded
from the reports. _ _

Mr. LOWE said it would not be necessary,on the present
occasion, to occupy the committee at any length after the
debate which had recently taken place on the subject. The
estimate for the present year was £Bo4,ooo,which was about
£36,000 less than the estimate for last year. The estimate
was not framed from very accurate data, but he had reason
to believe that it would not be exceeded. It was made upon
the calculation that half the year would be under the for-
mer code and half under the revised code, which would
come into operation on the 30th of this month. The
estimate for last year had been £774,743. The number of
children in the schools was 1,057,426,and there was school
accommodation for 1,378,000, which was very satisfactory,
as the commissioners reported that 1,500,000 would be the
most they would have to provide for for many years.
The principal matter he had to state was the minute
they had made with reference to the only experiment
they had been able to try wader the revised code, which ap-
plied to the new schools which came into existence. They
hae examined 14 such schools under the revised code. The
average attendance, taking the whole of the schools as one,
was 729 ; out of the 729, 512 were presented for examina•
tion. Unlike the practice in the universities, each child had
to pass three times—in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Out of the first 512, 375 passed in reading, 308 in writing,
and 243 in arithmetic. The result was that the schools
earned by the examination Bs. 3d. per child. The minute
they had made with regard to the training colleges was one
which he hoped would be found to protect the interests of
the public, while at the same time maintaining the colleges.
The minute was principally framed with the view of reme-
dying, as far as practicable, three evils, which they found
existing in those training colleges. One evil was that they
had almost ceased to be voluntary institutions. Many of
them were receiving as much as 99 per cent., but the ave-
o2voe.rnAmneentht
ewragrs
eBeot
epveirl
wc ea
en t, . ,t
hwah it
wl e
htihl
ee
there was no security that the persons so taught would rarathangeecaorgecelelergsl.PeasrlilpfryrOmvpiadied an excellent education for the teachers,
Government
de-
vote themselves to the profession. But under this minute
no payment would be made on account of any person until
he obtained his certificate and was two years employed as
teacher and well reported of. Another evil was that under
the former system the responsibility was thrown upon the
i Gwviroovhuieercmbt
the
ane
obliged
eboylifsgtadaptingeera d
to
adtahpet supplythe of teachers to the . .
be about five
de-
mand; but under the new minute the responsibility would
be
mow upon the training colleges ; and henceforth they
•
supply to the demand.
years
hence,came
into full operation, which 'MUM
the training colleges would not
receive mole than 76 per cent. They had also made a mi-
nute with regard to the inspectors which had been alluded

Mr. FERRAND denounced the Charity Commission as
a gross Whig job, and said he believed it was the notorious
political bias of that commission which caused most of the
evils complained of. He believed every member of the board
and every important functionary of that body were Whigs.
How could their proceedings be satisfactory to the country
while the board was so constituted ?
Mr. HENNESS Y suppGrted the views of the hon. mem-
ber who brought forward the question, and mentioned as
a curious circumstance that whenever an article upon the
subject of education appeared in the Quarterly or any other
of the bulky periodicals of that character, it was sure to be
reprinted in the report of the inspectors. It was also re-1
markable that the same articles were continually reproduced 1
ad nauseam.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said that by the present practice
information was only furnished upon one side of the ques-
tion. They had better have no information at all than that
thet vice-president should have power to give only such por-
ThTeIIOE,DDOENBOAGTHEIJEONwi
ona of the reports as min cated his own opinions.
avestraj BTheHdEto klßnoWSHwhenlithljenalCjilou'rned
debate on this question would be taken. He thought upon
Mr. B. OSBORthlel
subject of sa7phoiniintapodrtance it was the duty of the Go-
Eaaia7d: he would bring the question for-
wardhe thought it would ou
the Government were betoyna
as soon as
courteous to Irish members if
moue ma day for its iliscussion.
forms of °I) house would permit; but
Lord PALMERSTON o
questions brought gree that it was their
duty to find days foiqhe discussion a
11Gomof:emrblu:ent had but two
for-
ward by private members. The
Mr.ia Blake,
admayosn gosft themselves eelevkes fanordthperidvisaptoesal of thesotraheusr must arrange
ge
After some brief remarks from Mr. Hadfield,
Sir M. Farquhar, Major O'Reilly, Mr. Cogan, i r
chiefly complaining that the Government afforded nrstacelii:
lities for the discussion of the question.
The house went into committee of supply.
SUPPLY.

Upon the vote of £28,914 for lighthouses abroad (which
was under discussion when the house was counted out on
Monday night),
Mr. CHILDERS, for the reasons he gave on the pre-

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MINE 12, 1863.

to in an earlier part of the evening. They proposed to
make a small increase in the salaries in consequence of
the additional duties imposed upon them under the re

vised code ; and they further made provision for giving them
schoolmasters as their assistants, and not, as had been said

lat evening, appointing schoolmasters assistant-inspectors.

The schoolmasters appointed to assist the inspectors vvuld

have no power to report on the school, or do anything what-
ever beyond examining the school. He trusted the house
would not put a forced construction upon this minute, for
the only object of it was to give the inspectors assistance
upon the cheapest terms in those places where it was re-

quired. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BLACK said he would feel it his duty to move a re-
duction of the vote upon that portion relating to pupil
teachers. Taking the certificated teachers, pupil teachers,

and probationary—teachers together, they had an army of
28,288 teachers. He should like to see that army in Hyde
Park. It would be a pretty one for the Prince and Princess
to review. For what purpose had they 15,000, pupil teachers?

The hon. member contended that no apprentices ought to be
taken into the training schools during the present year, as
there was not work for the pupil teachers already on the list;

and, in that view, he moved that the vote be reduced by a

Mr. LOWE said the money asked for by this vote was
'or the paymelat of pupil teachers already apprenticed, but
he hon. member might rest satisfied that under the new

code, which would come into operation on the 30th bast., no
part of the grant would be directly applicable for the pay-

went of pupil teachers.
Mr. F. S. POWELL expressed his belief that the pupil

teachers were the backbone of the system of education.
Mr BLACK then withdrew his amendment.

Mr. ADDIN GT ON inquired whether measures could not

be taken to protect unmarried females placed in charge of
parish schools from the temptations to which they were sub-

Mr. LO WE said the Committee of Council could not very

well interfere in the matter ; it was one which must be dealt

with by the friends of the teachers themselves, more espe-
cially as under the new system they w uld be the servants
of the managers, and not of the Committee.

Mr. PULLER was of opinion that the training schools
were the mainstay of the whole system, and their mainten-
ance was a matter of great importance. With regard to
pupil teachers leaving their schools to follow other occupa-
tions, the last reports showed that out of 328 only 10 had
given up and gone to other employment. With respect to
the inspectors of schools, he thought it would be a very un-
fortunate thing fer the country if Parliament were to be de-
prived of the information furnished by their report.
Mr. ADDERLEY feared that the system of maintaining
the training schools, as set out by the right hon. gentleman's
proposal, would not be so successful as he anticipated. Al-
together, however, he approved of the system, and only
wished it had applied to Ireland and Scotland also.
M r. W. E. FOSTER was opposed to the vote until further
informed as to the operation of the new system.
Sir M. FARQUHAR supported the vote. It was of the
utmost importance they should know what the inspectors
wrote, and he condemned the garbled reports of the inspec-
tors that were published by the Government.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS complained of the annual growing

increase of the vote, and he asked for an explanation why
Scotland was allowed the liberal contribution of tour or five
years ago, and was placed in a superior position to the other
parts of the empire. He approved of educating the poor,
but he thought it should be done with economy.
Mr. LIDDELL supported the certificate system, believ-
ing that the success of the schools depended on the efficiency
of the master. If they could not get beyond 88.3 d per head
they would have to fall back upon inferior teachers, and the
efficiency of the schools would deteriorate proportionally.

Mr. A. BLACK said he believed advantages were given
to Scotland because they had a superior system than that
which prevailed in England. lie should wish to see it,
however, improved and extended, but the revised code was
not likely to effect that object.
Mr. E, COLE BROOK supported the voluntary system
which prevailed in Scotland.
After some further discussion, the amendment was nega-
tived without a division, and the vote was agreed to.
The next vote was £122,883 for the department of science
and art.

Mr. A. SMITH pointed out the steady increase in this
item year after year, and moved to reduce the vote by
£lO,OOO.
Mr. C. BENTINCK wished to know if it was the inten-

tion of her Majesty's Government to carry on the build-
ings at Kensington under the superintendence of the gentle-
man who was, he underst )ode the master of drawing in the

Mr. LOWE said that Captain Fowke had neither the
honour nor dishonour of being the designer of what was
called " The Boilers ;" they were the design of Sir Wm.
Cubitt. Captain Fowke was the designer of the Vernon and
Sheepshanks galleries at the South Kensington Museam,
and they did him the greatest credit. He was also the de-
signer of many public buildings which were greatly admired.
Mr. C. BENTINCK said the right hon. gentleman had
not answered his question. He maintained that Captain
Fowke knew nothing of architecture. With regard to
the lighting of buildings, it was right that an engineer
should be appointed. (Hear.) But he could tell the
right hon. gentleman that the sheds which he valued so
highly were the scorn of everybody who knew anything of
the ABC of architecture. (Laughter.) They were on a
par with the huge melon-glasses which the Chancellor of
the Exchequer wanted them to buy. (Great laughter.) he
right hon. gentleman's department was most unfortunate,
and he could not congratulate it on having for its architect
the designer of the melon-glasses. (Renewed laughter)
Mr. LOCKE thought his hon. friend was too hard upon
Capt. Fowke; for, if they ',poked through the metropolis,
they would find all their architects were in no better posi-
tion than Capt. Fowke. (Laughter.) Capt. Fowke was the
designer of that great brick building, the International Ex-
hibition building. That building was not erected for orna-
ment (Laughter.) It was built for the purpose of present-
ing the most frightful exterior that could be conceived—
(laughter)—but that showed the ability of Captain Fowke.
(Renewed laughter.) He thought Capt. Fowke should be
allowed to run his course, and try his hand as well as any-
body else at the ornamentation of the Exhibition building,
but which he hoped would not cost so much as £448,000.
Sir M. RIDLEY said that some pictures in the South
Kensington galleries, which were in good preservation
when they were removed from Marlborough House, were
decaying very rapidly.
The committee divided—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority
The vote was then agreed to.
THE VOLUNTEERS' BILL.
At half-past 12 this order was called on, when
Mr. COX rose to present three petitions against that
portion of the bill giving commanding officers the power of
summary dismissal. One of them was from the 37th Mid-
dlesex, and another from the Ist Lancashire. The hon.
member having remarked that the bill was brought on be-
fore, on the Ascot Cup night, said he felt that justice could
not be done to it at that hour, and therefore ho should
move the adjournment of the debate. (Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of HARTINGTON said he was perfectly
aware that the hon. member and his friends meant to ob-
struct the progress of the bill in every possible way, but
the bill had been fully considered in committee. (No, no,
and hear.) He could not help the bill coming on upon the
Ascot night, but the hon. member had not explained why
the friends of the complaining volunteers had not been more
numerous in their attendance at Ascot than in the house.
The only amendment on the paper, however, was exactly
the same as that of the hon. baronet the member for Not-
tingham (Sir R. Clifton), which had been fully discussed
the other evening. Therefore there was no reason for not
going on with the bill.
Major ED WAR 'ES was in favour of proceeding then.
Sir J. SHELLEY spoke in favour of proceeding with the
bill, which he believed was anxiously desired by the volun-
teers at large.
Mr. COX withdrew his amendment.
Some other amendments having been agreed to,
Sir R. CLIFTON said the hon. Bart. spoke of the volun-
teers at large, but he said nothing about those under arrest.
If the newspaper articles and correspondence he had seen
and had sent to him were any test—he would read some of
the letters. (The hon. gentleman then read a letter from
Mr, Thos. Harris, of Blackfriars-road, and another from a
member of the Forfarshire Volunteers at Dundee, com-
plaining that volunteers should be dismissed by their offi-
cers without notice er explanation, and with no power of
appeal). The letters referred to numerous applications that
sad been made to the Lord-Lieutenant and Commander-in-
Chief, but which had never been attended to nor noticed.
In one case a number of complaints had been made, and
the Lord-Lieutenant ordered a court of inquiry, where-
upon a memorandum was issued, stating that the ex-
planation of the officers was satisfactory, but the men
could be dealt with another time. Then came
Mr. Hutchinsen's case, asking for the withdrawal
of his name from the corps. This bill gave the
colonel a despotic power to dismiss any man at his ca-
price, and if the Government wished to annihilate the
movement, he had nothing further to say. He felt con-
fident, from the hundreds of letters he had received, and
upwards of 60 leading articles that had been forwarded to
him, that this bill was disliked by the men, and would have
the effect of destroying that fine force. He moved the
following amendment in clause 20, line 17, after "cause,"
leave out to and including "officer" in line 19, and insert
"such cause or causes respectively to be committed to
writing, and communicated to the accused by the adjutant
of such corps, and the existence and sufficiency of such
causes respectively to be judged of by a court to be
summoned by the commanding officer, and to consist of one
captain, two subaltern officers, and two non-commissioned
officers or privates of the same corps."
Mr. D. GRIFFITH had taken great interest in the
movement, and he had an opportunity of knowing the
feelings of the corps on this bill, and he could assure the
house there was a strong feeling throughout the country
against the bill. It was said there was a similar clause in
the Act of 1804; but circumstances were different then and
now, and it was not be expected that the present generation
was acquainted with that ancient piece of legislation. He
was impartial in the matter, but it was to be recollected
that this was a house of colonels, and not a house of

privates, the latter being, indeed, very rare in that house
(Hear, hear, and latightet•.) It was likely there should be
black she p in some of their corps, and in the case of Mr.
Merrick Lord Ranelagh appointed such a court of inquiry
as that proposed. It was a court that was generally
adopted, and afforded a moral support to the colonels. A
court of inquiry was summoned in Mr. Reid's case, and
they suspended him. There was a subsequent proceeding
against that gentleman by the colonel, but he did not mean
to enter into that. He should support the amendment.
Mr. COX said he was not anxious to bring on the dis-
cussion at so late an hour, knowing it would take a consi-
derable time, and therefore he must throw himself on the
indulgence of t 4 house. The question resolved itself
into two points. The first was the unlimited powers pos-
sessed by the colonels for dismissing any man from the
corps they thought fit, for any or no reason whatever. The
volunteers when they joined their respective corps had no
idea the colonels possessed, or would ever possess, the powers
now claimed, or they would never have connected them-
selves with the movement. Many of the volunteers were
afraid to sign the petitions against the bill. Some of them
had that very day told him that they dare not sign the pe-
titions, for that if they did they should at once send in their
resignation, and they would be surely dismissed before the
14 days would be allowed to expire. There were several
cases of hardship to which he could refer. One was an oc-
currence in one of the Surrey corps, the name of which he
could not recollect. A Mr. Fricker, an auctioneer of King-
ston, had a dispute about business with cue of the officers,
He appealed to the commanding officer, and as he could not
get any satisfaction, he sent in his resignation. Before the
14 days had expired he received his dismissal. He had two
sons in the corps who, seeing how their father had been
treated, sent in their resignations also, and they, too, were
dismissed. (Name, name.)
Lord ELCHO— Will the hon. gentleman name the com-
manding officer of the corps ?
Mr. COX had stated that he could not remember the
name of the commanding officer, or the number of the corps,
but he had said that it was one of the Surrey corps, and he
had given the names and professions of the volunteers. He
would find, in the evidence of Lord Ranelagh, proof of the
desire of commanding officers to obtain power over their
men. (Read, read.) He would read from Lord Ranelagh's
evidence given before the commissioners. The hon. gentle-
man then read the well-known passage in which Lord
Ranelagh said that schoolboys who commented improperly
upon their masters ought to be flogged. His lordship was
then asked what ought to be done with volunteers who
commented improperly upon their officers? To which he
replied, that that was a different thing, seeing that they
could not flog volunteers, or put them in the black
hole. From that passage he (Mr. Cox) contended
that the noble lord evidently had in his mind a regret
that he could not flog a volunteer. (Oh, oh, and No,
no.) He desired to have a regular court of appeal, to
which volunteers could go without requiring the assent of
the commanding officer. He would mention the case of the
Lanarkshire Volunteer Artillery. A vacancy occurred in
that corps. They elected a captain. The commanding offi
ces declined to send his name to the Lord Lieutenant. The
corps applied to the Lord Lieutenant, and lie told them
that he could not receive their memorial except through the

commanding officer. They went to the War- office, where
they received the same answer. They then sent the memo-
rill to the commanding officer to have it forwarded, and he
refused to do so. He (Mr. Cox) said that such an appeal
was a farce. The result was that the whole body resigned,
50 men and officers of No. 7 battery—and there was no
longer such a battery in his Lanarkshire Artillery. If that
clause passed the volunteer force would be at an end. They
would not submit to ba degraded and ruined in their busi-
noss,

Lord ELCHO said that the hon. gentleman bad alluded
to cases which it was very desirable should be clearly be-
fore the house, in order that they might be understood
The portion of the evidence of Lord Ranelagh to which he
had referred happened to be precisely the very passages for
the publication of which, and the holding him up to public
odium as the supporter of flogging iu the volunteer force,
Lord Ranelagh had proceeded against certain parties.
(Hear.) Lord Ranelagh had proceeded against the gentle-
men who published those very extracts, with comments,
deducing from the passages that he advoca, ed flogging
amongst volunteers, and the magistrates held that the pub-
lication was a gross libel. (Hear.) And it was only by pay-
ments of all costs and the signing and publication of a most
ample apology, dictated by Lord Ranelagh, that those gen-
tlemen escaped the consequences of their libellous asser-
tions. (Hear, hear.) Yet the hon. gentleman actually read
the same paragraphs, and attempted Lo fix upon them the
meaning which had been decided to be libellous upon the
noble lord. (Hear, and cheers.) There was an associa-
tion at present trying to promote disaffection amongst the
volunteers, and to set the men against the commanding
officers. He protested against officers being held up as
tyrants. If they acted despotically, they produced re-
signation in their corps, and thus the atrampt to
tyrannise cured itself. He contended that it was desirable
that appeals should only be sent through commanding offi-
cers. The noble lord the Under-Secretary said the clause
was necessary to preserve discipline in the corps, and he
trusted the house would uphold their former decision.
Major EDWARDES hoped the noble lord would perse-
vere in passing this bill in its integrity, and he would have
the thanks of all the volunteers of the country. (Hear.)
Mr. HENNESSY was surprised to hear it stated that

the bill introduced by the Government embodied the whole
spirit of the English law on the subject. The hon. member
referred to various corps, in alt of which there were rules
providing for a court of inquiry. He should support the
amendment.

The Marquis of HARTINGTON said that as early as
1860 a circular was sent from the War-office relating to

that power, and the volunteers had multiplied and prospered
under the rule. It was only since the introduction or this
bill that a demand for courts of inquiry had arisen. The
duty of the court of inquiry was simply to ascertain facts,
but not to pass sentence, and therefore the amendment, if
carried, would entirely alter the nature of the measure. In
the case of Mr. Reece, referred to by the hon. member for
Nottingham, it so happened that that gentleman was pla-
carded all over London ; and this is the very thing which
the amendment would bring about on a large scale. In
making a grant it was not the object of the Government to
have more members, but that the volunteers should show
themselves worthy of the approbation of the country.
(Divide, divide.)
Sir J, SHELLEY said that the volunteers had been in
formed by circular that they were to be subjected to disci-
pline by the commanding officer.
Mr. WYLD said that the noble lord was wrong in stating
that Mr. Reece had been dismissed by a court of inquiry;
he was dismissed by the lieutenant-colonel commanding.
The house divided, The numbers were—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority against.... —7l
The clause was allowed to stand, and the report agreed
to. The bill was ordered for third reading this day
(Friday).
DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF LAND
(IRELAND) BILL.

This bill was recommitted for the purpose of amend
went.

ALDERNEY LABOUR.

On the adjourned debate on the ruport on supply,
Sir J. ELPHINSTONE objected to the vote on account
of Alderney Harbour, and moved that it be reduced by
£BO,OOO,
The house divided. The numbers were—
For the vote
Against
Majority for
The repart was then agreed to.
The Regimental Debts, &c., Bill was read a second
time.

The Officers of Royal Naval Reserve Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The other business was disposed of, and the house ad-
journed at twenty-five minutes to three o'clock.

The fourteenth report of the Oriental Inland
Steam Company, to be presented at the ensuing
half-yearly meeting, has just been published. It
is stated that the result of the operations of the
company does not warrant the declaration of a
dividend for the six months ending March last.
Reference is made to the managing directors i❑
India, whose proceedings, it appears, have given
great dissatisfaction to the Board in England. Col.
Grimes, the chairman, has a►rived at the scene of
operations and suspended his subordinate.
HAIR AND LlGHTNlNG.—Residents in Brighton
aro not likely soon to forget the storm which flooded
Pool Valley in 1850. The lightning of that storm burnt a
hole, such as a red-hot rifle bullet might burn, through the
bushy whisker of a man who was out in the storm. I record
this fact on the testimony of the late Dr. Williamson, from
whom I had it, and to whom the man went immediately
with his scathed cheek. Father Feyjoo, relates in the Cartes
Eruditus, that lightning passed near a young man named
Juan Francisco Menendez Miranda. He was not in the
least hurt, yet his hair began falling off immediately after-
wards, and in a few days none remained upon his body.
One more example of the effects of lightning upon hair.
The particulars were supplied by the sufferer himself to
M. Arago. Captain FLihouet was second in command of
the frigate Golymin, on the 21st Feb., 1812, when she was
sailing out of the harbour of L' Orient. The vessel was struck
by lightning-, and the captain received several injuries on
the head. " The next day," he says, when I wished to
shave, I found that my razor, instead of cutting my beard,
pulled the hairs out by the roots, and since then I have had
no beard. The hair on my head, on my eyebrows, and on
my eyelashes, all the hair on my body, in fact, came gra-
dually away by the roots, and d d not grow again.--
Dickens's "All the Year Round."

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