The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAsT EVENING.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
a five o'clock.

THE INDIAN OFFICERS.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented four petitions
from officers in the Indian army complaining of the
grievances they had sustained in consequence of the
amalgamation of the armies.
CLOSING-PUBLIC-HOUSES ON SUNDAY.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition
from members of the Society of Friends in Newcastle,
Praying for a bill compelling the closing of drinking shops
04 Sundays.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a second time :—Na'an
and Kingscourt Railway ; Athenry and Ennis Junction
Railway ; Ayr Water ; Dundee Gas ; Herne Bay Fishery ;
Enniskillen, Bundoran, and Sligo Railway ; Fergus River
Navigation, &c.
CIVIL BILL COURTS PROCEDURE (IRELAND)
ACT 1864 AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF CO:NDIONS—LAsT EVENING.
The SPEAKER. took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a second time :—London
and North Western Railway (New Works, &c.) (Wales and
Ireland), Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland (No.
2), Nandi° Railway, Northampton and Banbury Junction
Railway (Extensions), and St. Stephen's Green (Dublin).
METROPOLIS SEWAGE AND ESSEX RECLAMA-
TION BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Sir W. RUSSELL said that he objected to the prin-
ciple of referring questions like those involved
in the present bill to a general discussion of the
whole house, when it should be dealt with in a scientific
manner. As a member of the committee who had devoted
much time to the consideration of this subject, he had come
to the conclusion that the only practical means of utilising
the metropolitan sewage was by adopting the principle
of gravitation proposed in this bill and sanctioned
by the Metropolitan Board of Works. He believed that
the effect of this bill would be most advantageous to local
and national interests, for it had now become an urgent
necessity that
.the sewage of this great metropolis
should be so dealt with as to prevent its being injurious
to the health of the metropolis, which was the case at pre-
sent, when it was concentrated upon a certain point. He
thought, therefore, that any delay should be deprecated,and
that the three objects proposed by this bill, viz., of rendering
the sewage innocuous, utilising it, and realising a large sum
fox it for the rate payers of the metropolis. The same dif-
ficulties that existed in disposing of the sewage of other
localities did not exist in regard to that of the metropolis,
and he thought the evidence was in favour of the assartion
made by the advocates of this bill that the sewage could
be profitably applied to growing crops, and realise a large
sum by those who availed themselves of the sewage
for the purpose of fertilising the cereal or other crops.
The plan proposed by Messrs. Holt and Napier
for removing the metropolitan sewage to a certain distance
from London was in his opinion very practicable, and
-would effect the objects proposed. In reference to an
amendment on the paper by the hon. member for London
for postponing the second reading of the bill for six weeks,
he contended that the effect of that amendment., if
adopted,would be to postpone the bills or legislation on this
subject for the present session. (Hear, hear.) He adverted
in terms of eulogium to the services which the noble lord
(Lord R. Montagu) had rendered in committee in regard to
this very important subject.
Mr. CRAWFORD moved that the bill be read a second
time that day six months. He denied that there was any
petty feeling of rivalry on the part of the Corporation
of London, and other opponents of the bill, towards the
Metropolitan Board of Works. In dealing with a question
of this importance he thought the house should maintain its
privileges in considering the subject with great delibera-
tion. It must be remembered that the merits of this bill was
problematical, as differences of opinion prevailed amongst
scientific men, including that eminent authority, Baron
Liebig, who considered the scheme .of Messrs. Holt and
Napier visionary.
Mr. TITE supported the bill.
After some further discussion,
Mr. AYRTON moved the following amendment :
" That it be referred to a select committee of ten, half
to be nominated by the house, and half by the com-
mittee of selection, and that the committee be instructed
to inquire into the most useful and profitable means of dis-
posing of the metropolitan sewage on the north side of the
Thames."
Mr. COWPER said that a prima facie case had been made
out in favour of this bill, and so far from the Metropolitan
Board of Works having been precipitate in regard to this
bill, he thought they had delayed the matter too long. It
was indispensable to the health of the metropolis that the
sewage should be conveyed out of the Thames estuary instead
of being permitted to flow back and pollute the water con-
sumed by the inhabitants of London. He did not consider
the question of the profit of the sewage a matter of so
much importance, and he approved of the proposition of the
hon. and learned member for the Tower Hamlets.
Sir W. RUSSELL withdrew his motion, on the under-
standing that the amendment of Mr. Ayrton should be
pressed to a division, but it was agreed to without a divi-
sion, and the subject then dropped.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
On the motion of Sir G. GREY, it was agreed that the

house, at its rising to-night, should adjourn until 2 o'clock
to-morrow (this day), it being Ash Wednesday.
TRAVELLING EXPENSES IN THE MILITIA.
Sir H. S TRACY asked whether the Royal warrant of
21st November, 1864, giving the officers of the army when
travelling without troop; certain allowances, applied in
like manner to officers of militia.
The Marquis of lIARTINGTON said that the rule with
regard to the regular troops did not apply to the militia.
FISHERIES IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. IL BAILLIE asked the Home Secretary whether
he had received a communication from Mr. Caird in Novem-
ber last respecting a close time for herrings in Scotland,
and what steps had been taken in the matter ?
Sir G. GREY said that he had received such a commu-
nication, and the Lord Advocate would introduce a bill on
the subject.

PARLIAMENTARY BOROUGHS.
Mr. BAINES moved for returns of the number of male
persons resident within each Parliamentary borough
in England and Wales, or within seven miles
thereof,. who were assessed to the last poor rate in any
parish within such borough, at the gross estimated rental
following, viz., under £4 and £5, of £5 and under £6, of
£6 and under £7, of £7 and under £B, of £8 and
under £9, of £9 and under £lO, of £lO and
over ; and of the population of each Parlia-
mentary borough, according to the census of 1861;
the gross estimated rental of the property therein at
Lady Day, 1863 ; and the number of electors on the
register now in force ; together with an estimate of the
number of the electors in Parliamentary boroughs, if the
franchise were extended to male occupiers assessed at a
gross estimated rental of £9, £B, £7, and £6 (in continua-
tion of a return of male occupiers in Parliamentary cities
and boroughs, presented by command, in the session of
1860).—Ordered.
COMMIT TEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.
Sir J. PAKINGTON moved for a committee to inquire
into the constitution of the Committee of Council on Educa-
tion, and the system under which the business of the office is
conducted. The right hon. bort. took exception to the
pre-
sent constitution of the Council, and said that there were
no less than 1,124 parishes in England which received no
benefit from the annual grant for educational purposes. He
contended that the council of education had not at present
acted in a manner calculated to inspire much confidence
in their future efficiency in dealing with so important a
subject as national education. The defective working of
the educational department had excited a strong feeling of
assatisfaction and distrust ; but that had arisen not so
much from the fault of the Minister as from the constitu-
tion of the Board itself. Illustrative of this view the right
hon. gentleman referred to the revised code, which he said
was less directed to the improvement of education than to
the diminution of the annual grant. Again: the conscience
clause had been put in force without having been previ-
ously submitted to the house for its sanction. Moreover,
there was a large extent of country virtually excluded from
assistance by these grants. And lastly, the constitution of
the Committee of Council was not calculated to ensure the
carrying out of an effective system of education.
Mr. WALTER moved as an amendment to Sir J. Pak-
ington's motion that the committee should also inquire into
the beat mode of extending the benefits of Government in-
spection and the Parliamentary grant to schools at present
unassisted by the State.
the Mr. LOWS
condemned the proposal of Mr. Walter as
commencement of an attempt to utterly undo the great
work that had been recently accomplished, by extending
the grant to a
that the teachers those schools were persons to whom
entrust,
one
ys
ketthe education of the rising gene-
ration. The very of the existing system was the
efficiency of the teacher, who was also an agent for the dis-
tribution of the public re en,
aksl
that were done away
with the consequence must ?irC a
i :(1.
recklesste.n
expenditure that
With
would be most discreditable to the Government.
regard to the motion of Sir J. p
objection of the right hon. baronet seemed
to the theoretical
was not a single Minister responsible for the
e dbe that there
tion of the grant ; but that was not the fact. Therea wnunistm-
responsible Minister, and that was the Lord Presidentas one
the Council. Bearing in mind that the system of national of
education was founded upon the principle of aiding by
public grants the voluntary efforts of the people, so long as
that was acted upon he considered the Committee of Coun-
cil to be the most fitting department for the adminis-
tration of the grants. Every attempt that had yet been
made in this house to alter the present system meant no-
thing else than more money for schools—less guarantee for
teachers. And such was the object of the -motion now
under consideration. Let the conditions upon which the