The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-10 00:00:00

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.

Lord HOTHAM asked the right hon. gentleman (Mr.
M. Gibson) when he intended to proceed with this bill ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said that it was arranged that the com-
mittee of supply this evening should not go beyond 10 or
half••past 10 o'clock, when he would proceed with the
Merchant Shipping Act.
Lord HOTHAM said that he understood the right hon.
gentleman to state last night that he would inform the
house this evening when he would bring the bill forward,
but he had not the slightest idea that it would come before
the house this evening. He acted under that impression,
and communicated with some members of the house, who
were absent in consequence of his statement.
Mr. LOCKE was not present when the right hon, gen-
tleman made his statement, but he was under the impres-
sion from what he read that the noble lord (Hotham) was
correct.

Mr. M. GIBSON said that he had communicated with
the noble lord at the head of the Government, and the
arrangement which he mentioned was decided on. How.
ever, under the circumstances, he would not bring the mea-
sure forward this evening. (Hear, hear.)
M. MERCIER'S VISIT TO RICHMOND:
In reply to Sir J. DUKE, _ _ .

Mr. LA.YARD said that the visit of M. Mercier to
Richmond was without any instruction from his Govern-
ment, and was attended with no political results.
PROMOTION OF NAVAL OFFICERS ON THE
RESERVED LIST.
Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty to lay
upon the table of the house a copy of the form of commis-
sion promoting the first-named 90 officers on the reserved
list of the navy to the rank of captain ; and a copy of the form
of commission promoting the last two officers on that list to
the rank of captain, with any explanationthere may have been
for the necessity of changing the form of commission : to
ask for a return of the names and pay or other emoluments
of the first sixteen captains on the reserved list : and to
move that the case of the reserved captains be referred to
the law officers of the Crown.

. _
Mr. B. Cochrane, Major Edwards, and Admiral Walcott
supported the motion.
Mr. BERKELEY opposed the motion, and was under-
stood to say that he thought that the officers on the reserved
list were not entitled to the promotion in question, when
thero were so many lieutenants who were engaged in active
service.

Lord C. PAGET said that this was a question which
had been so frequently discussed in the House of Com-
mons that if he went into it at any length he would only
be repeating what had been already stated by honourable
members. Ho might state that, in consequence of the
opinion expressed by certain hon, members on the opposite
side of the house, his noble friend the Duke of Somerset
had laid the whole question before the law officers of the
Crown, who were of opinion that the course adopted by
Government was quite correct. His (Lord Ci Paget's)
sympathies were with the officers alluded to, but he did not
think they were entitled to be placed on an equality with
officers engaged in active service. He had no objection to
the production of the document asked for as regarded the
90 officers and 12 officers in question, but drew attention to
the fact that it was not usual or convenient to lay the
opinion of the law officers on the table of the house.

Mr. TALBOT congratulated the house on th© fact that
this matter had been referred to the law officers of the
crown, but he thought the opinion of these officers should
be laid on the table of the house.

Sir J. PAKINGTON said that there were public rea-
sons why the opinions of the law officers of the crown
should not be laid on the table, and he trusted that the hon.
member (Sir J. Hay) would not persevere with this subject,
but rest satisfied with the conviction that he had done all
in his power for the class of officers in whose welfare he
was so much interested.

Mr. MALINS said he had been present at the different
discussions which had taken place on the vexata questto,
which he considered had becomo more perplexed by the
speech of the right hon. member, who had taken a different
view on previous occasions. He thought the case laid be-
fore the law officers of the crown should be submitted to
the house, in order to enable honourable members to
judge if that statement embodied all the facts
of the case. He had the highest • • opinion of
the law officers of the crown, but as a man of experience
and common sense, an erroneous opinion might be obtained
from
the most eminent lawyer in consequence of the nature
of the statement laid before him.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the fact was
that the statements made by the officers who felt themselves
aggrieved, had bee, 4 414 before the law oigr:ers of the