The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-15 00:00:00

FOREIGN SALT.

Mr. J. TOLLEMACHE asked the President of the
Board of Trade the cause of so long a delay in the settle-
ment of the question as to the terms upon which English
salt was to be admitted into France, under the reciprocity
treaty between the two countries, and what was the present
state of the negotiations thereon ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said he believed the salt duty would
soon be the subject of legislation in France.
THE RESIGNATION OF MR. WILDE.

Mr. FERRAND asked the Attorney-General whether it
was true that Mr. Henry Sedgwick Wilde, when registrar
of the Court of Bankruptcy at Leeds, was called upon by
one of the bankruptcy officials, by authority, to resign his
offiao, and that he refused to do so ; whether Mr. Wilde
was then informed that if he would resign at once and ob-
tain a medical certificate he should have a pension of .£6OO a
year, althoughhe was then in a good state of health; whether
he did obtain such medical certificate and resign, and was
the pension so promised granted or sanctioned by the Lord
Chancellor ; was Mr. Wilde, on his resignation, succeeded
by Mr. Welch, who was then in a precarious state of health ;
was it arranged that Mr. Welch should hold the office un-
til the reversal of the outlawry of the Hon. R. Bethell ; and
was Mr. R. Bethell's appointment made out after his out-
lawry was reversed, and did he attend the Bankruptcy
Court at Leeds, on or about the 24th Feb. last, and state
to officials that he was appointed registrar ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said Mr. Wilde had not
been called upon to resign, but had been called upon, in
consequence of the report of Mr. Commissioner Ayrton, to
account for certain irregularities in his office. Those an-
swers had not been deemed satisfactory, and Mr. Wilde
pleaded ill health. He was then informed by the chief
registrar that, as ill health was the cause, he could present
a petition praying to be allowed to retire, in accordance
with the provisions of the act of 1861. A petition was
presented, which was verified by affidavit, and also by a
very eminent medical practitioner, that Mr. Wilde was
suffering from total loss of sight, and upon that he was
allowed to retire upon a pension of £6OO per annum. It
was not arranged beforehand that Mr. Wilde was to be
succeeded by Mr. Welsh, but that gentleman had been re-
corded for promotion long before that of the late Sir W.
Wharton. The Lord Chancellor, however, had never
seen Mr. Welsh before the appointment, so that no ar-
rangement was made with him respecting his retirement,
and no proposal was made to him to that effect. Mr. R.
Bethel was never appointed a Registrar in the Leeds Dis-
trict Bankruptcy Court, and if he attended and stated that
he was so appointed, he did it without the sanction or
knowledge of the Lord Chancellor.
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS IN INDIA.
India
Mr. TORRENS asked the Secretary of State for
ewxhaemninitawtioans e
for intendedthe
Civilthat the
Service ne rulein India, for comxpinetittihvee
maximum limit of ago at 21 years, was to have fixing
effect ;g and
whether there would be any objection to postpone its
or the
ope-
ration until such time that it cannot injuriously affect per-
sons who had studied for the examination! und
belief that the old rule, making the maximum limit
its
22 years, would not be altered ; and, also, what the new rule ; whether
publicity had been given to
has been confinedat the
publication by the Civil Service Commissioners
teor the
Secretary of State to
fofoltBo6fs," the
or printedhad
dit
been Regulations for the open competition
published in the English, Irish,
Scotch, Colonial, or Indian official Gazettes, as well as in
o
some of the London and provincial newspapers.
Sir C. WOOD said the alteration would take effect in the
year 1866. The utmost publicity had been given to the
arrangement, as it had been sent for publication to nearly
every known channel of information.
THE CONFEDERATE STATES.
Mr. J. WHITE asked the Frst Lord of the Treasury
whether the Government had determined to withdraw its
recognition of the belligerent rights of the (so-called) Con-
federate States of America.
Lord PALMERSTON (who, on rising, was received
with loud cheers) said the President of the United States
had determined to blockade the Southern States in ac-
cordance with the law of nations. The British Govern-
ment could have refused to assent to that arrange-
ment, but as it had been acknowledged, both
parties were considered to possess belligerent rights. When
that blockade was raised by the. Government of the United
States, of course there would be no acknowledgment of
bdlligerent rights either on one side or the other. -
___ _

PROMOTIONS IN-INDIA.
Mr,IIEYGATE asked the Secretary of State for India

whether any return had been furnished by the Madras au-
thorities in India, showing the effect of the staff corps pro-
motions on the heutenant-colonels of the local service in
that presidency. What had been the effect on these lieut.-
colonels by the brevet promotions, which were to remedy
the supersession caused by the staff corps warrant ; and, if
he would lay upon the table of the house copies of any re-
presentations from the Government of India, Madras, or
Bombay, and from the commanders in chief of the presi-
dencies respecting army arrangements ordered by the Sec-
retary of State for India in 1861.
_ _ _

Sir C. WOOD said a commission had been appointed to
inquire into the whole matter, and he thought it would be
butter to let the matter remain for the present.
THE BUDGET.
' Mr. D. GRIFFITH asked the Frst Lord of the Treasury
whether, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer had exone-
rated the officers of the civil service from having divulged
his intention as to the budget on a late occasion, such in-
formation might not have been supplied from some higher
source, and if so whether the noble lord could afford any
indication of the quarter from which such a communica-
tion had proceeded.
Lord PALMERSTON said he begged to disclaim all
responsibility with respect to newspaper prophcies. q•
live upon the future as well as the past. If they m Ade
guesses which turned out right, why they got all. the
credit,• but when they were wrong, they were
soon forgotten. (Laughter.) When the time came 'ound
for his right hon. friend to make his financial statement
the contents of it were as freely known to the -world at
large as to his right hon. friend. (Laughter.) Any
one of natural sagacity would at once see that with re-
spect to the fire insurance the Government would have t4a attend to the determination of the house in this matter. Th
would also know that with such a surplus, some portion
of it would be devoted to the reduction of direct and in-
direct taxation, and he did not think much of the sagacity
of the Times newspaper in coming to such a. con-
clusion. (Laughter.) There could not be any very
great credit in anticipating that which was very generally
known, as it was quite obvious that the income tax and
tea duty would be dealt with. (Hear, and laughter.) He
was quite sure no person in the Government had committed
a breach of trust.

THE UNION CHARGEABILITY BILL.
The adjourned debate on this bill was resumed by
Mr. HENLEY, who was

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

Anglo-French Peace jubilee.

---~---

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Peace between Great
Britain and France is to be celebrated by an Anglo-
French Working-class Exhibition, to be held at the
Crystal Palace, Sydenham, commencing on Satur-
day, July 29, and to hating in the month of
October. The productions of the English and
French workmen will be exhibited in their own
names, and their employers in addition to their own
must state the names of the men who have made
the articles shown. Clever workmen will thus have
an opportunity of obtaining public. recognition of
their skill. Prizes will be awarded for excellence
of workmanship, and a very highly-finished
bronze commemorative medal will be presented to
every exhibitor as a souvenir of the peace jubilee.
A deputation from the London committee was re-
ceived with great enthusiasm in Paris; and, at a
meeting of delegates from the various trade and co-
operative associations, held at the offices of the
Society of Credit au Travail, a committee was
formed who will receive goods from all parts of
France and forward them to the Crystal Palace.
Space will be granted free, but all goods intended
for exhibition must be delivered at the Crystal
Palace no later than July 22.

The following letter from M. Michel Chevalier
has just been received by M. Edmohd Potonie, the
Secretary of the French Committee :

" Paris, May 4, 1865.
" Dear Sir,—l wish to thank not only your father but
yourself for the kind reception which you have given upon
my recommendation to the English workmen delegates
from London. I doubt not, knowing your cordiality, that
they have taken away with them very kind remembrances,
thus sowing in the two countries the seeds of a reciprocal
esteem and mutual sympathy which will be the source of
great good, not only to England and France, which in
itself would be very precious, but even to the world. For
when France and England extend hands, then war, that
bane of the human race, ceases to ravage the universe, or
at least its ravages have limits. When you have received
news of the English delegates, it will oblige me if you will
communicate the same. As you have obligingly offered to
call upon me, you will be sure to find me at home at 12.
" Accept my most distinguished consideration, and be-
lieve me to bo your affectionate

" MICHEL CHEVALIER."

THE STRANDING OF THE LOUISIANA,

OFFICIAL REPORT.
To the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of
Privy Council for Trade.

My Lords,—l have held an official investigation into the
circumstances attending the stranding of the steamship
Louisiana, which took place on the evening of the 12th of
April last, during a fog, upon the Old Head of Kinsale. I
have been assisted in this inquiry by Captains Harris and
Baker as Assessors, and I now beg to forward my report.
The Louisiana was an iron screw steamer, built at Jarrow
in the year 1862, and was registered at Liverpool in 1864 of
the gross tonnage of 2,166 tons. She was owned by the
National Steam Shipping Company (Limited), and was
commanded by Mr. Abraham Asplet, who holds a certifi-
cate of competency as master dated in 1855. The Louisiana
sailed from Liverpool on the 9th April, with a general cargo,
touching at Queenstown to embark passengers, &c. She ar-
rived at Queenstown on the 12th, and sailed from thence the
same afternoon at 4 o'clock, bound for New York, with
a crew of 81 hands, and 500 passengers, chiefly emigrants.
At 4.30 p.m. the pilot left the ship just outside of Roche's
Point, and at 6.35 p.m. the vessel was stranded inside the
Bream Rock, to the northward and eastward of the Old
Head of Kinsale. From the evidence it would appear
that the weather was tolerably clear for a short time after
the pilot left, but gradually increased in thickness till
six p.m., when the fog became very dense. The engines
were then eased to dead slow, and the course, which
had been previously S.W. by S., was altered to west,
directly towards the land. At half-past 6 a fishing-boat
was discovered close under the bows, and the helm was
ported to avoid running over her. The man in the boat
hailed the ship, but in the confusion the intimation given,
whatever it might have been, was not heard. Having cleared
the boat, the helm was starboarded to regain her course,
and in a very few minutes afterwards the Louisiana struck
upon the Old Head of Kinsale. The ship was subse-
quently backed off, and returned to Queenstown the fol-
lowing morning after the fog had cleared off. As she had
sustained material damage, the passengers: and cargo were
transferred to another steamer, and the Louisiana proceeded
to Liverpool to be repaired. In commenting upon this
casualty, which took place within the short period of two
hours after leaving port, ono is struck with the want of
common prudence in the Master persisting in hauling the
ship to the westward, towards danger, when the fog came.
on. He had the whole Irish Channel open to him, and
having left port so recently there was no reason whatever
for approaching the land. He appears to have been aware
that the flood tide was against him, but for that he made
no allowance in the courses he shaped after the pilot left.
Thus the ship, with her head to the westward, was rapidly
horsed towards the land, and although the fog was very
dense, and the position of the ship was uncertain, the pre-
caution of using the load was neglected. The vessel struck
at about three quarter flood. Under these circumstances I
must hold the master responsible for the stranding of his
ship ; and, taking into consideration the number of lives
which by his rashness were, jeopardised, I have felt com-
pelled to suspend Mr. Asplet's certificate for the space of
six calendar months from this date, in which sentence my
assessors have fully concurred.

I have the honour to be, my lords, your most obedient
servant, T. S. RAFFLES, Police Magistrate.
We concur in this report.
Hy' HARRIS, 1- Nautical Assessors.
R. B. BAKER')