The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PAILIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Royal Assent was given this evening to the follow-
ing bills by Commission :—The Officers' Commission ;
Mutiny; Marine Mutiny; India Stocks Transfer;
Bleachwork (Women and Chil,',ArenEmployment) ;
Industrial School Acts Amendr!aent ; Australian Colonies
Government Act Amendniert ; Sir John Soane's Museum;
and Great Neztlirn Rai_lway (No. 1).
The Royal Commi:ssione7B are the Lord Chancellor, Earl
St. Gern'.ans, and Lord Monteagle.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
Tl'Ae South Molton Corporation bill was read a second
tizr.e.

The Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway, and Shard
Bridge bills were read a third time and passed.
THE REVISED CODE.

Earl GRANVILLE said, in fulfilling the promise he had
given last evening, Iv:: would proceed shortly to state the
alterations the Govflrnment proposed to make in the Revised
Code of Education. The substance of the alterations pro-
posed was that 4s. a-year was to be given on the
average yearly attendance of each pupil. The
west 'alteration was that with respect to reading,
•writtng, and arithmetic, Bs. was to be given for every pupil
/who had attended 200 times subject to a deduction of one-
, third, in case they failed in these attendances. The modifica-
tions, in regard to the examining children in books was, that
the pupil would be examined according to the standards laid
down by the committee of the Privy Couneil, in the man-
ner that the managers should consider most reasonable, and
'with regard to pupil teachers, the noble earl repeated what
had been stated in the other house, to the effect that there
should be a lien on the grant to the amount of their stipends;
and in the event of that grant being found insufficient, Go-
vernment would make up the deficiency. He did not look
upon these alterations as improvements, but they had been
made with a view of meeting that which appeared to be the
general wish in another place. He thanked God they did
not live under an absolute Government, and that they were
able to make these concessions, although he did not entirely
approve of them. He thought that ',I any further concessions
were made the whole scheme wr,•uld be entirely worthless, be-
cause there would be a very, great outcry without any ade-
quate return. Her 11Isfiesty's inspectors had appealed to
him to defend them 'against any aspersions that might be
made against therja, but as far as the discussion had pro-
ceeded he did. ',Lot recollect that any words than those of
praise and approbation had been used, and he bore his tes-
timony tri these able men who had faithfully acted upon
the in?.tructions that then existed.
Lr,rd BELPER repudiated the idea that he intended to
ca.v.t aspersions on those valuable and able public servants.
Earl STANHOPE said he should refrain from any re-
marks until he had the alterations before him in a printed
form.

CROWN SUITS (ISLE OF MAN) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
THE FORTS AT SPITHEAD.

Lord VIVIAN asked whether the Government had or I
had not abandoned the intention of proceeding with the
forts at Spithead, or whether they intended to proceed with
the construction of iron ships ?
Lord DE GREY AND RIPON said it was not desirable
-that her Majesty's Government should take any hasty ac-
tion founded upon a single event, nor abandon too hastily
a course adopted by Parliament after full discussion. Al-
though the foundation of the forts at Spithead had been al-
ready contracted for and commenced, the Government had
decided to suspend the works going on at these forts, and to
refer the matter for reconsideration to the Defence Commis-
sion, which would then report on the subject. It must not
be imagined that out of the money voted for commencing
these works there would be any surplus for building iron
vessels. The Government would, no doubt, when the De-
fence Commission had made their report, apply to Parlia-
ment for the necessary funds to carry out their suggestions
and would then state what course they proposed to take.
He then proceeded to point out the exaggerated opinions
which had been based upon the engagement between the
Merrimac and Monitor as to the invulnerability of ships and
the inutility of forts. The recent experiments at Shoelriry-
ness had sufficiently shown a steady average superiority of
the gun ever the iron plates. At the same time, it must be
remembered there was a limit to the thickness of armour-
plating for ships,;while the power of artillery was capable of
much greater development. He therefore thought it would
be unwise entirely to suspend or abandon the erection of
forts, especially as forts, in combination with floating de-
fences, would be of the greatest value. He believed, how-
ever, that the result of the experiments would be to leave
the relative qualities of ships and forts very much where
they were previously.

The Duke of CAMBRIDGE agreed with Lord De Grey
and Ripon that it was only by combined defences of forts
and ships Spithead could and ought to be defended, and
that after the experiments at Shoeburynese we ought to con-
tinue the course of defence originally laid down, as those
experiments had fully shown the power of guns of heavy
calibre, when heavily charged with powder, to pierce the
thickest iron pieces. He thought her Majesty's Government
had acted wis,'ely in not giving up the original plan, but in
pausing for further consideration. He hoped, however, the
pause would not be a prolonged one.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH hoped the forts at Spithead
would be proceeded with at once, as they would not cost
more than three iron ships, would carry some 300 guns, and
he a permanent defence. The result of experiments had
established the fact that ships' sides, however plated, could
be perforated, and though it might be possible to strengthen
a ship's sides, such strengthening was limited, while the
power of artillery would more than keep pace with improved
plating. In conclusion, he urged the necessity of redoub-
ling our efforts to increase our iren fleet and to place the
corintry in a better state of defence.

The Duke of SOMERSET said that there were two great
objects to be attained—the defence of the country against
attacks from abroad, and from panics at home. He repelled
the charge of Lord Ellenborough, that the Government
were not moving sufficiently fast in building iron ships, by
recounting the steps that had been already taken for that
purpose. He also stated that he had given orders that one
plated ship, at least, a year should be built in each of our
dockyards, and had done all in his power to further the
construction of these vessels.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
• ROYAL COMMISSION.
Colonel CLIFFORD, the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod,
summoned the members to the Upper House to hear the
Royal Assent given by Commission to different bills, for
which see Lords' report.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Ra:hmines and Rathgar Improvement; rent, Ancholme,
and Grimsby Railway; and Woolwich, Plumstead, and
Charlton, Sce., Gas.

The following bills were considered and ordered for the
third reading :—Edinburgh Roads and Streets; and St,
Giles-in-the-Fields Disused Burial Ground.
PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against the Merchants
Shipping Act, the Clergy Relief Bill, and the Parochial
Assessment Bill, by Mr. R. E. TAYLOR; praying for the Go..
vernment of this country to use their influence with the
French Government to withdraw French troops from
Rome; against the Thames Embankment Bill, &c., &c.
HALIFAX, CANADA, AND NEW BRUNSWICK