The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-24 00:00:00

MORTGAGE DEBENTURES BILL.

Lord DONOUGHMORE moved the second reading of
this bill.
Lord REDESDALE felt bound to oppose the second
reading of the bill, which differed materially from the mea-
sure introduced last year.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH said that the principle
of the bill had been assented to last year, and he trusted
the noble bra would withdraw his opposition to the bill
at this stage. He could oppose the bill when it reached
committee, and the grounds of his opposition could be dis-
cussed then.
Lord ST. LEONARDS opposed the bill.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH approved the bill, the
principle of which had been carefully considered. It would
be of considerable benefit to the landed interest, by giving
facilities for raising money for the improvement of estates.
Lord ST. LEONARDS did not think the measure would
be of such advantage to the landed interest. At present
there was no practical difficulty in raising money on the
security of land for the purpose of effecting improvements,
and to give greater facilities, through such companies as
these, might be mischievous.
Lord GRANVILLE suggested that some alteration
might be made in the bill in committee.
The bill vas then read a second time.
Several bills on the table were passed through com-
mittee.

The select committee on the Shannon Navigation and
Drainage was appointed.
Lord WESTMEATH called attention to the papers laid
on the table relating to the case of Catherine Gaughan.
He again stated the facts, attributing the violence that had
been used towards the girl to Catholic influence, and
charging the police with gross neglect of duty.
Lord. CHELMSFORD, in moving for copies of letters
and papers relating to the imprisonment of British subjects
in Abyssinia, said the sufferings of these persons had, at
least, been prolonged by neglect on the part of the Foreign-
office. Ho recapitulated the events that had led to the
arrest of the persons thu4 imprisoned, and ascribed the
continual ill-treatment to which they were subjected to the
irritation of the Emperor of Abyssinia at receiving no
answer to his autograph letter expressing his wish to send
an embassy to this country. That letter was received at
the Foreign-office in February, 1863, but was not answered
till June, 1864. In the interval Mr. Cameron, the English
Consul, himself one of the prisoners, contrived to inform
the Foreign-office that no one would be released till the
Emperor's letter was answered. Thon the reply, after a
delay of 16 months, was at last sent. Ho believed ho had
made out a case for the production of the papers he asked
for, not one of which could compromise any of the unfor-
tunate prisoners. _ _

Lord RUSSELL admitted the probability of much that
had been stated as to events in Abyssinia and the character
of its Sovereigns, but he denied that the letter of the Em-
peror had had so much influence as had been attributed to
it. He did not think the delay in sending the reply had
caused Mr. Cameron's imprisonment. He thought also
that Mr. Cameron had been to blame in going to the court
of the Emperor when he ought to have been at Massorah.
Much of tho delay complained of had been caused by the
long absence of the Emperor on .distant expeditions from
which his return was uncertain. The Government had
sent Mr. Rassan, the Assistant Resident at Aden, accom-
panied by a military officer, to Gondar, and he hoped, when
the Emperor returned, the envoys would have an oppor-
tunity of presenting the letters with which they were
charged. As to the documents the production of which had
been moved, though he could not specify any paper likely

to cause particular irritation, yet he thought the effect of
the whole of them, if published, accompanied as they pro-
bably would be by severe comments on the conduct of the
Emperor, might be greatly to aggravate the sufferings of
the prisoners themselveq.
Their lordships Ithen divided, but on the return of the
peers to the body of the house, and before the numbers were
declared, it was discovered that no less than three irregu-
larities had occurred in taking the division. After ordering
the bar to be cleared, the Lord Chancellor had not put the
question a second time. One peer (Lord Ravensworth) had
voted who was not in the house when the question was
put, and had not heard it ; another peer (Lord Colchester)
had passed out with the contents to vote, but on his return
found the Tellers had preceded him into the body of the
house, so that his vote was not counted.
A long conversation followed, the point being how these
mistakes could be rectified. A proposal to' take the divi-
sion over again was overruled. It was finally arranged
that the vote of Lord Ravensworth, as he had not heard
the question put, must be disallowed, and that Lord Col-
chester's unrecorded vote must be inserted in the list of the
division. During this discussion the peers spoke sitting.
With this rectification the numbers were declared to be—
Contents 43
Non-contents 42
Majority for Lord Chelmsford's motion —1
Their lordships then adjourned, at a quarter-past eight
till Friday next.

HOUSE OP COMMONS-Lin EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Belfast Water, Bristol Gas, Drighlington and Gilder-
some Gas, Manchester Corporation Water, and Tyne Im-
provement.
THE ADJOURNMENT.—EPPING FOREST.
Sir G. GREY, in moving that the house at its rising
do adjourn until Thursday, mentioned the case
alluded to by the hon. member for Worcester
yesterday, to the effect that there had been a
failure of justice with regard to a murder in Epping Forest.
He had consulted Mr. Justice Willes, who had tried the
case, and ho was prepared to say that there was no pretence
for alleging that there had been a failure of justice.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC OATH.

Mr. G. W. LESLIE expressed a hope that the Govern-
ment would bring in a bill on this subject, so that a uni-
form oath might be taken by members of that house.
Sir G. GREY thought it would be very advisable that
members should take one oath, one of simple allegiance to
her Majesty. At the same time, he could not advise Mr.
Monsen to abandon his bill for one about which there
might be a difficulty.
Mr. MONSELL said that in consequence of what took
place in the house yesterday, he should postpone his bill
until Tuesday next, at 12 o'clock.
Mr. DISRAELI said he had suggested a morning sitting,
at which time he should take the opportunity of expressing
his views on the subject.
THE CASE OF COLONEL DAWKINS.

In reply to Mr. D. GRIFFITH,
Lord PALMERSTON said it would be entirely subver-
sive of the discipline of the army if the Commander-in.-
Chief were not allowed to determine who was competent to
com manda regiment. The Government hadnot thought fit to
recommend any delay in the case of Colonel Dawkins.
was on his legs ho might state with regard to the
motionwlch :f the hon. member for Devonport (Mr. Ferrand),
h
Was en the paper for this evening, that the Lord
Chancellor courted
to the • inquiry, and that there ould be no ob-
jectionmotion. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. MA RAGS.
GpaUslilttit moved the following resolution :
,‘ That the which the British paper trade has
been placed by the abet'
n of the import duty on foreign
paper, leaving the
operation, is one of foreigngreatharedxport duty on rags in full
manu-
facturer, and calls for prompt legislative to the British
the view of. placing the home gitasalative interference, with
fair and equitable competition with
hfacturer on terms of
manu-
facturers." He described the case as
one
and gross hardship, but of grievous injustice, e not only. of great
interests of our paper manufacturers had beenm which the
to the mercy of foreign Governments. was
insisted
surrendered
of the assertion that our paper trade was flourisl • 11
spite
nng, that
it was decaying; that the effect of the tax upon an essen-
tial element of the manufacture was to depress the trade,
by exposing the British trader to an unequal and hopeless
competion with foreigners. He replied to allegations in
opposition to his arguments, and exposed what he eon_
sidered to be the illusions of Mr. Gladstone upon this ques-
tion, to which manufacturers had in several instances
been victims, reading communications from paper-makers
in England, Ireland, and Scotland testifying to the losses
and disasters they had suffered, which they traced to the
protection given to their foreign rivals by the policy of Go-
vernment.
Forty per cent. of the trade was, he asserted,
on the
ofrags way be placed upon a level with the foreigner in