The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENIAG, APRIL 29, 1865.

doh to the public service, but not for the purpose of regu-
lating promotion afterwards. But this, however, was an
efceptional case, for it was, in point of fact, a transfer from
one office to another. The hon. member said that hard-
ships had arisen to this class of persons, because they had
not had their fair share of promotion. The minute having
only been issued in April last, the question had not yet
been brought before the Treasury, because the report from
the Custom House had not yet been received. It was
therefore a new question; and he would grant to his hon.
friend that, if it should be proved those gentlemen had not
had their fair share of promotion, and had suffered in con-
sequence of the change made in 1860, then the Government
would be bound to make compensation. They were at
this very time considering that same matter with reference
to the indoor officers. There was another point referred
to by the hon. member which called for some attention on
the part of the Government, namely, that the officers at
the water side complained that their hours of labour had
been lengthened without any increase of pay. He could
only say it was a matter which had not come within his
knowledge, but he would cause inquiry to be made. At
the same time, he could not admit that it was a grievance,
because those officers had contracted for service generally,
and not for any number of hours. They had been told
that if they granted this motion they could not stop there.
This committee was for the wholesale augmentation of the
pay and emolumdnts in one branch of the public service ;
but if they granted it in one case they should do it in all
departments of the public service, from Customs to Excise
and Post Office ; nor could they stop at the civil service,
but should also extend the operation to the naval and mi-
litary departments. He did not believe that any House of
Commons, whether a dying one or one just born, would
involve itself in consequences so mischievous. (Hear,
hear.)

The O'DONOGHTJE begged to state that he had also
been prevented by the forms of the House from present-
ing that evening a petition from the merchants and traders
of Tralee in favour of the motion.
Mr. LYALL called attention to the great inequality of
the remuneration of out-door officers at the outports, and
it was impossible for merchants and shipowners to come in
contact with them without feeling how miserably they
were paid.

Mr. GOSCHEN appealed to the hon. member for King's
County, now that he had got all he wanted, to withdraw
his motion. (Mr. Hennessy intimated that he had got
nothing whatever.) The hon. member said that he had got
nothing, but ho had got a promise from the right hon.
gentleman to look into all cases of grievance arising from
the promotion of these officers. There were two separate
interests involved in the question—first, an increase of pay,
and secondly, compensation for the loss of promotion. For
the increase of pay, he thought the hon. member would not
be able to carry his motion ; and it would be hard, by
the loss of the motion, to deprive these officers of the
Customs of compensation for the loss of promotion. Under
the circumstances, he thought the hon. member would do
wisely to withdraw his motion, reserving free action to
bring the matter forward again if the Chancellor of the
Exchequer did not redeem the pledge.

Mr. DUNLOP was sorry the motion had been brought
forward, though he concurred in the statement of the
hardships to which these officers were subjected.
The house divided—
For the motion
Against it
Majority
The motion was therefore lost.
SPIRIT DUTIES IN IRELAND.

"II ... ..• 80
... ... ..• -11

Mr. P. URQUHART then rose to move a select com-
mittee to inquire into the operation of the augmented
spirit duties in Ireland. The hon. member quoted the
evidence of a number of witnesses before the committee on
the taxation of Ireland in support of the proposition, when
the attention of the Speaker was called to_the fact that 40
members were not present.

The house, after the expiration of the usual time, was
counted, and, as the requisite number was not present, it
adjourned at twenty-five minutes past seven o'clock.