The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-27 00:00:00

ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Usher of the Black Rod here appeared at the bar,
and summoned the Speaker to the House of Peers to hear
the Royal assent given to several bills.

RAILWAY BILLS.

Mr. THOMPSON moved that the special report from the
committee on group 8 of railway bills be referred to the
standing orders committee, together with the minutes of
the evidence taken before the said committee on the 18th
of May, with reference to the Skipton, Wharfdale, and
Loyburn Junction Railway Bill. That it be an instruc-
tion to the committee that they do report whether, in
their opinion, the proceedings therein disclosed involve
any infraction or evasion of the Standing Orders, or of the
Acts relating to Parliamentary Deposits. The hon. mem-
ber said his object in making the motion was to bring
before the committee the manner in which railway bills
were got up. An engineer and solicitor having nothing
to do had but to take up a map and select a spot on which
there was not a railway running, and immediately
they struck one out ; and by stating that valuable
minerals were to be found in the neighbourhood,
the shares were taken up, and the only persons deluded
when the bubble burst were those who had taken up the
shares. He thought the time had arrived when the whole
system of getting up companies should become known to
Parliament.

After a short discussion, the motion was withdrawn,
with a view of making some amendment in the terms of
the motion.

EAST INDIA ESTIMATES.

Mr. HANKEY moved for a return from the Govern-
ments of Bengal and the other Presidencies in India, giving
their opinions as to the efficiency of the present system by
which the Civil Service was recruited from this country,
and whether they considered that the service had been
improved by the present mode of election by competitive
examination.

The return was ordered.
MAIL TO INDIA.

Mr. CRAWFORD moved for a copy of any memorials
(with the signatures attached and covering letters) received
by her Majesty's Postmaster-General from the Indian Pre-
sidencies relative to the despatch of a weekly mail between
England and India.

The return was ordered.
INSPECTOR GRAHAM'S REPORT.

Mr. O'REILLY asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland
whether his attention had been called to the misstatements
contained in the report of Inspector C. Graham on the
National School of Coote-street, Ireland, published in the
return had been laid upon the table of the house ?

Sir R. PEEL said he had read the report in question,
but he was not aware that any misstatements were made in
Inspector Graham's report. He would make inquiry into
the matter, and communicate the result to the house.
ENGLAND AND AMERICA—THE ALABAMA.

Sir J. WALSH asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether her Majesty's Government had received from the
Government of the United States any formal and official
demand for compensation to American subjects for losses
sustained by the Alabama or any other Confederate cruisers
alleged to have been equipped in British ports ?
Lord PALMERSTON said a correspondence on the
matter had been going on between the two Governments
during the last two years on the subject of the prizes taken
by the Alabama and other vessels of the same description.
A letter had been received from Mr. Adams that day,
which had not yet been replied to. Each party had stated
their views on the matter. He assured the house that the
correspondence had been carried forward in very friendly
terms. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
- PROPOSED NEW MUSEUM.

Mr, DOULTON asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether he would, before the house adjourned for the
'Whitsuntide holidays, lay upon the table of the house the
estimate for the new Museum of Natural History ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
estimates for the new building could not be brought for-
ward until the matters respecting the land upon which it
was to be built was settled.
Mr. DOULTON asked whether the right hon. gentle-
man could state any time after which he would bring the
matter forward? (Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that
the last thing he should dream of doing was bringing for-
ward any estimate at a tiny when the house was not in a
position to give it the fullest consideration.
STORAGE OP GUNPOWDER.
Mr. A. EGERTON asked whether it, was the intention
of her Majesty's Government to bring in any bill this
session to make regulations with a view to prevent acci-
dents by the explosion of gunpowder ?
Mr. BARING said such a bill was in preparation, but
Captain Boxer's report, with respect to the sale of that
material, had been so lately presented that, until the trade
and manufacturers of gunpowder had become acquainted
with its purport,
he could not say when it would be intro-
duced. It appeared impossible to bring in the bill before
Whitsuntide