The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-10 00:00:00

EMPERIAL PA

HOUSE OF LO.
The house met at three o'cloc_
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
The Earl of FORTESCUE moved
this bill, the war with Russia, and the a;lem,,d'inuoe:
making by that power to procure a loan for the carryingP
on of that war, rendered it urgent that every means
should be immediately taken to prevent any British capi-
tal from being applied to that or any future Rus-
sian loan during the continuance of the war. It
was reasonable that this bill should, notwithstanding
the late period at which it had been brought up from
the House of Commons, be taken into immediate con-
sideration ; and if the house should think fit so to
order, be read a second time.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said as the Government
had no objection to the measure, he hoped the motion
of the noble lord would be agreed to. He was, how-
ever, not prepared to say that the bill was rendered
necessary on account of the present state of the law ; he
should be sorry to recognise that fact, but as the bill had
been denuded of its objectionable principles when first
introduced, the Government were unwilling to throw
any obstacle in the way of passing a measure which the
other house had considered desirable, with the view
of assisting them in maintaining the interests o
the country in the present war with Russia. The
subject of the bill had, previous to its introduction, occu-
pied the attention of the Government. They had taken
the opinion of the law officers of the Crown upon it, and
they considered that it would be high treason for an
English subject to contribute to, or negotiate any loan
for enabling Russia to raise forces for the war. The
Foreign Secretary had also written to all the Ministers and
consuls abroad, to spread as widely as possible the fact
that British subjects would incur that heavy penalty if
they participated in any manner in such a loan, and he
had also caused representations to be made to foreign
courts for the purpose of inducing them to prevent their
own people engaging in transactions of the kind which
were at variance with the principle of neutrality.
Lord REDESDALE should not oppose the suspen-
sion of the standing orders in the case of this bill, which
he believed came within the exception in the resolution
of their lordships as to second readings.
The motion was then agreed to.
a BLo
Eecaorrndl
dFtoimileT.ESC UE then moved that the bill be read
CAMPBELL did not object to the bill. He ap-
proved of it more than the noble duke, whose support was
timid if not cold. The ministers elsewhere had certainly
spokene ov e iwt ihne m(
Luecrhd warmerh e terms.ll)etti rTe ayk ing dispas-
j- a
which
et
hie
any principleow contract
e r of
d at
the e
betweenreooyme dm o: aaf
the bill, as it ..- ,
o a
law of Englana,
British subject and a foreign P
with that power, amounted to 'highurintgre treason war
;
but, without some amendment, he believed it
would be perfectly nugatory in its operation, as under it
there was no mode of punishing the offence in the event
of its being committed out of this country.
After a short discussion, the bill was read a second
time, and the bill passed through all its stages but the
last, it being understood that when it was read to-mor-
row a third time a clause should be introduced to meet
the objection of Lord Campbell.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:
Militia (No. 2), Militia (Scotland), Militia (Ireland),
Militia Ballot Suspension, Militia Pay.
The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland
(Baronies Contributions) Bill went through committee.
Their lordships adjourned shortly after four o'clock.

/ta

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.)
THE MENAI STRAITS.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to ask the Secretary
of the Treasury if the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests have lately granted a lease of the Menai Straits
as an oyster bed, to the exclusion of the fishermen of the
neighbourhood, who have hitherto dredged in those
straits time out of mind.

Mr. WILSON stated that Messrs. Russell held a
lease of the Menai Strait, as an oyster bed, under the
Bishop of Bangor. Some robberies having been com-
mitted, they prosecuted and established their claim.
Since then they had obtained a lease from the Crown,
but such lease was subject to any existing public
rights.

CONSOLIDATED FUND (APPROPRIATION)

BILL.

On the motion for the third reading of this bill,
Mr. HUME called the atteution of the house to the
report of the last session on the state of the Slave Trade,
and urged renewed application for the fulfilment of th•
treaties with Spain for a total suppression of the slave
trade to Cuba.

Lord J. RUSSELL admitted the importance of the
question, and said that the most stringent measures had
been taken this year for the effectual suppression of the
slave trade, which he hoped would be attended with the
best resalts. He added that he was quite sure the new
Government of Spain would second these efforts to put
an end to this dreadful traffic.

Sir G-. PECHELL considered the answer of the
noble lord very satisfactory, and was rejoiced to learn
that there was now some chance that Spain would ear-
nestly co-operate with us for the suppression of the
slave trade.

Sir. H. WILLOUGHBY—Passing to another sub-
ject, interpellated the Chancellor of the Exchequer on
the subject of the war expenditure. The house, he
said, had voted in estimates between 64,000,0001. and
65,000,0001., including the credit of 3,000,0001., while
the country had been given to understand that it was
the intention of the Government to meet the expendi-
ture with the taxes raised within the year. Now, he
believed it would be impossible to carry out that inten-
tion, and, he therefore wanted to know the amount of
debt, in some shape or other, which the State would
have to incur, to meet the excess of expenditure over
the ways and means already voted by Parliament. The
hon. baronet also complained of the dangerous power
exercised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in con-
verting or selling Savings' Bank Stock, which
he had already done to the extent of 617,0001., without
the consent of Parliament.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could
add nothing to what he had already stated on the sub-
ject of the public revenue and expenditure, except that
up to the present moment the revenue had fully realised
the expectation which he held when he made his
financial statement last May, in fact, up to
the 9th of August, the expenditure was within
the revenue, and, therefore, he had nothing to
retract from what he had said about meeting the ex-
penditure from the taxes raised in the year. The right
hon. gentleman then proceededto show that the apparent
decrease upon the last quarter's revenue of 570,0001. was
falacious, because the return did not include the Irish
Revenue, while a sum of 770,0001. had been included in
the former quarter, which ought to have been brought
into this. With regard to the state of the exchequer
bonus account, it stood thus : 4,000,0001. had been ne-
gotiated and 3,000,0001. had actually been received.
There still remained power to issue 600,0001. and
700,0001. more, while the amount of running Exchequer
Bills was less in amount than usual, being about
16,500,0001: As to the question of revenue and
expenditure the account stood thus,—the expenditure
up to the present time, as compared with last year,
was about 3,500,0001. in excess ; but be anticipated that
on the 10th of October there would be a balance in the
Exchequer of about 4,500,0001., and with that surplus
at his command he had no reason to suppose, calcu-
latinguponexis for assistance.tingexperience With regard experience, that het should
to ldrhaveto
call upon the bank the
tkelyStaotctkh,e idt
iswpoassaal mofistthaekce
htoanseuepllpoorseofththaet
iStawviansgas'bsßoalun
Commissioners, for the purpose of meeting Exchequerthe ; it was placed to the credit of the National
Debt
claims
interest.of the
During
Bankthe depositorse early
parbotht
i t h
eyear
principal
and
there was a run upon the Savings Banks, and
anticipating that the withdrawal would continue, he
had taken advantage of the recent high price of the
funds to sell out for the purpose of meeting these Savings
Banks demands. He was happy, however, to say that
the run had stopped, and now the deposits far exceeded
the withdrawals.
After a few words from Mr. NV: A. WILKINSON and
Mr. HUME,
Mr. J. S. PHILLIMORE took the opportunity
of asking the honourable and gallant member
for Gloucester a question relative to the Baltic fleet. He
wished to know if it was true if a valuable Russian prize
hf
fa
After
fst
tu:
Admirale cbrcuesteodimßte dEer
tircineulimei
rsEaecratkpEsci aping from
aosf
rmramoi
dmsa
tti
irhtohe er
eßaltica flr ee ep to
Irt to that
eWeiaillimv, the bill
wasos inr. the
ii.
readawqtuhieiLsrtdLi time.question
u
thattheGllßy said h
bill do
he believed the Savings'
Banks money had been appropriated toState purposes ;
bEuxtchifecituheerrivighotulhdoans.sure gentlemanhim thatth the
Chancellor 0
hie
these funds for Savings' Banks only fustell
purposes, his objection
would fall to the ground.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUERdeeIined
to give such an assurance. Savings Banks money was
held by the State in trust for the depositors, but like
private bankers, the State was entitled to sue it for their
own purposes, if they could do so with profit.
The bill was then passed.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (WEST INDIES) BILL.
This bill was read a third time, and passed.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (CANADA) BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
CUSTOMS BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S REVENUE
ACCOUNTS.
The resolutions agreed to in committee last night on
this subject were reported and agreed to.
LORDS' AMENDMENTS.
t
The Lords' amendments to the following bills were
considered and agreed to, viz. :—Merchant Shipping
Acts Repeal ; Metropolitan Sewers • Prisoners Removal ;
Episcopal and Capitular Estates Management ; Literary
Real Estate Charges •
Institutions ; ,
and Scientific
and
rsity of London).
Medical Graduates (Unive