The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS _(YESTERDAY.)
The house met at five o'clock.
BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE complained of a
breach of privilege in a return'which'had been laid upon
their lordships' table. On the 7th of April last Earl
Grey moved for copies of correspondence relative to any
additions made to the department of war and colonies,
and also with regard to any changes in the transaction
of business relating to the administration of the army.
On the first part of this motion the return was brought
down to the 7th of April, the date of the motion ; but
On the second the very first paper was dated the 9th of
'Way, and, in the shape of a letter from Sir C. Trevelyan,
it was a complete reply to .Earl Grey's speech. This
was an undoubted breach of privilege, and if passed over,
a most mischievous precedent would be laid down.
The Diike of NEWCASTLE said the return, in being
made up to a date subsequent to the date of the motion,
though technically irregular7-was not quite without pre-
cedent. The return was made exactly as the papers had
been sent in ; and as they contained a defence of two
officers in the commissariat department now absent from
,the country, who conceived their characters to have been
affected, he had not deemed it his duty to withhold
them, though he admitted that it Was irregular to refer
to their lordships' debates.
The Earl of DERBY said the better course would
have been for the noble duke to have received these
explanations from the parties, and used them in his
place in Parliament, rather than have made them part
of a return. The return, as it stood, was much more
than a technical violation of their lordships' priviliges.
Earl FITZWILLIAM took the same view, and ob-
served that the two co►nmissaries in question could
not have written these replies unless previous commu-
nications had been made to them. He recommended
that the return should be withdrawn and amended.
After some observations. from the Earl of ELLEN-
' BOROUGH and Lord PANDIIIRE,
The Duke of NEWCASTLE expressed his readiness
to withdraw the return, and to produce another in an
amended form.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (WEST INDIES) BILL.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE moved the second read-
ing of the Encumbered Estates (West Indies) Bill. The
noble duke described the embarrassed state of property
in the West Indies, and said the object of this measure
was to relieve it upon principles which had proved so
successful in Ireland under the Encumbered Estates Act.
Having quoted several authorities in favour of the mea-
sure, he said its main objects were to wind up estates as
under a hankmptcy, to effect judicial sales, and to dis-
tribute the proceeds among the parties entitled in the
cheapest form, and to confer an absolute title upon pur-
chasers. A commission would be appointed to carry the
bill into execution, consisting of one chief and two assis-
tant commissioners. The chief commissioner would, under
all circumstances, be resident in England. The assistants
would either act with the chief commissioner in England,
where they form a court, or under him in the colonies,
either solely or in conjunction with local commis-
sioners, to be appointed in cases where such assistance
was necessary. An order in council would be neces-
sary before the bill could be put into operation in any
colony ; but such order in council could not be passed
unless upon an address from the local legislature, and
provision made for the expenses 'of locally carrying it
into effect. In all cases an appeal would lie from the
decision of the commissioners to the Judicial Committee
of the Privy Council. Having mew ioned some other
provisions of a minor character, the noble Duke ex-
pressed a hope that the measure would prove beneficial
to the West India colonies, by encouraging the intro-
duction of fresh capital, by inducing residence, and by'
diminishing the number of middlemen or agents.
The'Earl of DERBY said some measure of this kind
was absolutely necessary ; but he entertained doubts as
to the efficiency of several of the proposed remedies. He
reserved, however, his opinion until the bill was in
corninittee.
Lord St. LEONARDS doubted whether purchasers
could be found for estates in the West Indies,' unless at
prices ruinous to the present possessors ; and he made
several suggestions with the view of obtaining legal
diffictilties in carrying the act into effect.
After a few observations from the Earl of Powis,
Lord Brougham, the Lord Chancellor, and Lord St.
Vincent.
' The bill was read the second time.
The Church Building Acts Amendment Bill, the E1:47
copal and Capitular Esta.tes Management (1854) Bill,
the Witnesses Lill, and the Customs Duties Bill were
severally read the third time and passed.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (CANADA) BILL.
On the order of the day being read for the house going
into committee on this bill.
The Earl of DERBY, after a warm attack upon the
measure as an attempt to change the constitution of
Canada from a monarchical to a democratic character,
asked the Duke of Newcastle to postpone the committee
for a week, on the ground of the thinness of the house
and the want of sufficient notice.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE strongly complained of
the course taken by the noble earl as unfair,- and after
some little altercation,
The committee was postponed for a week.
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.)
The house resumed at six o'clock.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL.
On the consideration of this bill as amended,
Mr. PRINN said that, having given notice of his in-
tention to move a clause preventing credit being given to
students at the university who had not attained the age of
21 years, he begged to state that, in consequence of an
understanding that had been come to, he had the pleasure
of meeting the. Solicitor-General yesterday, and he had
then received an assurance that the Government intended
to introduce a measure in reference to this matter gene-
rally, and which would not subject students, at Oxford to
exceptional legislation ; and that in consequence of the
unanimous feeling which-seemed to be entertained on the
subject by both sides of the house, they expected to pass
the measure this session. Under such circumstances,
therefore, it was unnecessary to press his clause.
Mr.
then moved the following clauses :
"From and afterthe Ist day of Michaelmas Term, 1854,
it shall not be necessary for any person, upon matriculating
in the University of Oxford, to make or subscribe any
declaration, or to take any oath, save the oath of allegi-
ance, or an equivalent declaration of allegiance, any law
or statute to the contrary notwithstanding. From and
after the Ist day of Michaelmas Term, 1854, it shallnot be
necessary for any person, upon taking any degrees in arts,
law, or medicine, usually conferred by the said Univer-
sity of Oxford,. to make or subscribe any declaration, or to
take any oath, save the oath of allegiance, or -an-equiva-
lent declaration of allegiance, any law or statute to the
' contrary notwithstanding." He gave a Jaigtory of nuiver•