The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-09 00:00:00

Nc 10.3. per Centum Annuities in the said books of
the kof England and 'Beek of Ireland, shall have
reri ai the sum of 30,033,030 L ; and that the power of
commutation of the said 31. per Centum Stocks shall there-
after be limited to the two other options herein before
1 given ; that is to say, the option of exchange for 3/. 10a.
per Cent= Annuities, and the option of exchange for
Exchequer Bonds."
• "11. That the Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury be
authorised and empowered to issno at any time between
the sth of April, 1853, and the sth of April, 1854, Ex-
chequer Bonds, payable to bearer, upon the like terms and
conditions as hereinbefore described, and after public no-
tice in the London Gazette, from time to time to sell such
Exchequer Bonds, or any part thereof, and to apply the
proceeds in redeeming any part of the capital trading stock
or capital stock of annuities now proposed to be paid off and
redeemed, or in purchasing and cancelling any Exchequer
Bills, or in exchanging such Bonds for Exchequer Bills, upon
such terms as the said Commissioners shall think proper,
or in purchasing and cancelling any of the Consolidated 3/.
per. Centum Annuities, or Reduced pl. per Centum Annui-
ties, payable at the Bank of England or at the Bank of
Ireland, as the case may be.
" 12. That the interest on such Exchequer Bond shall be
issued and chargsablo on the said Consolidated Fund.
" 13. That no amount of such Exchequer Bonds shall
be charged exceeding in the whole the sum of thirty
millions.
" 14. That it shall be lawful for the Accountant-
Geeeral of the Courts of Chancery in England and Ireland
respectively, axed for the Accountant in Bankruptcy in
in England, at any time before the 3d day of June, 1853,
to signify to the Governor and Company of the Bank of
England, or to the Corporation of the Governor and Com-
pany of the Merchants of Great Britain trading to the
South Seas and other parts of America, and for encou-
raging the fishery, on behalf any suitor or suitors, or others
interested 31. per Centum Annuities hereinbefore referred
to, standing in the names of such Accountants-General
and Accountant respectively, their assent to accept and
receive shares in the said New 3/. 10s. per Centum
Annuities, or New 21. 10s. per Centum Annuities, or
Exchequer Bonds, in lieu of all such 3/. per Cen-
tum Annuities standing in their names respectively ;
and the said .Accountants-General and Accountant
respectively shall be fully indemnified against all actions,
suits, and proceedings for and in respect of any action,
matter, or thing done by them respectively in pursuance
thereof.
" 15. That all executors, administrators, guardians, and
trustees interested in or entitled to any part of the capital
stock of the Old South Sea 31. per Centum Annuities, of
the New South Sea 31. per Centum Annuities, of the 31.
per Centum Annuities created by the Act 12th George
the First, of the 3/. per Centum Annuities created by the
Act 24th George the Second, of the Consolidated 3/. per
Centum Bank Annuities, and of the Reduced .31. per
Centum Bank Annuities, whether payable at the Bank of
England or at the Bank, of Ireland, as the case may be,
who shall signify their desire to convert the Annuities to
which they may be respectively interested into any of the
New 3/. 10s. per Centum Annuities, New 2/. 10s. per
Centum Annuities, or Exchequer Bonds, shall be in-
demnified."
The CHANCELLOR of the -EXCHEQUER gave notice
that he would, on Monday next, bring forward certain re-
solutions of form which would constitute the notice to
paities.
The house then resumed.
The motion, that the house on its rising do adjourn until
Monday, was then put and agreed to.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS hoped the hon. gentleman, the
Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Wilson), did not intend to
force any votes upon the house to-night. These estimates
had not been delivered until yesterday, and then accom-
panying them were the Chancellor of the Exchequer's re-
solutions, to which he had devoted his attention, and he
had had, therefore, no time to give to the consideration of
these estimates, the contents of which hon. members cer-
tainly ought have an opportunity of examining before
they came under discussion. The estimates of 1830, when
the late Duke of Wellington was Prime Minister, amounted
• to 1,950,000/. ; under Sir It. Peel's Government, in 1835,
they amounted to 2,100,0001.; but'they were now 4,500,000/.
He wished for an opportunity of examining into the cause
of this extraordinary increase, and he should take the
sense of the house on the subject, unless he received an
assurance that no.votes would be taken to-night.
EXAMINATION OF CANDIATES FOR THE
DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.
Mr. EWART rose to call attention to the expediency of
instituting an examination of candidates for the diplomatic
service. He believed it was the intention of the late Go-
vernment, and he hoped it was the intention of the present
Government, to see whether they could not introduce some
species of examination for that important department--
the diplomatic service of this country. He would not,
of course, insist upon an examination in the case of the
higher functionaries, but he believed the subordinate
appointments would be much better filled if the candidates
for those offices had to undergo a preliminary examination,
in which the knowledge of foreign languages should form
an important part. (Hear.) In our own country this
system had been established in regard to appointments in
the army and navy ; it had been successfully adopted in
other countries, and he thought it was high time it should
be applied to diplomatic as well as to other departments
here. Ho had great hopes, too, that the Indian patronage
would before long be bestowed on a system of free public
examinations, where the best qualified would be the suc-
cessful candidates. Meanwhile, he wished to know whether
the inquiries promised by the late Government upon the
subject of an examination for candidates for diplomatic
appointments had been proceeded with, and whether the
present Government had come to any decision on the sub-
ject ?
Lord J. RUSSELL could not say that, daring the short
time he had held the seals of the Fcreign-office, he had
paid attention to the subject ; but he had heard from Lord
Clarendon (so we understood) that all the papers were now
completed, and that noble lord would probably take some
steps upon them.
Lord STANLEY—This subject had been pressed on the
attention of the late Government, and the result of the
.con-
siderationi given was to chow that there were no materiall„
objections to the adoption of the system recommended u.l
the honourable gentleman. It was considered that there
should be a preliminary examination, and subsequently. °‘ second and more rigid test previous to which the
candidate could not be considered to have fairly entered
the diplomatic service. That was a mere outline of
the scheme which he deemed it most advisable to
adopt, if there was to be an examination„ but it was
impos to look at it without taking the wide and
mere comprehensive view—namely, whether they would
keep up the diplomatic service as a profession—(hear)--a
such as the military profession; for example. They partially
adopted that theory, and on the strength of a person de-
voting himself to the diplomatic service he was entitled to
a pension. It was doubtful to him whether they could
render diplomacy a profession in that sense. The house
would recollect the difference of the system pursued in the
United States, and it was well known that in India persons
were not primed up for that service, but were selected from
those military and civil officers whose qualifications best
entitled them to discharge its duties. In our own diplo-
matic service we broke through, in practice, the rule we
had laid down in theory, and nothing was more common
than to place men who had not previously filled diplomatic
offices, or who had not received a diplomatic education, in
high posts. (Hear, hear.) In point of fact they violated
their own theory. They laid it down as a rule—or nomi-
nally as a rule—that those who were to conduct public
business must be educated as for a profession, but they did
not adherd to the practice. It was his opinion—his own
individual opinion, that they might place the whole diplo-
matic service on s:different footing—that they might have
a body of men corresponding with those employed in the
inferior offices of our civil service at home, employed at the
missions abroad ; and if so, they might' throw open the
diplomatic service ; and by doing away with retiring pen-
sions, effect a great saving for the country. He had, holr-
ever' no hesitation in saying, that if they continued to
makd the diplomatic service a profession, then, in order to
guard against abuses, it was essentially necessary to esta-
blish some test, so that those who were incapable of good
service to the country should bo unable to enter on diplo-
macy as a profession. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PALME RSTON said, that with regard to the
question to which his hon. friend (Mr. Ewart) had referred,
he begged to state that when he held the seals of the Fir
reignr-office he did take steps with a view of establishing
an examination for the junior members of the diplomatic
service. His notion was very much like what had been
stated by the noble lord who had just addressed the house,
that a moderate examination might be established for
those who were candidates for the office of unpaid attache,
which was the first step, and that a more complete exami-
nation should take place with regard to candidates for the
office of paid attache. He entered into a negotiation with
the authorities of the London UniverSity, and took consi-
derable steps towards establishing arrangements for the
examination that was to take place. He was, however,
bound to say, that he did not concur in all the opinions
which the noble lord had expressed. The noble lord
seemed to think that it would be better to change the ex-
isting system of our diplomatic arrangements, and no
longer consider it as a sort of professional body and the
noble lord quoted, as au example, the practice of the
United States. But the house must recollect the entir°
difference between the condition of the United States
with regard to their relations with foreign countries, and
foreign f
its
_
the condition of this country in respect to
re-
lations. The United States, except, perhaps, in this
country and in France, had hardly any interests to main-
tain or any objects to accomplish with any other of the
countries of the European continent. If the noble lord
wanted an example to look at, let him look at the example
of those countries which had the greatest interest and in-
fluence in Europe. What was done by France? What
was done by Russia ? What was done by Austria ? Why,
by all those countries it was thought to be of great advan-
tage to employ men who trained their minds to the mat-
ters with which they had to deal. (Hear, hear.) It was
thought in those countries expedient to employ persons to
do a thing who understood the thing that was to be done
(Laughter). Now, it might be all very pleasant to employ
pgessntl aeevwho might wish to travel and
foreign courts, and see, through the
pass
in
years this
atcolinty
means of the diplomatic service, any body of friends of
the Government who might choose so to employ them-
(Hear, hear.) But the noble lord admitted it was expe-
dient the inferior offices of the diplomatic service
should be filled by those very men whom lie neverthe-
less said he wished to see abolished ; and yet the noble
lord at the same time was of opinion that we might safely
have a person appointed superior Minister to a foreign
court who was ignorant of his duty, provided he was as•
sisted by a diplomatic official who knew it ; and where this
subordinate official could write the letters
of his ignorant
superior, and read to him and make him understand the
letters he received. (Laughter.) Let the house only con
calve this ignorant superior going to a conference with a e
Minister of else country to .which he was accredited on 0'
question involving an intimate knowledge of the law of na-
tions, a familiar acquaintance with politics, and with the
stipulations of treaties ! Imagine that ignorant superior
called upon by the Minister of that country to give his opi-
nion under such circumstances! He could not say, " Wait,
sir ; I must send for my secretary. lam here only to d°
the ornamental part; the man who is to do the business ig
in my office at home ; you must allow me to send for hill
before I can solve your question, or give you an answer:,
(Laughter.) The great matter was that the man who had
to do the business should understand how to do the busi-
ness that was to be done. (Laughter.) However, he
would say this, that it was the fashion for many persons
to speak disparagingly of the diplomatic body of this
country. Ho had had some experience of that body, and
ho could say, with the utmost sincerity, that he had,
found no Government in Europe, better served he would
not say, but so well served, or so well informed, as the,
Government of this country. had . been by its different
diplomatic agents, or who had received such correct in' formation as to the real state of foreign countries, 01'
as to what was going to take place ; anden that at time'
when the agents of other countries had be led into error'
and misled 'either with respect to the existing state eLs
things, or of the then expected events. But he_was goia
to fay that that which the noble lerti had 0114 the J 3

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