The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-28 00:00:00

HOUSE :OF COMMONS--(YESTERDAY.)

The house resumed at six o'clock,
THE EASTERN QUESTION.
Mr. LAYARD said—On Friday last, sir, I gave notice
that I should, on Thursday next, submit a resolution to
the notice of the house. At that final), I not pledge
myself to any particular words for thlit resotution, but in
order that there should be no misundOrstandino• I stated
that my intention was to elicit the opiniorts• orthe hous4
with reference' to certain language held by the noble earl
at the head of the Government with regard to our present.
relations with Russia. I understand that, in consequence
of that notice, the noble earl stated his intention to make
some explanation of that language, and that that explana-
tion has been since given ; and I trust that it will have
the effect of removing from the public mind a very general
(what I hope may be called) misapprehension, and'of affirm-
ing that policy which has been so ably, and ih such an
English spirit, shadowed forth by the noble lord the Press-.
dent of the Council and by the noble earl tkOeeretary of
State for Foreign-Affairs. I therefoinhlik'that I shall
be acting most in Conforthity with the feelings otthe house
if I withdraw my notice, as it, was directed-,•agiinst the
speech which was the subject of that explanation', (Hear,
hear.). But in doing so, I hope the house-will allow me to
express my conviction, ldoking to the present critical aspect
Of public affair ,s and especially if the news received yes-
terday should be true, that before we separate for the re.
pees some discussion should take place in this house on the
state-of our foreign relations. Ido not wish to obtrude
myself upon the house by undertaking such a duty ; but
if nobody else in this house will do so, I shall• myself
bring the. subject forward, I , shall proceed in no hostile
spirit towards her Majesty's Government • but it is my.
conviction,• I repeat,-that there ought to be sbme expres-
sion of opinion on the part of this house before Parliament
profogues ; and I will leave the naming of the day for that
purpose to the noble lord the member for London.
VICTUALLING THE NAVY.
Mr. FAGAN: inquired .of the' First Lord 0-the Ad-
miralty, whether the experiment last winter iii the vari-
ous royal victualling yards of curing and salting beef for
the use of the navy had proved that provisions could be
made up cheaper in these yards thin they could be sup-
plied in the usual way by Government contractors ; and
whether the Board of Admiralty proposed to continue to
cure and salt beef in the royal victualling yards ? .
Sir J. GRAHAM replied that. there was no stronger ad-
vocate for the system of contracting as opposed to any
species of manufacture in the dockyards as a general rule
than he was, but he considered that the particular subject
to which the hon. member's question applied was an ex-
ception to such general rule. It was true that by his ad-
vice the Board, of. Admiralty last year had recommenced
salting and curing meat, iFn the dockyards.• in consequence of
'the exorbitant-price demanded by the contractors, who
could only be held in check by its being shown to them
that no combination on their part to hiaintain exorbitant
pricei would be submitted to. (Heir, hear.) He might
add that the experiment had been so successful that it-was
intended to continue to Cure and st.lt provisions in the
dockyards.
• NAVY RES'PVE.

Sir G. TYLER wished to know from -the right hon.
baronet whether he intended to bring forward any measure
during the present session for the purpose of establishing
more efficient means for securing a reserve of seamen
for manning the ships of her Majesty's navy than at pre-
sent existed
Sir J: GRAHAM could only state to the hon. and gallant
officer and to- the louse that at thii moment there were
44,000 seamen and boys afloat on full pay ; that 12,000 'had
entered for continuous.service within the last six 'months ;
and that, besides this, the Government had succeeded in
raising coast volunteers to the number of nearly 5,000.
(Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, he was not
aware of any further measure that was necessary ; it
would, however, be open to the Government, without an
application to Parliament, to consider the important ques-
tion, whether 'the Coast Guard, in connection with the
Coast Volunteers, might not be brought more immediately
under the control of the Admiralty, and thereby form an
effective reserve. (Hear.)
THE NEW. POLICE BILL. _ _

Mr. BRIGHT O13;;;.ed that some tithe ago the noble
'lord the Home Secretary received a deputation from the
representatives' of a large number of the borough towns
against the bill for bringing the polic3 of the whole
country wider the control of the Home-office, and the im-:
pression derived from what fell from the noble lord at
'that interview was, that the bill was to be withdrawn in
deference to the objections genera*. entertained against
it, But in one of the morning papers,' which was gene-
rally supposed to be in' some degree in the confidence of`
the Government, ;he saw the bill spoken of in terms of
approbation and the noble lord was lauded for bringing it
forward. Seeing this, and that the bill still remained
upon the order paper, there was some apprehension abroad
that the bill was not' intended to be withdrawn, and it
would be very desirable, therefore, if the noble lord would
explain what really wore his intentions upon the subject.
Viscount PAMERSTON stated that a deputation, con-
sisting of a number of gentlemen, had certainly waited upon
him, and urged various objections against certain portions
of the bill ; and 'without admitting the force of tnose ob-
jections, he told the deputation that he mild not but ad-
mit the fact that such objections were entertained, that
he attached every value to the principle of local self-govern--
meat, and though he did nob think the bill in question in-
' fringed that principle, yet if they thought it, did, that
would forma material element in guiding his'ionduct in
the matter—(hear)—and that though he thought the bill
a good, one, he should not consider that he was doing good
service to the boroughs they represented 'to foroe it upon
them against their will. (Hear, hear.) He had, therefore,
promised to withdraw the bill, reserving to himself the
right to consider whether' he would introduce another,
omitting those portions which were objected to. (Hear.)
He quite agreed that it would be unwise to ask the house
to read a bill a second time, which it was understood at"
the time would be liable to considerable modifications in
committee ; consequently, the best way would be to with-
draw the present bill, with the view of considering whether
it could be so modified as to make it acceptable to the
house, and useful to the country. At present it stood for
Friday, and by that day he would consider whether it
would be better to drop the bill altogether for this session
or to re introduce it in a modified form.
THE PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL MAIL
CONTRACT.

Mr. SEYMOUR asked the First Lord of the Admiralty,
whether the Peninsular and Oriental Company hild applied
to be released from the contract for carrying the mails to
India, China, and Australia, and if so, whether he would
lay their application before the house, and what course
her Majesty's Government meant to pursue with regard
to it ?

Sir J. GRAHAM replied that it was true the Peninsular
and Oriental Company had presented a memoria? to the
Admiralty, alleging
that on account of the great increase
in the. rate. of freights, and the high price of coals the
contract under which they conveyed the mails entailed
great loss upon them, and praying to be released from it,
and in consequence of that memorial the Board of Admi-
ralty had come to an arrangement with the company to
investigate the allegations. It would be inconvenient to
lay the memorial before the house, but he hoped the result
of the investigation would be a satisfactory adjustment.
Mr. SEYMOUR, inquired who was the person appointed
on the part of the Government to conduct the inquiry.
Sir J. GRAHAM—Two accountants, one of whom is
an officer under the Accountant-General of the Navy.
Mr. BRIGHT understood that the company had been
making very large profits by their contract in previous
years, and
y
urged that the inquiry should extend to the
of gain as well as the years of loss.
Sir J. GRAHAM—The Board of Admiralty had come
to no conclusion beyond directing an investigation of the
facts stated in the Memorial.
Mr. BRIGHT said the right hon. gentleman had not
answered his question. What he asked was, whether in
the directions given to those who were to carry out the
inquiry the investigation was to be limited to this year, or
whether it was to extend to the results of the contract
during the whole time it had been in force. The househad
a right to know this, seeing that it was probable a vote
would be called for to make good any loss.
• Sir J. GRAHAM—If the house is called upon for a vote
I shall consider it my duty to enter into the most minute
details of the whole matter ; but the memorialists having
set forth their losses only and not their gains, the investi-
gation will be in the first instance as to the losses, but be-
fore we decide upon the prayer of the memorial, the ques.
tion of the previous gains must also be taken into consi•
deration. (Hear, hear.)
FACTORY AND LAW REPORTS.
_

Colonel DUNNE inquired whether the Secretary of
State for the Home Department had received the reports
of Inspectors of factories to April, 1854, and when they
would be laid on the table of the house ?
Lord PALMERSTON said the report had been received
and would be immediately laid before the house, and, in
reply to Mr. Walpole, the noble lord added, that the first
report of the legal commissioners had been presented to
the Home-office, and would shortly be laid on the table.
LAW OF PARTNERSHIP.
Mr. HORSFALL appealed to Mr. Collier to postpone
his motion on this subject, in consequence of the short time
which the report of the commission had been in the hands
of members.
Mr. COLLIER then called, the attention of the House to
the law of partnership, and observed that it was not a mare
lawyers' question, but one on which the co-operation of all
classes of members would be advantageous. He briefly
stated the character of the law as it exists, and by which
it is presumed that every partner has a right to bind all
the others to an unlimited extent. It was alleged that it
was in consequence of this law of unlimited liability that
the country had arrived at its present state of prosperity.
He denied that fact. He asserted, on the contrary, that
they were indebted to the breaches of this law for the great
works that had been carried out. Where would have been
.their railways, their canals, their docks, and their many
other works, hat for the violations of this law ? Even
their greatest work of art in modern days, the Crystal
Palace, would never have been erected if they had confined
themselves to the letter of the law. -It was supposed by,
some that the existing law was necessary to our commer-
cial prosperity. He, however 2 said that -tile gravestones of
unlimited liability were to be found in their prisons and
their courts of bankruptcy. The question was, whether
the present state of the law was satisfactory ?—whether it
rested on a footing that could be depended upon ?—and
whether it was desirable to allow a large class of persons
to invest their money upon a principle of limited liability
without obliging them to make an appeal for a special
license from the Crown. The hon. member for Kidder-
minster (Hr. Lowe) said that nothing could be worse than
a system which, in the first instance, prohibited limited
liability, and, in the second, invested the Government
with power to violate the law. -If the law be right it•
ought to' be enforced ; if wrong it ought to be repealed.
Mr. Lowe then observed—" I should as soon think of
allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to grant dispen-
sations for, smuggling, or, the Attorney-General licenses
for gambling." (Hear, hear.) He ventured to
think that the restrictions imposed by the exist-
jug law - ,of unlimited liability were a serious impedi-