The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The House met shortly before five o'clock.
ROYAL CO2,IiIIISSION.
The Royal assent was given by commission to the folf
lowing bills :—Consolidated Fund (3,000,000/.) ; Ex-
chequer Bonds (6,000,0001.) ; Income Tax (No. 2) ; In-
dustrial and Provident Societies.; Dublin Port ; New
River Company (Now Reservoirs, &c.) ; Padiham Wa-
terworks ; Burnley Improvement • Caterhara Railway;
Eastern Union Railway ; Stockton IVliddlebrough Water;
East London Waterworks ; Islington Cattle Market ;
Whitehaven and Egrement Railway ; Clyde Navigation ;
Pelworth Roads ; York, Newcastle, and Berwick Rail-
way (Potor and South Shields) ; Swinnerton's Name.
The Lords Commissioners were, the Lord Chancellor,
Lord Stanley of Alderley, and Lord Canning.
Petitions in favour of closing public-houses on Sundays
were presented by Lorl VIVIAN and Earl of HARBOWBY.
MAYNOOTH COMMISSION.
In reply to Lord DONOUGHMORE,
The Earl of HARROWBY said the evidence received
by the commission appointed to conduct an inquiry with
'regard to the College of Maynooth, had been completed,
. and would soon be laid on the table of the house. There
were, however, some foreign documents which it was ne-
cessary to translate and print in report; they relate dtothe
education of ecclesiastics in Roman Catholic countries,
esssrand having only first come into possession of the com-
missioners, they had not yet had time to take them into
c onsideration. He was afraid that in consequence of
the -law courts in Dublin now sitting, he would be un-'.
.te able to obtain-the attendance of some of his colleagues
in Ireland until August next.
MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES.
The Earl of ELLENBOROTIGH moved for further re-
, turns as to the miscellaneous estimates from 1838 to
1853. The noble earl observed that, as we were
now engaged in what he believed would be a pro-
longed war,, it was necessary to take a review Of
- our expenditure in fOrmer years, in order to see in
what way our present expenditure could be econo-
mised- The excess of charge in the last year over
the charge of 1838, he found was no less than
2 256, 000/. It was, however, necessary to deduct from
that sum 775,0001. for items or public works and other
purposes, which had only lately become chargeable on
the estimates ; and, after making such deductions, the
net excess in the last year would amount to 1,480,0001.
In the salaries of public officers there was an increase
of 179,0001. as compared with 1838, and for education
an increase of 362,0001., though in 1853 629,0001. more
was spent in prisons and transportation than in 1833.
He next referred to the estimates of 1854 in detail, stating
the net increase over 1853 to be 382, 000/., whilst, compared
with 1838, it amounted to no less a sum than 1,862,0001.
These were circumstances, he contended, that deserved
the grave consideration of the Government, at a moment
When we hadjust embarked upon a long and costly war;
for the excesses in the present year, which might have
been avoided, would, if devoted to the provision of gun-
boats and military stores, have given us the uncontrolled
command of the Sea of Azoff, the Black Sea, and the
Baltic, and have enabled us to bring the war to a speedy
and victorious issue.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE complained, with some
warmth, of the course taken by the noble. earl in having,
under colour of moving for additional returns, made an
elaborate and studied attack upon the Government.
Coming unexpectedly upon him, he could not, off-hand,
reply in detail to the numerous statements which had
been made ; to do so, indeed, a select committee should
. be appointed ; but he could assert that most of the ad-
ditions of which complaint had been made had been
caused by the necessity of the particular years, whilst,
as to the rest, they were owing to transfers of charge
and changes in the form under which the estimates had
been presented to Parliament. He specifically vindi
I:u.-.ever, the additional expenditure under the
heals of edx_:ation, art, the census, and, some others ;
. and, with regard to the Houses-of Parliament, said the
- Government were not responsible for their additional
co t.; Parliament alone was responsible for the addi-
tional charges under this head, and not Chancellors of
the Exchequer or First Lords of the Treasury. In re-
spect to the csi;iniais of the present year, he admitted
there had been a considerable increase ; but he assured
the house that economy bad been consulted as far as
possible. He should, however, be deceiving their lord-
' ships if he led them to anticipate in future years any
diminution in the amount of the miscellaneous estimates.
Assenting to the motion, lie begged the house, under the
circumstances, not to consider that he had given to the
observations of Vie noble earl all the answer of which
the subject was capable ; but he begged to add that if
upon any future occasion the noble earl choose to revive
the discussion, and give formal notice of his intention,
the Government would be prepared to answer him in
the utmost detail.

L-rd BROUGHAM said he had seldom seen a
Minister of State placed in a situation of greater
euliy by a sudden, though not an unprepared, attack
than the noble duke ; and he had certainly never seen
any Minister extricate himself from attack with more
admiraLle skill and ability. For his own part, he pro-
tested against the conclusions which the noble earl
appeared to have drawn on the subject of national
education.

The Duke of ARGYLL vindicated the charges in-
curred for education and practical art, and said they
bad been attended with the greatest advantage to the
manufactures and commerce of the country. He ob-
jected, however, to the whole spirit of the noble earl's
speech, because it appeared to be founded on opposition
to all expenditure for the purposes of peace and civilisa-
tion, and a preference of expenditure for the purposes of
war.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH having replied, the
motion was agreed to.
The Wilnesses Bill passed through committee.
The Customs Duties Bill was read the second time.
The High Treason (Ireland) Bill was read the third
time and passed.
The Excise Duties Bill passed through committee.—
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Lords' amendments to the following private bills
were considered and agreed to :—Btyth and Tyne Rail-
way, New Valley Drainage and Navigation, Newport
Improvement, North London Railway, and the Ryde
Improvement.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Bangor and Canarvon Railway, Darlington Local Board
of Health, Hilgay Great West Free Drainage, Ouse and
Dement, &c., Drainage, Stockport, !Maley, and Whaley
Bridge Railway.
L. The following bills were considered and agreed to, and
ordered to be read a third time :—Chapel-en-le-Frith
Roads, Londonderry Post, Paisley Waterworks (No. 2.),
and the Patent Solid Sewerage Manure Company Bill.