The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-01 00:00:00

1840.

His complaint was that such a commission should be
nominated to do that which it might be fairly considered
the Right Hon. Gentleman the Master of the a,lint
ought to do. But, moreover, he considered it would
not be deemed otherwise than extravagant to send to
India for a gentleman to act on that commission.
Hr. LABOUCLIERE bore his testimony to the skill,
integrity, and industry of the officers of the Mint gene-
rally, and however that establishment might be expensive
to the country, cumbrous in its operation, and susceptible
of improvement, all that was owing to the system which
was in existence, and not to the officers who now ad-
ministered it. However able and zealous a Master
of the Mint might be it was impossible for him to carry
out satisfactorily such au inquiry as that proposed.
Mr. GLADSTONE said, with regard to the recom-
mendations suggested for an improvement in the con-
stitution of the Mint., he had no objection. The impor-
tant question, he conceived, fur them to consider was,
how the coinage of the country was to be carried on,
whether by contract or otherwise. Was the present
system objectionable eecause it was done by contract, or
because the contract was bad? It was not so much a
quesion of salaries as of contracts, and he hoped that
would be maturely weighed before any dscision was
come to.
Sir J. TYRELL had no charge whatever to make
against the integrity, honour, and ability of those who
filled offices in that department; but he deprecated the
idea of sending for a Commiesioner to India to inquire-
into that matter, seeing that any information which such
an individual could give should have been derived from
this country.
Mr. MANGLES defended the appointment of Colonel
-Forbes, than whom he considered n gentleman in this
country could be better informed, from many causes, on
the subject of inquiry.
Colonel SIBTHORP wished to get some information
relative to a charge which he saw in the estimates for
"the travelling expenses of the Queen of the Belgians,
the Duke of Saxe Coburg, and the Prince of Prussia,
during their visit to this country," amounting to 5601.
35. 3d. He wished to know from what particular
quarter that expenditure was to be met, by what autho-
rity it was sanctioned, and how was its amount ascer-
tained? He made the inquiry without reference to
persons, and simply in the discharge of his public duty
as a Member of that House.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the charges to which the Hon. and Gallant Member
had referred had formerly been paid out of the civil list;
but they had of late been defrayed out of the public
funds, in compliance with the recommendation of a Com-
mittee of the House which had sat a few years ago.
Mr. B. OSBORNE said he wished to receive some
detailed information with respect to many of those items.
Ile wished in particular to be informed of the nature of
the expenses incurred for the President of Liberia, the
Spanish commission, and the mission of Mr. Southern
to Buenos Ayres. He should further observe that he
felt bound to complain of the vague and unsatisfactory
manner in which many of those votes were presented.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that in dealing a ith items of this kind, which were to
meet contingencies the exact nature of which could not
be foreseen, it had been found that the more convenient
course would be to take round sums, and that course
had been adopted in the present instance; so that it did
not necessarily follow that the amount taken in the votes
would be the amount actually expended.
Lord PALME.3,STON said with respect to the ex-
Trise of the Portuguese commission, he believed it was
not a final vote, as he found that the sum taken was a
round one. That Commission had been established with
a view to inquire into the claims of a number of British
subjects who had, with the consent of Government,
served in the Portuguese army and navy. Great diffi-
culties had arisen in the settlement of those claims; and
it had several years ago been arranged between him and
the Portuguese Minister that two commissioners should
be appointed—one by the Portuguese Government and
the other by the Government of this country—to
inquire into the matter, with the understanding that,
when they agreed, their decision should he final, and
thet when they disagreed, the subject of their difference
should be referred to a third nasty, who was to act as
an arbitrator. The Minister of the King of the
Belgians had undertaken to act in that capacity, and
had thereby incurred a much more laborious duty than
he had at first anticipated. The commission was
at present just completing its labours, so that he
(Lord Palmerston) apprehended that no future ex-
pense would be incurred under that head. With
respect to the negotiation% of Mr. Southern at Buenos
Ayres, he aas not then at liberty to state what was the
precise condition of that negotiation; but he bad the sa-
tisfaction of being able to assure his Hon. Friend and
the House that the last accounts he had received from
Mr. Southern afforded very reasonable grounds for
hoping that the loag-pending question would soon be
settled in a satisfactory manner.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. B. OSBORNE wished to receive some informa-
tion with respect to the vote for the commission of in-
quiry into the application of iron to railway structures.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
a few years ago a fearful accident had occurred on an
iron railway bridge over the river Dee, near Chester;
and in order to ascertain the cause of that accident, as
well as to prevent the occurrence of similar accidents in
future, the Government had found it advisable to appoint
a commission to inquire into the power of iron in bear-
ing heavy traffic on railway bridges.
Mr. WYLD said that as there was in those votes
an item for the charge of the commission of inquiry
into the state of the British Museum, he wished to take
that opportunity of expressing a hope that that com-
mission would soon bring its labours to a satisfactory
conclusion.
The LORD ADVOCATE said he believed the report
of the commission would be laid before Parliament in a
few days.
Mr. WYLD wished to know if he could cbtain any
information with respect to the catalegue of the museum?
Mr. M. MILNES said the commission had very care-
fully inquired into that subject, and the result of that
inquiry would be communicated in their report.
Mr. COBDEN said, that as there was an item for ex-
penses incurred on account of the President of Liberia
he should wish to be informed how this country had in-
curred any such charge. Again, he found that there
was an item for the conveyance of the King of Mosquito
to Jamaica, and he should like to know why we had
been charged with that expense.
Lord PALAIERSTON said, that when passengers
were conveyed in one of her Majesty's ships of war,
scme expense was necessarily incurred for their mainte-
nance. The President of Liberia having been in this
country last year had expressed a wish to be allowed a
passage home in a man-of-war, and her Majesty's Go-
vernment had thought that that was a wish which it was
proper and advisable that they should comply. The
chargejn question had been incurred for his mainte-
nance during the passage. A similar charge bad arisen
in the conveyance of the King of Musquiao to Jamaica.
where it was usual that that King, who certainly was
not a very powerful Sovereign, should be crowned.
Mr. COBDEN said, he believed a good deal of jea-
lousy was felt in the United States at oar setting up
kings on the North American continent. t appeared
that we conveyed an aboriginal or savage dbief to Ja-
maica, and dubbed him there a King; but it was a re-
cognised principle on the North American continent that
no aboriginal chief should be recognised under such a
title. He did not want to enter into that subject; but
he knew that it had been a subject of comment in the
United States—and that which was at present only
laughable might by-and-bye involve us in are unpleasant
position with other countries in North America. In
those estimates he found a sum for presents to the Mus
quito Indians, so that it appeared we were not only
crowning the King, but that we were also subsidising the
people of that district. Then, again, he found votes for
stores supplied to the chiefs of Portendic and to the Sul-
tan of Johanna. He wished to know why those ex-
penses bad been incurred; it certainly seemed to him
that they were altogether unnecessary.
Lord PALMERSTON said, that the Mosquito state
had been under the protection of Great Britain for
nearly two centuries, and he therefore thought it would
be unreasonable in the people of the United States to
find fault with a connexion which had been in existence
long before those states had been raised into an inde-
pendent country. With regard to the presents to the
Musquito Indian, he had reason to believe that that was
the last time that such presents wculd be made. Then,
again, with resptct to the presents to the Portendic
chiefs, he had only to state that there was a gum trade
carried on there, and that it was usual and considered
necessary to make presents to those chiefs, who brought
forward tke gum to exchange with our merchants. The
present to the Sultan of Johanna was one of trifling
amount, and was given to a chief with whom our rela-
tions would, perhaps, henceforward become of a mute
friendlycuo.chhßaaprdsEcb.Nee
incurred
evrtceodr.
onro wthehorwelitehfeolfaßrgreitiesxhpseunbse.
jecLsofrt(ti .s,pliAtemVEildiesoT.
ON said that that expense had
been incurred for the relief of British subjects who had
been reduced to a state of destitution at Monte Video by
the contest going on in that Country; and he hoped there
would be objection to a charge which had originated in
such a manlier.
Mr. OSBORNE moved, as an amendment, that the
vote should be reduced to 30,0001.
The Committee divided, when there appeared—
For the amendment ...
Against it
••• •••
Majority ...
The vote was then agreed to.
The House resumed, and the Chairman reported pro-
gress and obtained leave to sit again to-morrow (this
day.)
The Defects in Leases Bill went through Committee,
was reported to the House without amendments, and was
ordered to be read a third time to-morrow (this day).

. 47
. -32

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PASSENGERS BILL.
The House then went into Committee on the Passen-
gers Bill, Mr. BERNAL in the chair.
The several clauses, with some verbal amendments,
were agreed to, and the report ordered to be brought up
to-morrow.
On the motion of the LORD ADVOCATE, the Po •
lice of Towns (Scotland) Bill was referred to a Select
Committee.
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, &c. (SCOTLAND).
The House then went hit° Committee on the Regis.
tration of Births. &c., Bill.
Mr. DUNCAN was unwilling to ofl;e6strapnoyneftorremiitalfuorpa-
position to the, Bill, but sugg«:steit 3
week or ten days, as the feeling in Scotland was very
ADVOCATE was understood to say
strong The uLpbmittphe
Asupbj
that the objectionable clauses would be postponed for
the: e.
ses the i xc, pion of those referred to
by the Lard Advocate) were then agreed to, and the
Bolls, resumed.

The Bill was ordered to be recommitted on Monday
week.

CLERGY RELIEF BILL.
the House went into Committee on the Clergy Ro.