The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-21 00:00:00

MILITARY LABOUR.

Mr. HANBURY TRACY asked the Secretary for War
whether the committee appointed by the Commander-in-
Chief to draw up regulations for extending the system of
" military labour to military works," had yet reported,
and, if so, if he would lay the report on the table.
Mr. CARDWELL said if the hon. member would move for
the report he should be pleased to lay it on the table.
HERITABLE RIGHTS IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. GORDON asked the Lord Advocate whether it was
hii intention to introduce a bill relating to the titles to
land and other heritable rights in Scotland ; and, if so,
whether he would name an early day, so as to afford
sufficient time for considering its provisions.
• The LORD ADVOCATE said it was his intention to intro-
duce a bill upon the subject; and, he might add, he
should also bring in a measure dealing with the law of
entail. (Hear.) He, however, was not at present in a
position to name on what day he should do so.

THE ARMY ORGANISATION BILL.
In reply to Sir J. Pakington and Other hon. members,
Mr. CARDWELL agreed that it was important that full
time should be given for considering the measure which
had been introduced for reorganising the army before
the House was called upon to give an opinion upon it.
The second reading was, he thought, the legiti-
mate opportunity for discussion; and though he was
desirous of making all reasonable progress, be did hot
propose to fix the second reading earlier than Thursday
week next. The officers who had passed out at Sandhurst
would still have precedence over others. All commissions
were to be without purchase, and they would not of
course carry any right to sell. The intention was to in-
demnify from a public fund the widows of officers, who
therefore, would receive the same now as before.

THE PURCHASE OF BRITISH NORTH
AMERICA.

Mr. GLADSTONE, replying to a question of which pri-
vate notice had been given, said the Government had not
received any proposal whatever for the purchase of British
North America by the United States. (Laughter.) He
was in total and absolute ignorance on the subject, and he
hAompeeie drtha lvat
saarti eNvrehiL,l,e the negotiations of the Commission in
progress it would not be thought neces-
yto ask questions in that House founded upon mere
enYznous communications. (Hear.)
SirAN APOLOGY BY SIR R. PEEL.
P
• PEEL withdrew an expression he inadvertently
"fade use of a few nights since in referring to the Duchy
Lancaster. Although he thought their accounts ought
to be subjected to considerable revision, he certainly never
intended to imply that any corruption existed in that body'
(Rear.)

UNIVERSITY TESTS BILL.
On the House going into committee of supply;
Mr. NEWDEGATE said if the two bills which were to be
discussed that evening were passed, one of them would
tend towards the disestablishment of the Church of Eng-
land, and the other to the establishment of the Church of
Rome. (Laughter.)
Mr. STEVENSON brought forward his amendment to Clause
3, which was to the effect that all degrees should be open.
tie said that his amendment was precisely the same as
the one he moved last session, and which, he believed,
had the support of the majority of the Liberal members
of the House. The object was that personl who are not
members of the Church of England might take the degree
of Bachelor of Divinity. This was done in Glasgow, and
other Scotch Universities, where anyone who had
obtained the degree of Master of Arts, might
Nue forward and pass his examination as Bachelor of
Divinity. It had been suggested that in the event of his
amendment being carried an athiest or some one who desired
t° overthrow Christianity, might get a degree; but such
assertions were hardly worth replying to. He saw no
Mason why the degree of Divinity should not be either
e'dended or abolished altogether ; but so long as it
existed, it ought to be equally open to the members of
every Christian church. (Hear, hear.)
kr. GLADSTONE, without entering into the merits
(3f the motion, said that he thought the plan
Proposed by his hon. friend would not work.
Its hon. friend had no objection to the test
being applied to the professors who desired it; but that
w.,..°111d place the other candidates in a peculiar position.
/le could not quite understand what the hon. member
Wished to establish. He certainly wished to have the
degree of divinity thrown open. What is divinity? He
443's that the professors of different Churches should
Obtain certificates. Well, what Churches ? For example,
there were the Buddists, where they to be included? Pro-
bably„.. the hon. member meant the various fragments of
the Christian world • but if he meant to admit all those
aswho Professed Christianity in some form or other, he must
over some test as to what Christianity is.
be Government intended, so far as they were concerned,
t° send up to the House of Lords the same Bill as was
submitted to them last year, and he did not think it ex-
15edient, or that it was consistent that they as a Govern-
nt should send up a Bill materially varying from the
di of last year, therefore he could nct accede to the
41°endinent of his hon. friend (Mr. Stevenson), and that
e.
th tug the case he thought it would be best not to prolong
discussion. (Hear, hear.) He was, however, bound to
;43, that the same course would be adopted by the Govern-
-6h regard to the other amendments on the paper.
tti °old the Government fail in their attempt the hon.
4:Ll4er (Mr. Stevenson), or any other hon. gentleman,
tuber
have the opportunity of introducing a bill, but at
heist he must say say " no " to the amendment. (Hear,
LYON PLAYFAIR said he should be compelled to vote
-qtli
e0."18 friend the mover of the amendment, because he
di,t4Bidered that the three faculties, medicine, law, and
ought all to be open. He considered that the
the bi as it stood, affected the nationalty of
dif and made it partial in its operation
t the amendment was adopted it would tend largely
1:11044e the standard of knowledge possessed by those
tI4O took degrees in our universities, because, instead of
bili,Nviog the responsibility on the bishops, the responsi-
Ay would rest with the universities themselves.
ter a few words from Mr. BERESFORD HOPE, who
e4tied that the bishops had the responsibility alluded to,
Drin:: BUXTON said he could not conceive upon what
kid IPle it was wished to retain the few miserable scraps
that fragments of an old system based upon the idea
Aeop°ithe universities belonged to the Church and not the
e. There were many subjects in connection with
gioeu44Y, which had had no reference to any.specific reli•
view, and he hoped the principle to "which he had
litrallud.cl would be carried out to the utmost.
SAMUELSON believed the proper sequel of the events
te4Bt 3:,,r would have been a bill abolishing all religious
‘vith 4. here were gentlemen who were fond of charging
their. unbelief those whose opinions did not coincide with
Own,eol4rto,. and when a member was expelled from a
4.l4aeeettato:liti.ofoirl the revision of the scriptures simply be-
the did not hold the belief of the Church of England,
of all tests should be insisted upon. He
the
that theology should be pursued as a science, but
°°lnitry
14741 alwaYs been labouring under a disadvan-