The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-15 00:00:00

THE SCUTTLING OF VESSELS IN THE
SEINE.

State
EUSTACE SMITH asked the Under Secretary of
qate for Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Govern-
blent were taking any, and what, steps to obtain compen-
Stion for the seamen and others who lost their employ-
bent and effects through the sinking of their vessels in the
Seine by the Prussians.

Viscount ENFIELD said he had to state that the Govern-
ment, as soon as they learnt that British ships had been
tMak in the Seine by Prussians, took immediate steps to
biting the matter before Count Bismarck, who promised
that full compensation should be given. (Hear.) Hehad
110 reason to doubt but that this would be done as soon as
!he various claims could be substantiated. (Hear.) In a
r:cv days the papers on the subject would be laid upon
`4e table of the Horse.

DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE.
Mr. GLADSTONE gave notice that on Thursday next, on
gong into
4, g committee of supply, he would move a resolu-
"ell for a sum of £30,000 as a dowry for her Royal High-
lifts Princess Louise. (Hear.)

HABITUAL DRUNKARDS.
b4r. DONALD DALRYMPLE obtained leave to bring in a
,_lto amend the law of lunacy, and to provide for the
‘4,geraent of habitual drunkards.

THE LAW OF MORTMAIN.
Sir WILLIAM HUTT asked for leave to bring in a bill to
I
acnitate gifts of land for public parks, schools, and
kffilaeums• The object contemplated by the bill was to
iciect a change in what was erroneously called Statute of
clltaain, which made it practically impossible for any
Persn
, —ll in this country to leave by will real pro-
'ertY. or funds afterwards to be applied to real
Pr o
,„ Petty, to any public institution, however de-
p—rving of %support it might be. That sweeping
i;ll4etrolnt, so unusually stringent in its character, was
held to be necessary to prevent the alienation of large
estates from the general purposes- of the country. Parlia-
tsent, however, had been in the habit of relaxing the re-
4rietion in the case of railways and other commercial
undertakings, and there was no more reason for doing so in
that respect than with reference to scientific, scholastic,
414 other similar institutions. (Hear.) The hardship
g the prohibition fell almost entirely upon the
poorer classes, though it affected to some extent the
''PPer classes as well. A landlord was prevented from
laving a piece of land for building a village school, and
414 equally precluded from leaving real property to anywof
h e universities or other great public institutions, and
41,,sws that class of legislation which was proposed to be
Zed by the measure. (Hear.)
eave was given.
xi, IRISH LEGISLATION.
til'r* RERON obtained leave to bring in a bill to diminish
hili.e/13ense and delay of passing local and personal acts
ill „,"tag to Ireland through Parliament, the main object
e,;sw being the establishing in Dublin of a Parliamen-
t_s°l4ce similar in scope and constitution to that of the
gwernment in London.
k TRADES' UNION BILL.
till tt,, . 137113cE, in moving for leave to bring in a
4 ; amend the law relating to trade unions,
had taken,..4184 although he regretted the delay that
4414, place in the introduction of this mea-
k4a jet at the same time he must confess that some
It Waet4e had arisen in such delay having taken place.
he mesa 'lilt cult and a delicate subject to deal with, but
Ist eliseile°llraged in his task by the recollection of the
"ill which-'" which took place on this subject in 1869 on the
'll Was brought s 4144 in by the hon.
.member forkinaFrome.
ildelice ner in which that bill was received gave con-
c's. ra 'low. An objection was raised to the bill by the
stile esaber for Carlisle, on the ground that most of the
kitieac°l4334dained of arose from ignorance, and that the
with ). sill should be passed before Parliament deals
thie
at ke.. Matter. Well, that bill has passed. He would
14., the law between
to the Acts of Parliament which related
"4111 4: between master. and servant.. The first memor-
, ' was passed in the reign of Edward 111.
°I vv- as based upon the theory that the rate
°I iaaes should be regulated by the supply
cti'llr- Well during that reign an epidemic
1
SAt i:: black death " visited the land, and the result was
`4l34l;"ere were so many deaths that there were but few
i,DassedetB to do the work, and another Act was then
-1 N ' compelling every able-bodied man under
Lllll4 years of age to serve anyone who m-
th tas services at the rate of wages established
: Act, Several other statutes were passed
,7% 5 g to this subject; but the next in importance was
Lss`kt Zliz.„ • Then the next was 1813, and from time to
e'lltlaCseciuent acts were passed, which were con-
LIN i" by the 40th, George 111. The year 1825 was
men
most disastrous in our commercial history—the
1,,'°11 ii!ii of the people were great, and the work-
' i;),leSee many places broke out into acts of
Ch'et), Parliament again legislated on the
"' thou but that legislation was imperfect, as it stood.
' i",,,,,t5°1, under the Burials Act, a friendly society had
ef)%, it Prosecute a dishonest servant for embezzling the
D4ktettlad been held by a court of law that as the
Thee Of va‘ trade's union might be to combine to raise the
tt eo age; that the union had no power to prosecute.
ti,, deeLll.tt of Queen's Bench had confirmed
joti —ll3ll, though there was some difference of
11 elltit:31011g the judges, Mr. Justice Hannen
tllleißlat% from the views held by the majority.
11441411 i.:cul• gentleman said he hoped by the passing of
11,11 ibseb.' -",(10 justice to both sides. Undoubtedly there
di en 0-13--I.IIY eases of great hardships where masters
1,,°4 Nae ,
cl hged by the action of the trades unionists, to
all, have iel lru n who were non-union men, whom they
cli4 look wished to keep employed ; but let them
did , nlaete,4t the other side of the question—
tOey ),- 4 never refuse to employ union men ?
iij Wei4:iever insist on men signing a declaration that
Oat 6 ' not join. the union. (Hear, hear). He looked
14hti°1; eiiikhil3l°Yer as more than one man ; he was a com-
blv, illatieti Ins, elf, and his power was as great as any
h,. sever which could he formed against him. He
ter, area ill
er, a. Stances of the great power possessed by the
'S e N Plo4yeci
d o 41
the arbitrary way in which, in some cases, it
111,,,,11'w the, • Then, with regard to the funds of trades
tiNs wag het
_was no protection in this respect whatever.
'kn) 4141 the Lilat safety which existed with other socie-
hs 11 •41 't rilachin
Ve. erY was anything but secure and very
414t1' he The bills which he had introduced, and
tote moat°w again
h l, n laid before them
144 4t'wh'-w- '-'e some means of procgeding similar
44;11't,.silt tr:cren„existed with ordinary friendly societies. At
tee,,l7 With
third
could not enter into binding agree-
' ht et age Persons. The secretary could not
thilya.,,
1141.135 t them the amount of the salary at which
ntii44l4oYea ; an action could not be sustained by
tllltY best. against a bank in which its funds
Placed,Ate tend to remove this diffi-
one
i Ureat object of the Ad.

The Government also proposed, with certain exceptions,
to repeal the law with respect to conspiracies, and to re-
lieve trades unions of legal disabilities. The right hon.
gentleman then went at length into the details of the bill,
and, in conclusion, contended that the best way of pro-
moting a good understanding between employer and em-
ployed was to make the laws affecting them just and
equitable. This bill;he believed, would have that result,
and would, therefore, be received with as much satisfac-
tion by the employers of labour as by the workmen.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. T. HUGHES thanked the Government for intro-
ducing the measure, as it dealt with the whole subject in
such a manner as was likely to give satisfaction both to
employers and employed. The bill was good in several
points ; first of all, because it did not contemplate the
separation of the funds of trades unions for different
purposes ; secondly, because no attempt was made to
limit the freedom of the men ; thirdly, because the funds
of the societies would be protected ; and, lastly, because
it placed them upon a legal basis. He believed the more
such societies were brought before the attention of the
public, the less fear of them there would be, and the more
harmless they would become.
After a few words from Mr. HERMON in support of the
bill,

Mr. MUNDELL/. said there was a good deal which was
coarse and objectionable, and to be lamented and depre-
cated, in trades' unions; but the report of the Truck Com-
missioners would shew how great was the oppression upon
workmen where such unions did not exist. He believed
the whole world was looking to this country to devise
means which would bring about a better and more
harmonious understanding between employers and em-
ployed.
Leave was given to introduce the bill.
ASSUMPTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to bring in a
bill to the same effect as that of last year, namely, to
repeal an Act for preventing the assumption of certain
ecclesiastical titles in respect of certain places in the
United Kingdom.

Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the bill, because it would
sanction territorial titles by nominees of his Holiness the
Pope, (Laughter.)

MISCELLANEOUS.

Mr. MUNTZ obtained leave to bring in a bill to exempt
charities and hospitals from local rates, the power of
exemption to rest with the vestries.
Mr. SACKVILLE obtained leave to introduce a bill vesting
county property in the Clerk of the Peace.
Mr. NORWOOD obtained leave to bring in a bill to ex-
tend the jurisdiction and amend the procedure in county

courts.
Mr. SHAW-LEFEVRE obtained leave to bring in a bill
relating to the enclosure of commons.
THE DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE.

Mr. GLYN brought up the report of the committee upon
the dowry to the Princess Louise, which was agreed to,
and Mr. GLADSTONE brought in a bill in conformity with
the report, which was read a first time. The second read-
ing was fixed for Thursday.
The House adjourned at five minutes past seven
o'clock.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
LORD HOUGHTON ON ART.

Lord Houghton attended a meeting at the Guildhall,
Cambridge, last night, and distributed the prizes
to the successful students of the School of Art.
The . Mayor presided, and the Masters of Trinity
and Christ's Colleges, with several other learned
dignitaries of the university were present. Lord Hough-
ton gave an address on art, in which he referred to the
recent establishment of a professorship of fine arts in con-
nection with the university, which, he said, was
not established a day too soon. The nobility
and gentry of the present day did not study and
appreciate art to anything like the degree their ancestors
did a century back, and he recommended the authorities of
the university to try and foster an appreciation of art.
Cambridge was singularly fortunate in the grand incentive
to the study of art which existed in the magnificent build-
ings of the several colleges.