The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, August 11.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION BILL.
This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered
to be reported.
HIGHWAY RATES BILL.
This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered
• to be reported.
TRUSTEES RELIEF BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
CALEDONIAN CANAL BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
PAYMASTERS OFFICES CONSOLIDATION

BILL.
On the order of the day for the third reading of this
Bill,
Lord MONTEAGLE said ho was afraid that if the
Bill were passed as it now stood it would bo seriously
detrimental to the public service, and he mast therefore
be permitted to move the insertion of a clause providing
that the funds to he collected under the Bill should be
distributed under the control of the Treasury, and sub-
jected to the provisions of the Appropriation Act.
Lord GRANVILLE supported the Bill as it stood,
and opposed the amendment. The Bill, he said, would
have the effect of diminishing the number of paymasters
in the army, and thus prove a saving to the public ex-
chequer. It simply abolished the offices of Paymaster
of the Civil Service and Paymaster of Exchequer-
bills, imposing the duties of these two officers upon
the Paymaster-General. At present the keeping up
of these offices involved an expenditure of 15,0001. and
patronage to the extent of 200,0001., and he felt that iu
passing this Bill their Lordships would only be carry-
ing out the principle of economy which was so much ad-
vocated in this and the other House of Parliament.
After a few words from Lord MONTEAGLE in
reply,
The Duke of WELLINGTON assured the House
that the Bill could in no way remove the securities
which now existed for the due application of the public
money, and, as this was a money Bill, he did not think
it would be prudent in the Noble Lord to persevere with
His amendment.
Lord MONTEAGLE said, under those circumstances,
be would withdraw it.
The clause -was accordingly withdrawn, and the Bill
read a third time and passed.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from South
Australia, praying that the' benefits of a Legislative
Assembly might be extended to that colony,
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (LOOP LINE OF
BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD, THROUGH

LEAMINGTON).
This Bill ct as read a third time and passed.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (ADDITIONAL
POWERS IN CONNEXION WITH THE

MINGHAM AND OXFORD).
This Bill, which gives the Great Western Company
power to lay down the broad gan ;e on the Birmingham
and Oxford line, from Fenny Compton to Birmingham,
was read a third time and passed.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. August 11.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
After some discussion, in which Mr. Hume gave
the Government credit for a sincere intention to keep
down the expense of their peace establishments, and
some observations from Mr. Cobden and Mr. Ward,
in which the latter pledged the Government to a
complete investigation and revision of the expenditure
for the navy clueing the next six months, the vote was
agreed to, as was also a vote for the sum of 25,8391. to
defray the salaries of officers and the contingent expenses
of her Majesty's naval forces abroad.
The following votes were also agreed to:-
411,3461. to defray the charges for the naval estab-
lishments at home.
39.2301. to defray the charges for artificers in the
naval establishments abroad.
25,075/. to defray the charges of the medical staff
and stores.
66,573/. to defray the charges of divers miscellaneous
services.
181,3221. to defray the charge for freight of ships
and victualling of ships and stores.
43,602/. to defray the charges relating to convicts.
The House then resumed, the Chairman reported
progress, and obtained leave to sit again at five o'clock.
The House at a Quarter past Three o'clock adjourned
to Five o'clock.

Mr. BERNAL resumed the Chair at Five o'clock, and
the House proceeded with the Committee of Supply;
and the debate was proceeded with on the Navy Esti-
mates.
On the question that the sum of 557,2131. be granted
to her Majesty, to detray the expenses of naval stores.
Mr. HUME said that nothing had occurred to war-
rant so great an outlay for stores as had taken place for
the last few years.
After a few observations from Mr. WARD and Str C.
DOUGLAS,
lINGINE-DRIVERS ON RAILWAYS.
Mr. 11. BERKELEY called the attention of the
Government to the differences which had taken place
between the engine-drivers on the North-Western Rail-
way and the directors of the company.
Mr. LABOUCHERE stated that information had
been given to the Board of Trade that a dispute had
arisen with the directors on the subject of wages.
That information was conveyed to the Railway Com-
missioners, and having communicated with the company,
they received an assurance that every precaution would be
taken which was calculated to secure the public safety. The
Railway Commissionershad, however, no power to inter-
fere in the matter further than communicating with the
company on the subject. He understood that the engine-
drivers wore at present in communication with the com-
pany, and he indulged the hope that their differences
were mainly made up, and that the business of the
railway would go on as usual. All he could now say
was, that he had received the strongest assurance cn the
part of the company that every measure would be taken
which was adequate to secure the public safety.
Lord G. BENTINCK protested against this inter-
ruption to the proceedings of the Committee of Supply.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, if the Noble Lord persisted
in his opposition, ho would move that the chairman re-
port progress.
Lord G. BENTINCK said he merely wished to enter
his protest against such a proceeding being taken as a
precedent.
After a few words from Mr. HUME, who stated that
all blame was owing to him, because it was upon
his motion that the House went into a Committee of
Supply at five o'clock, the Honourable Gentleman pro-
ceeded to deprecate the present mode of dealing with
contracts, and complained that they were not opened
in the presence of all the competitors. It had been said
that the Blenheim was an example which the Admiralty
ought to follow. Why that ship cost 70,0001. or 80,0001.,
then 43,0001. were expended in altering her, and 25,0001.
in constructing the screw-propeller, for the resception
of which the expensive alterations had been made.
Why, they might hare built a new ship for the cost of
the alterations. He protested against this extravagant
expenditure, and trusted that it would not be repeated.
Mr. WARD defended the system of contracts. In
some cases parties could not be found to compete, and
fines were now inflicted for the non-completion of those
which were accepted.
In reply to Mr. SOTHERON,
Mr. WARD stated that there were forty-five different
screw-propellers, and dispies were now pending in the
courts between several of Me parties: The Admiralty
had, therefore, experienced some difficulty in dealing with
them on account of the conflicting interests. In fact
none of the parties bad ever put themselves in a condi-
tion for the Admiralty to deal with them.
The vote was then agreed to.
The next vote proposed was 326,6011. for improvements
and repairs.
Mr. COBDEN recommended the Admiralty to
adopt the suggestion of the Committee, who had
most carefully investigated the matter, that the
boilers used in the navy should not be made in the
Government yards, but by private contract, evidence
having been adduced before them to show that they
could be constructed by private contract much cheaper.
Mr. WARD said the Admiralty had, in every way
they could, paid the greatest attention to the recommen-
dations
of the Committee; and, with respect to the opi-
nion of the Hon. Member that boilers could be con-
structed at a less cost by private contract than at the
Government works, it might be advisable for the Go-
vernment to await the end of the year to test it.
Captain CORRY defended the practice of making
boilers in the dockyards. They were more to be de-
pended upon than those constructed by private indi-
yids als.
Mr. COBDEN said the main question was the econo-
mical result to going on with the present system. His
doctrine was that it was better to waste 200,0001. or
3g0,000/. which was already expended, than to go on ex-
pending 400,0001. or 500,0001. in completing the present
works. Re thought the system was bad.
Captain HARRIS said that the great object of these
works was to secure the expedition in fitting out the
„, vessels. If they had not steam basins on the breaking
ss, olit of a war they would be very much in the hands of
contractors.
.• • Mr. COBDEN said that the Hon. Gentleman forgot
VISA they were in the hands of contractors with respect to
the construction of steam-engines.
Mr. HUME said that ho had not joined in putting a
stop to those works because the contracts existed to a
very
large amount, and he thought that probably, under
such circumstances, it was better to have a small steam
basin. Had he been aware of the expense, and had the
question been put to him, he never would have con-
sented to those works being undertaken. There had
been a system of careless and reckless extravagance in
the Admiralty expenditure in past times, which they had
the assurance of the Noble First Lord of that department
should be put aOn
n end to in future. instance of this
reckless expenditure he might mention.e In the choice
of the ground for the basin they had selected
upon which stood an arsenal, the expense of the removal
of of which alone cost 150,0001.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT defended the conduct of
the Admiralty in selecting the ground for the basin, but
his explanation was not heard in the gallery.
Mr. HENLEt complained of the indifferent system of
accounts kept in all these dockyards, and the unneces-
sary expenditure the country was brought into by means
of tse extensive public works. There was no doubt
-whetWer that an estimate could have been given at the
onset which would have enabled the Admiralty and the
House to proceed with more economy.
The vote was then agreed to.
519,7401. half-pay.
Captain PECHELL took that opportunity of calling
the attention of the Committee to the case of the com-
manders and lieutenants in the navy on the retired list.
The Honourable and Gallant Member read an extract