The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-01 00:00:00

TYNE IMPROVEMENT BILL.

On the third reading of this bill.
Mr. EUSTACE SMITH moved that the order for the third
reading be discharged, and that the bill be re-committed
in order to reduce borrowing power to the amount
originally in the bill. It was a very dangerous precedent,
he contended, that any public body having the power of
borrowing and investing large sums of money should pro-
mote a bill which at the second reading should contain
limited powers, and when it went upstairs should involve
a sum fourtimes the original amount.

Mr. STEVENSON supported the third reading of the bill.
He said the alteration in the amount, increasing it from
£lOO,OOO to £400,000 had been known for upwards of a
fortnight, and yet no action had been taken until Satur-
day last.
Mr. HEADLAM also supported :ae bill.

Mr. COWEN said that if the bill asked for additional
t fixation, the arguments of the member for Tynemouth
might have had some force, but the promoters of the
measure did not ask for anything beyond authority to
borrow money necesssay to carry out works for which
they had already Parliamentary powers to execute.

Mr. DODSON said it was a bill which it was desirable in
the interest of the public to pass. The course proposed
by the member for Tynemouth was very unusual. The
bill proposed to put an end to the dues now levied by the
Corporation of Newcastle on the shipping of the Tyne, on
terms which appeared to him to be very equitable.
Mr. SMITH said that after the expression of opinion
from the member for East Sussex he knew what the de-
cision of the House would be, and he should withdraw
his motion.

The bill was accordingly read a third time.
MILITARY RESERVE FUND.

Colonel NORTH asked the Secretary of State for War
whether the recommendations contained in Paragraphs
15 and 18 of the report from the Select Committee on
Military Reserve Funds, had been carried into effect—
namely, that the reserve fund should be wound up, and
the balance paid into the Exchequer; and, if so,
whether a sufficient sum had been taken in the army esti-
mates to defray all payments charged on the reserve
fund.

Mr. CARDWELL replied that the recommendations had
not been carried into effect, and the balance had not been
paid into the Exchequer.

TRUSTEES OF SAVINGS BANKS.

Sir JOHN LUBBOCK asked the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer why the excess of interest paid to the trustees of
savings' banks during the year 1869 over that received by
the Commissioners amounted to £217,254155. 10d., while
the excess for the year 1868 was only £17,091 us. 2d.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that the
amount which was paid to the Commissioners for the
Reduction of the National Debt on account of savings'
banks in respect of terminable annuities was, in 1868,
£2,780,000, and in 1869 only £2,238,000, so that there was
a difference between the two years of £522,000, and the
cause of that difference was the arrangements which
were made as to the period of paying the balances.
OPEN COMPETITION IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Mr. WINTERBOTHAM asked the First Lord of the
Treasury whether he was able to state what steps had
been taken for "the establishment of a system of open
competition on an extended scele " in the Civil Service, in
accordance with the expectation held out to the House on
the 10th of April, 1869, and renewed on the 25th of
February, 1870.
Mr. GLADSTONE stated in reply that in redemption of
the pledge which the Government gave at an earlier period
of the Session they had steadily prosecuted the measures
which were contemplated in the discussions which took place
in that House, and the arrangements connected with open
competition, and connected with other elements of change
in the offices that belonged to the subject, or attached to
it, were now in a very forward state, and he hoped in the
course of two or three weeks to be able to lay upon the
table of the House conclusive documents relating to the
subject.
THE METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE.

Mr. EYKTN gave notice that he should can
attention to the unsatisfactory state of the metropolitan
police force, and to move for a select committee to inquire
into the subject.
THE FENIAN RAID IN CANADA.
In reply to Colonel Nortb,

Mr. MONSELL said that, according to the information
which he had received that day, all was quiet on the fron-
tier. Many of the Fenians were begging their way home
from Malone. General Lindsay proposed to reduce the
military force at various points. The Fenian stores were
much wasted.
NAVAL ADMINISTRATION.

On the motion for going into committee of supply on
the Navy Estimates,
Mr. CORRY drew attention to the return ordered to be
printed, in reference to the navy victualling yards. The
hon. gentleman condemned the system of supplying stores
to the navy.

Mr. BAXTER in replying to the observation made by
Mr. Corry, pointed out the immense saving which had
been effected by the system now in vogue.
CIIATHAM AND PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARDS.
Mr. CAWLEY moved for a select committee to inquire
into the circumstances and causes which have led to the
large increase in the cost of the works for the extension f
the dockyards at Chatham and Portsmouth beyond the
amounts set forth in the Act 28 and 29 Vic., c. 51; also,
into the circumstances which have led to the disposal of
Deptford Dockyard for an amount so much below the
value thereof stated in the Stock Valuation Account.
The hon. gentleman entered at some length into the
system that had been pursued with respect to works going
on in these dockyards, and said he thought the House
would agree with him that it was desirable that some ex-
planation should be given why contracts entered into in
the year 1869, had not been signed, and laid
on the table on the last day of May, 1870.
He was also of opinion that it was most de•
sirable that it should be explained why works and the
contracts which had been entered into with a view to
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