The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-01 00:00:00

Tili inr.

--*P
LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1851.

In the House of Lords last evening,
The Court of Chancery and Judicial Committee Bill
and the Medical Charities (Ireland) Bill were respec-
tively read a second time, the Stock in Trade Bill was
read a third time and passed, and a variety of other Bills
were forwarded a stage.
On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, an ad-
dress to her MAJESTY for an inquiry into the sanitary
state of the metropolis, was agreed to, and their Lord-
ships adjourned.

. The Commons held a morning sitting, at which seve-
ral Bills were forwarded a stage.
In the evening sitting, on the motion for the second
reading of the Episcopal and Capitular Estates Manage-
ment Bill,
Colonel SIETHORP moved as an amendment that it
should be read a second time that day three months.
Sir B. HALL inquired why the Bill recommended by
the Commissioners had been abandoned and the present
measure substituted for it, at this late period of the
session?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said this Bill
was permissive merely, and therefore was an improve-
ment upon the Bill recommended by the Commissioners.
Mr. AGLIONBY objected to the Bill because it was only
permissive.
Mr. SPOONER supported the Bill.
Mr. MuLurtas urged its postponement until next
session, as did Mr. NEWDEGATE, Mr. FREWEN, Mr.
HENLEY, and Mr. BARROW.
Mr. ARDWELL hoped the Bill would not be delayed.
Mr. ANSTEY opposed and the SOLICITOR-GENERAL
supported the Bill.
Lord PALMERSTON suggested that as the objections
seemed to be principally to the details, the Bill should
be suffered to get into Committee, when those objections
could be considered.

Upon a division the amendment was negatived by 45
against 34, and the Bill was read a second time.
Certain Bills were advanced a stage, and the House
then went again into Committee upon the Petty Sessions
(Ireland) Bill, and afterwards upon the SummaryJuriadic-
tion (Ireland) Bill, and the Constabulary Force (Ire-
land) Bill, the details of which were discussed at much
length.
_ _

The motions upon the paper having been disposed of,
the House adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the
existing steam communications with India and
China, and into the practicability of effecting any
improvement therein, have published their second
report. It is a document of no ordinary importance,
containing internal evidence of the great care and
attention bestowed by the Committee on the impor-
tant subject referred to their consideration, and the
soundness of the principles by which they had been
iofluenced, in arriving at a decision. It must,
indeed, command an universal assent from
all disinterested and unprejudiced persons, and
we have little doubt that the recommendations
therein contained will be sanctioned and confirmed
by the vote of the House, even before its proroga-
tion. It is, indeed, essential that such should be the
case, for it appears that the.existing contract,with the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam-packet Company will
expire with 1852, and as it will require at least
eighteen months for any parties to prepare for the
performance of their engagements after the accept-
ance of their offers, it is manifest " that no time
should be lost in taking all the preliminary steps
which the fair encouragement of an open competition
so obviously demands." The great point, indeed, which
the Committee desire to promote, is " the establishment
of a wholesome competition," and the destruction of
the monoply that has hitherto prevailed. They justly
consider " the postal question paramount, and the
one to which their attention should be most directly
pointed," but they do not consider themselves " jus-
tified in excluding the commercial bearings of the
subject," believing "that when a contract is given for
postal service, which necessarily interferes to prevent
the operation of competition, it is impossible to exclude
those considerations, as they materially affect the cost
at which such service can be obtained." This is
a wise and judicious principle, and it is the
steadiness with which it is kept in sight throughout
the entire report that constitutes the great value of
the document, and carries with it an irresistible re-
commendation to a Parliament and nation that have
deliberately recognised, and in a great degree
adopted the doctrines of free trade. With this ob-
ject they regard the subject in three distinct points of
view, considering—

Ist. The arrangement under which the service is at
present conducted.
2d. The cost at which it is carried on, and the pro-
portion which this bears to the speed obtained, and
the facilities afforded ; and,

3rd. The improvements required in future arrange-
ments, and the best mode of securing them to the
public."
The latter is, of course, the point of most vital
importance to be determined . It is necessary to un-
derstand the present arrangements, in order to judge
of the improvements of which they may be suscep-
tible; and although we look upon the "cost" as a
matter of trivial importance, when compared with the
extension of postal facilities, and the security and ra-
pidity of the conveyance of public and private letters,
and dispatches between the various parts of the em-
pire, it is still a point that must be accurately ascer-
tained, in order to disarm the captious objections that
might otherwise be put forward by the CHANCELLOR
of the Excaagnau, whose pertinacious adherence to
the " penny-wise-and-pound-foolish policy" is, un-
happily, a matter of too painful notoriety. These
objections, however, should be completely removed
by the deliberate, and, we believe, unanimous
opinion of the Committee, founded on the
most satisfactory evidence, " that a full mail
service twice in the month to the different
Presidencies of India, and to China, might be estab-
lished without any material increase of charge on
the public revenue." They also state that they
" haye had in evidence that the more valuable articles
of merchandise (opium, silk, and spices), will, if the
freight be moderate, amply repay the cost of rapid
communication between England, India, and China,"
and that " there is every reason to believe that on the
completion of a railroad across the Isthmus, which,
from the evidence before them they trust may be
shortly commenced, this
important traffic will be
largely developed."
The Committee also advert to " certain proposals.
made by the Eastern Steam Navigation Company, to
carry out a communication between England, India,
and China, the express portion of the mails to be
conveyed, via the Trieste route, in conjunction with
the Austrian Lloyds Company," and they judiciously
remark on the " political advantages of having two
lines open across Europe," and add, that "it appears
from the evidence that the Governments interested
in the Trieste line are prepared to enter into negotia-
tion and to give every facility for the transmission of
the mails.”

This is obviously a matter of such vital importance
as to the security of the correspondence, and the pre-
vention of any possible interruption, from any unfor-
tunate misunderstanding that may arise with other
nations, that every person must cordially concur in
the recommendation, " that a communication twice in
the month between England and the different Presi-
dencies in India should be established, and that such