The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-28 00:00:00

Sir G. GREY declined to give any Fuck assurance.
DESIGNS EXTENSION BILL
Mr. RICARDO put a question to the President of the
Board of Trade as to how many parsons it was expected
would take advantage of the Designs Extension Bill?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that not having had notice
of the quesion, ho could not answer it with exactness►
but he could say that is great number of persons both
at
home and abroad were looking forward to the passing of
this measure with great anxiety.
Mr. RICARDO said ho would repeat the quastion to-
morrow.

SAVINGS BANKS.
Mr. HENRY HERBERT wished to inquire when it
was the intention of the Government to bring in a Btil
for the alteration of the law respecting saving
banks.
savi
During the last session an admission bad been made by
the First Lord of the Treasury that some such law was
absolutely necessary, but no intimation had this session
been
given of the intention to lay such a Bill upon the
table.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
if the husineas of the I
that a Bill was inand
laousTeerpyroc
than it had hitherto done he might be able to bring the
e e ded forwarde
little state,
matter before the House before the end of the session.
Mr. H. HERBERT begged to give notice that unless
a Bill was shortly laid on the table by the Government
faster
he should feel it to bo his duty to introduce the subject
to the House, with a view of improving the law with
respect to savings banks, and especielry with the object
of relieving the depositors who had beeu reduced to des-
titution he the failure of savings banks in Ireland.
FREEDOM - ASPERITY ae
EXPRESSION DURING THE C A THOLE)
DEBATE.
Mr. GRANTLEY BERKELEY wished to ask whe''
ther it was competent to the House to reconsider the
resolution with respect to the freedom of debate. Bit
object was to ascertain whether there were no means or
preventing that asperity of language, which had beet:
indulged in during the late debate, and stoppiDg tbs.
which was felt to be not only insulting to Meriabers or
that House collectively, but also individually.—(Cee"*)
The SPEAKER said that the freedom of debste
was established on the very law on which the basisthere
of the House itself was established, and,
fore, every Member was entitled to speak as
freely
as was consistent with the privileges which those laws
conferred. It was, however, unquestionable that un7
necessary strength of language might be
errseprcoo ec
/Ted g
to
either by one Member or several Membl -
tively, moving that words likely to be insultin
one or more Members should be taken d_oewrn
and expunged from the debate.—(Loud cries of '
hear.") lie had himself observed that terms of unnectese
nary asperity had been used in the late debate, bu_. h
trusted and believed that they would not be renevred
The subject then dropped.
IMPROVEMENT OF TOWNS (IRELAND) BILL.
In reply to Mr. REYNOLDS, add
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that he did intend to
more names to the Committee of this Bill.
THE BUDGET.
In reply to Sir DE LACY EVANS, a to-
Lord J. RUSSELL intimated that he would state
morrow when he would bring on the Budget.
STEAM TO INDIA. notice, to
Viscount JOCELYN then rose, pursuant to noti •
f the
move fur a Committee to inquire into the question
io
sod
existing steam communications between Englana
India; and to report whether any improvements may ,
be made in the conduct of those commanicationao
previous to the grant of a further line.contract.t
any company proposing to carry on that
Likewise to consider the subject of eteven couuntair_
tions, having for its object a line or lines connectltDge
England, India, and Australia; and to report to
House the most fitting mode in which such cowinuulae
tion may be effected, with due care to econonsYcel
with advantage to the public interests. The Noble Isui
stated that ho introduced a similar motion last sea'
sion, but since then the subject had beconae
interesting in many points of view. The goes'
coo.
tion was one of some importance to the
try, and he much regretted that it had not been canes
up by the Government. There were enaDY
motionI:I
derations which induced him to bring this
forward, but the principal one was this.
• till
The contracts with the Peninsular and the
company would expire in 1853, which d 01° wouol giv°6l
Government an opportunity of changing r
our
entirel
y
Indian better means of commuuication with °I
Indian empire. He made this motion
on public grounds; he had no hostility to any 06'41'wer1
companies ; on the contrary, he thought they•
much indebted to them for tho accommodation whiu.".
their services had given to the public, and for the
and energy with which they conducted their trade.
By the resolution of last session, it was agreed thut
route of steam communication should be establishe
between Singapore and Australia, and the Peninsular
and Oriental Company had stated their readines to
ex
pend 5,0001. in the settling of the route, but they thogm
that they ought not to be tied down to any regulations
which the Indian Government might choose to lay devil);
and he conceived that they were perfectly .right, {or,
in his opinion, nothing could be more injurious mono,the
public interest than the vesting the es
poly of a great social or comm
advantage in the hands of a great and powerful perV,
such as that constituted by the East India Company. 11
was well known that the Peninsular and Oriental Steshl
Company had always been desirous of obtain'
ing the possession of the route between Su!S
and Bombay. That route would have been of 01
greatest benefit to theta, but the grant of it bad
always been frustrated by the necessity for the services
of the Indian navy. Far be it from him ,
depreciate that navy, for he was aware how benefici"
its services had been both in India and Chi";
but it should nevertheless be recollected that vessels of
that navy had not altogether superseded the necessity
for the employment of vessels in her Majesty's service.
The purpose then alleged fur the exclusion of the
vessels of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam COllici
pany was not served, while on the other ban
it was abundantly evident that if the Indian navY
excluded from this line, the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company would be enabled to em-
ploy larger and more powerful vessels, and thus not only
increase their speed, but also render the communisation
with India more regular and certain. (His LordshiP
then read extracts from dispatches from the Earl of
Ripon, when at the head of the Board of Control,
and from those of the authorities in India, in order
to show that this change would, if effected. ace°l3/-
plish the objects ho had in view.) He we.
aware that some prepositions had been made by
company formed last year, but he could not say that t
the WI
could be entertained, and therefore ho thought tha
chief object to which the Committee should direct its
attention was in the first place to the establishment 01
the routes and the depots to be formed for steam corn-
nanniccition between this country and Australia. By the
existing, arrangements the mails left England on the 7th
of every month, and reached Suez on the 20 h of every
month, from which place they were forwarded to
dndi la.
The existing arrangements with the Peninsular a
would
. w
ental Company was to last for seven years, and
expire in January, 1853. The total expense of the
lino
was .265,0001 , of which 811111 the Indian Government pro-
vided 125,00111, and the home Government 140,000/. The
question now was, when the existing arrangements ceased,
what course should they pursue in reference to future ar-
rangements. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Com-
pauy wished to get into their handas the line be-
tween India and Egypt, but hought nothing
would be more dangerous than
hesfromtablishing a great mex'
o-
nopoly by this company, wic, the extent and
pease of the operations, could not be open to competition.
The conclusion which her Majesty's Government had come
to, when the question was put before them in 1845, was to
leave that line in the hands of the East India ComparlYs
In the course of the last few days various complaints hat,
conduct edm
reached him
There of the mode ini which that comtn . =cation
woreinsufficient means of commercial
acorrmmunication, and passengers complained of insufficient
an gements for their convert. Be did not, , however,
at-
tach much import
n. It had b importance to complaints of the latter descrip-
ti
een stated that the cost of carrying nassell-
gers was greater than on other lines. That should be in-
quired ' into, as it could not be cured by competition. There
was another complaint by the Ben oil Chamber of Commerce,
and they required 6
greater speed and more regularity in the
arrival of the vessels at Bombay. The next point into which
h e proposed the Committee should go, was to consider the
subject of steam communication between India and AUStril•
lia. Upon that subject also he thought that a Committee
of that House would be the best mode of inquiry. Ile
should regret hasty and unwise contracts. He did net wish
to prejudge the question, but he thought inquiry.by a C°!'"
mittee would have a beneficial effect in giving information
con-
to the public at large, and in coming to some decisive
clusions upon the subject.
Lord NAAS admitted that the Noble Lord bade made out
an excellent case for inquiry as to the first ch of thea
motion, but with regard to the second branch he was afraid
that the proposed mode of inquiry would have the effect of
depriving the Australian colonies for some time of the benefie
t
of steam communication. Last year the Chancellor of th
Exchequer had assured them that no time would be lost
in
carrying into effect the project submitted to the Government
_
on the subject. The present session was far advanced and
the Australian colonies were as far from obtaining the cow:.
pletion of that project as they were w firs.
hen steps were L
taken on it in 1844. In 1844 the Legislative Council et
Sydney had passed resolutions on the subject, and in 1840,
the committee of the council recommended that the sum ot
6,000/. should be voted for establishing steam counniTrean
tion between Singapore and Sydney. In 1847 thseiset
8 jthe
was much agitated in this country, and inl mails
contract for the sailing packets in carrying the
bad been
to Australia expired. Up to that time thereen this
a tolerably regular mode of communication betweis.
country and the Australian colonies. The Government 110
declined to renew that contract, in the belief et some con-
be entered into.
tract for steam communication will speedily
From that date up to the present time no regular comrauni,
cation had existed between this country and Australia, aud
the result was, that the colonists had been obliged to pay ft!
much higher rate of postage for letters, newspapers, ant
cottoned had expired,
reviews. Shortly after the contract mob 11'
Government issued notices for tenders for steam commuoic
Indian and Australian.
tion, and one was sent in from the
Steam-packet Company for e 6,00 e/.• whichthat the Government
accepted. It turned out afterwards this company nt,Bl2‘
not a single shilling, of capitel, and that for six mon i
during which they were allowed to hold the contract'.
they had
out laid down a single steamer. Indeed•:;
the end of that time the company was dissols
Act. In 1850 notice had beet,
under the Winding up .l,
issued by the Admiralty for fresh tenders, and
not considered satisfectory, the was now before the Goveriina,c
In answer to the question f his the other day, lki
n
Honourable Gentleman opposite seemed to admit that
etaPf
tender uow before them for performing the service of
Tres
communication with Australia free of expense
uto the Trtesc,
sury, and for the postage of letters alone, WAS
vi
tory. He bad been told that the Peninsular and Ore
Company had offered in their tender to establish ate
yids"
communication between Singapore and Sydney, pro _
they were allowed to charge a shilling posts
on every
letter from this co ntry to Sydney. His object in moving 1:0,
amendment was merely, by transposing the parts of thsetrol
tion, to ensure the consideration of the questioa ()colic-
communication with Australia without any delav• ' Art
en 10-
ever the report of the Committee might be on the huh 0
of the question, nothing could be done in it for two
tll/ CVAt'IACt. 6etWl the cPWPAPY