The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PA rr A alpicrert

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TIIIS EVENING.
The LORD CILANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

THE GOVERNOR-GE:.%TERAL OF INDIA BILL.
The Duke of ARGYLL moved the second reading of
this bill. He explained that the measure had been
proposed by the late ti_ivernment and had been adopted
by the present. The noble duke explained that the ob-
ject of the nv,asure was not for the purpose of giving
effect to theoretical opinions in regard to the government
of that country, but to remove practical inconveniences.
that had boon found to affect the working of the existing
machinery, and strengthening the bands of the Governor-
General to the carrying out effectively the great power
confided to him.

(LEFT SITTING.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Tins EVENING.
Thu SUEAKELt took the chair at 4 o'clock.
THE FOREIGN OFFICE.
_

Yr. T. l'OrfEllit;keftheUn+7.er Secretary of State
fo Foreign Affairs whether ks attention ha I :von zalled,
t the folowing eta-enient., published as cone-Tea-
deneo in :t LoutlJn a--piper on the `.)th Febetutrr ,
't"si .4"lod G. A. :--'• Mess, s. an Murray: t
4" he: ,with their I %gal e,,nf •derei_• and another ink • wA-
misse f notoriously infamous character, also hired with
puilie money, fa!irieat.,d uu IX ft :rte statement to dec
the la w offieers of th • late ti,:veruni ‘nr„ and I was in c•ni-
sequenci fined £2,00a, which money Messrs. Bidwell,
Murray, awl Company dirk!, d between than ;" and in-
glared what truth there was in
Mr. 01' WAY said his attention lint been called tJ the
statement in qii.st ion, and he was not sorry that the que.i-
tion bad been asked, becaus,, he thought that when the
acts of public men were called into question it should be
made and met in the House of Commons. The value of
the statennnt was generally to be estimated by the
character of the parties making it, and he had then-fore
to state that from beginnin,, to end there was no founda-
tion for the ass.)rtion, and therefore it was wholly
and entirely without foundation. Thera were no clerks
in the Foreign-office who hid the power to hire any per-
sons as witnesses, also that they have no paver to inflict
a fine of £2,000, teed therefore it was impossible thy
could divide it amongst themselves. One of the gentle-
mer named bad soma thin ago been made the subject of.
a similar charge, but. he might say that Mr. Murray, the
Assistant Under Secret try of State for Foreign
Affairs, had been in the service of the Government for 4 t
years, and his active dunes commenced under Mr Canning,
and be had received his present appointment in the year
1838, and therefore he had served under the Earl of
Mahnesbary, Earl Russell, and the Earl of Clarendon,
and such services spoke for themselves. From his own
personal knowledge of Mr. Murray, which extended over
a space of 20 years, he was perfectly incapable of
the conduct imputed to him. Mr. Bidwell, the
other gentleman mentioned, had been in the ser-
vice of the country for 27 years, and on in-
quiry of him he states that the matter, as far as relates
to him is entirely without foundation. Under such cir-
cumstances he hoped the house would think that the
subject was utterly unworthy of any further notice.
LOAN SOCIETIES. _ _ _

Mr. BRUCE, in reply to Mr. Taylor, said he had seen
the statement of Mr. 't'idd Pratt with respect to loan so-
cieties, made in a letter addressed to the magistrates at
the Westminster Police-court, in which he stated that he
considered such societies as " perfect swindles," and lie
had caused inquiry to be mi.de, but that inquiry was not
in such a forward state as to justify him in adopting the
energetic language of Mr. Pratt.. if the statement should
turn out to be true, the act establishing loan societies
would undoubtedly be required to ba altered.