The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1869,

1 IMPERIAL PARLIA L ENT

HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

The Royal Assent was given to the Consolidated Fund
(X 8,406,272) Bill.
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (SCOTLAND' BILL.

The Duke of ARGYLL moved the second reading of
this bill.

Lord ABINGER expressed his approval of the general
character and scope of the bill, but pointed out certain
defects which he thought required amendment.

The Earl of AIRLIE was in favour generally of the
scheme propounded by the Government, but he thought
the machinery of the bill defective, and would require to
be remodelled.

After a short discussion the bill was read a second time,
and their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMAIONS.—LAsT EVENING.
The SrEAKER took the chair at o'clock.
NEW MEMBERS.

Mr. LEFROY took the oath and his seat for Dublin Ifni-
verAty, and Mr. CORBALLY for Meath.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.

The Marquis of HARTINGTON, in reply to Mr.
Samuelson, said that in the event of the Government pur-
chasing the interests of the electric telegraphs, as autho-
rised by the Permissive Act of last session, the valuation
was formed, and measures for arbitration, in disputed
cases, were being taken, but until the matters were all
completed it was impossible to lay a statement of the
valuation on the table. It was a fact that
a larger sum than that originally stated would
become necessary, but the amount was not a
very large one, and if the Government decided to go on
with the matter he would communicate the sum to the
house. With respect to an estimate of the cost of the plan,
he could not produce one, because the system was au en-
tirely new one. He thought it would be rather premature
for him to say what were the intentions of the Govern-
ment until the arbitration matters had made some way.
However he would, in the course of a few days, give the
house more information on the subject.

MISCELLAN.EOUS NEWS.

only about £2,100, it was iounu. (luring uit,
that he had spent the amount above named. It
was shewn also that for four months before the
election a hotel was kept open, and that there all
his friends enjoyed at his expense wine, " brandy
and soda," whisky, and cigars. A worse case could
hardly have occurred, and yet Judge O'Brien hesi-
tated to unseat the member, on the ground that this
corrupt expenditure occurred before the issue of the
writ. If this should prove sufficient to save Mr.
Weguelin from unseating, we may as well give up
altogether the attempt to put down electioneering
malpractices. It is only necessary for candidates to
do all their bribery and treating before the issue of
the writ, and to be very scrupulous afterwards, to
sanction debauchery for weeks and to practice absti-
nence for days, in order to defeat the present law
and to demoralise a constituency with perfect
impunity.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

Whatever uneasiness may have been felt as to the
way in which St. Patrick's Day would be spent in
Ireland, now appears to have been unfounded.
Beyond some absurd spouting at a meeting at Cork,
presided over by the mayor of that beautiful city,
and a slight riot, roused by some mountebanks
playing wildly before the Lord-Lieutenant in the
quadrangle of Dublin Castle, nothing took place to
call for special remark. There were the usual
patriotic signs; green was as popular in Ireland
as blue was in London ; but it was not worn
as a mark of sedition, shamrock being displayel in
the button-hole of Earl Spencer, and in the head-
dress of the Countess, as well as in the hats of the
crowd. The collection for the released Fenian
prisoners was a failure, and no great excitment
was apparent either in Cork or Dublin.
At the first-named city Warren, the released
convict, declared himself a believer in the
sabre as a means of uplifting a down-trodden nation;
but was promptly snubbed by the not over zealous
mayor. And at Dublin some satyrs, who took it
upon them to dance before the Lord-Lieutenant and
a low crowd, raised discord by (in the midst of the
wildest excitement) falling upon the bystanders and
each other, and hissing loudly the National Anthem.
The vice-regal party had to leave the balcony from
which they were looking on, and to retire, but the
riot, at no time serious, was soon stayed by the police.