The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

FIRST READINGS.
The Landlord and Tenant, the East India Stock Trans-
fer, and several other bills were brought up from the Com-

mons and read a first time.
LANDL' 'RD AND TENANT.
The Earl of DERBY presented a petition from Cork
praying the house to pass a measure protecting the rights
of the tenant without infringing those of the landlord.

THE SLAVE TRADE.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the Anti-
Slavery Society, complaining of the conduct of Spain,
which country having received compensation for the losses
sustained by the abolition of slavery, had, in forgetfulness
of that compensation, permitted the importation of slaves
to continue and increase in Cuba to the extent of at
least 40,000 unfortunate slaves a year. The petitioners
prayed that the house would take immediate steps to compel
Spain to effectually carry out her engagements. The noble
lord then presented another petition complaining of slavery,
and was proceeding to enter at length into the subject men-

timed therein, when
The LORD CHANCELLOR rose and called the noble
and learned lord to order, observing that it was against the
rules of the house to make speeches on the presentation of
petitions.

Lerd BAOUGHAM said his experience on the
woolsack had not been as many years as his
noble and learned friend's had been months. He

was not forgetful of the privileges of noble
lords in presenting petitions, and he would then read the
prayer of the petition.
Earl GRANVILLE said his noble friend had been called
upon by the clerk at the table to proceed with the motion
that stood on the paper in his name for that evening, and
he was therefore out of order in going at length into the
subject of a petition. . .

Lord BROUGHAM said, had the noble earl been in his
place at five o'clock, he should have presented the petition
within the quarter of an hour allowed for that purpose.
Earl GRANVILLE said he was in the house at the
time mentioned by the hon. and learned lord.
Lord BROUGHAM said whether he had been under the
benches or under the table he could not say; at any
rate he was not in his place. (Laughter.) The noble lord
then, without farther preface, presented the petition.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.

Lord BROUGHAM then proceeded to move that the
report of the House of Commons, contained in private bills,
should be reprinted. The noble lord then commented on
the inconvenient system in which the business was
now carried on in the House of Commons, and more parti-
cularly referred to the bad practice of allowing motions for
adjournment of the house to be taken advantage of for the

purpose of raising desultory discussions upon various sub-
jects. He was of opinion that improvement was very much
required in the conduct of business in Parliament, and with
a view of effecting so desirable an object, he made the
present motion.
The motion was agreed to.
RETIREMENT OF BISHOPS.

Viscount DUNGANNON called the attention of the

house to the case of Dr. Hinds, the Bishop of Norwich,
who had retired from office without a pension, and asked
whether it was the intention of the Government to intro-
duce a bill next session to provide for retiring bishops.
Earl GRANVILLE said he was not at present prepared
to afford any satisfactory information.
Tho Naval Discipline Bill passed through committee.
SYRIA.

Lord STRATFORD de KEDCLIFFE rove to move
for copies or extracts of despatches received by her Majesty's
Government in reference to the late outrages in Syria. The
noble lord said it would be in the recollection of the house
that, some few weeks ago, he had asked a question on the
subject, whin a noble and learned lord, who was not then
present, expressed a hope that at some future time he (the
noble lord) would enter more fully into the question. He
should have acted upon that suggestion at an earlier period,
but he was in hopes that some noble lord, better able than
himself to deal with the subject, would have taken it up.
The question was one of very magnified importance, and he
thought it ought to be considered by their lordships before
Parliament broke up, as he believed it would be considered
by the other House of Parliament. He did not think it
necessary to enter into a detail of the atrocities which had
taken place in Syria, for they were but too painfully im-
pressed on the papers presented to the house, and had been
commented on in every form by the public journals. It was
impossible to lose sight of the importance of these proceed-
ings, and to the necessity of measures being promptly taken
to put a stop to them and to prevent any further loss of life,
with the least possible delay. He gave the Government
full credit for doing what they deemed to be necessary, and
the circumstance of a commissioner being appointed to pro-
ceed to Syria proved that they were alive to the necessity
of immediate action, and he trusted that appointment would
be attended with advantage. But it was not merely the
sending out a commissioner and communicating with other
powers that won't(' have the effect of putting a stop to the
atrocities which had been committed in Syria. He believed,
so far as the present state of the case was concerned, there
was much reason to hope that some kind of arrangement
had already been made to stop the effusion of blood; but it
was impossible to lose sight of what had already taken
place, and the dreadful circumstances attending the out-
break. It might become necessary to allow the interference
of some of the European powers, or some European power,
and it even might be that the landing of a considerable
force in Syria was to be expected ; and if the Turkish Go-
vernment were not able to put down the disturbances in
question, he should not regret such interference taking
place under proper arrangements. But it had been said that
considerable danger might arise on that point, as Syria was
the key to Egypt. There was no question but that the
Turkish Government had always lamented its inability to
deal with that portion of the empire, and that Lebanon had
never been brought under its subjection. If he was rightly
informed, promises had been given to the tribes that their
independence should be secured, and such a circumstance
rendered it very difficult to deal with their affairs. On the
one hand they would have to provide for maintaining the
promises made, and on the other to exercise a just mistrust
with regard to the entrance of foreign troops into that
country. Bufr there was a paramount consideration which
ought t 9 influence this country in interfering, and that was
that the repetition of such atrocities as had lately occurred
should not take place. (Hear.) He wished he could say
that we might rely on the Turkish Government giving us
security against any repetition of these disturbances. It was
impossible, after reading the correspondence on their lord-
ships' table, not to suspect that the officers of the Porte had
been guilty of unpardonable remissness, and even of con-
nivance, in the atrocities in question. It was shown that
on more than one occasion, when they had a force sufficient
to check the contending parties, they acted with remarkable
partiality towards one of them, and after inducing the side
most exposed to danger to give up their arms, had opened the
gates of the town and allowed them to be butchered. He
hoped that with the measures proposed to be takes there
would be one of a judicial character. (Hear, hear.) From
the papers he found an officer mentioned under the name
of Osman Bey, who seemed to have himself led the way to
one massacre, not merely of armed men, but of help-
less women and children. Among the difficulties con-
nected with this question were those of interpreting
a part at least of the causes of these calamities. One of
the cause--could we give credit in any degree to the Sultan
for not willingly conniving at any crimes of this kind—was
the weakness of his power. He (Lord Stratford de Red-
elide) would take the liberty of asking what was the cause
of that weakness, from whence was it derived ? It appeared
that at the time these disturbances broke out the number of
troops.in that part of the empire was very small, and that
the Turkish Government were not prepared with the means
of sending a large force into that country, their attention
having been directed to a distant part of the empire near
the Russian. frontier. The Turkish Government was always
exposed to dangers of this kind from one side or the other.
Throughitsinjudicious conduct insurrections were frequent,
which they had hitherto had the good fortune to put down,
but every successive exertion of that kind had only increased
its weakness. In short, nothing less than a complete in-
ternal reform could prevent that catastrophe which it was
the object of every statesman in Europe to avoid. He was
free, however, to say that it was by no means absolutely
necessary such weakness should exist. It was the state of
the finances of Turkey that made it so difficult to keep up
an army, and he understood that in this case the troops,
which had been called out to suppress the insurrection,
were greatly in arrear as to their pay. The Porte had been
repeatedly warned as to the state of its finances, and against
the old system of financial administration, but he could
solemnly say from his own personal experience that no at-
tention whatever had been paid to such good advice. The
consequence was that the Government had gone step by
step into gradually increasing difficulties, until at last it
was incapable of keeping up the amount of force necessary
even for the maintenance of internal order. How could
they under such circumstances look back with satisfaction
at the efforts which this country had made when the Porte
'YE% threatened by Russia—efforts iu which it was but
Just to say our powerful neighbour joined with a degree
0e
the Turkish
: which ought to have secured the gratitude of
athvtop_sheG_overnment. It was true that the Sultan had
if
ropeti"ynela lied proclaimed a scheme of reform, which
Bat that scheme
out would have prevented these disasters.
re:a had not been carried out, and the present
sate of Syria one the consequences of that neglect.
It was impossible,s looking at the affairs of Syria, to
disconnect them with theen
„ ould be in vain to put down these of
the
whole
empire, and
it
nd disturbances—in vain to
found
st weir Ihe blood, unlesswe meansni to make the Turkish
Governmsnt eel eem its ph,l and effect to its promised
reforms. Without that, anything
and sowing the
the difficulty f„, arailn:liould do would be
only patching TIP ent,
when events like the disturbances in
seeds of future and still more disastrous insurrections. If this
the question might be confined
were the first time
be taken
the Lebanon had le appenecl,
to narrow grounds, and the assurances of the Turkish Go.
vernment accepted that proper measures would
with or without the c incurrence of Europe ; but he re/seated
that many circunastz vices must show their lordships tbAt