The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-17 00:00:00

NAPLES.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH drew the attention of
their lordships to the present state of affairs at Naples. It
seemed to be clear that affairs could not continue in their
present state, and as a great number of English ships were
in the Bay of Naples ho should like to know what were the
instructions given to the officer in command of those ships,
and whether in the event of the King being driven to ask
for protection it would be afforded. •
The Duke of SOME RSET said there were no special in-
structions. The ships were sent there merely for the pur-
pose of protecting persons persecuted by the Neapolitan
Government.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, then he was to
understand that the ofaoer in command would only be called
upon to act on the dictates of common humanity.
Lord REDESDALE said he should like a more explicit
answer. He was sure it never could be intended that a
person guilty of high treason should escape punishment
and receive protection on board those ships.
The Earl of MALMESBURY also thought it was de-
sirable there should be some further explanation.
The Duke of SOMERSET said, in acting as he had
done he was only following out the precedent adopted in
countries which had been in a state of revolution.

The Earl of DERBY said there had been no insurrection
or rebellion. There was no overt disagreement between the
King and his Sicilian subjects.
Earl GREY defended the course adopted. In the pre-
sent aspect of affairs at Naples it was impossible to know
whether it would be necessary to afford protection to per-
sons merely asking it. The mere dictates of humanity
might demand it.
The subject then dropped.
SAVOY AND NICE. •

The Earl of CARNARVON called attention to the
telegram received from Turin, stating that arrangements
had been made between the King of Sardinia and the
Emperor Napoleon for the cession to the latter of Savoy
and Nice. He pointed out the difference between the tele-
gram and the despatches which had been written by M.
Thouvenel, and asked whether the Government were in

possession of any information which would throw a light
upon the extraordinary circumstance. --
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the question was most
extraordinary, and protested against the practice of asking
questions in that house upon telegrams published in the
newspapers. The despatch to which the noble lord morepar-
cularly referred to had only been received at the Foreign-
office within the last 24 hours, and he must really be ex-
cused from entering upon a discussion of its contents. The
Government, he was sure, could not be accused of keeping
any information on an important subject from the know-
ledge of the house.
The Earl of MALMESBURY said the noble duke was
quite justified in the answer he had given, and declining to
enter into a discussion on the subject of a' despatch which
had been but recently received. He thought the noble
duke was rather hard upon his noble friend, who had merely
asked for information.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the following
bills were read a third time and passed :—Belfast, Holy-
rood, and Bangor Railway, Newry, Warrenpoint, and
Rostrevor Railway, Portadown, Dungannon, and Ormagh
Junction Railway, Maidstone Water, and Brompton,
Chatham, and Gillingham Water.
IRISH CONSTABULARY.

In reply to the Marquis of CLANRICA.RDE,
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said it was undesirable
to change the constabulary of Ireland into soldiers.

SEE OF ROCHESTER.

In answer to a question from Viscount DUNGANNON,
The Duke of NE WCASTLE said that any clergyman
who should be appointed to the see of Rochester would
accept it subject to any subsequent limitations of the dio-
cese that Parliament might deem expedient.
The Benefit Societies Rules Amendment Bill was read a
third time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SrzAKER took the ohair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Liskearn Water Bill was read a third tiuie and
passed.
The following bills were considered and read a third
time :—Gla'sgow Corporation Water, Metropolitan Rail-
way, Ness and Beauly Fisheries, and North London
Rsil-
way.
MISREPRESENTATION OF MR. COI3DE'N'S
POLITICAL SENTIMENTS.

Mr. BRIGHT drew the attent;on of the house to a per-
sonal matter having reference to his hon. friend the mem-
ber for RocVale. The hon. member for North War-
wickhire ha made a statement in a speech on the
budget, in which he attributed to Mr. Cobden, being
influenced in regard to the commercial treaty by his leaning
towards the policy of the Emperor of the French. That
statement was made upon the authority of a .Manchester
paper notoriously hostile to Mr. Cobden. He (Mr. Bright)
had received a letter from Mr. Cobden disavowing alto-
gether the sentiments attributed to him, and requesting him
to ask Mr. Newdegate to retract his assertions.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said that there were some inaccu-
racies in the report of his speech on the occasion alluded
to. At the time he made the statement complained of, he
had read a letter in the Manchester Guardian attributing
to Mr. Cobden the political sentiments which he considered
him to have entertained. However, he did not rest his
opinions on that letter, for he considered that Mr. Cobden
had for years advocated institutions which were not free
institutions. The hon. member hero read the letter in ques-
tion, as well as extracts from various speeches delivered by
Mr:Cobden during some years past.
After a few remarks from Mr. BRIGHT, the subject
dropped.
CHURCH RATES. _ _

Lord J. RUSSELL presented a bulky petition from the
Dissenting ministers of London against the continuance
of church rats.
THUNDERSTORM AT BELGIUM, &c.
Mr. FREELAND asked the First Commissioner of
Works whether his attention had been called to a despatch
from our Minister at Brussels, dated the 24th February
last, stating that on the preceding Sunday a violent thun-
derstorm, accompanied by an unprecedentedly heavy fall of
snow, had overspread Belgium, that twelve churches had
been simultaneously struck by lightning, and that three of
them had been totally destroyed, and others much injured.
Whether he had seen a paragraph in the Times of
August, 1857, stating that the flag-tower of Windsor
Castle had been struck by lightning, and that about four
tons of the parapet had been displaced ; and whether any
provision had been made, or is to be made, for securing the
public buildings which are under the control of the Board
of Public Works against such injuries or destruction by
lightning, as have occurred at Windsor Castle and in
Belgium ?
Mr. COWPER said that his attention had been drawn
to the accident in Belgium, but he saw no reason to depart
from . the usual custom in respect to adopting additional
means for securing public buildings from accidents by
lightning, as such would be attended with censiderable
expense. With regard to Windsor Castle, the damage
alluded to had been repaired at a cost of 30s. (A laugh.)

INDIAN MILITARY MEDICAL OFFICERS.

Mr. BAZLEY asked the Secretary of State for India,
whether the medical officers of her Majesty's Indian Army
have had all the privileges conceded to them which the
royal warrant of lit day of Oct., BA entitled them to re-
ceive ?
Sir C. WOOD was understood to answer in the affirma-
tive.