The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

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

ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Royal assent was given by commission to the fol-
lowing bills :
Consolidated Fund (410,000,000).
Census (Scotland).
Corrupt Practices Prevention Act (1854) Continuance.
European Forces (India).
Poor-law Board Continuance.
East India Stock Transfer.
Prisons Scotland.
Lands Clauses Consolidation Acts (1845) Amendment.
Maynooth College.
Hamilton and Strathaven Railway.
Forest of Dean Central Railway (No. 2).
Athenry and Ennis Junction.
Caithness Roads (No 2).
Beauchamp Almshouses.
Domvile's Estate.
Duke of Norfolk's Estate.
Earl of Longford's Estate.
Viscount Lawton's Estate.
Giustiniani's Naturalization.
LAW REFORM.

The LORD CHANCELLOR gave notice that ho
should on. Friday next call the attention of the house to
the measures of law reform which had been introduced
aluring, the session, and make a statement as to the pro-
gress made therein.

EDUCATION (IRELAND).
Lord CLEMENTS moved ;for a copy of the correspon-
dence between the Commissioners of National Education
in Ireland and Mr. Lewis Harkin, District Inspector of
National Schools, explanatory of his visiting the National
Schools in Farnaught, in the county of Leitrim, on
the 26th of June, 1860, and directing the teachers to close
their schools, no authority to that effect having been given
by the patron.
Earl GRANVILLE said there would be no objection to
the production of the papers.
The motion was agreed to.
LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND) BILL.
The house went into committee on this bill.

A number of amendments were made on the various
clauses at the suggestion of the Earl of Donoughmore, Lord
Cloncurry, and Lord Clements, but in such an indistinct
manner that the import of them was quite inaudible in the
gallery.

SAVINGS BANKS.
The Duke of ARGYLL moved that, inasmuch as the
postponement of this bill will withhold a power of effecting
a considerable annual saving which may be made under its
provisions, and will thus practically continue for a time an
unnecessary liability on the public, the circumstances
which require legislation on this subject appear
to this house to be of such real urgency as to
render its immediate consideration necessary. The
noble lord said although his bill was not one technically of
supply, it was not a money bill.
Lord REDESDALE considered that the bill was in no
sense a money bill, but a regulation or question as to the
management of savings banks which this house had as
much right, and was as well able to discuss, as the other
house.

Lord MONTEAGLE supported the view taken by the
noble lord (Redesdale). He could not see the question
was one which could be considered even one of urgency.
He thought the proceeding was a new precedent, which
would in future be found to be highly inconvenient.
After a short conversation, the sessional order was sus•
pended, and the bill was read a second time.
FORTIFICATION, PROVISION FOR EXPENSES,
BILL.
Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this
bill,

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said this was a very
important measure, because no doubt it would materially
contribute to the defence of the country, and also because
it showed the spirit in which her Majesty's Government
now contemplated the state of things in Europe. He of
course received this measure with great satisfaction, for
during the last 13 years, on all favourable occasions, he had
endeavoured to draw the attention of the house and of the
country to the almost defenceless state of this kingdom,
earnestly desiring that we should not remain unarmed in
the midst of an armed world, for he saw the danger of it.
He regretted that although the report of the Defence Com-
mission had been in the hands of the Government since the
Ist February, it was only now in August that their lord-
ships were called upon to give any opinion on this urgent
subject. They had lost four or five months, with the long
days of the summer, during which the greater part' of these
works might have been constructed ; and in fact the works
had been thrown back a whole year by this delay. This
bill was intended to increase the defences of our dockyards.
At all times there had been some works to defend our dock-
yards, and it was necessary to. make them keep pace with the
improvements in gunnery and steam navigation. There
could be no doubt that the introduction of steam gave ex-
traor -*nary advantages to the power which took the initia-
tive. It enabled that power by a simple combination to
bring his whole strength to bear on one point. There was
no naval or military force we could possess which could pre-
vent an enemy, determined to run the risk, from effecting an
invasion of this country, almost at any point whatever; and
therefore we ought to take care that at every bay and every
point of the coast where an enemy could hold a fleet and
form a tete de point to land his troops, with all his materiel,
horses, and guns, there should be a fort in each of those
places which would not be easy for him to take. That was
the principle which ought to be acted upon. It was proposed
by this bill to act upon it with regard to Portsmouth and
Plymouth, but not with regard to Torbay and the Downs.
But it was not only on account of the alterations which had
taken place in navigation and gunnery that it was desirable
that this measure should be proceeded with. He went be-
yond that. He voted for this measure most willingly, be-
cause he entertained that thorough distrust of the French
Government which Lord John Russell had frankly told the
French Government months ago all the world would enter-
tain if that Government persevered in their intention to
annex Savoy and Nice. He adhered to all the reasoning of
Lord John Russell on that subject. He could not forget
also the events of last year, explained as they had been by
what had since come to their knowledge, that before the ex-
pedition of Italy was undertaken there was a secret compact
between the Emperor of France and the Government of
Piedmont, by which the Emperor of France was to receive
Savoy and Nice on condition that the Government of Pied-
mont obtained the whole of Lombardy and Venetia, there
being at that time no quarrel whatever between Austria,
Piedmont, and France, and the quarrel having subsequently
. been provoked by Piedmont, instigated and assisted by
France. The result, however, of that campaign was that
the whole conditions were not performed, Venetianot being
annexed to Piedmont, and France could not therefore claim
her reward, it being, always recollected that France distinctly
declared that she only acted because Austria committed an
aggression, and it, being recollected also that the greatest of
all emperors, the Emperor Titus, the man who received the
greatest honour which any human being ever received,
could not haveused terms more generous, more disinterested,
more noble, in explanation of the views he meant to sup-
port than the Emperor of the French did previous to enter-
ing upon the campaign. He could not forget these things ;
for when a man once so committed himself by his conduct
as to give reason to suppose that he did not act from
pure motives, those who believed him afterwards de-
served the misfortunes which might follow. But what
happened this year ? France in last March said this
was not the condition under which she was to receive
Savoy and Nice ; but it was a similar condition. Piedmont
was largely increased in strength, and therefore it was ne-
cessary that France should receive some compensation and
some security. That being proposed, one could easily ima-
gine the way in which the lion and the lamb should lie
down in peace without the least apprehension on the part
of the lamb, but no poet had ever imagined such a state of
things in which the lion would not lie down with the lamb
without previously taking good security for the lamb's good
behaviour. But that was what France had done in the face
of Europe. The answer of the people of this country was
the establishment of the rifle volunteers. (Hear.) In six or
eig:.,-, months they amounted to from 60,000 to 70,000 men,
and at the commencement of the present year, when Savoy
and Nice were demanded by France, and while the legisla-
ture was sitting day by day doing nothing, the people had
added to the volunteers another 70,000. That was the an-
swer of the English people to the French Emperor ; and he
was perfectly satisfied that if the Emperor proceeded further
in his course of annexation, a further answer would be
given and in the same direction. And the effect was seen
throughout Europe; a good understanding had been come
to between the powers of Germany, so long separated from
each other; and indications were witnessed of that distrust
(which he confessed urged him most joyfully to vote for
this measure) which prevailed on the part of all the powers
of Europe. Those were additional reasons why he was
satisfied with this measure. There could be no doubt that
the Emperor of the French, who thoroughly understood the
Principle of warfare, although he had not had very large
°PPortunities of acquiring the knowledge of its practice,
would never venture to attempt to land in this country with
an army, without in the first instance, securing a tete du
aul,_t to cover his communications with the sea. Now, of
sv: totes du pont, the Isle of Wight was the best. There
harbuOubt that the Isle of Wight commanded Portsmouth
of Wig
' that s a D
au own ay was the key of the Isle
ht.
11e therefore confessed that he had seen with
regret that til
casuProposed new fortifications at Sandown
Bay were not
it4de trably stronger, inasmuch as that place
the Isle of Wight. "Ptthcad' because it was the key of
various measures
Ile would not go further into the
formed the commission
Re
by the e • tifi
for the defencesle e Gentlemen nof the several
yards, but there was one point, and that a most essential
the defence of Woolwich. On that
point
theone,
G Government
had abstained from following out the recommendations of
the commission ; bat of all the questionsc n
onnected with the
defence of the couretry this was the 'nos. 4
•mPortant. Those
acquainted with the subject believed that, i,.., 4.,
-- the event of a
battle being fought in advance of London, that bate berg
lost, terms for the capitulation of London mild be
enter d
into. That of all considerations was the moat !gamin,°L
and yet he could not conceive such a state of things, 1
Canso he was perfect' y satisfied that if the Government
had in their mind& the necessity for defending
Lond ;
11