The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-07 00:00:00

IMPERIA

lAMENT

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

The Bishop of EXETER presented a petition, pray-
ing that Church rates may not be abolished till an equi-
valent had been provided. The right rev. prelate then
alluded to the bill introduced into the other house, which
her Majesty's Government were prepared to sup-
port, on condition that certain claures, by way
of amendment, be introduced into it in comnyt-
tce. The grounds alleged for this support were,
that a similar measure had been introduced into
their lordships' house last session by the Archbishop of
Canterbury. He (the Bishop of Exeter) contended that
that measure was not sanctioned either by the bench of
bishops or by the clergy generally, that it had not re-
ceived a second reading, and that it did not furnish suf-
ficient grounds for supporting the present bill.
Lord PORTMAN presented petitions with a similar
prayer as that pre.ented by the right rev. prelate.
COUNTY COURT JUDGES.

Lord PORTMA N gave notice that on Monday next
be should call the attention of their lordships to the
question of the salaries given to c anty court judges.
EXCHEQUER BILLS FUNDING BILL.
• Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY moved the first
reodicg of this bill.
Earl GREY said that though he bad no intention of
opposing such a measure he must express his
disapprobation of the policy of the Government
in adding in this way to the national debt. Already
had the Government added 23,000,000/. within the
last financial year to the national debt, and they
were now called upon to assent to a bill which
would authorise a turther loan of 5,000,000/., which
would make the addition of 28,000,000/. within
the financial year to the National Debt. Forty-six mil-
lions of expenses had been already incurred for the pre-
sent war. That was a vast sum. It had been stated at the
beginning of the jar by the late Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer that the expenses of the war would, as far as
possible, be met by the taxation of the country.
Now, most of the members of the present Adminstra-
tion had been also in the Government to which thar
Chancellor of the Exchequer belonged, and were respon-
sible for his opinions.. It had been said that a time
of war was not the proper time for economy.
This he totally denied. He believed that the
strictest economy should be exercised, indeed it should
be practised se far as not to interfere with its vigor-
ous prosecution. An enormous sum of money had
been uselessly expended, which, if judiciously
applied, would have added greatly to the efficiency of
our regular army. What be objected to in the pre-
sent bill was a sum of 1,700,0001 for fortifica-
tions at home and abroad. The expenditure
of such a sum as proposed would be neither more nor
less than an absowte waste of public money.
(Hear, hear.) Mr. Ferguson and other distinguished
engineers had criticised the late fortifications that
bad been constructed at a vast expense in a manner
which appeared to him very difficult to answer. He re-
commended the Government not to proceed with those
works until they had appointed a commission
of the most eminent civil as well as military engineers
to examine what had already been executed. The
greatest bulwarks of this country were not its fortifica-
tications or even its ships; next to the spirit of its people,
they a ere its vast resources, which should be economically
administered by the Government. He, therefore, con-
demned the policy of the Government, although he knew
that this loan was not to meet expenses which had been
incurred; and although this loan could not now be re-
fusal, there was ample time to take precaution for the
, future. _ _ _

Lord PANNIURE entered into details in reply to the
charge of undue and uneconomical expenditure in the
conduct of the war. He warned the country not to listen

to these suggestions of a rigid economy, which if adopted
would result in a far greater expenditure and increase in
taxation. The resources of the country were large, and
no blame could be attached to a nation for protecting its
resources, any more than it would to an individual who
took steps to protect his property.
Lard MONTEAGLE said that because they required
20,000,0001. for actual expenses, that was no reason
why they should expend 5 millions more for defences
which might he necessary, but which could be postponed.
He must condemn the system of applying money which
had been voted for a special purpose to works which had
never received the sanction of Parliament.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY having replied,
The bill was then read a second time.
On the question that the standing orders be sus-
pended,
Lord PANMURE begged to state, in reply to the
observations made with regard to the appropriation of
the in,,ney, that no law hal been broken by the applica-
tion of any money for say purpose for which that money
had not ben voted. It was in the power of the heads of
departments to apply any surplus funds in their hands
to the deficiency of other heads of expenditure. He bad,
however, ascertained that nothing bad been done in that
r-spect without the c msent of the Treasury having first
been obtai,o.d in the proper way.
Lord MONTE&G LE said the Treasury bad no power
to allow 'he applications of aray money to the ordnance,
or ordnance money to the army.
The standinv orders were suspended, and the bill was
read a 'hied time and passed.
Tne amendments to the Turnpike Trusts Arrangement
Act were agreed to.
Their lordships then adjourned.