The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-11 00:00:00

the Covernmeut from the trouble of dealitig with them in
future.

Mr. 11ENLEY was opposed to the opening of Storey's
Gate.

Lord Ff,RMOY said he thought that in respect to the
parks, too much consileration had been shown for those
who rode on horseback. If any agitation on this question
had arisen, his right hon friend (Mr. Cowper) was the cause
of it, because he was the innovator, and broke down what
he (Lord Fermoy) thought a good custom, by depriving
those who were unable to ride of a portion of tho gardens.
The right hon. gentleman had coiiimenced a dangerous
practice in appealing to the public on this subject, ft game
at which two can play. In the park he had seen the green
men taking the cards of those who were in favour of the
views of his right hon. friend. With respect to the vestries
which had been attacked, it should be remembered that
they were the emanators of public opinion, and created by
the elective element which the party of the right hon. gen-
tleman were generally supposed to lock up to. He con-
cluded by hoping that this ride would be only temporary.

After a few words from Mr. Alderman COPEL;ND and
Mr. WILLI.ims,

Mr. COWPER denied that he intended any disrespect
to hon. members or the metropolitan vestries. He
was satisfied that the vestries of St. George's and
Mary!shone were composed of most respectable bodies
when they discusssed matters which properly be-
longed to them. He had been a member of St.
George's vestry, and he certainly must say the gentlemen
forming it were most respectable and most practical men.
What he wished to remind the house of in regard to the
parks was that the vestries had nothing whatever to do
with them. With respect to the popularity of this ride he
fouyia that there were more walkers in favour of it than
horse riders. He made it his business to see what the ob -
the ride, and he considered that there
jections were against
was only one deserving attent:9ll, viz. that this portion of the
park from a solitude had been OOtiVei'ted into a scene of
bustle and animation. In regard to that ho would merely
repeat what he had said yesterday, that he considered pub-
and not privacy was the more appropriate charac-
teristics of a park. As regarded innovation, his prede-
cessors in office had also made many innovations, and when
it was proposed to throw open the whole of Regent's Park
to the public a great outcry was raised, but none of the
evils that were predicted had occurred. He repeated
what he had already stated, that he merely asked
for the vote temporarily, in order to see how the alteration
would work, and he reminded hon. members that the ride
would be closed to persons on horseback at the end of the
session. With reference to the Serpentine, the plan of Mr.
Hawksley was being carried out, and he believed the evils
connected with it arose merely from stagnation ; conse-
quently, if a current were kept up, and water constantly sup-
plied from the well, a natural process would result and the
foul matter would be oxygenised. As related to Richmond-
park, about two-thirds of it required draining, which was
done at a cost of £6los. per acre, under the superintendence
of Mr. Josiah Park, subject to the instructions of the bailiff.
After some further discussion the committee divided
For the amendment l5
Against it 66
Majority

Mr. A. SMITH moved that the item of £9,629 for Bat-
tersea Park be reduced by £2,800 for flowers, propagating
pits, &c.
Mr. COWPER. thought the house would not object
to the expense for flowers, and alluded to the dissatisfac-
tion felt when the shrubs were removed from Hyde Park.
Mr. JOSEPH LOCKE said that he did not object to
the £3OO for flowers, but he was strongly opposed to an
expenditure of £2,300 for the erection of a steam engine
and other apparatus for supplying water to the park.
Mr. A. SMITH consented to withdraw his amendment,
and that of Mr. Locke's was substituted.

Mr. CO WPER defended the vote, which he considered
was not too large for the purpose to which the money was
to be applied, and he would provide for its net being extra-
vagantly expended.

The house divided—
For the amendment
Against
Majority —24

Sir J. SHELLEY considered that a larger sum than was
necessary was about being voted for the drainage of Rich-
mond-park, and he moved that it be reduced by LlOO.
After a few words from Sir G. LEWIS, the amendment
was negatived without a division.

The general vote for the parks was then put and agreed to.
On the vote of £5,000 for the Probate Court and Registries,
Sir J. SHELLEY objected to expenditure of that amount
on the premises in Doctor's-commons, which were in so
dilapidated a condition.
Mr. COWPER said that the accommodation which
would be provided for as regarded the courts in question
would be only temporary. The vote was for lighting, heat..
ing, and other purposes connected with different courts in
the kingdom, and only a small portion of it was applied to
the courts to which the hon. baronet alluded.
The vote was agreed to.
On the vote of £3,655 for the ordinary maintenance and
repairs of British Embassy houses,
Mr. WILLIAMS moved a reduction of £650 from the
vote of £3,250 for the Embassy House at Therapia.
Same irregular discussion ensued, which was interrupted,
ib boims 10 u-fag.. A..
The house then suspended its sitting,

The house resumed at 6 o'clock.
COMPENSATION TO MR. GEDDES.

Sir G. BOWYER asked the Under-Secretary of State
for the Colonies what steps had been taken, or were in-
tended to be taken, by Government to induce the Govern-
ment of the United States to compensate Mr. Geddes, her
Majesty's Consul, for the loss of property at Greytown.
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that the transactions which
had taken place were in consequence of hostilities under-
taken against the United States; and it was the opinion of
the law officers of the Crown that there was no title to
compensation under the circumstances.
GAME LICENSES.

Lord NAAS complained of some extraordinary mistake
which had been committed in the framing of the Game
Licenses Bill. Rabbits were exempted in the English act,
whereas in the Irish act the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had made game of them. (Laughter.) This was extraor-
dinarily unfortunate, as rabbits were very numerous in Ire-
land ; and he wished to know whether a clause could be in-
serted in any bill before the house to remedy the omission ?
The noble lord asked whether the Government would in-
troduce a bill for thl special purpose.
Mr. DEASY replied that the circumstances were acci-
dental, and that a remedy would be introduced into a bill
now before the house.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY.

Mr. CONINGIIAM asked the First Lnrd of the Trea-
sury whether Sir Charles Eastlake, the President of the
Royal Academy, has been this year re-appointed to the di-
rectorship of the National Gallery ?
Lord PALMERSTON said that in the belief that Sir C.
Eastlake was a most proper person for the office, ho had
recommended her Majesty to re-appoint him, and he had
been re-appointed accordingly.
THE PAPER DUTIES.

On the mot;on that the house at its rising should adjourn
until Monday,
Mr. BRIGHT said—l gave notice last night that I would
take an opportunity of calling the attention of the house to
the position in which we stood on a matter that has ex-
cited much interest during the present session, and which is
in my opinion a matter of very great importance—l allude
to the question of the excise duties on paper, and to the effect
which the action on that measure has had on the position and
privileges of this house. I have no very definite question to
put to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I rather wish to
make two or three suggestions to the Government and the
house. I have abstained from taking any part in the dis-
cussion on the resolution proposed by the noble lord,because
I did not think it was wise for the house to submit any re-
solution on the subject, being sensible that unless the Go-
vernment took part in favour of such a resolution, the divi-

sion of the house, if it took place, would place the house in a

worse position than it occupied after unanimously accepting
the resolutions of the noble lord. I am so conscious of the
delicacy of the position in which we are placed that I would
much rather stay where we are, awkward as is the position,
than take any step to make it worse. I now offer two or
three suggestions which I think may sava the house from the
painful and perilous predicament in which we have been
placed during the present session. Two parties may be said
to be damaged by the present state of things--those who
are engaged in the manufacture of paper, and who have suf.
fered grievously by the transactions of the session ; and the
House of Commons, who has suffered not less. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, in his budget, proposed that the ex-
cise duties on paper should be entirely abolished, as well as
the import duties on paper. The paper makers would, there-
fore, have got rid of the excise, and they would have lost the
advantage of the import duty over the excise duty, What
had been done was this. The paper makers had not been
relieved from the grievances of the excise, but they had been
deprived of the advantage of a compensating protection. I
am of opinion that the grievance of an excise duty cannot
be so well measured by so many farthings per lb. I think
it is ono of those tyrannies which never ought to have been
established, and never should be tolerated in a free
country. Men in the honest pursuit of their industry
are harried about, interfered with, overlooked, and enda-
maged by the officers of the Government, who have no right
whatever to take part in their business transactions, The
paper makers have made this mistake. Being in their posi-
tion they went into partnership with the Times. The Times
was afraid of the cheap press, and the paper makers were

afraid of froe trade in paper. They clubbed their interests
together. Nothing is so worrying and obnoxious to mem-

hers of this houe as the action of this partnership between
the Times and the paper manufacturers. No member can

get either into or out of the house without having them

upon him ; and I have been told that members on both sides

of the house have been canvassed by every person connected

with the Times, from the hon. member for Berkshire down
through the whole rank of the contributors. We have had

at the same time the most malignant attacks on the Chan-
..

cellor of the Exchequer, as if he were doing something
against the public interest in abandoning the excise duty on
English paper, and allowing foreign paper to be introduced.
That I have no doubt is the secret of the abundant malice
with which the right hon. gentleman has been attacked by