The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-06 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL

Mr. SYNAN asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether he proposed retaining and moving in committee
on the Representation of the Peoplo Bill the clause for the
use of voting papers.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he did
intend to proceed with the clause, and he hoped it would
be adopted; and he hoped it would also be adopted in
Ireland, as it was a country in which it would,
work very advantageously. (Loud laughter.)

EDUCATION.

On the motion for going into supply,

Mr.LOWE rose tocallthe attention of the house to the
proposals of the Government with respect to the arrange-
ment of the grant for education. He contended the pro-
posals would fail, that it would not in the least degree
stimulate people as the Government desired, and that the
expenditure as proposed would be altogether a waste of
public money. He concluded by moving that the house
dissents from so much of the minute of the Committee of
Council on Education as provided for an increase of tho
grant now made to primary schools.
Mr. CORRY defended the plan proposed by the Go-
vernment.

A short debate ensued, in the course of which Mr. Corry,
Mr. Powell, Mr. H. A. Bruce, Mr. Henley, Mr. Pugh, and
Mr. Hadfield took part, and on a division Mr. Lowe was
left in a minority—the number being for the motion 203,
and against it 40.
Among the other subjects discussed were the practice of
issuing writs for vacancies in the house under certain cir-
cumstances; the sentence paased by Mr. Baron Bramwell
upon two prisoners tried for burglary at the late Kingston
assizes ; the case of John Toomer, convicted of rape at the
Berkshire assizes, and sentenced by Mr. Justice Shoe to 15
years' penal servitude; the exclusion of Aberdeenshire
from participation in the grant of £35,000 voted by the
house for compensating the owners of cattle slaughtered
under the compulsory Orders in Council ; and the build-
ings now is course of erection on the sito of Burlington
Rouse.
Sir R. PEEL called attention to the recent negotiations
affecting the transfer of Luxembourg to France, And in-
vited Lord Stanley to give the house some information on
the subject. The newspapers, it was true, had announced
that the proposition had gone off, but still the circum-
stance that the sale of 200,000 Germans to France at about
£2O a head had been contemplated threw grave suspicion
upon the policy of France, and suggested the apprehension
that the Emperor of the French had made another great
blunder. He hoped the noble lord at the head of the
Foreign-office would be able to give an assurance that the
policy of isolation inaugurated by Lords Palmerston and
Russell, and which had tended so much to discredit us in
the councils of Europe, would not be carried further. He
trusted that Franco had been induced to gtvo up this
shabby trafficking in the population of neighbouring States
by the representation of the English Government.
Lord STANLEY observed that although the question
of Luxembourg was of very great importance, it still lay
within a very narrow compass. Every ono know that
France wished to possess the Duchy, and that the King of
Holland was not indisposed to part with it. It was not,
however, a fact that his Majesty was ready to part with
this outlying territory unconditionally, for he desired that
the wishes of the population should be consulted, and that
the consent of the great Powers (Prussia especially) should
be obtained. The latter had a greater interest in Luxem-
bourg than any other Power. Her Majesty's Government
were not made aware of the negotiations between France
and Holland until 10 days since. Prussia had asked for
the good offices of England to dissuade the King of Holland
from carrying out the proposed transfer, and he had re-
plied provisionally that if the people of Luxembourg
should not object, and Prussia did not object, it would not
be the duty of the British Government to interpose. The
' that the negotiations had boon abandoned had been
' he had that day received an official

timation to that effect from the Minister of the King of
Holland. '
The subject then dropped.
The report on Ways and Means was brought up and
agreed to.
The Marine Mutiny Bill was read a second time.
The Canada Railway Loan Bill, as amended, was con-
sidered and agreed to, and the bill was read a third time
and passed.
Some other bills were forwarded a stage, and the house
adjourned at 10 minutes past one o'clock.