The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-24 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING•

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
ROYAL PARKS BILL.
This bill passed through committee pro forma in order
that it might be reprinted as amended.
THE TORNADO.
On the motion for going into committee of supply,
the
Mr. GREGORY called the attention of the house to
case of the Tornado vessel, which had been seizedn yaged
Spanish Government on the ground that shwohsv.,
in contraband trading with Chili,
wasBp at
o wasen ai
intents t on, twar.s a licohilciaonntesnhdiped-wolit-tffwhh,aadtri:sth.cehlll:'ah'dlee'cooronunnonabtdrlyaeo
lord the Secretary of . Foreign" possible that the
former occasion stated that it
Milian Government,
officers, and that
tTlioartnasdhoo wwasas destined for
Cjilißn
ltihsetmreefonrteA;ctht,ettnor
had
sd
fobrafdaiteilfrailnlgreigdhtthteo cFalolmuipgonn En-Every document that had been
p3freasjeesnttehdfaodtrofruP:atrlpiratoimattils,i:cseh.
she was
satactehmilleannt,vehsseelco-onf:
tended,
war, and that under such circumstances the Spanish
'Government inight have condemned her as contraband,
and might have detained the crow until the termination of
host ilities. •
A long debate ensued, in which the ATTORNEY-GENERAL
and 311.. B. COCHRANE took part,
the
latter bon. gentleman
contending that the action of tho Spanish Government
was totally unjustifiable, and that even if it was other-
wise nothing could justify the conduct of the Spaniards
towards the crew of the Tornado, who were kept in prison
for several mouths, and therefore Spain ought to be called
on to make ample compensation for the wrong that had
been committed. The hon. gentleman hoped his noble
friend would strongly demand adequate compensation from
the Spaniards to cover the loss of the ship, and compensa-
tion to the officers and crew.
Sir J. COLLIER thought nothing could justify the
conduct of the Spanish Government towards the crew of the
Tornado, oven supposing the capture of the vessel was legal,
and he expressed a strong hope that the Government
would insist on an indemnity from Spain for the captain
and crew.
Mr. SELWYN thought the matter might safely be left
in the hands of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Mr. WYLD said whatever might be the result of the
debate, after the discussion that had taken place he felt
certain substantial justice would be done to the captain
and craw, who had been subjected to the most barbarous
cruelty by the Spanish Government. Ile also was certain
that if the noble lord made a formal demand on the Spanish
Government*the vessel would be given up without the
formality of a new trial being gone through.
Lord STANLEY said be was glad to have it in his
power to set right au opinion that had prevailed in some

-A 'Tit
•
• s 1, •
quarters that menace had been use 4,o74o4:trtoSiit 4.
Government to obtain the release of ft 6 111)plftteeti -:' •
toria. Here again it was said there wasfttroitt feekg
ain with respect to the possession of Gibraltar. Tale
also a British feeling in the matter, and he did not
think there was any likelihood, in the present state of pub-
lic feeling, that that British possession would be given up.
It had been asked why the Government did not prevent
the Tornado sailing in the first instance. To that ho
had simply to say that the Government did
not possess the power to prevent it. It had
also been said there was an inadequacy in the law for
enforcing neurrality, but on that subject the Government
had done all in its power, as at the commencement of the
session the whole subject had been taken into considera-
tion. With respect to the matter more particularly before
the house, it divided itself into three portions, viz., the
legality and jurisdiction of the capture, the treatment of
the crew, and the justice of the subsequent proceedings.
With respect to the first, he did not think that any blame
attached to the Spanish Government. If they thought the
vessel was infringing the laws of neutrality, they were
justified in seizing the ship, but if they were wrong in their
suspicions, then they wcnld have to pay for the loss and
inconvenience occasioned. With respect to the treatment
of the crew, it was impossible to deny that there had been
undue and unnecessary harshness exercised by the
Spanish Government. Ho did all that was possible to
hasten on their trial and their ultimate release, and be
was glad he had succeeded, otherwise a feeling would
have sprung up in this country which it would have been
most difficult to allay. With respect to the question
of indemnity, that must ultimately turn upon the charac-
ter of the vessel, which would have to bo proved at the
next trial. With respect to the procedure in the Spanish
Courts, ho did not approve of the system in existence
in Spain, of hearing the charge, returniug a verdict, and
then giving the person charged an appeal. It was not
in his opinion the same as giving the accused a hearing
and then returning a verdict. That, he felt, was the right
of every man—(hear, hear)—and such a right had been
claimed. (Hear, hear.) It had been said that we ought
to have at onca demanded the return of the-ship, hut sub-
stantial juStida would be amio by going to a new tritt—
and what the Government proposed, therefore, to do was
to await the decision of the trial, but it was also the
duty of the owners of the vessel to watch their own
case. (Hear, hear.)
The subject then dropped.
INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES BILL
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The sitting was then suspended.
The house re-assembled at six o'clock.
Lord S fANLEY, in reply to a question from Mr.
Layard, stated that the versions which had been received
of the story respecting the firing on a Turkish cruiser by
the Arkadi, a Greek blockade runner, were contradictory ;
but it did appear that on the Arkadi being chased by a
Turkish cruiser, she fired on the vessel that pursued her.
That was, no doubt, a violation of international law. He
was informed that two other blockade runners, the Owl
and the Cormorant, were now engaged, but his informa-
tion was unreliable.
Sir H. BRUCE called attention to the mortality and
sickness among the officers and men of the naval squadron
for the suppression of the slave trade on the west coast of
Africa, and moved that the maintenance of that squadron
is no longer expedient.
Sir J. HAY said the slave trade was now much di-
minished, and the squadron had been reduced from 24 to
17 vessels. It was not desirable to withdraw the squadron
altogether.
After a short debate the motion was withdrawn, and the
house was then counted out at five minutes ti 8 o'clock.

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

BIRMINGHAM.

The polling demanded by Mr. Sampson Lloyd,
the Conservative candidate, commenced yesterday
morning. From the opening at Bto the close at 4
o'clock the numbers polled were largely in favour
of the Liberal. Great excitement prevailed in the
town. The principal streets were so thronged
that more than once it was not` t
for foot
passengers to make their way through them.
et At
different points there were attempts to gup
street rows.
At half-past six o'clock in the evening Mr. T.
Avery, the Mayor of Birmingham, made the offi-
cial declaration
that
large. hall were of a respectable character. The
absence of the " lambs," who had done so much to
disturb the proceedings at the nomination on Mon-
day, wag attributed to their having imbibed too
much drink. The Mayor announced the numbers
as follows :
Dixon ...
Lloyd ...

5,819
4,214

M;ijority for Dixon ... ... 1,603
Mr. DIXON addressed the meeting, congratulat-
ing the Liberal electors upon the great victory they
had won.
Mr. SAMPSON LLOYD also spoke. He said that
he had received the promises of more than 6,000
voters. He could not say how it was that they had
not fulfilled their promises. Perhaps it was because
they had grown cold in the Conservative cause—
perhaps they had been deterred by the intimidation
which had taken place in the streets. (This state-
ment was received with a burst of laughter.) Al-
though his opponent and his opponent's committee
were too honourable to countenance this intimida-
tion, yet one man, who was engaged in protecting
his (Mr. Lloyd's) voters, had his arm broken. lie
(Mr. Lloyd) had also to complain that cabmen re-
fused to carry his supporters because of the attacks
which had been made upon them.
The MAYOR, who is himself a Conservative, raid
that he had been in all the wards, and could say
that he bad never in his life seen an election more
fairly or more properly conducted.

COVENTRY.
The poll opened yesterday morning, and after a
sharp contest closed at four o'clock with a majority
of 289 in favour of Mr. Jackson, the Liberal can-
didate. The numbers were :
Jackson
Fermnd

2,386
2,097

MUSCULAR CONTRACTILITY.

This subject is just now exciting considerable at-
tention among physiologists. Some are of opinion
that the contractility of a muscle is owing to a
state of activity or irritation ; others, on the con-
trary, consider it in the light of a return to inac-
it
tivity. In a word, when is a muscle at rest ?
Is
so in a contracted or in an extended state ? Such
is the question to be decided. In a
paper ad-
dressed to the Academy of Sciences, M. nougat
examines the subject in the wheel-insect, that
minute little creature that may be found in the
dust accumulated fon roofs aud other similar
places accessible to rain, and that appears quite
dead in dry weather until revived' by a drop of
water. It is in this insect the muscular system
presents itself under its most simple form, the
chief organ of locomotion consisting of a single
muscular fibre, sheathed in a transparent membrane,
and working freely up and down in a central chan-
ttwhLasttodof
ofa
chan-
nel. When the creature is in a state of repose this
ribbon twisted muscular fibre is completely extended, though not
approachingleanv:thry-
setloraniggahtteditsspisrhaalpeor 0
wise. The moment any disturbing
action is
brought to bear upon the insect, this spiral
suddenly collapses into a regular
helicoid perfectly
helicoid spring, with its coils 1 I c ose y packed
together, and in that state reduced to a fifth of its
former altitude. But this state does not last any
considerable time ; the coils gradually extend, and
the animal returns to its former c.milition. M.
Itouget, after describing these facts, arrives at tEn
conclusion that the state of contraction is one of
repose, because the spiral fibre never appears ex-
tended to its full length unless the animal be alive
and unhurt; for the instant it is killed the coils of
helix contract and remain permanently in that
state. The question still remains as to whether the
muscles of other animals are subject to the same
law ; and on this M. Rouquet promises the academy
a series of papers, showing-1, I
t t permanent
contraction is not essentially produced by a series
of successive shocks or vibrations, as has been lately
asserted ; 2, that the tendency to contract is a
property inherent to the living muscular fibre, and
a necessary consequence of
.its s.tructure and
elasticity ; and, 3, that during lated ife thnutritionis tendency is
counteracted by a force generby , and
by all the other functions of vitality.

The Official Gazelle of Madrid contradicts a
statement recently made by the Liberte of a conspiracy
against the life of the Queen.
The Grand Duke Adolphus of Nassau, who re-
fuses to abdicate in favour of the King of Prussia, has just
written, report says, to the Emperor of the French a letter,
in which he declares that ho vhto§ all Lis interests in tha
hands of that Sovereign,