The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-21 00:00:00

while the average cost of the Indian lines was only '
8,000/. per mile ; 250 miles cost 1,000,0001. sterling,
and a fair average price had been paid for the land,
though not so high a price as was sometimes obtained
in this country. He admitted the defects in the present
mode of supervision, especially the delays which oc-
curred in. this country, and said that he should be glad
if soma plan could be suggested to remedy the defects
on this score. If, therefore, the hon. gentleman
pressid his motion for a committee of inquiry, he for
one would consent to it. (Hear, hear.) It was unjust to
speak slightingly, as some hon. gentlemen had done, of
the Indian engineers, for a finer corps was not in exist-
ence. It was quite a mistake to suppose that these gen-
tlemen were merely military engineers ; on the contrary
moat of the civil engineering of the country was carried
on under their superintendence. As to the obstructions
of the Government, as a general rule the railway officials
and th 3 Government officers had worked harmoniously
together. Railway engineers might be very respectable
men, but they knew that in England lines had been
constructed for 15,0001. a mile which had formerly cost
40,0001. Superintendence in this department of the
publio works was therefore of great importance in the
commencement, and shoul I be accompanied with a pro-
vision for the ultimate transfer of the mauagsment to a
body of directors. He quite approved of the motion and
desired that all light should be thrown upon the subject,
with the view to the judicious extension of railways and
be thought the house was much obliged to the hon. mem-
ber for having brought the subject forward. (Hear.)
Mr. AYRTON explained that his statement still re-
mained where it was, notwithi,tanding what had fallen
from the hon. member for Guildford, that when in Cal-
cutta he was told the Government intended to construct
the telegraph, and that that was not done till several
years afterwards.
M.. LIDDELL replied. The object of his motion
bad been to show that the existing system in India by
which public works were conducted was a bad one, and
this had been amply admitted by the Secretary to the
Board of Control. It was his object to show that this
system was productive of delay, and -though the point
had been partly conceded, being able to establish all his
statements in reference to it, be was desirous of having
the opportunity of doing so before a committee.
The motion was then agreed to_without a d ivision,

REFORMATORY SCHOOLS (IRELAND).
Mr. Serjeant DEASY moved for leave to bring in a
bill to promote and regulate reformatory schools for
juvenile offenders in Ireland. The hon. and learned
gentleman said that the object of the motion was to
remedy an inconvenience which at present existed in
the law applying to reformatory schools in Ireland, and
which prevented their being attended with the same ad-
vantage as were reformatory schools in England. The
provisions of the bill respected the religious principles
of the parents of the children who would be received
into the institutions, and also took care that no Church
or sect should have any opportunity or power of using
the sohewle for proselytising purposes. Protestant
children would be sent to Protestant schools, and
Catholic children to Catholic ones, and a rigorous
Government inspection would be established. With
regard to the means of erecting these institutions, he
proposed to adopt the principle recognised by Parliament
and applied in the Middlesex Industrial Schools Aot.
By that act power was given to the grand jury to charge
on the rates the sums necessary for promoting the
erection of these buildings. He also proposed an
enabling power, by which the Treasury could allow 55.
a-week for the maintenance of reforming oAenders. The
time had cmue, he thought, for some such step being
taken, and however the details might be objected to, he
hoped that, in principle at least, the bill would not be
found very objectionable.
Mr. GREER seconded the motion, and said there was
a great deal of accommodation in the workhouses not re-'
quired in Ireland, which might be made available for
reformatory schools.
Lord NAAS said Government would offer no opposi•
Con to the introduction of the bill, and that the beet
consideration of Government would be given to the
subject though, of course, they could not promise sup-
port to every portion of the measure. Unless the bill
proposed to deal with all persons who were summarily
convicted at quarter sessions in Ireland, those who
would come under the operation of the bill would be
Very small indeed.
Mr. PALK bad no wish to throw cold water upon
such a measure as the one proposed ; but if reformatory
schools had not succeeded in England, there was little
bops of their succeeding in Ireland. He doubted that
those countries which were purely agricultural could
bear the expense of a reformatory. He thought it would
be wiser to wait to see the operation of reformatory
schoole in England before the system should be extended
to Ireland.
Mr. Sergeant DEASY briefly replied, when leave was
given to bring in the bill.
COUNTY VOTERS IN SCOTLAND.

Sir E. COLEBROOSE moved for leave to bring in a
bill for the amendment of the law fur the registration of
the county •oters in Scotland.
The LORD ADVOCATE would not oppose the intro-
du3tion of the bill, bat would reserve to himself the right
cf considering its provisions on the second reading.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
GALWAY FREEMEN DISFRANCHISEMENT