The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS. --..(YESTERDA.Y.)
STAMP DUTY ON PASSPORTS BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of MALMESBURY, this
bill was read a third time and passed.
THE CIVIL SERV [CE.

Lord LYTTLETON asked the Government whether
they intended to carry further the system of competitive
examinations for appointments in the civil service ! He
contended that if it is intended to carry out the competitive
system, which bad worked well, it ought to be done
irrespective of any nomination being necessary to enable
the candidate to appear before examiners; and that it
ought to be, in fact, an open and unrestricted competi-
tion. (Hear, hear.)

The Earl of DERBY said in answering the question
he was not going to enter into the general merits of
the subject. It was one that ought to be very narrowly
watched. He had known cases in which candidates who
had passed the examination in the most satisfactory
manner, proving utterly incompetent to the duties of the
office to which they had been appointed. He thought the
subject ought to be carefully considered before it was
extended. Ho was not opposed to the system ; be ap-
proved of it, because it gave an opportunity to persons
entering the service of the country, without the necessity of
obtaining the support of persons of influence. (Hear,
hear.) He thought the attention of Parliament
ought to be directed to this system of competitive
examination, that it ought not to be abandoned,
but that it ought to be looked upon as an experiment,
in which all improvements as they arose ought to be in-
troduced, and that this and the other house would not
I lice too much importance to a rigid adherence to it.
He believed it was in contemplation to alter the saetem
in some respect, FO that a number of persons should not
be restricted to the competition for one office, but should
be allowed to compete for several; and be thought it
would be much better to put up three or four offices to
the competition of three times that number of candi-
dates, than to put three persons in competition for only
one office. (Hear.) The attention of Government would
be directed to the operation of the system, and such
changes would be made as experience might prove to be
desirable. (Hear.)
E ►rl GRANVILLE said the late Government had
kept, faith with the public in giving only a certain num-
ber of officers for competitive examinations.
The Earl of ELLENBORO UGH said much care was
required. He found the social position of young gentle-
men sent out from England to India was inferior to those
who bad preceded them. He now asked Lord Canning
to report on the subject.
Earl GREY agreed that caution was necessary. Com-
petitive examination was requisite to some extent, but
not altogether. Too much of this system would lead to
that of " cramming," so destructive to the vigorous
growth and expansion of intellect. There was a point of
age and scholarship at which examinations must cease.
Men could not be schoolboys all their-lives, nor could
they get competition and examination for the higher
offices. People would rather not serve than be in a
course of perpetual catechisation.
Lord NODE HOUSE agreed that it would be desir-
able to inquire int) the result of the present system,
but did not tbink there was anything to hinder the coun-
try from looking forward to its extension.
Lord REDESDALE said that in military matters
almost as touch was done by the body as by the head—
(laughter)—and in order to judge whetbera man was able
to ride, he did not think anything would be better than a
competitive examination across country. (Laughter.)
After a few words from Lord LTTTLICTON in reply, the
tut .j .ct dropped.
THE SLAVE TRADE.

The Bishop of OXFORD gave notice that on Thurs.
day he proposed to present a petition from Jainaica
touching tue Spanish ilave trade, and intended to call
the attention of their lordships to the subjec'.
Lord BROUGHAM rejoiced that his right rev. friend
had taken up the question, and trusted that her Ma-
jesty's Government would by all possible means urge on
the Spanish government the duty of effecting what by
treaty it was bound to effect, as well by every principle
of honour as of policy—the extirpation of the slave trade
—by prohibiting, and effectually prohibiting, the cor-
ruption of the government and functionaries uudor whose
corruption the slave trade flourished. (Hear, hear.)
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH.

The Earl of CLARENDON wished to ask his
noble friend opposite whether he could give any in-
formation which would tend to allay the excitement
which bad existed during the last few days with re•
ference to certain alleged proceedings on the part of
our cruisers, and the preparations which were said
to have been taken by the United States to put an end
to acts which they looked upon as equivalent to the
right of search, which had never been conceded by the
United States, and was looked upon by that country as
an insult. 113 believed nothing was generally known
beyond certain ex parte statements and the abstract of
some correspondence which had been laid before Con-
gress by the President, and therefore we had no means
of judging how far our cruisers had exceeded their in
stiuctiene. Lie had no doubt, if his noble friend had
received any information, that be would lay it on the
table—and would state whether any more stringent iii-
structions bad been sent out than those under which
our cruisers had been acting. He did not think they
were authorised in doing what they were reported to
have done, and if they had exceeded their instructions,
and exhibited an over amount of zeal, there would be no
difficulty in Explaining the matter. This was& question on
which great lorbearance must be exercised' by both go-
vernments. (Hear.) He was convinced that the United
States government had no desire to extend the slave trade.
But it could not be concealed that the United States
flag had, in the last two years, been used as a cover for
the davit trade, Rod that the trade had been carried on,
on tLe coast of Africa, by vessels under the American
flag'; and that being co, he did not see how the character
of vessels was to be ascertained unless uneans were
taken by which it could be known whether they were
really tailing tinder a national flag. That right had
been conceded by all maritime nations, and unless it was,
so conceded all kinds of piratical transactions might be
carried on, and those who had been designated " humani
generis hordes" would carry on tbeir operations with im-
punity. But the mode of exercising the right of ascer
tamping whether a vessel was really sailing under the
national_ flag was a very different thing, and no officer
waeer hiscommandingv suspicions
ucsrpio
uicisernscomuilgdh b
etxeer,cise the right of search,
h
theta vessel was really an A merican.till Whe
ebad
in this country
were as proud as the Americans of the honour of our
ascertained
flag, and as determined to protect it wbereverprotections
could he lawfully claimed and legitimately given. But
we should consider the honour of our flag tarnished, if it
was used to cover nefarious transactions ; and so far
from objecting to any friendly power ascertaining if any
YebSti carrying the BriCeh flag was engaged in such