The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-19 00:00:00

TURNPIKE TRUSTS,

Mr. S. WESTERN asked the Secretary for the Home
Department whether it was the intention of her Mar

jesty's Government, during the pre, eat session of Par-
liament, to bring in any bill for the abolition of the
turnpike System throughout England ; or whether they
intended to support the clause relating to turnpikes
contained in the Highway Act of last session.
Mr. Secretary kVALPOLE said that on taking
office he found the subject had been under the considera-
tion of the late Government, who had a bill in course of
preparation. He bad not yet seen it, but as soon as it
was ready he would give it • his serious consideration.
He was, therefore, unable at present to give a positiie
answer to the question ok the boo. member.
THE ARMY BEFORE DELHI.

Mr.. KINNAIRD asked the Under Secretary efthe
Board of Control whether the report wai true that WS
months' batty was all that the army before Delhi was

to have in lieu of prize money ; or whether it was only
the first instalment, and all that the Governor-General
was able to grant for their patient endurance and heroic

bravery t-
Mr. H. BAILLIE said that six months' batta awarded
by the Governor-General to the army before Delhi was
the utmost sum which by law he was entitled to grant,
but he (Mr. Baillie) was able to state that the claims of
the army, both before Delhi and in the garrison of Lack-
now, were under the coneideration of Government.
OUR RELATIONS WITH FRANCE.
Mr. CRAUFURD asked the Under-Secretary for
Foreign Affairs whether the despatch of 4th March, ad-
dressed by the Earl of Malmesbury to Count Weleweki,
was submitted formally or in enbatance either to the
French authorities in Paris, or to their representatives
in England, for the purpose of ascertaining the opinion
of the French Government thereon, before the
official presentation of that document to the
French Government on behalf of the British nation 1
The hon. and learned member proceeded to refer to dates
in support of the assumption on which his question ap-
peared to be founded, but he was called to order by the
Speaker.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
was hardly fair on the part of the hon. and learned
member to address this question to the Under-
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, because the hon. and
learned gentleman must fe,l that if there was the
slightest foundation for his gratuitous assumption in the
matter, it wit. n-'t without the o ,gni.ance of the Under
Secretary for Foreign Affairs. (Hear, hear.) There was
the utmost inclination on the part of her Majesty's Go-
vernment to cieat frankly with the House of Commons
on our foreign affairs, Mr he put it to the house whether
questions of this kind ought to be sanctioned by the
house—(bear, hear)—and he should not have said another
word in answer to the inquiry of the hon. and learned
gentleman, if he had not so irregularly gone into cone
parison and calculation of dates, from which he seemed
to infer, that from the interval that bad elapsed
some ut, usual c .minnuication—he might say some sur-
reptitious communicatiou—che,,r)— ha-t taken place be-
tween the two Governments ; but if the hon. and learned
gentleman, before asking the question, had for a mo-
ment considered the impottance of the subject, and
other matters connected with the f,ir warding and re-
ceiving such a despatch, he must have found some rea-
so❑ for the apparent delay. It was, of course, necessary
before such a despatch of that importance was forwarded
to a foreign Government, that it should receive
the careful deliberation and consideration of

the Cabinet, and then to submit it, when entirely com•
pleted, to her MajeAty, who was :hen at o.borne ; be.
bided that, the weather at the time was such that for
43 hours it was impossible to cross the channel. The
right hon. gentleman again protested against the -coarse
pursued in this matter by the hon. and learned gentle-
man.

The subj Pot then dropped.
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

In answer to a question from Mr. V. SMITH,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said

it was his Mention to intr )duce a bill for the better
government of India before Easter. On Monday ni.Zt
he would probably be able to state the day.

THE CONSULAR SYSTEM.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD gave notice that on Monday
next he would move the appointment of a select com-
mittee to inquire into the state of our Consular system.
(Hear, hear.)