The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-16 00:00:00

Lord HOUGHTON.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY, with Lords KIMI3ERLEY
and DE GREY, on the other hand, condemned the adver-
tising boardmen as nuisances, and their views ultimately
were adopted, the clause passing without alteration.
The remaining business having been disposed of, their
lordships adjourned.

lIOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER'S.

Lord llpmEnT and Sir J. PAKINGTON took tho oath
and their seats for N•wth Shropshire and Droitwich.
APPOINTMENT TO TILE MAGISTRACY.

Mr. TAYLOR asked the Secretary of State for the Homo
Department whether the Mr. Church ward who had lately
been nominated to tho 31tgistracy at Dov2r was the same
gentleman of whom a committee of that house remarked,
iu their report in 1859, that he had "resorted to corrupt
expedients affgcting injuriously the character of the re-
presentation of the people in Parliament ;" and of whom
likewisq it was reported by a select committee of this house,
in 1853, that he had been guilty of bribery.
Mr. WALPOLE said since the notice had been placed
on the paper he had communicated with the Lord Chan-
cellor, and he had also made himself familiar with the re-
ports of the committees referred to. It was not fair to say
that Mr. Churchward had been charged with bribery in the
sense implied in the question. The most that could be said
was that Mr. Church ward, in conjunction with Mr. Mare,
at an election which took place at Plymouth. promised to
obtain a situation in the excise for a voter, not knowing
at the time it was illegal to make sach a promise. He had
received a communication from the Lord Chancellor, who
stated that Mr. Churchward was an entire stranger to him,
that he had been recommended to him for the appointment
by gentlemen on whom he could rely, and that when the
appointment was made he never knew that Mr. Church-
ward was ever suspected of being concerned in any illegal
practices at elections.
Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE would like to know whether
now that such a circumstance was known there was any
intention of rescinding the appointment ?
Mr. WALPOLE could not answer such a question
without notice.

Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE informed the right hon. gen-
eman that I,to should repeat the question on Monday next.

HYDE".PAItK,

Mr. TUSX asked the First 'Citriniissiddef "Of. Works
- -

if he thought it desirable to continue the elaborate horti-,
cultural embellishment of the Park-lane side of Hyde-
park at considerable public expense, while the Bayswater
side and Sensington-gardens were, in the same respect,
comparatively neglected.
Mr. DYCE NICHOL, before the question was answered
should like to know whether there was any intention to
expedite the work of replacing the rails in front of Hyde
Park, and whether it was true that the contract price for
those railings was £lO,OOO.
Lord JOHN MANNEftS said he had to answer the
question of the hon. member for Finsbury in the
affirmative. With respect to that of the other hon.
member, he had to inform him that contractors might be
induced to hurry on the work by extra payments being
made to them, but considering by whom the railings were
thrown down he did not feel disposed to recommend the
kouse to vote any money for such a purpose. With re-
spect to the amount name 1 by the hon. member as the cost
of the railings nothing could be morn incorrect.
THE DISTRESS AT EAST LONDON:

In reply to Mr. WEGUELIN,
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that question related to mat-
ters which occurred before he held the present appoint-
ment. To give employment to a large number of unem-
ployed in the east of London a communication was made
from the Treasury to the War Office, and a contract for
1,000 tons of iron was entered into. The tender
of the company named was the lowest sent in, and therefore
it was accepted, and it was being executed in every way
satisfactory. There, of course, would be no objection to
lay a copy of the contract on the table of the house. Mr.
Hughes had never held out the inducement mentioned by
the hon. gentleman, but he had made the remark that if
anotherorder was given it would ha_vu the effect of relieving
and assisting the families of over
,1,000 persons. He had
every reason to believe that the company were quite able
to fulfill all the requirements of the contract.
Mr. GLADSTONE said if he understood the right hon.
baronet correctly he had said the Treasury had made a
communication to the War-office ; he should like to know
whether there would be any objection to lay a copy of the

communication on the table.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said strong representations from
the Treasury were made, but no direct communication took
iu the form of a suggestion.
Col. SYKES would very much like to know what the
1,000 tons of iron was required. for ?
BUNTTILL FIELDS BURIAL GROUND.
Mr. CRAWFORD gave notice that on the 2d of April
he should move for leave to bring in a bill. to constitute
Bunhill-fields burial-ground an open space, or park, for
the use of the public.

JAMAICA.
Mr. BUXTON gave notice of his intention of calling
attention to punishments that had been inflicted on some
persons in Jamaica, with a view of determining whether
some of them might, not be commuted.
TRANSPORTATION TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

In reply to Mr. HIBBERT,
Mr. GILPIN said, as it was certain the time was ap-
proaching when capital punishment would be abolished,
it was of the highest importance that it should be known
that the precise sentence inflicted on the offender by the
judge would certainly be carried out without any remis-
sion.
Mr. CHAMBERS said it would be a most fatal step if
all hope of remission of sentence was to be abandoned,
however good the conduct of the convict alight be. If

hope was shut out of a prison it would become u hell, and
the lives of the w :niers would bo constantly iu danger.
Mr. WALPOLE sai.l that the shortest tine in which
application for remission of a life sentence was 20 yvars
transportation, which he cough!. .rail a very terrible 101:11811-
ment. Ail transportation to Australia would cease iu a
very few months, awl the question that naturally
pre,,,ntrd itself wa::, what was to be done with
on whom transportation would have been inflicted.
had considered the matter very fully, and it appeared-It;
him that some place should be fonud near the United
Kinglom where tha worst class of offenders should be sent
to undergo the meat severe puuishment. Ile agreed that
all hope must not hi destroyed, because it that were done
it would totally destroy the object of punishiltent,
viz., the reformation of the offender. The mater was
under the most sarious considlration of the Government,
and when a final determination was come to it would at
once be communicated to the house.

A discussion on Flogging in the Army was raised by Mr.
OT WAY, who moved a resolution declaring the punish-
ment to be unnecessary in time of peace, advancing in a
lengthy speech the usual arguments—that it is inhuman
and degrading, that it is unnecessary for maintenance of
discipline, that it has no reforming influence, and that it
checks recruiting.

Major ANSON, in seconding the motion, gave some
interesting statistics of military offences, showing that the
lash has no deterrent effect, and suggested the experiment
of suspending the punishment for a twelvemonth by gene-
ral order.

Mr. MOWBRAY resisted the motion, as a revolution in
the discipline of the army for which no sufficient reason
had been given. He went at length into the military re-
turns to show that the punishment was inflicted for fewer
offences than formerly; that fewer men ..ere flogged, and
that the number of lashes was much fewer; and, while
pointing out the inconvenience and impossibility of apply-
ing a general rule of abolition to all the stations of the Bri-
fish army, he assured the house that the Commander-in-
Chief and the military authorities were anxious to use the
punishment within the narrowest limits. As to the brutality
of the punishment, he argued, by referring to the numer-
ous crimes to which it had been applied by recent legisla-
tion, that public opinion was not revolted by it.
Captain VIVIA.N'S objection to the punishment was
that its degrading character lowered the soldier's calling
in the oyes of the rest of the community, for he admitted
that it was now very mildly applied, so mildly as to have
lost its deterrent effect. Most commanding officers would
gladly dispvise with corporal punishment if they had
greater facilities of getting rid of bad characters.
Col. HERBERT defended flogging as the only effica-
cious punishment which could be inflicted in many cases,
and as saving us from the necessity of a sterner code like
that of the French army. He deprecated the motion as an
injurious interference with the discipline of the army.
Mr. B. OSBORNE replied that interference with dis-
cipliuo was the stereotyped cry by which all motions of the
sort were resisted, and strenuously supported the resolu-
tion, as it was by the House of Commons alone that all
important army reforms had been initiated.
The motion was supported by Captain GROMNOR and
opposed by Sir C.RUSSELL.
Sir J. PAKINGTON pointed out that under the regula-
tions of 1861—which were about to be incorporated with
the Articles of War—no man could be flogged except for
gross and repeated offences, and that the English military
code was really more merciful than the French, Prussian,
Austrian, or even the United States' codes. The Com-
mander-in-Chief and the Adjutant-General were of opinion
that it would be fraught with:clanger to part with this rem-
nant of corporal punishment, and he was bound, therefore,
to oppose the motion.
Gon. PEEL insisted that the retention of this punish-
ment was necessary for the maintenance of the discipline
in an army enlisted as ours was, that it was a protection
for the good men, and that if it were abolished in time of
peace it could not be retained for war.
Mr. WIIITEBREAD urged that the abolition of flog-
ging would be a great assistance to recruiting.
After some further discussion, in which Colonel North,
Captain Hayter, and Mr. D. Bromley joined, the motion
was carried by a majority of 1-108 to 107.
In Committee of Supply, a number of votes on ac-
count were taken for the Army and Navy and Civil De-
partments.
Several orders were forwarded a stage, and the House
adjourned at half-past 12 o'clock.