The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(Tnis EvaNixo.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack al
five o'clock.

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

Earl GRANVILLE said that what ho wanted to ask
for was some further information as to what had been done
with regard to the Abyssinian question, and although they
had 500 pages already before them, still he thought they
ought to have even every scrap of paper that was
in the India Office. There had been a corre-
spondence presented as to whether a surgeon should
take his valet with him or not. He did not complain that
the Government should furnish thorn with superfluous in-
formation as to the individual comforts of the troops, but
he thought that the house ought to be furnished with
every particular. Tho reason that the Government had
been induced on the 19th of August to undertake the ex-
pedition was that on the 13th of that month they had re-
ceived information that induced them to believe that it
would be attended with success. row, he could not see
anything that should lead to such a supposition, and in the
Times it was also remarked that it could not be Sir John
Durand's note, nor could he think so either. Therefore
he would ask the noble earl to have these important
documents circulated among the members of the house.

The Earl of DERBY said that the notice which was
sent to the Earl of Malmesbury by the noble Earl was a
question whether there would be any objection to lay a
certain document relating to this information before the
house, and that was all that he (the noble earl) knew of
the matter, and as far as he knew there was uo objection
to such a course, but ho would ask the noble earl to wait
until the matter was fully discussed, when, no doubt, the
matter would be satisfactorily explained.

Tho subject then dropped.]
THE POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY put a question to the
Postmaster-General as to what was the intention of the
Government respecting the proposed renewal of the con-
tract with the Peninsular and Oriental Co., and the intended
arrangement fur the postal communication with India.
who was understood to say that there were routes that
gave no more facilities than the one at present adopted.
The Duke of MONTROSE said that there was suffi-
cient time for any company to have tendered, but they had
not one offer to do any service, and it was only the Orien-
tal Company that did offer, and they offered to do the whole.
The noble lord had said that it was a high rate, but in the
first instance there had been a refusal to take the offer;
then it was thought that an extension of time would be
better, and therefore it was extended to 12 years. By this
means in 12 years they had saved £1,200,000.
He did not now see how they, could better
this arrangement. It was for the House of Commons to
say whether they would pay a high rate for a short period
or a low rate for a long period, but by the new arrange-
Eaeut they Tictulcl lloY9 52 woil§ yesx irtotcod of 0;

the mail to Bombay would be the sante, and
that to China also, and they should have tha
satisfaction of knowing that the mails would be a day or two
earlier. The voyage is now being made much quicker b'
a route through the Straits of Messina. Ile was induc4d
for these reasons to believe that the arrangements nth
the company was considered highly satisfactory. ThEaucw
contract would begin on the Ist of February.
The subject then dropped, and the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS (Tms EVENING.)
The SPL'AKEi took the chair at four o'clock.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

On the motion of Mr. LOCKE a copy of the letter
written by Mr. Ayrton to the President of the Counnil.on
the subject of metropolitan Public schools was orarzed.
Cal/Will RATES.

Mr. NEWDEGATE gave notice of his intention to
introduce a bill for the commutation of church rates on,
Tuesday next.