The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-22 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

Svailbeach Mine Estate, Duke of Cleveland's Estate,
Chichester Harbour Embankment, Cardiff and Penarth
Road, Neath and Brecon Railway, and Crickhowell Gas
and Water Bills were read a third time and passed.
THE PRISONERS IN ABYSSINIA.

Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE said that he
would ask the noble lord at the head of her Majesty's
Government what was the condition, and what stops had
been taken in the matter relative to the prisoners who
were in the dungeons of King Theodore. He would
quote from a work well known, in which Captain
Spoke, a gentleman who been 10 years in those dis-
tricts, says that Mr. Cameron. her Majesty's consul in
Ab;ssinia had, with other captives, been kept three years
in confinement by King Theodore. He thought that the
attention of the Houses of Parliament ought to be called
to the question, and as it was a national question, where
the honour and integrity of the country was concerned, it
should be taken up by her Majesty's Government.
We ought to vindicate the honour of the na-
tion by inquiring into every point connected with so
iniquitous a matter. What he would ask was—what are
the number, condition, and quality of the British subjects
confined in Abyssinia, and what steps had been taken in
the matter by her Majesty's Government, and whether
any steps had been taken, and whether it was their in-
tention to take any steps in the matter ?
Lord DERBY said that anticipating the question of the
noble lord, he had made the fullest inquiries at the Foreign
Office. The number of captives altogether was 18, and
communications had been continually addressed to the
Emperor of Abyssinia. A letter had been sent out to the
Emperor, to which, although they knew it had been re-
ceived, no answer had arrived. With regard to all the
papers, they should be happy to give the house all the in-
formation on the subject.
Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE asked whether
the prisoners were still in chains?
Lord DERBY said he could not answer that, but the
last information was that they were not.
THE COMMISSION ON RITUALISM.

The ARCHBISHOP OF YORK said that ho objected
to certain persons whose names wero placed on the Ritual-
istic
,Commission. Several prominent gentlemen who
appeared upon it had pledged themselves to one side or the
other. There were two gentlemen who had written on
the question from opposite points of view. He
should therefore on these grounds object to them serving
on the Commission.

The subject then dropped.
THE INCREASE OF THE EPISCOPATE BILL.
On the moving of the third reading of this bill,

Lord SHAFTESBURY stated that whoever might
object to any increase in the Episcopate, no one
could deny the great spiritual destitution in Eng-
land and Ireland. He found that in the diocese of
Rochester there were 601 benefices, many of which were
,without residence, and 181 under £2OO. The late inde-
fatigable Bishop of London had stated that he wanted 250
more clergymen for parochial assistance. If aid
was not given to supply the spiritual and
moral wants of the people, if nothing was done
by the new Reform Bill to alleviate this want, he (the
noble earl) would not give 25 years for the existence
of the British empire. He had no objection to the in-
crease of the number of bishops, but the amount required
for the creation of three bishops would be not less to
maintain their property than £200,000. The spiritual
wants of the people ought to be the first consideration of
the house.

Tho Bishop of OXFORD said that this was one of the
most important questions that could come before the house.
He could not, however, agree with the noble lord's figures
at all. Now it was a fact that out of the episcopal fund
the bishops had been giving £350,000 a year to small
livings. Ho did not wish that there should be an
addition of the bishops for the sake of the prelates
themselves, but, in the words of the noble earl
opposite, their appointment was to strengthen and inspirit
the clergy in the country. The sum mentioned by the
noble lord opposite would go but very littlo towards re-
lieving the spiritual wants of the country. He thought
that the clause relating to the common fund should be left
out altogether, and the matter left entirely to Parliament.
The amendment was supported by Lord Eversloy and
the Earl of Harrowby, and opposed by the Archbishop of
York, the Earl of Derby, and the Duko of 3.larlborough,
and on a division was rejected by 82 to 73.
Earl GREY moved to add a clause anthorising the ap-
pointment of suffragan bishops, but the clause was rejected
by 72 to 35.
The bill was then read a third time and passed.
Lord GRAN WORTH presented a petition complaining
of the operation of the Irish Salmon Fishery Act and laid
on the table a bill to meet the case, and after some discus-
sion the bill was read a first time.
On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY a select
committee was appointed to consider the expediency of the
house meeting at 4 o'clock, and what further changes may
be desirable for the better transaction of the business of the
house.

Siveral las were advanced a stag) and the houso a,'
journed at 20 minutes past 8.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-LAST EVENING.
Tho SPEAKER took tho chair at 2 o'clock.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.

On clauso 31,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that
ho proposed to insert in the clause the names of the gentle-
men proposed as Boundary Commissioners, viz., Lord
Eversion Lord Penrhyn, Mr. Walter, Mr. Bouverie, Mr.
Russell Gurney, Mr. Bramstone, and Sir J. Duckworth.
The right hon. gentleman said ho should, if it was the
wish of the house, postpone proceeding with the motion
until the new clauses wore brought up.
_ _ _

Mr. GLADSTONE thought that course would be the
mo,,t desirable one to pursue.
Mr. BRIGHT complained that the names of the gentle-
men proposed, however unobjectionable, would not give
great satisfaction, because none of them had taken any
very active part in the passing of the bill. He thought it
desirable to appoint a body in which the public would
have confidence, and that there should be some clause
framed to define the powers of the Commissioners. Ho
was not all disposed to confer such extensive powers as it
was now proposed to entrust to the Commissioners with-
out some limit as to their authority. He thought the
right hon. gentleman, in the interest of the bill,
would appoint upon the commission at least
one gentleman who had shown during the
discussion of the bill an honest and earnest dedre to make
the bill a really good one for the representation of the
people.

Colonel KNOX desired to know whether the hon. mem-
ber for Birmingham wished to have some of the Reform
League or those who made the row in Hyde Park upon
the commission ; or did he desire a selection from the
Fenians, whose petition, which was presented by the
hon. member, and was received with disdain and disgust,
was ultimately laid upon the table of the house ; or did
the hon. gentleman wish a selection made from the names
it contained ; or did he want 31r. Beales appointed to serve
on the commission ?

Sir J. GREY thought, under the circumstances, the
postponement of settling the names of the boundary com-
missioners was most desirable.
Mr DENMAN thought it would be better to have men
of pronounced opinions as boundary commissioners, and
that, instead of those names submitted, a thorough-going
Liberal on the one side, and a thorough going Tory on the
other, should at least be placed upon the commission. Be-
fore the matter was brought on for discussion he hoped
the right hon. gentleman would reconsider the composition
of the commission.

Mr. BERESFORD HOPE said that it would have been
tho best and wisest course to have mado the ap-
pointment of the Boundary Commissioners antecedent to
the consideration of the Government proposal relative to
the distribution of seats. (Hear, hear.) He felt the motion
as it stood was one that would lead to party agitation for
further elective privileges in the courso of a year or so, a

matter that was extremely undesirable.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
greatest caro had been exercised in collecting the names of
those gentlemen whom it was proposed to submit as mem-
bers of the boundaries of boroughs and counties. The
great object of the Government was to get the best members
for the commission, without respect to party ; and he
thought it was the best that could be devised. lie could
not undertake to lay a copy of the instructions given to
the commission before the names of the commissioners
were fixed upon. It was of great importance that party
feeling should be set aside on this occasion, and on Mon-
day, when the question was discussed, he thought there
would be no difficulty in coming to a clear conclusion in
the matter.

Mr. BRIGHT objected very much to the composition of
the commisr4ion. lie did not see why Lord Penrhyn,
merobcr of the How° of Peer, should ben member ; then

rig,tin, the hon. member for Southampton—h•e had, in addi-
tioa to l,is Parliamentar,y, duties, Ills duties as Rocerder.

Mr. Walton had been a county member, and hoped to be
so again, besides which he was connected with a powerful
journal, to which the Government appeared to pay a great
deal of court at the present moment—besides which ho en-
tertained a fanatical admiration for what was called the
territorial system of the country. Mr. Bramston had been
a county member, and, on the whole, the commission, if it
was appointed as at present proposed, would not give satis-
faction to the House or the country. He did not
for one instant imply that any of the gentlemen
would act otherwise than with the greatest honour,- but
still he thought that they were not the best fitted per-
ons who could be selected. He had an opinion that com-
missioners ought not to be members of Parliament at all ;
but he would not further refer to that matter. With re-
s,)ect to the assistant commission—the actual persons who
would have to do the work—they were to in appointed by

the seven gentlemen commissioners. That was not alto-
gether the best arrangement that could be come to. In
the event of no alteration being made in the co nsti-
tution of the commission, he should move the omission
of some of the names and the introduction of other', and
also an addition to the number if such should be thought
desirable. He did not see Trhy the number should be
seven. He thought nine would be a better number, and
would enable a stronger and more efficient body being
selected. He gave notice of his intention of doing as he
intimated, if it should become necessary, on Monday 'zest.
After some further discussion, the consideration of the
subject was postponed until Monday next.
Clause 32, on account of the rejection of the clause
relative to voting papers, was struck out.
On clause 33 being proposed,
Mr. DENMAN moved an amendment, the effect of
which was to extend the provisions of the 79th sec. of the
6th of Victoria, chap. 18, to the new voter as well as the
old one.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought
the motion could be more easily done by striking out the
clause, as the object he had in view was, ho thought,
effected by the 40th clause. _

The clause was accordingly struck out, and clauses 31
and 35, which related to rating, having been previously
considered and agreed to, clause 36 was then taken into
consideration, which proposed to treat the corrupt pay-
ment of rates as bribery.
Sir R. KNIGHTLEY moved an amendment to the
clause, and considered the payment of the railway travel-
ling expenses of a voter going to poll might just as well
be treated as bribery.

Mr. ROEBUCK thought if the words were left out it
would be going against the entire spirit of the act. If a
man was excused from payment of rates he was not a per-
son who ought to be upon the roll of voters. (Hear,
hear.) Suppose a man were to say to a person seeking
his vote, " I've not paid my rates," that person would re-
ply, " Oh, very well, I'll pay them for you, and then you
can vote for -me." Such an arrangement it would be
ridiculous to look upon in any other light than bribery.
A long discussion followed, during which it was sug-
gested that the clause should be taken out of the bill and
referred to the committee at present sitting to inquire into
corrupt practices at elections. The amendment of Sir R.
Knightley was ultimately negatived without a division.
Sir F. Goldsmid then moved an amendment in another
part of the clause, to the effect that any person paying the
rates of another person, to enable him to vote, should be
deemed guilty of bribery. _ _ _

This amendment was agreed to, and on the :question
that the clause stand part of the bill,
Mr. DENMAN moved that it be struck out cf the bill
altogether.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the clause,— ... 250
Against it, ... 196

Majority, ... t 4
The house was engaged in discussing the next clause up
to seven o'clock, at which hour the sitting was suspended
until nine o'clock.

At the evening sitting, on the motion for going into
committee of supply,
Mr. G. DUFF called attention to the report of the Scotch
Education Commissioners, and to a plan which they re-
commended to bring about a national system.
Lord R. MONTAGU said the report had been presented
but a short time, and the Government having had their
attention engaged with other matters had not made up
their minds upon it. He expressed, however, an opinion
adverse to many of the recommendations of the commis-
sioners, and stated that in no country in the world was
education so high as in Scotland. Ire argued at great
length against the rating system, and said the attendance
of the children at school was greater in England and Scot-
land than it was in America.

Mr. W. E. 81.I.XTE11, could not help expressing the
great astonishment and pain with which he had listened to
the speech of the noble lord, who had pursued a most ex-
traordinary course in attacking the report of a royal com-
mission. lie defended the report, which showed the in-
efficiency of the Privy Council system in Scotland. The
parochial system had not kept pace with the wants of the
population, and the Privy Council system had failed, and
the commissioners, believing that no sectarian difficulty
existed, and that the denominational system in Scotland
was unnecessary, had unanimously recommended a na-
tional system, which they pointed out could be supported
by a small rate.
The debate was continued for some time longer, and in
the course of it Mr. HAItDY promised that the Government
would consider the report in no spirit of hostility to the
commission.

Vv
Two or three other subjects of minor importance having
been discussed, the house went into committee of supply,
and £300,000 was voted for the packet service.
The orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned.

Sheffield Trades' Union Commissio-,.

FOURTEENTH DAY (FRIDAY).

At the opening of the Commission yesterday
Mr. Broadhead W:1 51 seated among the privileged
spectators on the side of the court occupied by sec-
retaries and representatives of Trades' Unions.
Mr. 0 verend—Mr. Broadhead, will you take
your place (pointing to the witness's chair) ?
Mr. Broadhead slowly walked to the chair and
took his seat. Ilis countenance was serious—per-
haps a little anxious, and it had in its expression a
certain admixture of doggedness, like that with

which a stolid, determined man who knows,whAt is
before him, and is determined to brave it, goes on-
ward to his fate.

Before the examination commenced, Mr. Overend
said—Mr. Broadhead, in the cause of justice and
in the interest of those whom you may implicate, I
give you this warning. I dare say you have a false
sense of honour that you won't implicate others. I
look on my notes, and I find that you have never
told us the name of a single person you caused to
ratten, you have never disclosed a single fact that
has not been proved by two witnesses, you have
never admitted anything which we did not know.
Now, if you are to obtain a certificate, you have to
tell us all you know ; and we must be satisfied that
it is all that you know ; it is not only telling about
those things which have been mentioned, but if it
should turn out in the result that there are other
things with which you are proved to have been
associated, and you have not told us about them,
unquestionably your certificate will be withheld.
Aud, again, it is not in the interest of any man who
may have been associated with you to attempt to
screen him, because if others, believing that you can
screen them, do not come forward and state what
they know, you may be the cause of their being ac-
tually punished ; but if they know you have told all
most likely they will come forward to state what
they have done, and if they do that they will be entitled
to a certificate, if only they tell the truth. By con-
cealing them therefore you are not only putting your-
self in peril, but them too. Therefore I caution
you again with reference to other transactions which
you have not spoken about. Be explicit, clear, and
straightforward.
Mr. Broadhead (rising)—Pardon me, sir, will you
permit me to ask you a few questions?
Mr. Overend—Yes.

Mr. Broadhead—Can I rely that the same mercy
will be extended to those men as to myself, if they
tell the truth ?

Mr. Overend—Certainly, undoubtedly.
Mr. Broadhead—Then, sir, I will give you a true
statement.

Mr. Broadhead sat down after saying this, with
an expression of relief on his face. The obstinate,
dogged look had vanished, and a softer shade had
tAken its place. At times, in making confession of
bygone crimes—so far back that the details had in
some cases slipped his memory—he became ab-
stracted, and, looking forward into vacancy, spoke
ss if he were naming incidents that were slowly
passing before his mind.
Mr. Overend—ls there any statement you would
like to make before I put the questions to you? •
Mr. Broadhead—Yes, sir.
Mr. 0 verend —lf you please.
Mr. Broadhead—To begin with, the statement I
made yesterday relative to the Hellewell affair was
untrue. I hired Dennis Clark to blow up Hellewell.
What did you give him ?—Well, sir, my memory
won't serve me as to what the amount was.
Was it £3 ?—Well, I Lkdi,Ncn it would be either

£3 or £5.
Did you know that Clark did blow up?—l
was told that Shaw blew hicn up. -
Who told you ?—Clark..
Did you pay the money to Shaw or to Clark ?
I think I paid the money to Clark.
Then, am I to ❑nderstand that was the paper

which you drew up ; for what purpose did you draw
it up ?—That paper was drawn up because I heard
of Shaw circulating a report at that time, and
when I learnt of his drawing the scale and at the
same time working it became my duty, let the
consequence be what it might, to detect him if
1 could in drawing the scale which he had no right
to. He was detected doing so..
By whom—by Mr. Martin ?.—Yes, and I was
obliged to bring it before the committee and feeling