The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-21 00:00:00

LEI T tsITTIXG.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—TiIIs EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
THE 110/AL ENGINEERS.

Sir B. L. GUINNESS asked the Secretary of St ato for
War if lie would furnish to the house a return of the names
of the civil officers of the ltoyal Engineers who he ve died
on foreign service during the past ten years; a,nd, why
their widows had not pensions allotted to them, as was the
case with the widows of the other officers of the Royal
Engineers' and whether the Government purposed to make
them such provision in future ?

Sir J. PAKINGTON said he would willingly furnish
the names required. Tho reason pensions were not al-
lotted to widows of officers was that the officers were
under the Superannuation Act, and therefore they were
not entitled to public pensions.
THE POOR LAW BOARD.

In reply to Col. l'AtExca,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, in
making the appointment of President of the Poor Law
Board, he had been influenced solely by the consideration
of securing the services of the person most fitted to
fulfil the duties of the office. Although the appointment
had been held since its creation uniformly by members of
the House of Commons, there was nothing in the act cur-
tailing the privileges of the Premier in confining his Cabi-
net appointments to a particular House of Parliament. It
was quite true that Lord Devon had been appointed to
fill the office of President of the Poor-law Board, and he
felt that it was an appointment which Parliament would
approve, and in which the country at large would have
confidence.

Mr. BOUVERIE thought the appointment an excellent
one, and he was of opinion that if both sides of the Houses
of Parliament had been hunted round a better selection
could not have been made. Lord Devon's acquaintance
with the duties of the office were well known, and that
circumstance very greatly strengthened the appointment.
NAVAL SAVINGS' BANKS.

Mr. KINNAIRD asked the First Lord of the Admiralty
whether the Government intend to extend the operation,
of the Naval Savings Banks to all the ships of the Medi-
terranean squadron and to the navy generally ?
Mr. CORRY said the experiment on board the flagship
of the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean had
been very successful, as in three months there had been
no less than 292 depositors, and the amount placed in the
bank amounted to £3,500. Instructions had been given to
establish savings banks in all the ships in the Mediter-
ranean squadron, but with respect to the navy generally
more experience was required before such an arrangement
'was made throughout the navy.
THE MILITIA.
Mr. 0. STANLEY asked the Secretary of State for
War if his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief had
ever been consulted about the Bth clause in the Militia
Reserve Bill, and had given his sanction to it ; and, if
the late Secretary of State for War bad handed the clause
over to the right hon. baronet, or approved it ?
Sir J. PAKINGTON said the clause had not been
sent to the Commander-in-Chief, who had not seen the
bill until it was in print. There was nothing new in the
clause, which was at present the law of the land. Militia-
men, as the law now stood, could be sentenced to service
in her Majesty's regular land forces.
ISH POOR LAW.

In reply to Mr. REARDEN,
Lord NAAS said there was no intention of proposing
any alteration with respect to the out-door relief in the
poor-law in Ireland.
THE RATING FRANCHISE.
Mr. D. GRIFFITH asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether he was aware that in Ireland no property
not exceeding £4 in value was rated ; and that the proposed
Parliamentary rating franchise could not devolve on oc-
cupiers in that country at or below that amount ; and, if so,
whether he proposed to establish a lower Parliamentary
franchise in England than in Ireland ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
language of the question was not correct. It stated that
no property under £4 value is rated, but the fact was that
all property under £4 was rated. Witk respect to the
second part of his question, he thought it would be more
convenient if he would wait for inforn,ation on that sub-
ject, when his noble friend the Secretary of Ireland
brought forward the Irish Reform Bill. For 33 years the
franchises of England and Ireland had not been identical.
THE DERBY DAY.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, it Was agreed that the house at its rising adjourn
until Thursday.
DWELLING HOUSES.
Mr. AYRTON moved for a return of the number of
dwelling houses (not included in a composition under
any geueral or local Act) on account of which the land-
lord or owner paid the poor rates by agreement with the
overseers or other authority assessing or collecting the
same in the cities and boroughs in England and Wales
returning members to Parliament. —The return was
ordered.
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (METROPOLIS).
Mr. MILL moved for leave to bring in a bill for the
establishment of municipal corporations in the several dis-
tricts of the metropolis.
Mr. AYRTON thought the bill when brought in would
not fulfil the object the hon. member had in view.
Mr. LOCKE thought it far more preferable to divide
the metropolis into wards, each of which should elect an
alderman and common council in the seine manner as the
City of London.
Colonel Sykes thought the 1411 was an attempt to sweep
away the liberties of the City of London.
Mr. G. HARDY said, on the part of the Government, he
should offer no opposition to the introduction of the bill ;
but with respect to the course the Government might take
after that measure had been introduced, he would give no
promise. The subject was a very intricate one, and the
metropolitan members were themselves not agreed upon
the subject.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
THE SALTERS' ESTATE IN IRELAND.
Mr. O'REILLY called attention to the circumstances
under which the Salters' Company had refused a site for a
Roman Catholic Church in Magherafelt; and moved an
humble address to her Majesty, praying that she would
be graciously pleased to revoke such portion, if any, of the
charter of the Salters' Company as impeded the obtaining
of a site for a Roman Catholic Church on their property.
(LEFT SITTING.)