The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-03 00:00:00

BERKSHIRE ELECTION.

The vacancy in the representation of this county
was yesterday filled up by the election of Mr.
Benyon, of Englefield House, as successor to the
much lamented and deservedly esteemed Captain
Vernon. The nomination took place in the County-
hall, in the ancient town 'of Abingdon, and the
number of electors was large, considering that there
was no probability of a contest.
The HIGH SHERIFF, Sir Paul Hunter, having
opened the proceedings,
' Mr. R. PALMER (late M.P. for Berks), proposed
Mr. Richard Benyon as a fit and proper person to
represent the county of Berks in Parliament. Mr.
Floyd, a farmer, seconded the nomination ; and no
other candidate having been proposed,
The HIGH SHERIFF declared Mr. Benson to
have been duly elected.
The announcement was received with rounds of
cheers.

Mr. BENYON, who was well received, said he felt
highly flattered by the honour which they had
conferred upon him by electing him to fill the va-
cant seat in Parliament. He reiterated the senti-
ments contained in his published address to the
electors and concluded by assuring them that to
all public questions he should give his earnest and
careful attention.

A vote of thanks to the High Sheriff was car-
ried, and three cheers for Mr. Benyon concluded
the proceedings.

PARLI IMENTARY COMMITTEES.

PACKET AND TELEGRAPH CONTRACTS.
This committee met again on Tuesday—Mr. Dun-
lop in the chair.
The Earl of Eglinton attended, and entered into
a statement of what came under his cognisance,
with respect to the contract for the Galway line,
while he was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The
noble earl was accommodated with a seat beside
the chairman. He said he considered the Galway
line would be extremely beneficial to Ireland, and
would afford the quickest mail communication be-
tween that country and America. He considered
it would be also beneficial to England for the same
reasons, and he therefore felt bound to recommend
it to the favourable consideration of the Govern-
ment. During the whole of his stay in Ireland he
never knew anything which created so strong and
universal a feeling in its favour as did the Galway
line. _ _

Sir S. Northcete—lt has been suggested that
there was some political view on the part of the
Government in this matter with regard to the
borough of Galway.
Lord Eglinton—l can only tell you I considered
Gaiway as perhaps the most hopeless borough in a
Conservative point of view, of any in all Ireland ;
and nothing more surprised me than when I heard
that Mr, Lever was going to stand for it, except
when I heard that Mr. Lever was going to sup-
port the Government,
The noble earl proceeded to say, in reply to ques-
tions by Sir F. Baring, Mr. Laing, Mr. Ellice, and
other members of the committee, that the Lord
Lieutenant had no power whatever in the cases of
money matters. He could only recommend such
cases to the Government, and he recommended the
Galway line on the broad principle that it would
be beneficial to Ireland. He had read in the news-
papers the speech of Mr. Lever, in which he said
he would support any Government which would
give Gaiway the packet station. He did not think
the Cunard ships would ever have run from Queens-
town unless the Galway line had been established.
Mr. Lewis chairman of the Galway Company,
was examined chiefly in reference to the negocia-
tion between Mr. Lever, Sir C. Roney, and Mr.
Allan, for the transfer of the Galway contract by
Mr. Lever to the Montreal Ocean Steam Ship Com-
pany, which was fully gone into at previous sit•
tines of the committee. Mr. Allan, on the part
of the Montreal Company, made an offer for the
line, which was rejected by the Galway Company
as being much below its value, and ultimately they
refused to sell the line at all. There were 10,000 paid-
up shares expressly provided by the articles of
association as a remuneration to the promoters of
the undertaking, of which 2,500 shares were allotted
to Mr. Lever.
Mr. Ellice—Did any members of Parliament re-
ceive any of those paid-up shares ?
Witness—Yes. Mr. Lever did, as I have already
said.
Mr. Ellice—Did any other member of Parliement
receive any of those shares ?
Witness—Yes. Lord Bury, as chairman, received
71 shares. Mr. Roebuck never received any of the
shares. He was offered some, but refused them.
Any statement to the effect that he did receive
shares would be absolutely false, and without a
shadow of foundation. That I know of my own
knowledge.
Sir S. Nortlicote—Lord Bury's services to the
undertaking were, I believe, very considerable ?
Witness—Yes ; he took a voyage to Newfound-
land to carry it out.
Sir H. Willoughby—Lord Bury may be said to
have gone to considerable expense in the affair ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Weaver, manager of the Galway Company,
gave some statistical details of the average number
of voyages and passengers carried by the line since
its opening.
Mr. Lever, M.P., again presented himself to give
some further evidence relative to negotiations be-
tween himself, Sir C. Roney, and Mr. Allan, as to
the transfer of the Galway Company. He adhered
to his former statements on this point, and persisted
in saying that that negotiation was only entered
upon by him for the purpose of getting an offer from
the Montreal Company, in order that the capital
required for the Galway line should be more readily
subscribed, and it had that effect.
The committee then adjourned.

JAPAN AND TILE UNITED STATES.

We have accounts of the reception at San Fran-

cisco of the Japanese Anibassadors to the
United States :—" The United States' steamer
Powhattan, Captain Pearson, bearing the
flag of Commander Tatnall, arrived at San Fran-
cisco on March 27th from Japan, via Honolulu.
She brings the Japanese embassy, consisting of two
principal ambassadors, Princes of the highest rank
among the nobility of the empire, and two asso-
ciates, who are nobles of nearly equal rank. These
four are of the Emperor's Council. They are ac-
companied by a suite of 16 officers. The following
is a list of the embassy .—Simme,Prince of Boozen,
envoy, and Mooragaki, Prince of Awadsi, envoy ;
Ogoori Mataitsee, chief censor; one Tice-Governor
of the Treasury ; one Vice-Governor for Foreign
Affairs ; one secretary of the first rank (Sembay
Akoo) ; two inspectors of the first rank; two secre-
taries of the second rank; two treasury officers;
two inspectors of the second ; two interpeters ; two
doctors, and 53 servants. The Powhattan arrived
at Honolulu March the sth, and remained there till
the 18th. The ambassadors were there received
with all formal honours. Private hospitalities
were extended on• every hand, and then King and
Queen held court at the Palace for the reception of
the distinguished foreigners, and welcomed them
in appropriate terms. They were also entertained
at a grand ball given by the officers of the Pow-
hattan, expressing great delight at the gay and
novel scene. They bring 100,000 dols. to defray
their expenses; although the Embassy is invited at
the sole expense of the United States. They were
given the best quarters on board the Powhattan
during the voyage, and arrived in good health and
highly pleased. The chief dignitaries are magnifi-
cently dressed in embroidered silk robes, each wear-
ing a sword of beautiful workmanship. They have
conducted ithemselves with great dignity and
propriety. The Japanese Ambassadors visited San
Francisco on the 31st ult., and have remained the
honoured guests of the city ever since. 20,000 dols.
has been appropriated from the City Treasury to
provide for them suitable entertainment. All the
corporation officers, the members of the Legislature,
the Governor and citizens generally, have paid their
respects in person, and on the 2cl inst. a grand pub-
lic reception was given the strangers at the largest
hall in the city, where the United States officers,
both civil and military, with the foreign Consuls
and State authorities, participated in the reception
ceremonies. The Japanese carry an immense amount
of baggage, including many boxes of presents to
the United States' Government. The Powhattan,
on the day of her arrival, went to Mare Island
Navy-yard, all the Ambassadors remaining onboard.
It will require several days to overhaul the steamer
and.take in coal, when she will sail for Panama.
The Ambassadors will thence proceed to Aspinwall,
where the United States' steamer Rpanoke is ex-
pected to be in waiting to convey them to Washing-
ton. They are so well pleased with the Powhattan
that they express their wish to have her detained
at Panama to convey them back to Japan on their
return from the United States. They purpose spend-
ing. about a month on the Atlantic side, although
their time is not limited. The Board of supervisors
i sex ordered
pe n teebtoeands s
bad sent a memorial up to the Legislature, asking
an appropriation of 20,000 dols, to be expended in
entertaininge
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the Commissioners about that time."