The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-01 00:00:00

increasing mass of the community. He denied that the House
of Peers represented the agricultural intere 3 t because its most
wealthy landed proprietors, such as the Marquis pf West-
minster, the Marquis of Salisbury, and the Earl of Derby,
had most of the property situate in towns, and not in the
counties.

Sir G. GREY said it was to be hoped that the matter
of distribution of scats would have been dealt with
in such a manner by the Government as would

put a stop to future agitation on the subject, but he thought
that such an object had not been attained by the Govern-

ment, but that in the now Parliament to be elected under
the bill amongst one of its first duties it would be called on
to make a very groat addition to the proposal at present
under discussion. He thought the proposal of the hon.
member for Wick would make the bill more valuable, and

therefore he should give it his earnest and hearty support,

at the same time he reserved to himself the privilege of
reservation with respect to the details.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not

deny that there were anomalies in the prosont arrange-
ment; but in the representative system there always
must be. The principle the Government have gone on

in framing the bill has been to give representation to
thoso communities that have sprung up since 1832,
and which aro not now represented in Parliament,

and wfth the exception of giving one represen-

tation to a seat of learning, the Government have
in the present instance entirely acted in that spirit. (Hear,
hear.) The matter was one of the greatest difficulty, be-
cause you can easily draw up a scheme in the morning
which looked everything that could be desired in
fairness, but when you come to examine into the details,
the subject becomes one of the greatest difficulty, and
one that it would be both uawise and unsafe
to adopt. The Government had given the greatest
attention to the proposals in the bill ; but with respect to
the amendment of the hon. gentleman, the member for
Wick, he hoped the house would hesitate before it adopted it.
(Hear, hear.) With respect to the system of giving a double
representative, and as was now proposed to give to
some places three representatives, personally he was
of opinion that one member alone was quite suffi-
cient to represent one community. (Hear, hear.) That

was his individual opinion. The attempt to represent
minorities could only, in his opinion, result in a feeble
executive ; and, therefore, it was not for the advantage
of the country that it should corns into practice.
Her Majesty's Government had acted on practical and
proved principles, and had sought to give representation
where it w►as wanted ; and, under these circumstances he
hoped the house would not involve itself in that sea of
trouble which the adoption of the amendment of the hon.
member for Wick would most undoubtedly place it.
Mr. GLADSTONE supported the amendment of the
hon. member fur Wick, and he was surprised the right
hon. gentleman had not, before he resumed his seat, ex-
pressed his determination to adopt it. (Hear, hoar, and
laughter.)
The house divided, when there app?ared—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority —127

The house shortly afterwards adjourned till 9 o'clock.
At the evening sitting,
Mr. C. FORTESCUE, in calling attention to the presew
condition of the Queen's University in Ireland, recepitte
lated in detail the circumstances which led to the establish
ment of the colleges and the university, the reasons why
the Roman Catholics were dissatisfied with these institu-
tions, the motives which induced the late Government to
grant a supplemental charter to theuniversity (which they
had intended to accompany by legislation), the proceed-
ings in Convocation repudiating the acceptance of that
charter by the Senate, and the subsequent legal proceed-
ings, in the course of which the Master of the Rolls had
expressed an opinion against the power of the Senate to
accept it. Depicting next the difficulties under which this
state of things placed the university, he insisted that the
Government ough to interpose either by sanctioning and
completing the scheme of the late Government, or by pro-
viding, something better.
Lord NAAS, in reply, wont through the same history,
and intimated that the Government had taken only a
Ministerial part in the matter, and before taking action
would wait until the ordinary tribunals had decided the
validity of the charter. But he acknowledged it to be the
duty of tho Government to make university education more
acceptable to the people of Ireland, and when the proper
time came they would not shrink from it. Regarding edu-
cation only as a means, ho agreed that nothing which bad
been done heretofore ought to stand in the way of a satis-
factory settlement.
The claims of the Catholic University to a charter were
advocated by Mr. O'REILLY and The O'DONOGIICE ; and
after some remarks from Mr. ACLAND in the same sense,
Mr. LOWE, after a. warm eulogy on the wise and
statesmanlike policy which had founded the Queen's Col-
leges—the desire to bring up Irish youth of different re-
ligious persuasions in peace and harmony together—mein-
teined that up to the mischievous interference of the late
Government, these Colleges, notwithstanding the ban of
the Roman Catholic prelates, had succeeded, whereas the
Boman Catholic University had been a conspicuous failure.
Ifs, too, in his turn narrated the history of the supple-
mental Charter, accusing the late Government of a breach
of faith in passing it without taking the opinion of Parlia-
ment, and of packing the Senate to procure its acceptance,
and, in vigorous language, denounced their attempt to set
aside the system of united education and to hand Irish
education over to bigotry and intolerance.
Mr. GLADSTONE warmly repudiated Mr. Lowe's
charges both of breach of faith and of a design to reverse
the mixed system of education, professing himself as warm
a supporter as ever of the Queen's Colleges, which had not
failed, though there was a considerable section of the Irish
people whose wants they did not meet. Tho steps con-
temp'ated by the late Government went simply to assimi-
late the system in Ireland to that in England—to extend
the benefits and honours of University education to those
who were educated in denominational Colleges, and ho
threw back the charges of intolerance and bigotry on those
who would force a large portion of the Irish people into a
system to which they entertained conscientious objections.
After some remarks from Mr. Pm, the house went into
Committee of Supply.
A vote of £15,000 to complete the sum necessary for the
adaptation of Burlington-house to the occupation of va-
rious learned societies was agreed to.
On the vote of £20,000 for the new buildings for the
University of London, a resolution moved by Mr. LAYARD,
condemning the two designs exhibited for these buildings,
was carried by 52 to 46.
Some other biesiness was disposed of, and the house ad-
'ourned at a quarter past two o'clock.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MEETING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

COMPANY.

An adjourned moAing of the stockholders of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad Company has been held at Concert
Hall. At the annual meeting of stockholders in February
a resolution was adopted, which provided for a committee
of seven stockholders for the examination of the report,
and authorising and directing theM to examine into and
report upon the expediency of issuing additional stock
and borrowing more money; and, further, to examine into
and report upon the operation and working of the system
of discrimination, of free passes, and of private freight
expresses, and to what extent the officers and employes
are interested in the last, and the effect these have had,
and still have, upon the earnings of the road and the
rights and interests of the stockholders, with power to
send for persons and papers.
In order to give the committee time to make the exami-
nation, an adjournment was then had until the 30th of
April, and the present meeting was chiefly for the purpose
of hearing the report and acting upon it. The stockholders
were notified in the advertisement that at the meeting of
the 30th the act of Assembly approved March 22, 1867;
entitled "An Act to repeal an Act entitled `A further
supplement to the Act incorporating the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, authorising an increase of capital stock,
and to borrow money,' approved the 21st day of March,
A.D. 1866; and also to authorise the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company by this act to increase the capital stock, to
issue bonds, and to secure the same by mortgage," ap-
proved the 22d day of March, A.D. 1867, a proposed increase
thereunder of the capital stock of the company by 300,000
shares, would be submitted to the stockholders for their
action in the premises.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Macmichael,
who, after stating in brief its object, made a few remarks
in reference to the appointment of the committee of in-
vestigation, and he had exorcised the greatest care in the
selection of the committee, and taking into view the high
character of the gentlemen composing it he felt that the
stockholders and the public would be entirely satisfied
with such report as they might make. Inquiry was then
made of the chairman if the committee was ready to report.
He replied that he understood a report had been prepared,
but he had not signed it. As a member of the committee
he had a statement which ho should in duo time submit to
the meeting.
Mr. Israel H. Johnson, of the committee, then read the
report. It sets forth that soon after their appointment
they met the president and board of directors, who ex-
pressed a willingness to aid the committee in every pos-
sible way, in order that the fullest investigation might be
made. The subjects referred to the co.nmittee wore treated
in the following order:—

1. The system of discrimination. 2. Free passes. 3.
Private freight expenses. 4. Report of the Board of Di-
rectors. 5. Expediency of issuing more stock and of bor-
rowing more money.
On the first point, the report stated that the company
had no such system, and no discrimination had been made
between parties shipping freight under the same circum-
stances. The committee recognise the fact that equal
rates are most productive to themselves and satisfactory to
the public.
In regard to free passes, it is a universal custom to issue
them, to some extent, but when carrit d beyond proper
limits it is unjust. The granting of Viese to all membeis
of the Legislature and City Counc.!s is of a perniciouS
tendency, and ought to ba abolished. With this view, a
meelution WAS passed by the directo4 limiting the bus