The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-28 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. HORSMAN, who had an amendment on the paper,
asked whether the Government proposed to take the supply

--morrow.

Mr. LAING answered in the affirmative, stating that it
was intended to give supply precedence of other business at
the evening sitting to-morrow.
Sir J. TRELAWNY drew attention to the fact of a
guarantee of £500,000 having been granted to New Zea-
land some two years ago, and complained that Parliament
was induced to make it by a misrepresentation of the cir-
cumstances on the part of Mr. Sewell.
Mr. C. FORTE SCUE said there was an impression at the
Colonial-office that there was some misrepresentation on
the part of Mr. Sewell, but that there was no such suppres-
sion of facts, as would induce the Government to discon-
tinue the guarantee.
The house then resolved itself into committee.
The first-vets 0t14,000, for the establishments at Ber-
muda, was agreed to.
On the vote of £6,898, for ecclesiastical establishments in
British North America,
Mr. WILLIAMS contended that this vote should long
since have disappeared from the estimates.
The vote was ultimately agreed to.
Upon the vote of £42,998 for British Columbia,
Mr. ADDERLEY complained of its extravagance and
made some inquiries of the Government relative to the in-
come and expenditure of the colony. He thought the
colonies should be made self-supporting.
Mr. C. FORTESCUE said the liability of this vote was
incurred by the late Government. The Colonial-office had
received no information from the governor later
than last February. The income of the colony
then amounted to £23,000 and the expenditure to £25,000,
but the governor anticipated sales of land to the
extent of £lO,OOO, which would then leave a large balance
in favour of the colony. The chief defect that existed
in this colony was the want of efficient communication,
and this defect the governor was endeavouring to remedy,
as well as to develope, the gold resources of the colony. He
had been warned by the authorities at home that he must
not look to the Imperial Parliament for a continuance of
the grant.

Mi.. WILLIAMS wag of opinion that these votes ought
to be regarded as loans not grants.
Mr. C. FORTESCUE said the Governmmt would do
all in their power to render the colony self-supporting, but
it would only be deluding the house to hold out a hope that
any portion of the grant would be returned.
The vote was then agreed to.
On the of £24,728 for the governors of West. India and
other colonies,

Mr. WILLIAMS maintained that this vote should have
long since been discontinued, and moved that the vote be
reduced by the sum of £l,BOO.
Mr. NEWDEGATE suggested the propriety of the
Government establishing a penal colony, so as to relieve the
prisons in this country of the number of reformed and re-
forming convicts they at present contained.
After some discussion,

Mr. C. FORTESCUE defended the vote, and said that
the hon. member for Southwark was most unfortunate in
the selection of the governor whose stipend he proposed to
abolish, as that functionary rendered the most important
services to the Government. In reference to what had
fallen from the hon. member (Mr. Newdegate), he would
state that it was not the intention of the Government to
establish any such colony as that to which he alluded.
Mr. WILLIAMS satd that Western Australia received
our convicts for a certain number of years, because they
derived from them the benefit of their labour. How-
ever, he would not press his amendment if he received the
assurance that the subject would be consi lered by Govern-
ment.

The amendment was then withdrawn, and the original
vote agreed to.

The vote of £19,350 for the salaries of stipendiary justices
in the West Indies and the Mauritius, were agreed to after
a short discussion.

Some minor votes, including £10,238 for civil establish-
ments on the western coast of Africa, were also agreed to.
On the vote of £4,299 for Labuan,
Mr. WILLIAMS objected to the vote, which he regarded
as little better than a " job pension" to a person named
Brooke, who had founded Labuan for his own benefit and
had afterwards palmed it off on the British Government.
Mr. S. ESTCOURT strongly protested against the dis-
respectful terms in which the hon. member for Southwark
had spoken of Sir James Brooke.
Lord STANLEY said he thought the Government could
dispense with this colony.
Mr. M. MILNES eulogised the exploits of Sir James
Brooke, whom he placed in the same category with Sir
Walter Raleigh, and other distinguished adventurers.
Mr. WILLIAMS disclaimed any intention of speaking
disrespectfully of Sir James Brooke, and he merely referred
to him by name.
Ultimately the vote was agreed to.
On the vote of £12,708 for the emigration offices at the
different ports of the kingdom,
Mr. ADDERLEY gave notice that next session he
would move for a reduction in this vote, so far as related
to the commissioners and secretaries.

The vote was agreed togas well as several others, which
elicited no discussion. _

On the vote of £76,404 for our Consular establishments,
Mr. M. MILNES referred to the report of the commis-
sion appointed to investigate this question, and said he con-
sidered that there existed a class of consuls which might be
diminished, and another more deserving class more
adequately remunerated, without any additional burden
'on the country. He thought the only class of councils that
would prove beneficial to any commercial country should
be composed of men of high standing and talent who
should be adequately paid, and who would occupy such
a position that no Government would attempt
to tamper with them. In order to obtain that class they
had only to proceed on the principle of merit in selection.
He regretted that some more beneficial results had not been
realised from the efforts of the commission on which no ex-
pense had been spared, but which had not received the ne-
cessary Government co-operation.
Mr. WILLIAMS thought that many of the consuls
might be abolished, and he protesled against the increase
that had taken place in this vote. The salary of the con-
sul at Marseilles was increased from £550 to £9OO.
[LEFT SITTING.]