The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-04 00:00:00

ARTICLES OF WAR•

In reply to Mr. D. GRIFFITH,
General PEEL said the usual course was not to print the
Mutiny Act, but a few copies of it were sent from theWar-
office for the use of members. He thought it would be
better not to alter the mode, but to have a printed paper
pointing out the alterations delivered with it when any
were made, which would be found very convenient. With
respect to the alteration in the last question, the words
eight days had been struck out, because the time was tJo
limited to decide when courts-martial should be held.
There was a provision to prevent any abuse of the power.
It was not usual to submit the articles of war to the atten-
tion of the House of Commons.
ROCHDALE VICARAGE BILL.
Tho Lords' amendments to this bill were considered and
agreed to.
HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee, and was afterwards
read a third time and passed.
CONSTABULARY FORCE (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
EXTRADITION TREATIES ACT AMENDMENT
BILL.

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. MILL appealed to the Government to postpone the
committee on this bill, owing to the absence of the hon.
member for Reading, who had an important amendment on
the paper, which he was extremely anxious to have dis-
cussed. He was probably not aware that the house sat
to-day.
The committee was postponed until Monday.
CURRENCY AND BANKING-ACT DEBATE.
The order for resuming tho adjourned debate was post-
poned until Monday.
WEST AFRICAN MAIL.

Mr. HUNT moved a resolution approving of the West
African mail contract with the West African Steam Ship-
ping Company bo approved. The contract was with the
same company as the last, and there was a saving of
£lO,OOO on the former contract.
The contract was approved.
DOCKYARD EXPENDITURE.
On the motion for the adjournment of the house,
Sir J. PACKINGTON made a statement in reply to
the observations made the other evening by Mr. Seeley on
what he termed the extravagant expenditure for building
and repairing boats. The right hon. bart. said the boats
for her Majesty's ships were all built by contract, so that
there could not be a great extravagance in that
direction. With respect to the statement of the
honourable gentleman that he found that one cutter
which originally cost £3O, had been repaired at a cost of
£66. Now such was not the fact, as instead of one cutter
being repaired at such an extraordinary sum he (Sir J.
Pakington) found that instead of ono boat it should have
been three. There were various other statements, all of
which were greatly exaggerated, and he had the original
dockyard accounts before him, which any hon, mem-
ber was at liberty to inspect. While it was important
that a strict scrutiny should be kept over dockyard expen-
diture, it was of the highest importance that the charges
should be substantially correct.
Mr. SE ELEY said he regretted that there should be any
mistake in what he brought under the attention of the
house, but he thought the right hon. baronet was in some
way responsible for it, because he (Mr. Seeley) offered to
him personally the opportunity of • having his figures
examined before ho brought them under the consideration
of Parliament, which was declined. The hon. member
then proceeded to defend the statements he had made,
mentioning in the course of his observations some other
cases where the repairs upon certain ships had cost far
more than the money for which they could have been
rebuilt. He regretted very much if there should have
been any mistakes, but he was sure they had occured
purely through inadventure, and not with any desire to
misrepresent matters.
After a short discussion, in which Mr. Childers, Mr.
Ayrton, Mr. Corry, and Mr. Mill took, the subject
dropped.
The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-LAST EVENING.
The LORD CEANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:
—Maidstouo and Ashford Railway, Brampton and Long-
ford Railway, Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay Rail-
way, Vale of Neath Transfer, 4c., Railway, and Cheshire
Lines.

THE REFORM DEMONSTRATION IN HYDE-

Earl RUSSELL brought forward the motion of which he
had given notice in respect to the proceedings in Hyde-
park on the occasion of the Reform Demonstration there.
The Earl of DERBY said, in reply to the noble lord
(Russell), that there had been a gross misrepresentation as
to the course adopted on the part of the Home Secretary
in reference to the meeting in Hyde Park. The Heine
Secretary said that the true state of the case was that
if Mr. Beales would bo responsible for the peace he would
undertake that there would be no demonstration of police
force. The noble earl referred in detail to certain circutn-
stan ces connected with theßeform demonstration and having
passed an eulogium on the forbearance of the police during
a time of some excitement said that no less than 265 of the
force had been injured, and about 40 or 50 seriously. The
motion of the noble earl (Russell) raised the question as to
a more efficient means of lighting the parks, but he re-
minded him that a mixed jurisdiction connected with the
parks which rendered any immediate action on the part of
the executive impracticable. The attention of the First
Commissioner of Works had been directed to, and was
attentively engaged on, a consideration of this sub-
ject, the importance of which could not be denied. He
regretted much what had occurred, but he contended
that the Government had only taken the measures that
were necessary for the preservation of the public peace,
and if they otherwise they would ho liable to
censure.
Earl RUSSELL expressed his opinion that the conduct
of the police was commendable, and the question dropped