The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-19 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND SAXON Y.

Sir H. VERNEY asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign
to Affairs Prussia
Saxony Government
un.united
had a d gua-
ranteed
dominions by the treaty of Vienna ; and Nvhether, i
nt o
cheras o
Prussia
should now engage in war, that guarantee would
be upheld ?
Mr. LAYARD said it was well known by the lith
article of the Treaty of Vienna that this country did
guarantee that portion of Saxony to Prussia. In the event
of war it would be the duty of the Government of her Ma-
jesty to consult the co-guarantees, which was to be done if
war occurred. Of course he could not at that moment say
what would be done..
THE TREATY WITH FRANCE.
Mr. CP WEN asked the President of the Board of Trade
what were the peculiar circumstances connected with the
thele whichtre aty
treaty of commerce between this country and Franco
disinclined her Majesty's Government to claim from the
French Government the same commerciGaloyperrnivinileegnetsas
s e It
wouldwa s
those which had boon accorded to Moanstauoccohm?aoncaocuro.
Mr. M. GIBSON said there was nothing ;
with Franco to disincline her Majesty's
ti de-
mandingopiniotlnleosfatmhee pGroivveilrnegmesenactcothrdaet
be an extreme assertion of our rights,
Government had not
of no importance, her Majesty'sAs the matter was
thought it right to claim them.

THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.
Mr. CRAWFORD asked the President of the Board of
Trade if it had been proposed or was intended to carry the
Metropolitan District Railway along the whole or any part
of the Thames Embankment between Westminster and
Blackfriars-bridges, in an open cutting instead of a tunnel
or covered way underground.
Mr. GIBSON said a large portion of the railway would
certainly have to be constructed, by tunnel ; but a letter.
had appiared in the newspapers that day stating that about
ono-eighth of a mile would have to bo constructed in an

open cutting. Beyond that he could not give any further
information.
FICTITIOUS SIGNATURES TO PETITIONS.
Mr. FERRAND said it had come to his lmowlege that a
great number of fraudulent signatures had been appended
to a petition presented to the house in favour of the Re-
form Bill from the village of Arden, in Yorkshire. He
contended that a gross breach of the privileges of the house
had been committed, and the petition therefore ought to
be referred to a select committee in order that the whole.,
matter might be there thoioughly inquired into.
A short discussion took place, whichiterminated ,by the
motion being withdrawn, on notice given to make the
motion on another occasion in conformity with the rules
of the house.

THE REFORM BILL--THE ADJOURNED
DEBATE.

The adjourned discussion on the second reading of the
Reform Bill was resumed by
Mr. GRAHAM, who said he was quite sensible of the
impatience of the house to hear the opinions of persons of
more weight than himself, but he could not lose the op-
portunity of expressing his views upon the matter without
considering it a neglect of duty. He was of opinion thtt
the bill was just in principle, although he could not bu
say there were some defects in it which he could but
wish had not been the case—he alluded to the disfran-
chisement of dockyard artisans and the savings bank quali-
fication. He had said the bill was just in principle—

(hear, hear)—he further thought it was moderate in scope,
and one calculated to confer a great and lasting benefit on
a great number of her Majesty's subjects. (Hear, hear.)
He was of opinion that the objections of the great
party who occupied the opposite benches were alto-
gether fallacious, and he could not at all agree with .the
hon. and gallant member for Hu ntingdon. He had de-
nounced the measure brought forward by the Govern-
ment as blind, precipitate, ;and reckless ; but instead
of that he thought it was wise, prudent, and
satisfactory. He could not agree with many of the right
hon. gentlemen on the other side of the house, because
they differed from the opinion that had keen expressed by
the leader when he on the part of the Government of Lord
Derby introduced a bill for the amendment of the franchise,
When he brought forward the subject he declared that
the Government proposed by the vote they introduced to
confine the scope of the measure to England and
Wales, leaving that for Scotland and that for
Ireland for another occasion. (Hear, hear.) And now
that her Majesty's Government proposed to do that they
were blamed for not introducing a broad and comprehen-
sive measure for the United Kingdom. The numbers pro-
posedere tenexbythsievrie,gyhett heho la
n.dgeeentrleemad
that no
sinpspuopspeitetog they enfranehise
Wwere
twice as
mlarge,iotfte dtphrteoov
si eof
fdvr
aietr
Government
saeruni
dgt hutpearwno
,dp
foees
exrp esde de ittehon, t,b t
enfranchiseehe eayuos
eugt
hh the
tmoebaesuarde
100,000, they, the Opposition, thought the constitution
was in danger. He did not think that if some men of
violent and extreme views obtained a seat in the house
it could be considered as a calamity, on the contrary, he
though it wculd be a great good, because ho would cton
find his views and feelings undergo a change. He did not
think that any danger was to be apprehended from the
increasing the number entitled to the franchise conse-
quent upon the lowering of the qualification. He
did not think it was alarming, and it was only
those who struggled for vested interests who thought so.
He advised the house to accept the measure pror.oosed by
the Government, because it was founded on justice. He
felt certain that on the house dividing the majority would
be found to be on the side of her Majesty's Government.
Lord ELCHO said, according to his notion, the Govern-
ment had treated the matter of refcrm with too much
haste ; he might almost say indecent haste. The right
hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had told
them that they had twelve days to pull the
bill to pieces and put it together again—(laugh-
ter) and six of those days had already gone.
He must say he saw with alarm the wild senti-
' mentalises with which the bill was supported. (Hear,
hear.) The lion. member for Southwark had said .he was
an enemy to all reform—he denied it. (Hear, hear.)
Why he supported the measure of reform brought for-
ward by Lord Derby, when other persons who called
themselves consistent Liberals strongly opposed it. (Hear,
hear.)

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

Bank of England Returns,•--This Evening.

An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
cap. 32, for the week ending Wednesday, April 18, 1866.

ISSUE DEPARTMENT. - i
k
Notes issued ....X28,041,815 Governmt. Debt-£1.1,015,100
Other Securities 3,984,900
Gold Coin and
Bullion
Silver Bullion

£28,041,815

.£28,011,815