The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-17 00:00:00

vantages of a local administration it was necessary that
some portion of the funds should be raised from local
sources. As to the proposal to levy the whole by a general
cattle rate, he said that the Government, in the particular
proposal they had made, had acted on the principle that
no persons were more interested in checking the disease
than stockowners in the neighbourhood of infected dis-
tricts, and they further believed that it would have the
effect of preventing any kind of contest between town
and country.
Mr. LOWE pointed out to the house that Mr. J. S.
Mill's argument as to the ultimate incidence of the loss on
the consumer was based on the fallacy that this was a bill
to indemnify for losses, whereas the object of this part of
it was simply to hold out an inducement to the farmer to
disclose the existence of disease among his cattle. lie
. _

asked Mr. Mill to mention a case in which producers bad
been indemnified for a great calamity of this hind by a
rise in piice, and reminded him that English cattle growers
had very formidable competitors in foreign importers. But,
admitting that Mr. Mill's argument was sound, he con-
tended that the consumers were not absolved from making
every effort to avert a great national emergency. lie
showed the difficulty of levying a cattle rate on a temp,—
rary emergency, and urged the advantage of using the
existing machinery of the county rate.
Mr. MILL said ho would reply to the strictures of the
right hon. gentleman who had just sat down in a very few
sentences. In the first place his right hon. friend thought
it was a complete answer to his argument to say that the
object of this tax was not compensation, but to give a
motive- to farmers whose cattle were diseased to declare
that they were so. Now he (Mr. Mill) really thought
that the motive that was held out to farmers was derived
from the compensation itself, and from the quarter whence
it came. If the farmer received £lO, £l5, or £2O for a
dead ox, it made no differenee whether it was paid by a tax
on cattle, or from the county rate, or from the Consoli-
dated Fund. In the second place, his right hon. friend
had laid down the proposition that it was not always the
case that losses, by diminishing the quantity of any article
necessarily increase the price. He was fully aware of
this ; but it was much commoner that this should be the
case than otherwise. In the next place, his right hon.
friend thought it was extremely unreasonable in him not
to take into account that portion of the supply of cattle
which was imported into this country. Now, so far from
neglecting this, he had referred particularly to it on a
former occasion. But he argued, when he mentioned this
fact, that the quantity imported was so very small a pro-
portion of the whole that was consumed, that it could not
be specially taken into account. (Oh, oh.) With regard
to the asylum illustration employed by his right hon
friend, he would merely ask, was there any economic law
by which patiehts in a lunatic asylum were compensated
for the expenses of that asylum. (Laughter and cheers.)
Sir G. GREY intimated that the Government, seeing
the feeling of the house, would give up their proposal for
a cattle rate.

The clause was amended to this effect.
On clause 50, which gives a legislative sanction to the
Orders in Council issued on this subject,
Lord R. MONTAGU asked what the intentions-of the
Government were in regard to retrospective compensation.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
Government had not abandoned the principle of retros
pective compensation, but desired to reconsider the manner
in which it could be carried out.

Several clauses rendered unnecessary by the alterations
of the bill were omitted, and the remainder were agreed to
after a long discussion.

A clause was added, enabling the Queen in Council to
suspend at any time the operation of the act as regards
the slaughter of animals.

The bill was ordered to be reported to-morrow, and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer intimated that he should ask
the house to read it a third time.

Mr. Hunt's bill was committed pro forma.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE BILL.

This bill m ent into committee pro forma for the purpose
of having additions made to it.
GREAT YARMOUTH AND NEW WINDSOR.
Election petitions were presented complaining of undue
returns for tho boroughs of Great Yarmouth and New
indsor.

The house adjourned at ten minutes to one o'clock.

BOMBAY TELEGRAM—Feb. 13.

Exchange in London for a first-class bank bill,
six months' sight, 2s. 11d. ; Calcutta rate for do.,
2s. 1 11-16 d. ; exchange on Calcutta at sight, 99 to
994- ; price of Government 4 per cent. paper, 89 ;
do. 5 per cent., 103 ; do. 5f per cent., 109 ; Bank
of Bombay rate of discount, 13 per cent. ; price per
tola of bar gold, 99f tout]., 16k ; price per 100
tolas of bar silver, 17 to 17f betterness, 1051.
85,000 bales of cotton sailed from Bombay during
the week.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE--Last Evening.

Amsterdam Short. 11 18
Ditto 3 Months. 12 21-
Rotterdam
Antwerp — 25 55s
Brussels
Hamburg
Paris .. Short 25 20
Ditto 3 Months. 25 55
Marseilles
Frankfort on the Maine 124
Vienna... — 10 65
Trieste — 10 65
Petersburgh - 291
Berlin
Madrid — 46;
Cadiz
Leghorn
Milan
Genoa
Naples — 25 724

11 19
12 3
12
25 GO
25 GO
13 11
25 30
25 60
25 GO
121 k
10 i 0
10 70
29
6 291
461
471
25 771
25 771
25 752
2i 771

A Supplement to the London Gazette of last evening con-
tains the official account of the investiture of the King of the
Belgians with the Order of the Garter. The proceedings
have already appeared in The Sun.
MONUMENT TO LORD PALMERSTON.—We under-
stand that within a few days the Rouse of Commons will
be moved to grant a sum of money for tho erection of a

monument to Lord Palmerston over his tomb in West-
minster Abbey. This motion will undoubtedly meet with
the ready sanction of an assembly which must deeply feel
his loss, and be anxious to do honour to his great memory.
' SEIZURE OF THE IRISH TELEGRAPHS.—A bill will
be shortly introduced into Parliament to give to the Lord
Lieutenant the power of taking possession of the telegraph
lines in Ireland. This power already exists in England,
and was accidentally omitted, as far as Ireland is regarded
when the General Telegraph Bill was framed. The object
of the present measure is to deprive the Fenians of facilities
of intercommunication, and to place in the_hands of the
Government the most efficient repressive powers.
HER MAJESTY'S STAG-HOUNDS.—After Easter
Harry King, the present whip and famous rider, will suc-
ceed Mr. Davis, the present huntsman, whomany years ago
succeeded Mr. Sharp, to whom he had been whipper-in.

How TO SAVE YOUR KETCHUP.—The enterprising
proprietor of one of the largest dining halls in the City has
caused to be reprinted and laid upon his tables an article
describing the method by which putrid liver is turned into
" Fine Leicestershire Ketchup," which appeared in a late
number of this journal.—The Grocer.

The Prince of Wales, who takes much interest in
the Firo Brigade, is furnished every morning when in
town with a copy of Captain Shaw's report of the fires
lat occur in the metropolis.

THE LATE EXHIBITION AT OPORTO.—At the close
of the Oporto Exhibition, Mr. John Head, of the
firm of Ransomes and Sims, was nominated a Commander
of the Order of Christ, by the King of Portugal, in token
of his Majesty's appreciation of the machinery in motion,
specially adapted for Spain and Portugal, exhibited by
that firm. This is the highest honour conferred upon any
exhibitor, whether English or foreign, and we think it
proves that England's celebrity for her mechanical produc-
tions is not on the wane.

DEATH OF A GLASGOW NEWSPAPER.—The Glas-
gow herald announces the demise of the Glasgow Courier,
whose final issue appeared on Thursday last. The Courier
at one time occupied an honourable and prominent posi-
tion in Glasgow, but for some years had almost passed out
of sight. It was established as a tri-weekly paper in 1791,
but was afterwards reduced to a weekly, and was through-
out a stanch supporter of Tory principles, and was re-
garded as the principal organ of the West India interest.
DEATH OF SERGEANT lIOWLEY.—Sir John How-
ley, first sergeant-at-law, died yesterday, at his residence
in Fitzwilliam-street, Dublin. He was one of the oldest
members of the Irish bar, and had been for 30 years chair-
man of quarter sessions of the county of Tipperary. It
was on the occasion of his retirement from this office that
Sergeant Howley was knighted. It is considered probable
that Mr. Barry, M.P. for Dungarvau, and law adviser to
the Castle; will be appointed sergeant.

NEGRO SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
—The New York World says that the passage by
the House of Representatives of the bill conferring
the elective franchise on the negroes of the District
of Columbia is a vote of censure on the President,
and asks, if the bill pass the Senate, will Mr. John-
son veto it? That is a question for his discretion,
and the World presumes not to instruct him.
There are reasons of considerable force on both
sides ; and whatever view he may take our contem-
porary is prepared to judge his actions with candour.
The only practical interest which attaches to its
passage is, that it fully unmasks the determination
of the Republicans in Congress to keep out the
Southern States until they allow the negroes to vote.
It fixes, by putting in an official form, their opposi-
tion to the policy of the President, and accordingly
diminishes his motives for forbearance in the hope
of co-operation.