The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS--(YESTERDAY).
Their Lordship assembled at a quarter past four.
ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Royal assent was given by commission to the fol-
lowing bills : The Admiralty Courts', Jury Trial
(Scotland) Act Amendment ; Diplomatic Pensions ;
Criminal Justices (Middlesex Assistant-Judge) ;
Pawnbrokers ; Bounderies (Ireland) ; Chief Super-
intendent of China ; Speaker of the Legislative
Council of Canada ; Militia Ballot Suspension ; Court of
Probate and Divorce ; Local Government Supplemental ;
Colonial Legislature (Power of Appeal), Barbuda Govern-
ment, Vexatious Indictments, Charing-cross Railway,
Lands improvement Company, Scottish Central Railway,
Sheerness Railway (additional capital), North Eastern and
Beydale and Leybourne Companies Amalgamation, Finford
Bridge and Banbury Road, West End of London and
Crystal Palace Railway (No. 1), Eastbourne Water, North
Eastern Railway (Harrowgate Branch), South Yorkshire
Railway and River Dun Canal Companies, Hereford Rail-
way, and the Earl of Kintore's Estate Bill.
THIRD READINGS.
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE the following bills
were read a third time :—Waveney Valley, Kensington
Station, and North and South Junction Railway Amend-
ment, Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Rochdale and
Rayton Branches,) Midland Railway, Erewash Valley
Amendment, Falkirk Police and Improvement, Central
Wales Railway, Mid-Sussex and Midhurst Junction
Railway, Wells and Fakenham Railway, West London
Railway, Bridport Railway.
POLICE (BOROUGHS AND COUNTIES) BILL.
Lord CRANWORTH /3resented a petition, complaining
of certain provisions in this bill.
Lord NORMANBBY said he had received information
to the effect that the act would work unfavourably.
THE TREATY OF VILLAFRANCA.

The Marquis of NORMANBY rose to ask a question of
her Majesty's Government as to the project of peace trans•
witted to them by the Austrian Government previous to the
preliminaries of Villafranca, and also to inquire whether
there could be any objection to the production of
any official communication from the Secretary of
State to her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris on the
subject. The noble lord said the information on the
transaction being so scant, he was desirous of obtain-
ing some information on the subject, and as affairs
now stood, the neutral conduct of Great Britain was not
very highly applauded; neither did he think that any evi-
dence of that bona fide neutral policy, which it had been
stated would be the guiding principle of the present
Administration, had been given; and unless the
noble earl near him (Granville) could answer his
question clearly and decisively by stating that he
had evidence in his possession, evidence which would
show that England had no share in making the peace, he
should think most certainly that the Emperor Napoleon
was quite justified in bringing the war to a conclusion in
the manner he had done. The noble lord then proceeded
to recapitulate the circumstances which led to the outbreak
of the war between Austria and Sardinia, and read a number
of extracts from the despatches written by Lord J. Russell
to the Minister at Berlin, some of which, he contended, con-
tained errors both of fact and reasoning, and also that the
noble lord throughout the whole of the negotiations had
taken what he considered a one-sided view of the question.
The noble lord, during his short residence in Italy,
had derived some information on Italian affairs,
but it was obtained from small, clever, and
intellectual enthusiasts, who were not altogether the
persons to conduct events of such importance as had of late
transpired. The noble lord next alluded to the report that
the Grand Duke of Tuscany had ordered the bombardment
of Tuscany, and said he was of opinion, from the informa-
tion he had received, that the charge was utterly false. He
trusted that no steps would be taken by the noble lord the
Foreign Secretary without the sanction of his colleague.
The noble lord then concluded by asking his questions.
Lord WODE H 0 USE observed that when the noble mar-
quis gave notice of his questions he certainly did not expect
that he would have gone into a very interesting but very
discursive discussion on the affairs of Europe in general, and
the affairs of Tuscany in particular. He would answer the
noble marquis's questions by a very simple statement of facts.
Some days before the conclusion of peace at Villafranca the
French Ambassador gave the noble lord the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs a statement of basesupon which the French
Emperor would be willing to treat with the Emperor of
Austria. His noble friend (Lord J. Russell) received those
bases' and stated that he would transmit them to the Aus-
trian Minister ; butat the same time he informed the French
ambassador that he could not give any advice whatever or
any official opinion on the part of the Government. His
noble friend did not think the time had arrived for making
any communication as to. such terms as he might think
would conduce to an arrangement ; he therefore merely
placed in the hands of the Austrian Government a paper
which stated terms on which the Emperor of the French
wag willing to negotiate, at the same time stating to Count
Apponyi that. he expressed no opinion and gave no
advice whatever to the Austrian Government. (Hear,
hear) Count Apponyi immediately transmitted those bases
to the Austrian Government. The answer which he received
was that they were not acceptable ; and that answer was
communicated to the Secretary of State on the 10th of
July. As considerable misapprehension existed he (Lord
Wodehouse) might add that no communication was made
to Berlin or St. Petersburg with respect to the bases which
had been given to his noble friend by the French ambassa-
dor. It was therefore an entire mistake to suppose that
those bases had been agreed to by the three mediating
powers, as they were called. (Hear.) As regarded the
production of the papers, it would certainly be extremely
inconvenient to publish a portion of the documents which
related to a transaction not yet concluded. No doubt, if
there should ever be a communication of papers to Parlia-
ment, the papers for which the noble marquis asked would
form part. The noble marquis praised the neutrality of
the late Government, but if it had not been greater than
that of the noble lord there could not be much said for it.
(A laugh.) The noble lord's speech was meant to be an
elaborate demolition of the provisionol government of Tus-
cany ; but on that subject he (Lord Wodehouse) wished to
be really neutral. The noble marquis blamed Lord J. Rus-
sell for dwelling on the extreme imprudence of Austria in
crossing the Ticino, but the language of Lord J. Russell
had not, after all, been so strong as that of a member of the
late Government with regard to the policy of Count Cavour
and his Government—(hear)--but whatever the faults of
that Government, the noble marquis, who was so strongly
opposed to the party of Mazzini, ought to be the last man
to censure it, for there could be no doubt that it had proved
the chief barrier against a faction of which the noble mar-
quis felt such horror. (cheers.)

The Marquis of NOR;MANB" offered some explanations
as to what he had said with regard to Lord J. Russell, and
then asked Earl Granville to answer his question, namely,
whether the transmission of the bases of peace by the Foreign
Secretary to the Austrian Minister had or had not been the
act of the Cabinet ?

Earl GRANVILLE denied the right of the noble mar-
quis to ask such a question, but stated for his satisfaction
that the transaction referred to had been the united act of
her Majesty's Cabinet. Her Majesty's Government had
taken what appeared to them to be the only proper course for
them to take when one of the belligerents proposed certain
terms with a view to put an end to the war ' - but it must be
remarked that his noble friend did not send the proposals to
Vienna, he merely placed them in the hands of the Austrian
minister, telling him exactly the circumstances under which
they had been communicated to himself. (Hear, hear.)
ENDOWED SCHOOLS BILL.
Lord CRANWORTH, having presented a petition in
favour of this bill, proceeded to move its second reading,
briefly recapitulating the facts of the Ilminster case, and
the decision of the Lords Justices that dissenters were not
eligible as trustees for that school Considering that this
bill had substantially received the sanction of the House of
Commons, and that the appeal was going on, he trusted their
lordships would sanction the second reading of this bill.
They ought to treat these as national institutions, and there
was no reason in the world why 300 years after their estab-
lishment they should feel bound by the exact words of the
founders, who, if they had lived in these days, would probably
have desired that the schools should be open to all. If this
bill were passed before the prorogation, it would be a great
boon ; but if not, he thought that this discussion and any
expression of opinion on,the part of their lordships would
have a good effect,
Earl GRANVILLE quite agreed with the noble and
learned lord that the present state of the law required
amendment, bue- he believed there was no chance whatever
of this bill passing through the House of Commons. There
were some dissenters who felt very strongly on this subject,
and would prevent this bill passing.
After a few words from several noble lords,
Lord CRANWORTH said, after the general expression
of the opinion of the house it was not his intention to ask
their lordships to give the bill a second reading; but he
must say, so far from this being an imaginary grievance
that the dissenters complained of, it was a real grievance.
The bill was then withdrawn.
The Copper Coinage Bill was read a second time.
The Probate and Letters of Administration Bill was read
a second time.

The Police (Counties and Boroughs) Bill was read a
second time.

The Turnpike Trusts Arrangement Bill was read a
second time.

The Galway Harbour and Port Act Amendment Bill
passed through committee without amendments.
The Fishing Vessels Passing the Nore Bill also passed
through committee without amendments.
The Westminster New Bridge Bill's report and amend-
ment was brought up and agreed to.
The Military Savings Banks Bill was read a third time
and passed.
The Universities Incorporation Act Amendment Bill was
read a third time and passed.
The Income Tax Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Imprisonment for Small Debts Bill's report and
amendments were agreed to.
The Queen's Remembrance; &c., Bill was read a third
iime and passed._

. ,
The County Cess (Ireland) Acts Continuance Bill was
read a third time and passed.
The Universities '(Scotland) Bill was read a third time
and passed.
The Constabulary Force (Ireland) Bill was read a third
time and passed.
es (Ireland) Acts • • The Manufactur Continuance Bill was
read a third time and passed.
.. . .
Ascertainment Facilities Bill passed through
committee.
Thei 1 dship.s then adjourned.r or

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTEADAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
HUDDERSFIELD ELECTION.
Mr. H. HERBERT, the chairman of the committee
appointed to try tho merits of the petition against the re-
turn of Mr. Leathern announced that the committee had
decided that the hon. member was duly returned. They had
also come to the resolution that certain parties had been
bribed, but without the hon. gentleman's knowledge, and
that the same persons should be struck off the register of
voters.

The Deputy Usher of tho Black Rod summoned the
house to attend at the bar of the House of Lords to hear
the royal assent given, by commission, to several bills (for
which see Lords' report.)
On the return of the Speaker the House resumed..•
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Lords' amendments to the following bills were con-
sidered and agreed to :—Chichester Harbour Embankment;
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway ; Herne Bay and Fa-
versham Railway (Margate Extension) ; Lancashire and
Yorkshire and East Lancashire Railway Companies ; Leeds,
Bradford, and Halifax Junction Railway ; Maltraeth and
Corsddaugau Marsh; Norwich and Spalding Railway;
Nuneaton and Hinckley Railway ; Tendring Hundred
Railway, and Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway.
The amendments to the following bills were also agreed
to :—Berks and Hants Extension Railway, British and