The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-05 00:00:00

iMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY).
The LORD CIANCRLLOR took his seat on the woolsack
ftt five o'clock.

NEW PEERS.
Lord LYVEDEN (late Mr. Vernon Smith) took the oaths
and his seat as a peer of the realm.
Lord LLANOVER (late Sir Benjamin Hall) also took the
Oaths and his seat as of the realm.
PETITIONS.
The Earl of STANHOPE presented a petition from
Aberdeenshire, praying that Marischal College may be pre-
served as a separate institution.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition from
Derbyshire, praying for the admission of the Bible into
the Government schools M India.
PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the Border
Counties Railway Bill was read a second time.
THIRD READINGS.
The following bills were read a third time and
- passed : Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
Railway (Station at Manchester), South Wales
Pembroke and Tenby Junction Railway, Tyne Ira-
provement, Kingston-upon-Thames Gas, North-Eastern.
Railway (Nidd Valley branch), London and North-Western
Railway, Edgehill to Gersten), Great North of Scotland
Railway, and Reading and Hatfield Railway.
DIVORCE COURT.
Lord BROUGHAM moved that the return No. 44 in
the minutes of the 9th of June, delivered on the 27th
of June, be printed. The noble and learned lord said it was
of importance that the exact amount of businessshould
be ascertained • as it was, the increased amount of busi-
ness that had been, suddenly thrown upon the court arose
from the fact that until very recently the extent of the
powers it possessed bad been altogether unknown. The
amount of judicial business rendered it absolutely necessary
to determine whether or not it was necessary to add to the
number of judges. It might be that the aid might
only be temporary, but it was of importance that the ques-
tion should be settled. In fifteen months, the period of the
establishment of the court, there had been no less than 285
petitions granted for dissolution of marriage,cases and
in 10li 5 for
r
judicial separation, making in all nearly 400 ttl
more than a year. Out of this number, 37 divorces had been
granted, but there were upwards of 140 cases waiting for
consideration. The rules and regulations of the court he
thought far from satisfactory, for as the procedure at pre-
sent existed the jury were very frequently deceived by the
collusion between the suitors. Suits were often brought
by arrrangements made by the husband, wife, and her
paramour, and he knew an instance in which the paramour
actually paid the expenses of the husband's application for
a divorce. In his opinion it was absolutely necessary that
the Attorney-General, or some other officer appointed by
the Crown, should be present to watch all the cases on the
part of the public. The noble and learned lord said he
trusted that the noble and learned lord on the woolsack
would take the whole subject into his consideration, with a
view of devising a remedy for the evils that at present

existed.
said he felt pleased the
The LORD CHANCELLOR
noble lord had brought the working of the Divorce
Court under the consideration of the house. He
agreed entirely with him as to the great necessity
of some inquiry being made into the working of the
court. -What he proposed should be done as a means
of insuring, the efficiency of the court was, that all
the puisne judges should be members of the court,
and that two of them, together with the Judge-Ordinary,
should sit in turns with the Lord Ordinary, for
the purpose of making full Courts, which would,
he thought, greatly facilitate the business, until some
definite arrangement could be made. There were
some very serious alterations he thought it would be
advisable to make, and he hoped in the course, of a few
days to lay a bill upon the table which would remedy the
evils complained of.
After some remarks from Lord CRANWORTII, the return
was ordered.

CHURCH RATES.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH rose to move for the
appointment of a select committee to inquire into the pre-
sent operation of the law and practice respecting the assess-
ment and the levy of church rates. He said that he had
been anxious on several occasions to brine. this subject be-
fore the house, but he had been hitherto disappointed in
consequence of the various changes which had taken place,
and which had caused its postponement until a period of the
session when he regretted to think that the consideration
which their lordships would be able to give it could not be
so lengthened as its nature and importance demanded.
Yet there was no subject of deeper or greater importance.
He believed that it was held in some quarters that, inqui-
ries having taken place on the subject in the other house,
it had been so fully discussed and so much attention paid
to it that it was scarcely possible to eliminate any further
facts, and that inquiry would lead to no practical result.
But a few considerations which he should proceed to point
out would, he thought, show that there would still be some
advantage in inquiry. A committee of the House of Com-
mons which sat in 1851 did not represent the views of the
great body of persons who were interested in the Church of
England, for the composition of the committee and the
evidence taken before it were of a partial character. Twenty-
three witnesses were examined, of whom 15 wen strongly
opposed to church rates in principle and practice. Of that
15 nine were dissenters. Eight of the witnesses who were
opposed to church rates were barristers or lawyers who had
been engaged in church rate cases, and two were clergymen
of the Established Church in whose parishes there had been
ehurch rate disputes, viz., the vicar of Halstead and the
incumbent of Melbourne, who only gave evidence as to the
unfortunate circumstances in which these parishes had been
placed. There were only six witnesses whose evidence
was important as regarded the state of the law, whose tes-
timony formed a useful digest, and was important in refe
rence to research ' • but there was scarcely any witnesses
in the interest of the Church of England. He might,
therefore, ask for a committee which would represent in
a fair and impartial manner opinions as to the .practical
working of church rates in the Established Church. When
the committee of 18.51 was sitting, the question a church
rates occupied a very different position to that w/gch it oc-
cupied now. Then unpleasant disputes on the subjects were
raging, and especially at Braintree, where the dispute was
caused in the first place by the churchwardens imposing a
rate in defiance of the wish of a majority of the vestry, and
by the vote of a minority. It was thought that when the
judicial decision of their lordships' house was declared to be
adverse to the minority, and that a rate could only be levied
by the vote of a majority, it would go far to settle the ques-
tion. In answer to questions put to a Mr. Pritchard, a
lawyer who had been engaged in church rate cases, and was
examined as a witness before the committee, he said that
the establishment of the principle of the acceptance or rejec-
tion of a rate by a majority of parishioners would be satisfac-
tory to the public mind, notwithstanding the fact that the
rate would be equally compulsory, whether imposed by a
majority: or a minority. The view generally taken was that
if it was declared that a rate could only be carried by a ma-
jority, that would be a satisfactory settlement of the ques-
tion. Their lordships' house decided that a rate must be
imposed by a majority, and the result, it was said, would
be perfectly satisfactory, and vet from that time to this the
efforts to obtain the abolition of church rates had been as
pressing and virulent as ever. It was important that their
lordships should have an opportunity of inquiring into the
working of the law in its new and altered form, of seeing
how the question worked in large parishes where church
rate contests had existed, and whether by the judicial deci-
sion of the house being put into practice, much of the op-
position to, and the grievances connected with, church rates
had been practically removed. Another reason why he thought
th9y:thould proceed in this matter was this, that in point of

priiilege, it Was not competent for their lordships to send a
bill touching taxation to the other house. Their lordships
were placed in this position, that unless they adopt.ed the
mode which he recommended they could only discuss
the question in a barren manner. and with no results, as
theysmust either accept or reject any bill sent from the other
house. They all felt the inconvenience of year after year
rejecting bills sent from the other house. Those bills might
go further than many of their lordships thought it prudent
and politic to go, and yet might contain improvements in
the law which thermight.desire to pass; but if they were
looked upon as money bills they could not be altered. If
they were money bills they must be either accepted or re-
jected. There were many points in the law of church rates
which required amendment, and there were also many
grievances connected with it. In the first place it would be
found that rates were voted for improper objects; that ex-
penses were included in rates which had no business to be
included ; that many things of an expensive kind were pro-
vided for the service of the church out of the rates, and when
thing were looked into it would be found that these mat-
ters formed g,rievances to many persons who were ready
to look on the church as a, national establishment,
but were not inclined to vote rates for the provision of
what might be called luxuries. Then there was
the expensive litigation often resorted to for the re-
cov.En-y of the rate—those things were all regarded as
,7,rieYances by the dissenters, and tended to prejudice the
public mind against church rates. Again, the dissenters
complained that they contributed largely to their own
Va." of worship, and it was therefore unfair to call upon
then to contribute to a form of worship from which they
'conscientiously differed. In many instances also, the ob-
jection was increased by the unpopularity of the ministry
and the harsh. manner in r w 11. ble - the rates were enforced ;
while in 'other—'"- •
P"eR, where the conduct of the minister
waxermarked by Prudence and conciliation, the rate was
paid willingly. lie submitted that a committee might
prof,tallly investigate all these different points, and ascer-
tain what were really grievances, and how far those
grievances might be remedied consistently with the main-
tena nee of the principle of church rates. There had at
.different tunes, he believed, be", no t.
distinct measures brought under theewer,t.theanof 7:pvaern_
lianient for settling this question.
tilos e measures proposed the rate on fixedn(l'hliec
dolt .g away with the voluntary principle, class of
ple, property, thus
imp .irtant element in the existino-
whica
the :rate could only be laid by the vaunlataw;ywuanhettile'o-hrf awmas'ajaont-
rity of the vestry. If the rate were made inn
uthi°n
chark IT fixed on the land, this principle, which he eaQtth
great importance to, would be lost sight of. Another ate
roeod-
posith in was that the rate should be levied only on those
who cc instituted themselves into a church vestry, or upon
such at • occupied pews or sittings in the church. The-ob-
jection to that was, that it would in effect proclaim that no
person.. .vas in communion with the Church until the vestry
was I wc.ved, and those people would be invited, de novo, to
put tl leamselves into communion. At present the law of the
land 1 'ooked upon every person as in communionwith the
Churc la of England, and for that reason any subject of the
Queen could legally call upon the minister to perform cer-
tain ditties and offices connected with the established re-
ligion ; and if they were to build up a system by which
those watlv should be called upon to contribute
to the f ands' for the support of the fabric of the church
who eh( *so to, burden members of the vestry, they would
be doing that which the Dissenters were aiming at, and
placing
Church of England upon an isolated and
sectarian j ootinir, and all who did not formally subscribe to
her contra/ mien would be exempt. Then with regard to the
matter of 1-
mews, the principle of the church of England was
that the fittings as far as possible be free, and the
adn tiou 0 f the principle that those who were either of the
vestry rho rented pews or sittings in the church were le
Lfre noe•ntrd‘ at as of her communion, would be to involve in
great la and 414 and incovenience the poor, who looked to the
church as • the common property of all the parish, and who
had bell evf ti they had the right of sittingthere and enjoying
the min .strat. ions of the church free of charge. Another plan
proposer was% simple abolition,'and he trusted never to see
the day i vhen .their lordships would sanction so serious an
infractice of the rights and privileges of the church as would
be comps any measure oethat nature. A further
scheme pi Ne potvd by Mr. Duncombe in 1840 was to exempt
dissentc rs agog thi!ir making a formal declaration that they
were di sse r iters and entertained conscientious objections to
the pay, mei aof arain support of the church. At the moment
vto.
it was tb ought by Iziany persons that that would be it
satisfa( y solution of the difficulty ; but it was afterwards
found tjue t any exemptioti founded upon such conditions
must r leo wanly meet with. 41 large amount of opposition.

The effect would be to cut off all who made the declaration
from all communion and connexion with the church;
whereas, as their lordships were aware, there were very
many people in almost every parish who, while declaring
that they in many respects dissented -from the established
church, were not in the strict sense of the term diSsenters,
but availed themselves of the ministrations of the church
in marriage, sickness, burial, and, perhaps, in occasional
attendance at the ordinary services. All these different
proposals were open to objection, and consequently failed;
but there was a large class of persons who would accept no
compromise, but demanded the complete and unconditional
surrender and abolition of church rates. That demand was
put forward by those persons avowedly as a blow aimed at
the existence of the established church, as a step towards
disuniting the church from the state, and taking pos-
session of those parochial endowments which
were now the property of the parochial clergy,
Two years ago Mr. Bright, speaking upon the proposed ex-
emption of dissenters, said that he would never consent that
dissenters, because they were dissenters, should give up their
claims to participate in the property of the Church, if it
should become a question hereafter what should be done with
the funds of the Church. These were the views of that hon.
gentleman and his friends, from which they had never
swerved ; and he mentioned it because it was right that their
lordships should know what were the motive and objects
that guided and actuated those who were the opponents of
church .rates. In further illustration of this point he would
call attention to the proceedings of the Liberation Society,
which was established with the avowed object of liberating
religion from State control. At the conference this year a
member moved to add to one of the resolutions an expression
of earnest hope that the executive committee would find,it
practicable to bring the great question of the separation of
Church and State before the legislature on an early day. This
was objected to by Mr. E. Miall, who said, " The only dif-
ference between my :friend. and myself is, that he would
take the faggot and break it at once, but I think better to
break it stick by stick." Mr. Miall's object was not to dis-
cuss the question, but to take the sticks, as he called them,
one by one and break them. And what were those sticks ?
First, the abolition of church rates ; second, the common
use of the churches for all sects ; a third was the secularis-
inghe Scottish
the endowed grammar-schools ; a fourth, the abolition
of university tesio ; another, the abolition of
the
bject of those who were adv ca
es
annuity tax; and a:aother, the common use of bunal-grouds.
It was clear that the o
of the abolition of church rates was the uprooting of the
Established Church. The gentlemen who composed the
put forward a circular, which they
societyha
distributedh a l I u d
nd talltit diflerent parishes,stating that they
had just issued auseful little manual showing any ratepayer
how to proceed in order to avoid paying church rates, and
adding that if the directions therein given were followed
it would be scarcely possible for any vestry to levy a
rate under the existing state of the law. If their lord-
ships consented to to the appointment of this committee
all these facts would come out, and their lordships would
be enabled to judge of the objects and motives of those by
whom the abolition was demanded, and by placing the ques-
tion in a true light before Parliament and the country,
might facilitate the remedy of all real grievances without
interfering with the rights of the Church, and thus relieve a
vast amount of anxiety and restore confidence to the Church.
He might add that not more than 5 per cent. of all parishes
throughout the country objected to church-rates, and
£250,000 was still collected every year in that form. Then
it was said that if church-rates were abolished, the means
for maintaining the fabric and providing for the services of
the Church would be provided for by voluntary contribu-
tions. Hitherto voluntary contributions had ,been given
in many parishes, though the law of church-rates existed ;
but let the law be abolished, and these voluntary contribu-
tions would diminish, and the means of supporting and
upholding the Church would most certainly fail. Again,
the amount raised in church-rates was no test of the
manner in which the principle was accepted and embodied
throughout the country, In many parishesthe church rates
were of small amount, and the voluntary contributions were
the main reliance ; while in others the rate was the sole de-
pendence. But on this as on various other details connected
with the question such an investigation as he proposed would
be useful, and although the session was far advanced, he had
no doubt that during the comparatively short time that re-
mained information would be obtained that would be of the
highest value and importance in legislating for the settle-
ment of this loncr-agitated question, and that at all events
it would be found that one of the surest safeguards of our
hereditary monarchy was an established church. (Hear.)
Lord TEYNHAM, who spoke with his back to the gal-
lery, and was in consequence very indistinctly heard, ex-
pressed himself earnestly anxious for the abolition of church
rates, but declared himself decidedly in favour of the main-
nonce of the national church. The noble duke had urged that
in only 5 per cent. of the parishes were church rates resisted,
but wasnot 5 per cent. quite of sufficient importance to call
for a legislative settlement ? He trusted theirlordships would
grant this committee, and that its labours would result in
an amicable settlement of this much vexed question.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY supported the com-
mittee. The subject was one of the greatest importance,
and there were many who opposed church rates who would,
if it were made clear to them how many important interests
their maintenance influenced, be most probably induced to
withdraw, or at least to relax, their opposition. He believed
that if this were made clear, they would never have such a
bill presented as had been brought forward last session. In
his opinion the committee demanded by the noble duke
should be granted. The two principal objections which
were urged against church rates might then be thoroughly
examined. The first was the conseientious.objection, and
the second the obligation resting upon the supporters of
chapels of ease also to support the mother church. The first
might perhaps be met in some conciliatory way, and the
other could be investigated with a view to some reasonable
arrangement. On all grounds he trusted that no opposition
weuld be offered to the committee.
Lord PORTMAN felt the enormous importance of ob-
taining a speedy settlement of this question, and was the
more convinced of it by the speeches made in the various
hustings of the kingdom at the late election. Ho found
that many men who had formerly taken a moderate line were
then forced onwards, and did not venture to say a word about
maintaining the fabric of the church. He trusted their
lordships would take note of these symptoms, and if possible
preserve themselves from a collision with the other house of
Parliament. He trusted they would go into this committee
not in the spirit of antagonism which had been evinced by
the noble duke, but in the spirit of the most rev. prelate who
had just sat down, and if possible bring the matter to a
peaCeable and amicable result. The opposition to rates did
not so much arise from a dislike to maintain the fabric of the
church as to the many other purposes for which they were
levied, and to their being expended without check or audit.
He had been told by many influential nonconformists that
they were quite willing to contribute to the maintenance of
the fabric, and from other sources of information he believed
that they might obtain a rate for the fabric although not for
the services of the church. It was to him a subject of regret
that the most rev. prelate had held out a hope Of settling this
question which was not subsequently fulfilled, as he believed
that if the right rev. bench could only settle on some reason-
able plan, it might ultimatelylead to an arrangement. He
had himself placed a bill on their lordships' table in fur-
therance of a pledge he had given in the past year, and he
hoped that some clauses at least in it might be found useful.
He hoped also that Mr. Walpole would, notwithstanding
his altered position, continue his attention to the subject, as
there was no man who had conceived a stronger attachment
to the Established Church, or who had a more thorough
knowledge of the subject. He should vote for the commit-
tee, trusting that it woutd take all the points into its careful
consideration.
The Bishop of LONDON said the noble lord had taunted
the right reverend bench with not having produced a mea-
sure on the subject of church rates; but he (the Bishop of
London) thought that, seeing the number of bills that had
been produced and rejected, there was very little encourage-
ment for the right rev. bench to interfere in the matter.
(Hear.) Even the noble lord's own bill would most proba-
bly not prove an exception to the general rule. In his opi-
nion the right rev. bench had taken a much wiser course
in not undertaking the solution of the question, but in pray-
ing their lordships' house to grant this committee. There
were some points which had been urged in advocating the
abolition of church rates to which he wished to call atten-
tion. It was said that only one-third of the population be-
longed to the Established Church, but he could not find the
data upon which that assertion was founded. True, the
church accommodation extended to only one-third of the
people, but that fact by no means justified the conclusion as to
the religion of the population. Eighty-three per cent. of the
schools for the education of the poor were in connection with
the Church of England, and of the two millions of children
between the ages of 3 and 15 years who attended them, 78
per cent. were in connection with the Church. He found,
also, that of the marriages in England and Wales 84 per cent
of the whole number were solemnised in the Church of Eng-
land, 11 per cent. of the remainder in Romish, Jewish, and
dissenting places of worship, and only 5 per cent. at the re-
gistrar's office. As to the disputes, upon which so much
stress was laid, they occurred only once a year, and ought
to be looked upon rather as so many safety valves for the
parochial discontent. Disputes were common in all meetings
oexntcreaogrivdiennatryhetodisheionnitetnhtatwabsecsaolisonefsoor
of Englishmen, but the decision lay with the majority, and
cal pd p
ve
oa appeared
optthatisnleslt
against church rates they should be called upon to abolish
them in 11,000 in whichnoresistancehad becnmade. Every
one seemed to be willing that the parochial system should be
preserved, bat it was folly to expect to preserve that system
by means of the voluntary principle. They could not argue
from populous and wealthy districts that the voluntary prin-
ciple would maintain the churches in such places as Cum-
berland. As well might they infer from the erection of
that beautiful edifice in the west end of the metropolis,
which some persons Said "Would c/st £lOO,OOO, that the
voluntary principle would produce bimilar results in all
parts ofthe kingdom. Ho would most earnestly impress
upon their lordships the necessity of granting this com-
mittee. There were a great many erroneous ideas to be
dispelled, a great many important opinions to be obtained.
He wanted to know what were the opinions of the religious,
not the political dissenters of England, of those men who
thought there were great moral and social inte-
rests involved in the maintenance of an established
church. He believed there'were thousands of Dissenters in
England who thought it would be a dark and miserable day
fur England if the established church were abolished ; but
he knew at the same time these were not the men who wei‘e
the most influential in returning members to Parliament.
(Hear, hear.) ,
Earl GRANVILLE did not see that much advantage
could result from a committee, seeing that the subject had
already been exhausted in way of inquiry, but, seeing that
it had been recommended by the noble lord behind him, and
after the appeal which had come from the right rev. bench,
he should not feel justified in*offering any opposition to the
motion. At the same time his consent must not be under-
stood as precluding him from considering any measure that'
might come up front the other House of Parliament.
The motion was then am reed to.
ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION.
In answer to the Duke of MAuLuonouGn,
Earl G
—ANVILLE stated that no
the legislation ossion.
n the
ab D
2," subject was contemplated during, present se
t heir lordships adjourned at 8 o'clock.

HOUSE OF CoMMONS.—(YEsTERDAy.)

The SPEAKEIL took the chair at 4 o'clock. •
THE CHANCELLOR OF TIIE EXCHEQUER.
Mr. Gladstone, introduced by Lord Harvey and r'
Foster, took the oaths and his seat on his re-election 'or
the University of Oxford. ,

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Lords' Amendments to the Great W( stern Railway
Bill, the Chichester Harbour Embankment, and Swansea
Harbour Trust Bill, were considered and agreed to, and
ordered to be read a third time.
On the motion of Mr. C. FORSTER the following was
ordered :—That the minutes of evidence taken before the
committee on the Durham and Cleveland Union Railway
Bill, in session 1858, be referred to the committee on the
Cleveland Railway Bill.
BLACKBURN AND PRESTON ROAD AND

to the eer°l2.ll ttee on. Group B, with leave to sit and proceed
tiler-ern= t' .morrow.—Agreed to:
On thq motion of Mr: RIDLEY, the following was
ordere,i -That it be an instruction to the committtee on
group 4of railway bills, that they have leave to consolidate
into two b ills, in such manner as they shall think desir-
able, all or any of the provisions-of the Midland Railwayßill,
the Loud( ,n and North Western Railway (Arrangement)
Bill, the 3 3urton upon Trerit Railway Bill, and the Burton
upon:l:rex it Bridge Bill.
MR. CHISHOLM ANSTEY.
Mr. E.. JAMES presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of NE. w castle- on- T yne, praying for an inquiry into the
circumst am Ts connected with the dismissal of Mr. C.
Anstey., at Hong Kong. The hon. gentleman also gave
notice that on the 12th inst. h 3 would move for the produc-
tion of all the papers relative to this subject.

SALE OF SLAVES AT BRAZIL.
Mr. GRIFFITHS asked whether the British Consul at
Rio hail exercised his authority to prevent a certain con-
tract for dm sale of slaves in Brazil, by the directors of a
British Mining. Company in that country, to one
Santos, from being carried into effect, although
such sale professed to be under the sanction of a British
court of law; and whether it was the intention of her Ma-
jesty's Government to support him in that course?
Lord J. RUSSELL said there was some misapprehen-
sion on the present subject. In 1827 her Majesty's consul at
Rio applied to the Government for information whether such
transactions as that alluded to were legal, and the law offi-
cers of the Crawn replied that by a recent statute, owners
could sell the slaves on their estates, but could not sell
their children. This information had been forwarded
to her Majesty's Minister at Brazil, and by him
communicated to the parties interested. There could be no
objection to the course proposed by the hon. member.
EAST INDIA LOANS.

Col. SYKES moved for an address fora return of all loans
and repayments of debts at the several Presidencies in In-
dia, and in England, annually, from the year 1800 to the
latest dates inclusive—specifying the rates of interest at
which the several loans were contracted, with the annual
gross revenue of each Presidency, and total annual revenue
of British India from all sources ; with a column showing
the annual per-tentage pressure of the interest of the debts
in relation to the gross revenue.
SAVINGS BANKS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in answer
to Capt. D. O'CONNELL, said it was not intended this ses
sion to introduce any bill for the better regulation of say
ings banks.

INDIAN FINANCE.
Mr. BRIGHT asked the Secretary for India whether it
was intended to make any statement relative -to the subject
of Indian finance previous to the prorogation of Parliament,
and whether he could fix aday for making such statement?
Sir C. WOOD said he would make such statement
prior to the prorogation of Parliament, but he could not
state exactly what it would be or when he would be in a
position to make it.
Mr. BRIGHT then gave notice that he would bring the
subject forward in the course of a few days, in order that a
matter of such importance should be considered before the
attendance of hon. members was reduced.
Sir C. WOOD said he would-bring the question forward
shortly, but until he obtained some additional information
to that he already possessed he would not be in a position
to do so.
THE OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.

in reply to Sir S. NORTHCOTE,
Mr. FITZROY said that directions had been given to
make some necessary alterations in the office of the Board
of Trade.
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

In reply to Sir H. WILLOUGHBY,
Mr. GLADSTONE said it was his desire to appoint as
early a day as possible for making his financial statement,
but it was not his intention to make a statement with re-
gard teany particular estimate apart from that in combina-
tion with the subject of the general expenditure of the
country.

ESTIMATES
The Civil Service estimates were laid on the table.

MANNING THE NAVY.

Lord CLARENCE PAGET said, hfreply to a question
that had been asked on a previous evening, that it was the
intention of her Majesty's Government to introduce a bill

on the subject of manning the navy.
NEW WRITS.
New writs were ordered respectively for Ashton-under-
.Lyne, vacant by Mr. Milner Gibson's acceptance of Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade; for Wolverhampton, vacant
by the Hon. C. P. Villiers being appointed the Chief Com-
_ _

missioner of the Board of Works.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
Mr. E. JAMES asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether it was intended by her Majesty's Government to
introduce any bill to amend the representation of the people
Parliament during the present session ?
Lord PALMERSFON said he could only repeat the
statement he had made the other evening, namely, that at
the present period of the session it was not intended by her
Majesty's Government to bring in any bill on the subject
until the next meeting of Parliament.
WORKHOUSES (ST. MARYLEWYNE, &c.)
Mr. HANKEY moved a return showing the number of
in-door an also of out-door poor (excepting lunatic paupers
in asylums) receiving relief on the Ist day of January and
the Ist day of July in the following years, viz., 1854, 1854,
1856, 1857, 1858, and 1859 ; also the total cost of
maintenance of in-door poor in each of the above
years, and the average cost per head; also the popula-
tion of each parish at the last census ; the number
which each workhouse is calculated to hold, according to
existing Poor Law regulations respecting space and venti-
lation; and the total superficial space occupied by the
workhouse of the parish of St. Marylebone. Like return
for each of the parishes of Saint Pancras and Pad-
dington. Statement, whether the pauper children are
maintained and educated in the workhouses or elsewhere.
And, copy of a printed address from Mr. Farnall, Poor-law
Inspector, delivered on Friday, the 11th of July, 1857, to
the Directors of the Poor of Saint Marylebone, and of any
answer which may Pave been received thereto.
EAST INDIA (SALARIES, &c.)
Mr. VANSITTART moved an address for returns of
the salaries of the members of *the Legislative Council for
Bengal, North Western Provinces, Madras, and Bombay ;
of the salaries of the clerks employed in the said Council ;
and of the expense of the house, offices, and printing in-
curred by the Legislative Council from the time of its
establishment to the present period.—Agreed to
POOR LAW BOARDS (PAYMENT OF DEBTS)
BILL.

The bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted.
LAW OF PROPERTY AND TRUSTEES RELIEF

AMENDMENT BILL.

This bill was also read a second time.
JURY TRIAL (SCOTLAND) ACTS AMENDMENT

BILL.
This bill went through committee, and was ordered fo
third reading.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE, MIDDLESEX (ASSISTANT