The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-22 00:00:00

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, Feb. 22.
The Bank of France has reduced its rate of dis,
count from 4k to 4 per cent.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS---THIS EVENING.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack al
five o'clock. _ _

The early portion of the house was occupied in the con•
sideration of private bills, which were not of any genera]
interest.

[LEFT SITTING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS-THIS EVENING.

The SPEAKER took tho chair at the usual hour.
LONDON (CITY) TRAFFIC REGULATION BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill having
been agreed to,

Mr. AYRTON moved that tho bill be referred to a com-
mittee of twelve members, five of whom shall be nominated
by the committee of selection.

Mr. LOCKE said he cordially supported the proposition
of the hon. member for the Tower Hamlets. The state of
things at the foot of London-bridge was disgraceful to the
metropolis ; and ho hoped that the bill would, when it
came from the committee, be so improved as to become a
benefit, and remedy the evils that existed.
Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE supported the bill.
Mr. CRAWFORD, who moved the second reading, had
no objection to tho course proposed by the hon. member
for the Tower Hamlets.

The motion was agreed to.
THE INDIAN OFFICERS.
Lord STANLEY asked the Under-Secretary of State
for India whether he was prepared to state what steps
would bo taken by Government in consequence of the re-
port of the second commission on the grievances of Indian
officers ?
Mr. STANSFELD said this difficult question had
been considered, but no conclusion had yet been arrived
at. The house would not grudge the delay, as it was to
endeavour to frame such a measure as would sot the ques-
tion at rest.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
Lord STANLEY asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies whether it was intended to transfer the Straits
Settlements from the Indian to the Colonial Department ;
or whether that project had.been definitively abandoued?
Mr. CARDWELL said it was not definitively settled
when these settlements wore to be abandoned. The trans-
fer was to be made provided it was attended with expenses.
The military defences wore still under consideration, and
until that had been decided he could not further answer
the question of the noble lord.
EPPING FOREST.

Mr. DO ULTON asked the First Commissioner of Works
whether he was aware of inclosures now proceeding in
Epping Forest to the extent of many hundred acres, espe-
cially near Loughton, Woodford, and Epping ; whether he
was aware that Lord Cowley had already enclosed
nearly 300 acres since the announcement was made of
the intentions of her Majesty's Government in reference
to open spaces ; whether the Crown had any rights over
the land so enclosed ; or, if not; the rate per acre at which
the Crown's forestal ailghts had been purchased ; and
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
to take any steps to prevent any further inclosures, pend-
ing the introduction and passing of the bill promised to be
introduced early this session.'
Mr. CIIILD.ERS said the Government were not aware
of the enclosure of any parts of the forest except those of
the forestal rights, which had been dispcsed of, and over

Mr. GIBSON said he was not aware of the promise.
There had, however, been a recommendation made by a
committee last . year, and in accordance with that a bill
was being prepared, and would be introduced as speedily
as possible.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
Sir W. HUTT asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether the Government proposed to introduce any mea-
sure to authorise the collection of agricultural statistics in
Great Britain.'

Mr. GIBSON said it was intended to ask for the same
vote as that taken last year.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Mr. LOCKE asked the Secretary of State for the
Homo Department whether it was the intention of her
Majesty's Government to introduce any bill into Parlia-
ment during the present session to amend the law relating
to weights and measures ?

Mr. CHILDERS said it was the intention of the lao-
vernment to introduce such a measure.

JAMAICA.
Mr. BUXTON.asked the Secretary of State for the,
Colonies whether he had reason to believe that the alleged
official report of Mr. Gordon's trial which has been pub-
lished in England may bo received as an authentic copy of
the proceedings ?
Mr. CARDWELL said the authentic copy had been
sent by Mr. Eyre to Major-Gen. Storks, and no copy of it
had been received at the Colonial-office, therefore he coula
not say whether the copy referred to was correct or not.
Mr. BRIGHT asked if the despatches received at the
War Department and Admiralty relating to Jamaica could
be laid before Parliamtnt.

Mr. CARDWELL said he was not connected with those
departments, and ho thought the hon. member had better
give notice in the ordinary way.
PROVISION FOR PRINCESS HELENA AND
PRINCE ALFRED.

The house having resolved itself into a committee, the
consideration of her Majesty's Message to the house was
taken into consideration.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in
bringing forward this matter, said he should follow the
course that had been adopted in the case of Princess
Alice. The Princess Helena, when the most weighty
of all trials fell upon her Majesty, was her eldest
unmarried daughter, and in the great grief that her
Majesty was plunged the princess became a light, a
stay, and a solace to her illustrious mother. The
princess Helena was on the point of marriage, and
he proposed that as the Princess Alice received
an annuity of £6,000 a year, and a dowry of £30,000, the
sum should be placed at the disposal of her Majesty for
Princess Helena. The annuity to be settled on her royal
highness for life, and to commence from the day of her
marriage. With respect to Prince Alfred they had no
such precedent, and they had therefore to consider the
establishment he ought to keep up on his coming of age.
He therefore proposed that a sum of £15,000 a year
be paid out of the consolidated fund in order that
her Majesty might grant an annuity of that amount
to Her Royal Highness for life, and be settled
in such a manner as her Majesty thought proper
—the annuity to date from his coming of age. The prince
came of age last year, so the date of the commencement of
the annuity was passed ; but in the event of any contin-
gency arising from the marriage of his royal highness,
Parliament would be called upon to reconsider the motion
when determining the amount of jointure.
Mr. DODSON having put the first resolution relative
to the dowry of Princess Helena,
Mr. DISRAELI rose to express the pleasure he was
sure would prevail while the provision for her royal high-
ness was being agreed to.

The resolution was agreed to unanimously.
The resolution with respect to the annuity to Prince
Alfred was next put.

Mr. BOUVERiE said that as his royal highness was
heir presumptive to the sovereignty of Saxe Coburgh
Gotha, he thought the annuity ought to be so settled as to
render it impossible that any invidious question should
ever arise supposing her royal highness was called to that
sovereignty.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had
remarked that the annuity would bo settled as as her Ma-
jesty thought proper. That was, he felt assured, the pro-
per basis for the annuity.

The resolution was then put from the chair, and carried
unanimously.

MONUMENT TO LORD PALMERSTON.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then
rose to move that an humble address be presented
to her Majesty, and prayiug her Majesty would be gra-
ciously pleased to direct that a statue to the memory of
the late Viscount Palmerston be placed in the Collegiate
Church of St. Peter, at Westminster, and assuring hor
Majesty that the house would make good the cost of the
same. The right hon. gentleman, in very animated langu
age, moved the address.

Mr. DISRAELI, in vary eloquent terms, agreed to tho
proposal.

The motion was put from the chair, and carried amidst
Loud cheering from both sides of the house.
[LEFT SITTING.]

Bank of England Returns,—This Evening,

An Account, pursuant to
cap. 32, for the week ending

ISSUE DE
Notes issued
.....£27,971,690

ho Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
Wednesday, Feb.2l, 1866.
PARTMENT.

£27,971,6901
BANKING D:

(Goverinnt. Debt..£11,015,100
Other Securities 3,634,900
Gold Coin and
Bullion
Silver Bullion

£27,971,690

Proprietors' Capi-
tal £14,553,000
Rest
Public Deposits
(including Ex-
chequer, Sav-
ings' Banks,
Commissioners
of National
Debt, and Div
Accounts) 5,048,777
Other Deposits 12,591,493
Seven Day and
other bills

:PARTMENT.
Governmt. Seen-
rities(ineluding
Dead Weight

Annuity)
Other Securities 18,020,460
Notes 7,409,100
Gold and Silver
Coin

851,215

410,931

.06,196,288

Feb. 22, 1866.

£36,196,288
• MILLER, Chief Cashier.

SRIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

LONDON, Fob. 22.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly ; moderate breeze, and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.

LIVERPOOL, Feb. 21.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—Prineoss
Royal, from New Orleans.

Fautomr, Fob. 21.—Wind. SW.—Arrived—Minerva,
from Brixham for Noath, with loss of jibboom, and other
damage.

WEYMOUTH, Feb. 20.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Fifeshire,
:rorn Shields for St. Nazairo.

BRISTOL, Feb. 21:
for Pernambuco.
Wind S.W.—Arrived—St. Andrew,
CLYDE, Feb. 21. —Wind S.W.—Sailed—Ulleswater,
screw
st steamer,
from New York. Sailed—Rate, for
GRIMSBY, Feb. 19.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—Scotland,
Greenland.
for Havannah.
PLYMOUTH, Feb. 2 . 1 —Wind N.W.—Arrived J a,va,
from Arica; crow sick.
NEWPORT, Feb. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Rosara,
from Maranha in.
CARDIFF, Feb. 20.—Wind S.W.—Sallod.—Valenti, for
Monte
A Rio Grande.
I Video.
from 2l. —Wind S.W.—Arrived—Alegone,
IlAnwlcx, Fe. 19.—Wind IsT.W.--Arri dve —The Dido,
from London for Seaham.

LEY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
Arrived GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Havre. , Feb. 22—City of Hamburg, screw steamer, from
Sailed, Feb. 22—Triton, screw steamer, for Boulogne ;
Rosa and Eliza, for Dieppe. _

- - Mor
Passed, Feb. 21—South Esk, DEAL, y .
fromThursda London, forning Ade-
ids.

Passed, Feb. 22—Hero of Nilo, from London for Algon
Bay.

At the annual meeting of the Scottish Provident
Institution, held in Edinburgh, yesterday, it was
reported that during the year 1865 1,030 proposals
for £501,905 had been accepted and completed, the
premium on which amounted to £16,235 ss. A
further sum of £3,725 18s. 4d. had been received for
Annuities. The total revenue of the year was
£191,379 9s. 3d. The claims, inclading bonuses,
amounted to £53,123 19s. The accumulated fund
amounted to £1,133,471 2s. ld., being an increase
of £llO,OOO, and the insurances in force to
£5,225,027.
A large number of vessels have been chartered
to bring bamboo from JamaicatorNewYork for the
and the
manufacture of papar. Paper is so high that bamboo has
produce cabeonexexperimented upon and is found to

_________...........................
! which the Government had no control.
With re_
spect to the next question, Lord., Cowley might
have enclosed certain land, the forestal rigghts of which were purchased some time ago by
Lord Mornington. Certain forestal rights had been purchased
at between £4 and £5 an acre. The Treasury were still
in correspondence with the Metropolitan Board of Works.
Since the report of the last committee no fresh instructions
have been issued by the Treasury.
WATER WORKS.
Mr. FERRAND asked the President of the Board of
Trade if the Secretary of State for the Horne Department, did not, early in the session of 1864, promise the house
that stringent clauses for the protection of life and pro-
perty should be immediately drawn up arid inserted in all
future waterworks bills ; and whether such clauses had
been drawn up and inserted in waterworks acts since
par.ced?