The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-30 00:00:00

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Mr. ROLT did not think it was probable that foreign
countries would enter into the proposed conventions, as our
law of domicile differed so greatly, in many instances, from
theirs. For himself, he saw no reason why a bill on the
subject might not be passed without any reference to con-
ventions. (Hear.)

Lord P ALMERSTON said the hen. and learned mem-
ber for Wallingford proposed to withdraw his opposition to
this bill provided that the other bills were allowed to pass.
He (Lord Palmerston) thought they might accept that offer
so far as the present stage went, allow both bills to go
through committee, and when they got out of committee it
would be for the house to determine what they would do.
Sir F. KELLY and Sir G. BOWYER acceded to this pro-
posal.
The amendment was then withdrawn, and the house
went into committee.

After a few observations from Sir G. Bowyer, the At..
torney-General, and Sir F. Kelly respectively, the first
clause was agreed to, as were also the remaining clauses,
and the house resumed.
WILLS OF PERSONALTY OF BRITISH SUB-

JECTS ABROAD, &c., BILL.
On the motion of Sir F. KELLY, the house went into
committee on this bill.
After.some discussion, in which Lord Palmerston, Sir
G. Bowyer, Sir H. Cairns, Mr. Bovill, and the Attorney-
General took part, the clauses were agreed to, and the bill
passed through committee.
PROSECUTIONS EXPENSES BILL.
On the order of the day for the adjourned debate on this

bill,
Sir G. C. LEWIS said this bill was introduced to satisfy
the northern counties, but it did not satisfy them, and
amendments had been proposed which would alter the bill
materially. He moved that the order be discharged.
The order was discharged accordingly.
CORRUPT PRACTICES PREVENTION
CONTINUANCE BILL.
This bill passep through committee.
COUNTY SURVEYORS, &c., IRELAND BILL.
The Lords' amendments to this bill were agreed to.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND) (ADVANCES AND
REPAYMENTS OF MONEYS) BILL.
The Lords' amendments to this bill was agreed to.
LANDED ESTATES IRELAND ACT (1853)
AMENDMENT BILL.
The remaining clauses of this bill passed through com-
mittee.

TREASURY CHEST FUND.
This bill passed through committee•
METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT RECEIVER

BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
PAROCHIAL OFFICES BILL.
Mr. VILLIERS, in moving the second reading of this
bill, said it was intended to authorise overseers of the poor
to build or pay the rent of cifices out of the poor rate in
opulous places.
The bill was read a second time.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPLEMENTAL
(No. 2) BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
OFFICERS OF RESERVE (ROYAL NAVY) BILL,
Lord C. PAGET said that the intention of this bill was
to bring officers of the merchant service into the Royal
navy, and enroll them as officers of the Royal navy reserve
under certain conditions and stipulations, in pursuance of a
desire frequently expressed by them. The, bill provided a
variety of regulations under which their admission would
take place as captains, or comman ers, or captains of small
vessels, after sufficient assurances had been taken of their
competency to undertake the duties that would be imposed
upon them. The wishes of the merchant navy officers, as
expressed at a meeting which they had held in the city, had
been earefully considered, and the bill had undergone cor-
responding modifications. As far as he knew, the regula-
tions will now be regarded as perfectly satisfactory, and
indeed there was only one difficulty and that was with re-
gard td rank. On that point, however, the rule could not be
departed from, that officers of the navy must take prece-
i deuce of the corresponding rank in the reserve, The lieu-
tenants would rank with the lieutenants of the navy, and
of that they need not be ashamed. There would, he was per-
suaded be no clashing between the two parts of the service,
and in the event of war, an important accession of strength
would accrue to the navy. They proposed to make youffg
merchant officers go through a course of gun-drill on join-
ing. They desired also that gun-drill might be established
on board the merchant ships themselves, so that on joining
the officers might bring their men with them, in many in-
stances, ready trained, and in that way they hoped to get a
very powerful reserve. At Liverpool there was now a naval
establishment, where 100 young gentlemen of high respec-
tability were being prepared for the naval service. Net
only were they instructed in astronomy and navigation,
but also in gun-drill, and he believed they were quite
equal to the cadets of the naval school at Portsmouth.
The moment those young men came into the service
they would be able to perform the duties of officers of
ships of war. Such an institution ought to be,
and was encouraged by the Admiralty. He hoped that, by
this bill, the old antagonism that had divided the Royal
_,Navy and the merchant service would be broken through,
and he had every confidence that the officers who would
-thus be added to the navy would distinguish themselves as

1 ----
r many had done before them who had been in the merchant
service.
Admiral WALCOTT, while giving all credit to the noble
lord for the motives and objects which had induced him to
bring in this bill, objected to it that it could not be relied
upon as a means of strengthening the staff of officers of the
navy at the moment of the outbreak of a war, or in any
sudden emergency. The naval officer entered the service in
early life, and had to undergo the most arduous training to
entitle him to promotion. He had to serve in all climates,
away from his family and friends. The officers of the mer-
cantile navy were placed in far more independent positions,
had less dangers and fatiguing service abroad, and a better
chance of pecuniary success. If, then, in the case of a war,
these latter were to be placed as lieutenants in the navy,
what was to become of masters in the navy, whose promo-
tion would thereby be stopped ?
Mr. A. SMITH said he hoped that this bill would
not be 'proceeded with. We had already an enormous
establishment of various grades, and what was wanted for
the Royal Navy was not so much officers as men. The
number on the active list of captains, commanders, and
lieutenants, amounted to 1,869, and he saw no reason why
they should take the less efficient officers of the mercantile
s.v' • e. Besides this, they had the officers on the reserve
list,ei Which made a total of nearly 3,000 officers. If they
compared these numbers with the number of officers in
the French navy, it would be found that we had quite
a sufficient supply of officers to meet the contingency of a
war without having recourse to this new naval reserve. It
appeared that these officers of the Royal naval reserve were
not to live on board during the month's period of drill. The
hon. member proceeded to point out further objections he
entertained to the bill, and said he never knew of a scheme
i which promised less chance of success. He then referred
to various portions of the document which was addressed
to Lord Hardwicke, upon which this scheme was founded.
Ho was of opinion that the whole plan would lead to large
and unnecessary expenditure, and prove an utter failure.
The scheme, so far from proving advantageous to the offi-
cers of the mercantile marine, would create much jealousy
and ill-feeling. There had been already too much Govern-
mental interference with the mercantile marine, instead of
allowing them to manage their own affairs. He would move
that the bill be read a second time this day three months.
Admiral DUNCOMBE said the officers of the Royal
Navy who entered young, and were subjected to severoer
drill and exact discipline, were' not so well remunerated This bill
their services as those of mercantile marine.. This
whnapsobsrsoihulgehtto iandeacitusaotelal
bill, ytecaonpseirideoFdiots.f pthr;vBiessaioinen.
not. HANKEY approved of the t, under the circumstances, give it his support.
should be given to officers of the mercantile that it was
He could
and thought it
marine to enter
de-
serving of the support of the house. Every encouragement
the navy. (Hear, hear.) oppose ,
the bill
deserved great conside-
but he thought it said
washe a subject that
was not disposed to
Mr. CV E
ration.
Mr. the scheme of the noble lord.
taken place was favourable to
HENLEY did not think the discussion which had
GOVERNMENT OF THE N
The bill was then read a second timeAVY BILL.
bill.
Mr.lained that this w
DUNCO al BB comp was la
bill to
which had beenpassed
The house then went into committee on this
alter and amend the act
and yet, although it had pass
subject last year, t in.. of amendments passed the House
of Lords, there wasaer o to be added in
this house.
Lord C. PAGET said it was impossible to frame a mea-
sure for the management of the navy that would not be
liable to require amendments made to it, and as regarded
the amendments to be made to the measure before the house
ounplytov4er4bianlealusmeivn
ealweenretsgreed to.
theCylawuesrees
On clause 45,
Mr. HENLEY wishedPto whether
ask the noble lord
there was any power to commute the punishment of death
on foreign stations. Aand the t b-
s he read the clause,
sequent clauses, he saw nothing to show that the Com-
mander-in-Chief had such power. .
Lord C. PAGET said if the right hon. gentleman would
lock to clause 50, he would, ho thought, find the power
provided for ; but if it was not, he would introduce a clause
to provide for such power.
The clause was accordingly agreed to; as were clauses
40 to 49 inclusive.
On clause 50,
Lord C. PAGET said the object of this clause was to
einpcwer lieutenants in the navy to sit on c&urts.martiat,
and that the courts do not, on such occasions, comprise more
than five.
The clause was agreed to, as were clauses 51 to 63 inelu-

sive.
Clause 61, empowering the court-martial to send
offenders to a common gaol on a foreign station, and there
to be kept to hard labour, was amended on the suggestion
of Mr. Henley, and. ordered to stand part of the bill, as were'
clauses 64 to 67 inclusive.
The remainin.g clauses were agreed to, the house resumed',
anal the Chairman reported the bill as amended.
NEWSPAPERS BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The Lords' amendments to the Attorneys and Selicrtorsc.
(Ireland) Bill, and to the White Herring Fishery (Picot--
lard) Bill, were considered and agreed to.
The house then adjourned at 25 minutes past 12 9 clock.

SPAPER

•
"711 7ASIcI
foreign nations did not do so, the bill would fail , ,10.
its desired effect ; but he saw no reason to supPOSfka
that they would refuse to take a course whicli•:"'
Would be mutually beneficial to both parties. At any, rate,
no harm could be done by passing the measure. The hon.
and learned gentleman then alluded to the unsatisfactory
state of the law with regard to the question of domicile, ob-
serving that in one case before the Howe of Lords last year
the expense of litigation amounted to about £30,000, and
said that the bill proposed to getid of that evil by provid-
ing that in the case of a person abroad making a will there
should be a residence of a certain fixed period coupled with
a declafation of intention as to his domicile.