The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-22 00:00:00

EAST INDIAN LOAN BILL.

Lord DE GREY and RIPON, in moving the second
reading of this bill, explained that the necessity for the loan
did not arise from any deficiency of income in India, but
from the state of the cash balances in the Home Treasury.
The bill was read a second time.

The Duke of SOMERSET, on bringing up the report
on the Greenwich Hospital Bill, said that, as he understood
the bill was considered objectionable in point of form, and
as threatened with powerful opposition in the House of
Commons, he should not proceed with it. At the same time
he repelled the imputation that he wished to use the patro-
nage of the livings at the disposal of the Admiral for poli-
tical purposes.

After a few words from Lords ELLENBOROUGH and
HARDWICK;

Lord GREY said the best way of getting rid of such im-
putations was by selling the Greenwich Hospital property, a
course from which an immediate accession to the income of
the hospital would arise.
The bill was then withdrawn.

Lord MONTEAGLE, in presenting a petition from
certain British subjects, natives of India, complaining of
their exclusion from the competitive examinations for ap-
pointments to office, called the attention of the house to
various acts of Parliament and to the Royal proclamation
to the natives of India, admitting the eligibility of the
natives to hold offices the duties of which they were qua-
lified to perform. In spite of these enactments, he
said certain Parsee gentlemen who had studied
medicine in this country had not been admitted to the com-
petition for the appointments of the Army Medical Depart-
ment. He only claimed for them what he believed to be
their right, and contended that the law ought not to be per-
verted by official prerogative.

Lord HERBERT explained that the words of the Royal
proclamation guaranteed appointments to natives in India
only, but not in the general service of the Crown. In the
case of these Parsee gentlemen, he considered them not
physically qualified for the situations to which they aspired,
and ho had been confirmed in that opinion by Dr. Gibson,
Director-General of the Army Medical Department ; Sir J.
Liddell, Director-General of the Navy Medical Depart-
ment ; and Sir R. Martin, a gentleman of great experience
in India.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH bore the highest testimony to
the qualifications of the native doctors, preferring them, if
in India, to those of Europeans. lie did not see any reason
why native medical cfncers should not be employed under
the, general direction of Europeans, as they would fairly
meet the wants of the service.

Lord CLANRICARDE and Lord DE GREY and RIPON
having said a few words, the petition was ordered to lie on
the table
.

Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMNIONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
he Birmingham Improvement Bill and the Great
Southern and Western of Ireland (capital) Bill were read a
third time and passed.
Several other private bills were advanced a stage.
THE HARBOURS BILL—RAMSGATE.
On the house going into committee on this bill,
Mr. M. GI BSO.N said it would be convenient if he were
to make a short statement with respect to Ramsgate har-
bour. Nothing could be further from the intentions of the
Government than proceeding with any steps relative to
Ramsgate harbour under the provisions of this bill ; he
was therefore perfectly willing to agree to the omission of
all portions of the bill touching that harbour. (Hear, hear.)
When it was proposed to seek any power to deal
with the harbour the parties would have to come openly
and freely to Parliament, and he could assure the house
that there would be no anticipation of a decision of Parlia-
ment by her Majesty's Government. (Hear, hear.)

The house then went ;nth committee.
On clause 7,

Mr. MILLER moved to add to the clause the following
words :—" With the exception of the said dues leviable by
the Trinity Corporation at the port of Leith, where such
dues shall cease to be levied as soon as provision shall have
been made by sufficient accumulated funds for all annuities,
pensions, and obligations which have been lawfully granted,
or in which a vested interest, absolute or contingent, has
been lawfully created before the 15th day of March, 1861."
The hon.gentleman stated that such great objection had been
felt at the manner in which the Trinity Corporation dis-
posed of its funds that the people of Leith resisted the pay-
ment of the tax by force. The result was that the corpora-
tion was obliged to procure an Act of Parliament, which
was granted them for 20 years. The period happened to
expire about this time ; the community of Leith were
anxious that their case should be an exception to the gene-
ral arrangement which the Board of Trade had made with
the Trinity Corporation. The clause was drawn up on
liberal terms, and he hoped it would be agreed to.
Mr. GIBSON resisted the proposal, which, after a short
discussion, was withdrawn.
The clause was agreed to.
Clauses 8 and 9 were also agreed to.
On clause 10,
Mr. LINDSAY proposed to substitute " 1867" for 1872.
1 he first duty of the house was to keep down taxation, and
they would be neglecting their duty if they allowed the
parties to receive half a million of compensation before they
were entitled to it.
Mr. lIORSFALL said it was a fallacy to suppose that
anything was given to any parties which was not already
theirs by right.
Mr. BEAUMONT said the differential dues levied at
Newcastle were secured not only by Acts of Parliament,
but by grants made centuries ago, and he could Bee no
gr itind for stopping them without compensation. Ten years
was a very moderate period to fix for that purpose.
After a few words from Mr. HODGSON and Mr. DUNLOP
Mr. Alderman SALOMON said his constituency were
only interested in this question as taxpayeris, %ad heehQuid