The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PIVRLIAMENT.

- _
HOUSE OF LOSS—(YESTERDAY).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
st 6 o'clock.

ITALIAN AFFAIRS.
The Earl of IVIALMESBURY gave notice that E;uThurs•
day next he should move for copies of the two ci:culare
from Count Cavour which appeared in the public jourriftle,
dated the 14th and 15th June, assuming that they have
been addressed to her Mitjestr s Government among others;
also for a copy of Count Cavour's reply to his despatch to
Sir J. Hudson, dated the i'th of June. He thought there
would be no objection to the production of the papers.
MARRIAGE LAW.
Earl POWIS presented a petition, praying for an al-
teration in the law relating to the marriage with a deceased
wife's sister.

RIFLE CORPS.
Lord VIVIAN asked whether it was the intention of
Government to pay the non-commissioned officers employed
to drill the volunteer rifle corps ; and also whether it was
intended to grant a small payment to volunteer artillery:
men as an incentive to improve themselves in their mah-
ftry duties. He thought such an arrangement would be
followed by the best results.
A Nonni LORD wished to know whether it was intended
to supersede the militia by the volunteers ?
The Earl of RIPON said it was not intended to
Supersede the militia by the volunteers, and the great •
est precaution would be taken to prevent any
clashing or rivalry between the bodies. In answer
to the question of the other noble lord he begged to say it
was not the intention of the Government to pay men to
instruct the volunteer corps, but simply to supply certain
proportions of arms ; for which, however, each corps was
to provide a sufficient and safe custody. A preference
would be given by the Government to the formation of vo-
lunteer artillery corps, which would be supplied with in-
struction as well as with arms, but no further advantage
would be given to them over the various rifle
corps. He had stated the other evening that it was
the intention of Government to sanction more than the
formation of a company, but so many representations had
been made to the Secretary at War that he had decided
upon sanctioning the formation of companies where favour-
able circumstances presented themselves.
The Earl of MALMESBURY said he had the honour
to command a militia artillery regiment, and although it had
been embodied nine months it only numbered 250 instead of
the regular number. He could account for this only by the
circumstance that the place appointed for assembling was
too far distant from the homes of the men.
Lord RIPON, in answer to further questions, said
the Government intended to instruct more commissioned
officers of disembodied militia at Hythe, and then
supply them to volunteer rifle corps wishing for instruc-
tion.lle did not wish to prevent volunteers from getting
instruction elsewhere, but his object was to give every faci-
lity of obtaining instruction from Government if it was

•
The
"ed
he conversation then dropped.
THE SLAVE TRADE.
Lord BROUGHAM presented apeton. complaining of
the laws regulating Coolie immigration,iti and moved for a
committee to inquire into the whole subject,
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said he did not think it
would be advisable at this period of the session to appoint
such a committee. He hoped the subject would be inquired
Into next session, and he should have great 'Pleasure in
communicating with the noble and learned lord, and show
him that the subject had not escapedthe attention of the
Government.

SALE OF GAS BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
SESSIONAL DIVISIONS BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
ENDOWED SCHOOLS IN IRELAND.

The Earl of CORK asked whether Government intended
to introduce a bill this session for the better management of
the funds of endowed schools in Ireland ?
Earl GRANVILLE said it was not the intention of the
Government in the present session to introduce a bill.
The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-{YESTERDAY.)
The StEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBERS.
_ ,

Dr. Lyons took the oaths and his seat for the City of
Cork, and the Lord Advocate, on his re-election, for the
city of Edinburgh.
RED SEA AND INDIA TELEGRAPH COMPANY

(No. 2) BILL.
On the motion for the consideration of the Lords' Amend-
ments to this measure which stood on the paper as a pri-
vate bfll, and the consideration of which, it will be remem-
bered, was adjourned from Thursday last till this day, on
an exception taken by Sir H. Willoughby.
Sir J. GRAHAM said he thought the hon. baronet the
member for Evesham (Sir H. Willoughby) had done great
public service in pointing attention to the nature of this
measure when it was last before the house. He (Sir J.
Graham) had since endeavoured to ascertain the facts con-
nected with the introduction of the bill and the efforts
made to pass it. He held in his hand the original prospec- ,
tns of the company, issued in August last, in which the
substance of the agreement subsequently made by them with
the Government was embodied. The bill containing that
agreement was introduced at the commencement of last ses-
sion, and, being a private bill, the forms of the house would
necessarily be gone through, but no attention on the part
of the house was bestowed on the subject, and no respon-
sible Minister of the Crown explained the nature of the
transaction. The bill, so passed, was carried to the House
of Lords without comment, so far as he was able to under-
stand. There it arrived at its last stage immediately before
the dissolution, and so dropped, though an attempt had been
there made on the part of the late Government to pass it
without delay. .The bill was re--introduced in the present
Parliament, the same forms were gone through in this
house without observation, as 'it appeared, on the part of
hon. members, and it went up to the House of Lords, where
it was on the point of passing, when Lord Stanley of Al-
derley, in its last stage, insisted as an amendment, that the
whole of the contract between the company and the Go-
vernment should be inserted in the bill. That amendment
the Lords made, and that amendment the House of Com-
mons were now called on to consider. He (Sir J. Graham)
had a strong opinion that this bill contained some objection-
able clauses. In the first place, it gave a guarantee of 41
per cont.—(hear)—upon all the capital of this company
paid up, and for what period, would the house believe, that
guarantee was given ? Why, for a period of 50 years from
this time, and that guarantee was to extend over the whole
of that long interval without reference to the success of the
company. (Hear.) There was another circumstance in which
he saw the most serious objection—namely, that the Govern-
ment was nominated ex officio directors, and one of those
ex officio directors, an intimate friend of his own, was a first-
class clerk of the Treasury, a gentleman of the highest hon-
our, and for whom he had the greatest respect ; but what
was the temptation to which that gentleman was exposed ?
There was no restraining clause whatever in the bill against
those ex officio directors becoming shareholders in the con-
cern. (Hear.) He thought under the circumstances the
house would do well to suspend the further consideration of
the Lords' amendments of the bill for a fortnight or three
weeks to enable the committee on con.tracts' which:was to be
appointed that night, to inquire into the transaction and re-
port their opinion upon it to the house. (Hear.) That being
the view he ventured to take of the matter, he moved as an
amendment that the further consideration of the Lords'
amendments be deferred for one fortnight. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. ELLICE seconded the amendment, and exprwsed
his obligations to his right hon. friend for bringing this
subject under the consideration of the house. He (Mr.
Ellice) came down to the house for the purpose of asking
the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he =ended to no-
minate his committee on contracts, and to raise a discussion
with respect to the constitution of that committee. He com-
plained that the Treasury gave their sanction to bills of this
description without the house having before them any of
the grounds on whisk they did so—(hear, hear)—and he
intended to call the attention of the house to that subject,
which was altogether contrary to what used to be the prac-
tice of the Treasury. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. GRAHAM said, in explanation, he was in error
in stating the bill had been reintroduced in the present Par-
liament. It appeared to have been suspended, which, of
course, bade his case the stronger.
Mr. GREGSON said that the only amendment of the
slightest importance, except the schedule, was the omission
of the clause giving borrowing powers to the company. The
project was before the public for 18 months before the
guarantee was obtained, a prospectus issued in 1857, pro-
sing a 5 per cent. conditional guarantee from the East
India Company, having failed to induce the public to sub-
'be. He had received a letter from Mr. Corthorn, the
broker to the company, a gentleman of high respectability,
who said :
" You will recollect the anxious deliberation bestowed
upon the extent of guarantee to be given by the Govern
ment to the Red Sea Telegraph Company, and the desire
felt not to require more than sufficient to float the shares.
I can cmscientiously declare that I believed at the time,
and still believe, that lower terms than those granted to the
company would not have been sufficient to raise the capital
required for the undertaking. The result of the issue of the
shares fully corroborates this opinion, for from the date
*
of the issue of the shares—viz the 2d of August last, to
/ the 7th of J8'1'14177 the price ranged from 12s. 6d. pre-
mium per share to sa. premium , the average being Bs. 9d.
premium per share, profit 110 t too remunerating. Subse-
quently the shares were done at a premium of 15s. ; but
when an obstacle to the paw
passing of the Act of Parliament
during the last Parliament arose the shares fell to 325. 6d.
discount. On the passing of the bill by the Lords, they
rose to a premium of to t; but without such guarantee
by Act of Parliament the price would again
dis-
count, and the shares become unmarketable,
dfall to a
e.,lnd great diffi-
culty felt in getting the remaining calls p
The total length of line from Alexandria to Kurrachee was
3,268 miles, with eight stations. The linewasnmories completed
from Alexandria to Aden, a distance of 1,590
and the
remaining section to India would be completed by the end
of this year. Due securities were taken by the Gov
All advances of interest by the Treasury wereth
be a charge against future profits, and all profits beyond 10
per cent. were to be at the disposal of Governmeat for
the benefit of the public. The Government had the
power to fix the tariff, and all tilt proceedings of the com-
pany were subject to the approval of the Lords of the Tree
Bury, who appointed two ex officio directors. The capital
was subscribed entirely on the faith of the contract with
the Treasury, one of the conditions being that the company
should proceed at once with the work, and enter into con-
tracts for the completion of the line within a given time.
Great inconvenience had been caused by the delay which
had already occurred in passing the bill, which went through
both houses in the usual manner, the money clauses having
been passed in committee of the whole house, on the motion
of the right hon. gentleman the late Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. The following particulars connected with the
laying of the cable would, he trusted, be interesting to the
house :
"The cable was laid without any difficulty between Suez
and Aden, the greatest depth being 500 fathoms, and the
bottom soft throughout. It wcrks admirably (according to
the engineer's report, better than any line hitherto laid),
and has been continually at work, though not handed over
to the company till 30 days after laying. There has been an
interruption at Kosseir, caused by an Egyptian steamer
dragging her anchor in a gale of wind. It is probably re-
paired by this time, being in the harbour, and in shallow
water. Mr. L. Gisborne,bthe engineer, telegraphed by this
line the loss of the Alma from Aden to Kosseir in a long
message of 70 or 80 words, and received a reply within an
hour. The_ company's officers have received the most cor-
dial assistance from all the Turkish and Egyptian authori-
ties, and a slight disturbance among the Hadjis (pilgrims)
at Kosseir, who pulled down the telegraph landmark, was
immediately suppressed by the Governor. At Suakin the
Pacha entertained all the telegraph staff at a grand dinner,
and rendered them every assistance in his power. This
morning's mail brings intelligence of the completion of the
land line between Alexandria and Suez."
Considering the importance of a line of telegraph to India,