The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PAR LIAMEN T,

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at 5 o'clock.
Lord ST. L EONTAR DS said he had given notice of his
intention to call the attention of their lordships to the
Turner collection of pictures, bat .he had not named a
day on which he would bring•forward his motion.. He
now begged•to inform the house that it was his intention
to bring it.forward on Monday next.
LAW OF LIBEL.
Lord CAMPBELL said that being unexpectedly
enabled to attend their lordships' house to-day he
begged to give notice that on 'account of the approach-
ing dissolution of Parliament it was not his intention
of proceeding further this session with the select com-
mittee that had been appointed by their lordships to con-
sider how far the privilege of giving publicity to the pro-
ceediugs of the courts of law might be extended to the
proceedings in Parliament and other assemblies. How-
ever, lininediately upon the re-assembling of the new
Parliament it was his intention to move that the select
committee be re-appointed. Ile did not suppose that
their lordships would bethought to give immunity to the
publication of everything that *night be spoken at every
public meeting. He believed such a
proceeding would
be inconsistent with public safety, and destructive of
public character. He, however, still hoped that the
grievances of which journalists complained of would
be, to a certain degree, ameliorated. There were, how-
ever, certain publications whi he thought might be
placed on the same footing as publications of the pro-
ceedings of the law courts. It was possible that such a
definition might be given to the law of publication as
would enable the privilege to be generally applied. The
present state of the law was greatly mitigated by the fact
that juries only give nominal damages in certain cases.
Very recently if an action of libel were taken, and a far-
thing damages were returned, full costs were given, which
enc)uraged pettifogging actions to be brought for the
sake of costs. At present, unless substantial damages
were given, no costs were allowed. In actions arising
from libellous publications the law might be fram-
ed so that if no real injury had been sustained the
costs of the action should fall upon the party bringing
the action. Also that if only nominal damages were
given, power might be given to the judge to order not
only that no costs be paid to the plaintiff, but the
mightplain-
tiff
parties. These e o
ub sb
subject, however
y payjudget!eothe costs of
id be referred
to the select committee. For the purpose of expediting
the proceedings of the committee, he would also move
btiofft h pa r
that the standing order be suspended which required
the oath to be administered to witnesses at the bar of
the house. It would be much more convenient that
the select committee should have the power of admin-
istering the oath to the witnesses.

Lori MONTEAGLE concurre 1 in the latter observa-
tion of the honourable and learned lord, and sug-
gested that a select committee of the house should
have the same power and privileges, in respect t 3 sum-
moning and sw, acing witnesses as the committees of the
other house of Parliament,

The LORD CHANCELLOR doubted much whe-
ther the present system of swearing witnesses at the bar
of the house could be altered without an Act of Patna-
meet. •

AFFAIRS OF THE COUNTRY.
The Earl of DERBY said that, having been informed
that the second reading of the Income Tax would be
taken on Monday, he hoped the noble lord (Albe-
marl •), who had a motion on the paper for that day,
would postpone it in order to afford him an opportunity
of bringing forward the motion of which he had given
notice.

The Earl of ALBEiSIARLE said he would postpone
his motion until Friday.
THE WAR WITH PERSIA.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved for copies of
any correspondence that may have taken place between
the Court of Directors and the Board of Control, or be-
tween the Board of Control and the Treasury, respecting
the proportion of the cost of the *fir with Persia to be
charged upon the Indian revenue, or relating to the
ways and means by which provision for such expenditure
is to be made in India. The noble marquis said it ap-
peared to him that the finances of India were in a most
unsatidactoty state. It had been intimated that one-half
the expenses of the late war with Persia were to be de-
frayed by the Government of India, and the Court of
Directors appeared to be well satisfied with that arrange.
ment ; hut it did not appear what portion of the re-
sources of that country were available for carrying on
any war, or in what manner the necessary funds were
to be raised. Was it intended that the Indian finances
were to go on as usual, and was no attempt to be made
to bring them into regular order? There had been
a constant deficieney for several years, and it was
most desirable,to anestalab,qyz the war charges were to
ihere•was a debt of more than 7,0(0,0001, and the ques-
tion for coLsithration was the state of the credit of the
Indian Government. Their financial operations bad struck
a blow at public credit, and had produced the most in-
convenient results. When they attempted to raise a loan
of 2,000,000/ , at 4 per cent., only one-tenth of the
amount was obtained. In the 5 per cent. ban very small
progress had been made, and not much could be expected,
seeing that parties might obtain a guarantee oq Indian
railways of 5 per cent., besides the chance of additional
profits. He trusted the papers for which he moved would
be produced, together with the estimate to which they
referred.

The Earl of MALMESBURY thought it was of the
greatest importance, irs the present state of public
affairs, that the country should at last know some-
thing about the Persian war; which up to this time
had been a sort of myth, for all information on the
subject had been refused by the Government. The coun-
try knew nothing of the original quarrel, of the negotia-
tions, aif the answers of the Persian Government to
the appesls of her Majesty's Government, of the orders
given to the troops, and the preparations for carrying
on the war when war was declared in a very unsatis-
factory and irregular wanter. Something was known of
the operations at Bushire, but after that nothing was
known exospt through the medium of the public journals
and that
our ambassador with the Persian ambassador,
—viz., that negotiations had been carried on at Paris by
a treaty had been signed. The noble lord at the head of
the Government was accustensed to treit men and things
very coolly, and had made no except ea in this case with
respect to the houses of Parliament. If the noble lord
had not confidence in the decision of their lordships he
gave himself confidence, and declared the house was at
issue with the country. If the house was not in a Batis-
ta _tory state, accordieg to the noble lord's opinion, he
dissolved it. The noble lord might perhaps consider he
was within the four corners of the constitution. But he
(the Earl of Maltnesbury) was not satisfied that such was
the case when he considered the manner iu which the
Government had begun, continued, arid ended the Per-
sian war, without aff riding any explanation to Parlia-
ment,and without producing a single paperconnected with
the war. He did not see why an account of the causes of
the war arid of the efforts made to prevent the war
should not have been laid on the table, whether the war
was going on or not, or was about to be concluded by
treaty. He should like to know what chance there was of
getting any history of the war within a reasonable time.
On the re-assembling of Parliament the subject would be
as stale as the wars of the RoESS. The war appeared to
be a private war with Persia, of which the country had
had no notice whatever. At the end of 1852, when the
Government of his noble friend (fe: rd Derby) went out,
Herat was in the possession of the Persians, and that
Government did all they could to persuade them to re-
tire. He did not know when or how, or for what reason
they retired. Nothing was known of any treaty, and
now that the war had been going on for 7 or 8 months,
and negotiations had been in progress, and there had
been a battle and a victory, a treaty of peace had been
signed at Paris, and there had not been a particle of in-
formation afforded by her Majesty's Government. That
morning, for the first time, an apparently official docu-
ment had come before them. His noble friend shook his
head ; and therefore it would seem that the last hope of
getting any information was gone. Well, an influential
newspaper had given an account not only of the treaty
which had been negotiated, but of one which ought to
have been signed at Constantinople. He would not
press this matter further, but would ask his noble friend
whether, considering the circumstances in which the
country was placed, it would not be right, proper, and
decent, to give some information on the subject of the
war, arid to give, at least, a sketch of the causes of the
war, and of the treaty which had been signed.
The Duke of ARGYLL said, before his noble ;friend
the Secretary for Foreign Affairs addressed their lord-
ships, he hoped he might be alio wed to answer the
question of the noble Marquis (Clanricarde). There
was no objection to the production of the papers he
asked for, and he was sure the noble lord would not
consider it disrespectful if he did not follow him into
the large question of Indian finance. With regard to
tke estimate which was asked for it would be improper
to produce it till the treaty with Persia was ratified ; be-
sides which it would be useless, as it had been made for
la year._

'The Earl of CLARENDON said—My lords, I cannot
regret that my noble frienn opposite has put to me the
question he has been so good as to ask ; for I can assure
my noble friend and your lordships that it has been a
matter of great regret to me that a sense of public duty
has compelled her Majesty's Government to withhold
.dy had a right to expect. No-
thinguty prevented our laying the
information with respect to the Persian war, which Par,
the country
of iourti
papers relating to that subject before Parliament. But
my noble friend is not correct when he says that no in-
formation has been given with regard to the can=es of
iiam enthu andt a
the war. I felt it to be so necessary not to lose any
time in iving information on that subject to Parliament,
that en the first night of toe ses-ion, in replying to the
speech of my noble friend opposite, I alluded to the quar-
rel between the Persian Government and Mr. Murray,
whic4
I stated had been set aside, and was not one of the
causes of the war. I said that although Mr. Murray had
been compelled to leave Teheran, arid that some incon-
venience bad been caused by the suspension of diplomatic
relations, yet that we did not consider that matter as a
cause for war with Persia. We knew that the conduct or:
Persia was ... -ne of the consequences of the war with Rue
sia, end a, e knew that, as soon as it was fully understood