The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-11 00:00:00

MEDICAL ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

On the motion that this glib-eread a second time,
Viscount DUNGANNON trusted that the further pro-
gress of the bill would be postponed.
Earl GRANVILLE said he had received a notice from
Lord Cranworth, statinc, that he had some objection to the
bill, and there appeared to be some weight in those objec-
tions. He would take the second reading of the bill pro
fo, ma this evening, and state to-morrow what course
would be adopted with respect'to it.
The bill was then read a second time.
MILITIA LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.

On the motion of. the Earl of RIPON, this bill passed
through committee, and was reported without amend-:
ments.

THIRD READINGS,

The following bills were read a third time and passed:—
Coinage, Probate and Letters of Administration (Ireland),
Police (Counties and Boroughs), and Turnpike Trusts Ar-
rangement.
PETITIONS.

The Bishop of OXFORD presented petitions against any
alteration in the marriage law which would legalise the
marriage with a deceased wife's sister ; against the aboli-
tion of church-rates without an equivalent, from Marl -
borough, Shaftesbury, Warwickshire, Worcestershire,
Kidderminster, and a number of other places
MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.

The LORD CHANCELLORsaid he had also received
a number of petitions against any alteration in the law of
marriage, and he felt it his duty to say that his opinion on
that subject remained unaltered and unchanged, and in the
event of any such measure being introduced next session
with such an object, it would meet with his most determined
opposition.
The Bishop of OXFORD said he had heard with great
pleasure the announcement just made by the noble and
learned lord on the woolsack.

Some bills having been brought up from the Commons
and read a first time,

Their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)

PONTEFRACT ELECTION

Mr. BRIGHT moved for a select committee to inquire
into the allegations contained in the petition of Hugh C.
E. Childers, Esq., presented (9th August) ; and that the
said committee do consist of the following members :
Mr. Walpole, Mr. Crawford (Ayr), Captain Jervis, Lord
Robert Clinton, Mr. Selwyn, Mr. Phillips, and Mr. G. C.
Glyn.

OVEREND said it was with no small degree of
mortification and humiliation that he felt called upon in
addressing the house for the first time, to vindicate his
character from charges made against him the day preced-
ing. He had no reason to complain of the conduct of Mr.
Childers, who brought the case openly before the house,
and gave him an opportunity of making an explanation.
He was also obliged to the hon. member for Birmingham,
in moving for a select committeewhich would fully investi-
gate the whole affair, and from that investigation he
had nothing to fear. He had not received any notice
whatever of this motion being brought forward until yes-
teiday evening, when ho received a telegram at Lancaster,
that a notice of such a motion had been given. He objected
strongly to a term used by the hon. member for Birming-
ham, which only the strongest proof of culpability could
justify, and which had never been previously used in con-
nection with his name—he meant the word "fraud?' (Hear.)
It was true that he nad been returned by a majority of only
ten, and that a petition was presented, imputing to him all
the offences usual in such cases ; butho pledged his honour
as a gentleman that he had not been guilty of bribery him-'
self, or that he was aware it was committed by hissagensts.
He gave instructions to his agents to defend his return, and
then he went on a eircuit,and had no communication on the
subject until some time afterwards, when he received a
telegram while ho was engaged in a nisi prius trial at
York, which was as follows :—" L offers to withdraw the
record on my agreeing with him to refer the late action"
(alluding to the election) "to a member of the hong° of our
side, of high character, both parties to be bound by his de-
cision." He consulted with some of his friends, and they
came to the conclusion that the reference proposed would
be a breach of the privileges of the house, but that is was,
in fact, a dignified withdrawal by Mr. Childers of his oppo-
sition to his election. He then telegraphed to his agent in
London to the effect that he placed himselfin his hands,
and requesting him to do the best he could. [Here the
hon. and learned member read a correspondence which
took place between him and his agents, in which
one of the latter described the reference as
merely illusory.] He acted throughout under the convic-
tion that the reference was thus correctly described, and
he never considered that his seat was endangered by that
reference, for he denied most solemnly that he consented
to it pur et maple. He concluded by disclaiming the
slightest intention of acting in any way other than the
most honourable and straightforward.
Mr. BRIGHT said it was not his intention to appear as
an accuser of the hon. and learned member for Dovonport.
Mr. Childers had requested him to present the petition,
and Mr. Cairless, the solicitor of Mr. Overend, had notice
last Friday of his intention to present the petition. With
respect to the term complained of by, the hon. and learned
member, what he did say was, that Mr. Childers
considered that he had been, what he would say
from the want of a better word, " defrauded " of
his seat. It was no secret that Lord March was the
member selected as a referee, and that he has doubts as to
his being justified in undertaking to arbitrate, and that the
hon. and learned member did not consent to any other
member of the house being applied to. (Hear.) In
his opinion, the hon. and learned member was erroneous
in assuming that his seat was not in jeopardy by the pro-
posed inquirfbefore the referee, because the only object of
the inquiry must have been with reference to the validity
of the return of the hon. and learned member. He con-
sidered, from the statements of the hon. and learned mem-
ber, that Mr. Rose, the Parliamentary agent, had acted
very improperly.
After some remarks from Sir W. JOLLIFFE,
Mr. DISRAELI thought Mr. Overend had placed him-
self right with the house, and had shown that he had been
actuated by a sense of honour, and no doubt Mr. Childers
had been influenced by as conscientious motives. (Hear.)
He thought, however, that a matter of this sort ought not
to be brought before this house, as it depended on those
principles of honour which oughtmot to be made matter of
inquiry before such a tribunal, but had better be referred to
a private friend. It would be the foundation of a precedent
which might be inconvenient. If a seat was to be vacated,
that usually was the principal object of the agreement. Yet
it was not expressed in the document drawn up in this case.
It was not an unusual thing for a seat to be vacated, though,
in his opinion, it ought not to be encouraged or sanctioned.
He opposed it some years ago ; and he supported the mo •
tion of the hon. member for Sheffield, the object of which
was to put an end to the system. That matter had come
before the house on the motion of the same hon. gentleman
some years ago, Lord John Russel being then the leader of
the house and Sir Rabert Peel in opposition, and both of
these eminent statesmen were opposed to the Chiltern Hun-
dreds being granted under such circumstances. Nobody
considered whether the advantage would be with one side
of the house or the other, but both sides agreed that it was
not a proper course to be permitted. But when these
agreements were made they were always made in
writing, and in this case that prime condition was not re-
ferred to. 'When a motion was made for a committee, the
allegations of the petitions ought not to be entered into,
and he regretted that the hon. member for Birmingham
had made an attack on Mr. Rose inconsistent with the deli-
cacy they might have expected from the hon. gentleman.
(Hear, hear.) Ho (Mr. Disraeli) was acquainted with that
gentleman, whose family was a highly respectable family
in his neighbourhood, and he did not know any individual
in whose integrity he had higher confidence, and he was
sure that the committee when they came to examine him
would be satisfied of his straightforward honesty. Ho did
not know the motive of the hon. gentleman's attack, per-
haps it was provoked by what he considered to be injuries
received in another scene—(laughter)—for which he should
have taken some other opportunity to avenge himself.
(Hear, hear.) He should not object to the committee, but
if they had been before as well acquainted with the facts as
they now were, they must have hesitated to enter into an
investigation which ought to have been considered privately.
If all that was alleged was true, they could inflict no penalty
beyond the expression of moral indignation. That could
have been done if the matter had been referred privately.
But as there had been a misunderstanding which at first
appeared to involve, for he would not now admit that it did
involve, the character of a member of the house as well as
that of one connected with the house in an humbler posi-
tion, he thought it best, under all the circumstances, that
the inquiry should go on. He had been glad to hear the
explanations given to-night, and thought the hon. gentle-
man had shown himself in every way worthy to sit in that
house. But, he would ask, had they any means of referring
to this matter next year? -They had not. But the means
might be found, and that would be a more satisfactory mode
of dealing with such a question than the appointment of
the committee now proposed. (Cheers.)
Sir G. GREY made a few observations, in the course of
which he said, that the petition contained anrailitfatinietoa
the effect that the agent of the sitting member
pderacuwntiharye poeffteitrioilin, oardcherartgoeinsoduscerie
05 Mr.m
thatt:h shouldetnbveltinh--
vestigated
The motion was then agreed to and the committee ap-
pointed seriatim.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. DUNNE took the oaths and his seat for Dartmouth.
THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF

Mr. DISRAELI inquired if it was true that the Office of
Vice-President of the Board of Trade had been offered to
an hon. member of that house; and, if so, whether the
right hon. gentleman who held it at present had accepted
an office in India ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said he was not aware of any such
offer being made, and with reference to the latter right
hon. gentleman alluded to, he had no information further
than that he was considering whether or not he would ac-
cept.the Etppointment which had been offered to him.
OUTRAGES AT TRAVANCORE.

Mr. KINNAIRD asked the Secretary of State for
India, whether her Majesty's Government had received
any official information as to the gross outrages committed
in the early part of the year in the Province of Travancore
by the natives of the Soodra caste upon the Shanars and
others of like caste, and had any authentic intelligence
been received as to the discontinuance of such outrages ;
and if her Majesty's‘Government had sent any instructions
to the Governor of Madras, or any other Indian authori-
ties, in relation to this case.
Sir C. WOOD said that he had received official advises
which stated that the whole questiOn was settled.
SALE OF GAS BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.
On the 4th clause an amendment was moved to the
that the appointment of local inspectors in boroughs, under
the Act, should be vested in the Recorder instead of the
town council, and some discussion ensued. Ultimately
the amendment was withdrawn.
Lord HENLEY moved an addition to the clause, to the
effect that the inspectors of gas should not be selected from

the police force, which was negatived without a division,
and the clause was agreed to.
On clause 6,
Mr. V. SCULLY drew attention to the inefficient supply
of gas in Ireland, and alluded to the county of Clare, in
which only two towns were lighted with gas, and consi-
dered the bill, in its present form, inapplicable to Ireland
as imposing too heavy an expense on the counties in that
country.
Mr. DEASEY agreed with the hon. and learned gentle-
man.

Mr. J. D. Fitzgerald, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Crawford, and
other hall. members male some remarks. The clause was
agree] to with the understanding that certain alterations
would to be introduced to mat the peculiar circumstances
of Ireland.
The remaining clauses, with some amendments were
agreed to, and the house resumed.
EUROPEAN TROOPS (INDIA) BILL.

On the motion for the consideration of this bill, as
amended, •

Sir C. WOOD said that he wished to redeem the pledge
he had given to enter into an explanation of the circum •
stances that rendered the present bill necessary. It appeared
that up t 9 1799 the troops raised in this country for
service in India were not under military discipline on their
passage to that country. It was found necessary that there
should be an alteration in that particular. In 1853 an ap-
plication was made to the Earl of Dalhousie, the Governor-
General of India, to increase the number of troops in India,
and which amounted only to 12,000. When the mutiny
broke out the necessity became apparent for an increase of
the troops in India, the maximum of which was placed at
24,000, which had been exceeded. It was in order to legalise
that excess that the present bill was introduced, and it in no

way prejudged the question of the organisation of the In-
dian army. With reference to the investigation that took
place on this Subject, the commission were divided as to the
troops that should be sent to India, the Ministry considering
they should be composed of regiments of the line, and the
majority being of opinion that troops of a mixed character
and fitted for general service were preferable. As regarded
the mutineers, he did not consider that in the recent out-
break they had any serious ground of complaint, though
there were some regulations in reference to them which were
objectionable, and which therefore ought to be remedied.
Some of these mutineers were recruits who had been re-
cently sent out to India, and he strongly objected to the
practice of sending out raw recruits to be trained under the
burning sun of India. He contended that circumstances
justified the introduction of the bill, and that it was not
proposed to interfere in the slightest degree with any mat.
ter other than what the bill specified.
Gen. PEEL said that the bill was in direct opposition to
the recommendation of the royal commission, who objected
to an increase in the number of local European troops.
He complained that the bill was pressed forward with im-
proper haste, and at a period of the session when its pro-
visions could not be fully considered.
Sir DE LACY EVANS contended that the soldiers who
had exhibited disaffection had not been properly treated,
because they had been led to believe they were entitled to
discharge, which, however, was refused them. He ap-
proved of the bill, and considered that a local army in India
was indispensable. The local army was very effective, and
the officers in the higher and the lower ranks were not
inferior to those in the Queen's regiments.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that the bill did not really pro-
pose to make any addition to the Indian army, but merely
to legalise the increase that had taken place under the Go-
vernment of which the hon. and gallant gentleman
(General Peel) was a member.
After a few remarks from Col. NORTH,
Col. DITNNE said that in considering the question of
the number of local troops in India, they should take care
that they did not interfere with recruiting; for the Queen's
regiments.
Mr. AYRTON explained that the statements which he
made yeaterday in reference to the officering of troops
in India not being efficient, in consequence of want of qua-
lification on the part of officers, was based upon the state-
ments of some of the most eminent officers who had served
in India.

Sir F. SMITH supported the bill, and considered that
the only question with reference to maintaining, a Euro-
pean force in India was as to the number. In his opinion
Ihe aFgumentr; a3ainst the bill were not sustained.

Col.-SYKES entirely concurred in the necessity of a local
Eurdpean force. With regard to the evidence given before
the commission the opinions of those who were practically
acquainted with the subject was to the same effect, and
those who diared from them might be logically right, but
they were teel_uically wrong.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said that it was the legislature
iu this country which led' to the recent mutiny in India.
General UPTON considered that there should be only
one army.
Mr. VANSITTART thought that the officers for the
Indian atiny sheuld be appointed by the Horse Guards,
and not by the Indian Government, who had already too
much patronage.
,The motion was then agreed to, and the bill was read a
third time and passed.
MARRIAGE (LISBON) BILL.
ibis bill was read a third time and passed.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS ACTS CONTINUANCE

THE NAVY.

THE CHINA STATION.

The following were the stations of the China
squadron at the latest dates :
At Hong Kong—The British frigate Cambrian,
the steamer Coromandel, and the gunboat down ;
the French steamer Gironde, the American frigate
Germantown, and the 5 chooner Fenimore Cooper.
At Macao—The Portuguese brig Mondego and
the lorcha Amazona.

In the Canton River—The British brig Bittern,
the steamer Adventure, the gunboats Bustard,
Drake, Firm, Leven, Slaney, Stanch, Watchful,
and Woodcock ; the French frigate Capriciense
and the steamer Rose.

At Amoy—The British brig Acorn.
At Foochow—The British brig Camilla.
At Ningpo—The British gunboat Algerine.
At Shanghai—The British steamers Inflexible
and Magicienne and the gunboat Plover; the French
steamers Duchayla and F. de Norzagaray ; the
American steamers Powhattan and Toey wan ; the
Russian steamers Griden, Opritchnick, and Rinda.
In the Gulf of Pecheli.—The British frigate Chesa-
peake; the steamers Cruiser, Fury, Assistance,
Highflyer, and Hesper ; the gunboats Cormorant,
Nimrod,Starling, Forester,Kestrel, Janus, Haughty,
Banterer, Lee, and Opossum.
At Japan.—The British steamer Sampson, the
American steamer Mississippi, the Russian steamers
Askolde and Streloet, and the Dutch steamer Bali.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Copt. W. R. Hall to the
Indus, vice Capt. Hay, superseded at his own re-
quest ; Philip Syoret, second master, to the Trafal-
gar ; and George B. Westcott, clerk, to the Asia.