The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

SIR R. NAPIER.

Mr. DISRAELI said on Friday next he should move
vote of thanks to Sir R. Napier and the troops engaged in
the Abyssinian Expedition. (Loud cheers.)
An HoN. MEMBER said he wished to know, in the event
of their being a combination of members of that house
with persons out of it to prosecute Sir R. Napier for any-
thing he might have done at Magdala, the Government
would be prepared to defend him, or whether the means
for so doing were to be raised by voluntary subscriptions
by a just and generous nation? (Loud cheers.)
Mr. STANSFELD would like to know when the
despatches of Sir R. Napier would be published?
Sir S. NORTHCOTE said the despatches of Sir B.
Napier were extremely short, and only the telegraphic mes-
sages announcing the arrival, the storming of Magdala,
and the death of Theodora. lie believed some despatches
bad been written by Sir Robert which bad not yet ar-
rived, but which might be expected in a few days. How-
ever, there was quite sufficient information in the posses-
sion of the Government to enable them to bring forward
the vote of thanks on the day proposed, (Hear, hear.)
Colonel KNOX wished to know whether any informa-
tion had been received stating that the troops were on the
way home ?

gir S. NORTHCOTE answered in the affirmative.
EX-GOVERNOR EYRE.
Captain JERVIS said he had on a former occasion,
when the right hon. gentleman was Chancellor of the
Exchequer, asked him, when it was at first threatened to
take proceedings against Mr. Eyre, whether the Govern-
ment intended to afford him all the legal assistance it was
in their power to give, and he had received a favourable,
answer. He wished to kno w whether it was still the intention
of the Government to give that assistance to a gentleman
in Mr. Eyre's position, which he had a right to expect—
(hear, hear)—and that it was not intended to put him
into a felon's dock without a strong defence being made for
him, a defence he had a right to expect. (Cheers.)
Nu answer being given to the question,
THE CUSTOM HOUSE CLERKS.
Mr. 11. 11. SHER:DAN asked the Secretary to the
Treasury whether it was the intention of the Government
to amalgamate the Customs extra clerks with the esta-
blish►nent, or place them in receipt of such a scale of pay
as would place them on a footing with the establishment
and unable t hem to provide for their families.
Mr. BOOTH, said there was no intention of making any
such amalgamation.

ESTABLISHED CHURCH (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. GLADSTONE moved the second reading of this bill,
the object of which was to suspend all exercise of patron-
age and appointment to the Established Church in Ireland
until the month of Aug. 1869. The right hon. gentleman re-
ferred to the circumstances that had led him to introduce
the measure. It was said that the great object of her Ma-
jesty's Government was to restore and maintain tranquil-
lity in Ireland, but if a determined opposition was given
to a bill dealing out such a measure of justice as the one
he had now the honour to submit to the house, the inten-
tions of the Government were but a mockery, and altoge-
ther of a character that the majority of the house would
not sanction. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. 'TARDY rose to move that the bill be read a
second time that day six months. He opposed the bill,
in the first place, because he looked upon it as a confiscation
of Church property for secular purposes, and had it not
been brought forward and supported by such
persons as the hoe. member for Birmingham
and the right hoe. member for South Lancashire, he
should have looked upon such a measure as absurd and un-
reasonable. It had been said that her Majesty had consented
to place all her rights with respect to the Irish Church at the
disposal of the Parliament, but that he altogether denied.
(Cheers.) Her Majesty had stated that she was ready to
waive her right, but nut that she was quite
ready to give up her rights, and he contei dad
that her Majesty had no constitutional right to abdicate
her patronage, and that being so, the principle of
the bill was altogether wrong. (Hear, hear.) The
bill was bad in principle, without precedent,
and unjust in its action—(hear, hear)—but if that
was not enough to induce the house to reject it,
he had to say that in the opinion of a person of
legal eminence the bill, if sanctioned, would be in
fact a repeal of the Union with Ireland, without a sav-
iag clause was introduced into it to prevent such
a result. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He should like to
know in plain unmistakable words to what purposes the
right hon. gentleman proposed to devote tha revenues of
the Establishment. (Hear, hear.) He denied altogether
the bill was either expedient or just.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)