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LOXDON, VEI)NE,S7)I Y, JULY 22, 1868.

The House of Commons, yesterday, considered
the Report of the Select Committee on the Elec-
tric Telegraphs Bill, and considerable progress was
made in it. Mr. GoscuEN, it is true, was anything
but complaisant, and though he admitted that the
Select Committee had made progress, he demurred
to the financial part of the scheme ; at the same
tame be said that at this time of the Session it
wculil not do to interfere with the arrangements ;
and after spending some time in discussing the dif-
ficulties in the way of the measure, he laid great
stress on the fact that the new Parliament would
not be in any way bound by the provisions of it.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement was
sufficiently lucid to satisfy any one not hopelessly

prejudiced in the matter, and he showed that
the Committee had got through a great deal,
and that the opposition of the Electric
Telegraph Companies had been given up on
account of their receiving twenty years' pur-
chase on the calculation of the present rate of
profits. In point of fact, much that was doubtful
has been cleared up by the Committee, and there
no longer exists any reason for the hesitation mani-
fested at the outset to adopt the measure. The
chief difficulty lay all along in the prejudice that
arose in consequence of party feeling, and we
should have heard little or nothing of the objections
made in certain quarters if Mr. GLADSTONE had
been on the other side of the House. To judge
from the tone adopted in the earlier days of this
affair, one might have thought that there never was
anything so preposterous proposed before in the
memory of politicians, and that rare malignant in-
fluence would be at work to aid the cause of par-
tizanship, and exercise an undue power. One re-
sult has been that the cost has been
augmented, and for this the public may thank the
zeal and assiduity of the opponents of the scheme.
When we look on the matter seriously, what be-
comes of all the reasons so specially urged against
the adoption of the scheme ? The Government, it
has been seen, will not be so likely to exercise a
monopoly as the companies themselves have been.
In fact, the disclosures made have shown that a
good deal of tyranny was exercised towards the
provincial press under the recent arrangements, and
no contradiction was given to the evidence before
the committee which told of .he arbitrary use made
of their power b y certain companies. Who can
wonder, then, that, in the face of such as-
sertions, those appointed to judge should
have given a verdict in favour of the trans-
fer. A little examination in a decisive style
soon served to convince the committee of the
scheme before the House, and the objections made on
the score of the interference made with private en-
terprise speedily vanished into thin air when the
various claims bad to be adjusted. And it is not
too much to say that far more exaggeration appeared
in the arguments against the bill than plain and
common-sense objections.
Mr. GOSCHEN, and those who countenanced him
in his strictures yesterday, should remember that
if they had not excited the opposition to the degree
they did the difficulty of coming to a compromise
would not have been nearly so considerable. It is
not at all surprising that, under these circumstances,
Mr. CHILDERS' amendment, to the effect that the
whole question of terms of purchase should be re-
ferred to arbitration, was negatived without a divi-
sion. The Chancellor of the Exchequer showed
very clearly that to adopt such a course
would not be a satisfactory mode of dealing
with the affair, and as the right hon. gentleman
truly added, a settled bargain is always safer than
on arbitration. It is well that the House took the
same view of the case, and thus stopped at the
outset the transition to a dangerous course of pro-
ceeding. Mr. GLADSTONE'S support of the measure
was a very characteristic one, for he said he believed
that the telegraph service would be greatly improved
by being transferred to the Post-office. At the 1
same time he thought Mr. GOSCHEN was quite jus-

tified in his belief that the best terms had not been
made, and finally he concurred in the opinion of that
gentleman that the new Parliament would not be
bound by 'this bill. This is extraordinary, to say

the least of it, and who was more indignant than
Mr. GLADSTONE himself when it was said that the
new Parliament would not be bound by the Reso-

lutions of the Irish Church ? Where is the use
of the bill being passed if nothing is to come of it
after all? No doubt Mr. GLADSTONE and his ad-
vanced friends believe that in the kingdom of the
just, which the new house will furnish, they will

reign supreme, and all their views and opinions be
carried out most fully; but it is rather hard to in-

sist upon everything standing still until that period
arrives. In all probability, bad the house refused
to settle the matter as it now stands, the conse-

luence would have been that the public would have
had a great deal more to pay in the long run, and
all those who take an unprejudiced view of the
question will be glad that it has reached the pre-
sent solution.

Some attempts were made to induce the Govern•
merit to drop the Poor Relief Bill, but the sugges.

tion was not complied with. The clauses which

related to the facilitating of religious in•
struction to the inmates of workhouses,

by ministers of their own persuasion, met with

some opposition from Mr. NEWDEGAI E and others.
The clause in dispute was, however, carried on a
division, but the committee was adjourned until

another day, having disposed of two or three more

clauses.

The Appropriation Bill was passed, and

some other bills were forwarded a stage.

The Corporation of the City of London is never
behind in giving honour where honour is due, and
accordingly the Court of Common Council have
lost no time in presenting their testimonial to the
hero of Abyssinia. Before the victorious General
had set foot in England the Common Council had
determined upon their gift and its form of presen-
tation, and yesterday Baron NAPIER of Magdala
was invited to the Guildhall to receive the honorary
freedom of the City of Loudon, together with a
sword of the value of 200 guineas, as a token of the
admiration felt for the fortitude, skill, energy, and
promptitude displayed by him in bringing the
Abyssinian war to a successful and brilliant close
All due honour was paid to the ceremonial, and all
the chief dignitaries of the City were present, as
well as many visitors from the west. When Lord
NAPIER arrived he was received with the greatest
enthusiasm, both within and without the Hall, the
court rising to receive him. After the formal cere-
mony had been gone through, the Chamberlain, Mr.
BENJAMIN SCOTT, made an interesting and appro-
priate address. The Abyssinian war, he re-
marked, was in many ways exceptional of its
kind. Unusual and apparently incongruous ele-
ments contributed harmoniously to the result. The
army, English as well as Indian, the navy, and the
engineers were alike represented. Following the
example of old Rome in her days of conquest
tributaries were used as auxiliaries. Three con-

tinents furnished their respective contingents. The
soldiers of Europe, Mahommedans and Hindoos of
Asia, as well as African mule-drivers, made up the
motley array which acted with as much unanimity
as gallantry." The natural difficulties of the under-
taking, too, rendered it exceptional in its nature.
A port was constructed, a base of supply formed,
a railway and telegraph laid down, two chains of
mountains surmounted, and water sought for
at every post along the "bi idge of 400 miles"
which, is Lord NAPIER'S own words, " the soldier
constructed as he passed on to victory." The
Chamberlain, after congratulating the General not
less on the humanity, the discipline, and the un-
failing good conduct of his troops than on their
military successes, concluded an eloquent address
by presenting to Lord NAPIER the copy of the re-
cord. The General, in acknowledging the honour
done him, was careful, as he invariably is, to share
it with his whole force. At the grand banquet
which took place in the evening at the Mansion-
hipwio the gags thing wa4 even perceptible,