The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDO\T, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 11, 1868.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING.
The Loan CHANCELLOR, took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PETITION.

Earl STANHOPE prosentod a petition rolarve to the
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill.
POOR RELIEF BILL.

On this bill being committed, Lord PORTMAN moved
that certain clauses inserted by Lord Carnarvon be struck
out; and Lord Devon agreed with him that the bill was
better as it originally stood.
The Earl of CARNARVON sail that ho had added
these clauses because h 3 considered that the Court of
Quarter Sessions ought to have the control of certain por-
tions-of the asylums to which the local rates were devoted.

The Marquis of BATH disagreed with his noble frierd,
and should support the amendment of the noble lord
opposite.
The Earl of STRADBROKE nvtdo a few remarks in
favour of the clauses.
Tho Earl of SHAFTESBURY said that it was well
known that the general opinion was that all lunatics
should be under the superinten lence of the magistracy.
After some further discussion, the clauses were nega-
tive d by 61 to 26.
Several private bills wore advanced a stage, and their
lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Lim' EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at two o'clock.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL.

On the motion for going into corn nittee on this bill,

Mr. NEA.TE moved that the bill be referred back to a
select committee. He contended that, by the bill now be-
fore the house, the property of the old schools at Win-
chester, Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and other places, was to
be transferred to the new governing. body set forth in
the measure, which might be made quite independent of
the present masters and fellows of the schools at the places
he had mentioned. He did not desire that undue rever-
ence should b 3 paid to old things, yet the summary way in
which the property of the schools and colleges was
diverted from its original purposes was a proceeding that
could not but receive the strongest opposition in the
different schools. It was no trifling matter that could be
dealt with if the bill passed, as it amounted to upwards
of £BO,OOO per annum, and the sum being so large he
strenuously objected to go into committee, and therefore
ha proposed that the bill should go through a searching
inquiry, that it should be referred back in order that
clauses might be inserted in it giving power to the now
governing bodies and commissioners to be appointed by
the bill to deal with the constitution and revenues of Eton
and Winchester College.,.
Mr.
,MOWBRAY defended the bill, and said he be-
lieved that most of the schools ware anxious for legisla-
tion, and under such circumstances ho hoped the house
would not agree to the recommendation of the hon. mem-
ber fcr Oxford. The hon. gentleman had urged matters
that ought to have been considered four years ago, and
after the'exertions that had been necessary to advance the
bill to the present stage he hoped the house would refuse
to agree to take the course proposed by the hon. member
for Oxford city.

Mr. NEWISEGATE objected b the bill, but ho did so
on different grounds to the hon. gentleman opposite. He
dissented from the provisions of the bill, because excep-
tions were maao in favour of one school in preference to
another.

Mr. AYRTON said the present arrangement of th 3
public schools was altogether a fashionable one, and the
sooner it was more usdal to the public in gmoral the
better.

Mr. GOSOJIEN was vary anxious to go into committee
on the bill.

Mr. LOWE said it was useless and impossible to endea-
vour to educate the general public by this method. Ho
thought it was absolutely necessary that the head mister
should be made to feel the necessity of doing all that
was in his power for the commercial success of his school,
irrespective of endowments ; if not, the effect of
:in appointment, without reference to that important
prospect, one made merely to look after the endowments
would result in very bad effects. He thought it abso-
lutely necessary that there should be a strict examination
in these establishments every year, but he contended that
it was worse than useless to endeavour to carry out the
public schools solely with a view to endowments. (Hoar,
hear.) They must adopt a free trade system in their
public schools, and without they did so they would never
succeed in making them what they were intended.
Sir S. NORTIIOOTE said he was exceedingly anxious
to get into committee. The great object of the bill was
to improve and not revolutionize the education given
'n our public schoels, and therefore he hoped no 111.1110C3S-
i.sry difficulty would be raised in the way of progress.
Mr. FORSTER thought a groat want now was a first-
olass establishment where a parson could give his son a
liberal education for less than £2,000. He hoped to see
'ho day when it would bo no rarefy to see the clever sons
,1 poor parents so rise up through examination, so that,
with certain improvements to be introducA, they might
'►e enabled to secure for themselves a high class education.

Mr. WALPOLE thought the present discussion might
*ell terminate, as he had consulted th, best authorities,
old ho could positively s y that the bill at present gave
the fullest power to the governing body, in conjunction
,vith the commissioaers, of sc arranging all the property
.1 the different public sch:.)ols as to secure their being de-
voted to the best purposes.
After some further di3cussion, in which Mr. D. Griffiths,
\lr. ACland, and Mr. M.trsh took part, Mr. Neate with-
leew motion, and the house want into committee; Mr.
Dodson in the chair..

On clause 1 a sharp diadussion aroso as to tho title of
the bill, Mr. ACLAND contending that there wdro other
schools quite as much entitled to bo considered " public"
chools as those dealt with in the bill. He moved the
omission of the word "public" from tho clause under con-
sideration.

The amendment was negatived.
Mr. AYEITON wishe t to know why St. Paul's school
in the City of London was ex eepted from the operations
of the bill. It was at present ua ler the direction of the
"Mercers' Company," but what that woe he defied any
person in Parliament to fiai out. He hal dons his utrtfost
to obtain some information on the subject, but he had
been invariably told, when he appliea at the " Mercers'
Hall," that they male it a fundam.stntal principle never to
give any information about the governing body. This
comfortable and, no doubt cosy city company had
.a sum of nearly .£1.0,000 per annum to administer as
the income of St. Paul's School, and the
number of scholars -they undertook to educate
was 153, who swallowed the whole of the £),609. (Hear,
hear.) The property from which this revenue arose was
situated in the Tower Hamlets, and it so happened that
there was a very poor charity school on it, which was
actually starring for want of funds. He went to endeavour
to get a little assistance from the rich groan 1 landlords
of the poor charity school—viz., the Mercers' Company
when he was toll by a remarkably well-fed locking
personage at Mercers' Hall that he could give him (Mr.
Ayrton) no information as to whom he was to
apply. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He used all the
diligence he was able, but he faile I altogether to
discover who and what was the governing body of the
Mercers' Company. They ha 1 already been permitted to
treat Royal Commissioners with contempt, so it was not
surprising they did not give him information they denied
ether more important personages. He wanted to know
what the Mercers' Company aid? (Rear, hear.) They
did'nt assist reduced tnercors—(loud laughter)—or did
anything else than receive a large amount of
money which they expended as they thought fit, without
the slightest statement or balance-sheet ever being
how to any person. He knew they hail en-
tirely diverted the original intention of the original
founder of St. Paul's School, because the admission into
that educational establishment in the City was
only to be had by tha securing of the patronag t
.f one of the mysterious Mercers' Company.
(Laughter, and hear, hear.) It was whispered that two or
three families formed the company, and that they divided
the patronage amongst them. Whether that was so or
not ho did not know, but as the school was omitted from
the bill, ho supposed there was some reason for it. How-
ever, as he washed that all educational legacies should be
put to their legitimate purposes, he should move that St.
Paul's School be added to the establishments dealt with
by the present bill. (Cheers.)
Mr. LOWE said he bad au amendment that required
consideration before that, of the hen. member for the
rower Hamlets was disposed of. ill° then moved an
amendment to the effect that the appointment of the
government be left with the commissioners.
A discussion followed, after which the house divided.
For the amendment 7 69
Against it
Majority against the amendment —B3
After the consideration of clauses 4 and 5, the sitting of
the house was adjourned until 9 o'clock.
At the eveuing sitting,

Mr. BRIGHT called attention to a petition which lio
presented some weeks ago from Nova Scotia, complaining
bf i s absorption into Canada by the Confederation Act of
est year. • Tracing with much minuteness of detail the
history of this question of Confederation for some years
:>ast, Mr. Bright maintained that the Nova Szotians had
never agreed to anything beyond as union of the mari-
..ime provinces; that the legislature in sanctioning. the
Ulan had acted contrary to the wishes of the pesple ;
that the assent of the Mitish Parliament had been
Artained, if not by frau 1, at least by extravagant over-
!olouritag of the facts ; and that the Government,
when they were pressing Vie bill on with inlecont
haste, knew that Nova Scotia wa_s averse to it. As
proof of tlw pubic opinion in the colony, ho mentioned
hat at the last general election out of 57 members elected
o the local and the colonial Parliam.mt only three were
in favour of Confederation, although the influence of the
Colonial-office, of the military services, of the Canada offi-
cials, and the name of the Queen had been used on that
side. Mr. Bright proposed an address to the CroWn 'ray-
ing that a Commission may be sent out this autumn to
inquire into the causes of the discontent felt by the Nova

Scotiaus; and from such an inquiry ho anticipated either
that some modifications might be made in the Con-
federation, which would Inert the wishes of Nova
Scotia, or that the union might' be confined to
the maritime provinces, or tA, the jCanadas alone.
To refuse the inquiry would be to follow up
the foolish haste of last year by more perilous obstinacy,
and ho warned the house in his most solemn tone—depre-
cating, of course, any such unhappy result—that to turn a
deaf ear to these complaints of the colony would be the
first step towards throwing it into the arms of the United
States.

The motion was seconded by Mr. LAXTERI and op-
posed by

Mr. ADDERLEY, who, admitting that discontent did
unfortunately exist in Nova Scotia at the present moment,
laid down three propositions,—that the allegations of the
petition were entirely unfounded; that if they were true,
to send out a Royal Commission would be au insane act ;
that whatever discontent existed was being removed by
a totally different process. In his turn he entered into
the history of the Confederation movement, but drew
from it the opposite conclusion that the proposition
had originated in Nova Scotia, and that it had been car-
ried out with the thorough consent of the people as well
as the Legislature. The Imperial Parliament had acted
simply as a Ministerial agent to give effect to their wishes,
and the Act was almost the ipsi3sima ver3a of the resolu-
tions of the colonists. Mr. Bright's allegation that the
recent elections had been unreservedly against Confe,:te-
ration he contradicted directly, and the discontent,
which he admitted, was not greater than was po,haps
natural at the commencement of such an experiment,
and not greater than existed in the United States
when first the Federation was established. To send
out a Royal Commission would be ,to embarrass and
paralyse the Colonial Government at a critical moment,
and would destroy the monetary credit of the Domi-
nion. But the difficulties were rapidly being overcome,
and in a little time longer Mr. Adderley confidently ex-
pected they would disappear altogether. The influence
of Nova Scotia had been almost dominant in the Domi-
nion Parliament ; numerous changes had been made in
favour of the maritime provinces, and their free-trade po-
licy was getting the better of the protectionist leanings of
Canada: Confederation was the only alternative of an-
nexation to the United States, for these provinces could
not remain for ever in an indepweent position; and he
earnestly urged the house not to sanction the first step to-
wards a reactionary policy.
Mr. S. AYTOUN supported the motion, holding that
the Nova Scotians hal never consented to confederation.

Mr. CARDWELL, lamenting the existence of discon-
tent, appealed to the history of Confederation to show that,
so far from Nova Scotia being taken by surprise, the
first proposals had proceeded entirely from her, and it was
Canada which had long continued to hold back. When
the union of the provinces was carried out it was but
natural that discontent shold arise from the dislocation of
interests and prejudices, and from the assimilation of
tariffs and other changes, but it would pass away, as a
similar feeling had passed away in New Brunswick. But
he protested strongly against a step which would assume
that the voica of the Legislature did not represent the
people, and would be a hazardous interference with
colonial self-government.
The motion was supported by Mr. Gorst and opposed
by Mr. Karslake ; and, after a rather angry reply from
Mr. Bright, the house rejected it by 183 to 87.
The LORD ADVOCATE brought in a bill to amend the
law regulating Municipal Elections in Scotland.
Mr. M'EVOY attempted to bring on the second reading
of his Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, although Mr. Hardy ad-
vises him to defer it until the Lords' Report, just agreed
to, had been communicated to the Commons. But on a
division the adjournment was carried by 142 to 82.
Mr. GLADSTONE'S Suspensory Bill was read a third
time and passed, with a final protest from Colonel S. Knox.
The other business was disposed of, and the house ad-
journed at 10 minutes past 1 o'clocic.

chewing tobacco which can be passed through a
riddle of 16 meshes to the square inch, and on all
refuse scraps and sweepings of tobacco, a tax of 16
cents per pound. After the passage of this act, all
manufactured tobacco is to be put up and prepared
by the manufacturer for sale or removal, or for sale
or consumption, in packages of the following de-
scriptions, and in no other manner :

"All snuff in packages of 1,2, 4,8, and 16 ounces (ex-
cept yellow snuff), which may at the option of the manu-
facturer be put up iu bladlers, not exceeding 10 pounds
each. All fine-cut chewing tobacco, and all other kinds of
tobacco not otherwise provided for, in packages of 1,1, 2,
4,8, and 16 ounces, except that flue-cut chewing tobacco
may at the option of the manufacturer be pat up Ls wooden
packages of 10,20,30, and GO pounds each. All smoking to-
bacco, all fine-cut shorts which can be passed through a
riddle of 16 meshes to the square inch, and all refuse
scraps and sweepings of tobacco, in packages of 2,4, 8, and
16 ounces each. All cavendish, plug, and twist tobacco in
wooden boxes of the following dimensions :—Owside mea-
sure —eights, 7 inches square and 14 inches deep; thirds,
10 inches square and 15 inches deep; halves, 14 inches
square and 12 inches deep; three-quarters, 11 inches square
and 19 inches deep ; and every pack-age shall have printed
or ms:-ked thereon the manufacturer's name and place of
manufacture, and the registered number of the manufac-
tory and the gross weight, the tare and the net weight of
the tobacco in each box. Provide], that these limitations
and descriptions of packages shall not apply to tobacco and
snuff transported iu bond for exportation and actually ex-
ported. On cigarettes, cigars, and cheroots of all descrip-
tions made of tobacco or any substitute thereof, $lO per
thousand ; and the Commitsioner of Internal Revenue
may prescribe such regulations for the inspection of cigars,
cheroots, and cigarettes, and the collection of the tax
thereon, as shall in his judgment be most effective for the
prevention of frauds in the payment of such tax."
The law provides for the collection of the tax on
tobacco in all its manufactured forms, by means of
stamps, excepting such as is intended for exporta-
tion. The stamps are, to be affixe Ito the packages.
On fermented liquors there is substantially no
change.. On all beer, lager beer, weiss beer, ale,
porter, or other similar liquors, by whatever name
such liquors may be called, a tax of $1 for every
barrel containing not more than 31 gallons, and at
a fractional part of a barrel, which shall be brewed,
manufactured, and sold, or removed for consump-
tion for sale. The provision of the old law for the
removal of fermented liquor for storage, without
being' previously stamped, is struck out. The most
marked change in the law is in the department of
distilled spirits. .The new law is drawn with clear-
ness and perspicuity. The arrangement as to fines
and penalties is in such a way as to leave but little
business to the discretion of the courts. The tax is
retained of $2 a gallon, although it is said that a
majority of the committee was in favour of a lower
tax. The principal feature of this section of the
law is, that the distilling can be carried on only by
the holders of the fee-simple of the property, or,-in
case where the ground on which the distillery is
situated is leased, the owner of the distillery must
bring in an instrument from the ownerof the ground
consenting to the use of the premises for
.distilling
purposes, and that he fully understands the obliga-
tion which he assumes by the lease of the premises
for such purposes. A non-compliance with this
condition forfeits)he entire property. Any person
permitting his premises to be used as a means of
egress or ingress for illicit distilleries is amenable
to the loss of his property. The license fee is in-
creased on every registered distillery having a still
or stills intended for the distillation of spirits, and
of an aggregate cubic capacity of not more than
300 gallons, $3 a day, and in addition $1 per day
for every measure of cubic capacity of 100 gallons
or fractional part thereof in excess of 3,000 gallons ;
but any distillers who shall stop work as provided
by this Act, shall not be compelled to pay on any
distillery more than $2 per day during the time the
work shall be so suspended in this district. The
provisions touching distilled spirits cover 50 sec-
tions of the new bill. The tax in all cases is to be
paid at the distillery. No transportation in bond is
allowed except for exportation. The tax is to be pre-
paid bymeans of stamps, and no barrel is allowed to
be transported without a stamp affixed to it. The
Government is in possession of a stamp for this pur-
pose, which could not be removed without insuring
its 0'.711 destruction. Stamps are furnished at a
mere nominal charge for such casks or barrels as
may be refilled. The tax on gross receipts re-
mains substantially as now, with the exception of
theatres and other places of amusement, which,
in addition to the two per cent. tax, are to
pay a specific tax on each performance ranging
frOtn $2 to $2O, according tositting capacity. Every
person giving a performance is reqaired to provide
himself in advance with a permit for so doing, the
nrice of which is regulated by the sitting capacity
of the place of entertainment. The owner or lessee
of the place in which the entertainment is given is
held liable for the tax. It seems to be the opinion
that this part of the law is so framed that the no-
torious evasion of the tax heretofore practised may
be stopped.
But few alterations have been made in the law
relative to .btitikers' and brokers' sales, incomes,nmes,
legacies, and successions, excepting the pilovision
for a more perfect administration of the sale. The
bill exempts manufactures from taxation substan-
tially in accordance with the law which was passed
several weeks ago.
The only articles which are continued from the
old list are ground coffee, gas, spices, and petro-
leum. The tax on gas is reduced from 23 cents per
1,000 cubic feet to 10 cents ; and the tax on refined
petroleum is retaine I at 10 c?,nts a gallon. The tax
on imitation wines remains substantially the same,
and the bill contains nothing about iron or coal.

The bill contains 15 sections on the subject of
banded xvarchoases, and consolidates into one act
all existing internal tax bill.

The Mining and Scientific Press says--" It is
estimated that as many as 8,000 articles arc ex-
empted by the new law, the most important of
which, as affecting this coast, are as follows
:
Bullion, books, boilers, boots and shoes, bags, brass
work, candles, chemicals, carriages, cloth, clothing,
furniture, powder, glue, glass, hats and caps, iron
products, lead, leather, lard and linseed oil, masts,
spars, cordage, pickles, printed matter, prints, pho-
tographs, paper, pottery, quicksilver, turpentine,
lime, water craft, wool, soap, salt, sails, steam en-
gines, &c. The repeal of the tax on the various
articles which enter into the business of ship-
building, it is thought will do much towards reviv-
ing this important branch of our domestic industry.
It is to be hoped that since Congress has seen the
necessity of such. an important reduction in the
burden of national taxation, as bearing upon the
middle classes, it will soon be found willing to go
one step further, and exempt all incomes from,
taxation which do not exceed the sum of $2,000.
The derangements of business and depression of
currency, consequent upon the war has so in-
creased the cost of living in this country, that but
few persons with large families, and resident in
cities or in populous neighbourhoods, can sustain
themselves in anything like a comfortable manner
on $2,000 a year in currency. To such the income
tax is a burden too grievous to he borne, and the
revenue now derived therefrom should be collected
from the property of the country. But the corner
has been fairly turned, and let us hope that the
country is now about to enter upon a road which
will lead to prosperity and repose." General
Schenck reported the bill on the 27th May, saying
he should ask to have it considered in Committee of
the whole on the next day and every day after till
disposed ofrbut it is doubtful whether an affair so
long can be finished this session.

TuE BOUNDARY • C6SIMISSION.—A return has
been published, which shows that the foes paid to the
assistant boundary commissioners for their services
amounted in the aggregate to £7,40 14s. The number of
days during which they were ocznpied varied from thirty-
seven to sixty-six, and the rats of remuneration from three
to five guineas a day.
[An —Holloway's Pills. -Safety amidst
Dangers.—Surrounded on all sides by the causes of dis-
ease man must keep up a constant watch if he would pre-
serve or recover his heala. These purifying pills present
the most certain and effectual means of removing all ob-
noxious matters from the blood, at the same time that they
regulate any disordered actions which their presence has
induced. The harmless and strengthening balsams of
which Hollo.y.,ay's pills arc 'composed render them peed-
Early well adapted for the young.and delicate, who can
with impunity bear only tender treatment. In 'the nur-
sery this mild aperient and universal purifier should al-
ways be at hand ; in rising families attention to Holloway's
directions and their early application will prevent much
future evil.

CARDINAL CULLEN'S LE7TER.

--1 s

The letter of Cardinal Cullen to the Mayers
correcting the assertion of Marshal MacMahon
that cases of cannibalism had occurred during
the famine in Ireland, cannot fail to call the
attention of France, in whose eyes it is the
ambition of every Englishman that his country
should stand well, to the slow and reluctant
process by which Ireland is being emancipated
from the ban of religious persecution. The
Cardinal's letter speaks of Marshal MacMahon's
Irish ancestors as distinguished among Catholic
chieftains in resisting the sanguinary persecu-
tions of English Protestantism under Crom-
well, and France sees with amazement that,
after the lapse of two hundred years, Ireland
is still struggling for emancipation from the
greatest injustice that could be inflicted on a
Catholic nation—the establishment of an alien
Church in its midst. As long as the Pro-
testantism of England could manage to domi-
neer over the Catholics of Ireland without
danger of exciting in Ireland civil commotion,
or of attracting the indignant attention of
Europe, the Irish Church was allowed to stand
in all its flagrant injustice. But no sooner
had Fenianism disturbed the peace of the
Empire, and excited the curiosity of Europe as
to the manner in which Catholic Ireland was
governed by Protestant England, than the
people bestirred themselves—at least the ma-
jority who are happily no longer under the in-
fluence of Protestant bigotry—with a right
goodwill to remove a great injustice, and to
wipe away a stain on the national honour.
England wishes the wrong it has done to be
forgotten or not to be spoken of, least of all
in France, even before the promised restitution
has been made. Hence the sensitiveness, which
the Times could not conceal, at the publication
in the Ftench papers of Cardinal Callen's letter
to Marshal MacMahon. There was nothing
really in his Eminence's letter to make the
Times wince, beyond the fact of its alluding
to the sanguinary persecutions which Catholic
Ireland has suffered from Protestant England,
to the patience and Christian resignation which
the Irish people had shown under a famine
unexampled in Europe for its severity,' and to
the ties in religion and race, which bind Catho-
lic Ireland to France. But the letter, itself,
renewed the recollection of the fact, that after
a prolonged and sanguinary persecution,
Catholic Ireland still has to bear the badge
of Protestant ascendancy, and still suffers,
on account of its refusal to accept the Pro-
testant religion, a treatment which no other
nation of Europe is subjected to except un-
happy Poland, between which and the Ireland
of to-day, of course, no comparison exists.
We can forgive the Times its silly assertions
about the supposed foreign proclivities of
Catholicism on account of the shame which
it betrays lest the true state of things concern-
ing the treatment which Catholicism has so
long received at the hands of an antiquated
bigotry, which is now about being laid aside,
should become generally known out of Eng-
land. Shame is the symptom of amendment.
We really believe that the time has come to
treat and to speak of Catholicism, both in
England and in Ireland, with more justice
and with more veracity than has hitherto been
the case. Juster ideas have come upon the
people of England, and, in spite of political
necessities, we believe the day is gone by
when a "No Popery cry" could be successfully
raised. Our friends and neighbours on the
Continent will watch on this account the
coming elections Ivith interest and curiosity,
and with, perhai3s, here and there the un-
avowed hope to catch perfide Albion, tripping.
We trust that we may do nothing which, as a
nation, we shall be ashamed to avow before the
face of Europe.—Westininster Gazette.