The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—(Tuts EVENING.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at five o'clock.

VOTE OF THANKS TO SIR ROBERT NAPIER.
The Earl of MALMESBURY announced to the house
that the vote of thanks to Sir Robert Napier, for the ser-
vices rendered by him in Abyssinia, would be postponed
until after the Whitsuntide holidays, in consequence of no
official despatches having been received.
CONSECRATION OF CHURCHYARDS AND
RELIGIOUS SITES BILL.

On this bill being committed,
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY moved as an amend-
ment to one of the clauses that the clergy of various de-
nominations should at a fixed time be allowed to come
into the churchyard to perform the burial service appsr-
tabling to their denominations.

TheThishopof OXFORD entirely object Id to this; ho
thought it would be highly inexpedient that the clergy of
the other denominations should be Wlowed at a fix,4l thou
to come into the churchyard and perform a service.
Thurefore he trusted that their lordships would not enter-
tainhis noble friend's amendment.

Tic bill was then viss.:-1. t lima rh committoc.
AItT IZ ANS AND LABOUltiilltS' DWELLINGS

BILL

Lord CHELMSFORD moved the second reading of this
1)11, and said that it was with great pleasure that he to ved
it. The eva which it wai in:tigat.) was daily and daily
increasing. It was calculated to confer happiness
upon a very large number of the ininib!tamts of our tarp
towns. S.veral bills ou the subLyci had been introduced,
but although read a secrutl tim none of them had passed,
although the last one passed without a division.
One of course of the objectors to this bill
would come from those who owned a large portion of these
buildings, but he would refer their lordships to some of
the statistics referring to these localities. In one
statement was to be found the particulars of
fifty-seven persons who had been sleeping, eating,
and living in the same tenement. and when one unhappy
sufferer died the corpse was left there, while his wife and
family were sent to the wcrkhouse. It was for the well-
being of the country that these horrible and not sin-
gular condition of the dwellings of the labouring
classes should be ameliorated. Ile knew that it was a
painful recapitulation, but it was beyond doubt necessary
that the very worst phases should be fully exposed.
He would refer to three great towns, Manchester, Liverpool,
and London. In them the overcrowding was so great that
it was found that 56 adult daughters slept iu the same beds
as their parents ; and in another that iu 99 instances adult
sons slept in the same z oom as their mothers and sisters, and in
37 instances in the same bed. In one most notorious instance
in the same room two sons slept with the mother, and the
husband, wife, and daughter in the same bed. In one
street (Lord-street) in Manchester through this over-
crowding there were 200 cases of typhus fever in nine
months. In 89 houses there were 3,050 persons.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Col. TAYLOR a new writ was
ordered to issue for Dublin in the room of Sir B. Guinness.

BURIAL CERTIFICATE§:

Mr. TAYLOR asked the Secretary of State for tho
Home Department whether his attention had been called
to the following passage in a charge to the Grand
Jury at Liverpool in March last by Mr. Justice Mellor :
"In conclusion the learned judge referred to frauds
recently practised upon burial societies, and said
that in many cares he feared that the registration of
death was a mere farce. In one of these cases, he said,
the doctor had given a certificate of death without being
aware that the person was dead, and if such was the usual
practice, and he was told it was, the soouor it was changed
the better."

Mr. HARDY said his notice had not been called to the
matter until the motion had been placed upon the paper,
but he made inquiry into the subject, and ho found that it
arose in consequence of two persons making declarations
in the presence of the registrar, and also bringing with
them the certificates of two medical man who had for-
merly attended the two persons represented as being dead,
but who were then alive. The making a false declaration
before the registrar was punishable with penal servitude;
but he had received no complaint that such false certifi-
cates had been used, as far as Loudon was concerned, but
he had received such au intimation from Manchester. He
did not think that any new system could be adopted withouta
reconstruction of the Registration Act ; but he thought if
proper vigilance was used the dangerous practice could
be put a stop to.
THE IRISH REFORM BILL.

In reply to Sir C. O'LOGEIL EN,
The Earl of MAYO said it was proposed to proceod
with the Irish Reform Bill on Thursday fortnight, when
it would stand as the first order of the day.
THE OUTRAGE IN JAPAN.

Colonel SYKES asked the Secretary of State for Fo-
reign Affairs what truth there was in the statement in
the China newspapers that our ambassador in
Japan, on a first visit of ceremony to the Mi-
kado or Emperor of Japan at Kioto, accom-
panied by a European escort, was attacked by Japanese
and twelve of the escort wounded: And, whether twelve
of the crew of a boat belonging to the French ship of war
Dupleix were assassinated on landing on the estate of
Prince Tose, near Osaka, and what effect these outrages
had on the relations between the British and French
Governments with that of the Emperor of Japan.
Lord STANLEY said it was quite true that Sir Harry
Parkes and his retinue were attacked by some Japanese
fanatics on his way to pay a visit to the Mekado, and
several of the party were wounded. The Japanese autho-
rities had done everything that could be desired in the
matter, and had gone so fer as to say that, in the event of
any permanent injury resulting to any of the persons iu-
jured compensation would be made them. (Hear.)No thing
had taken Vac° which wool I affect the gold relations
which now existed between this country and Japan. With
resp..ct to the murder of seine of the crew of the French
vessel named, that had alse been amicably arranged. The
Mikado was anxiou,, he believed, to cultivate the relations
of friendly nations, and had expressed his willingness to
adopt all the treaties entered into with the Tycoon.
(Hear, hear.)
MAILS TO THE CAPE.
Mr. CANDLISH askel the Secretary to the Treasury
if any contract had been effected with the Union Steam
Shipping Company for the conveyance of an iutermediato
monthly mail between England and tie) Cape of Goad
He pe.
Mr. BOOTH said a contract had been entered into with
the Union Steam Shipping. Company for the conveyance
of au intermediate monthly mail between this country and
the Cape. After the contract had been completed another
offer was made, but that was not nearly as favourable as
that entered into with the Union Company.
THE GENERAL ELECTION.
Mr. SA.NDFORD asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether her Majesty's Government intended to bring
forward any measure, and, if any, what measure, for the
purpose of shortening the period which, under the exist-
ing law, must intervene before a general election can
take place under the provisions of the Reform Act passed
in the late session of Parliament?
Mr. DISRAELI said the subject was under the con-
sideration of Government, but the difficulties in the way
were greater than was at first supposed. He, however,
busted that the difficulties would be surmounted, and in a
few days he would be able to make a communication to
the house.

Mr. GLADSTONE asked when it was likely the views
of the Government would be m.tde on the subject to
the house. Ho thought that if a select committee wai
appointed to look into the matter it would facilitate the
business.

AUSTRALIA.
Sir R. PALMER asked the Under Secretary of St de for
tho Colonies whether ho would lay upon the table of the
house the despatches from the Governor of Victoria
brought by the last mail.
Mr. ADDERLEY said the despatches would be laid on
the table in the course of the week.

THE WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAYS.
In answer to an 110 S. MEMBER,
Mr. DISRAELI said he proposed to move that the
house at its rising on Friday adjourn over until the fol-
lowing Thursday.
ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.—THE
Mr. DISRA.ELI, in moving that the house at its rising
adjourn until Thursday, said that it would be recollected
that he had placed a notice on the paper to move a vote of
thanks to Sir Robert Napier on Friday next, he at the
time supposing that certain despatches had been lost.
However, within the last 48 hours information had been
received which led hint to believe that those despatches
were in existence, and would soon be in the hands of the
Government, and, under such circumstances, feeling it
would be well that all tho information possible should be
in the hands of members, he should therefore postpone
moving the vote of thanks until after the Whitsuntide
holidays. (Hear, hear.)
The mo ion was then agreed to.
THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.

Mr. LABOUCHERE moved that, in the opinion of this
house, all sums required to defray the expenses of the
diplomatic service ought ti. be annually voted by Parlia-
ment, and that estimates of all such sinus ought to be sub-
mitted in a form that would. admit of their effectual
supervision and control by that hot's.). The boa. member
referred to a number of cases in which pensions wore now
paid, although the recipients were not beyond renderiue•
further service to the country. He also condemned the
system of sending expensive missions abroad fur the in-
vesting certain persons with the Order of the Garter,
which he thought could vary well be done by the am-
bassadors resident at the places. It was very pleasant,
no doubt, to the noblemen selected to go out on such
business, but it was not so to the tax-
payers. (Hear, hear.) He also thought the system of
agencies, as at present carded out at the Foreign-offiee,
wa3 highly objectionable, and ought to be abolished.
Lord STANLEY said some of the recipients of pen-
sions alluded to by the bun. gentleman had retired as long
as thirty years ago, but he was not responsible for more
than three of the pensions alluded to. The greatest en-
deavour was made at the Foreign-office to keep down the
expenditure, but he could not consent to the cutting down
the salaries of those who had left the country on the un-
derstanding that a certain sum would be paid for their
services. The rule was to place at tho disposal of the Fo-
reign office a lump sum of £lBO,OOO, with the understand-
ing that there was not to be any further money voted for
diplomatic service. If the expenditure of that sum was
questioned, it was open to bring the whole subject under
the consideration of the house. He must oppose the mo-
tion of the hon. gentleman opposite.
Mr. CHILDERS regretted that tho noble lord had
thought it his duty to oppose the motion of the hon. mem-
ber for Middlesex. He thought that there was much iu
the present system that might be-altered with advantage
to all parties, and therefore he had hoped that a different
course would have been adopted.
I LEFT SITTING.]