The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-04 00:00:00

PETITION.

Lord WESTBURY presented a petition praying for an
alteration in Courts of Justice in Scotland, and stated that
he quite condurred in it, and should after the Easter recess
call attention to the matter.
THE LAW OF PARTITION.

The LORD CHANCELLOR would request their lord-
ships to bring in a bill which should contain a law
to be called tho Law of Partition. He did not at that
stage intend to enter into any details, but observations
concerning it would be printed and circulated. .

The bill was read a first time.
AFFAIRS IN CRETE.

Lord STRNTIIEDEN rose and called the attention of
the house to the correspondence with regard to the dis-•
turbauces in Crete.

The Eail of MALMESBURY said if he had heard aright
the points were what was the state of the rebellion in Crete,
and what was the policy of the Government with regard to
the Cretans. Now the question had been whether it ever was
the endeavour to adjust matters amicably, without inter-
fering with the rights of another Power, though there
had been so much cruelty, but not so much as had
been stated. According to the statement of Mr.
Elliott, the insurrection had died, and that of late there
had only been a few skirmishes. The fact was that the
Cretan war was a religious one, and they were ruled over
by a Pasha who was a most worthy man, and he thought
he might say that the amiable weakness of that gentleman
was that when the insurrection broke out he allowed them
to go so far that they thought they could go farther. The
Turkish Government had now appointed two Christian
governors. They also felt a delicacy about interfering
with the operations of foreign Governments, and it would
be long before they would be induced to interfere in any
way actively.
After a few remarks from the Duke of ARGYLL,
Their lordships adjourned.

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

On tho motion of Colonel TAYLOR, a new writ was
ordered to issue for Launceston, in the room of Alexander
Henry Campbell, who had accepted the office of steward
of the Manor of Northstead.

THE IRISH CHURCH.-THE ADJOURN•
MENT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Mr. DISRAELI said ho thought it would be better, at
the present opportunity, to state the course the Govern-
ment intended to pursue with regard to the adjournment of
the house fcr the Easter holidays. Although he had for-
merly stated that he could make no announcement on the
subject until the division had been taken on the motion now
under the consideration of the house, he thought it would
be for the general convenience of the. house if he stated
that it was his intention to move that the house, at its
rising, adjourn until Monday, the 20th April, There was,
he thought, no doubt that the house would divide
to-night—there certainly might be some difficulty in
the matter, but he thOught under any circumstances
there would be a division, and the right honour-
able gentleman opposite would either find himself in a
minority or majority on the question that the house
go into committee. If the motion of the hon.
gentleman was defeated then the arrangement
he had to propose would of course altogether alter ; but
supposing for a moment it was found to have a majority
—(loud laughter, and cries of " hear, hear")—the course
the Government would pursue had been indicated by
more than one of his hon. colleagues. What, therefore,
he proposed was to offer no further opposition to
the next stage, but to consent to the house going
into committee on the resolutions pro forma, and
then to 'report progress ; and after Easter he should be
happy to give the right honourable gentleman opposite
every facility for proceeding with his motion. (Hear.)
There was certain business always fixed for the Monday
and Tuesday after the recess, and the Budget was set
down for Thursday, beyond which day it would be most
inconvenient to postpone it. As it was for the conve-
nience cf the house that the debate should be carried on
during consecutive evenings, therefore he should propose
to the right hon. gentleman to proceed with his com-
mittee on Monday, the 27th. He had to inform the right
hon. gentleman that he should give his resolutions his
most unequivocal opposition. (Loud cheers from the
Ministerial side of the house.)
Mr. GLADSTONE said he had to make a protest upon
one ground only, and that was that it was inconvenient
to alter that day, which had been settled last evening,
as many members might not be in the house.
(hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman had stated
that if any objection was made to his proposed arrange-
ment he should not feel bound to sustain it, but as far as
be was concerned he (Mr. Gladstone) thought all had
been done as far as was convenient, and it would
b 3 most convenient that the debit° should
proceed uninterruptedly, and therefore some
parties must be prepared to make sacrifices. (Hear, hear,
hear.) He did not wish that the country should see
any evidences of hurry in the matter. (Loud cries of
" Hear, hear" from the Ministerial side of the house.)
Monday and Tuesday having been appropriated, and
Thursday having been already fixed for the Budget, and
supposing that which the right hon. gentleman thought
impossible—(hear, hear)—
Mr. DlSRAELl—Unreasonable.

Mr. GLADSTONE—WeII, we all see so many things
that are strange- (loud laughter)—but under all the
circumstances he was not at all inclined to ob-
ject to his taking the first day after that
fixed for the financial statement for the bringing forward
his resolutions, which he should be prepared to do on the
27th of April. (Loud cheers.)
GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE.

Mr. D. GRIFFITH asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether it was the intention of the Government to
advise the Crown to confer a title of dignity on one of the
members for the borough of Thetford ; and whether this
honour is due to any arrangements with the Government
as to the representation of that borough.
Mr. DISRAELI said the hon. member was in th 3 habit
of asking questions which did not comply with the habits
of social life, and, as far as his experience led him, at
variance with political life. On reading the question
he was at a loss to know what was the meaning of it.
He thought at first somebody had been telling the hon.
gentleman something—that somebody had been practising
on his frank intelligence. (Loud laughter.) He then
thought that he had been made the amiable
vehicle of bringing forward some particular
claim. (Loud laughter.) He must ask the house to grant
him its sympathy whilst he endeavoured to grapple with
the question, which ho considered was not put either
in a personal or delicate style. lie could not
say who " the one member for Thetford" was.
Neither the Lord Advocate nor the other hon. gentle-
man who sat for tho borough had made any application,
and therefore it had never occurred to him that it was his
duty to suggest to her Majesty to confer distinction upon
either of the hon. gentlemen.

Mr. HORSMAN said it seemed to him that the arrange-
ments of the Government made the great subject at pre-
sent under the consideration of the house a matter of in-
difference and contempt by their not making it
the subject of the slightest consideration. (Hear, hear.)

• ,
Mr. CRAWFORD asked whether it was proposed to
take the second reading of the Irish Reform Bill as at pre--
sent arranged.

Mr. DISRAELI, in reply, said ho did not propose to
make any alterations in arrangements already made. The
second reading of the Irish bill would be taken before that
for Scotland.

The motion that the house at its rising stand adjourned
until the 20th April was then agreed to.
THE REGIUM DONUM.

In reply to Mr. VAnE,
_ _

Mr. GLADSTONE said he thought such questions as
those that had been of late put with respect:to withholding
certain votes that it would be the duty of Parliament
to agree to a plan for the further destribution
of the ecclesiastical endowments of the Irish Church, if it
was agreed that endowments should cease, all other en-
dowments and grants would also have to be considered.