The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-17 00:00:00

COUNCIL) BILL.

The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the third reading of
this bill, and said that the Judicial Committee ha€t thought
that it was their duty to inform her Majesty that the two
orders in council did not meet the exigencies of the changes
which occurred from time to time in ecclesiastical pro-
perty, therefore this bill was introduced.
The bill was then read a third time and passed.
The hcuse then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
COVENTRY ELECTION PETITION.

The Commission appointed to try the merits of the
petition against the last return for Coventry reported that
they were of opinion that Mr. Jackson was unduly elected,
on the ground that bribery had been committed by his
agents.

THE SPEECHES OP THE REVS. MR. FERRARS
AND MR. LAVELLE.

In reply to Mr. COGAN and Mr. CAvENDISH BENTINCK,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND said his
attention had been called to the speeches of the two rev.
gentlemen mentioned. The speech of Mr. Ferrars was
delivered at a Protestant Defence Association meeting,
and although ho was of opinion that the speech in ques-
tion, was of a very violent character, it was in fact no
violation of the law, and therefore no prosecution was in-
tended to be taken. The other speech was delivered by
the Rev. Mr. Lavelle at a dinner given to that
gentleman in Dublin, on which occasion the room
was decorated with the namos of 3Pllanus, Meagher,
Wolf Tone,
Fitzgerald, and O'Brien, persons convicted of
treason. He felt that the speech was a most mischievous
one, yet it was not prudent to institute criminal proceed-
ings against the rev, gentleman at the present moment.
THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.
Captain VIVIAN asked the Chancellorof the Exchequer
whether the estimate of the probable expenditure on ac-
count of the Abyssinian expedition, which was presented
to the house in November last, was likely to be exceeded ;
and if so, whether he was prepared to say to what extent,
and what were the circumstances which account for the
same ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
usual for hon. members to wait until the financial stato-
meht or budget was brought before the housa to
ascertain the result of certain estimates, because
it was highly inconvenient for the public service
to have the information got by piecemeal from the Go-
vernment by means of questions put across the table.
However, he would answer the question on the
present occasion, because the public mind had
been made uneasy by the publication of certain
statements in the newspapers with respect to the great
expenditure the country would be called upon to make on
account of the expedition in Abyssinia. His noble friend
in November last stated that, in the event of
the expedition lasting until the end of April,
the amount required from the Consolidated Fund
would be three and a half millions or four millions
of money. From the best information he could obtain
upon the subject ho felt he was quite correct in saying
that down to the present time the expenses would be
covered by the lo west of those two amounts. (Hear,
hear.)

THE STATE OF IRELAND-THE ADJOURNED
DEBATE.

The adjourned debate on the state of Ireland was re-
sumed this evening by

Mr. MONSELL, who commenced by congratulating the
hon. member for Cork upon the ability with which he
had brought the motion forward, and the interest it had
occasioned not only in that house but throughout the coun-
try. He then went on to refer to the state and condition of
the people of Ireland, and said there could be no question that
they had improved in education, and the result of that
was, that as a people they had become more sensitive and
more difficult to govern except upon the principle of
justice. (Hear, hear.) They might make all the efforts
they could to further improve education in Ire-.
laud, but until they made the University of Dublin a
national institution they would fail. (Hear, hoar.) Having
touched upon the land question, he commented upon that
part of the question which it had been decided not
to interfere with by legislation, and in the course of his
remarks the hon. gentleman said it would be impossible for
any Government to improve the condition of Ireland until
the house had decided the great question which so affected
the well being and tranquillity of that country—namely, the
question of the maintenance of the Established Church in
Ireland. The great disturbing element in Ireland was the
want of religious equality, and when that was brought
about in that country, the Irish people would
support the national institutions quite as loyally and ener-
getically as either the English or the Scotch. (Hear.) lie
put it to the house whether it was wise at this particular
period to carry ou a religious warfare. Lot them fully
consider the question of the Established Church
in Ireland, and to obtain tranquillity let them
at once place it on a footing of equality. It
was the last link of the chain of conquest they were
called upon to break, and as the last portion of an ascent
was always the most difficult, so led urged the Govern-
ment to go onward—they would be sustained by the
strong arm of justice, and the great reward for all exertion
—a reward which a statesman would most truly value—
would be the stability of peace in Ireland. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BUTLER JOHNSTONE next addressed the
house. He condemned the policy of the Government to-
wards Ireland. He denied it was what the First Lord
of the Treasury had stated it to be, viz., a truly liberal