The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-10 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Tins DAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at two o'clock.
PAYMENT OF RATES.

Mr. WHITE asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department whether it was the intention of Government
to bring in a bill this or next session to give effect to the
recommendations agreed to by the right honourable
gentleman and a majority of the select committee
on Poor Rate Assessment, viz., that so much of any
public or local act as permits composition for rates in other
than Parliamentary boroughs should be repealed, and that
all local rates should be merged into one (consolidated)
rate, to be assesssed and collected togetder, so as to make
the future Parliamentary franchise for boroughs dependent
upon the payment of all or any local rate other than the
poor rate, as is now the statutory qualification by the Re-
form Act of 1867.

Mr HARDY sail he was hardly in a position to give an
answer to the question at the present time. Personally
he was of opinion that all rates should be merged and
collected by instalments ; what effect that would have on
the franchise ho could not say.

LAND DRAINAGE DILL.
This 1,111 pa.-sed through committee.
(LEFT SITTING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on. the Woolsack
at five o'clock.
SLIGO BOROUGH IMPROVEM.ENT BILL.
This bill was recommitted to a select committee.
THE BIRTH OF A PRINCESS.

The Earl of MALMESBURY moved that an address of
congratulation be forwarded to her Majesty on the birth
of a princess. He was sure that the great and good
qualities of the Princess of Wales endeared her to all
the nation, and therefore they would be happy to forward
this address of congratulation.
The Earl RUSSELL seconded this address, and it was
agreed to.
SIR ROBERT NAPIER.

The Earl of MALMESBURY then said that there was
a message from her Majesty.
The LORD CHANCELLOR road the message which
had been received from her Majesty, and which acknow-
ledged the groat services renderei by Sir Robort Napier,
and recommended the co-operation of the house to confer
upon him and his immediate heirs a sum of £2,000 per
annum.

The Earl of MALMES BURY then said that it would
be discussed to-morrow night.
THE BANKRUPTCY ACT AMENDMENT DILL.
Lord GRAN WORT LI moved the second reading of this
bill.

After a few remarks from the LORD CHANCELLOR and
Lord OVERSTONE the bill was read a second time.
UNIFORMITY OF PUBLIC WORSIIIP BILL.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in moving the second
reading of this bill, said that there could be no neces-
sity to wait for a third report from the Ritual Commission
as to the operation of this bill. Ho contended that the bill
dealt with incense and lights, besides vestments. He as-
serted that lights and incense used at: the Holy Com-
munion, except in the chapels of some of the highest
ecclesiastics had been utterly repudiated, and this had
been the case for upwards of 300 years. Ho (the noble
earl) maintained that the main provision of the bill were
in the 4th and sth sections. They enacted that
no minister should use, or allow to be used,
lighted candles, except they were needed thence-
forward by this bill they would be effectually abo-
lished. They said that such use would bo positively
illegal, and such a construction he thought would be put
upon them by their lordships.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY said he could not
feel justified in supporting the bill, and the Lord Chan-
cellor also objected to it as precipitate and inexpedient.
He did not at all object to the course which Lord Shaftes-
bury had taken, though he thought he had failed to ap-
prehend the spirit of the recommendations made by the
Royal Commisioners on Ritualism. He believed better
results would follow from postponing legislation on the
subject till next year. He deplored the practices to which
Lord Shaftesbury had referred, but thought their Lord-
ships ought to be particularly cautious and forbearing in
restrictive legislation with regard to them.
The Marquis of SALISBURY, in a short but most
earaest speech, utterly condemned the notion of hasty
legislation on this subject. It only required that Parlia-
ment should interfere and strike to the ground one of the
combatants in the great contest which had existed in the
Church for the last 200 years to add to that side all who
sympathised with those against whom Parliament legis-
lated, all those who took the weather bide, and all those
who hated the particular school from which the legislation
emanated. He was determined, he said, to oppose the
second reading of the bill.
The Bishop of CARLISLE as strongly supported the
bill, and declared that there was an honourable obligation
on the Government to support. After a few words from
Lord Stanhope, stating that ho should vote against a
second reading, in which ho was followed by Lord Russell
oa the ground that the time was quite inexpedient, Lord
Derby rose and moved the "previous question," in order
to avoid the inconvenience of a division on a subject which
was not ripe for legislation at that period of the session,
nor, at any rate, until after the report of the Royal Corn-
siisAon had been received.

After a few words from Lord SHAFTESBURY, the
previous questio❑ was moved, and the second reading of
the bill was not put.

On the report of the Compulsory Church Rates Aboli-
tion Bill, an amendment proposed to clause 7 by the Bishop
of Oxford was negatived without a division. Another
amendment by his lordship was also defeated on a division.
Eventually, after some short discussion, the report was
adopted.
Lord MALMESBURY gave notico of the course pro-
posed to b© taken with regard to the Scotch Reform Bill
to-day, and the other orders of the day haviag been dis-
posed of, their lordships adjourned at a quarter to nine
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 1 o'clock.
THE NEW REFORM BILL.

Mr. CANDLISII asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether, in consequence of the decision in the Court of
Common Pleas of Saturday last, in the case of Stamper v.
the Churchwardens and Overseers of the parish of
.Sun-
derland, having the effect of excluding many thou-
sands in that and other boroughs from the franchise, whom
Parliament, by the Representation of the People Act of
last year, intended to enfranchise, he would bring in a
bill this session to amend the 7th section of that act, so as
to give the franchise to those occupiers of parts of houses
whom that decision excludes from its possession.
Alr. DISRAELI said the decision did not app3ar to him
to go to the extent the hon. gentleman anticipated. All
persons occupying lodgings, according to the 7th section,
might claim to be registered, and, if entitled, they would
of course be placed on the registry. He was not prepared
to bring in any bill on the matter.
_ _

Mr dOLDIVEY said the decision would not affect the
registry to the extent supposed by the hon. member for
S underland.

Mr. DENHAN said he hal been asked to give his
opinion on the judgment. Mr. Justice Montague Smith
was particularly clear on the subject. The occupiers of
small houses, and not the owner, would for the future be
rated to the poor, but the difficulty would affect only those
not rated separately before the passing of the Act. It
ought to be generally known that the decision would not
at all affect or exclude from the franchise the owners of
flats or floors where the owner did not reside on the
premises.
PAYMENT OF RATES.

Mr 11. B. SHERIDAN asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether it v as the intention of Government
to take any steps this session to give effect to the recom-
mendation contained in the report of the select committee
on the subject of rates, particularly with reference to the
payment of rates by four quarterly collections ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
not desirable to introduce any such measure. The over-
seers had now certain power with respect to taking rates
by instalments, which was quite in accordance with the
recommendation of the report of the select committee.

ARTILLERY PRACTIOE AT DOVER AND
PORTSMOUTH.

In reply to Mr. Sergeant GASELEE,
Sir J. PAKINGTON said doubtless there was great
want of care with respect to the artillery practice at both
places, and he had written to Dover and Portsmouth for
an explanation of the circumstances of their shots striking
the vessels in the roads. He was not yet in possession of
an answer from Dover, and as far as the conduct
of "icertain officers was concerned, he thought the house
would agree with him that it was best to be well-informed
of the whole circumstances before any steps were taken.
THE WINDSOR REVIEW.

Lord ELCHO asked if any steps had been taken with
respect to the charges of insubordination which had been
made against certain regiments taking part in the late
review.

Sir J. PAKINGTON said ho had boon in communication
with General Lindsay, and they had decided that a court
of inquiry should be held. lie had received a report from
one commanding officer, and he had called for explana-
tions from another, and two Lord Lieutenants had been
written to. Until he received the whole of these commu-
nications ho could not state what would be the course pur-
sued.