The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-03 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Lxsr EVENING.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at 4 o'clock.
Mr. E. EGERTON (answering a question fr )m Mr.
Layard) stated that a commercial treaty with Austria had
been signed at Vienna on Wednesday.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE (in answer to Mr. Bouverie and
Mr. Bazley) gave some explanations of his dealings with
the East Indio. Irrigation Company; and the house after-
wards spent some hours in Committee of Supply on the
Navy Estimates.
Mr. HARDY replied by pointing out that there was no
abridgment of the processes of registration, and the Select
Committee had satisfied itself that no mischief could hap-
pen from shortening the revision.
The house was:cleared for a divisioa, but the opposition
was not pushed to this length, and the bill passed through
Committee without an amendment, except that clause 29
was struck out.

The Corrupt Practices Bill Mr. Disraeli fixed for the
first order on Monday, adding significantly that this ar-
rangement would give the house an opportunity of pass-
ing the bill if it desired.

A considerable number of bills wero forwarded a star,
and the house adjourned at 25 mioues past 1 o'clock.
SUPPLY—NAVY ESTIMATES.

The Louse then wont into committee of supply, when
Lord EL LENNOX, the Secretary of the Ada-I:ratty, moved
the remaining votes.

On vote 3, for the salaries and expanses of the Admi-
ralty-office,

Mr. LUSK complained of the continued growing- excess
of this vole. lie, th3refore, on the present occasion moved
that it be reduced by the sum of £G,300, the amount by
which the vote for the present year exceeded that of last
year.

On Vote 4 (Coastguard Service, &c.), a reduction of
X 20,000 for the Royal Naval Reserve was made. It was
suggested by Admiral Erskine, and accepted by Lord 11.
Lennox (who, in the absence of Mr. Corry, had charge of
the Estimates), on its b3ing shown to involve no effoctivo
reduction, but a mere question of account.

On Vote 6 (Dockyards), Lori IL LENNOX explained
various changes recently made in the shipbuilding pro-
gramme for the year, the principal items of which are that
the new turret ship will be built in the dockyar 1, and the
ship of the Invincible class in a private yard, thus revers-
ing the original arrangement. A new Osborne is also to
be laid down this year, and Deptford yard will be closed
at the earliest possible moment. Lord floury also took
the opportunity of defending the success of the Admiralty
in shipbuilding, specially replying to Otptain M'Kinuon's
recent criticisms on the performances of some of our iron-
clads. There was a long and desultory conversation on
the questions connected with the Vote, and it was ulti-
mately agreed to on the understanding that the discus-
sion on the shipbuilding policy of the Admiralty will be
taken on Vote 10.

At half-past 10 the house, according to previous arrange-
ment, took up the Registration Bill, and its committal was
preceded by a livelyand energetic prutest against its whole
policy from the Cons 3rvative bm'thes. The first note was
raised by

Col. BA.RTTELOT, who expatiated on the absurdity
of extending the franchise atd in the same breath passing
a bill which would prevent thousands from getting on the
register.
Col. MELLER enforced the same objection to the bill,
but with even greater vehemence, and
Mr SMOLLETT, in his usual caustic vein, ridiculed the
notion of meeting in Decemb3r merely to decide whether
Mr. Gladstone should cross from the left to the right of the
Speaker.. Despite loud cries of " Question" from the Op-
position, Mr. Smollett persisted in raking up the events of
the session to point his taunt that nobody desired this in-
terruption of the ordinary course but the satellites round
Mr. Gladstone, who expected to come in with hint ; for
the Liberal party, if they had not mistrusted their osten-
sible leader, could have changed the Government at the
beginning of this Session.