The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

ELECTIONS

Mr. Burr obtained leave to bring in a bill to limit the
time between the proclamation and an election in coun-
ties, and between the receipt of the writ and the election
in boroughs ; to limit the holding of elections for the
Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and otherwise to
regulate the proceedings of elections.

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
amend the act for the more effectual prevention of cruelty
to animals by extending the power of appeal.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17.
A new writ was ordered for West Worcestershire,in the
room of General Lygon, called to the Upper House.
Mr. W. BROWN presented a petition from the guardians
of a union in Lancashire, referring to a recent decision
with respect to the settlement of bastard children, and
praying for an alteration of the law.

HOP DUTY,

Mr. FREWEN moved a resolution that the Excise duty
on hops is impolitic and unjust, and ought to be repealed.
He mentioned instances of the injurious effects of the tax,
from which, he contended, the hop-planters ought to be
relieved.—The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped
the House would not be disposed at present to enter upon
a full discussion of this important question. If Mr.
Frewen proposed to repeal the tax, he (Mr. Gladstone)
objected, that the House ought not to repeal a tax until
it had ascertained what was to be the expenditure of the
year. If he desired only to condemn the tax, nothing
had a worse tendency than for the House to indulge in the
ventilation of abstract opinions upon particular taxes with-
out being prepared to give the country the benefit of its
thecon de n
Housen at i
wo ne.e
dOrne
feei te he e rt
eg
er on ut
enrdt
e,
ihne
twhaes
some discussion the motion was negatived by J 77 to 93.
iicaoontio'inn.cedAtfhteat

THE CASE OF TIIE MADIAI.
Mr. KINNAIRD moved an address to her Majesty to
take steps for bringing under the notice of the Grand
Duke of Tuscany the strong feelings prevailing in England
in consequence of the persecution in Tuscany of those
who profess the principles of the Protestant religion. The
case of the Madiai indicated a religious reaction and a
determination on the part of the hierarchy of the Church
of Rome to put down Protestantism by force wherever
the civil power enabled them to do so, and on this ground
he asked the house to call upon her Majesty's government,
in concert with the governments of Prussia and Holland,
to remonstrate, not dictatorially or menacingly, but in
the name of religion and humanity, with the Grand Duke.
He gave the details of the arrest of several Florentines
for no other offence than reading the Bible, to show that
the persecution was systematic ; thousands, he said, living
in Tuscany under a reign of terror.—Mr. LLTAS opposed
the motion. He said, admitting, for the sake of argument,
that the Tuscan government were to be blamed for punish-
iug the Madiais for the clime of proselytism, what had
been the conduct of this country in respect to Romanists
persecuted in different parts of the world ? 'Who ever
heard of our Secretary of State remonstrating with the
Emperor of Russia for persecuting and torturing Roman-
ist nuns ? Had not Lord Palmerston actually re-
commended the expulsion of the Jesuits from Switzerland ?
The conduct of that noble lord in the case of Tahiti was,
he contended, exactly parallel with that of the Grand
Duke of Tuscany. At this moment acts of persecution
were going on against Romanists in Protestant countries
quite as deserving of our interference as the case of the
Madiai, and he should bring some of them before the
Huse. The system of law in Sweden WB5 quite as per.

secuting as that Of Tuscany, and in Mecklenburgh Rolnisb
priests had been conducted by the police across oil
frontier for the crime of saying mass in private..--Lorn
JOHN RUSSELL said his conclusion was, that if
Protestant state should condemn persons because they he:
become Romanists, or taught others to become so, sic"
conduct was morally wrong, Mr. Lucas had said We
were not justified in considering ourselves friends of reli-
gious liberty while we were indifferent to persecution!
against Romanists. But it could not be maintained tba;
such was our general conduct ; in no part of our dooli"
nions were persons punished for endeavouring to induce
Protestants to become Romanists. Persecution for reli-
gious opinions was odious and detestable, and the Govern'
ment of England was justified in raising its voice against it•
Holding this opinion, he recommended the house to leave
this case in the hands of the Government. Its voice had
been heard, and he trusted that, although the Madiei and
others might suffer, the general opinion of the world world
secure religious liberty.—Mr. BOWYER said the Madiej
had been convicted not of a spiritual but of a civil offence.
—Mr. Daummoivn observed that religious persecution,
even by the Inquisition, was always justified by the pies
that the offence was against civil society. Before tb,eo,
Romanists were condemned, however, Protestants should
look a little at what their own conduct was. They said
the Romish priests bad by their: authority put down the
Scriptures; and so they had. Protestants had taken the
Bible, and by it they destroyed the Church. Now, the,
might as well begin to mend their own ways first, far
they had not gone the length of persecution of the nil;
holders of the Church, it was simply because they cola,
not do it, and the language that had been made use 01
towards such men as the Bishop of Exeter and °there,
who had upheld the authority of the Church, showed whet
was at the bottom, and what Protestants would do if thef
could.—ln the course of the further discussion on tile
sul ject, Lord PALMERSTON defended himself from the
accusations of Mr. Lucas. The motion was ultimatelf
withdrawn. MANCHESTER EDUCATION. .

A select committee was appointed to inquire into the
state of education in the municipal boroughs of Manches;
ter and Salford, and in the contiguous townships 0
Broughton, Pendleton, and Pendlebury.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Sir Charles Wood, President of the Board of Control,
took the oaths and his seat on his re-election for the
borough of Halifax.

RELATIONS WITH FRANCE

On the order of the day for going into committee of
supply,
Mr. DISRAELI proceeded to call attention to the veil
important subject of our relations with France. After 0
peace of nearly 40 years' duration, it was somewhat start'
ling to find rumours afloat that that long interval of trail'
quillity was at length likely to he disturbed; and he felt
justified, therefore, in making some inquiries upon the,.
subject. These rumours had acquired force from the fact
that this country was increasing its armaments, which
cou'd be only for the purpose, as was supposed, of resist'
ing some contemplated foreign aggression. He OW
nothing on the part of the present ruler of France calew
lated to excite alarm. It was stated that he was hut the
instrument of the army; but he would remind them that,
however much might be dreaded from an army r,e•
turning from conquest, there was but little to be
dreaded from the fact of an army, under other circunV
stances, being in the ascendant. France might, there'
fore, be under a military government, but it did not fo/'
low that it was under a warlike one. He deplored a great
deal of what bad passed in France, and sympathised with
the fallen ; but the moral he drew from all that had taken,
place was, that it was extremely difficult to understand
French politics, and that as long as the French govern'
merit and people acted properly towards this country to
all our commercial relations, so long we should be satin'
fled, and leave entirely to them the management of theit,
own domestic concerns. He quoted a speech of Lord
John Russell on the affairs of France, deprecating the
attacks in some portions of the press against the French
President. When that speech was made the noble lord
was prime minister. He was now one of a new ministrl,
and his (Mr. Disraeli's) object was to know how far the
sentiments of that speech were still the sentiments of the,
noble lord, and how far they were shared in by his OP
leagues ? He then referred to the speech of Sir Jame°
Graham, who had spoken of the Emperor of France as 6
despot who had trampled on the rights and liberties o`,
40,000,000 of people, and said he would not be so impel.'
tinent as to speak of such a speech as an indiscretion oa,
the part of a minister who was one of all the talents, and.
he must therefore assume it was designed. With reepeo
to the speech of Sir Charles Wood, he would say that b 6
believed he did not mean to say anything offensive,
but he had a habit of saying offensive things without:
meaning it, which he could only say was a most awkward
accomplishment. He concluded a most effective speech
amidst loud cheers from all parts of the house.—Lord .1'
RUSSELL said the speech of the right hon. gentleman
was full of party spirit, and notwithstanding the risk of
raising suspicions as to the integrity of the relations of
the two governments towards each other, he persevered
in a course of observations which it would be absurd t 6
deny were deeply imbued with faction. He proceeded t°
reply at some length to the observations of Mr. Disraeli,
and said the two objects nearest his heart were the fur'
therance of education and the amendment of the repre-
sentation of the people, to both of which he would direct
his attention as circumstances might seem suitable.—Al
q
COBDEN said there was great mistrust in the public rain;
owing to the inconsistency between the declarations and
the actions of both the last and the present government'
He thought by a little diplomatic management that a°
arrangement might be come to by which this rivalry
armaments might be put an end to, and the force of either
country materially diminished.—Sir J. GRAHAM Said
that no one could be more desirous than himself for the
maintemance of peace, and denied that he had called the
Emperor of France either a despot or a tyrant. It we°
when declaring his opinion that this country was not Pre-
pared for universal suffrage that he referred to Franc'
which he described as a country celebrated for its eon;
nence in arts, arms, and science, and which, notwithstan°,
ing the possession of universal suffrage, had prostrated
its liberties at the foot of a single man.—After some fur-
ther discussion the subject dropped.

THE NAVY ESTIMATES.
Sir J. GRAHAM, in moving the navy estimates, said
they were not recommended on any ground of a hostile
character towards any fgreign power whatever, but for
reasons which had been sustained by the reports of to!
committees. He stated that the next aggregate increase
amounted to £399,905, upon the three items of wage!:
victuals, and stores, and he indicated the cause of Ow
increase. He gave explanations of various reductions,
savings, and improvements in the naval departments ; 13„
developed the views of the government with relation 11
matters connected with our steam and general navy ;_ andr
tendering further elucidations when desired of the differa.
votes, concluded by moving a vote of 45,500 men for till
service of the navy, including 12,500 marines, and 2,00
boys.

This vote was agreed to after discussion, and also tha
following votes, viz., £1,236,000 for the M.' r SennlV

and marines, and £615,456 for victualling.
The committee then adjourned.
THE JEW BILL.
In answer to Mr. Walpole, Lord J. RUSSELL said if be
could bring on his resolution respecting the oaths, and
with reference to Jewish disabilities, before eleven o'clol
on Thursday night, he should do so. If not, he shoill
postpone his motion to some other day.
The house shortly afterwards adjourned.

h Ronlish
cross the
te.—Lord
hat if I
they had
so, such
said we

s of rell-
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fined that
ur Out

;".o. induce
for reli-
t GOVern•
against it.
to leave
voice had
adiei and
rld would
e Madiai
ii offence.
.secution.
r the pies
efore the,
its
'hey said
down the
'aken the
tow, that
st, far

the
ley uoulo,
le use 01
otherS,
wed what
lo if thel
n on the
from the
Mimed/

into the
Nlancbes;
iships of

Controlr
i for the

niittee or

the veil
After
iat start•

of troll'
I he felt
upon the
the fact
s, which

)f resist'
He Satl
caICW
Uut the
em that,

lrmy re'
e to be
circure'
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not fol'
A a great
ised with
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iderstseu
govern'
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Do satlS'
of tbelf,
of Lord
ting the
French
ble lord
ninistrl,
r far the
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his col'
r Jame

ice as t
nI
rties

imper.
o 0
nts, and
reepeeS
that 116
ifensive.
withoq
sckwara
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Lord .1'
atlernan
risk of
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eded
)israelit
the fur-
repre-
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is nolo",
ons ano