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    [ the committee whole matter in unsatisf...

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    ¦ — I 4kperial Parliament. —?—- 3fondny,...

    their Lordships' House . The schools at Woolwich and at Sandhurst will not be continued exactly as they are ; but both will be maintained , so that officers may get commissions in the artillery and engineers at Sandhurst as well as at Woolwich . INDIAN AFFAIRS . Earl GbanvIlle laid on the table the correspondence between the Indian Government and the Board of Control which had arrived by the last nj « il . The facts contained in it were the same as those published in the journals of that morning , the substance of which appears in another column of our this day's paper . The noble Earl read the correspondence in full .

    JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL . The Lord Chancellor presented a petition from 2000 creditors of the Royal British Bank , in favour of a measure for the relief of creditors of any joint-stock bank that should become insolvent ; and moved the second reading of the Joint-stock Companies Bill . He described the provisions of the measure , which have already been detailed during the proceedings on the bill in the other House , and said the object of the bill wa 3 simply to give to the creditors of joint-stock banks which have become insolvent the same relief as they would have in the case of an ordinary bank . —The bill was read a second time , after some discussion .

    THJE GOVERNMENT TRANSPOBX" SERVICE . The Earl of Hakdwicke called attention to the mod « of hiring tonnage for the transport service of the Government . He objec : ed to the system adopted during the late war of hiring vessels by the gross tonnage , and intimated that it -was preferable to hire vessels by the registered tonnage . —Lord Stanley of Alderley said he was unable to give any explanation on the subject , because the hiring of those vessels is under the control of the Admiralty .

    CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS TO INDIA . The Earl of Ellenborough complained that old and alow vessels had been employed for conveying the troops to India ; to -which Lord Panmube replied that the vessels were clippers , which are understood to be the fastest sailing boats . It . was believed by many that sailing vessels can get on quicker than steamers ; but , in deference to the wishes of those who have relatives in India , he had ordered five screw steamers to be taken up for the transport of the remaining soldiers .

    POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA . The Earl-of Hardwicke asked whether any arrangements have been made for expediting the Indian mails through France . He understood that the course which the French Government took was this : —They sorted their own letters first , and until that was done they did not allow the UnglisJi bags to leave the post-office doors . The consequecce was that the English mails were detained at Marseilles for the space of twelve or fourteen hours , when , under a different arrangement , they might be at once forwarded . —The Duke of Argyll admitted the importance of the question , and said he had taken some trouble to inform himself of the facts respecting the arrival of the Indian mail for the last six months .

    He was glad to say that the noble Lord had overstated the case , for in no instance during that time had there been a delay of more than twelve hours . In February , the French Government made a special arrangement , which was of a satisfactory character . They despatched only two mails from Marseilles ; but , in case the . Indian mail arrived within two hours after the departure of the morning mail , English letters would be forwarded by express train . The French Government , however , refused to forward mails by express train at night , lost any accident should occur . He might mention , that on the arrival of the mail on the 10 th of June— -a very important one—it -was at once forwarded by express train , ( £ fear , hear . ) The House adjourned at ton minutes to aoven .

    OB AND JURIES ( METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT ) BIIX .. The House ov Commons having gone into committee on this bill , Mr . Bowyeh moved ( with a view of defeating it ) that the chairman leave the chair . —Sir Fmedkriok Thksiger ( with whom the measure origin nated ) remonstrated against this course , and referred to the importance of the measure . —A long debate followed ; but , on u division , Mr . Bowyer ' s motion was negatived by 187 to 80 . No progress , however , was made , the discussion on tho iirst clause continuing till four o ' clock , when the House adjourned till tho evening , after an announcement . by the Serjeant-at-arms that lie had John Tiedre iu custody . He was ordered to tako that individual before the Lambeth election committeo when required to do so .

    MAYO ELECTION . Mr . Soiiolisiuuld appeared at tho bar of the House , and presented u report from tho seleot committee on the late election for tho uuunty of Mayo . The committee had doolarod thnt G . II . Mooro , Esq ., was not duly elected ; that tho last ulootion , so far aa regarded Mr . Moore , was a void election ; that Mr . Moore was , by his agents , guilty pfundu « influence and spiritual intimidation at such election | thai : in ihu exorcise of such influonco and intimidation , ttto ltuv . fetor Conway and tho Rev . Luke Ryan wero no pnuniiu-ntly active , that tho committee doomed it their duty to report the circumstance specially to the House , in order tuut It might take suoh steps as

    it might think proper . In conclusion , the committee reported that it did not appear that Mr . Moore was cognizant of such influence and intimidation . bury st . bdmund ' s election . The committee reported" that Joseph Alfred Hardcastle , Esq ., was duly elected .

    THE INDIAN DESPATCHES . Mr . Disraeli called attention to the full despatches just received from India , and wished to know when the Government would appoint a night for the discussion of the events described-iri them . —Lord Palmerston said it would be for Mr . Disraeli to choose his own time for bringing on his motion , as soon _ as the papers were submitted , which would be as early as possible . — Lord John Russell was anxious to know what the Government intended to do , now that they had received the despatches of the Governor-General . —Lord Palmerston stated that the Government had already determined on an amount of reinforcements which exceeded rather than fell short of the amount asked for by the Governor ^ General in his despatches . The Government felt no alarm , yet they were determined to act so

    as to meet every contingency . —Sir John Walsh inquired whether the late General Ansoa had given any warning of the existence of disaffection in the Indian army . —Mr . Mangles stated that since the mutiny had broken out he had made a special search iu the despatches of the late General Anson which had been received by the East India Company , and he could not find one word of warning lip to the very day of the outbreak . —Mr . "Vernon Smith , in answer to Lord John Manners , made the same statement as far as the Board of Control was concerned , —Sir Charles Wood , in answer to Admiral Duncombb , stated that no warning had been given by Sir William Gomm . —Sir De Lacy Evans said the country would expect that a day should be named by Government for the discussion . ( Cries of "No , no .

    THE CIVIL SERVICE . Viscount GotoERiCH moved— " That , in the opinion of this House , the experience acquired since the issuing of the Order in Council of the 21 st day of May , 1855 , is in favour of the 1 adoption of the principle of competition as a condition of entrance to the Civil Service , and that the application of that principle ought to be extended , in conformity with the resolution of the House , agreed to on the 24 th day of April , 1856 . " The Government had not realized its pledge of last year : instead of advancing ,

    it had retrograded . Influence is purchased in boroughs by Government appointments to the sons and relatives of electors ; and this at a time when the House is endeavouring to put down the exercise of other kinds of influence on the electoral body . —Viscount Raynham moved , as an amendment , to add the vrords ,. " and that it is desirable that the nomination of all persons desirous of competing for vacant appointments in the Civil Service should rest with the heads of the departments in which those vacancies occur . "—The amendment fell to the ground for want of a seconder .

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer denied that there had been any breach of faith . An . advance in the practice of limited competition had been made in England , Scotland , and Ireland . The system had been adopted in England in appointments to tho Auditoffice , the Board of Trade , the Civil Service Commission , the Colonial-office , the Education Department , and the Homo-office ; and the principle had been recently extended to the Customs and Inland Rov « nue departments , the National Debt-office , tho office of Woods , the office of Works , the Police-court in Bow-street , the Poor Law

    Board , and the Treasurj ' . In Scotland , the system had been applied to the Registrar-General's office ; and in Ireland to the office of the Chief Secretary , to the constabulary office , to the loan fund , to lunatic asylums , and other offices . The Foreign Minister intends to introduce the same system in the appointments of clerks to the Foreign-office . The principal departments to which the limited competition system had not been applied were the Admiralty , the Post-office , and tho India Board . — A short discussion ensued , during whioh Lord Palmerston intimated that he would accept the motion . It was then put and agreed to .

    PRIVATEERING . Mr , Lindsay moved an address for copies of Mr Marcy'a letter to the French Government in answer to the communication to the American Cabinet of the resolution of tho Paris Conference upon the subject of privateering ; and of any other papers or correspondence that may have passed between the British Government and other Powers upon tho same subject . Ho was of opinion that , in timo of war , private property at soa should bo protected , aa well as private proporty on land . —Lord Palmhrbton said , it was not usual to ask ,

    or for tho Govornmont to grant , copios of correspondence between two foreign States . In fact , the Government was not in official possession of n copy of Mr . Maroy ' s letter . Tho recent President of tho United States had proposed that private property at sea should bo no longer oubjoot to oapturo ; but tho now President had intimated his dosiro that no answer should bo sont to . that proposition , and that the correspondence on tho subject ' should bo suspended . ' —Mr . Bicntjncic argnod that for this country to go to war with another country , and not to attempt to cripple its resources in trado by tho navy would bo a moat lamontablo mistake , —Lerd John Russell said tho

    whole matter was in . a very unsatisfactory state . Hitherto , the manner in which we had been able to bring great wars to a conclusion was by crippling the resources of the enemy , and that our policy always had been , that the- flag of the nation covers the goods . —Mr . Lindsay then consented to withdraw his motion . —Sir Charles Napier said it was quite impossible that the ques ' tion could remain as it was . —The motion was then ¦ withdrawn .

    THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE . Mr . Charles Buxton moved that an address be presented to her Majesty praying that she will be pleased to employ all the means in her power in order to put down the African slave trade , and to obtain the execution of the treaties made for that purpose with other powers . Slaves often undergo the most fearful torments at sea , where they frequently perish in large numbers . The trade ought not to be allowed to continue ; but the Cuban slave trade is increasing . There would probably soon be a large supply of cotton from Africa ; and nothing would facilitate this more than the suppression of the slave trade , the tolerance of which by Spain is in direct contravention of treaty engagements . Merely on commercial grounds , England has a direct interest in endeavouring to suppress the slave trade ; besides which ,

    her own honour and dignity are concerned . Might we not adopt the same course with respect to Cuba which had already been pursued in connexion with Brazil ? As regards the importation of free negroes to our colonies , it was true that that course might on some grounds be desirable ; but such an importation would probably lead to a revival of the slave trade in Africa . —Mr . Newdegatk pointed out that the predictions of Lord George Bentinck as to the effects , adverse to freedom , which must result from free trade in sugar and cotton , had been amply verified . —Mr . Watkin alluded to the increase of slaverv in the southern portion of the United States , and stated " that 7-12 tlis of the cotton worked up by our manufacturers are the produce of slave labour . More would be done to put down slavery by promoting a supply of free labour cotton , than by the use of a f leet of armed cruisers .

    Lord Palmerstox said-it would be mortifying indeed if the noble exertions of this country to put down this horrid traffic were defeated by the breach of faith on the part of nations whom , we had induced to join in treaties for its suppression . It was evident ,, from the fact that the inhabitants of Africa . are clothed in cotton , that , if our manufacturers would endeavour to stimulate the growth of cotton there , that vast continent might furnish us with a arge supply . The case of Spain and Cuba is somewhat c ifferent to those of Portugal and Brazil . Ho hoped tae motion would be carried by a unanimous vote ; arid no exertion should be wanting on the part of the Government to give it operation . ( Hear , hear . ;—The motion was unanimously agreed to . Some formal business was then disposed of , and the House adjourned at a little turned half-past twelve . Wednesday , July 15 th .

    POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS . In the House of Commons , in answer to Mr . Moody , Mr . Bouverie said that under tho Poor-law Amendment Act the overseer of a parish is entitled , in cases of urgent and pressing necessity , to give orders for medical relief . In an individual case referred to ( which occurred somewhere in Somersetshire ) , he thought that the county court judge was wrong on the point of law as to the liability of medical officers . There was no intention of altering the general law in this respect . Undoubtedly , it imposed some hardship upon medical officers if thoy attended to orders of this kind where the cases were not of urgent necessity . Of course it required caution in such instances , to avoid deciding that cases were not urgent which might afterwards turn out to be so .

    JUDGMENTS EXECUTION , & O ., BILL . The House having gone into committee on this bill , the opposition to it was continued by Mr . French , Mr . Maguire , and others ; and , as there appeared to bo no chance of proceeding , Mr . Craufurd consented , on the suggestion of tho Cord-Advocate ( who , however , regretted the opposition ) , to withdraw the measure , but at the same time intimated that ho would reintroduco it at a future period .

    fitARRIED WOMEN ' S BIIX . On the motion for the second reading of this bill , Sir J . Y . ' Bullish moved that it should bo road a second tiino that day six months , and foundod his objections to tho measure on the bad effects it must produce in social life , —Mr . Moncicmon Milniss ( whoso name was on tho back of tho bill ) said that in Frunce tho grout majority of marriages arc under a law , in regard to j > roj > orty , much tho same as that in England , but tho property of each party is protected by a prohibition to alienate any

    portion without the consent of both . Ho thought tho property of womou In England required some protection , and urged tho House to assent to tho second reading of tlte bill , in the hope that any objections to its provisions might be remedied Iu committee , or by the law lords when it was nont up tp the llouso of Poors . —Mr . MAssky , understanding that tho Attorney-Gonorul approved tho principle of tho bill , could not consent to voto for tho amondinont . 13 ut ho thought it would bo bettor to refer tho mousuro to a select committee , as several of its details greatly noodad revision . — Mr . Haditimi . i > remarked upon tho present unsatisfactory state of tho law

    [ The Committee Whole Matter In Unsatisf...

    . Mgt THE LEADER . [ No . 382 , Jitey 18 , 1857 . D , # O ' ¦ ¦ ' - ' ¦ :

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 18, 1857, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_18071857/page/4/