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    Mr . M'CulloelL observed , " There is not , I believe , a sane person in the empire who ever read a line of it , or ever will . " { Laughter . ) No less than 1 , 750 copie 3 of this report were , however printed and circulated at the public expense . —Mi-. Disraeli reminded Mr . Walpole that the chairman of the printing committee has practically the power of preventing an appendix of iinreasonable bulk from being printed . — The vote -was afterwards agreed to , as well as several others . —The Chaibjian then reported progress , and obtained leave to sit again .

    Christmas , 1852 , amounted to £ 44 , 000 ; and there remained due to him the one per cent , upon a million and a half for measurement , which would make a total sum allowed him for commission , of £ 59 , 000 . There had been a great deal of negotiation ; but the Government , thinking that their offer was a veiy fair and liberal one , had determined that no more money should be paid to Sir Charles Barry on account until he accented the arrangement proposed .

    He had not yet done so , and whether or not he would , he ( Mr . Wilson ) was , of course , unable to say . — Mr . Drcmmo > tt > denounced this arrangement as a fraud and an attempb to cheat Sir Charles Barry ; but Mr . Williams -thought the offer very liberal . —Mr . Mahks thoughb Sir Charles harshly used . —Some adverse criticisms on the frescoes were offered by Mr . Bowyer ; after which the vote was agreed to . — Several other votes were then adopted with but little or no dismission .

    On a vote of £ 30 , 361 for salaries and contingent expenses in the department of the commissioners for auditing public accounts , Mr . Bowser called attention to the Government neglect in managing the business of the Audit Office , where the public accounts are presented in a certain form , which has to Toe altered in accordance with the views of the Exchequer . —The Chancellor of the Exchequer said ihat the subject had alread-y received his attention , aod hie had framed the outline of a measure for consolidating the acts relating to the audit of the $ > ubKc accounts . He hoped to lay "before the House jfiaa details of the measure at an early opportunity . -Considerable discussion then arose with reference to

    ilie transference of thirty-six : clerks from the Audit Office to the War Department . It appeared that , -henceforth , the War Office will audit its own accounts —ra system to which . Mr . Williams strongly objected . He also complained that the salaries of the Commissioners of Audit , amounting to £ 6 , 300 a-year , were not brought before the House , but were charged upon the Consolidated Fund . —The Chancellor of the Exchequer , while admitting that departments ought not to audit thair own accounts , explained that the accounts audited b y the War Office are accounts , for the . _ most part , of expenditure incurred oh foreign stations end in colonies remote from the department , so that there it no connexion between the disbursers

    and the auditors . The salaries of the Commissioners of Audit were charged on the Consolidated Fund , in accordance with the long established principle that the Audit Board shoxud be placed on the same footing as the judges . —Lord Palmerston made similar statements with regard to the War Office auditing its own accounts , and contended that those accounts could not "be properly audited by persons ignorant of the regulations , —Mr . Hewlett asked how these accounts had been hitherto audited if it was impossible that they could be audited by the Audit Office ?—Lord Pal-MEitsioN said , his meaning was that the great bulk of expenditure being regimental expenditure , it could

    only be audited by the War Department , as it always had been audited from the earliest time by persons acting under the Secretary-at-War . —Mr . Wilson , who said ho would endeavour to explain , the matter as far as he understood it , stated that , finally , the accounts would be audited by the Audit Board ; but Mr . Henlex was still dissatisfied , and suggested the postponement of the vota—a suggestion which the CHANtHEt ' lob op Tans Exche quer resisted , though admitting that ho waa not sufficientl y acquainted with the details of military expenditure to be able fully to > explain the matter . —Mr . Disraeli urged the postponement of the vote , which waa ultimately acceded to by the Government .

    With , x ' eferonoe to the vote of ; £ 32 , 000 for secret service , Mr . Williams congratulated the House \ ipon the fnot that , not only had there "been no increase of this last vote in consecjuence of tho war , but that there was aotually a considerable reduction in its amount . On the vote of £ 458 , 275 for printing and stationery for tho Houboh of Parliament and the public departments , Mr . Wai-pom oallocl attention to the very iiorgo timoi ' . tit of tho vote , caused by printing unnecessary debniln in the appendices of Parliatnentai'y returns ami reports of committees , &o . —The 0 nANOEi > xou off the Exchequer , was glad that his right hon , fiuonrl had oalled attention to the largo amount of this vote , whioh equalled tho ontiro income of a small

    Gorman principality . There was , ho thought , great reason why aa attempt should bo made to reduce it within moderate limits . —Mr . Kisr / ucm differed from Mr . Walnolo , and conceived that % \\ o matter contained in the jvppondiooB is often extremely valuable , and that tho summary of tho chief renulta contained iti tho reports thomsolvos is not sufficient . —Mr . Wal-VOJM naia that all ho desired to nay was that boiuo pevfion ahould bo made responsible for tho mass of matter which was constantly printed , and whioh was an oonnfcantly unread . { A la-ugh . ) If any hon . member ¦ wished to havo an illustration of hia moaning , ho could g ive ono . It was stated by Mr . M'Oulloou that , in tb , p appendix to the second volume of tho Wine JJutioa report , th , Gvo wore tables oooupying 284 pages , doBoribing tho vivUingH of wine in different doolcH ; and

    Michell , amidst much laughter , said he had come to the conclusion that vaccination is not worth one farthing , and that , had it not been introduced small pox would be scarcel y heard of at the present day In fact , it had encouraged small-pox by making people more reckless . The bill was an arrant job for the benefit of the Board of Health . —Mr . Barrow Mr Miall objected to the compulsory powers of th a bill ' but it was read a second time . " ' The routine business having been gone through the House adjourned at twent y minutes to two nVlofilc .

    THE TREATY OF PEACE . During the discussion of the Civil Service -Estimates , Colonel French complained that no communication had been made to the House relative to the Treaty of Peace , and expressed his opinion that that omission was without precedent , and very disrespectful to the House . Lord Palmerston said : " I was in the House three minutes after the half hour , which is usually the time when notices of motion arc given and questions put . There were notices of motion previous to going into Committee of Supply , and there were also notices of

    Tuesday , April \ at . The House of Lords reassembled , for the first time after the recess , on Tuesday , when the Earl of MAtMESBURY , having expressed his surprise that u 0 communication was made to the House with respect to the conclusion of pnace , asked the Marquis of Lansdowne when the Earl of Clarendon would return to London . Till his return it would be inconvenieut to bring on the motion relative to the fall of Kars . — The Marquis of Lansdowne said , with regard to the conclusion of peace , he could only state that with which the House was fully acquainted from the public prints ; but he was ready to give auy explanation that might be desired . He could not fix the day of the Earl of Clarendon ' s return . —The orders of the clay were then disposed of , and the House adjoui-ned . A PARLIAMENTARY CONVERT TO 11 OMAN

    CATHOtr-CISM . _ In the House of Commons , Mr . Hutchins , who siace his election has embraced the Roman Catholic faith , attended at the table , and took the oaths prescribed by the act for Roman Catholic members . The hon . gentleman was introduced by Lord E . Howard and Mr . Mousell .

    THE CASE OP COLONEL HARNESS . Captain "Vkrnow asked if it were true that Colonel Harness , Deputy Inspector-General of Fortifications , had been removed from that military-office , in consequence of a departmental misunderstanding with the chief of the civil staff of the ordnance ?—Mr . MojHSELl , said : "I regret to state thstt the Hue Colonel Harness thought proper to adopt with reference to myself- in the discharge" of his civil duties as De pufcy Inspector-General of Fortifications has induced my noble friend

    Lord Panmure , to consider that it was not for the interest of the public service that Colonel Harness should continue to hold that office-. It is nevertheless only just to Colonel-Harness that I " should add , that both Lord Panmure and myself entertain the highest opinion of . his ability as a military engineer , and my noble friend has , in consequence , recommended to the Commander-in-Chief to appoint hini to one of the most important offices in the service , viz ., the command of the Royal Engineers at Malta . "

    PUBLIC EXECUTIONS . Lord H . Lennox inquired of Sir George Grey , whether his attention had been directed , to the cir < cunistances alleged to have occurred at the execution of William Bousfield , on Monday last ; and , if so , whether he would undertake to institute nn immediate inquiry into the case ?—Sir George G-rev siuid he had seen with great regret , in tho morning papers -that day , the statement referred to , and , immediately on reading it , had directed a communication to be mode

    to the Sheriffs of Londou and Middlesex , cnlling upon them to make a report of tho whole circumstances of the case . He had not received that report ; and ^ iudeccl , he could hardly have done so , as there had not "been time enough to prepare it .-Mr . Biaus inquired whether there was any intention on tho part of the Government to substitute private executions within the walls of tho prison for the present mode of executing criminals in public ?—Sir George Guey replied' that Government na < l no suoh intention .

    THIC DEFECTIVE JfOETAUS . Mr . Monskll , in answer to Mr . Malixs , mentioned that tho letter of explanation sent by Motsmvj . Grissol relative to the dofootivo mortars supplied to tho Government had . boon reforrad to a competent officer to report .

    COUNTY COTJHT JUDGES . Mr . lloianuoic moved a resolution that an address bo presented to her Mivjo . sty praying her to givo directions to the Lorda of tho Treasury that horoaffcor the salaries paid to tho County Court Judgoa whuuld bo equal in amount , ponnanont , and uot losa than £ \ t 5 W per annum . This proposal ho juatiuod on tho grounds that tho grantor part of tho civil judicature of tho country now ros ts on tho hands of tho County Court Judges ; that thoy havo , under tho existing hiy . stoni , to bow down to the Treasury benches to got ftn i » - eroaso on the .- £ 1 , 200 a-year thoy commonly oujoy ; and that that inoroaBa is only granted in ucoorilanoo with Parliamentary iufluonoo , or high oonuoxions . . Tudgofl , lio thought , should not moroly bo abovo Huspioion , but should bo exempt from tlio anxiotioH <> £ ' life . —Lord Stanley Booonded tho motion .

    Sir Guouaia Giuu y said ho had long cutorUuuod tho opinion , that tho payineutM of tho Jurigon HlmuM bo uniform , but Parliament had imposed on fcho Treasury tho doliqato task of deciding upon tho Ju < l ) , u » who should havo tho vtaximwn of £ 1 , f > 00 . A . bill hud boon introduced into tho Huuao of liorcls , whioh , if it

    questions ; aud I was as much surprised as other members could , be that the House was in committee at so unusually early an hour . If I had come down three minutes sooner , I should have made a statement which I am quite prepared to make now , though a very short one , and which conveys no information to members beyond that which they already possess . ( A lauylv . ) If it is a satisfaction , however , to my hon . friend to be informed officially of that which he already knows individually , I shall feel great pleasure in enlightening his mind , (^ rl laugh ) The House is perfectly well aware that yesterday , about two o ' clock , the Treaty of Peace was signed at Paris . { Hear , h ' . 'av ) Tho House will

    have seen by the announcement in the Gazette that it was determined by the Congress-that the particular conditions of the treaty should not he made public until the ratifications had been exchanged ; and that , indeed , is the usual ,-course , for the very obvious reason that deferenca is clue to the- contracting power 3 . At the same time , without going into any details of a question the main circumstances of which are already known to all the world , because they have been , published in every country in Europe , I may say that my conviction is that the Treaty of Peace will be deemed satisfactory by this country and by Europe . ( Hear , hear . ) It will be found that the

    objects for which the war was undertaken have been fully accompli shed . It will be found that by the stipulations of that Treaty the independence and the integrity of the Turkish Empire will be secured as far aa human arrangements can effect such , a purpose . It will be found that the Treaty is honourable to all the contracting parties ; and I trust that , while on the one hand it has put an end to a war which every friend to humanity must naturally wish to Bee concluded , on the other hand it will lay the foundations of a peace which I trust , as far as regards the dangers , from which the war arose , will be lasting and enduring . During the negotiations whioh have led to peace , I

    am happy to say that the same cordiality which prevailed among the Allies in carrying on the war has altsu mainly contributed to pea . ee , and we shall leave off at the termination of this v % ar in even stricter and more close and more extended alliance than existed during the continuance of tho war , and that tli e future permanence , not only of the good understanding , but of the intimate connexion between the groat European powers has been cemented and strengthened by the communications which have been made during these negotiations . I have nothing more to say than thisthat it must be gratifying to the country to know that nothing could exceed the ability with whioh the

    English negotiators havo performed their arduous and . difficult task during thoso negotiations . Lord Clarendon and Lord Cowloy havo not only maintained tho honour and the interests of tho country which thoy represented , but thoy havo , by 'their conciliatory conduot , secured tho reapoot , esteem , and goodwill of those with whom thoy had to communicate . { Hear , hear . ) The ratifications are to bo oxchangod no Boon a » they can bo rocuivod from Constantinople and St . Petersburg . Tho limitation of timo haa been fouv weeks , but I should hope tliat at lonst witlun three wooks those ratifications may bo exchanged at Paris . " { Hear , hear . )

    tXMIS DUTY . In an earlier part of tho ovoning , tho Cha-NCBLLou , oif Tim Exoiikquiou stated , in answer to Mr . BpooNim , that , urxdor tho present uot , tho war duties' on malt would dotormina on tho 5 th of July noxt after tho oxohungo of the ratifiootiona for a definitive troaty of peace It had boon ountoirmry to allow u drawback for tho stock on hand at tho time tho duty consod , and from this practice thero would bo no doviation when tho war duties expired . vaccination will .

    Mr . OowriCR moved tho sooond rending of thio bill , whioh has for it » objoot tho oxtonwiou of tUo system o vaccination , by a qualified compulsion . — Dr ,

    Untitled Article

    316 T H E L E A D E B . rNo 315 , Saturdav ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 5, 1856, page 316, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2135/page/4/