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Leader (1850-1860), 20th March 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 268, Untitled Article

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      —i-The Chancellor of the Exchequer said , there was a clear deficiency of 500 , 000 / . in the charge for the militia , and , as it was impossible , to calculate at present the amount of saving in the transfer of troopa to . the Indian Government ,, the Government preferred to come at once to Parliament for a vote . —After a short discussion , the report was agreed to .

      "WATS AND MEANS . The House then went into Committee of Wars and Means ; and Mr . Fitzroy ( the Chairman ) read the first resolution , which was to grant a sum of 500 , 000 ? . out of the Consolidated Fund towards the expenses of the army . —Sir H . Willouohby noticed that a novel clause had been introduced into the Appropriation Act last year , which seemed to sanction the application of nfoneys to other services than those for which the sums were voted . Sir G . C . Lewis said that the clause in question was almost peculiar to the Act of last session . The dissolution of Parliament in the middle of the session had

      induced the Government to follow the precedent of 1841 , in which a similar state of things had occurred , and in which the votes for the two great services had consequently been taken at two different periods of the session . They had not , in taking that course , enlarged in the smallest degree the powers which were given _ by the 27 th clause , or enabled the Minister to appropriate any sum to a purpose not specified in the other clauses of the Appropriation Act . —The vote was then agreed to , as was also a vote of 10 , 000 , 000 / . towards making good the payments out of the consolidated fund ; and the House resumed .

      MUTINY AND MAKINE MUTINY BILLS . These bills were read a second time , after some complaints by Mr . Baxter , Mr . Black , and Mr . Kinnaird , of the peculiarly oppressive operation of the billeting system in Scotland , and on the part of General Codrinqton , Colonel North , and others , of the inadequacy of the money allowed in the United Kingdom for billeting , the result of the whole being a promise of General Peel that he would give his best attention to the subject , with a view to the removal of some grievances which he believed to exist .

      CO 1 . ONIZA . TION OF INDIA . Mr . Ewart moved for a select committee to inquire into the progress and prospects and the best means to be adopted for the promotion of European colonization in India , and the formation of military stations , especially in the hill districts and healthier climates of that country , as well as for the extension of our commerce with Central Asia . He asked simply for inquiry , but expressed his opinion that the colonization of certain parts of India would be of great advantage both to ourselves and to the natives . —Mr . Baillie was of opinion that , even in the hill districts , Europeans cannot long reside without personal risk . Colonies would not be self-supporting , and it would be unjust to make the people of India pay the expense of establishing settlers there . and does not want

      India is a well-populated country , settlers , and the land is not the property of Government ; the greater part is private property , subject to the land-tax . Ministers would not throw any obstacle in the way of inquiry , but they thought the time inopportune . —Colonel Sykes , Sir James Elphinstonb , and Mr . R . D . Mangles opposed the scheme of colonizing India ; while Mr . Kinnajrd and Mr . Seymour supported the motion . —Mr . Turner insisted on the importance of promoting and facilitating a supply of cotton from India . —Mr . Cheetham and Mr . Nisbet highly approved of the appointment of the committee . —The motion was then agreed to , with the addition of the words " and settlement" after " colonization , " and the omission of the words " and the formation of military stations . "

      SAVINGS BANKS . Mr . Estcourt movod that Mr . Henley and Mr . Adderley fee discharged from further attendance on the Select Committee on Savings Banks ; and that Mr . Thomas Baring and Mr . Gregson be added to the committee . —Agreed to . The House adjourned at twenty minutes to nine . Wednesday , March 17 th . THE SEPTENNIAL ACT . In the House op Commons , Mr . Cox gave notice that on Tuesday , the 80 th of March , ho should nsk leave to bring in a bill to repeal the Act of George I ., known as the Septennial Act , with a view to limit the duration of Parliaments to three years .

      . Lord John Russell , in moving that the House resolve itself into a committee upon tho Oaths Bill , stated that it was his intention in tho committee to move tho omission of words in the 7 th clause which scorned to confirm tho oath to bo taken by tho Roman Catholic members , " -and ^ on the * report r to-propoBo-ft-ohango-in ^ tha . pr « amb ]| , o of tho bill , in order to make its object cloaror . —Mr . NnwDEGATfl approved tho course taken by Lord John . — Mr . DtiNOOMBB naked whether hin Lordship could give an assurance that , if tho bill passed , it would moot with a better recaption in another place than its predecessors on tho snmo subject , and , If not , whether ho adhered to hlu avowed intention to bring forward a resolution giving to Baron Rothschild his aoat . —Lord John Russell was precluded , by tho rulos of tho House from making any reply to this question , as ho had already spoken ; but , after awhile , Mr . Dxll-wyn movod that tho clobato bo

      adjourned , in order to give his Lordship an opportunity of answering , of which he availed himself , and observed that it appeared to be very difficult to discover who has the majority in that House , and that it would be very presumptuous in him to predict what would be the fate of the bill in the other House . As regarded the second question , experience had taught him that any decision regarding Parliamentary privileges which might come under the consideration of a court of law should be come to by the general consent of Parliament . The bill was framed in a most conciliatory manner , and he thought it was inexpedient then to discuss any Duscombe considered that Lord

      ulterior measure . —Mr . John had evaded the questions . He had evidently changed his mind on the subject , and the new bill indicated a retrogressive policy . —Mr . Hugessbn thought it would be time to consider ulterior measures after the present bill had been rejected , if such should be its fate . ftfr . John Locke thought there was little hope of the House of Lords agreeing to the bill , and he trusted that , in the event of its being rejected , Lord John Russell would move that Jews be admitted by a simple resolution of the House . —The House then went into committee on the bill , the clauses of which were agreed to , with the amendment proposed by Lord John Russell .

      WAYS AND MEANS . The report of the committee of Ways and Means was brought up , and leave was given to bring in two bills founded upon the resolutions . —The bills were subsequently brought in , and read a first time . The House adjourned at half-past one o ' clock .

      Thursday , March 18 th . THE CAGLIARI . In the House of Lords , Lord Lyndhubst , referring to the case of the Cagliari , contended that the Government ought at once to interfere to obtain the liberation of the English engineers , as the Neapolitan Government has itself made a statement from which it appears that the vessel was not within the jurisdiction of Naples when she -was captured . —The Earl of Malmesbury repeated the statement , made on a previous evening , that the case had been referred to the law officers of the Crown . —Lord Wessibtdale suggested that the question should be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for its opinion . —The Earl of Derby thought there was no precedent for that course . —Lord Reoesdale believed , under the circumstances , that the Neapolitan Government was , to a certain extent , justified in what it had done . — Earl Grey supported the suggestion of a reference to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council . — Lord Brougham objected that the committee was also the tribunal of appeal , and might have to' decide judicially the question on which it was required to give an opinion . —The subject then dropped . Lord Brougham moved for , and obtained , certain returns connected with the County Courts . MEDICAL KEFORM . In answer to a question from Lord Talbot de Malaiiioe , Earl Derby stated that tho- Government did not intend to introduce any Medical Reform bill during the present session in addition to the three bills already before the House of Commons on the subject . But it would give its best consideration to those measures , with the hope of effecting some arrangement between the parties to them . The Government however , would bo prepared to take some steps to regulate the sale of poisons . Their Lordships then adjourned at twenty minutes to sevon o ' clock . GALWAY ELECTION . BIr , Roeijuck presented a petition , to whiuh he called particular attention . It referred to a motion to bo proposed that afternoon by Mr . Clivo respecting tho Galway election , and contained statements affecting members of that House and a membor of tho Upper House . Allusion was made to tho bill for tho disfranchisement of tho froomou of Galway , and tho petitioners prayed that tho same punishment might extend to all those who wore guilty of bribory . They then proceeded to state that the evidence taken before tho Commissioners appointed to inquire into the proceedings of tho Galway election showed that tho Marquis of Clanricardo , Lord-Lieutonant of tho County , Privy Councillor , and Justice of the Peace for tho county , was a party to tho bribory committed in 1862 and 1867 , uniting tho . money and employing agents to corrupt tho electors j and that Sir Thomas Burko ( Justice of tho Peace ) , Dr . James V . Brown ( Professor of tho Queen ' s College ) , Messrs . Thomas Mooro , O'Flahorty , and Carter , wore nleo parties to these transactions .

      At a later period of tho evening , Mr , Olive movod for loiivo to bring in a bill for the disfrnnchisomont of tho freemen of tho county and town of Gnlway . —Sir . Thojna&J&Wp ^^ and Lord Lovainjo briofly supported the " lntrouuclion of ~ tfi " o"'blH j == " Colonel ITricnch doubtod tho power of tho Houho to effect tho dlsfranchieomont , and questioned tho justice of tho measure . —Mr . Maouirig considered tho rich briber more guilty than tho poor man who rocolvod tho bribe—Mr . Kmr Shymior supported , while Mr . Bisuicsiroitu Hopm and Mr . Ayrton opposed , tho measure . —Mr . J . D . Fitzohrald observed that this was not a bill to punish anyone ; its object was to provont the contlnuunco of corruption by the ealo of votes . Ho cordially supported j tho motion . —Mr . Wali-omq strongly advlncu tho House '

      to assent to the introduction of the bill ; but he had doubts respecting the measure . For example—first , it proposed to disfranchise both the innocent and the guilty ; secondly , a list was appended to the report of persons who had been guilty of purchasing votes ; and the House should consider whether one class could be dealt with , and not the other . —The motion was agreed to , and leave was given to introduce the bill . ROYAL WARRANT OF 1854 . In answer to General Wyndham , General Peel said that he proposed to submit to her Majesty that a com . mission be appointed to consider the report of the commission on which the warrant of October , 1854 , was founded , and the present system of promotion in the army .

      CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS . The Chancellor of the Exchequer , in answer to Mr . Henry Berkeley , stated that a bill with reference to corrupt practices at elections would be introduced and submitted to a select committee . It would be founded on the experience of the last general election . THE ARMY BEFORE DELHI . Mr . H . Baillie stated , in answer to Mr . Kinnaird , that the six months' batta , awarded by the Governor-General to the army which captured Delhi , is the utmost sum which by law he is entitled to grant ; but the cases of the army before Delhi , and the garrison of Lucknow , are now under the consideration of the Government .

      LORD MALMESBURY AND COUNT WALEWSKI . Mr . Craufurd asked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether the despatch of the 4 th of March , addressed by the Earl of Malinesbury to Count Walewski , was submitted to the French authorities in Paris , or to their representatives in England , for the purpose of ascertaining the opinion of the French Government thereon , before the official presentation of that document to the French Government on behalf of the British nation . — The Chancellor of the Exchequer observed that it was hardly fair to put such a question , founded upon assumptions not within the knowledge of tlie Undersecretary , and he protested generally against such a class of questions . He accounted for the delay in the transmission of the despatch by the ordinary routine in such matters , and by the state of the weather , which prevented the document being sent at once to the Queen at Osborne for her approval .

      GODREVY LIGHTHOUSE . Mr . Augustus Smith moved for a select committee to inquire into the circumstances connected with the erection of the Godrevy Lighthouse , and to report their opinion as to the proper position for the same . —The motion was seconded by Mr . Paull ; but , after some discussion , it was negatived .

      THE "WORKING CLASSES . Mr . Slaney moved , " That it is expedient to establish a Standing Committee , or Unpaid Board , or Commission , to consider and report from time to time on practical suggestions likely to be beneficial to the working classes . " The operation of the poor-laws , the condition of the workhouses , particularly with regard to children and old people , the operation of the factory-laws , tho condition of the dwellings of the poor , and their

      recreations , were some of the points to which he thought they might direct their attention with a fair prospect of an advantageous result . —Mr . Sothebon Estcourt was at a loss to conceive what wan tho practical measure which Mr . Slaney had in view . A commission on such a subject would bo worse than useless ; it would be mischievous , as tending to the creation of wild schemes . lie trusted that , as Mr . Slaney had discharged his conscience by the course he had taken , ho would now withdraw tho motion . —This was accordingly done .

      THI ! TREATMENT OV THIS MUTINOUS SEPOYS . Mr . Ricit called the attention of the House to tho treatment of the mutinous Sepoys and other insurgents in India , and moved for the following papers : —Cop ies of any report or despatch relative to the protection afforded by Maun Singh and others to fugitive Europeans at tho outbreak of the Sepoy mutiny ; of nny instructions given to officers in . command of troops as to troatmont of mutinous Sepoys or deserters 5 nnd aa to natives of Otule ( not being Sopoys ) found in arms within tho territory of Oude . Mr . Rich contended that tho revolt had arison from a combination of circumstances which prudence nrnl foresight might havo prevented ; that it soon widened into a national struggle for independence ; ami that our operations against tho insurgents had boon characterized by acts of sanguinary vongennco . Surely a distinction ought to bo made botweon those Sepoys who hail massacred our countrymen and countrywomen , ami those who hud simply rieon against our rulo ; but this had not been dono . Revolting statements had been put forth , by young men In their letters as to tho punishments thut lift " bQonror-would-bo r 1 ni | ioted-on-. tho- « aLLv . oa . }_ but 4 jfi , ^ . happy to say that ho believed those young men would bo the J « st to join in suoli atrocities . Wo had seized Oudo by n coup d'ritat , though its princos liftd always boon our faithful allies . No one could ad in fro nioro highly than ho did tho courage and fortitude our troops had displayed , nnd no one wna nioro anxious than ho wns that atom and rosoluto justice should he donlt out to tho villains and mlscronnls who luuldoQkul tliohuinn'i form which they bore ; but ho was suro hor Mojos ! ' * Government would bo ready to admit that tlio pn »» "

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      a 68 T H E LEADER . [ JSTo . 417 , March 20 , 185 &

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 20, 1858, page 268, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2235/page/4/