greatly increased since the introduction practicable, to co-operate with the Engof railways, owing to the large bodies of lish Government. He was glad to exnavvies employed in their construction, onerate the London Missionary Society and to other causes. The repeal of these from being mixed up in these proceedclauses had consequently been contem- ings, for that body was well acquainted plated; but on further consideration it with China, and he was also glad to find was thought that, as prior to the Act of that they were sensible of the imprudence 1833 it was altogether illegal for Euro- of sending missionaries to ramble through peans to reside in India without the per- the country, instead of confining them to mission of the East India Company, treaty ports and to Pekin or Hong Kong, such a step might have the effect of re- for it was the passing beyond these places viving enactments still more obsolete. which had caused difficulties and had He had therefore come to the conclusion brought our religion into hostility with that it would be better to add a clause the people of China. He now wished to the present Bill enabling the Legisla- to know whether the Foreign Office or ture of India to deal with vagrancy not- the Admiralty could furnish any inforwithstanding those clauses; any Act on mation as to proceedings of Missionaries the subject being subject, of course, to and Gunboats in Formosa? Having unthe approval of the Secretary of State in derstood a short time ago that no hostile Council. This would avoid all diffi- operations were to be undertaken by culty, and one or two of the clauses were British consuls or officers without first valuable, as laying down the principle communicating with the representative that Europeans insulting or injuring the of Her Majesty's Government at Pekin, religion or customs of the natives should he had heard with surprise that operabe subject to penalties. tions not thus authorized had taken place in Formosa. Missionaries having gone THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH thought the noble Duke would do well to communicate with the Horse Guards on the subject, his impression being that many of the vagrants were discharged soldiers. Further Amendments made; The Report thereof to be received on Thursday next. CHINA- MISSIONARIES AND GUNBOATS IN FORMOSA.-QUESTION. THE DUKE OF SOMERSET, on rising to put the Question of which he had given notice, said, he would take that opportunity of reading to their Lordships an extract of a statement from the directors of the London Missionary Society-a body to which he was exceedingly anxious to do justice-to the effect that they had nothing to do with the Inland China Mission at Yang-chow, and were in no way responsible for its proceedings. The Inland China mission was an entirely distinct society, differing in many ways from their own views and practices, since the missionaries of the London Mission Society resided in treaty ports, or at Pekin or Hong Kong, and, with scarcely any exception, had had no occasion during the past twenty years to apply to any British consul for personal protection. They added that they were always anxious, whenever there, the people, being very violent and fanatical, rose against them and drove them back-whether with any loss of life he could not say-and next attacked, as they were very apt to do, all the foreign residents. Then came the inevitable gunboat-for, as he remarked on a previous occasion, gunboats were always called in where the missionaries had made these unfortunate inroads on the feelings of the peopleand ten or twelve natives were killed. Now, was this the way to promote Christianity in China? It was surely right that the attention of the public should be called to the subject, in order that, if such proceedings could not be otherwise prevented, they might stop the supplies, without which these missionaries would not carry on their operations. THE EARL OF CLARENDON said, he believed that all the information in the possession of the Foreign Office for which the noble Duke asked had already been laid on the table, being comprised between pages twenty-two and fifty-six of the China Papers. From these Papers they would gather that the affair at Formosa originated in the destruction of a mission-house, and that there were also some commercial disputes, an attack upon a British subject, Mr. Pickering, and one or two other matters for which redress was sought. He was afraid that the Foreign Office could not furnish a Friend had referred. He wished also to connected narrative of what had passed ; refer to a dispatch that had lately been but the Admiralty had received an ac- received from Sir Rutherford Alcock, becount from the acting consul and from cause he thought that the public should the commander of the gunboat, which know the result of his great experience had enabled the Government to form in China, and of the labour and the study judgment on the proceedings. He was that he had bestowed upon missionary sorry to say that that judgment was un- questions. He said that the hostility to favourable to both the officers concerned missionaries was general throughout -except, indeed, as to the professional China, and that it did not come from repart of Lieutenant Colonel Gordon's ligious intolerance, but was partly perduty, for the operations conducted by sonal and partly political. He considered him exhibited great judgment and fore- that they had an enmity against the very thought, while the skill and gallantry name of Christianity; and they disliked with which they were carried out en- it on account of the support that had titled all concerned to the highest praise. been given to the rebellion ; and also But the fact was that the operations from a spirit engendered by the French cught not to have been undertaken at missionaries, who taught their converts all, for all danger to life and property to rely upon no authority but their own, had passed away several weeks before, and to despise the native authorities. and the only question left was that of There were also great differences between reparation. This should have been as the Protestant and Roman Catholic miscertained, and then if any remissness had sionaries, of which Sir Rutherford Alcock been shown by the authorities in giving gave some very unseemly instances. redress it would have been a matter for There was, further, a great fear all over communication between Her Majesty's China that the missionaries would so representative at Pekin and the Chinese exercise their influence as to interfere Government, and was not to be made a with the local authorities, and these subject of reprisal and violent action by officers, therefore, induced the literati two subordinate officers. The Govern- and gentry to encourage and institute ment wholly disapproved the exaction of acts of oppression against the missiona considerable sum of money-$40,000 aries. Sir Rutherford Alcock truly ob-as compensation for the outrage and served that, unless we intended to carry still less of two sums of $5,000 each- on the work of proselytizing by the one for the military stores used in storm- sword, it was absolutely necessary that ing the Chinese fortress and the other by the missionaries should not establish Fay of reprisal—and they had directed themselves at places where they could that the money should be returned, with not have constant communication with an expression of regret for what had oc- their countrymen. It would be absocurred. The conduct of the vice consul | lutely impossible to protect the Chinese also appeared to them highly reprehen- converts except by naval and military sible, and directions had been given that forces; and Sir Rutherford Alcock added he should no longer act in that capacity. that if ever Christianity was to become He hoped this step would have a salutary general in China it would be through the etfect on the whole consular body, and upper classes, and not in spite of them, that they would understand that they and therefore it was most material that Tould incur the severest condemnation if missionaries should confine themselves to they wantonly undertook military opera- the treaty ports and carry on their labours tions without the sanction of the Govern- with great judgment and caution. Quite ment, or without absolute necessity. He recently a most offensive placard against Fas glad that his noble Friend (the the Roman Catholic religion had apDuke of Somerset) had done justice to peared on the walls of Shanghai, and the London Missionary Society, for since Sir Rutherford Alcock doubted whether the previous discussions on the subject any prospect of success which the mishe had received a numerous deputation sionaries were entitled to entertain would from that most respectable body, who compensate the dangers they incurred in feared that his noble Friend had placed disregarding not only the laws of the tpon them the blame of what had oc- country and the prejudices of the people, eated, and who, therefore, placed in his but the advice of their own Government. hands the statement to which his noble While all must admire the undaunted courage with which, in the spirit of mar- | sion was appointed in March 1865, on tyrs, the missionaries laboured for the account of the great difficulties that had spread of religious truth, he hoped their arisen from the difference of the Law of zeal would not altogether exclude discre- Marriage in the different parts of the tion, and that when once they became United Kingdom. This difference occathoroughly convinced of the dangers to sioned great embarrassment in our which they exposed themselves, of the courts of justice, frequent conflict of risk they ran of producing riot and opinion, and rendered uncertain the bloodshed and of embarking this country status of individuals, from the uncerin war-when convinced, too, above all, tainty whether a valid marriage had that they were not in the path leading to been contracted on one side or the other success even in their own calling, both of an artificial line. This difficulty had they and the societies which sent them been illustrated in a most striking manner forth from this country would see that in a late celebrated case before both the the system hitherto pursued must be Irish and the Scotch Courts in the one abandoned. He trusted that the strin- case from the peculiarities of the Scotch gent instructions which he had sent out Law of Marriage, and in the other from and the good sense of the missionaries the statute law relating to mixed marthemselves would bring about a better riages in Ireland. The controversies state of things; and for this no moment arising out of that case rendered desicould be more favourable than the pre- rable an inquiry into the possibility of sent, for he had received a telegram from bringing the marriage laws throughout Sir Rutherford Alcock, informing him the three kingdoms into closer conthat order was restored in all quarters, formity, and the Commissioners were that the instructions recently sent out accordingly directed to inquire into and had been communicated to the Prince of report on the state and operation of the Kung, that the best understanding exist- various laws in force in the different ed between the Prince and the Foreign parts of the United Kingdom with reMinisters, that there was no more cause spect to the constitution and proof of the for anxiety in any point, and that our contract of marriage, and the registrarelations with China had never been tion and other means of preserving evimore satisfactory. dence thereof. He himself had the THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY sin honour of presiding on that Commission cerely hoped the missionaries would take over persons than whom none could have the excellent advice given by the noble been better qualified to investigate the Earl, and of this he had not the slightest subject; for England was represented doubt, for all the great societies were by the noble and learned Lord on the acting with great moderation, judgment, Woolsack (Lord Hatherley), the late and care. He believed, however, that Lord Chancellor (Lord Cairns), Lord in the case of Formosa the missionaries Lyveden, Mr. Walpole, Sir James Wilde, were not concerned. There was a Pres- Sir Roundell Palmer, and Sir Travers byterian congregation there ; but it had Twiss; Ireland, by the present Lord not been the action of the missionaries Chancellor, Mr. Monsell, and Lord which had led to the disturbances, ex- Mayo; and Scotland, by the Lord cept that they had been instrumental in Justice General, the present Solicitor making converts. The attack was made General, and Mr. Dunlop. Their first on the converts, and they being entitled step was to direct the preparation of a to certain rights under the treaty, redress succinct summary of the marriage law was sought on their behalf, the mission- in different parts of the country, and at aries having nothing to do with it. the request of his fellow-Commissioners he issued a Circular asking for informaMARRIAGE LAW COMMISSION REPORT. tion and suggestions. A copy of this was sent to all the Archbishops and QUESTION. Bishops, Protestant and Roman Catholic, LORD CHELMSFORD rose to call the to the Moderators of the Established attention of the House to the Report of Church, Free Church, and United Presthe Marriage Law Commission, and to byterians in Scotland, to various deans, ask Her Majesty's Government whether archdeacons, and other clergymen, to they intended to introduce any measure Roman Catholic clergymen in Ireland, founded on that Report? The Commis- to ministers and members of Dissenting OBSERVATIONS. bodies, including the President and Vice Report which informed Parliament and President of the Wesleyan Conference, the public generally of the anomalous and to many registrars of marriages in state of the law with reference to marEngland. This Circular elicited valu- riage, and the necessity of some remedy. able information; and witnesses from all When his noble and learned Friend parts of the country were also examined. asked whether it was the intention of The inquiry extended over three years, the Government to introduce any meaand this was not attributable to any sure he assumed that he meant during Fant of diligence, the reason being that the present Session. He must say briefly some of the Commissioners had judicial why it had been impossible for him to and other duties to discharge in Ireland undertake a duty of that description. and Scotland, which rendered it difficult When he was first called upon to occupy to fix the meetings to suit their conve- the position he had now the honour to nience. If, however, any of them were hold, he certainly had but a short time absent they informed themselves of the in which to prepare any measure of evidence which was taken, and the result law reform of any general importancewas that the Report was signed by all though many subjects presented themthe Commissioners except Lord Mayo, selves to his attention, on three of which Tho, having been prevented by his duties he had sat upon Commissions. One was as Irish Secretary from attending the the matter that was now brought to their later meetings, did not think himself Lordships' attention, another the patent justified in affixing his signature. The law, and the third our system of judicaLord Chancellor of Ireland and Mr. ture. All of these subjects were of conMonsell signed it, with the reservation siderable importance, and as to the last that they dissented from the recom- of them the Report had only been made mendations as to divorce, believing the during the past week, and recommended marriage tie to be indissoluble, and an entire review and re-organization of divorce à cinculo to be contrary to the our whole judicial procedure. The Patent law of God; while the Lord Justice Commission had reported long since, but General took exception to every part of no proceeding had been taken upon it, the Report involving a change in the no doubt in consequence of the difficulty principle of the Scotch law, holding that of the subject. Besides these three subpresent consent to be husband and wife jects there were two others of importance deliberately interchanged between a man those of Bankruptcy and the Law of and a woman labouring under no inca- Charitable Trusts. He undertook the pacity to contract, makes marriage be- duties of his Office in December last, a Feen them, without the necessity either period of four months ago. For the first of a religious ceremony or of a compli- three months he was occupied in the ance with any statutory forms or solem- Court of Chancery, and sitting judicially Lities. The recommendations of the in their Lordships' House, and he thought Commissioners he believed to be highly it would have been an improper assumpbeneficial; but he would not now enter tion of vigour on his part if he had atinto them, since he was not asking their tempted to grapple with the five subjects Lordships to adopt them. His only during the single month that was left to angiety was that the expectations of the him. He therefore selected one of them, pablic should not be disappointed by no and bankruptcy naturally suggested itaction being taken on the Report, and it self to his mind because the subject had being peculiarly a task for the Govern- been frequently before Parliament, the ment he should be glad to see it under defects in the existing law were unitaken by his noble and learned Friend versally admitted, and the whole meron the Woolsack, for no man was better cantile community was anxious to have qualified to undertake a work of the the law of debtor and creditor put upon End. a satisfactory footing. He had further . The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that the advantage of considering the three lis noble and learned Friend (Lord different Bills that had been brought Chelmsford) had most truly stated that before Parliament upon the subject-all the subject was one of deep importance, prepared with the greatest care and deand he felt grateful to him for having liberation—and the various Reports that Griginally suggested that there should be had been made. He also had interviews a Commission, the result of which was a with various deputations from mercantile of opinion as would be necessary for le- TENURE (IRELAND) BILL [H.L.] A Bill to simplify the Law of Tenure in Ire- House adjourned at Six o'clock, HOUSE OF COMMONS, Monday, 5th April, 1869. MINUTES.]-NEW MEMBERS SWORN-Colonel MATES. bodies, and in this way he had been able PUBLIC BILLS- Second Reading * AUSTRALIA.-QUESTION. Communication, subsequent to the Cor- MR. MONSELL said, in reply, that 2: |