a better measure than that which the noble the most conclusive reasons why the Bill church rates, and of examining and considering those other clauses which affected local Acts, so that nothing might be done indirectly which was not intended to be done directly. THE EARL OF MALMESBURY said, that, as the Bill was not a Government measure, it was not for him to stat ewhat course the investigation in the Committee might take; but it might be necessary for the Committee, without going into the general question as to whether church rates should be voluntary or not, to take evidence in reference to the effect of the Bill on local Acts. Motion (by Leave of the House) with drawn; and Bill referred to a Select Committee. And, on Friday, May 1, the Lords following were named of the Committee : * First Reading-Sea Fisheries (Ireland) * [101]; THE DUKE OF SOMERSET thought it should be clearly understood for what purpose the Bill was sent to a Select Committee. In his opinion, the object of rePASSENGER ACTS.-QUESTION. ferring the Bill to a Select Committee was MR. GRAVES said, he wished to ask not for the purpose of taking evidence, as the Under Secretary of State for the the general principle of the Bill was well Colonies, If he is aware that large numunderstood; but for the purpose of arrang-bers of passengers embark on board cering and perfecting those clauses which tain Foreign Transatlantic Steamers at provided for the voluntary collection of Southampton without their being subjected to the provisions of the Passenger Acts; and, if there are any reasons why the provisions of those Acts should not be put in force with regard to such steamers in the same way in every respect as that in which such provisions are put in force in regard to British vessels ? MR. ADDERLEY, in reply, said, he had taken pains to ascertain from the Mayor of Southampton what was the state of the case. He found that no British subjects were taken on board foreign transatlantic steamers at Southampton; but foreigners did come by small steamers to Southampton, from Havre and other continental ports, for the purpose of taking ship to America. The question of the applicability of the Passenger Acts was submitted to the Law Officers of the Crown in 1857, and an elaborate Opinion was obtained from them to the effect that those Acts did not apply to passengers shipped in transitu. The vessels in question, however, were overhauled on reaching the American port, and the Government of the United States had applied to Her Majesty's Government to make the terms of our Passenger Acts, which were less rigorous than theirs, more strict. COAL FOR THE NAVY.-QUESTION. MR. HEADLAM said, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether it is correct that in the Form of Tender issued by the Admiralty for Coals to be supplied to Her Majesty's Dockyards for the year commencing May 1868, for the use of the Steam Vessels in the Navy, the only Coals named therein are those from Wales; if so, why, after the Reports made at Devonport, and the recommendations contained therein, as to the use of North Country Coals in Her Majesty's ships of war, these have been excluded? LORD HENRY LENNOX: Sir, the right hon. Gentleman is quite correct in his statement; the Admiralty have this year reverted to the policy of supplying nothing but smokeless coal to steam vessels in the navy. This decision was arrived at in consequence of the strong representations received by them from the Commanders in Chief of the foreign squadrons, setting forth the great advantages possessed by the smokeless coals for all purposes of steam navigation: I may tell the right hon. Gentleman that bituminous coal is still on the Admiralty list, and is largely used for dockyard purposes. VICTORIA-CASE OF THE CONVICT MILLAR.-QUESTION. MR. HURST said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether any Report has yet been received from the Governor of Victoria on the case of George Millar, a prisoner at Melbourne under a sentence which is alleged to be illegal; if such Report has been received, what is the nature of it, and whether there is any objection to lay it upon the Table; and, if no Report has yet been received, when it may be expected? MR. ADDERLEY said, in reply, that a Report on the subject of Millar's sentence had been received in this country, in the May of last year. It stated that the Attorney General of the Colony of Victoria had consulted the Judges before whom Millar was tried, and agreed with them that the sentence should not be commuted. The Government in this country, thinking the question rather doubtful, referred it to the Law Officers of the Crown, who reported that, though there was doubt on the question, they considered the punishment excessive; the question being whether, on an indictment for fraudulent insolvency, the terms of punishment could be made cumulative on each of the four counts. The punishment awarded by the Statute was fifteen years' transportation or three years' imprisonment, whereas the sentence was six years' imprisonment. The Government had therefore referred to the Governor and Judges of Victoria for the purpose of taking the best course in the circumstances, and to remit any excess in the length of the sentence. INDIA-FURLOUGHS.-QUESTION. MR. GREGORY said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether any alterations in the Indian Furlough System are contemplated; and, if so, when the Plan of the Government will be communicated to the House? SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, in reply, said, it had been felt for some time that the Furlough Regulations for the Indian Service had become obsolete and required revision. In the early part of last autumn he had communicated with Sir John Lawrence on the subject, and also referred it to a Committee of the Council of India. But before that Committee had made much progress news came from Sir John Lawrence that he had ap SLAVE TRADE, ZANZIBAR. pointed a similar Committee in India, when the obstruction might be removed in which, in due time, sent home a very a similar manner. He was afraid the reelaborate set of Rules. These were care- sponsibility rested in both instances with fully considered by the Committee of the the Committees of Parliament which passed Indian Council; their principle was en- the Bills. tirely approved, but alterations in points of detail were recommended. A Despatch setting forth these recommendations had been forwarded to the Governor General, who was authorized to publish the Rules, with such amendment as the Government might think necessary after taking the recommendations into consideration. Pro bably the new Rules as finally framed would shortly be received in this Country. QUESTION. SIR FOWELL BUXTON said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If the Sultan of Zanzibar has lately offered to make any arrangements for the suppression of the Slave Trade between that island and the mainland; if any conditions were attached OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE RIVER THAMES. to his offer; and, if it has or has not been QUESTIONS. MR. HARDCASTLE said, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Board of Trade, Whether there is any probability that the unsightly groups of piling which obstruct the River between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford will be removed; and, if so, when; and, whether he can state with whom the responsibility rests? LORD OTHO FITZGERALD said, he also wished to ask the Vice President of the Board of Trade, with reference to the "Piling Obstructions in the River' men. tioned in the Question of the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmund's, If he would reply to the same query with reference to a much more formidable obstruction of the same nature that reaches full half-way across the River opposite Battersea Park, and has there existed for a much longer period? MR. STEPHEN CAVE stated, in reply, that the piles alluded to by the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmund's were erected by the Waterloo and Whitehall Railway Company under their Act of 1865. The works had been at a stand-still since October, 1866, and the Directors had stated at general meetings that they were without funds. Their powers expired in July, 1870. They had brought in a Bill for extension of time this Session, which the Thames Conservators had opposed, and the Company had agreed to a provision that all the works on the river should be completed by July, 1870. After that date the Board of Trade or the Conservators might remove the obstructions. With regard to the Question of the noble Lord the Member for Kildare, the obstruction off Battersea Park was the temporary staging of the Albert Bridge. The Act was passed in 1864, and the powers expired in 1869, accepted by Her Majesty's Government; and, if not, for what reasons? if the hon. Member would refer to the LORD STANLEY said, in reply, that State Papers published this year, pp. the offer which had been made by the which would, therefore, receive duc atten- CATTLE PLAGUE.-QUESTION. MR. READ said, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Council, When the final Report on the Cattle Plague, ordered by the Lords of the Council to be prepared by the Veterinary Department will be completed; and, if it is the intention of the Privy Council to place that Report upon the Table of the Ilouse? LORD ROBERT MONTAGU replied, that the Report was being prepared with as little delay as possible. The hon. Member was, perhaps, aware that all the compensation claims had not yet been decided, which delayed the completion of the statistical portion of the Report. He trusted, however, that the Report would be completed and laid upon the table before the end of the Session. THE CONVICT BARRETT.-QUESTION. MR. REARDEN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is his intention to recommend to the Crown the respiting of the prisoner Michael Barrett, against whom a verdict of guilty was returned by the jury, and sentence of death passed by the Judge on his trial at the Old Bailey on the 27th instant, notwithstanding the sworn testimony of six witnesses, who proved that the prisoner was not in England at the time the crime was committed for which he has been found guilty, in order to afford the prisoner an opportunity of producing further evidence to establish his innocence? MR. GATHORNE HARDY: I regret, Sir, that an hon. Member of this House should think it his duty to put such a Question to me. Under the circumstances, I think it my duty to decline to answer it, MR. REARDEN announced his intention of calling the attention of the House to the subject. ARMY-PROMOTIONS IN THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS.-QUESTION. SIR PATRICK O'BRIEN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Why the promotions in the Coldstream Guards in succession to Captain and Lieutenant Colonel Clive have been delayed since the 14th of March; whether it is proposed that the present number of Lieutenants and Captains in that Regiment be reduced; and, if not, why has the Regiment been kept short of its proper complement of officers; and, whether there are in the Coldstream or other Regiments of Guards officers qualified by service to fill such vacancy? SIR JOHN PAKINGTON: Sir, the vacancy caused by the promotion of Cap. tain and Lieutenant Colonel Clive has not been filled up; but there is no intention whatever to reduce the number of officers in that Regiment. When the vacancy occurred it was discovered that a very unusual state of affairs existed in the Regiment one nearly without precedent; the six senior Ensigns of the Coldstream Guards were not qualified by service for their promotion, while of the whole six teen Ensigns only two were so qualified one of them standing seventh upon the list, and the other being, as it happened, the junior Ensign of the Regiment. The question then arose whether these two officers were entitled to have their claim to promotion over the heads of all their fellows recognized, the principle if acted upon in the case of the officer who stood seventh being, of course, binding on the other case also. Now the junior Ensign is an officer who has lately left the Rifle Brigade, and if he were to be promoted, he would be passed over the heads of sixtyseven officers of his late Regiment, the Rifle Brigade, and fourteen other officers in the Coldstream Guards, so that altogether he would have attained the rank of Captain in the Army over the heads of no less than eighty-one other officers. It was considered very undesirable that the course of promotion should be thus interfered with; and as only a few weeks will elapse before the senior Ensign will be qualified, it was thought better to wait before making the appointment. THE ROYAL ACADEMY.-QUESTION. MR. LAYARD said, he rose to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether it be true that the Royal Academy has nearly completed its premises at the back of Burlington House, and that they will be ready for the annual Exhibition of 1869, but that the Royal Academy will be unable to take possession of them until the Library of the Royal Society has been removed from Burlington House; and, whether he will take immediate steps to find proper accommodation for that Library, so that the Royal Academy may at the earliest period remove from the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, in order that adequate space may be provided for the exhibition of the National Pictures? LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said, the building for the Royal Academy behind. Burlington House was being proceeded with very rapidly; but whether it would be ready in time for holding the Exhibition of 1869, owing to the shortness of the notice, he had not been able to ascertain. With regard to the very large Library belonging to the Royal Society, which consisted of something like 100,000 volumes, it was obvious that to ask the Royal Society to remove twice over so large and valuable a collection of books would be a course that could not be taken without grave necessity. If it were found impossible to complete the building in time for the Exhibition of 1869, he still hoped that some temporary arrangement might be made; and he could assure the hon. Member that no efforts on his part would be wanting to the attainment of so desirable a result. I apprehend, is a body known to the law, and I can conceive nothing more regular than that the Presbytery should petition by means of a petition signed by the IRELAND - PRESBYTERY OF ANTRIM. Moderator and Clerk of the Presbytery. QUESTION. SIR CHARLES LANYON said, he would beg to ask the right hon. Member for South Lancashire, Whether, when he presented a Petition on the 27th instant from the Presbytery of Antrim, in favour of his Resolutions, and against the further grant of the Regium Donum, he was aware that the said Presbytery is altogether unconnected with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and that the said Presbytery is altogether an Unitarian body and does not represent the feeling of the Presbyterians of the General Assembly of Ireland? ROMAN CATHOLIC OATH. MOTION. MR. FREVILLE SURTEES moved, "That the Oath taken by Roman Catholic Members previous to the alteration of the Oath on the 30th of April, 1866, be read by the Clerk at the Table." MR. GLADSTONE: Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the Motion. I be called upon to read, provided that it be relevant to the subject-matter of debate. But something which has been repealed by Parliament, and which has no existence whatever on the statute book, he can be no more called upon to read than to read a passage from Hume's History of England, or any other book. MR. BOUVERIE: I rise to order. am not about to speak upon the question my right hon. Friend has raised; but I apprehend that the practice of the House is clear. Any portion of an Act of ParMR. GLADSTONE: Sir, I confess-Iliament that is in existence the Clerk may am stating my own opinion-it appears to me that a Question of this kind is well fitted for the hon. Gentleman if he pleases to produce it in a speech, but wholly unfitted to be directed to me. I may have been aware of these things. ["Oh, oh!"] I shall only say that I do not think it would be convenient for me to set the example of saying whether I was aware of that or not. It is enough for me to say that I believe I described that body with perfect accuracy as the non-subscribing Presbytery of Antrim, recipients of the Regium Donum. And I own I should have thought that the very words I used, "the non-subscribing Presbytery of Antrim," would have conveyed to the mind of the hon. Member, and to the minds of other hon. Members, that that Presbytery did not belong to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which is, I believe, a subscribing Church. SIR THOMAS BATESON: I beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman, If he is aware that the petition was signed only by the Moderator and the Clerk of the Presbytery; that those gentlemen did not appear on the face of the document to have had any authority to represent the Presbytery; and that the petition did not purport to have emanated from the general body? MR. GLADSTONE: I own that I am quite at a loss to say anything of the courtesy of the hon. Gentleman in putting to me this Question without giving me notice. I am quite at a loss to comprehend its meaning. The Presbytery of Antrim, MR. SPEAKER: The only argument that could be urged for the Motion would be that there are some Members in the House who took the Oath in its original form. MR. FREVILLE SURTEES: I apprehend that the Oath taken in 1865 by those Members who did then take it is still binding. MR. GLADSTONE: Then I oppose the question upon its merits. I was so far sensible of the point raised by my right hon. Friend (Mr. Bouverie) that I did intend before proceeding to say anything to satisfy myself by a reference to you, Sir, that I am not interfering with a known and undoubted privilege of Members of this Ilouse. But it is the policy of this Motion to which I rise to object. My right hon. Friend has justly stated that this Oath is part of a law not now in force. Under such circumstances, it is enough for me, I think, to say that there is not the presumptive title to the reading of it at the table whioh there would be if it were a Law actually in force. And if there be no such presumptive title, and I am to ask myself with what object this Motion is made, and what good it can possibly produce if it were read, it appears to me to be only an. |