Jolt 6,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



I 



•Friday.— The Earl of Minto called attention to the affairs of 

 orocco. The noble lord said the subject was one of ex- 

 treme importance, in the event of any contest arising" in the 

 iinpire Of Morocco. He understood that the mediation of 

 -England was likely to be declined, a circumstance which he 

 jnust say he deeply regretted, though at the same time he 

 *jiid not feel surprised, for we were not placed in a position 

 *to afford a weaker state those assurances of support which 

 ^might have been confided in, had there been any prepara- 

 jption on the part of» this country to increase our naval f3rce, 

 which he lamented to say was very inefficient; not that he an- 

 ticipated war— God forbid that he should. The noble earl then 

 proceeded to animadvert upon the low ebb of our present naval 

 force, contending that it ought to be increased in various 

 parts of the globe, in order to the protection of the Bri- 

 tish flap:; he further contended that this was the more 

 necessary, seeine: that the French had increased their fleet 

 very considerably within a recent period. He wished to 

 know if Ministers were to adopt any step as regards the 

 empire of Morocco for the better protection of British inte- 

 rests.— The Earl of Haddington said the practice of making 

 speeches and statements as the noble earl had done was very 

 inconvenient; he had never been more taken by surprise in 

 his life than he had been by the noble earl's speech, which 

 speech he would not answer, seeinp he had received no notice 

 of it ; to the question alone he would confine himself. He had 

 to inform the noble earl that Ministers had sent an additional 

 force to the Mediterranean, and if necessary for the protection 

 of British interests a still greater force would be sent. So, 

 likewise, with regard to the Pacific and the coast of Africa. 

 (The noble earl shook his head.) He begged to assure 

 the nolle earl, that he shook his head without any occa- 

 sion. In conclusion, her Majesty's Government had sent 

 such force to the coa^t of Morocco as they conceived neces- 

 sary, but happily they were of opinion that it would not be re- 

 quired.— Some conversation arose on a point of order.— Lord 

 LoxnovDRRRY having: risen to address the House, asked if he 

 should he in order if he spoke on the same subject. — The Loan 

 Chanckm.or said the speech of Earl Minto was irregular; it 

 had been allowed, however, and he could not tell where the ir- 

 regularity rught to stop. — Lord Londonderry apain rose, and 

 was left speaking. 



HOUSE OF COMMONS. 



Frid ///.— On the motion for the third reading of the Dis- 

 senters' Chapels Bill, Mr. Corotriouv moved, and Sir R. Ivoms 

 seconded, an amendment, that it be read a third time that day 

 ftix months. After some observations from Lord Er.ror, in sup- 

 port of the Bill, Sir T. Wm.dk said he had been originally ad- 

 verse to this Bill, but was now, upon reflection, satisfied of its 

 justice and expediency. It was no more than the application 

 of the crcnrral and useful principle of limitation to a class of 

 cases to which it had not been applied before. The law having: 

 decided that the Unitarians and the Church of England are not 

 entitled to this property, a mass of speculative litigation was 

 now threatened, of which the object was to ascertain who are 

 entitled to it— a litigation which, if not thus prevented, would 

 hardly terminate until it should have swallowed up all the 

 funds. Lady Hewley's case had left the whole law at sea. In 

 this state of things, the Bill proposed merely that where there 

 was no trust-deed declaring the mode of faith, the usage of the 

 last 18 years should be conclusive evidence on that subject ; 

 the effect of which would be, that future founders would take 

 good care to have trust-deeds. It had been said that he had 

 originally undertaken to^ead the opposition against this Bill, 

 but it was wholly unfounded. His opinion had, indeed, been 

 at first an adverse one ; but he had never given any promise or 

 plfdge upon the subject.— Mr. Shaw explained ; and a division 

 took place— For the third reading, 201 ; Against it, 81 ; Majority 

 for it, 120.— The Houso then went into committee on the details 

 of the Bank Charter BID, which parsed through committee, 

 none of the several amendments which were proposed having 

 been adopted.— The Education Bill, the Linen Sec. Manufac- 

 tures rireland) Bill, and the Charitable Loan Societies (Ire- 

 land} Bill passed through committee.— On the motion of Sir C. 

 Bi'rrkll, a committee was nominated on the petition for aid 

 towards repairing St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. 



Monday.— Sir R. Prkl stated the measures which Govern- 

 ment propose to carry forward during the present session, and 

 those which are to be abandoned. The more important of those 

 to be pressed (after the Bank Charter Bill, and one yet to be 

 introduced, as a corollary to it, for the regulation of future, net 

 existing joint-stock banks), are the Poor-law Amendment Bill, 

 the Railways Regulation Bill, Savings Banks Bill, Presbyterian 

 Marriages Bill, and a variety of others to which no material 

 opposition is anticipated. With respect to the County Courts 

 Bill, Government will not make an announcement, until the 

 House of Lords come to a decision on the principle which is to 

 be adopted on the subject of Imprisonment for Debt. Amongst 

 those Bills which are to be dropped are the Irish Registration 

 and Franchise Bill, with its companion, the Municipal Corpora- 

 tions Bill, and the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill, the announce- 

 ment of the postponement of which was marked by significant 

 cheering. The Committee appointed to inquire into the subject 

 of the jurisdiction of the House with respect to contested elec- 

 tions, have reported, suggesting certain alterations to be made 

 in the law j and a Bill will be introduced to give effect to their 

 recommendation.— On the order of the day for the second 

 reading of the Irish Registration Bill, a long and desultory dis- 

 cussion ensued, in which Mr. T. Buncombe, Mr. V. Smith, 

 Mr. M. J. O'Covnrll, and Mr. Shkil, took part.— Sir. R. Pkel 

 said he had no desire to press it; and as the postponement of 

 the debate was in deference to the sreneral feeling, the order of 

 the day for the second reading of the Bill, and for the Com- 

 mittee on the Municipal Corporations Bill, were discharged, 

 both measures being thus abandoned for the present session. 

 — The House then proceeded to the Committee on the 

 Unlawful O-iths (Ireland) Bill, which is proposed to be 

 renewed for another year. — Mr. M. O'Ferralt, raised a 

 discussion on a clause of the Bill which makes the pos- 

 session of copies of illegal documents penal, unless the indi- 

 vidual can prove that he was ignorant of their nature and pur- 

 port. As the power had been abused for improper purposes, he 

 moved, as an amendment, the omission of the words conferring 

 it.— Several Members addressed the Committee; and Sir J. 

 Graham gave the history of the measure. It originated with 

 the late Government, its object being the suppression of unlaw- 

 ful societies, which he believed still existed in Ireland. The 

 power was an extreme one, and could only be justified by ex- 

 ireme circumstances : but it was necessary to render the Bill 



vpJr w e : . and . as the measure was onlv to be renewed for orte 

 year navmg been originally passed for five) , there was less 



Si ha ? COnstit "tional jealousy which he admitted 



Tw swn^ Se bC 5£ tly dirccted gainst it.-Mr. M. O'Fku- 



Sddo^ the renewal of the BiH at a11 ' and 



ZS^ by movin & that the Chairman 



£a?n^ and S^ J. Graham protested 



against this. It had been admitted that there were unlawful 



ffta£&2n£%?! Go «™«»t were r^pons^e for 

 jts tranquillity wheh the Opposition were free from -Colonel 



Kawdov denied this: and on a division the fnamhera were 58 



committee, and was ordered to be reported—The Prisons f Scot- 

 land) Bill, after some observations from Mr Wam "acI Sir J 

 Graham, anriMrP. H. STJWAMP, went through committee. ' 

 Tuesday.— Mr. Wallack brought on a motion impugning the 

 condnct of two of the Scotch Judges (the Lord Justice Clerk 

 and Lord Wood) on a trial at the recent Glasgow assizes He 

 argued, on the authority of ten of the jurymen, that the case 



from the due operation of justice. — The Lord Adyocatk ex- 

 plained the circumstances attending the case, from which it 

 appeared that it had been given up by the public prosecutor, 

 on account of the failure of evidence, and therefore no other 

 course remained but the acquittal of the prisoner. The com- 

 plaint he attributed to certain grumbling discontented jurymen, 

 who fancied that an improper interference had taken place. — 

 Mr. Wallace pressed his motion to a division, when he was 

 supported by 36 against 149. — Mr. T. Duvcombk then brought 

 forward his motion on the Post-office. He remarked that at 

 four o'clock, when there was considerable difficulty in " making 

 a House," not a single member of the Government was present, 

 which did not corroborate their professed anxiety for bringing 

 on the motion. The illegal opening of letters took place in a 

 department known amongst those employed in the General 

 Post-office as the " Secret or Inner-office." Here those M deeds 

 of darkness" were done; not only were the letters of private 

 individuals opened, bat those of the foreign Ministers resruUrly 

 underwent examination; and when the subject was recently 

 adverted to in the Chamber of Deputies, M. Guizot took occasion 

 to say that the secrecy of letters was respected in France, thus 

 making out the practice to be peculiarly English, instead of being 

 un-English. Even in Austria, where letters were opened, a Go- 

 vernment seal intimated the fact. It had been said that the whole 

 matter related to only one letter of Mr. Mazzini's; but the 

 practice had been carried on during the last two years to a 

 most unscrupulous extent; and during the disturbances in the 

 manufacturing districts, individuals were sent from the General 

 Post Office into the provinces, with authority to open letters— 

 whose he did not know, perhaps everybody's. The practice 

 was to send for a particular bag— say the letters for the Albany 

 —and nobody out of the Secret Office knew what was done 

 with them. Foreigners were not aware of the extent to which 

 the practice was carried; and it was only beginning to be 

 suspected that many unhappy individuals, now pining in 

 foreign prisons, may owe their incarceration to information 

 furnished through the medium of the British Post Office. They 

 had long suspected the existence of the practice, and letters 

 were sent as M traps" for the Government; In one of them 

 there was an Allusion to the approaching visit of the Emperor 

 Nicholas, and the very next morning the newspapers contra- 

 dicted the rumour that he was coming, though he arrived five 

 days afterwards. You compel every man, under a penalty, to 

 send his letters through the Post-office, and then you take 

 advantage of that compulsion to open them. If you do open 

 letters, at all events you ought not to commit forgeries of seals 

 and paper£ in order to conceal the act. Pledging himself to 

 substantiate his allegations b£ proof, he moved for a select com- 

 mittee to inquire into the duties and employments of the in- 

 dividuals employed in the Secret or Inner department of the 

 General Post Office.— Sir J. Graham said he was ready 

 to admit the primary importance of the subject, which 

 was a question between the people of this country and 

 the executive Government. The charge of opening letters by 

 wholesale for two years was a very grave one ; and seeing how 

 the public mind had been inflamed on the subject, and how 

 he had himself been run down by the public press, the time was 

 now come when he must speak "the truth, the whole truth, 

 and nothing but the truth." Lord J. Russell acknowledging 

 the existence of the power had admitted that he (Sir J. Graham) 

 might not have acted otherwise than his predecessors in the 

 Home-office; yet Mr. Macaulay and other " sworn councillors" 

 of the Crown, familiar as they were with the practice, the re- 

 sponsibility, and the restraints of office, had not scrupled to 

 direct the force of impassioned declamation not against the 

 law, but against himself, as if he had been guilty of introducing 

 a new and obnoxious practice. He was thus absolved from all 

 reserve, and would state not only all that had been done by 

 himself but by his predecessors. The power was given not only 

 to the Home-office, but to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; and 

 in the secret, not select committee of inquiry which he would 

 propose as an amendment, he hoped that a full inquiry would 

 take place, and out of which he would come discharged of 

 having acted otherwise than any of his predecessors in the 

 Home- office. But as the whole efficacy of the power conferred 

 by the law depended en secrecy, it was essential that the in- 

 quiry should be conducted before a committee of secrecy, to be 

 composed of gentlemen unconnected with office, and from 

 which both the accuser and the accused should be excluded. 

 The number of individuals composing the committee he would 

 limit to nine, five of whom should be selected from those 

 usually opposed to him in politics. He then read their names 

 as follows:— Lord Sandon, Mr. H. Drummond, Mr. T. Baring, 

 Sir W. Heathcote, Sir C. Lemon, Mr. Warburton, Mr. Strutt, 

 the O'Connor Don, and Mr. Ord. — Mr. Sheif. suggested that a 

 lawyer would be a useful addition to the committee. If the 

 Post-office functionaries were to be examined a forensic inqui- 

 sitor would be useful in a thorough investigation. — Sir G. Grey, 

 after defending his previous vote on this subject, to which he 

 was led by the obstinate silence of the Government, admitted 

 that a secret committee was the most suitable medium of 

 inquiry, which should be full and searching, and from which 

 the members of the late Government would not shrink. He 

 suggested, however, the expediency of deferring the naming of 

 the committee till next day.— Mr. Roebuck, though doubting 

 if the public would be satisfied with a secret committee, would 

 not object to an inquiry with closed doors, but wished to insure 

 the full publication of the evidence when it was completed. It 

 would be an inquiry, not merely in^o practice, but into law; 

 and it was desirable that the committee should he guided by 

 some individual in whom the House could have confidence. 

 He sympathised with Sir J. Graham, who had been rendered an 

 object of bitter calumny for simply doing what his predecessors 

 had done before him ; but the power which the law conferred 

 was obnoxious to our habits and feelings. Giving M. Guizot 

 implicit credit for personal veracity, he doubted the correctness 

 of his representation of French practice, and read a copy of an 

 official letter, written during the hundred days, showing that at 

 least formerly violation of the privacy of correspondence was 

 common enough in France.— Mr. Labouchere, who, in 1837, 

 had been the medium of introducing the act consolidating the 

 statutes relative to the Post-office, explained that he did so 

 simply as an act of consolidation, not of improvement or alter- 

 ation, and he was therefore free from the charge of having 

 renewed or perpetuated this power of opening letters. He ex- 

 pressed his satisfaction that the matter was now to undergo a full 

 and impartial investigation, and was satisfied with the committee. 

 — Sir R. Pkel cordially and personally rejoiced at the opportunity 

 which would now be afforded to the whole Government of 

 sharing that responsibility for an invidious function, which 

 ought not to rest individually on the Secretary of State. The 

 Government had purposely omitted lawyers: they had not 

 wished to originate a squabbling about legal constructions, 

 which would have been regarded by the public as a diversion 

 and distraction from the real object of the inquiry. The point 

 upon which the people of England wished to be informed was 

 not the point of taw. An objection was made as to the proposal 

 of secrecy, but without such a guarantee you would Dot obtain 

 from individuals that full disclosure which was so necessary 

 to the present purpose. He pressed that the nomination 

 might be immediate, the rule which requires notice of the 

 names in the case of a select committee not extending to .the 

 case of a secret committee.^Lord J. Russell said, that on the 

 former motion he had come to the House apprehending that he 

 should be able to support the Mi ters, from whom he naturally 

 expected some explanation of their general principles. He 

 had, in fact, on that occasion defended the existence of the 

 authority; bu*\ finding it stated that the power hart been used 

 for purposes connected, not with our own, but with foreign 

 Governments, he had felt that, on the refusal of Sir J. Graham 



vote for the motion then made. He aptni^d th* * - 

 secrecy, and was willing to adopt any names which?? 

 ment might propose. He was quite willing to L 



examined before the proposed committee.— Mr Wi7 * 

 that secrecy was an extraordinary mode of^atiltv* 

 curiosity. He praised the zeal of the press, which hari^L" 

 public feeling. The public at large were as com s*2** 

 an opinion as^ the nine members who were to c^L? 



had been improperly stopped, and a prisoner allowed to escaue E J T^ZrX „ ? IC " " • ° n tne refusal of s,r J ' urana J n 



* J ™ ' * eu lo esca P e to give any explanation, however general, it was his duty to 



committee. The defence of Sir J. Graham seemedbfi?*. 1 ^ 

 his own conduct had been dark and queer, still it han **•* 

 worse than that of his predecessors. nrh« ~~Jr7. ■***■. 



not to 



powtr. 

 u 



* 



r . „_ „„ , V i ^ Vf yJl <>u ^ yj. ^ y» 4p _ 



till there should come another such explosion a* the 

 Mr. M'Gbachy was glad that, as Ministers had twi?!^'*' 

 session asked their friends to reverse a decision thev * *" 

 prepared to reverse a decision of their own, by truSf* 

 information which they had before refused.'— Mr wr'^H 

 wished the committee to be an open one. There was n** 

 granting a committee at all, unless its evidence we«l! 

 published.— Mr. Macaulay, with reference to what had ** 

 from Sir J. Graham, declared that he had never partie^«2 

 the opening of any letter under this power, nor hm 

 acquainted with the contents of any letter so opened 

 denied that he had come to the House on the late occaai '' 

 the purpose of attacking Sir J. Graham. The right hon Ban 

 had then refused to make that statement of general Drirv^ 

 which he now referred it to a committee to make. If that 

 ment would be prejudicial to the public.it ought not 

 authorised now ; if it would not be prejudicial to the nabto, 

 ought not to have been refused then. He did not believta 

 anything which could proceed from that committee »« 

 change his opinion of the danger and mischief of this p 

 Mr. Williams objected to the nine Members named 

 all of them adherents of one or other of the two greats 

 parties. He thought Mr. Duncombe and Mr. Hume ought 

 upon the committee. — Mr. CuaTEis condemned the pracim 

 question, and thanked Mr. Duncombe for having exposed i 

 Mr. Dun'co.mbk did not think the public would be sa' 

 secret committee, nor with the names proposed by Governmi 

 They offered an inquiry as to the mode in which letters had t*« 

 opened; the words "circumstances and extent" ought to k 

 added. He wished particularly to know whether the Po*J 

 office had opened the letters directed to the Albany, and amoaf 

 them any letters of his ? If the committee should not do 

 duty, he should not feel himself precluded from renewing 

 motion. — After some discussion about the terms in which, 

 inquiry should be directed, the amendment moved by Sir, 

 Graham in the following form was agreed to :— " That a col 

 mittee of secrecy be appointed to inquire into the state of tk, 

 law with respect to the detainingof letters in the General Poat.] 

 office, and to the mode in which that power has been exeretsai, 

 and that the committee should have power to send for peraom 

 papers, and records, and to report the result of their inquiry lag, 

 the House."— It having been discovered that Mr.H. DrumaMafl 

 had practised at the bar some twenty years ago. the name* 

 Mr. W. Pat-tun was substituted for his. With this excepba 

 the committee as proposed by Sir J. Graham was nominate 

 after an unsuccessful attempt, on the motion of Mr. J a mm, * 

 add Mr. Duncombe's name, which was rejected by 128 agtuat 

 52. Five of this committee are to constitute a quorum.— T* 

 House then proceeded to a motion of Mr. Mackiv.vov, fori 

 committee upon prison system, which was seconded h 7«jl 

 Williams —Sir J. Graham hoped that the motion would * 

 be pressed, it being obvious that, independently of owr 

 objections, the session was too far advanced to allow inr» 

 ful proceeding by a committee in the present year.— Mr. **!• 

 lky concurred in this opinion, but hoped for a committee n— 



session to consider various points which he regarded M 

 greatimportance.-Mr.MACKivxovthen withdrew h.srnotii 



Wednesday. -The House met at "o'clock. On tne oriM 

 the day for going into cemmittee upon the Joint Stow Cor 

 panies Bill, Mr. Hawes objected to the measure Ml ™ tc ££ 

 said, seemed disposed to interfere in everyth , and art* 

 nothing. Their interference here had been without suM 



notice, was vexatiously minute and "^^Ri^JtofflT 

 Board of Trade an excessive power over all J°»nt-sto« •£ 

 pan'es He moved that the Bill should be wmmittedo-Jf 

 dav six months.— Mr. Hatter seconded the motion. 

 G a L y ADSTorSbserved that Mr. Hnwe. .Had been a «e£ 

 that committee on whose resolutions the Bill ™ f onnaej^ 

 was indeed the Bill, not of Ministers, ^\^^\^Sl.^ 

 and their resolutions had now been four months in jm > 

 to the powers of the Board of Trade, this mil went «^ [ 

 enlarge, P but to restrict the discretionary powers oMJ^J* 

 whose members, so far from seeking toincrea se. were ^ 

 anxious to get rid of their °« c retiona^ rf m 



management of commercial matters. The ma no j 

 Bill were simply to establish pubhdty and resnlar «V J j, 

 ceedings of joint stock companies, and to P"^^ rf m 



scrip 



? ir W. Clav declared his general «Jpro^non ^ 

 .-Mr. Gonsov also approved i, , and re 



tie 



measure.— Mr. uoosox aisu »F^";' ea .'dependent and *<« 

 mischief done by encr .companies as the Indep recomrnet *| 



Middlesex Insurance Company.-Lord hs - B|11# _ Mr . Pa«*«J 

 the exclusion of railway compan es from tne ^ been verf 

 recollected the time when Mr. Gladstone wo q^ 



eloquent against any Bill of 91 clauses ntro «« I 

 great advantage promised from the chwge BUU «, 



that the country was to have no mc re m «. 



th An(r i,t this measure would confer _\er> grw c ^ nnke in fa«* 



part- 

 hro^P 



y member to jjj 



of the exemption of railway comp«'.». £ shoU ld go 

 Mr. Gladstone: proposed that the committee _ -t- 



further conversation Mr. H*w» J- first 



and the House went into committee. i» Mf a ucaff 



agreed to and then progress was reported. ^ 



/on withdrew his Smoke *\'™^J^W**ffM 

 session after Sir K. Peel had expre^sej a * .£ ts iroiMjrJ 

 men connected with the manufacturing d.stri^ Tne ^.. 



Se?r attention to the subject *™** t ^X<**%& 

 orders of the day, which were of no interest committe e *£ 

 posed of, Mr. Sergea.it Muupuv moved tor ef ,ncij"f 



whole house upon the subject of ministers 1 7 ,.*?*. 



Corporate towns of Ireland, payab le > under *&**-, 



Car" II., chap. 7 . The ^l^^^t^ ^mS* 

 under 15,000/. a year? and he could jot d et 



have been removed by Government £t the £im % ^ ofUJJ 

 of the tithe question, except for some mc £ c . tW *p 

 vertence. He proposed this m no .sect an*n £ e other ©g^ 

 ant clergy themselves would gladly see si oboo^ 



remux erltion introduced in the .room of ^ No _bjjg 

 payment, which was of a Terr uuequa char ^ «*£ 

 whatever its yearly ^nt could be rated i~ ^ paj-apsj^ 

 than 60/. per annum ; so that a ■ P°j>' ^^an, having s^ 

 foil value of his occupation, while a rich m . t #* 

 worth 200/. a year, paid upon less than J ti »ir ^ £j 



he sought was, that Go 

 mode of remuneration 



Lin upon less ii — - " h , t jtnte su-»- ^ 

 iovernment should substit ^ G £* 



mode ot remuneration.— ..ui» ~,- - t hafl „„. -- ^ 



ment had axiou.ly considered this sub ect h **« 



to devise any redress. Indeed, Ueiean «- dv§ it sno^ ^ 



not ventured to suggest any specific re 



remembered that the owners of the ho, 



bought them the cheaper because of their w „ ■ u;» n £;* 



-Mr. BnLLBWsnjg«tedthe«^tinctiou^ {0 ■ t 



< 



-Mr. Bkli.kw suggested ? Be e * 1 " ""^bstitution '^^0 

 the application or their incom e in sum & precedent , 

 That would be no innovation; there ; N ? I>gf argued ti^j* 

 Church Temporalities Act—Lord Sta> . ; k Ter0 porauU 

 proposal was not within the principles or 



