|ciple in Scotland, and a system of education that had hitherto admirably supplied the educational wants of the people. They asked amongst other things that religious teaching in the schools might be secured by the Bill. The noble Duke said that, under the circumstances, he would appeal to the noble Duke who had charge of the Bill (the Duke of Argyll), to postpone for some short time the Committee on the Bill which stood for that day, in order that the Amendments, of which notice had been given, might be well and amply considered. The noble Duke, when he introduced the measure, represented that it was in conformity with the wishes of the people of Scotland; but he thought the noble Duke could not fail to see, from the number of Petitions that had been presented against it, that a strong feeling of hostility had been elicited against it in its present form, and that various views had been put forward by a number of bodies in Scotland, all desiring the introduction of Amendments. It was clear that the acceptance of the Bill in Scotland had not been so general or universal as the noble Duke at first supposed. He understood that the noble Duke had also a number of Amendments to propose on the part of the Government, which were not in their Lordships' hands, and that, he urged, was another reason for delay. And, as a further reason for postponement, he was informed that at the county meetings to be held in Scotland at the end of the MINUTES. PUBLIC BILLS-First Reading-month the subject would be generally Fine Arts Copyright Consolidation and Amendment (No. 2) (51). Second Reading Salmon Fisheries (Ireland) (43); Railway Companies Meetings * (44). Third Reading-East India Irrigation and Canal Company (31), and passed. Withdrawn-Fine Arts Copyright Consolidation and Amendment * (17). PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (SCOTLAND) Several noble Lords presented Petitions; some in favour of the Bill, others against it, or praying for amendment of its provisions. THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH presented a Petition from a large number of iron masters and coal owners in the West of Scotland against the Bill. The petitioners pointed out their objections to the Bill. They also stated that the brought forward and discussed, when there would be a further opportunity of ascertaining the feeling of the people upon the subject, and by which many valuable suggestions might be offered. He thought the noble Duke would see how desirable it was to postpone the Committee for a short time. THE EARL OF DALHOUSIE said, the noble Duke (the Duke of Marlborough) had anticipated him in an appeal to his noble Friend to postpone the Committee on the Bill. A more important Bill with reference to Scotland had not been introduced into Parliament for many years; and, considering the immense number of Amendments that had already been given notice of, and the other Amendments referred to, but which had not yet been placed on their Lordships' table, There were some which he Lordships, if they desired to maintain reject. their reputation for the careful and should be compelled to resist; but thorough manner in which they trans- a very large number of them, espeacted their business, to proceed with cially some proposed by his noble the consideration of the measure until Friend opposite (Lord Colonsay), he they had seen them all, and compre- should gladly accept as decided improvehended their bearings. He did not ask ments. Before their Lordships went to have the Committee postponed from into Committee he should propose to feelings of hostility to the principle of re-print the Bill, with the Amendments the measure that having been approved proposed by the Government. Conby a great majority of the people of sidering that it had been introduced in Scotland-but in hopes that the question their Lordships' House with the view of might be properly and well considered. furnishing them with occupation during The noble Duke opposite (the Duke of the early part of the Session, their Marlborough) was right in stating that honour and reputation required that they were on the point of holding their it should be sent down to the House of county meetings in Scotland, at which Commons in sufficient time to give them the various Committees to whom Bills an ample opportunity of discussing it; relating to Scotland were referred would but that House was at present fully report, and thereby the feeling of the occupied, and he believed no injury counties would be ascertained upon this would arise from a postponement till measure. He hoped the noble Duke after the 30th instant, the date of the who had charge of the Bill would post-county meetings. He would beg their pone the Committee until after Whit- Lordships not to request a postponesuntide, and in the meantime that he ment till after Whitsuntide, and hoped would inform their Lordships which they would go into Committee on the Amendments he would adopt and which 3rd or the 10th of May. he would resist. THE EARL OF AIRLIE also joined in the appeal for postponement, wishing it, however, to be understood that he hoped the principle of the Bill-a national system of education based on rating-would be sanctioned by Parliament. He could see no great force in the objection that rating tended to dry up voluntary subscriptions; and the necessity of education being admitted, there was no more reason for leaving the burden to be borne by individuals, than for throwing on them the cost of lighting or of repairing the roads. THE DUKE OF ARGYLL said, he had great regret in postponing the Bill, but felt it impossible to resist the appeals of the noble Duke opposite, and his two noble Friends, all of whom he believed to be friendly to the main objects of the Bill. He had no wish to take any course other than that which was best for the cause of national education in Scotland. He had to apologize for not having presented to their Lordships the Amendments he proposed to make in the Bill in Committee, but the fact was that up to Friday last Amendments were showered upon him by Members of their Lordships' House so fast, that he had not had time to consider how many he would adopt and how many he would LORD CAIRNS presumed it was the intention of the noble Duke to move to go into Committee on the Bill pro forma, for the purpose of re-committing the Bill and having it re-printed. THE DUKE OF ARGYLL said, he had no such intention. He simply proposed to have the Amendments printed before their Lordships went into Committee upon it. LORD REDESDALE thought it would be much more convenient to have the Bill re-printed with the Amendments in the form in which the noble Duke intended it to be actually proposed. It was impossible otherwise for those unacquainted with the forms of the House to understand what the Government intended to propose. NAVY-ARMAMENT OF TURRET-SHIPS. THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN said, that since the subject of turret-ships had been under discussion on Thursday last, he had communicated with his right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty. He was now able to lay on the table the letter addressed by the Admiralty to Admiral Sir James Hope, and also his reply, expressing approval of the proposed new turret-ships. With regard to a Question put by the noble Duke (the Duke of Somerset) he was able to state that the 25-ton guns intended for the Monarch and Captain had been proved with charges of 833 lbs. of gunpowder, of which two rounds were fired, the weight of the projectiles each time being 580 pounds. The noble Lord then laid on the table Correspondence respecting New Designs for Armour-clad Ships. (No. 52.) SALMON FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL. (The Lord Dufferin.) (NO. 43.) SECOND READING. LORD DUFFERIN, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, its object was to enable the Lord Lieutenant to appoint two Inspectors. The late Government made such appointments; but as the powers of the existing Commissioners did not expire till the 1st of August next, and as the Fisheries (Ireland) Act provided that they were at that date to be replaced by Inspectors, the Government had been advised that the appointments were invalid. LORD CAIRNS said, he understood that legal opinions differed as to the validity of the appointments. He wished to know whether the gentlemen appointed were to be reinstated, or whether it was intended to supersede them. THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDE said, that he had presented a Petition signed by the principal fishfactors and fishmongers of Dublin, complaining that under the existing law salmon was higher in price and more scarce than it had been heretofore. He thought that the Government ought to institute an inquiry into the subject. It appeared to him that salmon was a fish that ought to be made, if possible, accessible to all classes. He should certainly submit an Amendment when the Bill went into Committee. LORD DUFFERIN said, that when the noble Marquess was prepared to submit his Amendment the Government would give it every consideration. In reply to the noble Marquess he had to state that the question of the re-appointment or otherwise of the Inspectors was one for the Government to determine. EARL GRANVILLE reminded the noble and learned Lord that a few weeks ago he declined to reply to a Question which had been put to him, on the ground that, having already spoken, he was precluded by the rules of the House from doing so. Such being the practice of the House-though their Lordships were always willing to grant leave for a personal explanation-he was surprised that the noble and learned Lord should now have risen a second time. LORD CAIRNS said, that having had a much shorter experience in their Lordships' House than the noble Earl, he was always glad to receive a lesson from him on the point of Order. On this occasion, however, he thought the lesson was not required, for he apprehended it was allowable, if a Question which had been put to a Member of the Government had not been distinctly answered, to rise and call attention to the fact, and this was all that he had done. EARL GRANVILLE said, he did not quite see the distinction drawn by the noble and learned Lord between the two cases, but did not wish, after his explanation, to insist on the point. the Inspectors had exercised any functions which would require confirmation? LORD REDESDALE asked whether LORD DUFFERIN said, he believed their proceedings had been merely ministerial. LORD CHELMSFORD repeated the question put by his noble and learned Friend, whether the existing appointments would be confirmed or superseded? LORD DUFFERIN thought his former reply would have been a sufficient intimation that the decision on that point remained at the discretion of the Govern ment. Bill read 2, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next. FINE ARTS COPYRIGHT CONSOLIDATION AND AMENDMENT (NO. 2) BILL [H.L.] A Bill for consolidating and amending the Law sented by The Lord WESTBURY; read 1a. (No.51.) of Copyright in Works of Fine Art-Was pre BEVERLEY ELECTION. LORD CAIRNS remarked, that the noble Lord had not answered his Question-namely, whether the Government Message from the Commons that they havo intended to affirm the appointments al-jesty, to which they desire the concurrence of agreed to an address to be presented to Iler Maready made or to promote other persons? their Lordships. LORD GARLIES said, he wished to ask the Judge Advocate General, Whether his attention has been called to a paragraph in the Pall Mall Gazette of Saturday, March 20, in regard to marking Deserters from the Army with the letter D; if it be true, as therein stated, 1st, That since flogging in the Army was forbidden by the Legislature, a Memorandum was issued by the Horse Guards, Authorities "insisting that deserters and military offenders generally should be branded again and again, without regard to the first indelible mark;" 2ndly, That in consequence of this Memorandum the Judge Advocate General "has just issued a strongly-worded Memorandum or Letter to the Horse Guards, severely censuring the course pursued in cancelling an original order against this repeated branding, and forbidding this punishment to be turned into a system of tor ture;" 3rdly, That, "it is very doubtful whether the Horse Guards have not infringed the Law" in regard to the place selected for marking Deserters; whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a Copy of the Memorandum or Letter stated to have been issued by him to the Horse Guards; and, whether SIR COLMAN O'LOGHLEN, in reply, stated, that his attention had not been called to, but, like the noble Lord himself, he had seen and read the paragraph in the Pall Mall Gazette. With respect to the statement in it, it was so far correct that he did feel it his duty to address a letter last month to the Adjutant General in relation to marking deserters a second and third time after they had already been indelibly branded. Some other statements in the paragraph, however, were not correct. It was not true so far as was aware that since flogging was forbidden a Memorandum was issued by the Horse Guards, insisting that deserters and military offenders generally should be branded again and again; and it fol lowed, of course, that it was not in consequence of any such Memorandum that he addressed his letter to the Adjutant General. He was not in a condition to give the contents of that letter to the House, nor was he in a condition to lay the Papers on the table of the House. A correspondence was now going on between the authorities at the Horse Guards and the authorities at the War Office, and it would not be advantageous to the public service that he should make any statement on the matter. The noble Lord also asked if he knew what had given rise to so remarkable a statement. He was sorry to be unable to give him any information upon that point. He was as unconnected with the Pall Mall Gazette or the writers in that journal as the noble Lord himself; and as far as he was aware the letter, or copy of the letter that he had written, had not been seen by anybody outside the official circle. POST OFFICE-WEST INDIA MAILS. QUESTION. MR. R. FOWLER said, he wished to ask the Postmaster General, Whether the steam ship "Tasmania," carrying the West India Mails, which passed Falmouth on Monday, March 15, before three o'clock, in time for the Mails to be landed and sent to London by the regular Mail, arrived at Plymouth so late that the letters had to be sent by special train; and, whether the weather was not most favourable for her to accomplish the distance in the shortest possible time? THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, that the mails arrived in time to be sent on by the ordinary train; but in consequence of some delay in the landing they had to be sent a considerable part of the distance by special train. Inquiries had been made on the subject, and he believed arrangements had been made by which, when mails arrived near the time of the departure of the ordinary train, they would be landed immediately, so that no such occurrence should again take place. He believed the weather had been most favourable, and that the Tasmania had accomplished the distance in the shortest possible time. "The Reports of Secretaries of Legation and of Consuls are now published monthly, as received the information therein contained at the disposal at the Foreign Office, the object being to place of the commercial classes, with as little delay as possible. Originally, these Reports were only published whilst Parliament was sitting, and they could be formally presented to the House; but it was found that much information was thus postponed till too late to be of service. With the intention also of giving the earliest circulation, the Foreign Office supplies copies every month to the Chambers of Commerce." With regard to the Board of Trade, my own opinion is, it would not be very advantageous to produce a Report periodically of the proceedings of that Devast variety of subjects and go through partment, because they extend over a numerous and almost numberless details. I have considered the matter myself, and the balance of my opinion goes in this way, that it would not be desirable for the Board of Trade to make any such general and comprehensive Report as that hinted at in the Question of my hon. Friend. ST. JAMES AND ST. PAUL'S, LAN- MR. R. SHAW said, he would beg to ask the hon. Member for North Devon, Whether the ecclesiastical districts of the vicarages of St. James and St. Paul's respectively, within the ancient parochial TRADE RETURNS.-QUESTION. MR. POCHIN said, he wished to ask the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is not desirable that Annual Reports should be rendered by the Master of the Mint, and by the Marine, Commercial, Foreign, and Statistical Departments of the Board of Trade, the same in character as the present Annual Reports rendered by the Board of Cus-chapelry of Burnley, in the county of toms and Board of Inland Revenue; and, if it would not be a measure of economy and convenience to discontinue the present separate publications of the Reports on Foreign Trade from Consuls Abroad and Secretaries of Legation, and issue quarterly, in a collected and arranged form, all Reports received during the previous three months? He was aware that it was no part of the duty of the Board of Trade to issue these Reports. Lancaster, have within their limits the requisite population to entitle the vicars thereof to the augmentation of their endowments to the sum of £300 a year out of the funds vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; and, if so, what are the reasons for withholding from the said vicars the augmentation to which they are entitled by the rules and practice of the said Commissioners? MR. ACLAND replied that parishes MR. BRIGHT: Mr. Speaker, my hon. possessing the population of those two Friend in his Question has said what is districts would, under ordinary circumvery true-namely, that it is no portion stances, receive the augmentation, but of the duty of the Board of Trade to the Commissioners did not recognize the issue these Reports; but I am happy to principle that population alone, without be able to inform him that the Chan-consideration of other circumstances, encellor of the Exchequer has given orders that a Report with respect to the Mint should be prepared, and therefore as far as that part of the Question is concerned it is answered. With regard to the Foreign Department, I have a note from the Foreign Office, which I will read for the benefit of the House titled a district to receive it. These two districts were formed about twenty years ago out of a larger district (Burnley), which was now a rectory, and were endowed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners with an income of £150 a year, the patronage being vested in the Crown and the Bishop of the diocese alternately. On |