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moved that it be read second timelatioi ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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' I1pekeal Parliament. • ¦ —¦—?—Monday, ...
persons locally acquainted with China , and who vouched for the fact . Within the last few days , they had received an accotaut of the slaughter of eleven persons on board the Thistle . The Government had no desire to pursue in Chiaa a system of conquest , or to make it a part of British . India . Those who said that the Chinese are anxious to keep the English out for fear of conquest , ¦ were totally misrepresenting facts , and had taken no pains to ascertain the natural course of events- Mr .
Cobden , instead of waiting for the development of events , had rushed to a conclusion for the purpose of injuring her Majesty ' s Government ; but he would defy any one satisfactorily to make out from his motion whether it was intended -to convey a censure upon their minister m China , or upon the Government . Lord Palmerston concluded by protesting against coalitions , to which the country is not wedded , and by expressing a hope that the decision oi that night would be such as would maintain the honour , the dignity , and the iuterest 3 of the ¦
country . _ After some explanations from Mr . Gladstone , Mr . Disraeli rose amidst cries of " Divide ! " and said that in the coarse of this discussion the Government had shifted the ground which they had first taken up . He then proceeded to answer the speech of Lord Palmerston , and concluded by suggesting that , if there were a conspiracy against the Government , aa had . been alleged , Ministers should appeal to the country , with the programme of " No reform , additional taxes , and Canton blazing . "
Mr . Cobden briefly replied , vindicating himself from the charge of being anti-English , and denying that he had any design to effect a change of ministers , though he must confess the country seldom lost by such a change . The effect of a change now would be to bring in Mr . Disraeli or Mr . Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer ; and there would then probably be a reduction of 2 , 000 , 000 / . of expenditure . If he disposed of the noble lord foi that amount of reduction , he thought he should make a capital bargain for the country . ( Laughter ^) In all sincerity , he wished , the motion to "be taken merely upon , the merits of the case , and apart from any question of party bias . —After a few "words from Mr . Kxnnaibd , -who spoke against the opium traffic , but intimated his intention to vote for Ministers , The House divided , when there appeared—For Mr . Cobden's resolutions .... 263 Against 247 Majority against the Government ......- ^——16 An adjournment took place shortly afterwards , at halfpast two o ' clock . Wednesday , March Ath . INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS B £ I , £ . Sir Stafford Nokthcote having moved the second reading of this bill , Mr . Alcock moved to defer it for six months . He thought the bill superfluous , there being already many district and reformatory schools in . existence . The compulsory nature of the bill was alsoobjectionable , and it would raise ragged schools into undue importance . — " Mr . Hadfield seconded the amendment ; and Mr . Baines , on the part of the Government supported the measure , which he thought was rendered , necessary "by the largo number of destitute children wandering about in great towns . —Lord Stanley also spoke in favour of the measure , because it gives t «
children w"ho are liable to fall into crime the same ad .-vantages as are now enjoyed by children who aro actually delinquent . — Mr . Baxteh , Mr . Gordon , and Mr . Bxaok , who likewise approved of the bill , spoke from their personal experience of the advantages ¦ which had resulted in Scotland from the establishment of Industrial Schools . —Mr . Newdegatk and Mr . Bowyer supported the amendment j the latt « r observing that the practical effect of the bill would bo to send Irish Roman Catholics to schools -where they would bo unfairly proselytized . —The bill was also opposed by Mr . Palk , Sir George Strickland ( whose
objection -was confined to the principle of a rate ) , and Mr . Barrow . In further support of it , the House was addressed b y Mr . Adderlky ( who , replying to Mr . Bo-wyer'a objection , said the greatest possible care had been taken to prevent unfair proselytizing of Roman Catholics ) , Mr- Spoonbr ( who , however , thought some alterations were required ) , Sir John Pakington , Mr . Edward Ball , Mr .. Henlby , Mr . Duuxor , Mr . Liddeul , Mr . For . te 3 Q . ub , Mr . Serjeant Sheb , and Mr . Warner . —Sir Stafpojid Northcote , replied ; Mr . Aloo-ok withdrew his amendment ; and the bill was read a socoud time .
Sir Joiw Fakington announced that , having conferred with Lord Stanloy and Mr . Cobden on the subject of his Education Bill , he had resolved to postp one the second reading till next Wednesday . COURT OP 0 IIAWOERY OAKLAND ) ( TITLES OF TURCHABKUS ) WLL .. wi ?* rt W !" ™ ^ tho ^ cond reading of this bill , the object of which ho stated , to be , to secure the tiOoatc eatatoa obtained through the Court of Chancery . —Mr . Qkorok Butt . seconded the motion . —Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IftELAND objected to tho biU on th * ground that it only dealt with a fragment of a Kf of ti ' * " ? \ T ! ? Wajr tbat " undermined ™ ? Li ! i i m ° A bo i > eflcial "forms ever conferred on Ireland —the Encumbered Estates Court .-Mr . Maoabtnby supported tho bill , » nd Sir
Erskjne Perry moved that it be read a second time that day six months . —Mr . "Whiteside replied . —The A-ttorney-Genebal , for Ireland suggested that Sir Erskine Perry should withdraw his amendment , and pledged himself to give the hon . member an opportunity , at a future stage of the bill , of recording his vote against it . —Mr . Seymour Fitzgerald gave his support to the bjH , —The amendment was then withdrawn , and the bill was read a second time . Mr . Whiteside had a second bill on the paper for a second reading , with reference to the Irish Court of Chancery , but he postponed it . until next Monday . The House adjourned at half-past five o ' clock . Thursday , March bth . HOSTILITIES AT CANTON .
In the Bouse of Lords , the . Earl of Hardwickb called attention to a statement in the papers to the effect tliat the English troops had been obliged to retreat from " Whampoa ; that the Admiral had been compelled to abandon his position ; and that before doing so he had burned down the suburbs of Canton . He -then begged to ask if the Government had received any despatches on . the subject , and , if received , why they had not been published . He presumed that Ministers had taken measures for the protection of the lives of British subjects in China . —The Earl of Clarendon said that a despatch lad been received from Admiral Sir Michael Seymour , stating reasons why he deemed it necessary to withdraw from the Dutch Folly Fort , which he had
occupied , and why he thought it compulsory to destroy a portion of the suburbs , which , enabled the people of Canton to act against the fleet . It had likewise been necessary to send troops tor the better protection of Hong-Kong , in consequence of the disturbed state of the people , and the large rewards offered for acts of incendiarism and for assassinations . —The Earl of Ellen borough remarked on the importance of their knowing the precise time when the suburbs of Canton were destroyed . If the ships had remained in their old position , the Admiral would be justified in destroying the suburbs that gave a cover to the enemy ; but , if he lad retired from that position , there was no military or moral justification for the destruction of those suburbs . — -Lord Panmure , with
much warmth , censured the disposition evinced by some noble Lords to cast blame on the English officials in China before the circumstances under which they had acted became known . Admiral Seymour ( whose character as an officer and a gentleman stood as high as that off any man in the country ) had withdrawn from the Dutch Folly Fort because be found that junks could come out and sink impediments which would obstruct the return of his ships . —The Earl of Ellenboroitgh explained that he had said distinctly that bis condemnation of the destruction of tho suburbs was entirely dependent on the time when the act was committed . He repeated that , if the Admiral had resolved to retire when he destroyed the suburbs , it "was an unjustifiable military operation . — Lord Panmure ; ( warmly ) : " I deny it . "
PEACE WITH FERSIA . The Earl of Malmesbury asked if a treaty of peace had been concluded with Persia , and if the Persian ambassador in Pajris possessed full powers to conclude that treaty- —The Earl of Clarendon said the treaty of peace with Persia was signed , and the negotiations had not been undertaken until her Majesty ' s Government wero perfectly satisfied that the Persian ambassador in Paris had ample powers to conclude it .
SUPERANNUATION OF BISHOPS . In reply to Viscount Dungannon , the Earl of IIarrowby announced that it is the intention of Government to bring- forward a measure with reference to the retirement of Bishops , when unablo , from age or ill health , to discharge with efficiency their episcopal functions .
THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS . Earl Guanville made a statement with respect to the Ministerial defeat which had taken place in the House of Commons . His explanation was to the same effect aa that of Lord Palmerston , an abstract of which will bo found below . —Earl Grey , considering tho circumstances of tho case , thought that Sir John B owring ought to be recalled , and another minister be sent out , empowered to conclude , if possible , a peace with China . —Earl Granville , while thinking that that question was fitter for the consideration of tho other House than of their Lordships , said he could assure them that , even before tho close of tho de-r bate , the Government had taken into consideration the
best means of coming ; to a termination of the present unsatisfactory state of relations between China and this country . ( Hear , 7 icar . ~ ) They did not consider that the resolution of tho House of Commons was intended to indicate that they should refrain from , taking every ne ~ cosaary step for tho defence of tho lives and property of British subjects in Canton . Nor did thoy take that resolution as an intimation of tho intention of the House of Commons that thoy should in a rash and precipitous way patch up a peace without reference to tho condition of things in Canton , or the state of our relations there ( Wear . ) Ho believed their future steps would not bo of a nature to incur blame , in that Houao or elsewhere .
POOR BKMKFICKS . Viscount Dungannon moved for a return of tho number of benefices within tho diocese of London having endowments under 200 / . a year : specifying tho
population in connexion with such benefices , and the name of each benefice , and those of them which are without a residence for the incumbent . His lordship re marked that in some of the parishes to which his motion had reference the incomes are as low as 40 ? ., independently of pew-rents . —The return was ordered . The Chief Constables Bill , the Public Health Supplemental Bill , and the Ionian Subjects Commission Bill ,, were respectively read a -third time and passed . '
THE MINISTERIAL STATEMENT . Lord Palmerston , in the midst of considerable cheering , rose to inform the House of the intention of the Government consequent on the adverse vote of Tuesday night . He said that , under ordinary circumstances , there would hardly have been any alternative for Ministers but to tender their resignation to the sovereign . But the circumstances of the present case were so extraordinary and unusual , that they did not conceive it to be their duty so to act . What they had resolved on doing , therefore , was to advise the Crown to call upon the constituencies , at the earliest period at which the state of public business will permit , to exercise that action which the constitution places in their hands . It
was true that the division of Tuesday would seem to imply that the Government had lost the confidence of that House ; but , looking to divisions which took place very shortly before , in favour of the Ministry—looking at the majority whicb the Government had obtained oa theChiuese question in the House of Lords—taking , moreover , into consideration the fact , as he understood it , that some of those who concurred in the adverse vote did not mean to regard it as an expression of want of confidence—he believed they were justified in coming to the conclusion that they were bound to take the step -which he had just intimated . The state of parties indicated by the vote showed , he thought , that it would be very difficult , either for the present Government or for
that which might succeed it ( and he did not speak out of any desire to utteT taunts ) , to carry on the business of the country during the remainder of the present session . It would not be possible , however , to dissolve at once . The Estimates had not been voted ; the taxes for the ensuing year had not been passed ; and the Mutiny Act , necessary for the maintenance and discipline of the army , had still to be made law . He proposed , . therefore , to do what had been , done on previous occasions—to bring in none but provisional and temporary measures , to continue taxes which had been voted for three years . only for the ensuing year , to vote sums on account of the Estimates , and to continue th « Mutiny Act for a proportion of the year , leaving other matters to the new Parliament , which-will assemble in May .
Mr . Disraeli thought the course proposed by Lord Palmerston would be most to the public advantage , and he would give every facility in his power to the progress of business . He believed that the appeal to the country ¦ would prove of great benefit to national interests , and he trusted members would be returned with more definite opinions , as an injury to the public business lately by that abandonment of party spirit of which some persons boasted . —Mr . Cobden thought the Government had no right to continue to hold office unless they were prepared to carry out the vote of Tuesday night . The Government had stated that great danger to the English residents in China would result from the carrying of his ( Mr . Cobden ' s ) motion . 'la
that opinion he did not acquiesce ; but , assuming it to be the case , tho country had a right to know what Ministers meant to do in the emergency . In his opinion , they should send out a competent person by the next steamer , armed w 3 th full power to supersede all existing English authority in China , and to act according to circumstances . —Sir Charles Woot > assured the House that proper measures had been taken to collect a sufficient force to protect the English residents in China . — Sir John "Walsh , though voting against the Ministry on Tuesday night , did not wish to tic their hands in making all necessary pro-vision for the safety of our
countrymen in China . —Mr . Dekdes wished to know what tho Government proposed to do with respect to private bills . —Mr . Sidney , Herbert inquired whether the Government wero going to continue tho war for the same object—namely , the entry of Sir John Howring into Canton , and whether the conduct of affairs there was to be left in tho hands of a man who , in the op inion of tho House , had brought about the present dangerous stato of things ?—Sir George Grky denied that the object of the war was to obtain an entry into Canton . Ho repudiated the dictation of Mr . Cobden , and trusted that the IIouso would leave tho honour and interests of
tho country in tl » o hands of tho Government . Lord John Russell observed that the dissolution was what Mr . Fox called " a penal dissolution ; " that is to say , the IIouso "was to be punished for the vote it had given . Thoy were asked to pass certain votes as rai > uily us' thoy could , iii order to assist the Government in making an appeal to the country . If they wero asked to give these facilities , there was some fairness in sinking for an explanation of tho policy which is to « e pursued during tho time which-will intervene between tho dissolution and tho meeting of Parliament . (// e- 'flij , hear . " ) As to the charge of fnctioua combination which had l ) con brought by tho Government against those who voted with Mr . Cobden , it wag folso and calumnious .
Moved That It Be Read Second Timelatioi ...
220 TH jg _ J ^ jE APE Pu . , ' . [ Na 363 , Sattjrpay ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 7, 1857, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_07031857/page/4/
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