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    in the carrying out of the system to the Protestant clergy who had withheld their support , the allegation was pretty generally sustained by the other speakers . Lord Derby , indeed , regretted only , and refused to condemn the course taken by the clergy . He also supported the suggestion for inquiry , somewhat recklessly thrown out by Lord Harrowby , saying , that it might be , an inquiry partly into facts , and partly into " effects " on the people ; and it appeared , from the speech of

    Lord Eglinton , that such an inquiry had been contemplated by fche Derby Government . The Marquis of Lansdowne , who followed Lord Derby , forcibly objected to the proposed inquiry . It would rouse all the passions which they had so long thought , to allay and control . It is remarkable that Lord Eglinton , according to his own confession , went to Ireland , prejudiced against the system ; but , after a close examination of it , he has become one of its warmest supporters .

    The most hearty defence of the national system was made by the Bishop of Limebick , who , in common with the other speakers , contended for the necessity of joint-secular and separate religious instruction , and a mixed administration . Besides this , he spoke as follows ; his remarks being suggested by the accusation that the Bible was not allowed to be read in the schools , and the assertion that the reading of it should be compulsory : — He yielded to no man in his veneration for the Scriptures . He took them to be the enlivening ray of his 1

    reasonaa well as the purifyingprinciple of his will , and he could say in sincerity and truth that they were dearer to him than thousands of gold or of silver ; but lie had yet to learn , because lie believed all Scripture to have been written by inspiration , and to be eminently calculated to bless the human race—he had yet to learn , because he venerated the sacred volume as he did , that therefore he was at liberty to compel the reading of it , or , what was the same thing , that he was to debar thousands upon thou-B&nds of hia fellow-creatures from the blessings of education because they were restricted from the liberty which he himself enioyed . So had not taught , so had acted not , the great Head of our religion and His apostles . They had offered freely the word of life , bub in no instance had they attempted to coerce men to its perusal .

    The practical upshot of the debate is in favour of the national system ; besides which , Lord Clancarty obtained an order for his returns .

    MERCANTILE MARINE . In the House pf Commons , on Monday night , the House being in Committee on Pilotage , Mr . CardweMi stated the views and intentions of Government , with regard to this subject . It was notorious , he said , that from the peace down to the time of Mr . Huskisson there had been a positive diminution both in the amount of British , tonnage and the numbers of British seamen . The effect of Mr . Huskisaon ' s measures was to open a new career of prosperity to the shipping interest , which had been accelerated by the measures introduced and passed under the administration of Mr . Labouchere , when President of the Board of Trade ,

    for establishing an examination for mates and masters of trading vessels , for relieving the merchant service from the contribution to Greenwich Hospital and other onerous taxes , and for providing comfortable sailors' homes . In reference to present measures , the attention of the Government had been directed to several subjects—the question of lights , that of passing tolls , that of manning merchant vessels , that of volunteering for the navy , that of salvage , that of desertion , that of fees to consuls , and that of pilotage . On the head of lights , he stated the present arrangements for the maintenance of li g hthouses , under the management of the Trinity House in London , the Commissioners of Northern Lights in Scotland , and the Ballast

    Board in Dublin , and examined the manner in which this duty had been discharged , according to the most approved testimonies . The excellence of the administration of the British lighthouses had been acknowledged in tho strongest terms by our groateat rivals , tho United States ; and since 1830 the debt of the Trinity House had been reduced from 1 , 250 , 0002 . to 97 , 5002 . What was tho proper mode of providing for tho mercantile marine those advantages of control over receipt and expenditure , and accountability to Parliament , which they so much dosired ? There were objections to consolidating tho lights of Scotland and Ireland , as recommended by tho committee of 1845 , under the Trinity House . On tho whole , it appeared to the Government that tho boBt modo of securing oii ' cutivo

    responsibility in tho Trinity Houso would bo through some member or tho Executive . Tho two groat objects were parliamentary control and responsibility , and strict limitation of funds to the purposes to which thoy wore appropriated . Having detailed at considerable length tho communications which had passed botwoon the Government and tho Trinity House , ho proceeded to tho question of passing tolls . Theso tho lato Government had proposed to charge on tho Consolidated Fund . JEo noticed tho tfascu of ltains-§ a to , Whitby , Sunderland , and Newcastle , and tho oxoritant taxation imposed on coals under existing regulations . Government of that it

    woro opinion would not bo prudent to impose this additional burden on tho Consolidated Fund—an " injured interest" itself , if there were any . A careful inquiry into this subject was tho course determined upon . Next he adverted to the Admiralty question wnetherit was expedient to continue Unit restriction which required a British crow to consist of throe-fourths British subjects and ono-fourth foreigners . Tho restriction hud naver before been found so burdensomo as at present ; and it was not his opinion that the offoot of a oliango would bo found at all injurious to tho interests of British soamon .

    Government , therefore , did not propose to retain this restriction . He hoped the time would come when everybody would believe that to British seamanship as well , as shipbuilding the maxims of free intercourse and competition might be appliod . The next question was that of volunteering into the British navy , the importance of which was materially diminished by the concession on which , as he had just announced , Government were resolved . In the interest of the British seaman himself , it was not the intention of Government to abolish the existing practice , regarding it as in somo sort a compensation for the services rendered by the royal navy to the mercantile marine . Government intended , however , to provide that in case of the shipowner sustaining pecuniary loss , compensation should be made to him from the Admiralty funds . Then there was salvage , which some persons wished to see

    entirely abolished . Government considered it only fair that the principle of reward for services rendered in cases of danger at sea should be maintained , but the law giving a peremptory lien on the ship , by which it might be detained in the Admiralty Court , was a distinct grievance . Arrangements were in progress , under the care of the First Lord of the Admiralty , by which the claim of lien might be released , and a bond executed , by which the shipowner would avoid the grievance of detention . On the subject of desertion , clauses were in preparation by which the evils at present complained of by shipowners would be removed .- With regard to fees to consuls , they were all regulated by act of Parliament , in conformity with the recommendations of committees of inquiry . On this subject he was in communication with the Foreign Secretary , and he could assure the House that no obstacle would

    be interposed in any quarter to improvements which might be suggested . With respect to pilotage , the late Government had proposed to refer . the subject to a committee , but the experience of committees and commissions on such , questions was not very favourable . The grievances in the principal ports were sufficiently well ascertained ; as , for instance , the absurd practice in the port of London of having different pilots up and down the river , thus employing two persons to do the work of one . The vested rights of pilots , superannuation funds , &c , would be preserved intact b y the Government measure , and the principle of local jurisdiction would be adopted . He considered separately the cases of the three chief estuaries—the Thames , the Mersey , and the Severn—and

    the points by which the shipping of each would be most nearly affected . On the whole subject a very extensive and careful inquiry was indispensable , and in the marine officers of the Board of Trade and the various bodies of pilots through the kingdom , they possessed a self-acting inquiry , stringent and effective . The bill to be introduced would give to the different local bodies ample powers of self-reform , to reduce charges , to increase exemptions , to give new facilities , the only restriction imposed being to prevent what were intended as means of facilitation from being used in an opposite sense . A mediatorial power ,

    not compulsory in its character , would be exercised by the Queen in Council . Thus a foundation would be laid for concurrence between local and central authorities , bringing the various functions and powers into harmonious combination , and he entertained very little doubt that before a twelvemonth elapsed the beneficial effects of the change would be sensibly felt . Merely to consolidate existing laws would be an ineffective and inadequate course ; he invited them to consider , in a liberal spirit , the substantive chances he proposed . The right honourable gentleman concluded by moving for leave to bring in a bill for the improvement of the law of pilotage .

    Leave was given to bring in the bill . Generally the statement of tho President df the Board of Trade was received with satisfaction . ESCAPE OF MAZZINI . Lord Malmesbuky seems determined to acquire an extensive notoriety on all tlio questions he can . Having read in the papers that Mazzini had been received on board the Retribution , lie asked , on Monday , whether the report was true ? That was a simple thing ; but the way he did it was quite peculiar . Ho mnde a short speech ¦— a brief essay on tho extent to which British hospitality should goand he did ho in tlie following words : —

    "I wisli to ask the noble earl at tho head of tho Government a question with regard to tho truth of u report which appears m this day ' s newspapers , and also in the French journals , as to tho fact of M . Mazzini having escaped from Lombardy and repaired to Genoa , whore it is said that he was takon on board her Majesty ' s ship . Retribution , nnd convoyed to Malta . 1 do not wish my reason for asking this question to be misunderstood . My noblo friend behind mo ( tho Karl of Derby ) , when ho was at tho head of the late Govornincnt , and 1 myself , took the opportunity ot declaring , in our places in Parliament , that wo should continue , while in ofliee , to maintain as moot sacred the right of this country to afford an asylum to political refugees ; and I have not at all in the least changed my opinions from that moment to this ; and I feel certain that no

    English Minister , whatever may bo his opinions , will cither have tlio will , or , if ho have the will , will have the power , to induct ) "Parliament to alter tho lawn of England in this respect . But assuming tho report to which I have referred to bo true , considering that the dock of an English manof-war in l . li » same an British noil , I think that if this agitator has been received on board of her Majesty ' s whip Jlotribution , when in no personal danger , it has boon , to say tho leant of it , a most ill-judged not of humanity on tho part of the captain . I feel certain that in Sardinia , whore I ain happy to say constitutional government exists , Mazzini , or any other refugee , would bo in no danger of his life . Ho might , and probably would , roceivo orders to quit tho country , because Sardinia , not boing in tho position of England , can hardly retain a number of refugees , odious to lior neighbours , with safety to horsolf : but

    uuppose that he had gone to Sardinia , fleeing from tha vengeance of Austria , he might b ave used the common conveyances for the public from these ports , and there was no possible obligation for making use of one of her Majesty ' s ships . Your lordships will see the inconvenience that must ariso if her Majesty ' s ships are to be made mere packets to convey discomfited agitators and conspirators against her Majesty ' s allies to other ports of destination . Under the peculiar circumstances of this case , and seeing no necessity for receiving these refugees , if they have been received , on board of her Majesty ' s ship , I therefore wish to ask the noble earl whether the report to which I allude is true ?"

    Lord Aberdeen ' s reply could not have been a matter of congratulation to the apologist of Louis Napoleon . He said simply : — " My lords , having recently expressed my sentiments on the subject of the protection afforded to political refugees , I do not deem it to be necessary for me now to enter upon that point . With , respect to the question put to me by the noble earl , I am unable to give him any answer , as her Majesty ' s Government have received do information on the subject . " And there the matter ended .

    AN OATH SUCCESSFULIY REFUSED . During the pending investigation respecting the election for Southampton , which took place in the summer , a witness named Bower gave rise to a novel proceeding , as we learn from the Parliamentary report . On Wednesday , Mr . H . Herbert , as chairman of the Southampton Election Committee , reported to the House that on the preceding day a person of the name of Bower was tendered as a witness by the petitioners . On the New Testament being handed to him , he stated that he conscientiously objected to take an oath . He was asked whether he belonged to any sect—Moravian , Quaker , or Separatist ? He replied that he was a Separatist , but , on the declaration provided for that sect by the

    Act of Parliament being read by the clerk , he declined to accept it , stating that what he had meant in saying that he was a Separatist was , that he had separated from all sects . Thereupon , under the authority of . the Act , he was committed to the custody of the Sergeantat-Arms ; but the committee , unwilling to deal harshly with the person by reason of any conscientious scruples he might have , gave him until that morning to consider the matter over . Having that morning repeated his refusal to take any oat h or declaration , he had been continued in the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms , and Mr . H . Herbert now moved that Hobert Edmund Bower be committed to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms , to be by him produced before the committee when required , and that the Speaker do issue his warrant accordingly .

    Mr . Hume said that he should not object to the motion , under the pressure of time , but , anxious to make every allowance where scruples of conscience were really concerned , he should take tlie earliest opportunity of enabling the party to appear at the bur and explain what the grounds of his refusal were . The motion was then agreed to . Subsequently , Bower was called up , and told that when he would take the oath he should be released . He steadily refused the conditions .

    Mr . ITeiimht presented a petition from Iiobcrt E , Bower , who had been committed to the custody of the sorgeunt-nt-urins by tho Southampton Election Committee , for refusing to take either an oath or a legal affirmation . The petitioner stated that lie was convinced of tho unlawfulness of oaths ; while tlio provisions of the Jaw with respect to the taking of affirmations onty referred to two sects , to neither of which diil he belong . He prayed that ho might , now either be set at liberty , or l ) e allowed to take such an affirmation us he considered , binding upon his conscience . Mr . Herbert would now move that this petitioner should ho forthwith discharged from custody without the payment

    of feiss . Tho , circ . umstanccH of tin ; cuse which ho hud reported to tho Houso as cluiirnmu of tho committee were those : —On Tuesday tlio petitioner , having been culled , risfuseil cither to take an oath or make an affirmation , and the committee , on discussing the matter , felt that , strictly speaking , they wore hound to order him instantly into tins custody of the seigeant-nt-urins . As , however , they believed that his scruples were bond fide , they did not oxorciso tho power which they possessed under tho Act of Parliament , until he had repeated his rod wail on this following day . Ho hud now petitioned to bo liberated , and ho hoped that , tho House would accede to a request which the committal ) would have made , even hud ho not , petitioned .

    Mr . Stitakt WoutTjKV hud no intention to opposo tho motion ; but ho begged to call tho attention of the Government to Mic unsatisfactory stuto of the law on tho subject ,. It would be ilesirublo to give n ]> owor to courts of justice , when they woro satisfied tho objection of a * person to take am oath proceeded from conscientious motives , to tuko tho evidence on affirmation .

    Untitled Article

    March \ % 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 243

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 12, 1853, page 243, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1977/page/3/