The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

IIPEKIAL PARLIAMENT. In the House of Lords, on Thursday, the Lord Chancellor laid on the table a bill to amend the law on the subject of the Extradition Treaty with France. It had been found by the French Government that owing to the interpretation put by the magistrates of this country on the treaty it was impossible to obtain the extradition to France of offenders charged with murder, attempted murder, and fraudulent bankruptcy, for in such cases the magistrates required prima facie evidence of guilt and the verification of docu- ments submitted to them. Unless, therefore, some other course was adopted, France would find it necessary to put an end to the treaty. The bill, therefore, proposed that magistrates in England should admit certificates signed by French judges and sealed with the seals of their courts as sufficient evidence without any further proof of their genuineness. The Earl of Clarendon said that the French Government had acted in a most conciliatory spirit in a matter in which this country was in error. The bill was read a first time. The Revising Barristers Qualification Bill, the Piers and Harbours Confirmation Bill, and others were advanced a stage. The House adjourned shortly after six o'clock. In the House of Commons, in answer to ten questions from Mr. Stuart Mill as to the course to be taken towards certain officials in Jamaica, The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the form in Which the questions had been put was rather in excess of the rule of the House. Nine of them inquired whether any steps would be taken as to occurrences in Jamaica which the question assumed to be illegal; and the tenth asked if those proceedings were illegal. The allegations contained in the questions were not wholly accurate; and it was ignored that the acts complained of were committed during martial law, and there could be no irregu- larity in the formation of the courts; in some of the cases mentioned the acts alleged were not proved, "While most of the charges, as alleged, were too Sweeping and based oa assumption. The commission ap- pointed by the late Government having reported, Governor Eyre was dismissed, and any further steps against him could only be founded on a confusion of idea as to error of Judgment and malice prepense; while the Admiralty authorities had decided that no steps should be taken against any of the naval officers concerned; and the Horse- Guards had not yet pronounced an opinion as to what was to be done with regard to the military officers. He could give no further information. In answer to Mr. P. A. Taylor, Mr. Walpole said that an order of the Chief Commissioner of Police, prohibiting a public meeting announced to take Place in Hyde-park on Monday next, had been issued by his (Mr. Walpole18 J direction and authority; he was entirely re- sponsible for it. Sir G. Grey said the prohibition in question was ia exact accordance with previous acts of the Home-office on similar Occasions; and he had before he left office given similar di- rections to the Chief Commissioner of Police. In answer to Mr. Mill, Mr. Walpole said the prohibition was founded only on the fact of the meeting being fixed to take place in Hyde-park, and had no reference to the abstract right of public meeting. ^Mr. Lowe moved the consideration of the report of the ■ttelston Election Committee, in reference to the conduct Pursued by the returning officer, who voted far Mr. Camp- bell previously to declaring him returned on an equality of Totes. The matter was adjourned, on the suggestion of this Chancellor of the Exchequer, until Thursday next. In committee ot the whole House Viscount Cranborne brought forward the Indian budget. Having entered at length into the history of the Indian revenue of the last three years, he said, for the current year more than *6,000,000 was spent on public works, whieh. was a heavy item of expenditure, but it was, in fact, a large surplus Which was invested in remunerative works. The railway expenditure had been a source of enormous success, for the repayment of the outlay was going on with extraordinary rapidity. Public works—particularly of irrigation—were going on; railways advancing; the Ganges Canal had been rendered more fitting for its great purposes, and there was 1nuch evidence of prosperity. A discussion ensued, in the course of which Mr. Laing uowed that since the equilibrium of expenditure and revenue had been restored after the Indian mutiny, it had the whole been maintained; while the revenue had, in he last five years, increased a million per annum—and went jnto a comprehensive exposition of Indian affairs in all their He was followed by Mr. Stansfeld, with a speech i like character after which the debate was csntinued °y Mr. Smollett, Mr. Crawford, Lord William Hay, Sir J. ergusson, the new Under Secretary for India, &c. «o + • ^e^at0 was closed by a reply from Lord Cranborne; certain formal resolutions were agreed to, and the House resumed. The Thames Navigation Bill was then taken in committee, "U passed through that stage. pj*n. the order of the day for the Representation of the the Redistribution of Seats Bills, r. Gladstone moved that the orders be discharged, ex- Plaining that he had not done so earlier with a view to ascer- tain whether the Government would take any steps regarding them. Thatnot having been done, it was resolved to withdraw them, notice being- given that any member might challenge tnat course .With regard to the future, it would be a Satisfaction to him if the Government should think proper to deal with the question of Parliamentary Reform and he Should be glad to support any measure which was satis- aetory; while to any measure which might be reac- *»ary and illusory he should offer all the opposition in his '^he orders were discharged, the other business dis- posed of, and the House adjourned at half-past two o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Friday, Viscount Stratford de ^eacliffe brought forward the subject of the Danubian ^rincipalitiefi, contending that though in a manner inde- pendent they belonged to Turkey, and acted as a barrier oetween that Power and Russia. The union of the two principalities could no o be maintained under a native prince and, referring, to the accession and deposition of Prince ouza, and the advent of Prince Cbarles of Hohenzollern, upportedby Prussia, he showed that this was in contra- vention of treaties, and he asked for information as to the thn Pos^iori °f affairs in those regions at the present The Earl of Derby declined to follow over the wide field Of controversy which had been raised, or assent to principles Which in effect would lead to the interference by force of t^is country in a foreign difficulty. He was inclined to Muni that the union of the two provinces was a source o Weakness rather than strength to Turkey; he denied that the accesion of Prince Charles was the act of Prussia, and xpressed a hope that, if Turkey would abstain from armed Interference with the Principalities, the matters in dispute Would be settled by negotiation. Earl Russell agreed that the question involved should settled by negotiation. He thought that the stipulation Jnat the Hospodar of the united provinces should not be a foreign Power was not advantageous either to those princi- palities or Turkey, and he trusted that the Porte would re- cognise Prince Charles as Kospodar, on his promise to pay tribute and fulfil the duties discharged by former rulers. A motion for papers was then withdrawn. The Dills on the paper were advanced a stage, and the ■House adjourned shortly after seven o'clock. In the House of Commons, Mr. Disraeli said that on Monday he should make a short statement of the additional charge on the iiixcnequer which had accrued since the nancial statement, and the course which the Government "itended to pursue. On going into committee of supply, Mr. Gregory caMed attention to the evidence given before the commission on railways on the subject of the Irish rail- ays, showing that the fares were higher than those either in Scotland or England, while there was the minimum of accommodation, and this to such an extent that it is as- serted that there was more accommodation in the old coach- es' times than now. The remedy was almost universally admitted to be the passing of the railways in some shape or Other into the hands of the Government. Mr. Pim seconded the motion. Mr. Gladstone said, in reference to a measure in regard to Irish railways, which had been prepared by the late, and adopted by the present Government, that it would only enable the advance of about half a million. Its scope and Purpose, therelore, was but small, and it could not be taken a remedial measure for the great" disarrangement of the Irish railway system. As to the motion in nana, it would be premature pending the sitting of the Railway Com- mission to enter on the immediate consideration of the Whole question, although in his opinion nothing more bene- ficial could be effected for Ireland than the development of railways in that country. Mr. Samuda proceeded to call attention to the present state of the navy, and to the very small progress that has been made, especially of late years, in its reconstruction with iron-clad vessels, and to compare these results with the great augmentation that has taken place, and is still taking place, in the armour-clad ilaviesof other States. He Suggested that a supplemental estimate of £ 400,000 might he asked for, to be applicable te the building of 12 vessels during the recess, two of them being two-turret ships, each carrying two 600.poundtr guns, and the other ten being one- turret ships, carrying one 600-pounder. The total cost would he about £ 1,000,000, which might be spread over the esti- mates of three year, Sir J. Pakington said that the statement of the disadvan- tageous position of the English navy relatively to those of other countries was rather understated, even the Italian iron-clad fleet, to say nothing of that of France, which had, in fact, 58 ships armour-clad, being in comparison superior to our own. He hoped that generally the recess would be utilised by the improvement of our iron-clad ships. He pro- nounced in favour of turret ships. Mr. T. G. Baring asserted that, apart from coast-defence "vessels, the sea-going armour-plated navy of England was far greater than that of any othernatioii. We bad a fleet of 26 ships of this class, and the French only 17. With regard to guns, the 12-ton cannon and the other ordnance adopted in the naval service were of the best description. The discussion was continued by Sir J. Hay, Mr. Laird, Sir M. Peto (who censured the late Admiralty, and ex- pressed his gratification at seeing Sir J. Pakington in office), by Lord J. Hay, Mr. Graves, and Mr. Alderman Lusk, when the subject dropped. JYIr. Laing asked the Foreign Secretary whether he could give the House an assurance that no step will be taken which might commit this country to any intervention in the war now proceeding on the Continent, without giving Parliament a previous opportunity of expressing its opinion as to the policy of such intervention. Mr. Horsman, who had a motion on the papl r to call attention to the sitate of affairs on the continent, followed. I Sir G. Bowyer eulogised the heroic conduct of Austria in the present crisis. Mr. Gladstone observed that recently military events had not only brought about a great change in affairs, bat had also brought about the disclosure of many purposes which had not been known before. Referring to the hitherto state of Germany, he maintained that she had long been a source of disturbance to Europe, and a cause of the huge arma- ments of other nations; while by her actual weakness she had not occupied her true place in the community of nations. Now, however, the problem of her position was about to be solved, and the result must be beneficial not only to Germany in general, and the triumphant Power in the war, but to that empire which had been worsted in the struggle. Lord Stanley said that as regarded intervention in the sense of armed mediation, or intervention calculated to lead to armed mediation, everything, in the opinion of the Go- vernment, the House, and the country, combined to give the best guarantee that no such policy could be now pro- duced. But as regarded the friendly offices of a disinterested Government in the interests of peace, that was an interven- tion which he felt liberty to adopt; but at the present moment her Majesty's Government stood free and unfettered by any pledge, and the diplomatic action of the Government had consisted in assisting to bring out the armistice pro- posed by Austria. As regarded the question of general policy, there never was a continental war in which the inte- rests of England were so little mingled nor did he con- ceive that the establishment of a great German Power was in any degree a danger or a menace to England. After a few words from Mr. B. Cochrane, the discussion concluded. The other business was disposed of, and the House ad- journed at 25 minutes past one o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Monday, the Marquis of Clanricarde drew attention to a statement made by Earl Russell at a dinner at the Cobden Club meeting, to the effect that a British Secretary for Foreign Affairs should have taken part in recommending an armistice to Italy and Prussia, founded on the cession of Venetia to France. Earl Russell stated that what he said was, that for our Foreign Secretary to join France in asking Italy to agree to an armistice before any preliminaries of peace had been settled was an insult te the people of that country, con- sidering that Venetia had been ceded to France, and not to Italy. The Earl of Derby admitted that the cession of Venetia to France and not to Italy was calculated to offend the latter; but officially the British Government had pronounced no opinion on the subject, had offered no advice, and taken no part in the negotiations, but the mediation between the belligerents bad come from tke Emperor of the French alone. The preliminaries of peace, however, it seemed, had been accepted by both parties, and he hoped that actual peace would ensue. Lord St. Leonards drew attention to the law relating to Rales by auction, and signified his design of bringing in a bill on the subject. The National Gallery Enlargement Bill passed through committee; several other bills were advanced a stage, and The House adjourned at a quarter past six. In the House of Commons, on going into committee of supply, The Chancellor of the Exchequer rose to make a state- ment as to the supplementary estimates presented to the House since the financial statement of the present year, and stated that those estimates had "altered the financial position. The revenue was estimated at &67,001,300, including £500,000 New Zealand Bonds, and the expenditure at £ 66,727,000, including R500,000 for terminable annuities; leaving a surplus of £ 250,000. The increased estimates were £ 495,000, leavinga deficiency of £ 209,000. To supply this a new tax might be raised, but that was not a course very desirable. He proposed to remedy the deficit by relinquishing the pro- ceeding with the bill for the conversion of terminable annui- ties, which had been read a second time. It was a matter of regret to him that his first act as Finance Minister was to add to the burdens of the country. In laying down the principles which would govern his financial policy, he said he was of opinion that the financial reserve of the country was of more importance than military reserves, for if ever England entered into a contest for her honour and her in- terests, her financial position would enable her to go on in her inexorable purpose until her honour and her interests were vindicated. The principle of the Government was economy at once judicious and tending towards complete- ness and efficiency. Mr. Gladstone said he adhered to the principles of finance which he had developed, that of keeping up a certain scale of liquidation of debt-principles which had received the assent of Parliament. Although the policy of liquidation of debt by means of terminable annuities bad been questioned, it was one of great importance, and one which he hoped the Government would bring before the House next session; and if not he should probably do so himself. After some further discussion the subject dropped. Mr. B. Hope moved that it is desirable that a new National Gallery be erected on the site of Burlington- house. On a division the motion was lost by 94 to 17. The House having gone into committee of supply, General Peel moved a supplementary army estimate of L245,000 for the conversion of muzzle-loading small arms into breech-loaders, and stated that by the 1st April next there would be 200,000 converted Enfields for a sum of £ 145,000, the remainder of the sum being applicable to a supply of the special ammunition required for breech- loaders. After a brisk discussion the motion was agreed to. Mr. Corry brought forward the Education Estimates for Great Britain. The subject was argued with some elabora- tion, and the vote was agreed to; and the House resumed. The other business was disposed ef, and the House adjourned at half-past one o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Tuesday, the Postmaster- General Bill and the Piers and Harbours Confirmation Bill were read a third time and passed. In answer to Earl GrjnviFp, The Earl of Derby, in reference to the tumults in Hyde- park, expressed his regret at their occurrence, and urged that political discussion was impassible in an assemblage of tens of thousands of people. He admitted the good con- duct of the persons principally concerned, and attributed what had taken place to the idle and dissolute persons who always fringed a crowd. The Government had taken the steps they thought best under the circumstances. Earl Granville agreed that these monster meetings were only physical demonstrations, but he reminded the House that the working classes had been taunted with apathy in the cause of Reform. He admitted that such meetings ought not to be held in Hyde-park; and he regretted the deplorable occurrences which had taken place. He thought further explanation 'was necessary, especially in regard to the calling out of the troops. The House adjourned at five minutes past six o'clock. In the House of Commons, Mr. B. Osborne asked what in- structions were given to Sir Richard Mayne by the Home. office in reference to the meeting on the previous evening m Hyde-park. Mr. Ayrton said that everyone must regret that the peo- k t- l!ad 1)6611 brought into collision with the authorities but he felt that it might have been easy to have prevented wnat had occurred. There had been a tendency of late years on the part of a certain class of persons, small in number, to appropriate particular parks to their own use; 11 vi i °, u ,01'e■ 5>ccasi« ben this class required an additional riue, tne railings of St. James's-park were at once levelled; w,j,6 a&aln a special part of Hyde-park was refused to the use of the general public, because it was required as a lounge for certain fashionable folk. All this was observed by the tax-paying people, who had to disburse money for the special gratification of one class. He contended that the people had a right to use the parks, as public property dedicated to a particular purpose. When a claim of right to use the parks was put forward a temperate and con- ciliatory proclamation explaining- the rights involved would have been satisfactory and accepted. Instead of this a notification was placed on the gates of the park well calculated to arouse irritation, as it stated that the meeting about to be held would lead to violence and disorder a false suggestion. This country was not governed by force, nor was the army recognised as a part of the Government' and therefore to appeal to force in the first instance by the executive was a most deplorable circumstance. He hoped that the Government would not continue to attempt to keep the people down by soldiers and poliee, which was a matter far beyond their power. He asked if the notification issued by Sir R. Mayne would be laid on the table, and what steps had been taken for preserving the peace of he metropolis. b Mr. Walpole said that in the trying circumstances in which the'metropolis was placed he should exercise his dis- cretion in not following the hon. gentleman through his disquisition on the partial administration of the law towards different classes. Nothing was farther from his intention, and the no tic™ he had issued was founded on a distinct re- cognition of the principle of equal justice to all classes, was no false suggestion contained in that out it was based on circumstances which „.u roJr 111 1855, when crowds assembled in Hyde- a.rpit demonstrate against a Sunday Trading Bill, dav—a Lib ,ncsH took Piace, and the Gorernment of the iTinuirp iriT^l Government-— appointed a commission to then raised -n? Proceedings, and the rights which were measures sho^kf be°^S1f ifc wf fi. ivo in tho T,t. taken to enable all persons to ride or issued that such procfi rUrbe<1 t^a,t warning should be Blated were iiieg^roac'as had been recently contem- usage, Hyde-park notIJw nov'jl and sanctioned by blies of persons for dlSSTfcthe year a question was raised r ,e were to be allowed in the ^nd3 aad Poaching of the law officer-> of the Crow^'tw w-a'l °i'!f'1011 was a right to exclude the pubiTetliJv,p01^ °/+la"I !\here was no authority to remove peramf v,' but than there music nntil notice had = L°gTrrbrtoP use the any A Cockbujn, Sir R Bethell, TsUce Willes. It was on that opinion that he had acted^ and the notice was issued solely oa the ground teas the parks, being open to all classes, ou?ht not to be interfered with by any meetings calculated to create political excitement, or religious demonstrations. Until assented to by Parliament, he felt bound to maintain the opinion on which, he had acted on the present occasion. If any words of his, uttered in a conciliatory spirit, coulrl allay the agitation which prevailed, he would utter them in his place in the House, or anywhere else; for he fully conceded the light of public meeting, although the parks were liot the proper arena for such public meeting, tie had seen letters writteu to the leaders of the demonstra- tion for the tons of which the WI iters were responsible. He was sorry to say that some disturbances had occurred again in the park that afternoon, and measures as moderate as the circumstances would admit had been adopted. He hoped that he might appeal to all well-judging persons for support in the position in which the Government was placed. Mr. Oliphant, while giving Mr. Walpole credit for acting to the best of his discretion, differed entirely from him as to the course pursued, for it happened that, whereas the right to meet in the park being a question, everything which had been done to prevent a meeting had failed; and the executive had been covered with ridicule. After some remarks from Mr. B. Cochrane, Mr. Layard, in justice to his constituency of artisans, was bound to say that the measures taken by the Government were most injudicious and foolish, on an occasion when the working classes attempted to answer in the best manner they could the taunts which had been levelled at them in regard to their indifference to Reform. There was no right to assume, as had been assumed in the notice which had been issued, that the meeting would be riotous and tumul- tuous; and if any rioting had occurred the Government was responsible for it; while an impression had gone abroad that attempts had been made to put down Reform by force. Major Jervis urged that there was no need for the work- ing classes to come in crowds to let the people at the West- end know what their feelings were. It was Mr. Layard, and those who talked like him, who stimulated the people to extreme measures. Sir G. Grey said he kad stated that a peaceable meeting in Trafalgar-square was not illegal, and such a meeting was not interfered with. But when it was proposed to hold the meeting in Hyde-park, communications were sent to the Reform League that in accordance with custom an assem- blage in that place would not be permitted; and for this prohibition, he, being then in office, was responsible. From personal observation be could say that the leaders and principal persons concerned in the meeting, having tested their right to enter the park, went peaceably away. He declined to express an opinion on the judgment which dictated the measures which had been taken to prevent the meeting. +1. X W' CowPer protested against Mr. Ayrton's assertion, that of recent years there had been an exclusive appropria- tion of the park, which was totally unfounded. Mr. J. S. Mill maintained that if the people had not the right to meet in Hyde-park, they ought to have, and if per- mission to meet was necessary, they ought to have that permission freely granted. He urged that the Government had been influenced by an objection to political meetings. Mr. Disraeli said that the House had had a specimen of the sort of rhetoric which would have been delivered at the meetings in question. He repudiated the motives which had been imputed to the Government, and protested against the assumption that a false suggestion was contained in the notice which had been promulgated, namely, that riot and disorder would ensue. The Government had the greatest confidence in the legitimate proposers and conductors of the meeting; and it was never thought that the working classes could be tumultuous or disorderly. But it was what the meeting might lead to, and had led to, by the assem- blage in numbers by the scum of the population, which they had suggested. In answer to Mr. Otwav. Mr. Walpole said that it: was untrue that the Guards were ordered to load after they drew up in the park. After observations from Mr. Whalley and Mr. Hadneld, the subject dropped. Mr. Gladstone moved for a series of returns relating to public income and expenditure for the last 200 years, which were granted.* The adjourned debate on the Compulsory Church Rates Abolition Bill was resumed by Mr. Hubbard. After some discussion, a motion was made again to adjourn the debate, which, on a division, was negatived by 108 to 64. A motion was then made for an adjournment of the House, and eventually the debate was adjourned to Wednes- day, 1st August. The other business was disposed of, and the House ad- journed at 20 minutes to two o'clock.