surprise and indignation on this unfor- | Hill, A. S. tunate mode of disposing of the Indian surplus. Question put. Holford, J. P. G. Hood, Capt. hn. A. W. A. N. The House divided:-Ayes 235; Noes Hope, A. J. B. B. 125: Majority 110. Hubbard, E. Hubbard, rt. hon. J. Jervis, Col. H. J. W. Kennard, Col. E. H. Montgomery, Sir G. G. Parker, Lt.-Col. W. Peek, Sir H. Pell, A. Shute, General C. C. Smith, S. G. Smith, rt. hon. W. H. Spinks, Serjeant F. L. Swanston, A. Sykes, C. Taylor, rt. hn. Col. T.E. Watson, rt. hon. W. TELLERS. Dyke, Sir W. H. Winn, R. Cole, Col. hon. H. A. Coope, O. E. Corry, hon. H. W. L. Harvey, Sir R. B. Hay, rt. hn. Sir J. C. D. Helmsley, Viscount ARMY (STAFF COLLEGE). Address for "Returns showing the number of Officers of Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers who have competed at each examination for admission to the Staff College, Sandhurst, since its formation; the number on each occasion who would have gained admission but for the limitation rules, and their places on the list; the number of and places obtained by those who did gain admission; the number of and places obtained at the final examination by those who passed out; the number who passed the final examination without going through the College; and the rules as to limitation of numbers in force at different periods: " And, numerical and nominal list of those who passed through the College, or passed the final examination, who have been employed on the Staff of the Army, and the appointments they have held, specifying in the numerical list the totals of those who have been employed on the General Staff, and of those who have held Regimental Staff appointments; appointments on the Staff in India not to be included in this Return."-(Colonel Arbuthnot.) EGYPT (DAIRA LANDS). Address for "any Papers showing the agreement between this Country and the Khedive of Egypt which enabled the Marquis of Salisbury, in his Letter to Lord Lyons of 24th October 1878 (Papers, Egypt, No. 2, 1878), to state that the person nominated by Her Majesty's Government as one of the Commissioners of the Daira Lands shall not be divested of his functions without their previous consent."-(Mr. Samuelson.) RAILWAYS (IRELAND). Return ordered, "of all Railway Companies in Ireland which have now or have ever had guarantees on the county rates; giving in each case the date of the Act authorising the guarantee; the date of the opening of the Line; the amount of authorised capital; amount of guaranteed capital; rate of interest guaranteed; character of guaranteed capital, whether a first charge on the net receipts or not; amount paid out of rates to the Company on account of the guarantee; and the number of years, if any, in which the net receipts from the Line were sufficient to dispense with a call on the rates."(The O'Conor Don.) EAST INDIAN ARMY. Address for "Return showing rank and names of the British Officers serving with each regiment of Native Cavalry and Infantry employed in or moved for the Afghan Campaign of 1878 on the 1st day of September 1878, either in the advanced columns or in their support, with names of the Officers subsequently attached to each, and the casualties amongst them, made up to the 31st day of December 1878." (Sir Henry Havelock.) EAST INDIAN ARMY (NATIVE TROOPS). Address for "Return showing Annual Cost of the Pay and Allowances of all Officers in the East Indian Army (Native Troops) showing each Presidency separately."-(Sir Henry Havelock.) Address for "Copy of Correspondence of the Magistrates of Middlesex and Westminster, or of the City of London, or of the county of Surrey, and the Home Office, relative to the working of the new Prison Rules and the control of the Magistrates."-(Mr. Mitchell Henry.) CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. Address for "Returns with regard to the Established Church of Scotland, giving in separate columns the number of Male and the number of Female Communicants in each parish in Scotland for the year 1878 included in the Roll prepared by the Kirk Session, in conformity with the Regulations of the General Assembly; and stating the date of the Minute of the Kirk Session sanctioning the Roll as last purged of persons disqualified by removal or otherwise, and finally adjusted: " "Of the number of Adherents, not being Communicants, and not under 21 years of age, admitted on application to the Roll of the Congregation, under the General Assembly's Regulations of the 3rd day of June 1878, in those parishes in which Ministers have been elected and appointed under the provisions of Church Patronage Act of 1874: Copy presented, of Correspondence respecting Reforms in Asiatic Turkey [by Command]; to lie upon the Table. TURKEY (No. 52, 1878) (RHODOPE COMMISSION). Copy presented, -of Further Correspondence respecting the proceedings of the International Commission sent to the Mount Rhodope District [by Command]; to lie upon the Table. House adjourned at a quarter before HOUSE OF LORDS, Thursday, 13th February, 1879. thought, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, that it would be desirable that I should, upon this occasion, take the opportunity of indicating the measures which, under ordinary circumstances, would have been recommended to your notice in the Speech from the Throne at the opening of the present MINUTES.]-PUBLIC BILL-First Reading Session. But, my Lords, before doing Cathedral Statutes* (4). MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD: My Lords, the circumstances under which Parliament was called together, at the end of last year, rendered it impossible that your Lordships' attention should be directed, in the Speech from the Throne, to any other subject than that which was the occasion of our having been so unexpectedly assembled. It would not have been prudent-I may say it would not have been possible -at that period to have indicated the measures which Her Majesty's Government might have thought it their duty to introduce to the consideration of Parliament. Nevertheless, everyone must feel the inconvenience that would follow from the omission of that Constitutional custom which makes it the duty of the Government, at the commencement of the Session, to communicate generally to the two Houses the character of the measures which they are about to introduce, and the general course of Business. I have therefore VOL. CCXLIII. [THIRD SERIES.] so, it may not be considered intrusive if I make a few remarks on the general situation of affairs. At this moment, the thoughts and feelings of the country are engrossed by the terrible news just received from South Africa. My Lords, it is not wise either to depreciate the importance of such an event or to exaggerate it. It is a military disaster-a terrible military disaster but I think we may say it is no more. It is not a military defeat arising from the failing_energies or resources of the country. It is from accidental and, at circumstances that the calamity has this moment, not clearly understood arisen. I have no information to give your Lordships which is not in your possession by the usual means of indesirable that no one should hazard an telligence; and it would, I think, be opinion as to the causes of the disaster until we receive those official and authentic accounts which are, of course, now on their way. Nothing, indeed, at this moment, is certain respecting this sad occurrence except the valour of our troops. They have shown, in this difficulty-as they have ever shown-the utmost devotion and bravery. Those who have fallen will be remembered, and will be mourned; but we must not forget the exhibition of heroic valour by those who have been spared. At this moment, I am sure, the recollection of those 80 men, who, for 12 hours in a forlorn hope, kept at bay 4,000 of the enemy, and ultimately repulsed them, will prove that the stamina and valour of the English soldiery have not diminished. All I will now say, on the part of the Government, is that we shall avail ourselves of every possible means to place before your Lordships all the information that reaches us. My noble Friend the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies has given Notice that in a few days-I am in hopes on Saturday next, but certainly on Monday—you will have the Papers which will completo the history of these events. I can fur - 2 L 5 which are, in a certain degree, connected with the Treaty of Berlin-or at least with the general settlement then devisedI think there has been some rather harsh measure dealt out to the Sultan in the ther assure your Lordships that we are taking measures, in conjunction with those who are intrusted with these matters, to put our troops and the Colony in a position of security. The reinforcements which we are sending to insinuations-which have been rather the Cape are in numbers much beyond profuse-against his sincerity or ability what have been applied for by the Gene- to carry into effect those reforms in his ral in command; and I think we may Asiatic Dominions upon which the prosexpect to see that affairs in South Af-perity of his Kingdom and his own power rica assume a very different aspect mainly depend. We should not forget from that which they bear at present. that the Sultan has had the most difficult My Lords, had it not been for this task in the world engaging his energies melancholy incident, the slight allusion at the moment when he was called upon which, in deference to your Lordships, or expected to exercise those energies on I should have had to make in my state- other points. He has had to free his ment to-day to the state of our foreign dominions from a conquering and inrelations would, I think, by all candid vading host, and that has naturally minds, have been considered satisfactory. absorbed his energies and his resources. The progress in the accomplishment of It must not be forgotten that during all the provisions of the Berlin Treaty- this period the Sultan has had to mainwhich all of us, whatever may be our tain an army of 300,000 disciplined general opinions-must wish to be the men with an exhausted Treasury. But, foundation of an enduring peace in notwithstanding these circumstances, Europe, has been regular, certain, and the communications and arrangements considerable. The great majority of the that have taken place between Her provisions of that Treaty have now been Majesty's Government and the Porte carried into effect. By the Supplemental have been of a satisfactory characConvention which was signed between ter; and I have learnt to-day that the the Porte and the Emperor of Russia Imperial Commission which was instivery recently, the last traces of the Treaty tuted by the Sultan himself to conof San Stefano have been abolished; sider and report on the changes which and I believe I may say that at this mo- should be made in the government of ment the Russian Army has commenced the various Provinces of his Dominions, its retrograde movement, which will re- has drawn up its Report and sent it in to sult in the complete evacuation of the the General Council of State. During Dominions of the Sultan. The provision this period, there has been more than one which had been made for the exchange instance in which the Sultan has shown of territories in Asia between the belli- his anxiety to act in the spirit of those gerents has already been fully accom- principles of reform which he had proplished. The arrangement with regard claimed such as the nomination of to the boundary of Montenegro-a most Midhat Pacha for a period of five years difficult part of the settlement-has been to the government of Syria-this being carried into complete effect, and Podgo- an indication of the policy to be pursued ritza and Strailetz have been relinquished throughout the various Provinces of the without bloodshed and without those in- Turkish Empire. My Lords, I have cidents of horror as were anticipated by little to say beyond what I have already some. Again, the occupation of Bosnia said respecting the Island of Cyprus. has been accomplished, and tranquillity Last year I made a statement on what I reigns in that Province. The tranquil- considered the highest authority-that of lity of Crote is complete, and I have the Admiral commanding in those waters, reason to hope, and indeed to believe, and of the distinguished soldier now in that the institutions established in that command of the Island, and the personal island obtain the confidence of persons experience of some of my Colleagues. I of all classes and creeds. The nego- wish to enter into no controversy on the tiations for the rectification of the boun- subject. Time brings truth, and I bedaries of Greece have already com-lieve the opinion of the country at the menced, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin. With regard to other diplomatic incidents present moment has been enlightened generally on the subject. There are, however, two points which I think it my duty |