(2.) That it was proved to the Committee that Thomas Yardley, John Lee, William Weston, William Oswin, and William Moon, were bribed by Stephen Knapp.

(3.) That it does not appear that these acts of bribery were committed with the knowledge or consent of the said Henry Mather Jackson, esquire.

(4.) That there is no reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the last Election for the said City.

Report to lie upon the Table. IRELAND-SMALL DEBTS RECOVERY.

QUESTION.

MR. DAWSON said, he wished to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether, in the present defective state of the Laws for the Recovery of Small Debts in Ireland, the Government intend to propose Legislation with a view to the amendment and extension of the present Law?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (MR. WARREN) said, in reply, that it was not the intention of the Government to propose legislation on the subject this Session. He understood, however, that there was a Motion pending in the other House for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the mat

ter.

INDIA-THE BUDGET.-QUESTION. MR. WALDEGRAVE-LESLIE said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether he will be able to make his Financial Statement regarding the affairs of India before the Whitsuntide

Recess?

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE said, in reply, that he would, no doubt, be in possession of the necessary information for the purpose before the Whitsuntide Recess, but be had no reason to suppose that there would be greater facilities this year than formerly for making the Indian Fi nancial Statement so early. Indeed, it would be less necessary to do so in the present year, as it was his intention soon after Easter to call the attention of the House to the present state of the Govern ment of India, and he might then probably make a statement respecting the financial condition of India.

NAVY-NAVAL COMMISSIONS.

QUESTION.

MR. WHITE said, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, If it be true that, in accordance with an Order in Council, a certain number of Commanders were annually selected for promotion to the list of Reserved Captains since 1851, until the said list contained 100 names; and, whether the officers so promoted were not presented with Commissions similar in every respect to those of Captains on the active list, and the usual fees thereon paid by the recipients of such Commissions?

MR. CORRY said, in reply, that in 1851 and 1852 the Commanders annually selected for promotion to the list of Reserved Captains received Commissions similar to those of Captains on the active list; but in 1852 the plan was altered, and the words On Reserved Half-pay were inserted at the bottom of the Commission. Fees are not paid on Naval Commissions, the stamp duty of 5s. being all that is charged. This was charged on the Commissions given to the Reserved Captains, as it has always been on all Commissions, given whether to active or retired officers.

RICHMOND PARK.—QUESTION. MR. LOCKE KING said, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether any further Correspondence has taken place since he received the Clarence

Road Company's Letter of the 14th of February; and, what further steps he intends to take to secure for the public a permanent right of way into Richmond Park through the Roehampton Gate, which is now closed?

LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said there had been some further Correspondence since the 14th of February, and that the Clarence Road Company had addressed a Letter to him, to which he had replied. He was not prepared to take any step beyond that indicated in the previous Correspondence for the purpose of securing to the public a permanent right of way into Richmond Park through the Roehampton

Gate.

INDIA-BANK OF BOMBAY,

QUESTION.

MR. DYCE NICOL said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether, in the Papers respecting the failure of the Bank of Bombay to be laid upon the table, he will include all Minutes of the Members of Council of India on that subject; and, whether he will intimate to the Governor General of India that he considers it desirable that the Commission to be appointed to inquire into the circumstances of the failure of the Bank of Bombay should be composed of persons unconnected with that Presidency?

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE stated, in reply, that the Minutes of the Members of the Governor General's Council were included in the Papers presented respecting the failure of the Bank of Bombay; and there were no Minutes of the Council at home on the subject which it was thought desirable to produce. He should not feel it his duty to intimate to the Governor General that he considered it desirable that the Commission to inquire into the circumstances of the failure should be composed of persons unconnected with the Bombay Presidency. Such a proceeding would imply an imputation upon the Governor of Bombay, which was not called for.

IRELAND-ALLEGED SEDITIOUS

SPEAKING.-QUESTION.

day evening last, by a Rev. Mr. Ferrars, who is represented to be a clergyman of the Established Church in Ireland and a Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, in which he is reported to have spoken as follows:

"If the Church Establishment were destroyed in Ireland, there cannot, there shall not, there must not be peace in Ireland. (Peals of Kentish fire.) If they think the Protestants of Ireland will succumb without a struggle they know not with whom they have to deal. (Renewed rounds of Kentish fire.) That I say solemnly before God. (Cheers.) If they want us to die as martyrs we will die as soldiers first. (Continued Kentish fire.)"

The next passage to which he would call

attention was uttered, not in the same

speech, but in a second speech, in which the speaker acknowledged a vote of thanks unanimously passed for the first speech. The passage he referred to was the following :

Speaking for Trinity College, he could assure them it was sound to the core. (Kentish fire.) If ever it should be required, he hoped it would not, to turn out the students of old Trinity, they would show they could do their work. (Rounds of Kentish fire.) He knew them, and was glad to see many of them present."

He wished to know whether Mr. Attorney General for Ireland has taken any steps to ascertain whether such report be accurate; and, if so, whether he considers the use of such language at a public meeting was a violation of the Law; and, should such be his opinion, whether, taking into consideration the present condition of Ireland, he considers it should be allowed to pass with impunity, or is it the intention of the Irish Government to take any action in the matter?

MR. BENTINCK said, before the right hon. and learned Gentleman answered the Question, he hoped he might be allowed to put that which stood in his name on the Paper, which was, Whether his attention has been called to the report of the proceedings at a dinner given at Dublin during the Recess to a Rev. Mr. Lavelle, who is represented to be a clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, when the room was placarded with the suggestive names of M'Manus, Meagher, Wolfe Tone, Fitzgerald, and O'Brien (persons convicted of treason); and the Rev. Mr. Lavelle is reported to have spoken as follows:

"In the face of a system of legislation which he could only designate as a reign of terror, the fact that so many should be bold enough to meet was a sign Ireland was not dead but sleepeth. He was not going to preach revolt against English autho

same?

And, whether he has taken any steps to ascertain whether such report be accurate; and, if so, whether he considers the use of such language at a public meeting is a violation of the Law; and, should such be his opinion, whether, taking into consideration the present condition of Ireland, he considers it should be allowed to pass with impunity, or is it the intention of the Irish Government to take any action in the matter?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. WARREN): Sir, in answer to the Question, proposed by the right hon. Member for Kildare, I have to state that my attention was, for the first time, called to the speech by the Notice of Motion given by the right hon. Gentleman. I have since communicated with the Gentleman who made that speech, and I have been informed by him that the report is incorrect, and that matter has been omitted from the report which affects considerably the observations he made. I have further to state that, in my opinion, the law has not been violated, and the Attorney General neither could nor ought to interfere. With respect to the speech alleged to have been made by the Rev. Mr. Lavelle, some two or three months have elapsed. However, I may state to the House that, by my directions, shorthand writers attended the meeting and the speeches were fully reported to me. I arrived at the conclusion that that was a most mischievous speech, and that the law was thereby violated; but having regard to all the circumstances, I advised the Government to the effect, that it was not expedient to prosecute Mr. Lavelle for that speech.

ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION EXPENDITURE. QUESTION.

CAPTAIN VIVIAN said, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Estimate of the probable Expenditure on account of the Abyssinian Expedition, which was presented to the House in November last, is likely to be exceeded; and, if so, whether he is prepared to say to what extent, and what are

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Sir, I think it has been usual for this House to be content till the Budget has been brought forward in order to learn whether the Estimates have been exceeded or not; and I think it highly inconvenient for piecemeal financial statements to be elicited from the Chancellor of the Exchequer by questions addressed to him in this House. But, under the circumstances of the case, I do not propose to decline to answer the Question of the hon. and gallant Member. The public mind has been made uneasy by exaggerated statements as to the expenditure going on in Abyssinia, but I trust that in answering the Question I shall not be considered as affording a precedent for the repetition of this practice. My right hon. Friend the First Minister of the Crown stated in November last that it was estimated that if the expedition lasted, as was anticipated, to the end of April, the expenditure would amount to £3,500,000, and in certain eventualities it might extend to £4,000,000. From the best means of information at my disposal, I am able to state that I believe, up to the time I am speaking, the expenditure in Abyssinia will be covered by the lower of these two amounts.

CAPTAIN VIVIAN said, he would beg to ask, If the right hon. Gentleman will lay the Estimates on the table?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: I must decline to do so.

MR. CHILDERS said, he wished to know, if he had correctly understood the right hon. Gentleman. The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that the First Lord of the Treasury had said in November that, if the expedition lasted till the end of April, the expense would be so much, but he went on to say that the Estimate had not been exceeded. Did he mean to say that in the middle of the month of March the Estimate for the expedition till the end of April had not been exceeded?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: What I stated was, that my right hon. Friend had informed the House in November last that, if the Expedition lasted till the end of April, the expense would amount to £3,500,000, and might extend to £4,000,000; but that I believed that the whole expenditure up to the present time would be covered by the lower of the two amounts two amounts namely, £3,500,000.

POST OFFICE-THE AMERICAN MAILS

QUESTION.

MR. BAXTER said, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, If there is any Memorandum or Minute by Mr. Frederick Hill, regarding the Contracts entered into last year for conveying the Mails to the United States and British North America; and, if he will lay such document upon the table?

MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, he had made inquiry on this subject, and found there was a document at the General Post Office answering generally the description of the hon. Gentleman. It was a Memorandum drawn up by the Assistant Secretary, for the guidance of his superior officers in forming their opinion. It would be contrary to precedent, and inconsistent with the public service to produce it. might, however, state that the Paper referred to a proposal for a Contract differing in many important particulars from the Contract finally approved by the Go

vernment.

He

METROPOLIS-CARTOON IN WESTMIN

STER HALL.-QUESTION.

MR. MONK said, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, For what object a Cartoon was lately exhibited in Westminster Hall?

LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said, the Cartoon in question was a design for the ornamentation proposed by the Architect to the Palace of Westminster to be placed between the statues of Sovereigns of England in the Hall, and had been removed by his orders so soon as his attention was called to it.

WATER SUPPLY COMMISSION.

QUESTION.

MR. THOMSON HANKEY said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, When the Water Supply Commission, appointed above twelve months since, is likely to make its Report?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY replied, that he had made inquiry on the subject, and found that the Commission was still engaged in taking evidence, and he could not state whether it would be able to report in the course of the present Sesgion.

METROPOLIS-THE THAMES EMBANK

MENT.-QUESTION.

MR. THOMSON HANKEY said, he would also beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works, What is the cause of the delay in completing the Thames Embank

ment from Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge; has it arisen from any dispute between the Railway Company and the Metropolitan Board of Works; and, if this has been the case, has the difference been settled, and when is the Embankment likely to be open for public use? Since placing the Question on the Paper he understood that the First Commissioner had no charge whatever of the Embankment works; but perhaps the Vice-President of the Board of Trade would be enabled to answer the Question. Having seen in a newspaper of that morning that

the arbitrator of the Board of Trade had

reported, he might perhaps be allowed also to ask if that is the case, and whether there will be any objection to place a Copy of it on the table?

MR. STEPHEN CAVE said, he understood that the delay in completing the Embankment was owing to certain differences between the Railway Company and the Metropolitan Board of Works. Under a clause in the Metropolitan District Railways Act the Board of Trade appointed Mr. Hawkshaw as an arbitrator. With that appointment the functions of the Board of Trade ceased. He (Mr. Stephen Cave) learnt from a Report of a Committee of the Metropolitan Board of Works, published in The Times that morning, that the arbitrator had made his award, and the purport of it appeared to be contained in that Report, but no copy of the award had been forwarded to the Board of Trade. If his hon. Friend wished to move for it, he did not suppose that there would be any difficulty in producing it in obedience to an Order of the House.

COLONEL SYKES said, he wished to know, Whether the right hon. Gentleman was not aware that delay in the completion of the Thames Embankment had arisen from the bankruptcy of one of the

contractors?

MR. STEPHEN CAVE said, he had not the slightest idea.

ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES BILL.

QUESTION.

MR. SCHREIBER said, he wished to ask the hon. Member for Meath, Whether

MR. MACEVOY said, he would not proceed with it after half-past four o'clock.

SLAVE TRADE PAPERS.-QUESTION.

MR. GILPIN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, When the Slave Trade Papers for the past year will be laid upon the table of the House?

LORD STANLEY said, in reply, the Slave Trade Papers for the past year were in the printer's hands, and he understood would be ready next week.

FIRE PROTECTION.-QUESTION. MR. M'LAGAN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is his intention to bring in a Bill this Session to carry into effect the recommendations of the Select Committee on Fire Protection of last Session?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY said, in reply, that he could not promise to bring in a Bill in accordance with all the recommendations of the Select Committee of last Session, but he thought the Government would deal with the suggestion that inquiry should be made as to suspicious fires. At the same time he must not be understood as giving any distinct pledge on the Question.

WRECK RETURNS.-QUESTION.

MR. MILLER said, he wished to ask

the Vice President of the Board of Trade,

When a Return will be laid upon the table of the House of the number-1st, Ships totally lost on the coasts of Great Britain; 2nd, Partial losses; 3rd, Lives lost by shipwreck in 1867 ?

MR. STEPHEN CAVE replied, that he hoped that the Wreck Return for the United Kingdom for 1867 would be ready

for circulation within two months.

ARMY EXPENDITURE.-QUESTION. MR. O'BEIRNE said, he would beg to ask the hon. Member for Brighton, Whether, in the event of the Army Estimates being proceeded with on Thursday evening, he should proceed with his Motion for a reduction of the Army Expenditure? MR. WHITE, in reply, said, whenever the Government proposed to take a Money

STATE OF IRELAND.

MOTION FOR A COMMITTEE.

ADJOURNED DEBATE.

Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Amendment proposed to Question [10th March],

"That this House will immediately resolve itself into a Committee, with the view of taking into consideration the condition and circumstances of Ireland,”—(Mr. Maguire :) And which Amendment was,

To leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words "before the consideration by this House of constitutional changes in the laws and institutions of Ireland, it is both just and expedient to inquire into the causes of alleged discontent, and the best mode of remedying the same,”—(Sir Frederick Heygate,)

-instead thereof.

Question again proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."

Debate resumed.

MR. MONSELL said, that he must congratulate the hon. Member for Cork (Mr. Maguire) upon the cordial sympathy for Ireland which had been elicited from both sides of the House during this debate. He (Mr. Monsell) thought all must feel that the time for action with reference to the grievances of Ireland had now come. Public opinion was ripe for it. Many different suggestions had been made on the subject, and it was to contribute very humbly his part towards the solution of the question that he ventured to ask the inin immediately succeeding in the debate dulgence of the House. He was fortunate the right hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for India, whose speech was temperate and conciliatory, and he begged to would the right hon. Baronet permit him thank the right hon. Baronet for it. But to say that it appeared to him that though his premises were those of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Louth (Mr. C. Fortescue), his conclusions were very much tainted with the opinions of those Gentlemen representing the North of Ireland, who sat immediately behind him. The right hon. Baronet said that the cardinal principle of the Government policy with regard to Ireland was justice; and, in order to make his meaning more precise, he went on to say that if he thought