respect to the spaces between the footpaths | for when the industry of the poor was and the roads, to which the hon. Member for Middlesex (Mr. Labouchere) had referred, they were placed under very peculiar circumstances. In many places the space between the footway and the road remained open for public traffic; in some cases, and under present circumstances, occupiers had begun to enclose them, acting on a dictum of one of the magistrates of the police courts. But they could not take away the right acquired by the public of going over that part of the street when they had agreed to that condition with the Metropolitan Board of Works, even though it had not before become part of the footway by being left open to passengers. Of course, the Bill before the House was open to improvement; but he confessed the suggestions made by the hon. and learned Gentleman did not appear to him to apply. The section of the Act of last year was a good section, but the evil of it was its extreme stringency. Any person passing along the street would be able to lay information against the persons who exposed their goods for sale; and it was with a view to get rid of that and to give a discretionary power to the police that the present Bill was introduced. He was ready to discuss with the hon. Gentleman any mode in which it might be possible to render the Bill more efficient; but as it stood it would affect itinerant tradesmen in a very different way from that in which it would affect the fixed traders of the metropolis.

SIR GEORGE BOWYER said, that with respect to the spaces between the footpaths and the roads many of them were frecholds, and whether those freeholds had been dedicated to the public was a question for a Court of Law to decide, and ought not to be meddled with by the Legislature. It would be exceedingly desirable to deal with this Bill in such a manner as to repeal that portion of the Act of last Session which related to open spaces between the footway and the carriage way. As to the case of the costermongers and other small traders, the clauses of that Act were no doubt very oppressive. The Act was passed in a hurry, and Parliament was so full of Reform that it could not attend to anything else. He did not think this Bill dealt in a proper manner with itinerant traders, who were a very numerous, industrious, and respectable class. The tendency of police regulations was too much to interfere with the poor. The easier this traffic was made the better;

destroyed they were driven into evil courses or into the workhouses, and then they cost the country money and in one case something more. The more the principle of free trade was carried out with respect to the poor the better. He did not approve the arbitrary power which this Bill gave to the Commissioners of Police to make regulations with respect to a very large class. In this metropolis it was estimated that there were 50,000 people engaged in these humble trades, and to give one man arbitrary power over such a multitude without any appeal or mode of restraint was a thing which the House ought not to do. He did not believe that Sir Richard Mayne or Colonel Fraser would do anything which they thought wrong; but they might make regulations which to them might appear "exceedingly useful," but which might interfere very much with the industry of these poor people. This power was unnecessary-the common law was quite sufficient to prevent obstruction in any thoroughfare. But it was one thing to prevent obstruction in thoroughfares and another to prevent people having the full use of them. One use of thoroughfares was to enable these poor people to go along them and obtain a livelihood by selling articles, and if in some cases obstruction was caused, it was better to put up with a little, to live and let live, than to push matters too far against the poor. The proper course to take would be to repeal the 6th section altogether, and he begged to give notice. that when the Bill went into Committee he should move an Amendment to that effect.

MR. ALDERMAN LAWRENCE said, that in order to amend the Act of last Session, which did an injustice to one very large class in the community, it was proposed by this Bill to do injustice to another. By the Act of last year it was summarily decided that all the spaces between the footpath and the roadway were to be considered part of the footpath; by the present Bill all rights, whether of prescription or otherwise, were to be at once done away with. Instead of repealing the objectionable clauses of the Bill of last year and allowing the matter to be dealt with under the common law, here was a Bill which said that the Act of last year should be carried out in every case except that of costermongers and itinerant traders-the real fact being that the space in question was part of the premises of the owners of the houses. This Bill proposed to reinstate the costermonger,

BURIALS (IRELAND) BILL.

Considered in Committee:

(In the Committee.)

but not to allow the owner of the house caster-to be Members of the General Committee to expose his goods on his own premises of Elections for the present Session. — Given under my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, before his own house. The police were to 1867. have full power to permit costermongers to J. E. DENISON, Speaker. sell goods in front of another man's house -perhaps the very same articles in which the shopkeeper dealt and vend them to the annoyance and perhaps injury of the shopkeeper. But if a man were, even in unloading, to allow his goods to remain in the open space before his door until he should bring them into his premises he would be liable to a penalty. The legislation of last year took place by the advice of the police and at the suggestion of Sir Richard Mayne, and here was another suggestion which would land them in another difficulty. The simple way out of the diffi culty was to repeal the 6th section of the Bill of last year.

MR. LOCKE also recommended that the right hon. Gentleman should confine the measure to the simple repeal of the 6th clause of the Act of last year. In some cases a right existed on the part of shopkeepers to use the open spaces, and it was unjust to sweep such rights away. He would repeat his suggestion to defer the operation of the Act till the close of the present Session, and meanwhile to give all the parties interested an opportunity of being heard before a Select Committee.

Motion agreed to.

Bill read the second time, and committed for Thursday.

ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

Estimate presented,- of the Sum required to be voted towards defraying the Expenses of the Expedition to Abyssinia beyond the ordinary Grants of Parliament [by Command]; referred to the Committee of Supply, and to be printed. [No. 8.]

CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS.

Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, that leave be given to bring in Burials of Persons in Ireland not belonging to the a Bill to amend the Law which regulates the Established Church.

Resolution reported: - Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. MONSELL and Mr. SULLIVAN. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 5.]

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS (IRELAND) BILL.

On Motion of The O'CONOR DON, Bill to extend the Industrial Schools Act to Ireland, ordered to

be brought in by The O'CONOR DON, Mr. MONSELL,

and Mr. LEADER.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 6.]

EAST LONDON MUSEUM SITE BILL.
On Motion of Lord ROBERT MONTAGU, Bill to
provide for the acquisition of a Site for the East
Lord ROBERT MONTAGU, Lord JOHN Manners, Mr.
London Museum, ordered to be brought in by

AYRTON, and Mr. BUTLER.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 7.] House adjourned at a quarter before Six o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS,

Tuesday, November 26, 1867.

CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS-
THE WAR OFFICE AND THE INDIA
OFFICE.-QUESTION.

to the Under Secretary for War as to THE EARL OF AIRLIE put a Question the accuracy of a statement which had appeared in the newspapers with reference to the manner in which certain troops Mr. Speaker acquainted the House, that his had been landed in this country. It was Warrant for the appointment of Members to stated that the steam transport Crocodile serve on the General Committee of Elections was upon the Table :-Warrant read as followeth had arrived off Plymouth with the second Pursuant to the provisions of "The Election battalion of the Rifle Brigade on their rePetitions Act, 1848," I do hereby appoint turn from the Mediterranean, and that Samuel Whitbread, esquire, Member for the Bo- although the ultimate destination of the rough of Bedford; James Clay, esquire, Member for the Town of Kingston upon Hull; the Honour- troops was Plymouth, the Admiralty, for able Edward Frederic Leveson Gower, Member some unknown reasons, would not permit for the Borough of Bodmin ; Sir Frederick William them to land there; and the consequence Heygate, baronet, Member for the County of was that the Crocodile went on to PortsLondonderry; Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, baronet, Member for the County of Perth; and the Honourable Algernon Fulke Egerton, Member for the Southern Division of the County of Lan

mouth, and the troops having disembarked there were sent by special train to Plymouth at a cost, the newspapers reported,

missioners of Inland Revenue, and between the Local Commissioners and the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, together with copies of any Memorials or Petitions sented to the Treasury or the Inland Revenue from the people of Dudley on the same subject?

pre

LIBEL BILL.-QUESTION.

MR. NEWDEGATE said, he would beg to ask the hon. Baronet the Member for Clare, Whether he will postpone the Second Reading of the Libel Bill, which stands for the following day, the Bill itself having only been delivered that morning?

get it up as soon as possible to the House of Lords, I shall certainly go on with the second reading to-morrow.

MR. NEWDEGATE: Then in that case I shall move to postpone the second reading for a fortnight.

MR. HUNT replied, that in December last a meeting was called by public reSIR COLMAN O'LOGHLEN: Sir, if quisition at Dudley on the subject referred it were a new Bill, I should be most anxto in the Question. The hon. Gentleman ious to comply with the request of the himself left at the Treasury a copy of the hon. Member; but as it is substantially Resolutions passed at that meeting, and identical with that which was read a third they were immediately sent to Somerset time on the 7th of August last by a majoHouse, in consequence of which the Sur-rity of 79 to 18, and as I am anxious to veyor of Taxes, the chief officer of that department, was directed to proceed to Dudley without delay, and to institute an inquiry into the subject. The inquiry, notice of which was given to the Mayor of Dudley, accordingly took place, but the Report of the Surveyor General did not at all confirm the statements contained in the Resolutions. If the hon. Gentleman chose to move for the correspondence which had taken place on the subject, there would be no objection to lay it upon the table of the House. With regard to the second Question it had not been reported to him that the system of surcharging manufacturers and others pursued in Dudley was gradually shutting up the great establishments in that town. As to the third Question whether it was true that the works known as the Constitution Hill Works, conducted by persons of the highest respectability, at which between 300 and 400 men were employed, had been closed within the last few days, in consequence of the Local Commissioners insisting upon what was termed a vexatious system of surcharging, he had no opportunity of knowing the truth of the allegation. He had ascertained, however, that the owners of the works in question, were surcharged to the amount of £900, and called upon to pay an additional tax of £15 a year. The works were subsequently closed; but whether that was in consequence of the additional tax of £15 being levied he was unable to say. With regard to the correspondence between persons in Dudley and the Local Commissioners, he might remark that the Treasury had no control over that correspondence, nor any power to call for its production.

MR. H. B. SHERIDAN: I beg leave to give notice that on an early day I will move for a copy of the Correspondence with the Local Commissioners.

ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION-EUROPEAN SUBALTERN OFFICERS.-QUESTION. COLONEL SYKES said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether there is any and what foundation for the statement in the letter of the Correspondent of The Times, dated Bombay, 14th October, and in the Madras Times, dated 8th October, that Major General Napier had made a requisition to the Madras Government for European Subaltern Officers to be attached to the Native Regiments proceeding with the Expedition to Abyssinia and was told that the Madras Government had not any Subaltern Officers to spare; and, whether he will lay upon the table a Return of the number of European Officers with each Native Regiment in the Expedition, and the strength in Native Commissioned and Non-commissioned Officers and Men of each Regiment?

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE: Sir, I have received no official or private communication to the effect referred to in the Question of my hon. and gallant Friend. All the information we have received is that the Madras Government have, at the request of Sir Robert Napier, furnished half the Engineer officers and five Commissariat officers. As to the Return for which the hon. and gallant Gentleman asks we have not at present the materials necessary for giving such a Return, but if he will move for it, it shall be presented as soon as we can procure the requisite infor

mation.

PORTLAND CONVICT PRISON.

QUESTION.

ABYSSINIA-THE REV. MR. KRAPP.

QUESTION.

SIR PATRICK O'BRIEN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether the undertaking contained in a letter of the Rev. Mr. Krapp (one of the Dragomen to the Abyssinian Expedition), dated the 20th of September last, and expressed in the following terms:—

fied and tranquillized if I say that, as a leading "I think Sir Stafford's mind will be fully satisrule of conduct, I must consider the object of the Expedition to be the primary point, to which every other private concern must bend, but that, on the other hand, I must not be expected to sup

CAPTAIN VIVIAN said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the cells in the wooden prison at Portland are lighted with candles, so that each convict in that prison has an unprotected candle under his control for some hours during every night of the winter months; whether it is the intention of Government to take any steps to put an end to so dangerous a system; and, whether any attempts have been made by press my individual feeling if a case should apthe prisoners to set fire to the prison? pear in practice where I should have any occaMR. GATHORNE HARDY: In reply,sion or be requested to enter upon religious disSir, to the Question of the hon. and gallant cussion," Gentleman, I have to state that the prison at Portland is not altogether built of wood, but is partially of iron. The prisoners, no doubt, have candles for their light, but no instance, I am informed, has ever occurred of an attempt to set the prison on fire, and I may remark that the first result of such an attempt would be to burn the culprit in the particular cell set fire to. Indeed, when fires have accidentally broken out in gaols, no persons have been more anxious to extinguish them than the convicts themselves. The directors of the prison at Portland have, however, under their consideration a better mode of lighting the cells from the outside.

CAPTAIN VIVIAN: I understand there have been three attempts to set the cells on fire.

MR. GATHORNE HARDY: In answer to inquiries I am informed that there have been no attempts to set fire to the cells. There have been cases where the prisoners' clothes have been set on fire.

ABYSSINIA - THE QUEEN'S LETTER TO

KING THEODORE.-QUESTION. MR. SCHREIBER said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he will lay on the Table a copy of Her Majesty's Letter to King Theodore, delivered by Mr. Rassam at the Audience of the 28th of January, 1866?

LORD STANLEY: Sir, I imagined the Letter had been included in the Papers already laid on the table of the House. As it is not, I will without loss of time lay it on the table.

is to be taken as referring alone to the rev. Gentleman's course of conduct as regards Abyssinian Christians, or is to be considered as likewise referring to the Hindoo and Mussulman troops and to the Roman Catholic soldiers in Her Majesty's regiments serving on the expedition?

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE: Sir, in the stipulations which, at the request of Sir Robert Napier, I thought it necessary to make in engaging Dr. Krapp, some reference is made to his conduct towards the natives of Abyssinia. With regard to the soldiers, of course Sir Robert Napier will take care that there is no interference with their religious opinions.

ABYSSINIA-CAPTAIN CAMERON.

QUESTION.

SIR HARRY VERNEY said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Captain Cameron has ever been received and recognised as British Consul by King Theodore?

LORD STANLEY: I should imagine, Sir, that King Theodore's acquaintance with the duties and office of a British Consul was of a very vague character. I do not suppose he has ever heard of an exequatur. There is, however, no doubt that Consul Cameron has been recognised by King Theodore in his capacity of representative of the British Government.

SUPPLY.

Order for Committee read.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the