the disturbed state of the town, it was necessary to employ a great number of persons on the unpopular side, because of the conduct of the mob. But the Committee looked upon that as a colourable pretext, which was not justified by the actual circumstances, and therefore on these grounds Mr. Morley lost his seat. He was also requested to state, on behalf of the Committee, that it was unanimously of opinion that although these disturbances (which had not previously occurred since the days of Feargus O'Connor) ought to be strongly condemned, yet they did not justify the Committee in going the length of recommending the suspension of the Writ.

serve in this present Parliament for the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, in the room of Sir Robert Juckes Clifton, baronet, and Samuel Morley, esquire, whose elections have been determined to be void.-(Mr. Ayrton.)

NEW WINDSOR WRIT.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a New Writ for the electing of two Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of New Windsor, in the room of Sir Henry Ainslie Hoare, baronet, and Henry Labouchere, esquire, whose elections have been determined to be void. (Mr. Brand.)

NORTHALLERTON WRIT.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a New Writ for the electing of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Northallerton, in the room of Charles Henry Mills, esquire, whose election has been determined to be void.-(Colonel Taylor.)

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL

(HARDEN PETITION).

Select Committee on the Representation of the

People Bill (Ilarden Petition) to consist of five

MR. AYRTON said, he had no interest in the politics of Nottingham, neither did it matter to him whether that town had a Member or not; but he wished to remind the House that the Report of the Election Committee was presented on the 20th of April last, and, therefore, the House had had twelve days to think over the Report, which appeared to him to be quite sufficient time to enable any hon. Members, to be nominated by the General ComGentleman to form an opinion on the sub.mittee of Elections, and that two other Members, ject. As far as the question, then, before to be named by the General Committee of Electhem was concerned, the Committee had tions, be appointed to serve on the Select Comfound two important facts-namely, that mittee to examine witnesses, but without the no such case of general riot had been power of voting-Power to send for persons, papers, and records; Five to be the quorum.proved as would make the last election (Mr. Ferrand.) for Nottingham altogether null and void on that account, and that, in the opinion of the Committee, corrupt practices had not extensively prevailed at that election. When the Committee had reported to that effect, it was strange that a Motion should have been made by the hon. Baronet in an entirely opposite sense. The hon. Baronet had quite time enough to consider the Report of the Committee, and if he thought that the Writ should be suspended he should have moved that the proceedings of the Committee be printed. As he had not taken that course, he hoped the hon. Baronet would not persevere with his Amendment.

RATEABLE PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.

On Motion of Mr. CHILDERS, Bill to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to the Valua tion of Rateable Property in Ireland, ordered to be brought in by Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, and Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL for IRE

LAND.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 135.]

CURRAGH OF KILDARE BILL.

better provision for the management and use of the Curragh of Kildare, ordered to be brought in by Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, and Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL for IRELAND.

On Motion of Mr. CHILDERS, Bill to make

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 136.]

Considered in Committee.

SIR HARRY VERNEY thought that the statement which had been made by COMPANIES' ACT (1862) AMENDMENT BILL. the hon. Gentleman (Captain Vivian) was enough of itself to make the House pause ere it issued the Writ.

Question put, and agreed to.

Main Question put, and agreed to.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a New Writ for the electing of two Burgesses to

(In the Committee.)

Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, that leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend "The Companies' Act, 1862."

Resolution reported: Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. MILNER GIBSON, Mr. MONSELL, and Mr. BRAND.

House adjourned at half after
Twelve o'clock,

THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, in moving for Returns connected with the Established Church in Ireland, said, that he was induced to ask for this information because it had recently been stated that the number of parochial benefices belonging to the Established Church in Ireland in which there were clergymen without any Protestant parishioners was 191, whereas the fact was there was not a single parochial benefice which did not contain within it some inhabitants members of that Church.

Moved, That there be laid before this House,

Return of the Number of Benefices having Pro

vision for Cure of Souls in Ireland, with the Population of the Established Church resident therein, according to the Census taken in the Year 1861: The Word "Benefice" to be understood to mean "The Parochial Benefice or Territorial Extent comprised within each particular Cure of Souls," in accordance with the Definition given

by the Commissioners of Public Instruction in Page 3. of their Report, 1834:

Number of Benefices in which there is no Member of the Established Church:

Number in which there is 1 and not more than 20

5,000 and upwards :

(The Archbishop of Armagh,)

100

next, at Two o'clock; and to appoint their own Chairman:

L. Abp. Canterbury

L. Abp. York

D. Somerset
D. Richmond
D. Marlborough
E. Derby

E. Hardwicke

House adjourned at half past Five o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,
Friday, May 4, 1866.

IRELAND-CHOLERA-QUARANTINE.

QUESTION.

MR. MAGUIRE said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the Government have taken, or ordered to be taken, any steps to establish a really practical and effective system of quarantine in Cork Harbour as a precaution against the introduction of Cholera in Emigrant or other intended to send to Cork Harbour an old vessels entering that port; whether it is Man of War or Hulk to be used, in case of necessity, as a floating Hospital, for the reception of patients, emigrants, or others afflicted with that disease; and whether it is not the opinion of the Government that whatever is to be done as a means of precaution should be done immediately, and without a day's delay ?

SIR GEORGE GREY said, he quite agreed that what was done as a means of precaution against cholera should be done immediately, and the Government had 50 acted in that spirit; for so long ago as July, 1865, when cholera was reported 200 to be at Alexandria, they thought it right 1,000 to address a circular to the municipal 2,000 authorities of all the ports in Great Britain, 5,000 calling their attention to the necessity of taking precautions against its introduction, and directing then, in anticipation

500

Motion (by Leave of the House) with- of its appearance, that proper hospital acdrawn.

ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION BILL.

commodation should be provided for the reception of patients. He did not know what steps had been taken by the municipal authorities in consequence of those warnings, except that at Liverpool there is a hosThe Lords following were named of the Com-pital specially prepared for the reception of mittee: The Committee to meet on Tuesday

(No. 52.)

SELECT COMMITTEE NOMINATED.

cholera patients. It was very doubtful whe

Her Majesty's Government have been able to decide what compensation they will propose to give to Farmers whose Cattle have been slaughtered under the Orders of the Privy Council?

ther a ship was the best kind of hospital | Cattle Plague has been laid upon the table for cholera patients, and whether it would of the House (namely, since April 10), not be much better that provision should be made for them on shore; but the hon. Gentleman was probably aware that for six years a vessel had been stationed in Queenstown Harbour, at an expense to the Emigration Commissioners of £300 a year, which had never been used except on one occasion for a few days. It was, therefore, thought desirable to discontinue it. At present it was impossible for the Admiralty to provide ships for cholera hospitals at all the different ports; but if there was any urgent necessity at Cork, the Admiralty would be prepared, if there was any difficulty in providing the necessary accommodation on shore, to place a ship at the disposal of the municipal authorities as a temporary expedient, those authorities undertaking the general charge and superintendence. In such a case the municipal authorities ought to apply to the Admiralty, stating the circumstances which induced them to think such an arrangement desirable. With regard to quarantine, he could only say that in consequence of information from Liverpool received by telegram, and since confirmed by letter, the Privy Council had met, and were considering the terms of an Order which would give municipal authorities additional powers to deal with ships that might arrive with cholera patients on board. MR. LIDDELL said, he wished to know whether the expense occasioned by the hospital accommodation provided at the various ports to meet the great danger of cholera would be borne by the municipal authorities, or by Government subsidies?

SIR GEORGE GREY said, he believed that under the present law that expense fell on the local funds administered by the municipal authorities.

MR. MAGUIRE said, that the municipal authorities of Cork had no control over Queenstown harbour.

SIR GEORGE GREY said, he was not at all aware of that fact; but the municipal authorities should themselves make

their own application to the Admiralty stating all the facts of the case.

SIR GEORGE GREY, in reply, said, that the Paper referred to by the noble Lord did not give the necessary information. The Return was made on a Motion for the actual number of cattle slaughtered, but did not state the circumstances under which they were slaughtered, and whether the owners received any and what compensation, or how long the cattle had been in the possession of their owners. There were cases in which he was aware infected cattle were bought cheap-a safe speculation; for if they died there was no great loss, and if not their owners made a good bargain. He was not satisfied that in such cases any compensation should be awarded. Inquiries had been addressed by the Privy Council to the local authorities in England and Scotland to ascertain the circumstances under which the slaughter of cattle had taken place and their estimated value. He had inquired of the Privy Council what had been the result of that inquiry, and he was told that Returns had been received from 133 local authorities, none of whom had any cases of slaughter to report in which compensation was claimed, in twelve cases Returns had been received of the number slaughtered and the estimated value, and in 122 cases no answers had been returned. He was not, therefore, in a condition to give a reply to the noble Lord's Question.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION.

SLAUGHTERED CATTLE.-QUESTION. LORD ROBERT MONTAGU said, he MR. O'REILLY said, he had to request would beg leave to ask the Secretary of the indulgence of the House for a few moState for the Home Department, Whether, ments while he made a personal explanasince the Return No. 159, relating to the tion. His attention had been called to a

statement which he made during a debate [ which some time ago took place on the Administration of Justice in the county of Monaghan, and which he was given to understand had given pain to the relatives of a person whom he mentioned; and therefore he wished to set himself quite right on the subject. He was reported to have stated, and he believed accurately, that a person of the name of Samuel Gray, in the county of Monaghan, had been accused of killing or slaying eleven persons. He mentioned it as a matter of memory, referring to events long past. He understood the statement was considered to be inaccurate, and he had deemed it his duty to ascertain what the facts were. From the most accurate information he could obtain, it appeared that the person in question was first tried for the murder of a man named MacMahon, in the county of Monaghan, and was acquitted by a jury of that county. There were some other trials in which he was mixed up not connected with the sacrifice of human life. Subsequently he was tried for the murder of a man named Owen Murphy, and was again acquitted. He was afterwards tried for attempting the murder of another man, and found guilty and sentenced to death. Mr. Napier, however, his counsel, reserved some points, which were brought before the House of Lords, and the trial was quashed.

SUPPLY.

Order for Committee read.

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

THE NATIONAL DEBT.-QUESTION.

SIR FITZROY KELLY said, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he is willing to postpone the Resolution touching the Reduction of the National Debt from Monday next to a future day, in order to afford time to the House and the Country to bestow a reasonable consideration upon a question of so much importance and difficulty, and a scheme of so complicated a character? He also wished to ask, whether, before any discussion is taken on that Resolution, he is prepared to lay on the table of the House a statement of the exact mode in which the £24,000,000 is at present invested?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER said, that with respect to the latter question he could remove the misapprehension under which the hon. and learned Gentleman obviously laboured. There was no investment whatever of that £24,000,000. It was what was called a book debt; a mere acknowledgment of debt on the part of the public to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt. That £24,000,000 of book debt had been substituted for £24,000,000 of stock which was formerly held by the Commissioners, and which was cancelled upon the creation of that book debt. Consequently, it was simply a representative in another form of that old book debt, at the same rate of interest; but there were no securities to which it had any reference at all. With regard to the former part of the Question, his hon. and learned Friend had said that this was a subject of necessarily some complication, in which he quite agreed with him, though he should draw quite the opposite inference. The preliminary Resolution, which he had moved, was a Resolution according to the usual form, couched in very general terms, and giving very general powers; and it would be very difficult to engraft upon that Resolution a general discussion on the merits of the subject. He thought that if Gentlemen were disposed to say, "We object entirely to this principle of conversion of permanent debt into terminable annuities," that was a question which might conveniently be raised upon the Resolution; and, therefore, if there were any disposition to take a ground so broad as that, he should be the last person to ask the House of Commons to pass the Resolution without full opportunity of discussion. But if there was a disposition to entertain the principle of the measure at all, or under any circumstances, either as to this £24,000,000, or any part of it, or as to the further measure which was contemplated in the re-investment of dividends, and which, he thought, might require a fuller statement than he was able to give on the preceding evening, then he confessed it appeared to him that it would be greatly for the convenience of the House that any discussion that was to be taken should be taken upon the Bill, and when it was in the hands of Members, because it would describe with much more precision than the Resolution the nature of the operation, and would likewise give to Members the opportunity of raising the question in any

form that they pleased. Therefore, if it was agreeable to the House, he should wish to take the Resolution on Monday, to report it on Tuesday, and to bring in the Bill immediately, and then to fix such a night for the discussion upon the Bill, taking it in the most convenient manner, as might be most agreeable to hon. Members. That was what he should ask, at the same time that he placed himself entirely in the hands of the House, and was most desirous to consult the general convenience.

SIR FITZROY KELLY thought that on a question of so much importance it was desirable not only that the principle, but also the details of the measure should be fully understood, and that could not be effected without discussion.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER said, his intention was to intimate to the House that the Resolution would enable any Gentleman who was disposed to contest the principle to do so. He did not mean to say that by passing the Resolution the House would be bound by the principle. It was always understood that preliminary stages might be passed, if thought convenient, without any degree of assent being given either to the principle or details of the measure.

hardy race of seamen for the public service, and supply the kingdom with an excellent article of food, the demand for which was increasing as rapidly as the supply were diminishing. The east coast of England was the best adapted for oyster culture in this country, but the temperature of the sea-water was too low, and the Herne Bay Oyster Company had been advised by Mr. F. Buckland to construct large banks on the shore and heat them by means of hot water pipes. Now, the south and west coasts of Ireland, having a higher temperature, were well adapted for oyster culture, but the public oyster beds through neglect, improvidence and overdredging, were undergoing a rapid process of destruction, the great increase in the value of the article and the construction of railways to many of the ports having greatly aggravated the evil during the last few years. The Fishery Commissioners of Ireland had done what they could to enlarge the supply, but with few exceptions their efforts had been without success. In the Reports of the Fishery Commissioners for 1844, 1850, 1851, 1855, 1857, 1859, 1864, and others, they deplore the steady and continuous, deterioration of the public oyster beds of Ireland. The public oyster beds in Ireland would have been more completely exhausted still but for the fact, that in the neighbourhood of most of them there were private beds in which a good supply of oysters had been kept up, and the young oysters floated from the private beds, and, settling down upon the public beds, kept up a supply there. The great demand LORD JOHN BROWNE said, he rose to for oysters of late years had led to many. call attention to the present state of the of the private beds being encroached upon; public Oyster Fisheries of Ireland, and to and when the owners took legal proceeda trial at the last Spring Assizes in the ings, it was found almost impossible to county of Sligo, where the validity of the establish, without a licence from the title of an Oyster Licence, granted by the Fishery Commissioners, a legal right to Fishery Commissioners of Ireland, was, hold a portion of the bed of the sea. Unfor the first time, called into question, and der these circumstances, some very valuto ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, able private beds had been abandoned, and if it is the intention of the Government in a short time they were completely ex-. to introduce a Bill to carry out the "re- hausted by being over-fished. He believed commendations" of the Royal Commis- it probable that in a short time there sioners on Sea Coast Fisheries by granting would not be a dozen private oyster beds titles which shall be "final and conclu- on the coast of Ireland, except those which sive." He might remark that whereas were held under licence from the Fishery one of the principal causes of the present Commissioners. This state of things

SIR FITZROY KELLY was expressing simply his individual views, and had no authority to speak on behalf of any other Member.

OYSTER FISHERIES (IRELAND.)

OBSERVATIONS.

poverty of Ireland was the want of indus- had been admitted in 1845, when by trial employment for its people, its oyster the 8 & 9 Viet. c. 108, power was fisheries, which were capable of vast ex-given to the Fishery Commissioners to tension, might furnish employment for grant licences to private individuals to large numbers of the population, create a hold for oyster beds parts of the bed of