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Equalisation op Poor's Rates.—A meeting ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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» . ; Rphe House Of Commons Is Winding U...
• would , however , have been awkward if an adverse vote had neutralized the effect of the China success ; and with a general election before him , he yielded . In . the House of lords the wost feas already fceen carved out for the next session , notwithstanding Mr , Diskaem ' s protest against that " arrogance . " Ixwsf Shaitesbujhy proposed two questions—whether tie East India Company eaii Iegai % cultivate opium tinder its statutes , the" charter prohibiting tie Company from trading ? and whether the encouragement
of opium smuggling in China is not counter to the Pottingeb . treaty ? He proposed to submit these questions to the judges . Ministers met the motion l > y offering to submit them to the law officers of the Crown , and to the Queen ' s Advocate ;¦ and , advisedly , Lord Suaftesbuby withdrew his motion . Or rather ] ie postponed it ; for he announced his intention of challenging a more complete inquiry next session . The proposal is open to real objection in . the form which he gave it . It would , as the
Loud Chancellob said , practically arraign , the East India Convpany before the House of Lords , while the House would be pronouncing a provisional verdict against the Company . The question of trading is extremely obscure , and the prohibition must be somewhat stretched to prevent the Company from taking a revenue out of its lands or a duty on opium ; while it cannot be considered that the Company personally commits itself to any participation in the Chinese smuggling .
The Speaker , has announced that on the close of this session he retires from Parliament ; the usual compliments have been conferred Upon him by the House of Commons with more than the usual emphasis 5 and he will enter the House of Lords , says gossip , as Baron He CKFiELD . . The foreign intelligence is fragmentary , and may be doubled up in a single paragraph . JKhig
Fkedehick Wiii / IAM has played Prance ami England a trick—refusing even in the Paris Conference to . accept'the arrangement made for him by those two Powers , and aiiticipatively ac . cepted by Switzerland . Russia stands by Sardinia —against Austria : a complication the more disagreeable , since we do not know on which side our Government stands . The Persian war seems
to oe really closed , and Persia is said to have made some concessions—a coaling station or two as a t ribute to the power of this country ; while the Independence of Herat is guaranteed—until next time ; and in China we hear that Admiral Seymour is in increasing difficulties , awaiting the expedition ¦ w hich is to go to him . Fraud is at its fun again in high style . At their half-yearly meeting , the shareholders of the Great
iNforthcrn Railway , finding that tlierc is an illegal excess of capital , have been obliged to devote their dividends to the extinction of supernumerary and fictitious stock . Mr . Esdaile , the Governor of the Hoyal ^ British Bank , has been under examination , "but we havo already told , on the authority of the Secretary the story which he told . And in Trance , they arc getting up a splendid International Association ot Commercial Credit—a glorious field for managing all kinds of great operations , commercial or otherwise .
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¦ m ^^ BOM ^ B ^ V ^^^^ " ^ - " - .. .- _ ,. ^^•••^^¦ MV ^ B ^^ H ^^^ HMi 242 THE LEADER . [ fop . 364 , SattjrdAy .
Equalisation Op Poor's Rates.—A Meeting ...
Equalisation op Poor's Rates . —A meeting of tho elergyrnen of the eastern diatricta of London ( with tho Eov . Canon Chatnpneya in the chair ) was Held on Tuca-00 L w « V 08 try - R °° ' Uia * ' B > WWtechapel , to consider tho propriety of moving for an e ualisa io . i of the poors rates throughout tho metropolis . Tho several ffteSCT ° Ut th ° grleV ° "a which Sto it thToaJ ? S * l f *? ^ e 8 aitoua di « t"cta ( such as those Sclnl Zh L , London )> while the richer parishes ZSLSL ^ ZSZ a 38 ~ t ; a » d ™&**™ 1 1
^ s ^^^ p- ^ ^ z ^ SSs ^ x se xs sjssts ™ ceodmgs were devoid of special interest . P « g x « ss ^ sratt 4 ssro . s 1 > ¦ i i
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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . ¦ . ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ " ^ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ; ¦ , . Monday , March 9 th . i > IVQ # GX JOSH TESTAMENX » fcY JURISDICTIMFBSIXS . In ibs House of LoniMSy Xord L-XNDtiuiHEr aekti the Lord Chancellor what coraae ice meant to p . urs « e with - respect to the Divorce and Testamentary Jirwsdletion Bills , —The Lo * d Cha : nc * s , lor replied that in tie pre- sent state of Parliament it ws » not the intortfon of the Govenaeent to proceed : further with either trt those ' bills daring the present session ; but they -would be re- introduced , with some alterations , at the very earliest period after the reassembling of Parliament . THfc WAR WITK CHtttA- The Earl of Hardwicke reminded . Lord Panmure that , a few evenings before , lie had stated to him in reply to a question , that the despatches received from China would be speedily published . He ( Lord Hardwicke ) , however , had not since seen them published , and believed they-were" not published , and he now begged to ask the noble lord when he would give them those despatches It was important they should obtain them , as every hour seemed to thicken the plot in China . ( Hear , hear . ) According to a statement in the papers , which might or might not be true , Tve were obliged to receive assistance from , the French in the protection of our countrymen in Hong-Kong : a statement very pain- ful to the feelings of any Englishman . —Lord Panmure thought the noble Earl had misunderstood the statement made by him on a previous night . What he had said was , that he had received a despatch from Colonel Dunlop , stating that certain operations had taken place and certain casualties had occurred , and describing the manner in which a company of infantry was engaged in performing the important duty entrusted to them . The list of casualties to which he referred had since been published . TORTUKE Eff INDI A . The Earl of Albemcakle gave notice that on that day week he would move for certain returns connected -with the subject of torture in Bengal . THE OPIUM TRAI > EThe Earl of Shaftesbury , in moving a question to be referred to the consideration of the Judges , as to whether the revenue at present derived by the East India Company from the opium trade with China is in legal accordance -with an Act passed in the 3 rd and 4 th years of the reign of " William IV ., said his first object was to ascertain whether or not the trade is one recognised by our laws , and then to proceed , with the assistance of their Lordships , to devise some means for its total abolition . He believed it to be illegal—not only inconsistent with the spirit of our laws , but in direct contravention of many of them . By the Act of 1833 , the East India Company is restricted from being any longer a commercial or trading association ; yet they have a monopoly in this trade . The traclo had proved a source of great and permanent injury to the trade of India , a cause of perpetual irritation and conflict along the south-eastern coast of China , and a standing disgrace to the national character of the English . Eventually , ifc might prove a peril . Many of the most experienced men in China had s ' aid that opium and Christianity could not enter that empire together . Tho present state of things had lasted for half a century ; and successive Governments had connived at its extension . Ho denied , on tho honour of a gentleman , that there was any truth in the taunts which had been uttered against him , that he had brought the subject forward in order to embarrass the Government and take advantage of the present state of feeling among parties with respect to the affairs of China . He merely wished to bring the question to a settlement . If the Judges declare the whole trade find monopoly to be illegal , he should havo carried his point , and it would be for the Government of tho country to devise a remedy , and to provido some substitute for the revenue that would then be taken from them . On tho other hand , if tho Judges declare the system' to he legal , he should bo able to appeal to the people of England against this great national sin . The Lord Chancellor said ho -was not aware of any precedent which would justify the course suggested by the noble Earl . Tho Judges were called upon to give their opinions in judicial cases , or to assist their lordships in cases of appeal . But this was another matter . Tho hypothesis of his noble friend was , that tho company had been violating tho laws of the land . If that were so , thoy were liablo to bo tried and punished ; but tho issue Bhould not bo decided by any tribunal behind their backs . Tho Government was willing to submit tho question to the highest law officers , of tho Crown , and , when their opinion was obtained , it would be lnid before tho House . Dealing with tho produce of one ' s own land does not constitute commerce in tho eyes of the law ; and if tho East India Company , in order to turn their land to tho beat advantage , had cultivated opium , that waa not commerce . The Earl of Siiafticsuuuy said ho was willing to withdraw his motion on the understanding that tho caso should be referred to the law officers of tho Crown . — Earl Grey , whila applauding this determination , expressed Iris opinion that tho question could not bo settled upon tho legal technicalities of an Act of
] t * * ' ' ¦ * i : ' , Parliament . No legal enactment would check * h » bu * e of piam ; but our trading in it with C \ r is- » di Jgrace fc » us . It had been announced th at a ^ tiator -raa to supplant Sir John Bowring . He tr »«!? * that sam * person would be appointed who would or , ™ mand the confidence both of that and the other Ho , and that fce would be sent out with instructions ™ only-to settle the present differences , but to take the W means for reestablishing peaceful relations with Chin ! cm gnwwfe eoasistent whh the substantial interests nf , £ » country . The tout afc Canton had already led Jf frightful evils , not only in the destruction of life ™ i property there , but la the falling off of the tea trade in England , and consequent injury to the revenue T » Earf of AiwaiABLj begged to recal the attention bf their Lordships to the question before them . Much mis apprehension existed in this country as to the sniu ^ W * 2 fc Le S allinCha > the trade in ophnn g
, , < \ ¦ - . ^ . ,. > prohibited , but practically it is free . To a certain ex tent , the Chinese axe dram-drinkers , though -whenever they could get opium they prefer it . But , if they had not the latter , they would resort to the former , and there could be no doubt that opium eating is a much , milder form of vice than dram-drinking . "When not carried , to excess , it is less deleterious in its effects upon the human frame than , is generally supposed . —Earl Graitville denied that there was any truth in the assertion that the smuggling of opium into China is encouraged or connived at by the English colonial authorities at Hbng-Kong . Government intends to despatch an envoy to Canton in order to place on a satisfactory basis our relations with the Chinese Empire . —After a little further
' ! desultory conversation , the motion was withdrawn , it being understood that their Lordships would , not be in any way committed or bound by the decision at which the law officers of the Crown might arrive . Their lordships then adjourned . In the House of Commons , several bills , which were coming on for the second reading , were withdrawn , pending the election of the new Parliament .
NESTORIAN CHRISTIANS PERSIA . Replying to Mr . Atsley Pellatt , Mr . Veksox Smith said that instructions had been sent to Mr , Murray on the subject of the amelioration of the condition of Christians in Persia .
SOUND DUES A ^ D TRANSIT DU ES . In answer to Mr . George Dtxndas , the Chancexlor of the Exchequer said that a treaty had been negotiated with Denmark for the remission of the Sound Dnes by the principal powers of Europe , including Austria , Belgium , France , Great Britain , Hanover , Mecklenburg Schwereri , Prussia , Russia , Sweden and Norway , and he expected that it would be signed this week . The subject negotiated was not merely the remission-of the Sound Dues , but also the reduction of transit dues . He could not state what the precise amount would be , but he believed not less than fourfifths of the whole amount of the dues .
RETIllEMEXT OP THE SPEAKER . Before the orders of the day were read , the Si'eakeu said that , under the present circumstances , a dissolution of Parliament b-sing imminent , he felt it due to the House to state that it was his intention to retire from Parliament at the close of the present session . He could not contemplate the termination of his eighteen years' occupancy of the post of Speaker without sincere and grateful acknowledgments for tho uniform confifidence and support he had received , not only from all parties in the House , but from every individual member
of the House . ( Loud cheers ') . He was quite aware that he had much need of their kind indulgence , especially of late , when he had been too frequently reminded of his failing abilities to do justice to the task committed to him . ( Cries of " JVo , no . ' " ) He had always endeavoured to uphold those great and ancient rules of the House which contribute to the freedom of discussion and the independence of the Legislature ; and he could not be sufficiently grateful for the cordial co-operation he had received fxom all sides . ( Lozid and prohnyed c 7 iecring . }
Lord Pamiekston paid a higli compliment to the retiring Speaker , and stated that on tho following ( toy lie should move a vote of thanks to Mr . Lefcvre .
BUSINESS OF TOE HOUSE . On the motion of Lord Palmkhston , it was ngrccd that , on Thursdays , orders of tho day should have precedence of notices of motion . "WAYS AND MEANS . The report on the ten . and sugar duties was brought . up and agreed to . INCOIIE-TAX . MLX . On the order for the second reading . of this bill , Mr-Diskaelt , alluding to our hostilities with Persia i' » ' | China , and to the coat which they involved , inquired ot
how , under so " turbulent and aggressive n system diplomacy , " evon seveupence of the income-tax could be taken oir . He would not oppose the bill , but lie advised a more conciliatory foreign policy . —After a sonwvl 1 "' discursive debate , in which Mr . Cochhank , Mr . AVn > I . IASI W "' MAMS , Sir IlttNKY WlM-OlKJUHY , Ml ' . Ml- 'Z > and other members took part , Lord Pakwkkston vindicated the foreign policy of the Government from tll ( ' charge of being turbulent and aggressive , suggestinS \ Mr . Disraeli that that charge would not be ft succesfllul election-cry for him and hia friends .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 14, 1857, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14031857/page/2/
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