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Leader (1850-1860), 16th April 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 484

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      Untitled Article

      IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . . Monday t April 11 . THE LAW COUKTS . In the House of Lords Lokd Redesdale moved that there "be laid before the House a plan of the ground proposed to be appropriated by the Hon . Society of Lincolu ' s-inn to the courts and other buildings for the transaction of the business of the Court of Chancery , and plans of the buildings . He considered it -would be an improvement and a convenience if the new courts were erected at Westminster . —Lord St . Luoxaeds thought that the courts had better remain -where they now are , in Lincoln ' s-inn . —The Lord Chancellor thought that this motion ought not to have been made . —After a few -words from Lords Cvr-ipnisLL and Cranavoktii , the

      motion was agreed to . Tins misn mails . Lord ¦ Mokte-agle . inquired in what mode , and under what authority , it was proposed to give-effect to the contract' respecting the acceleration of the Irish mails now on the table of the House . He objected to tlie way in which contracts of this kind were entered into to the amount of 1 , 000 , 000 / . a year , without Parliament exercising any control over the matter , especi : div as the next year Parliament may be asked for a vote of that sum to carry out these contracts . —The Earl of Derby maintained that the contract was perfectly legal . It was , he . added , founded on railway acts passed with the sanction of preceding administrations .

      Some discussion ensued , in which various comments were passed " upon" the extension of . the contract system by the Duke of Argyll , the Earl of Hardwicke , the " Marquis of Clanricarde , and other peers . lfOREIGN AFFAIRS . Lord Haedivicke informed the House that Lord Malmesbukv hoped to make a statement on the present condition of foreign affairs on Friday . Their iordshins adjourned at a quarter to eight o ' clock .

      T 2 IE DISSOLUTION . ' la the House of Coanroxs , the report of the Committee of . Ways and gleans was brought up and agreed to . , ¦ * -, '¦ ' In reply to Lord Palmkkstox , the Chancellor o the Exchequer fixed lYiday fqr his statement regarding our foreign relations , and stated that the prorogation , might take place , on Tuesday next ; but he declined to name a day f or the dissolution , though urged to do so , insisting that no person in his position had bc . -n or ought to be called upon to fix a precise day . ¦ , . ¦ _ , l tal Billand

      The Local Government Suppemen , the Confirmation and Probate Aet Amendment Bill passed through committee ! The Pauper Maintenance Act Continuance Bill , and the Naval Medical Supplemental Fund Society Annuities , &c , Aet Continuance Bill were read a third time and passed . The House having gone into committee on the Railway Tickets Transfer Bill some opposition wis raised respecting the exorbitant powers which the measure conferred pn the railway companies . After a brie discussion , o : v the motion of Lord Lovaijce , he Chairman was ordered to leave the chair , and the bill was thus r > ractically abandoned for the

      present session- , _ Tho Convict Prison Abroad Bill was read a second time . ' ' The Houso adjourned at twenty-five minutes to six o ' clock , Tuesduy , April 12 . In the House of Lords , after a long discussion , tho Waterman and Lighterman Bill , tho Superannuation Bill , and tho Public Offices Extension Bill vroro read a second time on the motion of Lord Donouoii-MOItB . The Indemnity Bill wasi road a third timo and passed . Tho Municipal Elections Bill was road a . second time . Their lordships then adjourned . TIIF LORDS OP TUB ADMIKAI . TY .

      In tho House of Commons , on tho order for the second reading of the Consolidated Fund ( Appropriation ) Bill , Sir B . ILux who had given notice of tils'intention to ask the li ' irst Lord of the Admiralty whether ho had any objection to state tho causes of tho late changes in tho Board , and proceeded to sot forth certain allegations as to tho conduct of tho First X-ord toward some of tho Naval XordB—namoly , that'ho hail doalrod Sir K . Dundas to stand for a particular borough ( ho believed Dover ) , which Sir lliohard declined to do , and upon being urged tendered his resignation } while Captain Carnegie , on a simUlar roaucat being tiinrto to him , hud tondorpa Ills resignation fts one of tho junior Lords or tho Admiralty rntlior thnn undertake ; and which had boon successively proposed In vain to'Slr W , Hoste , Capt .

      Mundy , Sir T . Herbert arid Admiral Bruce , even with the bribe of succession to his vacant post at the board . Finally , it was stated that Sir H . Leeke , after finding his chance hopeless at Devonport , where he had attempted to bias the electors by promisin g them a share in the official patronage now monopolised by Portsmouth , haclconfented to become a candidate for Dever , and was in consequence nominated a Lord of the Admiratly . In urging his inquiry into the truth of these statements , SirB . Hall observed that , if well founded , they showed that the whole service of the navy was thrown-into confusion , on the possible eve of a war , because the junior members of the Admiralty board would notobey

      the behests of the First Lord issued with sole regard to the electioneering interests of the Government . — Sir J Pakixotxkj said , so far as he was concerned , he had not only no objection to answer the inquiry , but was very glad of an opportunity to do so . It was usual , and highly expedient , that members of the Board of Admiralty of the naval profession should have seats in that House . Discussions frequently occurred upon naval subjects , and he had painfully felt the great disadvantage under which he laboured , as a civilian , in contending with naval members upon such subjects ; and it had been his wish to avail himself of the first opportunity to redress this evil . Captain Carnie had been asked to accept the vacant

      eg seat at the Board of Admiralty , with the understandin" - that he was to enter the House of Commons when required to do so , and accepted the seat upon those terms . When the Government decided upon a dissolution , he ( Sir John ) reminded Captain Carnegie of the undertaking , and mentioned three places where he had a fair chance . To his surprise , Captain Carnegie showed he sitation and vacillation , and ultimately said he did not mean to fulfil the condition , offering his resignation , which lie ( Sir John ) at once accepted , and he professed himself unable to reconcile this course with the honourable engagement he had undertaken . With regard to Sir 11 . Dundas , in a conversation with him , he ( Sir John ) had

      mentioned to him two or three seats , to one of which it was likely he might be elected . ; . but he expressed his unwillingness to enter Parliament for either . It was accordingly his ( Sir" : John ' s ) intention , though with regret , to accept his resignation ; but , a lew days ago , circumstances unconnected with party politics or election matters , rendered it very desirable that the Board should not lose his services , and Sir Richard acceded to his wish to remain . The place at the Board vacated by Captain Carnegie was Idled by Sir II . Leeke , with whom , up to that moment , lie ( Sir John ) had not had one word of communication , and whatever Sir Henry had said , or whatever premises he had made , at Devonport , he ( Sir John ) deto do

      clared , upon his honour , that no had nothing with the matter . With respect to Admiral Martin , it was true that he had expressed an intention of resigning ; but this had nothing to do with a seat in Parliament ; it was fiwnded upon considerations of a personal nature which ho did not feel at liberty to state , and he had revoked his intention . —Admiral BuncoMn * : made a statement as to the reasons which had induced him to decline the offer of a seat at the Board of Admiralty . —Mr . B . Oshoknk commented upon the scene of political jobbery at the Admiralty which these incidents had disclosed . The House , he was convinced , would not suffer the affliir to pass without a searching inquiry , or much longer leave the Board unreformed . — -The Ci-iaxc-mli-oh of the

      Exchequer called the attention of the House to a question involving o ; io of the most important principles of the Constitution , —whether the Board of Admiralty ought to bo represented' in that House or not . When questions regarding the administration of tho navy cokio before tho House , tho prgsont Board , represented only by civilians , wore unfairly , opposed by professional critics , and he did not tiling tliafc any one could bo surprised that her Majesty ' s Government should take tho oarllest opportunity of remedying a defect that was injurious-to , tho public service . He could substantiate the statement of Sir J . Pakinuton regarding Captain Carnegie . —After somo further discussion upon this and other topics , tho Bill was road a second timo , as woll as the Exohcquor-bills

      Bill . THE MALLOT . Mr . II . BnnKELKV moved for leave to introduco a bill to oftuso the votoa of the parliamentary doctors of Great Britain and Ireland , to be taken by way of ballot . In support of this motion tho hon . inomber adduced a multitude of instances exhibiting tho extent to which corruption , intimidation , and other inil > roi > or influences , woro carried under the existing system . Kvery legislative attompt to put down those practices had uttorly failed , and no real protection could bo afforded to tho electors , except by tho ballot , which thoy had long petitioned for as a favour , but which hor 0 aftor thoy might exact as a right .- *—Tho motion was seconded by Sir « T . V . Snicr ^ Er . — Tho Hoaua SuonioTAUY followed , obsorving that ho supposed tho speeches of tho movor and seconder woro to bo looked upon as dropped

      speeches , which were to have teen delivered ubon the late motion of Mr . WyId , and declined to discus ^ the subject at length hi the then state of the Houses of Parliament ; and on the part of the Government said he should meet the proposition by a direct negative . —Sir R . Bethkm . s . uported . the motion and replied to objections offered to the ballot . The argument of Lord J . llusseii and Lord Palmerston he observed , was that the . elective franchise was a trust , and that those for whose benefit it was held had a right to know how the trust was performed There was no greater source of error than arguing from a false or imperfect analogy , If

      the elector was a trustee , in the sense of a trust in law , for whom was he a trustee ? He supposed it would be said , for the non-electorsthen , according to the analogy , the right to the franchise vested in them , and not in the elector . Lord J . Rl'sskll contended that publicit y-was the presiding principle throughout the judicial , the administrative , arid the political system of the country . He resisted the motion , but confessed that so me of the objections he had once felt against the mechanical contrivance for secret voting had become considerably modified , and he did hot apprehend am--serious injury , either to ' the political organisation or

      the social character of the nation from adopting- the ballot . —Lord Palmekstox , on the other hand ) felt his objections increased rather than diminished . Persons might be trustees for the benefit of the nation who did not come within the technicalities of the Court of Chanceryi Mr . . Berkeley proposed to make secret voting compulsory , and he agreed with Lord J . Russell that the people of England would not submit to such tyranny ; they . would disobey and rebel against such a law . What , lie asked , was to be the penalty for divulging the secret ? Was it to be line or imprisonment ? It was trifling with Parliament and the country to propose such a law , which , whatever macliinery might be employed ,

      would encourage fraud , falsehood , and corruption . Publicity was an essential element of the British Constitution ; whatever public function was exercised by a man for the .-benefit of" the na ( ion . should be exercised subject to responsibility . If the protection of secrecy was to be thrown around electors , upon what possible analogy could the same protection be refused to members of Parliament ? . He believed that the system would not work , ami that if it could be enforced it would be tyrannical and inconsistent with the principles of the British Constitution . —Mr . A . Mn . ua having spoken against the motion , and Mr . Coxinghaji in its support , Mr . Berkeley " -, in replying , described Lord Pahnerston ' s speech as " flagrant and audacious rubbish . "

      On a division there appeared , for leave to bring m the bill , 99 . —Against , 102 . —Majority 3 . The House adjourned at ten minutes to ton o ' clock .

      Wednesday , April ISlJi . In tho IIovsb of Commons tho- Exehe-. jucr-bills Bill , the Consolidated Pund ( Appropriation ) Bill , and the Convict Prisons Abroad Uill passed through committee . The Sulc of Grain Bill was read , a second time . The Ecclesiastical Courts and lvCtfisinos ( Ireland ) Bill , tho Vexatious Indictments Kill , the Conveyance of Voters Bill , the Admiralty Court Bill , and the Weights and Measures Aet Amendment Bill wore withdrawn . . The House adjourned at five 'minutes to o . x o ' clock . Thursday , April 14 . STATE OP l'OKEXOX AKFA 1 US . \

      In the House oj ? Lords , tho Earl ot Mai ... tani n said it would bo conducive to tho »" » V ^ l t 5 postpone tho expocted Government statement tin Monday . VOTE Off THANKS TO THl' 3 GOVKHNOR-CIKXiilU' . A 5 » TJUJ AK 3 KY IX INDIA . Lord Dkudy , in moving that a vote <» f tlmnks W givon to tho Governor-General of India , tl o U » mandor-in-Chiof , and tho other ofllcern , c v » l militury , and to tho non-cominiBsioued oi ttis um men , both European and native , of tho Iiul » " " ^ said he rejoiced to inform tho IIoujp t « n " J J lir .,, wn « Ami . lntnW nrusliod : aild tllO tllllO IllXtl nO >\

      oo . no to thank thoso who , under I ' rovld nca « j contributed to thisrosult . Thoilrst poreo . to m » om ho would propose a vote of thiuika wna the W c nor-Genoml , Lord Canning- I « o oulog bc I n j « o highoBt terms tho ability and onorgyv n « nobleman had displayed during tho l . Jto e "«* In conHidoration of his distinguished sor ^ u s , J * Majesty had conferred on Lord Cimnii tf tlo uiff nity J ft BrHisli Earl . Lord Derby uml on to ouloglBO tho sorvlcos of Lord Wpl » 18 lolK ^ ' Governor of Bombay , us only seooniI to ^ of Lord Canning . Ho oxprossod ln » ' 3 ' .,,. of tho courage , dauntless rosohition , i n '"»»' noss with which Sir J . Lawronco luwl , i ml en rovolt in a nowly-conquororl country , und ' « ' ^ assistimco to tho cwutralGovonunynt . IoJUi .

      Untitled Article

      484 THE LEADER . [ No . 473 , April 16 , iggg ^

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 16, 1859, page 484, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2290/page/4/