The Committee divided: - Ayes 21; Noes 66: Majority 45. the Secretary of State would not sacrifice any legitimate sources of revenue merely in deference to a cry got up in England. With regard to the relations between India and Burmah, referred to by the hon. Baronet the Member for Carlisle (Sir Wilfrid Lawson), he could only say that any difficulties which had arisen were not due to the opium traffic, and that, as time progressed, the likelihood of a satisfactory settlement became more and more certain. The morality or immorality of the opium traffic was not legitimately under discussion; but, as the question had been raised, he must be permitted to say that, unless stronger reasons than had yet been urged were urged against the traffic, the Government would not be justified in giving up for an idea so important a source of revenue. With regard to the Amendment which had been moved, it was no new policy which the Indian Government were now carrying out. The Indian Government were now constructing Public Works under far more favourable conditions than during recent years, and if ordinary care was taken he believed none of the disastrous results which the hon. Member for Cambridge had predicted were likely to take place. MR. KINNAIRD said, the Amendment, if carried, would practically be a Vote of Censure upon Lord Northbrook, as well as upon the Government, for it was his policy they were carrying out; and he thought the House would hesitate to pass a Vote of Censure upon a Viceroy who had shown so much ability in the Government of India, and had brought it through such a crisis as the late Famine. He MR. FAWCETT said, scarcely a single word had been said of Lord Northbrook, except in approbation of him, and it was not fair, at the last moment, to put such an interpretation upon the Amendment, and say that it was a vote of Want of Confidence in Lord Northbrook. wished simply to express by his vote an opinion as to the way of keeping the accounts and the financial policy of the Indian Government, and nothing was further from the intention of himself and those who agreed with him to express anything like a personal censure. Original Question put, and agreed to. before this House that the total Revenue of Resolved, That it appears by the Accounts laid India for the year ending the 31st day of March 1874 was £49,598,253; the charges in India, including the collection of the Revenue, Interest on Debt, and Public Works ordinary, were £42,094,995; the charges in England (including £1,156,535, the value of Stores supplied to India) were £7,873,574; the Guaranteed Interest on the Capital of Railway and other Companies, in India and in England, deducting net Traffic Receipts, was £1,437,352, making a total there was an excess of Expenditure over Income charge for the same year of £51,405,921; and in that year amounting to £1,807,668; that the charge for Public Works extraordinary was £3,553,307, and that, including that charge, the excess of Expenditure over Income was £5,360,975. House resumed. Resolution to be reported upon Wednesday. HOUSE OCCUPIERS DISQUALIFICA- THIRD READING. ADJOURNED DEBATE FURTHER ADJOURNED. Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [7th August], "That the Bill be now read the third time." SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF said, it was hopeless to go on with the Bill during the present Session. He would, therefore, move that the debate on the third reading be adjourned for one week. Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Adjourned Debate be further adjourned till Monday next."-(Sir H. Drummond Wolff.) MR. MONK said, it would be much better to take the usual course, and to move that the Order be discharged. He would move an Amendment to that intent. Amendment proposed, to leave out all the words after the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the Question put, "That those words be words "the said Order be discharged," there added." -(Mr. Monk,)—instead thereof. Question, "That the words proposed | to meet that day (Tuesday); and, under to be left out stand part of the Ques- Main Question put, and agreed to. INCREASE OF THE EPISCOPATE COMMITTEE. Order for Committee read. MR. BERESFORD HOPE moved that the House go into Committee on this Bill on Wednesday next. Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House will, upon Wednesday next, resolve itself into the said Committee."—(Mr. Beresford Hope.) SIR CHARLES W. DILKE moved, as an Amendment, that the House go into Committee that day week. Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "Wednesday," in order to insert the word " Monday," (Sir Charles W. Dilke,)-instead thereof. Question put, "That the word 'Wednesday' stand part of the Question." The House divided:-Ayes 50; Noes 27 Majority 23. that impression, his hon. and learned Friend the Member for Limerick had intended to address the House that day, and would leave town on Wednesday. He was surprised at the deviation of the Government from its promise. MR. W. H. SMITH explained, that when he had made the announcement that the House would sit at its usual hour to-morrow, he was under the impression that the Royal Assent would be given by commission to certain Bills; but it was now found that assent could Business of any kind on the Paper for not be given. Seeing that there was no to-morrow, he trusted that the House would adjourn, at it rising, until Wednesday. House at rising to adjourn till Wednesday, at Two of the clock. SELECT COMMITTEES. Ordered, That every Select Committee having power to send for persons, papers, and records, shall have leave to report their opinion and observations, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken before them, to the House, and also to make a Special Report of any matters which they may think fit to bring to the notice of the House. Ordered, That the said Resolution be made a Standing Order of the House.-(Mr. Raikes.) SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE ACT MR. EDWARD JENKINS moved (1873) AMENDMENT (NO. 2) BILL [Lords]. that the House should resolve itself into the said Committee on Friday. MR. SPEAKER ruled that this Amendment could not now be put. Main Question, "That this House will, upon Wednesday next, resolve itself into the said Committee," put. The House divided:-Ayes 53; Noes 24: Majority 29. Committee deferred till Wednesday. PARLIAMENT-ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. MR. W. H. SMITH said, that, as he found there was no Business on the Paper for to-morrow, he would beg to move that the House, at its rising, do adjourn until 2 o'clock on Wednesday. MR. O'LEARY said, he must oppose the Motion, because it had been settled by the Government that the House was Lords Amendments to Commons Amendments to be considered forthwith. Resolved, That this House doth agree to the Amendments made by the Lords to the Amendments made by this House; and do not insist on the Amendments to which the Lords have disagreed. REGIMENTAL EXCHANGES REGULATIONS. Address for "Copy of the Royal Warrant and of the Regulations respecting Exchanges between Officers of the Army, made subsequent to the passing of the Regimental Exchanges Act, 1875."-(The Marquess of Hartington.) UNION WORKHOUSES. Return ordered, "of the number of men, Workhouses on the 1st day of January 1875 women, and children in the several Union (or on any previous date for which the Return could be made), distinguishing the number professing to belong to the Church of England and the number belonging to all other religious communities."-(Mr. Hubbard.) House adjourned at a quarter after PARLIAMENT-STANDING ORDERS. LORD REDESDALE moved "That the Standing Orders relating to Private Bills be vacated for the purpose of rearranging and amending the same, and that the said Orders so re-arranged and amended be adopted." The noble Lord said, that the object of the amended Standing Orders was to establish greater harmony between the proceedings of the two Houses of Parliament in respect of Private Bills, and also to effect certain improvements in respect of those proceedings. On Question, agreed to. there was probable cause for believing that the party chargeable therewith was about to quit England, or to become a bankrupt or a liquidating or compounding debtor, or to take any other steps or do any other act which, in the opinion of the Judge, would tend to defeat or delay such attorney or solicitor in obClause 3 provided taining payment. that the Bill should not extend to Scotland or Ireland. Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a.” -(The Earl of Donoughmore.) THE LORD CHANCELLOR was extremely glad to welcome his noble Friend in the ranks of the Law Reformers. The Bill with which he had commenced was not a large one; but it was, nevertheless, likely to be useful so far as it went, as no doubt the present law sometimes operated with injustice. He (the Lord Chancellor) had, therefore, great pleasure in giving his support to the Bill. Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow. Ordered that the said Orders be UNSEAWORTHY SHIPS BILL-(No. 265.) printed. (No. 285.) LEGAL PRACTITIONERS BILL. (NO. 238.) SECOND READING. Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read. THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, explained that its object was to facilitate solicitors and attorneys in the recovery of their costs. The Bill consisted of only three clauses. The second of these made it lawful for any Judge of the Superior Courts of Law and Equity to authorize an attorney or solicitor to commence an action or suit for the recovery of his fees, charges, and also disbursements against the party chargeable therewith, or to refer his bill of fees, charges, and disbursements, and the demand of such attorney and solicitor thereupon, to be taxed and settled by the proper officer of the court in which such reference should be made, although one month should not have expired from the delivery of the bill of fees, charges, or disbursements, on proof to the satisfaction of said Judge that (The Lord President.) COMMITTEE. REPORT. House in Committee (according to Order). LORD DUNSANY called attention to the 4th sub-section of Clause 4, which required "the owner" of every British ship to register from time to time the name of the "managing owner" of such ship, or if there were no managing owner, then of the person to whom the management of the ship was intrusted by and on behalf of the owner. The noble Lord said, that this provision might work with great hardship in the case of poor persons who were part owners of ships. The penalty for non-compliance with the provision was £500 for each time that the ship left any port in the United Kingdom after the 1st of November, 1875, without such registration. A ship trading between London and Newcastle might leave a port each week, and the fines inflicted on the owners for non-compliance with the clause might amount in one year to £26,000. THE DUKE OF RICHMOND said, it was very important that there should be no ship sent to sea without the owners being responsible, and if they omitted. to register the managing owner it would not be a light offence. THE LORD CHANCELLOR said, that this Bill when it became law was to be construed as one with the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854 and the Acts amending that statute, and it would put owners in no worse position as regarded the liability referred to by the noble Lord than that in which they stood at Of course, it would throw present. upon them the duty of putting forward. some one as the person who was to be registered as the managing owner, or the person intrusted with the management of the ship; but, once that registration was effected, it would stand good so long as the same person remained in the position of managing owner or manager of the ship. It was absolutely necessary to enforce registration by a penalty. Bill reported without Amendment; Amendment made; and Bill to be read 3 To-morrow. House adjourned at Six o'clock, till MINUTES.]-PUBLIC BILLS Report Legal Practitioners (238); Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Local * Authorities Loans (276); Sheriff Substitute (Scotland)* (281); Remission of Penalties * (275). Third Reading-National School Teachers (Ireland)* (258); Unseaworthy Ships (265); Public Works Loans (266); Sanitary Law (Dublin) Amendment (259); National School Teachers Residences (Ireland)* (274), and passed. Royal Assent-County Surveyors Superannuation (Ireland) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 56]; Public Works Loans (Money) [38 & 39 Fict. c. 58]; Pharmacy [38 & 39 Vict. c. 57]; Friendly Societies [38 & 39 Vict. c. 60]; Public Health [38 & 39 Vict. c. 55]; Public Records (Ireland) Act, 1867, Amendment [38 & 39 Vict. c. 59]; Statute Law Revision [38 & 39 Vict. c. 66]; Entail Amendment (Scotland) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 61]; Summary Prosecutions Appeals (Scotland) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 62]; Sale of Food and Drugs [38 & 39 Vict. c. 63]; Government Officers (Security) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 64]; Metropolitan Board of Works (Loans) 38 & 39 Vict. c. 651; Department of Science and Art [38 & 39 Vict. c. 68]; Militia Laws The Duke of Richmond Consolidation and Amendment [38 & 39 Vict. c. 69]; Chimney Sweepers [38 & 39 Vict. c. 70]; Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act Amendment [38 & 39 Vict. c. 71]; Expiring Laws Continuance [38 & 39 Vict. c. 72]; East India Home Government (Appointments) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 73]; Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1867, Amendment [38 & 39 Viet. c. 74]; Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1869, Amendment [38 & 39 Vict. c. 75]; Ecclesiastical Fees Redistribution [38 & 39 Vict. c. 76]; Lunatic Asylums (Ireland) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 67]; Supreme Court of Judicature Act (1873) Amendment (No. 2) [38 & 39 Vict. c. 77]; Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (Leyton, &c.) [38 & 39 Vict. c. cxciii]; Traffic Regulation (Dublin) [38 & 39 Vict. c. cxcv]; Turnpike Acts Continuance [38 & 39 Vict. c. cxciv]. UNSEAWORTHY SHIPS BILL. (NO. 265.) THIRD READING. Bill read 3 (according to Order), with the Amendments. THE DUKE OF RICHMOND moved an Amendment in the 4th sub-section of Clause 4, the object of which was to apportion the penalty of £500 for nonregistration of managing owner among the owners of the ship in proportion to their shares in the ownership. Amendment agreed to. Bill passed, and sent to the Commons. CONSPIRACY, AND PROTECTION OF PROPERTY BILL. Commons Amendments to Lords Amendments considered (according to Order). LORD DENMAN objected to one of the Commons Amendments, which took away the right of being tried by indictment at the Quarter Sessions, as contained in the 5th clause of the Bill, and urged that an appeal to the Quarter Sessions would answer every purpose, but only for cases under £20. THE LORD CHANCELLOR said, his noble Friend misapprehended the The Bill, as object of the Amendment. it went down to the Commons, provided that a person breaking a contract involving injury to property might be liable to a penalty of £20 or upwards, with or without imprisonment. The original words were 66 'not exceeding £20," and they were altered to "amounting to £20," no very important alteration. Commons Amendments agreed to. SANITARY LAW (DUBLIN) AMEND- LORD REDESDALE said, the Bill would afford a remedy to the unfortunate Father O'Keeffe, whose house was besieged by persons against whom hitherto he had no remedy. He hoped advantage would be taken of its provisions in Mr. O'Keeffe's case. LAND TITLES AND TRANSFER CONSIDERATION OF COMMONS AMEND- Commons Amendments considered (according to Order). (The Lord President.) THIRD READING. Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read. THE DUKE OF RICHMOND, in moving that the Bill be now read the third time, said, its object was to secure funds for the main drainage of Dublin in the event of the Corporation obtaining, by means of a Local and Personal Bill, such powers as might be necessary to enable them to avail themselves of its provisions. LORD DENMAN congratulated the Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a." Motion agreed to: Bill read 3a, and for facilitating the sale of land, neither passed. "If the registration be voluntary, it gives On the other Bill, in 1853, the hon. "What I wish is to have a registration of titles, which is totally different from a registration of deeds, and allusion was made to a Bill which was supposed to have passed both Houses of Parliament, but stopped by a Dissolution. It was, indeed, stopped by a Dissolution, but had only gone through the House of Lords, and through a Committee of the House of Commons in 1739. At length, legislation was effected, and he wished that though voluntary it might be generally adopted." THE LORD CHANCELLOR concurred with his noble Friend as to the advantages likely to result from the Bill. Any measure for the registration of land titles must be a voluntary measure, at all events for a time. Those who advocated a compulsory measure would do well to explain the form in which it could be made effective. No form had hitherto been proposed in which it could be made effective. With regard to the Amendments, he was bound to say that the House of Commons had dealt with great leniency with the Bill. The Amendments made by that House were few, and almost verbal, and he did not offer any objection to them. Commons Amendments agreed to. House adjourned at half past Three o'clock, till To-morrow, Twelve o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Wednesday, 11th August, 1875. MINUTES.]-PUBLIC BILLS-Withdrawn-Increase of the Episcopate [110]. The House met at Two of the clock. MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS, 1871 AND 1873 PROSECUTIONS FOR UNSEA WORTHY SHIPS.-QUESTION. MR. E. J. REED (for Mr. PLIMSOLL) asked the President of the Board of Trade, If he would explain to the House how it comes to pass that whereas 515 ships had been found to be unseaworthy on survey by Board of Trade officers, and 28 of them were found to be so bad that they were ordered to be broken up, that there were not more prosecutions for sending unseaworthy ships to sea under section 11 of the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1871 and 1873, than two in Ireland; and, whether he intends in future to put that salutary Act into more vigorous use? SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY: Sir, the Question incorrectly assumes that there were not more than two prosecu |