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information that had reached him he did not doubt, that if ten proxies were the maximum, it would practically amount in many cases to an act of disfranchisement.

SIR ROBERT PEEL said, the question was one of importance, inasmuch as in Dublin there was the case of one person holding 2,000 proxies, and of another holding more than 1,000; whilst in England no one was at liberty to hold more than four. He saw no reason for departing from the Resolution of the Committee, which fixed the number of proxies at ten. In selecting ten as the maximum he had only followed the precedent set by the noble Lord in an Act brought in by him in 1858. He hoped the Committee would adhere to the conclusion which had been arrived at by the Select Committee.

SIR EDWARD GROGAN said, he objected to any limitation. Supposing that he had given his own proxies to an agent, was that a reason why the agent should not hold the proxies of other landholders ? He denied that any gentleman in Dublin ever held 1,000 proxies. Proxies were held by agents pro hac vice; and he denied the right of any one to interfere in the

matter.

MR. BLAKE said, he would move an Amendment, of which he had given notice, that the number of proxies to be held by the same person should be limited to five.

Amendment proposed, in line 43, to leave out "ten " and insert "five."

MR. COGAN said, that in reference to the denial of the hon. Baronet (Sir E. Grogan) that 1,000 proxies had been held by one individual, it appeared from the evidence taken before a Committee last

year that an Assistant Poor Law Commissioner stated that he had known 1,000 votes given by one agent.

MR. BLAKE said, he would withdraw his Motion.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Another Amendment proposed, in line 43, to leave out and insert "twenty" (Lord Naas).

"ten,

SIR ROBERT PEEL said, he could not set his opinion against that of the Committee, and he felt bound to say that the number" ten" had been adopted after careful consideration by the Government.

LORD NAAS explained, that since he had expressed the opinion to which the right hon. Baronet had referred, he had

received information which led him to the belief that the restriction to ten would practically lead to disfranchisement in many unions.

LORD FERMOY explained, that the ob ject of granting proxies was to give to landlords votes for elections to seats at boards of guardians; not to give the power of interfering with the transaction of any business before the board.

Question put, "That 'ten' stand part of the Clause."

The Committee divided :-Ayes 90; Noes 62: Majority 28.

MR. BLAKE said, he wished to move additional words, providing that all persons exercising the privilege of voting by proxy should each time previous to availing themselves of it make a solemn declaration that they still held unchanged the franchise on which it was founded.

SIR ROBERT PEEL said, it was impossible for the Government to entertain the proposition. A solemn declaration meant a declaration before a magistrate. Amendment negatived. Clause agreed to.

Clauses 17 to 20 were also agreed to.

Clause 21 (Paid Officers and others incapable of serving as Guardians).

MR. COGAN said, he wished to move the omission of certain words which would prevent the election to a seat at the board of any officer who had been dismissed by the Commissioners within five years previously. He thought it monstrous that it should be in the power of the Commissioners to brand a man so far as to disqualify him from being re-elected by the votes of his fellow-ratepayers. It by no

the decision of the Commissioners must be in all cases right.

means followed as a matter of course that

Amendment proposed,

In page 9, line 15, to leave out the words "nor any person who, having been such paid officer, shall have been dismissed."

LORD NAAS observed, that he thought the provision in the clause was a very good

one.

MR. WALDRON said, he should support the clause. He knew a case in which a paid officer, who had been dismissed for misconduct, took his seat next week as a member of the board of guardians, which refused to act with him.

MR. H. A. HERBERT said, he should support the clause. Indeed, he thought

the words "by the Commissioners" should be omitted, so as to extend the disqualification for re-election to officers dismissed by the boards of guardians, as well as to those dismissed by the Commissioners.

LORD JOHN MANNERS suggested the withdrawal of the clause, in order that another might be framed narrowing the restriction.

SIR ROBERT PEEL said, he must decline to withdraw the clause, which was analogous to one in the English law.

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BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION
(IRELAND) BILL.-QUESTION.
SIR ROBERT PEEL stated that he pro-

Question put, "That the words posed to be left out stand part of the posed to ask the House to go into Committee on the Bill at another morning sitting on the following Friday, after the

Clause."
The Committee divided :-Ayes 116; Poor Relief Bill had been gone through.
Noes 28 Majority 88.

MR. WHITESIDE said, that the question of the registration of marriages was intimately connected with that of births and deaths, and the principle involved was too important to be discussed at a morning

MR. MAGUIRE said, he would move to insert the words "for fraud, embezzlement, or any criminal offence" after the word "dismissed," so that only grave mis-sitting. conduct should incapacitate a person from serving on the board.

LORD NAAS said, that in that case the words " 'by the Commissioners" should be omitted also, so as to make the clause extend to dismissals by boards of guardians.

SIR GEORGE GREY said, he must object to the words " gross misconduct." The phrase was not a legal one.

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MR. GEORGE said, he objected to come down to a morning sitting to discuss a Bill which there was no serious intention of passing.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF BELGrade.

QUESTION.

MR. DARBY GRIFFITH said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of

counts have been received that the Turk

MR. MAGUIRE: Then I withdraw State for Foreign Affairs, Whether acgross misconduct.' MR. SCULLY said, he would recom-ish Fortress at Belgrade have bombarded mend that the words should run, 64 any the Servian portion of that town? Wheperson who should have been dismissed ther Baron Hubner has offered, at Confor any criminal offence." These words stantinople, the assistance of Austrian would enable the question of criminality to Troops to co-operate with the Porte, be raised in a court of justice, if a man either in Bosnia, Servia, or elsewhere; were dismissed by the Commissioners on any and whether any such intervention by one such alleged ground. It would be "gross of the Great Powers, independently of the misconduct" in that House to consent to others, is compatible with the existing brand a man, whose only offence might be Treaties? difference of opinion with the guardians or Poor Law Commissioners.

Amendment negatived.

SIR EDWARD GROGAN said, he would move an Amendment to omit the words" within five years previously." If an officer had been dismissed for misconduct, he ought not to be eligible to sit upon the board by which he had been dismissed.

Amendment proposed, in line 17, to leave out the words "within five years previously."

MR. LAYARD stated in reply, that the Government had received information that the Turkish fortress at Belgrade had bombarded the Servian portion of the town. He understood that the Servians had offered considerable provocation to the Turks. Two or three of the latter had been murdered, and on the 16th the Servians, by a surprise, took possession of two of the gates of the Turkish quarter. On the 17th, some shots having been fired at the fortress, the Turkish garrison was led to believe that an attack was going to be made upon them, and opened a bombardment on a part of the town. The

Consuls immediately interfered; and as soon as the British Government were apprised of the occurrence, they took such measures as they thought most calculated to stop the effusion of blood. The bombardment, he believed, did not last more than four hours. A telegram had just been received from the Turkish Government stating that a Commissioner would be immediately despatched to Belgrade to investigate the matter, and that every effort would be made to bring about a satisfactory settlement of the differences which had arisen. He was not aware that the Austrian Ambassador had of fered to send troops to co-operate with the Porte in Bosnia, Servia, or elsewhere. With regard to the third question, he could only say that the interpretation of European Treaties could not be decided by a mere question and answer in that House, and any expression of opinion on his own part could be but that of an individual.

BLOCKADE OF MEXICO.

QUESTION.

LORD ROBERT MONTAGU said, he rose to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on what grounds the French commenced to blockade the Mexican coast on May 1st; and whether the French Government did not notify this blockade until June 5th; and why Her Majesty's Government did not give notice of the Blockade until June 17th. He also wished to know what time would be allowed to vessels now on the voyage out, or at present loading in England, to enter the Mexican ports?

MR. LAYARD said, the noble Lord was in error in supposing that the French Government had notified the blockade on the 5th of May. The notice which appeared in the Moniteur of that date did not amount to an official notification to this country. The official notice did not reach the English Embassy at Paris until the night of the 13th. On its arrival in London it was sent to the Law Officers of the Crown to be examined, and was then published in the first Gazette on the 17th. He had not received notice of the last question of the noble Lord, and could not therefore answer it satisfactorily at that moment. He would give a reply on Monday.

LORD ROBERT MONTAGU said, he wished to know whether the blockade did not commence on the 1st of May.

MR. LAYARD said, he understood that before a blockade could be properly established official notification must be given to the countries affected by it.

THE OPIUM CROP IN INDIA.
QUESTION.

MR. TORRENS said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether there is any truth in the statements which have been published in various Newspapers, of a deficiency in the yield of Opium for the season; and if so, whether it is likely that any loss will ensue in the Revenue in India; and whether any representation of grievances has been made to the local Government by Ryots in different Zillahs in Bengal, who receive advances from the Government there, to enable them to cultivate the Poppy plant; if so, will he describe generally what are the grievances complained of, and whether the Governor General or the Lieutenant Governor has appointed a Commission to inquire into them?

received no official information upon any SIR CHARLES WOOD said, he had of the points to which the hon. Member had directed attention. He had reason to believe that there had been some failure in the opium crop, but it by no means followed that there would be a loss of Revenue, because the sale of a smaller quantity at a higher price might produce as good a Revenue as that of a larger quantity at a lower rate.

ARMSTRONG GUNS.

QUESTION.

MR. GORE LANGTON said, in the absence of his hon. Colleague (Mr. Berkeley), he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, The reason why the Returns respecting the Armstrong guns, moved for on the 7th day of March and withdrawn, and renewed on the 18th day of March with the concurrence of the Secretary of State for War, have not been laid upon the table at this late period of the Session ?

SIR GEORGE LEWIS said, that this Return had to be founded upon the accounts of the Royal Gun Factory for the year ending the 31st of March last. These accounts had only lately been made up in a complete form. The Return would shortly be ready.

THE FORTS AT SPITHEAD.

QUESTION.

LORD HENRY LENNOX said, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether the Plans of the Forts proposed to be erected at Spithead have been finally determined on; and, if so, what is the estimated cost of each of those Forts; and whether it has been decided what shall be the number and calibre of the guns to be placed in each Fort, and what is the estimated cost of such armament.

SIR GEORGE LEWIS said, that he should on Monday next move a Resolution with respect to Fortifications, and he would then give the information which was desired by the noble Lord.

MURDER OF DR. MACCARTHY AT PISA.

QUESTION.

MR. HENNESSY said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the murderer of Dr. MacCarthy at Pisa has been brought to justice; and, if so, with what result; and whether Her Majesty's Government will lay upon the table of the House the Correspondence and Papers on the subject?

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OBSERVATIONS.

been his intention to have submitted to MR. W. S. LINDSAY said, that it had the House that evening a Resolution the object of which would have been the recognition of the Southern States of AmeMR. LAYARD said, that the murderer had consulted, and whose opinions he was rica; but many hon. Members whom he of Dr. MacCarthy was brought to trial on the 10th of March and sentenced to ten he should postpone the Motion. In debound to respect, had recommended that years' confinement, and to pay an indem-ference to their opinions he proposed to nity to the family of the deceased. Upon the subject of the trial our Consul wrote, after giving some details

"I have to add that the case was most carefully got up. The examinations were conducted

with great regularity, and it was evident that the proceedings were watched with interest by members of the Bench and the Bar who were not conducting the case. The other business of the Court was made to give way, and, as regards the expedition with which the case was carried through, it ought to be remembered that two months only elapsed from the commission of the offence to the punishment of the offender. No authorities could have acted with greater consideration, firmness, and efficiency than had the Italian authorities."

postpone it until the 11th of July. Before that time he trusted that Her Majesty's Governnent would see the necessity of taking in hand a question so grave and important, and one which properly belonged to the Executive, and would thus render it unnecessary for any private Member to submit to the consideration of the House the desirability of recognising the Southern States, because it must be apparent to all men that before long those States must become an independent nation.

THE "BRITISH STAR" NEWSPAPER.

PAPERS MOVED FOR.

The Consul went on to state, that although some people might take exception to the MR. MAGUIRE: I appear, Sir, not punishment as too lenient, it was accord- only on behalf of a British subject who ing to the Tuscan code, by which the has been wronged in his property, but in punishment of death was abolished; and vindication of a principle which every as the imprisonment was accompanied by man in this House holds dear. It has been solitude and silence, although the mur-proclaimed over and over from the Treaderer was a very hale man, there was scarcely a chance of his surviving his punishment.

sury Bench that England is not alone the home of liberty, but the propagandist of freedom. The case to which I am about

would occasionally appear a thundering leader from the Times, or perhaps a spicy article from the Saturday Review. Only four pages, however, are devoted to political matter; the great bulk of the paper being devoted to subjects of a literary, scientific, or artistic nature. It is essential that this description should be borne in mind, as the sequel will show how im

to refer, proves that Her Majesty's Government have violated that principle of freedom; and I stand here to demand an explanation of the reasons which induced them to commit an act which, if properly understood by this country, ought to bring a blush of shame to the cheek of every Englishman. Liberty of the press is no longer a cant phrase in this country; it is a household word—a creed which the na-portant it is in understanding the hard tion professes, and, better than professes, case of this British newspaper. On the believes. Her Majesty's Government have 3rd of May, M. Zenos, the proprietor of violated that principle; and in their man- the British Star, received a communiner of doing so, they have done more to cation from Mr. Hill, the Under Secretary degrade the dignity and character of the of the Post Office, informing him that, at country than any misguided Government the request of the Ottoman Government, has almost ever done by their official received through Her Majesty's Ambasblunders. The British Government have, sador at Constantinople, the Postmaster so far as they could, suppressed a British General had given directions to the British paper, published in London by a naturalized Postmaster at Constantinople not to deliver, British subject, an elector of the City of but to return to this country, all copies of London-one who pays his rates and taxes the British Star which might reach his like any Englishman. The gentleman to office. Practically, this order amounted whom I refer-M. Zenos-is a Greek by to a suppression of this newspaper in Eubirth, but he has lived fourteen years in ropean Turkey. Could anything be worse this country; and if he have any one than this in France? No; this was worse feeling stronger than another, it is admira- than that which we deprecate in France. tion of the laws and institutions of Eng- In France, before a newspaper is supland, and of the genius and virtues of her pressed, two warnings are given to its people. I am rather stating the feelings conductors. But the British Government, of M. Zenos than my own. This gentle- without any warning whatever, practically man, who is engaged in extensive mercan- suppressed a British newspaper. tile transactions, and who is well known presentative of the greatest Power has in the City, having also a taste for literary thus degraded himself, his Government, pursuits, established a paper, some two and his country, by becoming the instruyears since, with the noble and patriotic ment of one of the vilest despotisms in the object of infusing, so far as he was able, world. [Laughter.] Hon. Gentlemen may European ideas and civilization, together laugh, but I will prove what I assert. In with a knowledge of European progress, this letter of the 3rd of May, the reason into European Turkey, but especially why the paper was suppressed is thus among his compatriots of the East, whe-given-"it being alleged by the Porte ther in Greece proper, or in the Ottoman Empire. The main portion of this paper, which is printed in modern Greek, and profusely illustrated, is devoted to literary, scientific, and artistic subjects. The illustrations are of the highest order of art; and as to the literary portion of it, those who have had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the British Star, speak of it in terms of praise. I hold in my hand a copy of the paper; and it is necessary that I should call particular attention to the fact that the political part, which consists but of four pages, can be easily separated from the main body of the paper. The political portion of the British Star, consists of articles partly original and partly copied from the leading journals of England. Among the latter there

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that such newspaper contains articles inciting to revolt against the Government and laws of Turkey." The letter did not state that the allegation had been proved, or that the noble Lord the Foreign Minister, or the Under Secretary, had read these articles, and endorsed the statement of the Ottoman Government. The paper was suppressed in consequence of a simple allegation; and thus the British Government, the representative of the greatest Power in the world, made itself the catspaw of the vilest despotism in the world. M. Zenos immediately wrote to the noble Lord the Foreign Minister, denying that any such articles had appeared in his paper; and in proof of that assertion he forwarded to the Foreign Office a file of the paper for the current year. After

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