ment felt bound to spend this £3,500,090, let them apply it in getting rid of the slums that disgraced our great cities. It was hopeless, however, to expect to be able to reverse the Vote of the preceding evening, and for that reason he would recommend his hon. Friend (Mr. Rylands) not to press his Motion. of operations for the purpose of coping | mere fortified workshop or a garrisoned with the vast Armies of the Continent. bullion-case. If, however, the GovernHe was altogether opposed to the expenditure, enormous as it was, contemplated by the Bill, and he hoped, at all events, that the country would be afforded a longer time to consider the scheme which it involved. The expenditure, as far as he could judge, was wholly unnecessary as securing the objects alleged in its support, and for that reason he should move the Amendment of which he had given Notice. Amendment proposed, To leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words "having regard to the advanced period of the Session, and the pressure of important public business in which the House is already engaged, it is not expedient to proceed further with the consideration of this Bill,"-(Mr. Rylands,) -instead thereof. Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question." MR. CARDWELL said, that after the strong expressions of opinion on the part of that House in favour of this measure, he could not think the hon. Member was serious in his opposition to the measure, and should not do more than express a hope that he would not put the House to the trouble of dividing. MR. RYLANDS, in view of the fact that many hon. Members of his way of thinking in this matter had left the House, in the belief that the Bill would not be taken that night, would not press his Motion to a division, and therefore he begged to withdraw it. MR. WHALLEY, who spoke amid much interruption, entered his protest against the Bill, which was nothing more than an attempt to make the Mutiny Act perpetual. For the last two centuries we had been notorious for two things-our extravagant expenditure on military matters, and the utter inefficiency of our military system. Englishmen demanded the right to be drilled, and not to be defended by a mercenary Army. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Main Question, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair," put, and agreed to. Bill considered in Committee, and reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow. MR. R. N. FOWLER, in supporting the Bill, said, he was anxious to state that in doing so he did not mean to express approval of the policy of the Government, which had withdrawn the SUPPLY-DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITHI troops from the colonies-a policy to which he was strongly opposed. MR. SINCLAIR AYTOUN commented upon the fact that the Members of Her Majesty's Government had taken so small a part in this discussion. He intended to support the Amendment. en MR. W. M. TORRENS said, he tirely disagreed with the policy of the Government as evinced in dealing with this subject. He believed that the concentration of our forces in this country was a mistaken policy, as it was a craven, a cowardly, and a dastardly desertion of our colonies. If this country was to keep up its position, its flag must be seen all over the world, and our true policy should be to have both a national and Imperial Army, with interchanges of regiments for the colonies, and not to make the country look as if it were a THE VATICAN. RESOLUTION. ADJOURNED DEBATE. Order read, for resuming Adjourned To leave out from the word "That" to the Question again proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question." Debate resumed. Amendment and Original Motion, | of those towns to Holstein, he will re"That Mr. Speaker do now leave the voke the recent Order which permits Chair," by leave, withdrawn. cattle from Holstein to be taken to any part of the kingdom? Committee deferred till To-morrow. House adjourned at a quarter after Two o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Wednesday, 31st July, 1872. MINUTES.]-PUBLIC BILLS - Ordered - First Reading Attorneys and Solicitors Act (1860) Amendment [282]. Second Reading-Ecclesiastical Courts and Registries [152], negatived; Hosiery Manufacture (Wages) [16], debate adjourned. Committee - Report - Appointment of Commissioners for taking Affidavits [277]. Third Reading-Kensington Station and North and South London Junction Railway Act, 1859 (Repayment of Moneys) * [273], and passed. Withdrawn-Factories Hours of Labour [118]; Sale of Liquors on Sunday [78]; Registration of Partnerships [249]; Union of Benefices Act Amendment * [229]. * GALWAY ELECTION PETITIONJUDGMENT OF MR. JUSTICE KEOGH. ADJOURNED DEBATE. QUESTION. SIR PERCY BURRELL asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will place the adjourned Debate, on going into Committee, on the Galway Election Petition as one of the first Orders of the Day on Thursday, so as to insure its being discussed by the House on that day? MR. GLADSTONE said, his hon. Friend did not appear to be well informed as to what took place on the previous day in relation to that subject. At present, an Order of the Day for resuming the debate stood for Thursday, having been placed on the Paper not with a view to the debate being continued on that day, but in the hope of the Government being then enabled to fix the day on which it might be resumed. CATTLE PLAGUE.-QUESTION. MR. C. S. READ asked the Vice President of the Council, If there has been a further outbreak of Cattle Plague at Hartlepool; whether the Cattle affected came from Hamburg viâ Lubeck; and, whether, considering the close proximity MR. W. E. FORSTER said, it would give a false impression to say that there had been an outbreak of cattle plague at Hartlepool, for that might lead to the inference that it had broken out amongst English cattle, which as yet had been prevented-and he hoped would be so in the future; but it was true that among some cattle imported from Hamburgh to Hartlepool the cattle plague had been found to exist. There had also been two other infected cargoes from Hamburgh, both of which went to Newcastle. With regard to the disposal of the diseased animals, the best possible arrangements had been made at Newcastle; but at Hartlepool, as at Hull and Leith, there was a difficulty about burying the animals within the defined place. however, and was giving the best asProfessor Simonds was there, sistance he possibly could to the local authorities. [Mr. C. S. READ: Were the cattle landed?] He was not sure whether they were landed or not, but if they were, the place where they landed would be an infected place under the Act, and the fullest precautions would have to be taken in regard to it. He was not able to give any positive information as to whether the cattle came via Lubeck, but there was reason to suspect that cattle might have been imported from Cronstadt to Lubeck, and then carried across by rail to be shipped at Hamburgh. He had communicated with the German Embassy on the subject, and they took up the matter instantly; and just before he came into the House that morning he had received a letter from the Chargé d'Affaires, informing him that a telegram had arrived from Berlin stating that steps were to be taken by the Senate at Lubeck to prohibit the importation of cattle from Russia into that port. The last part of the Question was an important one, and was occupying his close and constant attention, but he could not give any definite answer. On the one hand, he did not deny that there appeared to be danger on account of the neighbourhood of Hamburgh to Schleswig-Holstein; but, on the other, they must remember the high price of meat, and not allow themselves, through any unreasonable fear, to increase that LORD ELCHO asked, whether the right hon. Gentleman had any information as to the disposal of the carcases of the cattle sent to Leith? He noticed that he was reported to have said that the carcases were found within seven miles of Leith; but the nearest point where they had been found was four miles from Leith, and they were observed along an extent of seven or eight miles of coast in his county. price. It was a most serious matter to interfere with the importation from Schleswig-Holstein at that moment. He found that during the last three weeks the number of cattle imported into Great Britain from Germany was 5,103, of which 3,576 came from Schleswig-Holstein, and were brought to the Port of London. That importation would be very seriously affected by the cancelling of the Order in Council to which the hon. Gentleman referred, and he trusted the hon. Gentleman would not be surprised if he found that it was not done, unless it were necessary; but in that case it would be done immediately. He would just inform the House what the conditions of that importation were. Before the Order in Council was issued, no cattle could be imported from any part of Germany without being slaughtered at the port of landing; but the cattle of Schleswig-Holstein had, so far as they knew, always been safe from the cattle plague; and there was a strong desire, in consequence, that those cattle should be imported, which appeared to have been thus far remarkably healthy. For a long time the Government refused to allow the import of Schleswig-Holstein cattle, unless they were secured against getting no others; and ultimately the security afforded was that the importer was under a bond of £1,000 not to import any other cattle, and that there was a Government certificate stating that the vessel had not within three months had on board any cattle from any part of the German Empire other than SchleswigHolstein, or from any scheduled country; and had not entered any of the scheduled ports, and that none of the cattle imported had come in contact with cattle open to that objection. That, he conceived, constituted sufficient security, except for the danger arising from the proximity of Schleswig-Holstein to Hamburgh, and that was a matter to which he was directing his most earnest attention. For many months Lord Ripon and himself had very strong pressure put upon them to admit all cattle that came from Germany into the interior of this country, and he trusted that those persons, both in the House and out of it, who pressed for that relaxation would see that if their wish had been acceded to, it would have been very difficult to prevent the cattle plague from being spread all over the country. MR. W. E. FORSTER said, it was difficult to explain how it was the carcases of cattle had got into the sea near Leith; but he had a strong impression that it occurred through the carelessness of the local authorities in not seeing that the lighters containing the slaughtered animals were properly sunk. On the previous evening he saw Professor Brown, who had just returned from the North, and though that gentleman agreed with him that such a thing ought not to have occurred, he also satisfied him that such precautions were taken for secure burial that there was not much cause for apprehension with regard to the carcases in question. He did not think such a thing would occur again. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS AND REGISTRIES BILL-[Lords]-[BILL 152.] (Mr. Assheton Cross.) SECOND READING. Order for Second Reading read. MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that it was not his intention to press the Motion to a division, as he felt it would be hopeless to attempt to carry the measure this year; but in consequence of the great care and attention which had been bestowed on it "elsewhere," he felt it his duty to make a statement on the subject, in order to prepare the way for some further step next Session. He also wished that an opportunity might be given for some discussion upon it. Its object was to remedy the great delay and expense which attended all ecclesiastical proceedings, and to improve the existing state of things under which a large amount of fees was collected from persons scarcely able to pay them, while a small amount of work was done in return. He would not enter into the state of the Ecclesiastical Courts in former years, for the Act of 1840 effected a great improve ment in the previous condition of things; | who reported that one of the Bills should but, nevertheless, a great deal had still be proceeded with, but owing to want of to be done before those Courts could be time the Bill fell through. In 1870 the put into a proper state, and the expense Earl of Shaftesbury again brought in and delay of conducting suits there could his Bill, but it being said that the finanbe put an end to. The delays and ex- cial basis of the measure was unsound, pense of the Ecclesiastical Courts were in order to obtain the required informaaltogether indefensible. Since 1867 rules tion the Bill had to be put off till 1871; had been passed regulating the proce- but owing to the illness of the Archdure that materially tended to shorten bishop of Canterbury it did not then the delay and to diminish the expense of come on. This Session it was again insuits, and the Bill proposed to go farther troduced by the Earl of Shaftesbury, in both those directions. He would give and it was to that Bill he asked the one or two instances of the expense and House to give a second reading, although delay of these Courts as at present con- he could not say he assented to all its stituted, and also of the great ex- provisions. The fees received annually pense which Bishops had to incur in in- by Bishops in the shape of visitation stituting proceedings in them. In the fees amounted to £880; by their secrePurchas case the costs amounted to taries, to £10,648; by their chancellors, £5,000, but no one was able to enforce to £8,600; by their registrars, to the judgment; and in the Bennet case £21,500; by their apparitors, to £1,166; the costs, though not taxed, would, he by their surrogates, to £14,500; and by was informed, exceed £8,000. No doubt, their proctors, in the shape of compensain those cases large sums had been paid tion, to £2,500. In the archdeaconries for the assistance of eminent legal au- the fees amounted to £11,999, making, thorities; but putting that aside, the in all, £71,794 78. 6d. Taking the 27 expenses, independent of delay, were dioceses, that gave to every Bishop's such that the House ought not to tole- secretary £400, every chancellor £300, rate its continuance one moment longer every registrar £800, every apparitor than was actually necessary. Indeed, £43, the surrogates £530, and every the most rev. Primate the Archbishop of archdeacon's official £300 for doing dioYork had publicly declared that "end- cesan work during the year; and it alless delays and consequent miscarriages most appeared as if these officers had of justice" were the result of the present been created for the express purpose of constitution and procedure in the Eccle- swallowing fees, and the fees were cresiastical Courts, and he recommended ated for the express purpose of being that they should be assimilated to Com- swallowed. The amount of practical mon Law Courts. Beyond that, how-work to be done could be done better ever, a convincing argument that a reform of these Courts was actually wanted was to be found in the number of serious attempts that had been made to legislate and pass Acts for the purpose of removing the matters of injustice complained of since 1840. The Bishop of London introduced a Bill in 1847, 1848, and 1849, which had to be abandoned. The Government then took up the subject, and the Lord Chancellor of that day (Lord Cranworth) brought in a Bill for the purpose of regulating these Courts, but it was lost by a majority of 8. The most singular part of the case was, that whereas the whole of the English Bishops voted against it, all the Irish Bishops voted in its favour. In 1869 the Earl of Shaftesbury took it up and introduced a Bill, and the Archbishop of Canterbury brought in another. Both Bills were referred to a Select Committee, and very much cheaper, for there were In existed at present. The fees were drawn | If, on the expiration of his holding the from various sources; from marriage office, the Mastership of Faculties could licenses there were received nearly only be joined to the office of Dean of £40,000 per annum; from the institution and ordination of clergymen - a class of persons least able to pay feesthere was exacted £13,773; for visitations, and matters of that kind, £13,000; for consecration faculties, &c., £3,300; and for miscellaneous diocesan business, £1,800; and for contentious business, about £500 per annum. The fees were different in all the dioceses, instead of there being an uniform charge throughout the country. If, however, he intended to seriously press the second reading of the Bill, he should propose some alteration in it. Its main principle was that the local work should be done by local officials, but for everything of a contentious character requiring a legal decision there should be one supreme Judge appointed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, with facilities for taking cases direct before that Judge, and thereby avoid the delay and expense of the inferior Courts. The second part of the Bill, to which he should strongly ask the House to assent, provided that rules and orders for regulating the procedure in the Ecclesiastical Courts should be revised, that the fees should be paid in stamps, and that the officials should be paid by salaries. He objected to all the registers being brought to London, considering the documents safer in different places than if brought together in one building in London. He objected to the appoinment of a Judge for the two Provinces, to be paid a very large salary. His impression was, that the Judge had only six cases coming before him, and that being so, the longer he was on the Bench the worse Judge he would become. He thought it was a very good thing that the Judge should be mixed up with the Common Law Judges in some sort of way. What he had to suggest was this-the House might be surprised to hear that the Dean of Arches had only emoluments of somewhere about £30 a-year. [Mr. GLADSTONE: £10 only.] Well, no one would say that £10 was sufficient; but there was another ecclesiastical officer in Canterbury who was called Master of the Faculties. The present Judge was very old, and could not be supposed to be actively employed, but his salary amounted to £700 or to £800 a-year. the Arches, it would contribute something towards the salary of the Judge, and a Judge able and efficient in matters ecclesiastical could be obtained for the office. He thought the Dean of the Arches was also a Judge in the Admiralty Court; but whether he was a Judge in that or in any other Court, he ventured to suggest that by attaching a salary of somewhere about £800 a-year to his office, they would get a Judge who would do all the work required, and who would be also very usefully employed. With regard to diocesan work, what they practically wanted was a thoroughly good officer, call him whatever name they pleased, secretary or anything else, who would practically have to keep all the fees of the register, and discharge all the duties of the Bishop's secretary. His impression was, that they would find in town that some solicitor would be very willing to take all those different duties upon him for a moderate salary. In regard to contentious business, he would give all possible facilities, so as to save all the expenses attending upon the inferior Courts, for he was of opinion that in cases of doctrine especially, it was very unsatisfactory to have them decided by a local Court. Do not let them have the delay and expense of the inferior Courts, but give every facility to Bishops and suitors for having the case brought up before the Dean's Court and tried. The main principle of the Bill was right, but the details were not. He most earnestly pressed this matter upon the Government. No greater satisfaction would be given to the public than in cheapening the expenditure and proceedings of this Court, not for the purpose of making them too common, but for the purpose of doing away with the scandal arising from the delays and expense and from the fees. He also pressed the matter on the attention of the Government in order to do away with the waste of public money which was now extorted from the public. With regard to marriage fees, he was not in favour of their abolition, for he did not see why those who desired to be married by license should not pay for that luxury. He desired that really proper officers should be provided, to be paid according to the work they did, not by fees, but by |