THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: Is there any fresh intelligence respecting the movements of Arabi Pasha? EARL GRANVILLE: None what ever. present measure had been substituted for one which was not only more appropriate, but was more likely to conduce to the interests of the parishioners still nominally under the clergyman's charge. The best clause in the Bill seemed to be PLURALITIES ACTS AMENDMENT BILL. that which limited its duration to three (The Lord Bishop of Exeter.) (NOS. 74-102.) REPORT. Amendments reported (according to ing more satisfactorily and on sounder years; and he hoped that before the end of that time some measure for deal order). On Motion of The Bishop of EXETER, the following Amendment was made:Clause 15 (Notices, &c. may be sent by post in prepaid letter). principles with contumacious clergymen would be passed. Motion agreed to; Bill read 3a accordingly; an Amendment made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons. In line 15, at the end of the clause IRISH REPRODUCTIVE LOAN FUND ACT add ("And where a spiritual person is out of England without licence of non-residence, and without having made due provision for the performance of his ecclesiastical duties during his absence, every monition, instrument, or notice to be served on him pursuant to any of the provisions of the first-mentioned Act, may be served in the manner in section one hundred and twelve of the same Act provided in the case of a spiritual person who cannot be found; and the words place of residence' in that section shall mean 'place of residence in England.'") Bill to be read 3 on Monday next; and to be printed as amended. (No. 139.) IMPRISONMENT FOR CONTUMACY (The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.) THIRD READING. (1874) AMENDMENT BILL.-(No.120.) (The Viscount Monck.) SECOND READING. Order of the Day for the Second Reading read. VISCOUNT MONCK, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that the nucleus of the fund was formed from the balance of a large subscription in the City of London in 1822, which had been raised to assist those then suffering from distress in the Western counties of Ireland. It amounted to over £50,000, and was vested in Trustees for the benefit of the counties of Sligo, Roscommon, Tipperary, &c. In 1844 the Trustees were incorporated into a Company, and the Company so formed. Order of the Day for the Third Read-was called the Irish Reproductive Loan ing read. Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3." -The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.) THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY said, that he should not offer any opposition to the Bill. He could not, however, but regret that the Bill brought in by his noble Friend (Earl Beauchamp) had not been accepted in preference to the one before their Lordships. EARL FORTESCUE said, that he also must protest against the passing of this Bill into law. They were all agreed that imprisonment was a most inappropriate punishment for a clergyman of exemplary life, who thought it his conscientious duty to resist the law under which he held the benefice to which he clung. A more appropriate remedy for a clergyman who persisted in his contumacy was incorporated in the Bill which passed their Lordships' House last Session. He regretted very much that the Fund Institution, and its object was to lend money in various counties in Ireland, a certain sum being apportioned by the Trustees to each of these counties. By the Act 11 & 12 Vict. c. 115, which was passed in 1848, this institution was dissolved, and the fund was transferred by the Act to the Crown, with the same trusts. In 1874 the fund was transferred to the Board of Works in Ireland and that Board was empowered, in addition to the original objects, to lend to counties near the sea portions of the fund for the promotion of the fisheries of Ireland. By the 5th section of the Act, Sub-sections 2 and 3, the maximum amount in any one year to be given to any county was not to exceed one-fourth of the sum standing in the previous year to the credit of the county, and the fishery loans were not to exceed half the sum standing to the account. The operation of the provisions had been found extremely beneficial, and the object of the Bill | nothing to prevent the Duke of Bedford he asked their Lordships to give a second from closing the street altogether if he reading to was to repeal these two sub-chose to do so. The restriction might sections, limiting the amount which the Board of Works could advance for the purpose of fisheries, and to enable them to grant the entire of the amount to the maritime counties for fishery purposes. It also proposed to make these advances to fishermen in kind instead of in money by enabling the Commissioners of fisheries to purchase the nets, boats, and other things required, and supply them to the fishermen. The Commissioners had access to a much larger and better market, and would be able to procure these things at a cheaper rate and of better quality than the fishermen could do. Another provision was to increase the summary power of the Board with regard to recovering loans. That was the entire scope of the Bill. No objection had been made to it in the other House, and he trusted their Lordships would give it a second reading. Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next. METROPOLIS MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE. House in Committee (according to order). Clauses 1 to 5, inclusive, agreed to. Clause 6 (Preventing obstructions of streets). have been right and proper originally, when the Bedford estate was on the outskirts of London; but now that a large part of the Metropolis lay North of the New Road the bars and gates caused great inconvenience, and their maintenance was an extreme instance of the assertion of the rights of property. Both the noble Dukes (the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Westminster) voted for the Land Act of 1881, under which those possessed of land in Ireland had had their rents reduced 25 per cent without a shadow of compensation. Under these circumstances, he felt convinced that these two noble Dukes would gladly embrace the opportunity of proving the sincerity of the opinion which they held last year by sacrificing their right to any compensation for the loss which they might sustain on the opening up of these squares and other places. Amendment moved, At end of clause add ("and in case of any such obstruction as aforesaid, erected by any person whatever, which is already in existence, the Board may, if they think fit, in like manner give such notice as aforesaid, and demolish or remove such obstruction as above provided.")— (The Earl of Milltown.) LORD THURLOW said, he could not its effect be retrospective. accept the Amendment, which would in THE EARL OF MILLTOWN explained that as he had proposed to inflict no penalty it would not be retrospective. LORD THURLOW said, that the view of the Metropolitan Board of Works was that it would be retrospective. At any rate, the Amendment would open the door to a large variety of questions affecting the properties of the Metropolis, which would involve questions of com that in the case of ordinary obstructions the Board had power to proceed by way of indictment. The object of the clause was to prevent anyone who had opened a street with the consent of the Board from closing it again without their sanction. THE EARL OF MILLTOWN complained that the Bill did not authorize the Board of Works to deal with the bars, gates, and other obstructions existing in certain parts of London, and especially in Pimlico and Bloomsbury, in which latter district they were pecu-pensation. It was to be remembered liarly inconvenient. In Gordon Street, Euston Square, the notice affixed to the gate was to the effect that by permission of the Duke of Bedford, and during His Grace's pleasure, carriages and cabs might pass through within certain hours; but no wagons or other heavy vehicles were allowed without special permission. The date was July, 1835. Now, that, he submitted, was not a notice that ought to be put up in a London street in the last quarter of the 19th century. Its terms gave one the idea that there was Viscount Jonck Amendment (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn. Clause agreed to. Remaining Clauses agreed to. Bill reported without amendment; and to be read 3a on Thursday next. LORD LAMINGTON asked, If the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the recent importations of frozen sheep from New Zealand; and, whether, in the interest of the British producer and consumer, it may not be desirable to introduce a Bill to compel the retail dealers to specify the description of meat they are selling, and imposing heavy penalties on any person who sells imported meat as home produce? The noble Lord observed that in bringing this question forward it was not his intention to enter into any argument in favour of protective duties, because his impression was, that, give the English farmers a fair season and fair play, they could compete with the foreigner; but not only should they, but the consumer also, have fair play. Their Lordships would see that within the last few days a vessel had arrived in England from New Zealand with a cargo of 5,000 frozen sheep. That meat could be sold at 6d. or 7d. per lb., with a profit on the sale, and it would do no harm whatever to the English producer; because, as their Lordships were well aware, there had been a great increase in the home supply, there being no less than 7,000,000 more sheep in the British Islands now than in 1874. Consequently, there was a supply of the best home produce for the wealthier classes who could afford to pay for it. The consumer ought, of course, to be able to buy the cheaper meat if he wished it; but it was not at all clear that he was allowed to do so. A correspondent of The Times wrote as follows: : "Despairing householders are asking when they are to get the benefits of such consignments as recently arrived from New Zealand. Is there a single consumer who bought a joint of one of the 5,000 frozen sheep so successfully imported who was charged less than 100 per cent, on the transaction, and honestly told what he was buying? No London butcher sells American meat, and no London butcher sold one of the 5,000 frozen sheep brought from New Zealand. This fact the public will learn for themselves if they make the round of the shops and inquire. No, ma'am, we don't keep it; only the best English meat.' This is the universal story; but, somehow, people do not be lieve it." That morning he had received an inte resting letter from a correspondent, who said he had observed with great satisfaction that Notice had been given of this Question, and continued middle and poor classes is but little realized by LORD SUDELEY: I am sorry that I The Govern THE DUKE OF RUTLAND thanked the noble Lord who had brought this subject forward, and who had received an unsatisfactory answer. English agriculture was in a depressed, not to say an alarming condition; and anything likely to benefit the agricultural classes, and to enable them to meet the competition to which they were exposed, ought to be worth the serious attention of Her Majesty's Government. NAVY-H.M.S. "INCONSTANT." QUESTION. VISCOUNT SIDMOUTH asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will lay on the Table the official report relative to the late fire on board H.M.S. "Inconstant," at the Cape of Good Hope? THE EARL OF NORTHBROOK, in reply, said, that no serious damage had been done to the Inconstant by the fire. He was glad to have the opportunity of stating that the conduct of the ship's company on the occasion was excellent. A Court of Inquiry as to the causes of the fire was held, under the presidency of the Admiral in command of the Fleet on the station, and the Report of it had been received. The Court was unable to come to any conclusion as to the cause of the fire. It was contrary to the invariable custom of the Admiralty to make public the Reports of Courts of Inquiry; but he would be most happy to let the noble Viscount see the Papers, if he desired to do so. ficiency. There was in the district a total population of 27,360. The esti mated accommodation required for the children was, in the opinion of Mr. Willis, the Inspector, 3,964 places. The present accommodation was 4,577 places. If to this number 432 were added in respect of new buildings, the total number of places would be 5,009, showing a clear surplus of 1,045 places. Possibly the answer of the Department might be that there was a deficiency in the parish of Willesden as respects school accommodation, and that condition might have been arrived at by omitting from the list of schools St. Augustin's and St. Luke's, because they were not strictly within the boundaries of the parish. One of these large schools was, however, on the boundary, while the other was only a few yards outside the limit. Moreover, they were erected for the express purpose of providing for the educational wants of Willesden-a fact which was recognized by the Education Department when they were originally built. The course taken by the Education Department was open to several grave objections. First, it was an offence against the general spirit and intention of the Education Act. That intention was clearly expressed by Mr. THE EARL OF CARNARVON rose to Forster in 1870, when that right hon. call attention to the Letter from the Edu- Gentleman said that the object aimed at cation Department of the 23rd May was only to supplement existing volun1882 ordering the establishment of a tary efforts. In a populous district like board school for the Willesden district. Willesden, where there was a nice The noble Earl cited the provisions of balance of supply and demand, the the Act of 1870 as to the formation of sudden closing of an existing school was school boards under ordinary and under a very dangerous act. The Department extraordinary circumstances. In the for- was only to proceed in a summary manmer case there was to be notice, and, if ner where application was made with objection were taken, public inquiry. In respect to a school district, or where it the latter case, if the discontinuance of was satisfied that the managers of an a school or schools led to a deficiency of existing voluntary school were unable accommodation, the formation of a school to carry it on. Neither of those conboard might be ordered. Willesden was ditions had existed in the case of Wiljust outside the area of the London lesden. The feeling of the district was School Board, and it had a large and entirely against the change which had increasing artizan population. By the been made. Even if it were otherwise, co-operation of all classes, provision had the Department was not justified in the been made voluntarily for elementary course taken. An inquiry ought preeducation. But the closing of a Wes- viously to have been held. It was the leyan school for 136 children was fol- more right that such an inquiry should lowed by the receipt of a letter ordering have been held, because voluntary the establishment of a school board to efforts in that parish had triumphed over meet an alleged rapidly-increasing de- great local difficulties. He understood ficiency of school accommodation. It that the step once taken could not be was denied that, having regard to the reversed; but a great hardship had been whole district, there was any such de- inflicted, he quite believed, uninten EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILLES- OBSERVATIONS. tionally, and he thought that some means | drawal of support from the school by should be brought into existence whereby the public, who preferred a board school. such a hardship should be remedied. Ten days elapsed from the time when LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRIVY notice was given before the order was SEAL), in reply, said, he had no reason made by the Education Department. to complain of the noble Earl for bring- He believed that between the 9th and ing forward that question. The De- the 19th of May no communication of partment, however, had only followed any kind was made to the Department. the usual course. He wished to make The action of the Department, to say no greater excuse for himself in the the least of it, was thoroughly legal matter than if he were actually Presi- under the terms of the Act. But the dent of the Council, and, indeed, he was Department did not confine their attenas responsible as if he had recently been tion simply to the closing of this school; appointed Lord President. He quite they took into view the whole condition understood the way in which the facts and prospects of the parish of Willesden. had presented themselves to the noble He entirely agreed with_the_noble Earl Earl's mind. But the noble Earl had that this power of the Department not been quite accurate in his reference ought to be exercised with great caution; to the Education Act. If he had read but he could not but think that under the second sub-section of Section 12 of the circumstances he had described the that Act, he would have seen that the establishment of a board school was power given to the Education Depart- necessary. He could assure the noble ment was intended to meet precisely the Earl that the order for the establishment case which had happened at Willesden. of a board school was made in the inteWhen the Department was satisfied that rests of education in the parish of an existing school had been discontinued, Willesden. or that the school accommodation was insufficient, it was empowered, after an inquiry, public or private, to direct the erection of a school board. That was precisely the case at Willesden. A considerable boys' school was closed, and, there being no prospect of the deficiency being supplied, the Department ordered the erection of an additional school. The noble Earl said that the school accommodation in Willesden was not only sufficient, but more than sufficient. But this parish had so increasing a population that it was scarcely possible for an Inspector of Schools at any time to say whether the school accommodation was sufficient or not. The accommodation that was sufficient to-day was not sufficient to-morrow. But, irrespective of that, the opinion of the School Inspector was that in Harlesden, which was a portion of the parish of Willes-justifiable manner. The irrevocable step den, a boys' school was urgently needed at this moment. Nothing was being done, and, as far as the Education Department knew, nothing was in contemplation, which would supply the place of the school that was stopped at Harlesden. The fact was that so long ago as January last the committee that managed the Harlesden Boys' School adopted a resolution to the effect that they were compelled to close the school in consequence of the gradual with VISCOUNT CRANBROOK objected strongly to the course which had been taken in this matter. Because one school holding 120 children was shut up in one part of the parish of Willesden, though its closure could affect only, at most, a limited part of the population, and there were other schools affording ample accommodation within no unreasonable distance, notice was at once peremptorily given by the Committee of Council that a board school must be established. The Committee of Council, he contended, had not originally fixed a definite period, and had not allowed sufficient time to elapse before issuing their final notice, and had acted in contravention of the Statute regulating such questions as that now before their Lordships. The Committee of Council had applied the Statute in a harsh and un which had been taken was unjust to those who had made voluntary efforts in the parish, and the answer of the noble Lord opposite was most unsatisfactory. ENTAILS (SCOTLAND). MOTION FOR A RETURN. THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: My |