(21.) £2,520, to complete the sum for | but to the community of the United Deep Sea Exploring Expedition. Kingdom. (22.) £917, to complete the sum for Arctic Expedition. (23.) £4,373, to complete the sum for Miscellaneous Expenses. REVENUE DEPARTMENTSPOST OFFICE PACKET AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES. (24.) £830,896, to complete the sum for Revenue Departments. (25.) £1,415,172, to complete the sum for Inland Revenue. (26.) £2,530,210, to complete the sum for the Post Office. (27.) £652,688, to complete the sum for the Post Office Packet Service. (28.) £735,714, to complete the sum for the Post Office Telegraph Service. MR. BECKETT-DENISON asked, when it was likely that the claims of the railway companies would be brought to arbitration, and what sum would probably have to be paid? Vote agreed to. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. (29.) £5,000, Supplementary sum for County Court Buildings. (32.) £550, for Marlborough House. (34.) £1,000, for the Sub Wealden Exploration. (35.) £2,000, for the Paris International Maritime Expedition. (36.) £7,500, for the Entertainment of the Sultan of Zanzibar. (37.) £8,250, for Repayment of Moneys under "The London and North Western Railway Company (New Lines, &c.) Act, 1875." (38.) £2,200, Supplementary sum for the House of Commons. House resumed. Resolutions to be reported To-morrow. PUBLIC WORKS LOANS (re-committed) LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said, that it was quite impossible to say what the amount would be. In one case, which had been decided, the claim of the company was for £400,000, and the amount awarded £73,000. The Department had no wish to postpone payment (Mr. directly the amount had been ascertained, and it could do no more than it did to hurry on the arbitrations; and he need hardly say that when decisions were come to, there would be no delay in what remained to be done. In reply to Mr. WHITWELL, LORD JOHN MANNERS said, that the Report of the Departmental Committee on Telegraphs had just been made, and that all the points embraced in it should receive the consideration which their importance merited. Some time, however, was necessary for the purpose of coming to a right decision upon them. So far as he could see, there was a growing development of the telegraph service, and the progress of the revenue arising from it was equally satisfactory, as evidenced by an increased receipt of £60,000. He could not allow the opportunity to glide by without expressing his sense of the great and permanent services which Mr. Scudamore had rendered not only to the Department of the Post Office, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. William COMMITTEE. Bill considered in Committee. Clauses 1 to 51, inclusive, agreed to. Clause 52 (First Commissioners). THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER said, that the measure having been re-committed, it had been carefully considered by a Select Committee, who had both revised and put together the various enactments relating to the Public Works Loans Commissioners, and also incorporated in that Bill, with certain Amendments, the new proposals of the Government for effecting those alterations in the present system which he had explained on the second reading of one of the Bills that he had introduced. But there was one point which the Committee thought ought to be left to the decision of the House itself-namely, the nomination of the Gentlemen who should be appointed to act as Public they must allow that he was the best judge in such a matter. Under those circumstances, the names 16 in number, which he had now to propose as Commissioners were the following:-Thomas M. Weguelin, esq., M.P., Kirkman D. Hodgson, esq., M.P., Paul Butler, esq., Thomson Hankey, esq., M.P., T. N. Hunt, esq., H. H. Vivian, esq., M.P., W. Jones Loyd, esq., Herbert Barnard, esq., Lord Napier and Ettrick, R. Harvey, esq., Lord Cottesloe, Sir Charles H. Mills, bart., M.P., Jervoise Smith, esq., Edward Howley Palmer, esq., Right honourable T. M. Gibson, and Thomas Salt, esq., M.P. The right hon. Gentleman concluded by moving the insertion of the above names in page 22, line 1, after the words "that is to say.' Works Loans Commissioners under the Bill. The Commission had existed for a great number of years, and had always held its authority under what might be called a Parliamentary title. Its Members had discharged their duties with the purest public spirit, and in a manner extremely conducive to the public interest. They had now to nominate a Commission which should undertake that work for the future; and it was, of course, the wish of the Government to obtain the services of as many as possible of the Gentlemen who had hitherto acted in that capacity. Knowing that there were some of them who wished to retire, the Government had endeavoured to find certain other names which they could recommend to the House in order to complete the number of Commissioners which they deemed desirable. He had placed on the Table the names of the Gentlemen whom he intended to propose, but he was sorry to say that, although the first name standing on the list was that of one a continuance of whose valuable assistance they had hoped to secure (Lord Overstone), he had that morning received a communication from him stating that he was unable to serve any longer as a Commissioner. It would also, he was sure, be a subject of general regret to the House not to see again at the head of the Commission the name of his right hon. Friend the Member for the City of London (Mr. Hubbard), to whom more than to anybody else the successful working of that Commission was in an especial manner due. For, he thought, 21 years his right hon. Friend had been not only a Member, but the Chairman of that Commission, and all who had had experience of its working were aware that he had been the life and soul of the Commission. It was, therefore, with extreme regret and reluctance, and after remonstrance on his part, that he had to submit to the positive decision of his right hon. Friend and refrain from placing his name before the House. At the same time he must admit that after having so long done such good service, his right hon. Friend might fairly claim to be relieved from duties which had been onerous and which promised to become even more so, and although they, perhaps, took a more sanguine view of his power and his willingness to work than he was himself disposed to do, yet MR. GOSCHEN said, he was sure that every Member in the House would unite in the expressions of regret which had fallen from the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the retirement from the Commission of his right hon. Colleague (Mr. Hubbard) and in the warm recognition he had accorded to the services which he had rendered. He was also convinced that all hon. Members on that side of the House, and likewise the public out-ofdoors, felt the same confidence in his right hon. Colleague as the Chancellor of the Exchequer had expressed. It was, moreover, due to the Government that he should state from that side of the House that the names proposed to be added to the Commission were perfectly unexceptionable in their character. He ventured to think that the Government had chosen the very best men who could be selected for the purpose, and that the Commission, in the discharge of the important duties entrusted to it, would command the confidence of the public. Amendment agreed to; names inserted. Clause 53 (Existing officers of Commissioners). SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL, in moving as an Amendment, to leave out from line 9 to line 22, both inclusive, said, he could not see that there was any ground for compensation under the circumstances, and he therefore proposed to leave out the words which would give it. MR. W. H. SMITH explained that the ground for the insertion of the clause was, that the Select Committee, and also | hitherto done, harbour authorities who the Government, felt that it was expedient wanted to borrow public money would that officers employed by the Commis- be left helpless. He did not say that sion should in future be paid by salary the power of appealing to the Treasury instead of being remunerated by fees. ought to be maintained; but he wished Under these circumstances it was felt to know how harbour authorities would necessary to give power to the Treasury stand in future? to consider any just and fair claim that LORD ESLINGTON supported the might be made for compensation, pro- view of the hon. Member who had just vided that if any officer had received re-addressed the Committee. These works muneration in excess of what might be contributed greatly towards the saving deemed to be fit and proper remunera- of life, and should be looked upon as tion for the work he had performed, such public works. There was no advantage excess should not in any degree be con- in giving the Tyne Commissioners a loan sidered as entitling him to claim com- at 5 per cent, because they could go into pensation. There was, however, no the market and get money at any time fear that the claims would be received at that rate of interest. with any excess of liberality. GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR approved of the substitution of salaries for fees, and he hoped that precautions would be taken to prevent delays on the part of the salaried officers, from making delays in the inquiries for loans, which, no doubt, might result from the change in the mode of remunerating them for their labours, seeing that, to some extent, the remuneration by fees did excite men to work. MR. HERMON said, that the clause had received very careful consideration by the Select Committee. Amendment negatived. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER said, the question must be decided not upon that Bill, but by an Amendment of the Harbours of Refuge Act. By 24 & 25 Vict. public authorities were enabled to borrow money from the Public Works Loans Commissioners with the sanction of the Board of Trade at rates of interest varying from 31 to 5 per cent; but under the Bill the House would be called upon to express its opinion upon new schemes. He wished to point out that the Public Works Loans Commissioners had been invested with a certain amount of discretion, with which it was desirable not to interfere. It was true that persons who had been unable to obtain from the Remaining clauses agreed to, with Commissioners so low a rate of interest Amendments. Schedule 1. MR. STEVENSON copmlained that the Public Works Loans Commissioners had of late declined to give effect to the intentions of Parliament in their administration of the Act of 1861 for aiding harbour improvements by loans at a low rate of interest. Now, these harbours were of very great public use, especially upon the North-east Coast. Great works had been there carried out, particularly in the Tyne, yet the Commissioners had declined to lend any further sum there, except upon 5 per cent interest. Fortunately, they had been able, under the existing Acts, to appeal to the Treasury, and so to get the rate demanded by the Commissioners reduced; but that power would no longer exist under the Bill, and if the Public Works Loans Commissioners pursued the same policy as they had as they wished had been in the habit of applying to the Treasury for more favourable terms; but the practice was one which was obviously open to abuse, and which ought not to be maintained. Parliament, in fixing the powers of the Public Works Loans Commissioners, might have omitted to make provisions which ought to have been made—in the case of the Tyne and other places it was probably intended to make a more liberal grant than the strict wording of the Act implied-and it was desirable that the question should be settled. At the same time, he hoped there would be no attempt to hamper the action or to tamper with the independence of the Commissioners. One of the objects of the present Bill was to do away with the appeal to the Treasury, which was, in fact, an appeal from an independent authority to a body which might be open to influence. If the law was not satisfactory, by all means, he would say, let it be altered; but as regarded the present Bill, he SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL said, he agreed to the Bill, on the understanding that it only confirmed existing grants, and not in the belief that they were properly considering the question. sioners advanced money might very properly be revised. MR. GOSCHEN said, it might be there Remaining Schedules agreed to. Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in moving "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair," said, that as first introduced the Bill made borrowing by local authorities compulsory to a considerable extent, and it also contained provisions with regard to audit and other matters which were objected to by several important municipalities. As the result of MR. J. G. HUBBARD said, the object an interview with the representatives of of the Commissioners was to take an in- these municipalities, he had so far modidependent course, according to their dis- fied the Bill as to meet their views. The cretion, so as not to make grants that hon. Member for Hackney (Mr. Fawcett) would give an undue advantage to one had put on the Paper an Amendment locality over another district where the which, though it had little to do with the works had to be constructed with money principle of the Bill, was so far cognate obtained in the public market. In doing to it that it could, he supposed, be disso, he maintained they had always acted cussed on the Motion to go into Comstrictly in accordance with their powers.mittee. Owing, however, to the late If the intervention of the Treasury was period of the Session, he had appealed to be abolished, however, he thought the to the hon. Gentleman to withdraw his conditions under which the Commis- Amendment and allow the measure to go forward. This the hon. Gentleman | any appointment to such office for any period MR. GOSCHEN said, the suggestion was a reasonable one, provided that the Amendments should be taken at an hour when they could be properly and fairly discussed. This, with the changes that had been made in it, was still an important Bill, as it involved the question of the investment of public money. Motion agreed to, Bill considered in Committee. House resumed. office.' (Amendment of principal Act, s. 79, as to chamber clerks.) "Be it enacted, That any person who, at the time of the commencement of this Act, shall hold the office of chamber clerk shall be eligible at any time thereafter for appointment to the contrary notwithstanding; and that, if any such like office, anything in the principal Act to the person shall be so appointed after the commencement of this Act, he shall, if the salary assigned to such office by or under the principal Act be less than the salary received by him at the time of the commencement of this Act, be entitled to receive a salary not less than that so formerly received by him so long as he shall retain such office, but shall not be entitled to receive or claim any pension in respect of his service." SIR HENRY JAMES moved, as an Amendment, to add to the 1st Schedule, after Rule 55, a Proviso to the effect that where any action or issue was tried by a jury, the costs should follow the event, in the manner heretofore existing Committee report Progress; to sit in the Superior Courts of Common Law, again To-morrow. On Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, the following new clauses were agreed to, and added to the Bill:- (As to vacancies in any office within section 77 of principal Act.) "Whereas, by the seventy-seventh section of the principal Act, it is provided that, upon the occurrence of a vacancy in the office of any officer coming within the provisions of the said section, the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of the Treasury, may, in the event of such office being considered unnecessary, abolish the same, or may reduce the salary, or alter the designation or duties thereof, notwithstanding that the patronage thereof may be vested in an existing Judge; but that nothing in the said Act contained shall interfere with the office of unless upon special application, and for such action or issue was tried, or the cause shown, the Judge before whom Court, should otherwise order. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL objected to the proposed Amendment. MR. CHARLES LEWIS supported it. The Schedule in its then form would make the law more uncertain than at present. SIR HENRY JAMES said, that as it was impossible at that time of the day to obtain an adequate discussion of an important question, he would withdraw his Proviso for the present, and bring it up again on the Report. Amendment negatived. Committee report Progress; to sit again To-morrow. RESTRICTION ON PENAL ACTIONS AND (Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Mr. Secretary Cross.) Marshal attending any Commissioner of Assize. And whereas it is expedient to add to the said section: Be it enacted, That, upon the occurrence of any vacancy coming within the provisions of the said section, an appointment shall not be made thereto for the period of one month with-in moving that the Bill be now read the out the assent of the Lord Chancellor, given with the concurrence of the Treasury; and, further, the Lord Chancellor may, with the concurrence of the Treasury, suspend the making second time, said, he understood the Bill was unopposed, his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the |