The House adjourned at a quarter be- difference between the present Act and fore Eleven o'clock.

rower to settle the interest of his loan upon the estate, and so to mortgage the property to that amount, with the liberty also of borrowing under the existing provisions of the Bill, the Act would have been available for the purpose intended; but, as at present framed, he feared it would be inoperative.

the noble Lord had alluded, for enabling the proprietors to borrow money from the Government. All the provisions of the Bill were the same as those of the Act of 1847, with the sole exception that the present Bill enabled landed proprietors having partial and limited interests, to undertake the improvements which they wished to carry out, with their own money or with LORD ST. LEONARDS said, that he money borrowed from private sources. thought it likely that for the reasons stated There was, however, one provision intro- by the noble Earl, some persons would duced which he trusted Her Majesty's not be inclined to lend money for carrying Government would look to. It was this out these improvements upon the terms No landed proprietor, let his property be proposed. That was, no doubt, an evil; what it might, or however scattered over but if they gave the tenant for life power the whole of the kingdom, was allowed, to mortgage the estates, the mortgagee under the provisions of that Bill, or at must have the power usually possessed by least under the direction of the Commis- the holders of that class of securities, and sioners of the Treasury, to draw a larger would, therefore, be able to file a bill for sum than 5,000l.; whereas the smallest the recovery of the interest upon the mortlanded proprietor, wishing to improve his gage when it was in arrear, and thus the estate, had power to draw to that extent. whole of the parties interested might be Now, there were many persons with pro- plunged into litigation arising out of these perty scattered all over the country who improvements. Nothing could be more were most anxious to improve it, and yet dangerous or objectionable than this, nor were debarred from doing so under this more directly opposed to the principle of provision; and he trusted, therefore, that the Bill. He had great confidence that this defect in the Bill would be looked to his noble Friend at the head of the Irish and remedied. As he had observed before, Government, as well as the Board of the Bill was well intended; but he was Works, would take every step to see that afraid that from the manner in which the the money was properly expended; but payments were to be made, it would be the powers for the improvement of land found nearly inoperative. This Bill was given by this Bill were indeed of a most intended for two classes of persons, and dangerous character; and it could not but for only two: for tenants for life who be regretted that while emancipating Irehad money, and who might be expected to land from the curse of estates involved in expend it on their own land-a very small debt, they were beginning a new system class in that country, unfortunately; and that might involve every settled estate in the very large class, he was sorry to say, that country in incumbrances for all time of tenants for life who had no money, and to come. The moment they did what this who might be induced to go into the Bill professed to do, and enabled the ownmoney market to raise funds for the pur- ers of a limited estate in land to charge pose of carrying out improvements. He their own expenditure on the settled estate, was afraid, however, that when it came to they took away all inducement from men be known that the only mode of repay- who had settled estates to improve the ment was in the form of an annuity for property which they enjoyed-for if a 82 years, those who applied to the money man could charge on the estate what was market would find it impossible to obtain spent in improvements, it was not likely loans. He had no doubt the Bill had been that he would have recourse to his own framed upon a good calculation, to give 4 money without taking what would, in fact, per cent interest for the loan, and secure give him a charge upon the remainderthe repayment of the sum advanced in 22 man or reversioner. He thought that it years; but few people would, he thought, was Lord Clare who said that it was a be disposed to lend money upon the terms common way in Ireland "to improve a man proposed. This defect, as he considered out of his estates." The Montgomery it to be, in the Bill, could not be amended Act, which gave power to charge estates in that House, but he thought it his duty with improvements made by the tenant in to point it out. If this Bill had contained tail, had not worked well in Scotland. He another provision, giving power to the bor- should not oppose the passing of this Bill,

but he certainly wished to see the provi- | ted the land of Ireland in Commissioners sions fenced round by some safeguard. He who were supposed to manage it for the was, he confessed, a little alarmed at the benefit of all parties, owners, occupiers, third clause, which gave the Board of tenants for life, and remainder-men. If he Works power to appoint such engineers, was convinced that such would always be architects, agriculturists, &c., as might be the case, he should raise no objection to necessary to transact their business, and the Bill, because then the reversioner would to pay them such salaries as they might not suffer by it; for though subjected to a determine upon. These expenses must all rentcharge which he was no party to imbe borne by the settled estates in Ireland; posing upon the property, he would receive and he must, therefore, impress upon the a full compensation for the injury thus done Government the necessity of seeing that him in the increased rent which he derived these powers were not abused. from the land in consequence of the improvements.

LORD BEAUMONT said, that this, like every other Bill which related to property in Ireland, seemed to him a violation of the rights of property; for it gave persons having a limited interest in property the right to burden other persons namely, those entitled to the reversion or remainder. That was no doubt in itself an evil, only to be justified by the peculiar position of the property and the proprietors of Ireland. Bills like the present, were, too, attended with disadvantages, inasmuch as they took away from the landowners that which was properly their duty-namely, to look after the improvement of their own estates-and conferred it upon a public body, the Commissioners of the Board of Works, who were not so well qualified to perform it as those who were interested in the property. The Bill seemed to commence with a thorough distrust of all who had possession of land, or were in the occupation of land in Ireland, for though it conferred power on them over the property of others, it took away all control in regard to their own property, and gave the Board of Works the supervision of the management of their estates. If, however, it was admitted that the state of Ireland rendered this violation of the first principles of property necessary, then he did not see the force of the objections to it which had been raised by the noble and learned Lord who had just spoken. Because he apprehended that the same machinery which was in action to prevent the abuse of the money expended on land borrowed from the Government, would operate in regard to money derived from the funds of the tenant for life; and that in each the Commissioners of the Board of Works would be obliged to see that the money was expended so that the result of the outlay should permanently benefit the remainderman who is to inherit the estate, as well as the tenant for life. In fact this Bill, in common with preceding Bills, virtually ves

VISCOUNT CANNING said, that he hoped that many of the objections that had been raised to the Bill would fall to the ground upon a fuller examination of it. He was obliged to the noble and learned Lord opposite (Lord St. Leonards) for opposing with the weight of his high authority the suggestions of the noble Earl (the Earl of Wicklow) that the life tenant should have the power of mortgaging the estate. This would defeat the principle on which this measure, as well as that of 1847, was founded, and would, he thought, be liable to all the objections which the noble and learned Lord so well urged. He might, indeed, state to the noble Earl that the rentcharge provided by the Bill was larger than he seemed aware of, being calculated to yield 5 per cent on the outlay; it was hoped that this would induce banks and other private persons to lend money for the improvement of land. The objection, that this Bill was calculated to induce the people of Ireland to encumber their estates more than at present, applied quite as forcibly to the Act of 1847, the operation of which for six years had, he believed, given unqualified satisfaction. The Bill had been laid on the table since the middle of last month, and had been delivered to their Lordships some days before Easter, and he hoped, therefore, they would think full time had been given for its consideration. However, he was quite ready to grant whatever delay noble Lords might consider desirable, and would propose to put it in Committee of the House on any day which might be convenient to those noble Lords who were desirous of discuss ing its provisions.

On Question, Resolved in the Affirmative; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Friday next.

House adjourned to Thursday next.

PUBLIC BILLS-20 Combination of Workmen; duties of that office. I think it is most Sheriff Courts (Scotland).

which was followed by violence such that the sentry upon duty was knocked down upon the quarter-deck. I need hardly point out to the House how essential it is for the maintenance of a proper state of discipline on board Her Majesty's ships that such a punishment should be inflicted. In many foreign services this offence, which is even here a capital crime, would have been followed up by capital punishment. The punishment in this case was inflicted, not by the officer in command, but in pursuance of a sentence of court-martial, over which officers of the highest character and greatest experience presided. The punishment awarded was disrating, and the infliction of corporal punishment not of an excessive character, but such as it was in the power of every single officer in command to order; and it was followed up by a sentence of imprisonment in Exeter gaol, and subsequent dismissal with disgrace from Her Majesty's service. The character which this offender bore in other ships being good, this circumstance was considered by the Board of Admiralty, and they, therefore, thought it consistent with their duty to mitigate the severity of the sentence, which was not to be carried into execution as far as regarded the dismissal from the service with disgrace, which would have debarred him from receiving any pension to which he was entitled for past services. The remaining portion of the sentence was commuted, and the term of imprisonment was reduced from twelve months to three. The man, therefore, will be able to return to his ship on the expiration of his punishment without disgrace, and I hope hereafter that he will be able to serve with honour, and that at the termination of the usual period of service he may receive the pension to which his services may be entitled.

feeling of disgust which existed among the crews at the infliction of the punishment of flogging upon a petty officer on board one of Her Majesty's steamers. He wished, therefore, to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether any information had reached the Admiralty that many desertions had taken place from on board Her Majesty's ships? SIR JAMES GRAHAM: Sir, in answer to the question put to me by the hon. Gentleman, I am bound to state to the House, that since the month of January last a considerable number of desertions have taken place from the squadron on the home station. It will, however, be recollected that there has not been so large a squadron assembled on that station for a very considerable length of time. Yet I was not aware, until the hon. Gentleman mentioned the fact just now, that the cause of that desertion had been imputed to any particular circumstance. I believe, as the result of the inquiries which I have made, that the cause of those desertions is to be ascribed to other reasons than those given by the hon. Gentleman, it is to the unusually high rate of wages of the mercantile service and to the most improper solicitations which have been made from various quarters to endeavour to induce seamen in Her Majesty's service to accept that higher rate of pay, and to break their fidelity to the service by deserting their duty. It is to that cause, and to that cause alone, that I ascribe that desertion. But, Sir, with reference to the causes mentioned, I have great satisfaction in stating to the House, that, in consequence of arrangements for the more frequent payment of the scamen on the home station, and the greater amount of leave of absence after those payments-that after this more protracted leave, the old seamen who have served for a long period, with hardly I may say an exception-that these men, whose experience was the greatest of the discipline and treatment on board ship, have returned to their duty with an extraordinary fidelity. But, Sir, I cannot sit down without referring especially to the case of the petty officer on whom, as mentioned by the hon. Member for Lambeth, corporal punishment was inflicted. That case was most MR. DISRAELI: Sir, My hon. Friend patiently considered by the Board over the Member for North Northamptonshire which I have the honour to preside. It (Mr. Stafford) has made an appeal to the was a case of gross insubordination on the noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) to which he part of the petty officer. It was carried did not reply. If the noble Lord could to this extent, that language was used of f facilitate the discussion on the Motion of the most insulting nature, on the quarter- the hon. Baronet the Member for Maryledeck, to the lieutenant of the watch, and bone (Sir B. Hall), it would be agreeable

MR. W. WILLIAMS wished to know whether any increase in the desertions had taken place since the flogging?

SIR JAMES GRAHAM: There has been no perceptible increase.

DOCKYARD APPOINTMENTS AND

PATRONAGE.