hours' length. He deemed the doctrine advanced on
the other side, that British subjects in foreign lands
were entitled to no protection but that of the laws and
tribunals of the country in which they might happen to
be, a doctrine on which no English minister had acted,
and which the people of England would never suffer.
He did not, however, mean that British subjects abroad
were to be above the laws. They were bound, in the
first place, to have recourse to the laws of the land in
which they were; but there might be governments in
which the tribunals were not of a character to inspire
confidence. The present administration of government
in Greece was full of abuses; the police inflicted
revolting tortures upon both sexes, to which British
subjects would be equally exposed, unless they had the
protection of their own country. Lord Palmerston then
detailed the injuries suffered by British subjects in
Greece, and showed the reasonableness and moderation
of the demands made for reparation. He entered very
minutely into the dates and particulars of the recent
negotiations connected with the question and the
mediation of France, and corrected an erroneous
impression which had got abroad that M. Gros had
communicated to Mr. Wyse the convention of London, and
that, with a knowledge of this convention, Mr. Wyse
had renewed hostilities. He (Lord Palmerston) was
sorry that the convention did not arrive at Athens
until after the other arrangements had been made there;
but this was not his fault, and the negotiations had not
been put an end to by Mr. Wyse, but by M. Gros
himself. The negotiations between the English and
French government were now brought to a satisfactory
conclusion, and such portions of the London convention
as were still applicable would be adopted in place of the
corresponding terms agreed to at Athens. Lord
Palmerston then followed Sir James Graham over the
wider field which had been taken, reviewing and
vindicating the policy he had pursued, in relation to
Belgium and Holland, Spain, France, Switzerland, and
Italy, and concluded by challenging the verdict of the
house, whether the principles which had guided the
foreign policy of the government had been proper and
fitting, and whether, as a subject of ancient Rome could
hold himself free from indignity by saying, "Civis
Romanus sum," a British subject in a foreign country
should not be protected by the vigilant eye and the
strong arm of his government against injustice and
wrong.—The debate was then adjourned to Thursday.
The second reading of the County Rates Bill was
moved on the 26th, by Sir Henry HALFORD, who justified
it on the ground that the county rates although
nominally paid by the occupier fell upon the owner, and
that transferring them altogether to the owners would be
a relief to the tenant farmers.—Mr. C. LEWIS and
Mr. M. GIBSON opposed the bill on the ground that it
would be unjust to the landlords. The bill was thrown
out without a division.
On the third reading of the Larceny Summary
Jurisdiction Bill, Sir G. STRICKLAND opposed the measure
as too great an extension of summary jurisdiction. The
house, he said, had already expressed its disinclination
to go any further in taking away trial by jury from the
people of this country.—Mr. Milnes and Mr. S. Crawford
also opposed the bill, which was supported by Sir J.
Pakington, Mr. Rice, Mr. Bankes, and Mr. Aglionby.
The third reading was carried by 119 against 25, and the
bill passed.
Mr. AGLIONBY moved the second reading of the
Copyholds Enfranchisement Bill, and explained that its
principle was to relieve copyhold lands from those
incidents of the tenure, parts of the old feudal system,
which were oppressive and created general dissatisfaction,
due regard being paid to the rights and interests of the
lord of the manor.—Mr. CHRISTOPHER opposed the bill
as interfering with the rights of property.—Sir. G. GREY
concurred in the principle of the bill; but as there were
many difficulties in the matter, recommended that it
should be read a second time and referred to a select
committee. After some further discussion, the second
reading was carried by 103 against 84.
The second reading of the Accidents on Railways
Bill was moved by Mr. NEWDEGATE, who said that it
was designed so to alter the law relative to the
compensation for damages sustained through accidents on
railways, as to render the companies more strictly liable for
the acts of their servants. Mr. ELLIS said that the bill
was founded on a single special case, in which the railway
company had done all that was just under the
circumstances, and moved the second reading that day
six months. After a discussion in which the bill was
supported by Mr. Adderley, Colonel Sibthorp and
Mr. Spooner, and opposed by Mr. Labouchere, the
Attorney-General, and Mr. Ricardo, the second reading
was negatived by 108 against 53.
Mr. KEOGH brought in a bill to give further facilities
to town commissioners for the Improvement of Towns in
Ireland.
PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.
House of Lords.—May 28th. Court of Common Pleas Fees
Bill read a second time.—Report on Masters Jurisdiction in
Equity Bill brought up and agreed to.
30th.—Administration of Criminal Justice Bill committed and
ordered to be printed.
31st.—Royal assent given to Alterations in Pleadings Bill,
West India Appeals Bill, and Defects in Leases Act Amendment
Bill.—Sunday Fairs Prevention Bill, and Distress for
Rent (Ireland) Bill, read a second time.—Sheriff of Westmoreland
Bill read a first time.—Sunday Trading Prevention Bill
recommitted and considered in Committee.—Australian Colonies
Government Bill read a second time.
June 3rd.—Process and Practice (Ireland) Act Amendment
Bill read a second time.—Fees (Court of Common Pleas) Bill
passed through Committee.—Ecclesiastical Appeals Bill thrown
out on second reading.
4th.—Sunday Trading Bill report agreed to.
6th.—Fees (Court of Chancery) Bill, and Sunday Fairs
Prevention Bill, read a third time and passed.—Parliamentary
Voters (Ireland) Bill read a second time.
7th.—Administration of Criminal Justice Improvement Bill
read a third time and passed.
10th.—Royal assent to Process and Practice (Ireland) Amendment
Bill, Parish Constables Bill, Acts of Parliament
Abbreviation Bill, and Sunday Fairs Prevention Bill.—Encumbered
Estates (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill read a second time.
11th.—Australian Colonies Bill considered in Committee, and
reported.
14th.—Court of Chancery Appeal Bill withdrawn by Lord
Brougham.—Australian Colonies Bill considered in Committee,
and reported.—Estates Leasing (Ireland) Bill, and Judgments
(Ireland) Bill, passed through Committee.
17th.—Lord Stanley's motion on the Greek question carried
against Ministers.—Judges of Assize Bill read a second time.
18th.—Encumbered Estates (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill
passed.—Distress for Rent (Ireland) Bill read a second time.—
Landlord and Tenant Bill, and Small Tenements Recovery Bill,
read a third time and passed.
24th.—The Small Tenements Recovery (Ireland) Bill, Landlord
and Tenant (Ireland) Bill, and Public-houses (Scotland) Bill,
passed through Committee.—The Drainage and Improvement of
Land Advances Bill was read a second time.
25th.—Royal assent given to a number of bills.—Sheriff of
Westmoreland Bill read a third time and passed.—Leasehold Tenure
of Land (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill considered in Committee.
House of Commons.—May 28th. Mr. Miles moved a resolution
respecting the emigration of orphan girls—House counted out.
30th (morning sitting).—Elections (Ireland) Bill read a third
time, and clause added. (Evening sitting.)—Exchequer Bills
Bill read a third time and passed.—Lord Ashley's resolution for
suppressing of Sunday Post Office labour carried.—Elections
(Ireland) Bill passed.—Jews Oath of Abjuration Bill read a first time.
31st.—Sir Edward Buxton's resolution against exposing
British colonial sugar to competition with slave-grown sugar
negatived.—Court of Session (Scotland) Bill, and Police and
Improvement (Scotland) Bill, read a third time and passed.
June 3rd.—Metropolitan Interments Bill considered in
Committee.
4th.—Irish Poor-law, Mr. French's resolutions negatived.—
Tenant's Recovery (Ireland) Bill thrown out on second reading.
—Process and Practice (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill read a
third time and passed.
5th.—Secular Education Bill thrown out on second reading.—
Weights and Measures Bill committed pro formâ—Titles of
Religious Congregations Bill read a third time.
6th.—Factories Bill, and Metropolitan Interments Bill considered
in Committee—Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Bill read
a third time and passed.—General Board of Health Bill, and
Judges of Assize Bill, read a second time.—Bill brought in for
Census of the Population.
7th.—Drainage and Improvement of Land Advances Bill
considered in Committee.—Metropolitan Interments Bill forwarded
in Committee.
10th.—Sunday Labour in Post Office, the Queen's answer to
address.—Mr. Hume's motion to reduce the vote for the New
Houses of Parliament, and for a select committee, negatived.—
Summary Jurisdiction (Ireland) Bill read a second time.—
Census Bill read a first time.
Dickens Journals Online