when a larger attendance than ten or eleven members
could be secured.—Mr. HUME anticipated the best
results from putting an end to the system of secrecy
which had so long prevailed with respect to the internal
government of India.—Mr. D. SEYMOUR suggested
that Indian expenditure might be decreased by reducing
the regular to irregular cavalry—the regular cavalry
being only kept up in order to give the directors the
patronage of the commissions.—After some remarks
from Mr. J. G. Phillimore, Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald,
and Mr. V. Scully, Sir Charles Wood replied, and
the resolutions were agreed to.

On Wednesday, August 9th, Mr. Hume called the
attention of the house to the subject of the Slave Trade,
and urged that a demand ought to be made upon Spain
to fulfil her treaties for suppressing the trade in slaves
carried on with Cuba.—Lord J. RUSSELL said that the
most stringent measures had been taken for
suppressing the traffic in question, and added his conviction
of the willingness of the present government in Spain
to exert itself to the utmost in putting down the
trade.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (in answer to
questions by Sir H. Willoughby) made a statement
respecting the National Finances. He said that the
expectations which he had held out in May were fully
realised. The national expenditure, up to the 9th of
the present month, had not exceeded the income. There
was an apparent decrease upon the last quarter, but it
did not represent the real condition of our finances,
because it omitted the return of the Irish revenue, and
because the last return contained an item of credit which
properly belonged to the present quarter. As regarded
exchequer-bonds, £4,000,000 had been negotiated, and
£3,000,000 had been actually received, while power was
still reserved to the government to issue from £6,000,000
to £7,000,000 more, and the amount of running
exchequer-bills was about sixteen millions and a half.
The present excess of expenditure over revenue, as
compared with last year, was about three millions and a
half, but he anticipated that there would be in October
a balance of about four millions and a half, and with
that amount in hand he did not suppose that he should
have to ask the bank of England for advances. He
added a satisfactory statement in regard to the savings'
banks, upon which, he said, there had been a demand,
to meet which precautions had been taken; but the run
had ceased, and the amount of withdrawals was now
exceeded by that of deposits.

On Friday, August 11, Sir W. JOLIFFE moved the
Issue of the Suspended Writs for Canterbury ,
Cambridge, Maldon, Barnstaple, and Kingston-upon-Hull.
He said that he did not come forward as the defender of
these delinquent boroughs, but because he thought that
a constitutional principle was involved. It was held
that the people should be represented by 658 members;
but in consequence of the course taken in regard to these
boroughs, the house had been deprived of ten members
during the whole of this and a part of the last session.
Besides this, there were the four vacant seats of St.
Albans and Sudbury, and many members absent in
consequence of the war. He hoped some limit would
be put to proceedings of this kind.—Mr. THOMAS
DUNCOMBE met the motion by an amendment, setting
forth the conclusions of the bribery commissioners
respecting the extensive prevalence of bribery in each of
the five boroughs, and resolving, that "it is expedient,
previous to the issue of any new writ to either of the
boroughs above mentioned, that provision should be
made to enable the voters thereof to give their votes by
way of ballot." Mr. Duncombe was convinced that the
trumpery bribery bill just passed would be no effectual
remedy for corruption, and he was therefore opposed to
issuing the writs at all for the present; but he thought
it a favourable opportunity for trying the efficacy of the
ballot by way of experiment.—The amendment was
negatived by 40 to 33. A division was then taken on
each motion for the issue of the writs—For the writ to
Canterbury, 45 to 32; to Cambridge, 46 to 31; to
Maldon, 47 to 31; to Barnstaple, 47 to 31; to Hull, 50
to 30.—Mr. HUME asked Lord John Russell to state
whether, should the bribery bill prove to be a failure,
he would support the ballot?—Lord J. RUSSELL
declined to give any pledge: he did not believe the
ballot would prove a remedy against corruption. In
the course of the proceedings, Mr. DUNCOMBE remarked
upon the absence of the subordinate members of the
government—Mr. Osborne, Sir Alexander Cockburn,
Sir William Molesworth: had they been present, he
believed the motion for the ballot would have been
carried.

On Saturday, August 12, the house assembled at
half-past one. About sixty or seventy members were
present. After some routine business, Mr. HUME asked
the President of the Council if he was able to give any
further account of the Important Despatches stated to
have been received by Lord Clarendon?— Lord J.
RUSSELL—In answer to the question of my hon. friend
I will state as much as I am able of what has lately
occurred. There has been very lately a communication
made by the Russian minister at Vienna to the government
of his imperial Majesty, stating that it was the
intention of the emperor of Russia to evacuate the
principalities—Moldavia as well as Wallachia. At the
same time there was a declaration made by the Austrian
minister of foreign affairs to her Majesty's minister at
Vienna, and to the French minister, that he was ready
to proceed to the interchange of the notes which had
before been agreed upon, notwithstanding the announcement
of the evacuation of the principalities. The notes
of the English and French ministers contained statements
of a general nature respecting the securities that
would be required from Russia for the preservation of
the future peace of Europe, and against further aggressions.
I need not now state further the nature of these
notes, because they have already been stated in an able
paper published by the French minister of foreign
affairs, by command of the Emperor, in the Moniteur.
The answer of the minister of foreign affairs of Austria
is so far satisfactory, as it shows that Austria will not
be satisfied with a return to the status quo, and that
there is a general agreement as to the securities which
are to be demanded by the English and French governments,
as a proper basis for negotiation. The Austrian
minister does not go further at present, and it will
remain to be seen whether the government of his
imperial Majesty will think proper to communicate
the interchanged notes to the court of St. Petersburg;
or whether the armies which have been raised by the
emperor of Austria of late will be put in action in
order to obtain by force, if it cannot be effected by
negotiation, those securities for Europe, which the
English and French governments deem absolutely
necessary, and which I trust the German powers will
likewise concur in requiring.

Sir E. PERRY wished to know whether there would
be any objection to lay on the table the minutes of the
Court Martial on Lieutenant Perry, of the 46th regiment.
Lieut. Perry was no relation of his, and he put the
question upon public grounds alone. There was a
strong feeling amongst those who had watched the
proceedings, that there was a great defect in the present
system of procedure before military tribunals, and that
great improvements might be effected in them.—Lord
J. RUSSELL said it was very unusual to publish the
proceedings in cases of this nature, and he could not
answer the question of the hon. gentleman in the
absence of the secretary at war.

After a short further conversation on different topics,
the house was summoned by the Black Rod to attend
her Majesty in the House ot Lords. The Speaker
immediately left the chair, followed by Lord John Russell,
Mr. Cardwell, and the rest of the members present, in
the order in which they had been ballotted.—The
Speaker returned, and having read a copy of her
Majesty's speech at the table, the house broke up.

PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.

House of Lords.—July 27th.— Merchant Shipping Bill read a
third time and passed—Standard of Gold and Silver Wares
Bill read a second time—Sale of Beer Bill reported.—Scotch
Reformatory Schools Bill reported.—Registration of Births,
&c, (Scotland) Bill read a third time and passed.—Usury
Laws Repeal Bill read a third time and passed.

28th.—Youthful Offenders Bill committed.—Admiralty
Court Bill committed—Public Revenue Bill recommitted.—