General Board of Health should have power to inspect
towns, in order to see that money was properly appropriated.
By the second bill he proposed to enlarge the
powers of the local authorities to be established in every
district in the country, under whose constant sanitary
inspection the district would be placed. Sir Benjamin
explained other enactments in this bill relating to
lodging-houses and offensive trades, and to the non-
performance of their duties by the local authorities.
After a few remarks by Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Thornley,
Sir H. Willoughby, Lord Ebrington, Mr. Pellatt, and
Mr. W. Williams, leave was given to bring in the bills.

On Wednesday the 24th the Speaker read a Letter
from Lord Raglan in acknowledgment of the vote of
thanks passed by the house. The letter was ordered to
be printed.

On the motion of Mr. J. GREENE, a select committee
was appointed to consider the cheapest, most expeditious,
and most efficient mode of providing for the Printing
required for the Houses of Parliament and the Public
Service.

On Thursday the 25th Mr. ROEBUCK postponed till
next day his motion for a select committee to inquire
into the Condition of the Army and the Conduct of the
War.

Sir G. GREY, in laying on the table certain addresses
from the Legislative Assemblies of Canada and some
other Colonies, congratulated the house on the loyalty
and patriotism they exhibited, accompanied by more
substantial proofs, in liberal contributions to the
Patriotic Fund.

Mr. HAYTER stated that Lord John Russell had
tendered his Resignation, which had been accepted by
Her Majesty; and added that the noble lord would take
an early opportunity of explaining his grounds for this
resolution.—Lord Palmerston moved that the house
should adjourn till next day. There are obvious reasons
(he said) why the house should agree to the proposition.
I should hope, therefore, that those gentlemen who
have motions standing for to-night will have the goodness
to postpone them till to-morrow, at which time
they will stand in the same position in which they
would otherwise have stood.—Mr. DRUMMOND.—I
think, from the statement made by my noble friend,
that he is under some misapprehension, and that those
who have notices of motion for to-night will not stand
in the same situation to-morrow. I do not desire,
knowing what the opinion of the house will be, to bring
on my question now, but I cannot consent to any
postponement if the noble lord will not give precedence
to-morrow to the motion of my hon. and learned friend
near me (Mr. Roebuck). I will then take care to
condense any observations I have to make, and the
papers I move for may be sent to the committee
which my hon. and learned friend intends to propose.—
Lord PALMERSTON.—In answer to the question put to
me by my friend the hon. member for Surrey, I may
state that I believe the hon. and learned member for
Sheffield has postponed his motion till to-morrow, and
that then he will take precedence. It is the intention
of Her Majesty's government to oppose no impediment
whatever to that motion coming on the first thing tomorrow.
—Mr. ROEBUCK—I hope the noble lord will
consider it settled that my motion is to take precedence
of orders of the day to-morrow.—Lord PALMERSTON.—
We are perfectly ready to accede to that arrangement.

The house then adjourned.

On Friday, January 26th, Lord J. RUSSELL gave
explanations as to his Resignation. He commenced by
adverting to the resolution about to be proposed by
Mr. Roebuck for a committee of inquiry, admitting
that such a resolution could be only resisted upon
two pleas, neither of which was it possible to
substantiate at present—namely, that no facts could be
adduced to prove the existence of mismanagement,
or that every possible effort had been made to
remedy the evils that might exist. The circumstances
disclosed respecting the condition of the Crimean
army were terrible, and to himself inexplicable. A
year since he would have disbelieved in the possibility
of a British force being left, when less than seven
miles from a safe harbour, without supplies of provisions,
without shelter, and without clothes, exposed to
privations under which they were perishing at the rate
of ninety or one hundred a day. For some months past,
the noble lord declared he had seen cause to object
to the mode in which the war was conducted, and to
desire such changes as might infuse increased vigour
into the executive department of the War-office. With
this object he had written to Lord Aberdeen in November
last, expressing his opinion on the subject, and
suggesting that the seals of the war ministry should be
transferred to Lord Palmerston. Lord J. Russell read
extracts from the correspondence that passed on that
occasion, which had resulted in a refusal on the
part of the Premier to adopt the suggestion. At
that moment he had almost arrived at the conclusion
that he ought to resign office, but had consented to
postpone taking any immediate steps in that direction.
As time went on, he was forced to confess that the
management of the war did not improve; and when
parliament met, and Mr. Roebuck placed on the paper
a resolution for the appointment of a committee of
inquiry into the state of the army in the Crimea,
he felt that he could not conscientiously resist the
motion. In consequence of that impression he had
placed his resignation in the hands of the prime
minister. Respecting the ultimate prospects of the war
he could not consider them gloomy, observing that the
Emperor of Russia had abated many of his first
pretensions; that negotiations were again about to
commence; that Austria had become our ally, and
France continued to afford her cordial co-operation in
all war proceedings. Adverting to personal topics,
Lord J. Russell expressed his continued admiration of
Lord Aberdeen, and his gratification in having belonged
to the noble earl's administration, believing that many
of the measures, and especially the financial measures,
passed under his auspices, were highly conducive to the
prosperity of the country. The noble lord concluded
by referring to the whig party, with whom he declared
it would always be his pride to have acted, and intimating
his persuasion that recently the members of that
party had not enjoyed their due share in the
administration of public affairs.—Lord PALMERSTON
characterised Lord John Russell's resignation as an
abandonment of duty, and said on the part of his
remaining colleagues that they had no intention of
shrinking from their responsibilities.

Mr. ROEBUCK moved for a select committee to inquire
into the State of the Army in the Crimea; but was
prevented by illness from proceeding with his speech.
After some observations from several members, the
debate was adjourned till Monday.

PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.

House of Lords.—Tuesday, Jan. 23rd.—Notices of Motions:
by Earl of Ellenborough, for Returns respecting the War; by
Earl Grey, for an Address to the Queen as to the Office of
Minister of War; by the Duke of Richmond, for a Return of
the Order granting Medals to the Crimean Army.

25th.—Lord Lyndhurst's Notice of Resolution on the
Conduct of the War. Letter from Lord Raglan acknowledging
Vote of Thanks. Lord John Russell's Resignation communicated
by the Duke of Newcastle; consequent Adjournment
of the House.

26th.—Ministerial Explanation.

House of Commons.—January 23rd—Chancellor of Exchequer's
Notice of Resolution as to Newspaper Stamps. Negotiations
at Vienna; questions by Mr. Layard, and answer by Lord
John Russell. Mr. H. Drummond's Notice of Motion for
Returns as to the War; Mr. Roebuck's Notice of Motion for a
Select Committee to inquire into the State of the Army in the
Crimea. Bills to Amend the Public Health Act, and for the
Removal of Nuisances, leave given Sir B. Hall to bring
them in.

24th.—Letter from Lord Raglan, acknowledging Vote of
Thanks. Printing Committee of last Session re-appointed.

25th.—Lord John Russell's Resignation communicated by
Mr. Hayter. House adjourned.

26th.—Lord John Russell's Explanation.

THE Revenue Returns to the 5th inst. have been
published. The net increase on the revenue of the
preceding quarter is £1,440,567. Of this £584,072 is
from Customs, in which the single item of sugar has
produced £440,000 more than in the corresponding
quarter of the previous year. Currants, rum, brandy,