He (the Duke of Richmond) was not able to have an interview with the deputation, but his noble Friend the Vice President received them; and, after his noble Friend received them, some of the members of the body had an interview with the gentleman who was at the head of the Scientific Department at South Kensington. That gentleman wrote to Dr. Steele a letter which was a private or semi-official letter rather than a strictly official document. But the letter contained these words "After meeting the deputation from the Royal Dublin Society last Wednesday, I submitted the following Memorandum to Lord Sandon : "I have had a long interview to-day with the deputation from the Royal Dublin Society; it is evident that many difficulties would be removed if an amalgamation could be effected between the Royal Irish Academy and the Royal Dublin Society. "The arrangement of such an amalgamation would be a matter entirely for the societies, but it might tend to forward such a scheme if the gentlemen interested were assured that it met with your Lordship's approval, and that if the societies are prepared to take the necessary steps, the Government would give them any aid in its power. "Further, there is some possibility of an amalgamation of the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland with the Royal Dublin Society. If this were carried out would the Government be prepared to provide for the Agricultural Shows in the Phoenix Park, and remove them from the present buildings beside Leinster House?' "Lord Sandon has authorized me to give this assurance generally. "I said nothing about this in the Memorandum, as it is, of course, a matter purely for the societies to arrange." Therefore, it was a mistaken notion that the Government tried to force these Societies into an amalgamation. And when the noble and learned Lord said there was a grotesque unfitness in the amalgamation of these Societies he might remind him that with that the Government had nothing to do; and, of course, if the Societies themselves felt such to be the case they would not amalgamate. Then the noble and learned Lord talked of the grant being taken through the Science and Art Department of South Kensington; but perhaps the noble and learned Lord was not aware that in reality the grant came through the Lord President of the Council-because Art and Science was one of the branches of the Department. Education was divided into two headsPrimary Education and Scientific and Art Education, both of which were under the Lord President of the Council. This was not a suggestion emanating from the Science and Art Department nor from the Lord President of the Council, but was what was recommended by the Royal Commission presided over by the noble Duke opposite (the Duke of Leinster). The Report to which he alluded contained the following: "We regret our inability to carry out the Minute of the 22nd of May in its literal integrity, by framing a plan for the formation of a separate Department of Science and Art for Ireland analogous in its constitution to the existing Science and Art Department in London; as a mature consideration has convinced us that the formation of a separate Department for Ireland would be detrimental to the interests of science and art in that country. We are of opinion, however, that all the advantages for Ireland proposed in that Minute may be practically secured by the arrangements indicated in the following recommendations: "That in order to afford advantages and facilities to students, artizans and others in Dublin, in some respects similar to those which are yielded by the South Kensington Museum in London, and in other respects to those afforded by the Science and Art Museum in Edinburgh, it is very desirable that there should be a General Industrial and Fine Arts Museum in Dublin. The people of Ireland would thus obtain the fullest opportunity of improvement in the cultivation of the industrial and decorative arts by the study of approved models and objects. "That this Museum should be purely a State Establishment, under a Director responsible to the Lord President or other Minister in charge of education. "That the Director of the Science and Art Museum should be in immediate relation, not only with the Minister of Education, but also with the Irish Government, and it should be his duty to place himself in communication with the representatives of the various industrial interests of the country, with a view to the development of its resources. "That all Votes for museums and educational establishments in Ireland should be taken on the responsibility of the Lord President of the Council or other Minister in charge of education directly responsible to Parliament.' He might add that within the last few months arrangements had been made with the Royal Society in London for the purpose of carrying out further researches, and they were to account for the money they received through the Science and Art Department, and through | sulting from the possible annulment of the Lord President of the Council, and the Extradition Treaty between this he had no reason to believe that what Country and the United States; and, was acceptable as regarded our Royal whether he will give the House an opSociety here would be distasteful to the portunity during the present Session of Royal Irish Society. discussing the policy of so amending the Extradition Act of 1870, as to enable a Motion agreed to. State, obtaining the committal and extradition of a prisoner, to put him upon his trial upon another charge, being in the list of extradition offences agreed upon between the two Countries, in addition to or in substitution for the charge upon which he has been committed and given up? House adjourned at Seven o'clock, Ten o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Tuesday, 27th June, 1876. MINUTES.]-SUPPLY-considered in Committee Ordered First Reading Committee-Poor Law (Scotland) [179], debate adjourned. Committee-Report-Crab and Lobster Fisheries (Norfolk) * [109]. Considered as amended-Poor Law Amendment Third Reading-Settled Estates Act (1856) CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY COMMISSION -THE CUSTOMS.-QUESTION. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, that his right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Treasury had requested him, in his own unavoidable absence, to inform his hon. and learned Friend that the Premier thought that in his remarks last night he had anticipated this Question, when. he said that, in the opinion of the Government, it would not be advisable that any discussion on this subject should take place until the last despatch of Mr. Fish and the answer to it were upon the Table of the House. TURKEY-THE INSURGENT PRO VINCES. QUESTION. Turkish troops; and, the statement of MR. O'REILLY asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether there is any foundation for the statements which apDR. CAMERON asked Mr. Chancellor peared in an Hungarian paper, the of the Exchequer, Whether the scheme "Neusatz Zastava," that British ships embodied in the Report of the Playfair have landed at Klek a large quantity of Commission is to be applied to the Cus-provisions, cartridges, and money for the toms Establishment; and, if so, whether it is intended to offer any special terms to the older members of the Customs service to induce them to retire in order to facilitate the adoption of the scheme? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, he presumed that the hon. Gentleman referred to the indoor Customs. No scheme had been presented to the Treasury. If any scheme should be submitted, it would, of course, receive due consideration. UNITED STATES-THE EXTRADITION TREATY.-QUESTION. MR. STAVELEY HILL asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether negotiations are in progress for putting an end to the immunity from crime re The Duke of Richmond and Gordon THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, the Government had no information that British ships had landed at Klek provisions, cartridges, and money for the Turkish troops; and with regard to any statement in the Hungarian, German, or Russian papers that the English Government were supplying arms and money to the Turkish force in Herzegovina, his reply was, that Her Majesty's Government had neither directly nor indirectly supplied any arms to any Turkish troops. With respect to the unhappy disturbances in which Turkey was involved, Her Majesty's Government had maintained a strict neutrality, and they expected a similar neutrality to be observed by other Powers. will have the goodness to apply for any tickets they may require on or before the rising of the House on Thursday evening next. The Speaker's Secretary THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW IN HYDE has been kind enough, as usual, to un PARK.-QUESTION. MR. E. J. REED asked the First Commissioner of Works, If he can inform the House what are the final arrangements for the Volunteer Review? dertake to distribute the tickets, and it is quite evident that, where so many tickets have to be issued, that gentleman must have at least one clear day in order to make sure that the tickets have not miscarried on their way to those who may have asked for them. Besides this, there will be inclosures for the friends of the Volunteers, and I propose to issue-what I hope will be considered a handsome amount-namely, 5,000 tickets. The rest of the inclosure will be devoted to public bodies, and at the extreme end there will be a small space set apart on each side for the general public-a very small space. Laughter.] I can assure hon. Members that if for the last four days they had been occupying the post I have the honour to fill, they would not have met that remark with a laugh, for it appears to me that there is no end to the applications, both in point of numbers, distance, professions, and quarters in London and out of it, that have been flowing in by every post, and that before I had the honour of making any public announcement on the subject. Before I sit down I may be allowed, as guardian of the Parks, to make one appeal, not to hon. Members, but through this House to the general public. The Parks are now in all their beauty, both as regards flowers and trees, and, of course, as we must expect on Saturday next to see a vast concourse of people in the Park, so we must expect that there will be a great many persons who are not in this limited list which I have given to the House, and who will try to climb into the trees to see the Review. Everything will be done, as far as police arrangements are concerned, to guard on this occasion against the recurrence of that disastrous destruction of public property in the shape of trees that took place on the occasion of the last Review that was held. Everything will be done to prevent youths from breaking the trees, and breaking their own necks by tumbling out of them; but on an occasion of this kind, in the last resort, we must trust to the good sense and feeling of the general public to protect their own property as LORD HENRY LENNOX: In answer to the Question of my hon. Friend I have to say that as far as I know the arrangements for the Volunteer Review on Saturday next in Hyde Park are finally settled. Her Majesty's Government, after consulting with His Royal Highness the Ranger of the Park, have decided that no stands should be admitted at all. They came to this decision owing to the great damage which must necessarily be caused to the Park by attempting to erect structures on so large a scale as would be required. In place of the stands, however, there will be an inclosure, and this inclosure will be hurdled off, and will extend the whole range of the bases for saluting. That will comprise about 2,200 feet in length, and 30 feet in depth. It will be divided into various smaller inclosures for the accommodation of various public bodies of the State. In the centre, immediately behind the saluting point, where His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will stand, there will be an inclosure which will be devoted to the Royal carriages, and none other but Royal carriages will be admitted to the Park. In immediate contiguity to that there will be an inclosure for those members of the Diplomatic Body who may wish to take advantage of this opportunity to see our Volunteer Force. On either side of the Royal inclosure there will be a large space set apart for both Houses of Parliament. I may say that I hope to be able to give each Member who may apply two tickets. I propose not to make one inclosure for the House of Lords only, and another for the House of Commons only, but that the two inclosures shall be open to the Members of both Houses. I think that would be a convenience in cases where a Member might wish to bring his family and go into the same inclosure with them. I have to make an appeal to hon. Gentlemen on this point, and that is, that they | far as possible. CHINA THE BLOCKADE QUESTION. QUESTION. MR. PENDER asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, What arrangement has been arrived at by the Government of Hong Kong with the Chinese authorities at Canton, in reference to what is known as the Blockade Question; and, if he would produce the Correspondence on the subject? one MR. J. LOWTHER, in reply, said, the Question, which was one of considerable difficulty, had for a long time occupied the anxious attention of Her Majesty's Government. Communications were at present going on between the Colonial and Foreign Offices on side, and the Chinese authorities on the other; and he hoped the result of those communications would be that they would shortly be able to determine the amount of the duty that should be levied on the Chinese junks entering the port of Hong Kong. The Papers relating to the subject would shortly, he hoped, be laid on the Table of the House. POOR LAW AMENDMENT BILL. (Mr. Sclater-Booth, Mr. Salt.) [BILL 190.] CONSIDERATION. Bill, as amended, considered. Order read, for resuming adjourned Debate on Amendment [26th June] (proposed on Consideration of the Bill, as amended); and which Amendment was, In page 5, line 3, after the word "away," to insert the words "The justices to hear the complaint against a husband, under the thirty-third section of the Act of the thirty-first and thirtysecond years of Her Majesty, chapter one hundred and twenty-two, may be other than those who summoned him to appear before them, but acting for the same petty sessional division."-(Mr. Sclater-Booth.) Question again proposed, "That those words be there inserted." Debate resumed. Question put, and agreed to. MR. PELL moved, as an Amendment, that a provision be inserted to the effect that Boards of Guardians might, where it was considered practicable and expedient, grant medical relief by way of loan. His object was that when a case came before a Board of Guardians, in which the Board believed, after due in quiry, that an applicant for medical relief was only temporarily disabled from paying the cost thereof, the Guardians should be enabled to come to terms with him, so that they might recover from him the cost of the relief administered when his circumstances permitted of repayment. Amendment proposed, In page 6, line 34, after the word "orders," to insert the words "And any board of guardians may where medical relief is granted on loan declare that the same is so granted, and they may recover in any county court having jurisdiction in the union, or any part thereof, from the person to whom such relief is granted the reasonable cost of the same."-(Mr. Pell.) Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted." DR. LUSH said, that medical loan relief was a new term, and he wished to know if the adoption of the Amendment would throw any additional duties on the medical man without compensation? MR. CLARE READ said, it was the general opinion of Boards of Guardians throughout the country and in the City of London, that powers ought to be given to them to recover the cost of medical relief granted on loan when the parties so relieved were in a position to repay the Guardians. SIR ANDREW LUSK objected to the Amendment. MR. SCLATER-BOOTH hoped the hon. Member would not press so important an Amendment at that stage of the Bill. Giving medical relief on loan might be exceedingly useful; but the question ought to be fully discussed after Notice before it was agreed to by the House. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Bill to be read the third time To morrow. POOR LAW (SCOTLAND) (re-committed) BILL-[BILL 179.] (The Lord Advocate, Mr. Assheton Cross.) COMMITTEE. Order for Committee read. Motion made, and Question proposed, Chair."(The Lord Advocate.) "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the MR. BAXTER said, he had placed upon the Paper a Motion that the House should resolve itself into a Committee on the Bill on this day three months. | practically this Bill would relieve the He had done so for two reasons-first, landowners of Scotland at the expense he disapproved the second reading of a of the other members of the community. Bill of this magnitude and importance, in which the people of Scotland felt so deep an interest, being taken at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning, contrary, he begged to state, to all the usages and practices of the House of Commons; secondly, he had from the first thought that this was a bad Bill, and one which it would be extremely difficult properly to amend in Committee; therefore he had, immediately after the Whitsuntide holidays, placed his Motion upon the Paper. He found that many hon. Gentlemen who objected to this Bill still rather thought that some amendment of the Poor Law in Scotland was necessary, and that this Bill could after all be rendered a good Bill by alterations in Committee. He wished to say, however, that this was not his opinion. His Parliamentary experience led him to suppose that if the House once went into Committee on the Bill, the Lord Advocate, backed by a powerful Party, and acting on the principle of dividing and conquering, would be able to pass the measure much in its present form. Therefore, he wished to give the House an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the principle of the Bill, by moving that the House should resolve itself into Committee on this day three months. What, he would ask, was the principle of this Bill? Whenever he found in a Bill a clause printed in italics, and proposing that money should be given out of Her Majesty's Treasury, his suspicions were aroused, and he began to think that something was about to be done which could not be done except with a bribe. This was a Bill to confer upon the Board of Supervision powers so arbitrary, so extravagant, and he might almost say so paramount as had never been conferred by the House of Commons on any such body before, the local authorities being called upon to part with nearly all their powers for a miserable mess of pottage in the shape of a paltry grant to medical officers and some payment for medicines for the poor. The House ought to pause before it gave such wonderful powers to a Board which was neither representative nor responsible, whose proceedings were conducted in private, and against whose decisions there was no appeal. He believed that It was well known that the Board of Supervision was in favour of systems of classification which other classes of taxpayers, not interested in land, believed to be unjust to them. He sincerely trusted that Parliament would not delegate powers to an irresponsible Board against whose decisions there was no appeal. This was his main objection to the Bill, and on this ground he should vote against it, even if he entertained no other objections to it. He did not mean to go in detail into the various clauses of the Bill, but he had placed his Motion on the Paper in order to show his own opinion, and with the view of enabling Scotch Members who were interested in the subject to let the House have the benefit of their opinions; and no doubt they would refer to many points which he would not now dwell upon. He felt very strongly that if the House passed this Bill, which would deprive the local authorities in Scotland of nearly all their power, it would be found difficult to get men of position to act on the Parochial Boards; and this in itself would be a great public loss. Moreover, the Bill proposed virtually to disfranchise the owners of property below £20. Again, auditors were to be appointed by the Board of Supervision, and they were to be paid out of monies to be voted by Parliament. A gentleman who had been for more than 50 years acquainted with the working of the Scotch Poor Law, and who knew more about its working than any Member of that House, stated that applications had been pouring in from medical officers, accountants, and others asking for appointments under the Bill. The regulations under Section 38 would in most parishes in Scotland be wholly unworkable, and the expense of the auditing and book-keeping would be greater than the cost of the maintenance of the paupers. Such was the opinion of the gentleman to whose letter he had been referring. He should very much like to know what was the origin of this Bill. Was it a fact that it had been lying pigeon-holed at the Board of Supervision for a good many years? In his opinion, it was wholly uncalled for. A meeting of the representatives of Scotch parishes had been held in |