Lords Sitting of 6 August 1861

MINUTES.
Took the Oath.—The Right Honourable Sir Maurice Frederick Fitzhardinge Berkeley, having been created Baron Fitzhardinge.
Royal Assent.—Consolidated Fund (Appropriation; Annoyance Jurors (Westminster); Copyright of Designs; East India (High Courts of Judicature; County Voters (Scotland); Leases, &c. by Incumbents Restriction; Portpatrick Harbour (Scotland); Enlistment in India; Indemnity; Parochial and Burgh Schools (Scotland); Tramways (Ireland) Act Amendment; Naval Medical Supplemental Fund Society; Salmon Fisheries; Dealers in Old Metals; Probates and Letters of Administration Act (Ireland) Amendment; Appropriation of Seats (Sudbury and Saint Albans); Municipal Corporations Act Amendment; Removal of Irish Poor; Windsor Suspended Canonries; Trustees (Scotland); Conjugal Rights (Scotland); Public Works (Ireland); Industrial Schools; Wills of Personalty by British Subjects; Statute Law Revision; Government of the Navy; Bankruptcy and Insolvency; Accessories and Abettors; Criminal Statutes Repeal; Larceny, &c.; Malicious Injuries to Property; Forgery; Coinage Offences; Offences against the Person; Public Works and Harbours; Lord Clerk Register Salary Abolition; Durham University; Metropolitan Building Act Amendment; Public Offices Site; Pensions, British Force (India); Edinburgh University; Inland Revenue; Stamp Duties on Probates, &c,; Revenue Departments Accounts; Metropolis Gas Act Amendment; Lace Factories; Gunpowder, &c. Act Amendment; Episcopal and Capitular Estates Act Continuance, &c.; East India Loan (No. 2.); Militia Pay; Militia Ballots Suspension; Wills and Domicile of British Subjects Abroad, &c.; Corrupt Practices Prevention Act (1854) Continuance; Landed Estates (Ireland) Act (1858) Amendment; Metropolitan Police District Receiver; Parochial Offices; Volunteer Tolls Exemption (No. 2.); Treasury Chest Fund; Local Government Supplemental (No. 2.); Officers of Reserve (Royal Navy); Industrial Schools (Scotland); Drainage of Land.

THE GALWAY PACKET SERVICE.
THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEwished to put a Question to the noble Lord at the head of the Postal Depart-
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ment, of which he had already given notice, and he hoped some positive answer would be given with regard to the intentions of the Government respecting the postal communication from the port of Galway to the North American colonies. They had been told in that House that they must wait for the answer of the Government until the Committee to which the matter had been referred had made their Report. The Committee had made its Report, the time for which the Prime Minister asked to consider their recommendations had been granted, and it would now be rather strange if Parliament were allowed to separate without any statement of the intentions of Government. If the Government could be supposed to be animated by the most deadly spirit of enmity towards the Galway Packet Company, they could adopt no measure more directly calculated to injure and crush it than by leaving in uncertainty the course which they would ultimately pursue. The Company were not only restrained from pushing their operations with vigour, and from adding to their fleet, but if ultimately no contract were to be granted or revived for establishing a direct postal service between Galway and America, it would be better that the affairs of the Company should at once be wound up. It was notorious that ever since the suspension of the contract the Company had been put to great expense—he would not say in consequence of any promise or engagement, but by the hopes which had been held out that a valuable contract would once more be given to them. In consequence of those inducements a sum of from £50,000 to £60,000 had been expended in the preparation of vessels. Of the whole of this money the shareholders will have been unfairly deprived through the delay of the Government in pronouncing its decision, if eventually that decision should prove unfavourable to their interests. In justice, not only to the shareholders but to the people of Ireland, who felt deeply interested in this question, he hoped their Lordships would receive from the Treasury bench a distinct statement of what the intentions of the Government were, and what the Company had to expect.
LORD MONTEAGLEsaid, that before his noble Friend the Postmaster General gave any reply to the Question which had been put to him, he wished to call their Lordships' attention to one point which the noble Marquess had overlooked. This subject had been discussed in the other

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House of Parliament, where naturally a money question should first be agitated; and the answer then given by a Member of Her Majesty's Government in effect was that the Government were not indisposed to take into their consideration, and, if they thought fit, to submit to the House of Commons, a proposal for establishing a communication between Ireland and America which should he founded upon open competition, and which upon consideration might appear well calculated to answer all the required purposes. He would remind their Lordships that in the report of a Commission on the Packet Service drawn up and presented to Parliament his noble Friend's eminent predecessor (Earl Canning) laid down a rule that, to prevent favouritism to any party, there should be established the principle of open competition for postal contracts. In the case of Galway that wise and just rule had been set aside. The Galway contract did not now exist. It had been put an end to by his noble Friend the Postmaster General, and that decision had been approved be the Ministry at large. Under those circumstances he trusted the Government would, in conformity with Lord Canning's Report, with Lord Palmerston's declaration, and with sound principle and usage, make the future contract a matter, not of favour, but of open competition.
LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLRYsaid, that when the noble Marquess asked him a similar question on a former accasion, he was not prepared to express any decided opinion on the part of the Government in regard to the proceedings which were then taking place before the Select Committee. That Committee had since reported, and the result of the evidence taken before the Committee and their Report was that, under the circumstances of the case, the Government were justified in putting an end to the contract, as the Company were in a total state of inability to perform its conditions. At the same time the Committee stated that there were circumstances which undoubtedly entitled the Company to favourable consideration, and they expressed an opinion that it would be desirable, if the Company were in a competent condition to continue the contract, that the matter should be reconsidered on a future occasion. The Chairman of the Company, in his evidence before the Committee, distinctly stated that under no circumstances would the Company be prepared to resume the contract until Feb-
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ruary 1, 1862, and he also stated his opinion to be that the contract could not be conducted with advantage without a considerable departure from the terms originally granted by the Government and accepted by the Company. As he bad already stated, the Committee were of opinion that, under the circumstances of the Company and the unfortunate accidents that had occurred, they were entitled to the favourable consideration of the Government. Her Majesty's Government were disposed to give every consideration in their power to the recommendations of the Committee, if at the end of the year, when the proposed time came for renewing the contract, the Company showed they were in a situation faithfully to continue it in conformity with all the conditions of the contract, particularly as to speed, and carrying the mails to St. Johns. As, however, it was impossible for the contract to he entered into until February, 1862, by which time Parliament would have met, it was out of the power of the Government to give any decided or positive opinion, although there was every disposition to deal with the Company as favourably as possible, and to receive any representations they might make as to their position and their ability to fulfil the contract.

PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT.

  SPEECH OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS.
  THE PARLIAMENTwas this day prorogued by Commission.
  THE LORDS COMMISSINERS— namely, THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Westbury); THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Earl Granville); The Lord Steward (The Earl of St. Germans); THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN (Viscount Sydney); and THE LORD MONTEAGLE OF BRANDON—being in their robes, and seated on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack; and the COMMINS being come with their Speaker, the ROYAL ASSENT was given to several Rills.
  Then The LORD CHANCELLOR delivered the Speech of the LORDS COMMISSIONERS as follows:—
  " My Lords, and Gentlemen,
  " We are commanded by Her Majesty to release you from further Attendance in Parliament, and at the same Time to convey to you Her Ma-

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  jesty's Acknowledgments for the Zeal and Assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the Performance of your Duties during the Session of Parliament now brought to a Close.
  "HER Majesty commands us to inform you, that Her Relations with Foreign Powers are friendly and satisfactory, and Her Majesty trusts that there is no Danger of any Disturbance of the Peace of Europe.
  "THW Progress of Events in Italy has led to the Union of the greater Part of that Peninsula in One Monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel. Her Majesty has, throughout, abstained from any active Interference in the Transactions which have led to this Result, and Her earnest Wish as to these Affairs is, that they may be settled in the Manner best suited to the Welfare and Happiness of the Italian People.
  "THE Dissensions which arose some Months ago in the United States of North America have, Unfortunately, assumed the Character of open War. Her Majesty, deeply lamenting this calamitous Result, has determined, in common with the other Powers of Europe, to preserve a strict Neutrality between the contending Parties.
  "HER Majesty commands us to inform you that the Measures adopted for the Restoration of Order and Tranquillity in Syria, in virtue of Conventions between Her Majesty, The Emperor of Austria, The Emperor of the French, The King of Prussia, The Emperor of Russia, and The Sultan, having accomplished their Purpose, the European Troops which, in pursuance of those Conventions, were for a Time stationed in Syria to co-operate with the Troops and Authorities of The
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  Sultan, have been withdrawn; and Her Majesty trusts that the Arrangements which have been made for the Administration of the Districts which had been disturbed will henceforth secure their internal Tranquillity.
  "HER Majesty has seen with Satisfaction the rapid Improvement in the internal Condition of Her East Indian Territories, and the Progress which has been made towards equalizing the Revenue and Expenditure of that part of Her Empire.
  "Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
  "HER Majesty commands us to convey to you Her warm Acknowledgments for the liberal Supplies which you have granted for the Service of the present Year; and Her Majesty has seen with Satisfaction that, after amply providing for the Wants of the Public Service, you have been able to make a sensible Diminution in the Taxes levied upon Her People.
  "My Lords, and Gentlemen,
  "HER Majesty commands us to express to you the deep Gratification with which She has witnessed the Spirit of devoted Patriotism which continues to animate Her Volunteer Forces, and the Admiration with which She has observed their rapid Progress in Discipline and Military Efficiency.
  "HER Majesty has given Her cordial Assent to the Act for completing the Number of the Members of the House of Commons by allotting the forfeited Seats of Sudbury and Saint Albans.
  "HER Majesty trusts that the Act for improving the Laws relating to

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  Bankruptcy and Insolvency will be productive of important Advantage to the Trade and Commerce of Her Subjects.
  "HER Majesty has given Her ready Assent to Acts for consolidating and assimilating the Criminal Law of England and Ireland, and for promoting the Revision of the Statute Law.
  "HER Majesty has given Her Assent to important Acts which She trusts will have the Effect of opening more largely Employment in the Public Service to the European and Native Inhabitants of India, of improving the Means of Legislation, of furthering the Ends of Justice, and of promoting the Contentment and Well-being of all Classes of Her Majesty's Indian Subjects.
  "HER Majesty has assented with Pleasure to the Act for the Improvement of Harbours on the Coast of the United Kingdom, and for relieving Merchant Shipping from Passing Tolls, and also to the Act for improving the Administration of the Law relating to the Relief and the Removal of the Poor.
  "HER Majesty trusts that the Act for rendering more easy Arrangements connected with the Drainage of Land will assist Agricultural Improvements in many Parts of the United Kingdom.
  "Her Majesty has gladly given Her Assent to many other Measures of public Usefulness, the Results of your Labours during the Session now brought to its Close.
  "HER Majesty has observed, with heartfelt Satisfaction, the Spirit of Loyalty, of Order, and of Obedience to the Law, which prevails throughout all Her Dominions; and She trusts
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  that by wise Legislation, and a just Administration of the Law, the Continuance of this happy State of Things will be secured.
  "ON returning to your respective Counties you will still have important public Duties to perform; and Her Majesty fervently prays that the Blessing of Almighty God may attend your Exertions, and may guide them to the Attainment of the Objects of Her Majesty's constant Solicitude—the Welfare and Happiness of Her People."
  Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read.
  After which
  THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid;
  My Lords and Gentlemen,
  By virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name, and in obedience to Her Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Tuesday, the Twenty-second Day of October next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday, the Twenty-second Day of October next.