Lords Sitting of 9 March 1866

MINUTES.
Took the Oath—The Lord Bolton.
PUBLIC BILLS—Second Reading—Princess Helena's Annuity (39); Prince Alfred's Annuity (40; Consolidated Fund (£1,137,772)*.
Third Reading—Divorce and Matrimonial Causes*(17), and passed.

INDIAN ARMY—GRIEVANCES OF INDIAN OFFICERS.—PETITION.

  QUESTION.
  THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH presented Petitions of Major General W. P. Beatson, Bengal Army, and Captain F. A. Dickins, Bengal Army, complaining of the Loss of Advantages sustained by reason of the Amalgamation of the British and Indian Armies, and praying for Relief, and asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether he has yet been able to come to any conclusion with respect to the suggestions offered by the late Royal Commission for the remedy of the grievances complained of by Indian Officers?
  EARL DE GREY AND RIPONsaid, no one knew better than the noble Earl the great importance as well as the great difficulty of this question; and he thought from what had fallen from him he anticipated the answer he was about to give. As a very short time had elapsed since he entered upon the duties of the important office he now filled, he was not yet in a position to state his conclusions as to the course that might be taken upon the Report of the last Commission with respect to Indian officers. He was very well aware of the importance of avoiding unnecessary delay in coming to a conclusion upon this question; at the same time, he was sure the noble Earl and their Lordships would agree with him when he said it was not one to be dealt with hastily or without due consideration. As soon as he should have been able to investigate the facts he would lose no time in communicating to their Lordships the conclusion at which he had arrived.

ABYSSINIA—IMPRISONMENT OF BRITISH SUBJECTS.—QUESTION.
LORD CHELMSFORD: The noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has, I understand, just received a telegram relating to the captives in Abyssinia. I think it will be a source of great satisfaction and comfort to the friends and relatives of the prisoners if his Lordship can communicate any intelligence that can encourage any hope of a speedy termination of their long and severe sufferings.
THE EARL OF CLARENDON: Owing to the great interest the noble and learned Lord opposite has taken in the fate of the Abyssinian prisioners, I informed him last night that I had received a telegram whilst sitting in this House, and I communicated to my noble and learned Friend the substance

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of its contents. My noble and learned Friend said that, as the information would afford comfort to the friends of the captives, he thought it would be desirable that I should state it publicly to-day; and I have, therefore, brought it down. It is—
"Information was received last night from Cairo that Mr. Rassam had written on the 28th of December to Colonel Staunton (our Consul General in Egypt) to the effect that, two days previously, he had got a letter from King Theodore, by which Mr. Rassam was invited to go to the King's Court. The King had sent an escort to accompany him, and had given him every facility for the journey. Mr. Rassam intended to start on the above date, and calculated to meet the King on or before the 10th of January. Things look promising, and the King's messenger gave every hope of the speedy liberation of the captives."
Of course, until the prisoners have been actually set at liberty, we cannot be quite sure of their fate; but certainly things look hopeful and promising.
THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH: I quite agree with the noble Earl that there is no certainty on the subject.

PRINCESS HELENA'S ANNUITY BILL
(Earl Russell.)
PRINCESS HELENA'S ANNUITY BILL

  (NO. 39.) SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  EARL GRANVILLE: In the absence of my noble Friend at the head of the Government, in consequence of indisposition—from which, however, I am happy to say he is fast recovering—I have the honour to ask your Lordships to agree to the second reading of this Bill. The object of it is to provide an annuity for the Princess Helena. I think it is almost unnecessary for me to state that with our undoubted love of our constitutional limited monarchy and our national institutions, and even from apart from any respect we may have for the personages who compose the Royal Family, we must feel it our duty, owing to a sense of dignity on the part of the country, to make due provision for the Members of that illustrious Family. Your Lordships are aware that the Queen has given up the estates which formerly belonged to the Crown; but it was not intended when those estates were surrendered that the Crown should have a smaller income than it enjoyed previously. There are already two precedents in regard to measures of this character. The first is that of the Princess Royal, and the second that of the Princess Alice. In the case, however, of the Princess Alice, as Her Royal Highness
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  was not the eldest daughter of the Sovereign, a smaller sum was granted to her than had been granted to the Princess Royal. It is now proposed to give exactly the same annuity to the Princess Helena upon her marriage as was granted to the Princess Alice, that sum being a dowry of £30,000, and £6,000 a year. The three Royal marriages already concluded—those of the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice—have produced unalloyed domestic happiness, and I trust that the Princess Helena will meet with the same amount of happiness in the union which is about to take place. I may venture to recall to your Lordships' attention the fact, which must be known to all, that while the Princess Alice exhibited remarkable qualities both of mind and character at the time when her Royal mother met with a great calamity, yet as she left this country shortly afterwards in consequence of her marriage, which had been arranged before the death of the Prince Consort, the Princess Helena did after that time—she being the eldest unmarried daughter of the Queen—everything in her power to alleviate the sorrows of her Royal mother and comfort her by her society during her prolonged seclusion. Every one who has had an opportunity of witnessing this is aware of the singular affection with which Her Royal Highness discharged those duties towards the Queen. I think the happiness of the Princess will be greatly increased by the fact that, while she is about to be married to a Prince on whom she has bestowed her affections, she may hope to have the happiness of residing in this country and of continuing those filial attentions to her illustrious mother which she has hitherto found to be both a pleasure and a duly to discharge. I have now, therefore, to move that the Bill be read a second time.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."(The Lord President.)
  LORD CHELMSFORD: In the absence of my noble Friend the Leader of the Opposition, I venture to say that I think there will be no opportunity for my noble Friend to exercise the function which devolves upon him on occasions of this kind. I do not, however, hesitate to say that there is not a noble Lord on either side of the House who will not cordially join in the proposition that has been made.
  On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

PRINCE ALFRED'S ANNUITY—(No. 40.)
(Earl Russell.)
PRINCE ALFRED'S ANNUITY—(No. 40.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  EARL GRANVILLE: With regard to this Bill, I may state that it is recommended to your Lordships' attention as being based on the general principle to which I have already alluded. There is not, however, a precedent for this, as was the case with the previous Bill; but I hope your Lordships, considering the great wealth of many individuals of different ranks and classes in this country, will not think £15,000 a year an exorbitant sum to give to, his Royal Highness, even during his unmarried life. This proposal is not intended to affect His Royal Highness's marriage, nor is it made in contemplation of any contingency which may at some future time change his position with reference to foreign countries. The younger branch of the Royal Family enjoy a singular popularity in this country. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred has been well educated by the late Prince Consort. He has visited almost every part of the world—in Europe, Africa, and America—and he has not only visited them but he has learnt and remembered much. Besides this he has mastered various foreign languages, he has acquired a considerable amount of scientific knowledge, and is as good a classical scholar as many of those who have received their education at our great public schools. I venture to think that these facts bear upon the feelings of respect and attachment which we all entertain towards the members of the Royal Family. I am sure your Lordships will have great pleasure in concurring in the Motion which I am about to make—a Motion which is in accordance with our common sense of duty, with the dignity of the country, and with the respect due to the Crown.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Lord President.)
  On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.
  House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.