Lords Sitting of 31 May 1878

MINTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Highways (South Wales) * (98); Poor Law Amendment Act (1876) Amendment * (99); Monuments (Metropolis) (No. 2) * (100); Local Government Provisional Orders (Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings) * (101); Public Health (Scotland) Provisional Order (Lochgelly) * (102); Truro Bishopric * (103).
Second Reading—Telegraphs (77).
Report—Acknowledgment of Deeds by Married Women (Ireland) * (87).
Third Reading—Contagious Diseases (Animals) * (88), and passed.

THE GERMAN NAVY—DESTRUCTION OF THE IRON-CLAD "DER GROSSER KURFÜRST."—QUESTION.
EARL DE LA WARRasked the noble Lord who represented the Admiralty in that House, Whether he could give their Lordships any information as to the reported loss of a German ironclad?
LORD ELPHINSTONE: I am sorry not to be in a position to give a full statement of details with regard to this unfortunate loss to the German Navy. The facts are simply these—The German iron-clad Squadron, consisting of the Preussen, König Wilhelm, and Grosser Kurfürst, left Wilhelmshavn on the evening of the 29th instant, for Plymouth, en route to the Mediterranean. The Squadron was observed passing Dover at 8.45 A.M.; and at 9.50 A.M., when about seven miles S. S. W. of Folkestone, a collision took place between the König Wilhelm and the Grosser Kurfürst in the endeavour to avoid a collision with a merchant vessel. The Grosser Kurfürst appears to have sunk at once, and the König Wilhelm to have been severely damaged. The Coastguard at Folkestone and Sandgate rendered immediate assistance; and, on the unfortunate occurrence being reported to the Admiralty, orders were sent to Portsmouth for the Lord Warden and Hercules to proceed to Folkestone at full speed to assist the König Wilhelm, and a powerful tug was also ordered from Sheerness for the same object. The Coastguard officers reported that between 180 and 200 of the crew have been saved, and about 300 lives lost. Orders have been sent to Portsmouth for dock accommodation to be prepared for the König Wilhelm, and she is now on her way to that port. She is reported to be making water fast. The Grosser Kurfürst is like our Monarch; tonnage, 6,663; guns, four 10-inch Krupp, in two turrets. The Konig Wilhelm is a broadside iron-clad frigate; tonnage, 9,425; guns, 26 Krupp.

THE LATE EARL RUSSELL.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  EARL GRANVILLE: My Lords, if it be not regarded as presumptuous in one who for 40 years was politically connected with the late Earl Russell in Parliament, I would ask a Question of which I have given private Notice to the noble Earl the First Lord of the Treasury. It is,
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  Whether Lord Russell's political and personal claims are such that the public would not be unwilling to make some recognition of the services of so distinguished a statesman whose name has so long been associated with the political history of the country? I have reason to believe that Her Majesty's Government, sympathizing with that feeling, have anticipated the purpose of my inquiry, and that there have been some communications—I do not know precisely what they have been—with the family of the deceased Earl. Perhaps the noble Earl the First Lord of the Treasury will state to the House what has been the nature of those communications, and what has been their result?
  THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD: My Lords, Her Majesty, and Her Majesty's Government, felt they were only expressing the general feeling of the nation, when they offered that the interment of that great statesman whom we have lost should be public, and that he should be buried in the shadow, as it were, of that venerable Abbey where in youth he was educated, and where the greater part of his eminent career was passed. It was, of course, impossible to come to any decision on the subject without making ourselves acquainted with the feelings of his family, and with the desire, were it expressed, of the departed himself. I will not say I regret it, because I am sure the result has been brought about by sentiments and considerations with which we must all sympathize, and which all of us must respect; but, within the last few minutes, I have been authoritatively informed that the widow of this illustrious man declines the public mark of the veneration of the Nation, in consequence of the express declaration in the will of Earl Russell that he should be buried with his family and ancestors at Chenies, in Buckinghamshire.

  TELEGRAPHS BILL—(No. 77.)
  (The Lord Chancellor.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR,in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, its object was a simple one—namely, to determine the rights of the Post Office in respect of the establishment of telegraphic lines on undertakings

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  authorized by special Act of Parliament, to lay down regulations in respect of compensation and fine for injury to telegraphic lines of the Post Office, and to provide for other such matters. He thought it right to bring in the Bill, in consequence of a wish expressed in their Lordships' House last year that such legislation should be embraced in a general Act rather than in special clauses of particular Acts of Parliament.
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

  TRURO BISHOPRIC BILL [H.L.]
  A Bill to make provision respecting the foundation of a Dean and Chapter for the Bishopric of Truro, and the transfer to the Cathedral Church of Truro of a Canonry in the Cathedral Church of Exeter; and for other purposes connected there with—Was presented by The Lord Bishop of LONDON; read la. (No. 103.)

  PRIVATE BILLS.
  Ordered, That the time for the Second Reading of any Private Bill brought from the House of Commons, limited by the Order of the 4th day of February last to the 11th day of June next, be extended to the 18 th day of June next.
  House adjourned at half past Five o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.