Sitting of 28 August 1860

MINUTES.
NEW WRIT ISSUED.—For Ludlow, v. Colonel the Hon. Percy Egerton Herbert, Chiltern Hundreds.
THE MILITIA AND THE HARVEST.

  QUESTION.
  MR. BAILLIE COCHRANEsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government will consider the propriety of, as far as possible, not calling out the Militia for the annual training in the various counties until the harvest shall have been well gathered in?
  VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, he certainly hoped there would be a harvest this year, though he feared it might not be a good one. There were only thirteen regiments of Militia not yet trained. The majority of the regiments were called out in April and May, and the remaining thirteen were usually called out in September or October. The precise period for calling out those regiments was fixed by the Lord-lieutenants, according to their notions of what time would be most convenient.

  PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT.
  Message to attend the LORDS COMMISSIONERS.
  The Mouse went, and the ROYAL ASSENT was given to several Bills: And afterwards a Speech of the LORDS COMMISSIONERS was delivered to both Houses by the LORD CHANCELLOR.
  Then a Commission for Proroguing the Parliament was read,
  After which,
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR THE LORD CHANCELLOR said:
  My Lords and Gentlemen,
  BY virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other
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  Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name, and in obedience to Her Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Tuesday the Sixth Day of November next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the Sixth Day of November next.

MINUTES.
Took the Oath.—The Lord Bishop of Rochester.
Royal Assent.—Consolidated Fund (Appropriation; Exchequer Bonds or Bills (£2,000,000); Refreshment Houses and Wine Licences (Ireland); Fortifications (Provision for Expenses); Customs (No. 2); Stamp Duties (No. 2); Excise Duties; Spirit Duties; Spirits; Industrial Schools Act (1857) Amendment; Crown Debts and Judgments; Defence of the Realm; Weights and Measures (Ireland); County Coroners; Local Government Supplemental (No. 2); Militia Ballot; Chancery Evidence Commission; Coast of Africa, &c. Act Amendment; Offences within Her Majesty's Possessions Abroad; Metropolitan Police Force (Dockyards); Endowed Charities; Naval Discipline; Ecclesiastical Commission, &c.; Law and Equity; Attorneys, Solicitors, Proctors, and Certificated Conveyancers; Party Emblems (Ireland); Debtors and Creditors Act Amendment; Union of Benefices; Gunpowder, &c.; Poor Relief &c. (Ireland); Rifle Volunteer Corps; Court of Chancery; Savings Banks and Friendly Societies Investments; Peace Preservation (Ireland) Act, 1856, Amendment; East India Loan; Roman Catholic Charities; Militia Pay; Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act Amendment; Divorce Court; Trustees, Mortgagees, &c.; Tenure and Improvement of Land (Ireland); Mines Regulation and Inspection; Landlord and Tenant (Ireland); Titles to Land (Scotland) Act (1858) Amendment; Tramways (Ireland); Sale of Gas Act Amendment.

PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT SPEECH OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS.
THE PARLIAMENT was this day prorogued by Commission.
The LORDS COMMISSIONERS—namely, The LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Campbell); The DUKE OF SOMERSET; The LORD CHAMBERLAIN (Viscount Sydney); The LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY; and The LORD MONTEAGLE OF BRANDON—being in their robes, and seated on a form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack; and the COMMONS being come with then-Speaker, the ROYAL ASSENT was given to several Bills.
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 Majesty's Acknowledgments for the Zeal and Assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the Performance of your important Duties during the long and laborious Session of Parliament now about to 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 Interruption of the general Peace of Europe. Events of considerable Importance are indeed taking place in Italy, but if no Foreign Powers interfere therein, and if the Italians are left to settle their own Affairs, the Tranquillity of other States will remain undisturbed.
"THE proposed Conferences on the Subject of the Cession of Savoy and of Nice to France have not yet been held; but Her Majesty confidently trusts that in any Negotiations which may take place full and adequate Arrangements will be made for securing, in Accordance with the Spirit and

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Letter of the Treaty of Vienna of 1815, the Neutrality and Independence of the Swiss Confederation.
"THAT Neutrality and Independence were an object to which all the Powers who were Parties to the Treaties of Vienna attached great Importance; and they are no less important now than then, for the general Interests of Europe.
"HER Majesty commands us to assure you, that the Atrocities which have been committed upon the Christian population in Syria have inspired Her Majesty with the deepest Grief and Indignation. Her Majesty has cheerfully concurred with The Emperor of Austria, The Emperor of the French, The Prince Regent of Prussia, and The Emperor of Russia, in entering into an engagement with The Sultan, by which temporary Military Assistance has been afforded to The Sultan for the Purpose of re-establishing Order in that Part of His Dominions.
"WE are commanded by Her Majesty to inform you, that Her Majesty greatly regrets that the pacific Overtures which, by Her Majesty's Directions, Her Envoy in China made to the Imperial Government at Pekin, did not lead to any satisfactory Result; and it has therefore been necessary that the combined Naval and Military Forces which Her Majesty and Her Ally The Emperor of the French had sent to the China Seas should advance towards the Northern Provinces of China, for the Purpose of supporting the just Demands of the Allied Powers.
"HER Majesty, desirous of giving all possible Weight to Her Diplomatic Action in this Matter, has sent to
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China, as Special Ambassador for this Service, the Earl of Elgin, who negotiated the Treaty of Tien-sing, the full and faithful Execution of which is demanded from The Emperor of China."
"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 for the Provision which you have made for those Defences which are essential for the Security of Her Dockyards and Arsenals.
"My Lords, and Gentlemen,
"HER Majesty commands us to express to you the Gratification and Pride with which She has witnessed the rapid Progress in Military Efficiency which Her Volunteer Forces have already mad and which is highly honourable to their Spirit and Patriotism.
"HER Majesty has given Her cordial Assent to the Act for amalgamating Her Local European Force in India with Her Forces engaged for general Service.
"HER Majesty trusts that the additional Freedom which you have given to Commerce will lead to fresh Development of productive Industry.
"HER Majesty has given Her ready Assent to several Measures of great public Usefulness.
"THE Acts for regulating the Relations between Landlord and Tenant in Ireland will, Her Majesty trusts, remove some fertile Causes of Disagreement.
"THE Act for amending the Law which regulates the Discipline of Her Majesty's Navy has established salutary Rules for the Administration of Justice by Courts-martial, and for maintaining good Order in the Naval Service.
"THE Act bearing upon Endowed Charities will give Means for a less expensive Administration of the Property of Charities, and for the speedy and economical Settlement of Disputes affecting such Property, while by another Act Relief has been afforded to Her Majesty's Roman Catholic Subjects with regard to their Charitable Endowments.
"SEVERAL other Acts have been passed for Legal Reform, which must lead to the more satisfactory Administration of Justice.
"HER Majesty has observed with deep Satisfaction the Spirit of Loyalty, of Order, and of Obedience to the Law, which prevails among Her Subjects both in the United Kingdom and in Her Dominions beyond Sea; and Her Majesty has witnessed with heartfelt Pleasure the warm and affectionate Reception given to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales by Pier North American Subjects.
"You will on returning to your several Counties have Duties to perform scarcely less important than those which have occupied you during the Session of Parliament; and Her Majesty fervently prays that the Blessing of Almighty God may attend your Efforts, and guide them to the Attainment of the Objects of Her constant Solicitude, the Welfare and the Happiness of Her People."
Then a Commission for Proroguing the Parliament was read.
After which,
THE LORD CHANCELLOR THE LORD CHANCELLOR said:
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 Sixth Day of November next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the Sixth Day of November next.