POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

The House of Commons was very fully attended last night by Mem- bers anxious to hear the Premier expound his Government of India Bill.

Lord PALMEBSTON moved for leave to bring in a bill "for the better government of India," in a speech of moderate length, about one-third of which was preface, one-third an exposition of the measure, and one- third devoted to meeting the anticipated objections that the time is in- opportune. He said that he did not act in a spirit of hostility to the East India Company ; and that it was not upon the ground of any de- linquency on the part of the Company, but upon the ground of the in- convenience and the injurious character of the existing arrangements, that he proposed to substitute the direct government of the Crown. He showed that there is a conflict of responsibility ; pictured momentous despatches oscillating in cabs between Cannon Row and Leadenhall Street ; and pointed out that the results are a compromise unsatisfactory both to the India House and the Board of Control. He then described the proposed change. The bill will be confined solely to the Government at home, and will make no change in India. Instead of the Court of Directors and Court of Pro- prietors, there will be a President and Council; with a Secretary, capable of sitting in Parliament. The President will be a member of the Cabinet, and the organ of the Government. The members of Council will be eight in num- ber nominated for eight years ; they must either have served or resided in India a certain number of years. They will go out of office in rotation, two every second year. The Crown may rbnew appointments. The decision of the President will, like that of the Foreign or Colonial Secretaries, be final in all matters treated of by the Council. If the members differ from the President, they may record the facts in a minute-book. Four members will be a quorum. In the absence of the President, a Secretary of State may act for him. The Councillors will have power to distribute business among themselves. Their salary will be 10001. a year. They will not be capable of sit- ting in Parliament. As regards patronage, talked appointments will remain as they have hitherto been, with this difference that the members of Council in India will be nominated the Governor-General instead of by the Home Government. Writerships will be open to competition, cadetships will be divided between the President and members of Council. The Army will consist,. as heretofore, of Queen's freer, local European corps enlisted for service in India, and a diminished Native force. So long as limited to ser- vice in Asia, the troops will be paid out of the Indian revenue. The Secret Committee will be abolished, and its functions vested in the President. There will be an audit of the revenues of India, and the amounts will be laid before Parliament. Mr. BARING moved, as an amendment, " that it is not at present ex- pedient to legislate for the government of India " ; and supported this amendment by an argumentative speech, derived to a considerable extent from the famous petition. In the debate that followed, the motion was supported by Sir Ensxrice PERRY Mr. A.YRTON, and the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and the amendment by Mr. MONCRTON MILNES, Mr. VANSITTART, and Sir JOHN ELPHINSTONH. On the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK, the debate was adjourned till Monday.

The London Corporation Regulation Bill was read a second time, and sent to a Select Committee.

Before the chief business of the evening-the India Bill-came on, several questions were asked. In answer ik Mr. WARREN, Sir GEORGE GREY said that last year the French Government submitted to the British Government a copy of certain judicial proceedings relating to an attempt on the life of the Emperor, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was evidence sufficient to enable the Government to prosecute persons in this country for conspiracy. After full consideration, the Govern- ment decided that there was not sufficient evidence.

In reply to questions, Mr. Lersouonsnn stated that the Government intend to resume the direct government of the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company ; but that they are disposed to renew the licence of ex- clusive trading under certain conditions.

In the House of Peers, Lord Bsorterrammoved for returns illustrating the operation of imprisonment for debt, and the separate jurisdiction in Bankruptcy (traders) and Insolvency (non-traders). In the brief con- versation among the Law Lords on the motion, which passed of course, the Loan CHANCELLOR, much dubitating, expressed his perfect readiness to take into favourable consideration any scheme proposed by Lord Brougham.

The Moniteur states, "that the measures recently taken to defend and consolidate the constitution were determined upon some time ago. The attack upon the Emperor has neither inspired nor aggravated those mea- sures; they are addressed to but one category of criminals clearly defined. France, which has just witnessed the Empress's courage, knows that in the event of misfortune she would find in her another Blanche of Castile, ready to defend the rights of her son, and make of him a prince after God's heart."

The trial of the Drapeau, a somewhat irregular journal published at Brussels, which discussed the attempt of the 14th January not in a tone of reprobation, promises to become really interesting. When Brismee, the printer and publisher, was brought up for trial at the Brabant Assizes on Thursday, he for the first time disclosed the author of the article, M. Louis Labarre, a literary man born in Belgium ; who chal- lenges a fair trial in his own person. The Court accordingly ordered a new investigation. The hearing of the case is postponed, with every prospect that Labarre and his counsel will show fight.

There is a telegraphic despatch from the Indian Government to the Secret Committee, dated Calcutta, January 9. Its main intelligence has been forestalled by the earlier arrivals ; but there are some new points. It is stated that Sir Colin Campbell attacked the rebel near Futteghur, in- stead of being attacked by them. A quantity of Nana Sahib's gold and silver plate has been captured near Bithoor. Brigadier Campbell, cross- ing the Ganges at Allahabad, had defeated a rebel chief at Secundra. " Captain Osborne, with the troops of the Rewah Rajah, took the city of Myhere by storm on the 28th of December, capturing two guns. The fort of Myhere was also taken on the 3d of January."

The Convocation of the Prelates and Clergy of the Province of Canter- bury was yesterday prorogued until August next. There were some sharp discussions on the Divorce Act in the Lower House, but nothing was done.

The Gazette of last night states that Lord Eversley has been appointed second Church Estates Commissioner, in the room of Sir John George Lefevre, resigned.

Charles Hanbury Tracy, created Lord Sudeley in 1838, died on Wednes- day? at Toddington Park, Gloucestershire, in his eighty-first year. He sat in the House of Commons from 1831 to 1837.

[Although the excessive crowding upon our space absolutely compels us to omit several letters that are in type, we must give the following, as it bears upon the interest of the dinner to Dr. Livingstone at the Free- mason's Tavern today ; the writer-Mr. Macgregor Laird-being him- self no mean authority in matters of African travel.] Sra-A great man is about to depart from amongst us, and again to risk health and life in the exploration of Central Africa. A small number of his friends meet him at dinner, to wish him God speed on his journey. Perhaps there is no man-not even the Prime Minister-more popular than Dr. Livingstone. I think, in common with the mass of my country- men, that he is the greatest traveller this country has produced. He has bisected Southern Africa-alone he did it, single-handed among savages, the first White man they had seen. He crossed from the Western to the Eastern Ocean, enduring fatigue, hunger, thirst, disease, with the cou- rage that God alone inspires.

We have all read his Journal. What a marvellous history ! What a combination of great qualities he displays !-patience, perseverance, cou- rage, energy, Christian love and charity, combined with a knowledge of medicine, natural history, botany, geology ; the most perfect observer and traveller this country has produced. Geographers tell me that his as- tronomical observations fix every point with the accuracy of a professional surveyor. Here is a man whom the nation delights to honour : and what do the na- tion's rulers please to do for him ? Appoint him Consul, with a salary of 6°W. per annum ; a sum they pay to any man who will take such an ap- pointment on that pestilential coast; a sum less than a precis-writer in the

Foreign Office gets ! Since Robert Burns got the office of "ganger," there has been no such reward offered to transcendent merit and genius.

Lord Clarendon perhaps has nothing better to offer. If so, surely her Majesty's Government can propose in the House of Commons a pension of 5001. a year in addition; to the man who has literally discovered a new con- tinent, and opened it to the enterprise of our race.

Alas ! when we shake him by the hand on Saturday, and look at honest manly face and into his fearless eye, we may think how few Afric-t. travellers have lived to enjoy a pension !

MACGREGOR LA MD.