POSTSCRIPT.

SATIIRDA.Y.

The proceedings last night in both Houses of Parliament tended more to discussion than business.

In the House of Lords the Bishop of EXETER moved for the appoint- ment of a Select Committee to inquire into the deficiency of means of spiritual instruction and places of divine worship in the metropolis, and in other populous districts in England and Wales, especially in the mining and manufacturing districts, and to consider the fittest means of meeting the difficulties of the case. The motion was supported by a speech justifying by detailed exposition the .r.;eessity of an inquiry. It was supported on all sides, and agreed to unanimously. The other subject discussed was the Transatlantic and Mediterranean Telegraphs, on a motion for papers by Earl GREY; who objected to monopolies. In the course of the discussion, the Earl of DERBY said that neither the Atlantic nor Mediterranean Extension Companies would pos- sess exclusive privileges. Lord STANLEY of Alderley said, with regard to the Mediterranean line, that it would be most unwise to vest the manage- Iment in an Austrian comptuiy. The C,overnment should invite British capitalists to construct a telegraph between Malta and Alexandria. Lord DERBY replied, that there did not seem to have been any communication between the Treasury and the Board of Trade, during the late Govern- ment.- Lord Stanley would find that the interests of the country had not been neglected by his late colleagues. They had stipulated with the Austrian company that we should lay down as many lines as we please, and have complete control between Malta and Alexandria. The Earl of MALlressuity, in reply to a question, said that a proposal had been made to her Majesty's Government to lay down a telegraphic line from Plymouth to Gibraltar, thence to Malta, and finally to Alexandria. Part of the papers were ordered.

In the House of Commons, the motion for the adjournment of the House at its rising until Monday, was seized as an opportunity to put questions by Sir Jous TRELAWNY on Church-rates ; Sir ERSKINE PERRY on Oude ; Lord Jour; RUSSELL on the India Bill (No. 2.) Mr. DISRAELI replied to all at once. He declined to give a day to Sir John Trelawny for a Committee on the Church-rates Bill. The House would do better to discuss Mr. Puller's proposal. As regards our policy in Oude he said that instructions have been sent out to India the general tenour of which is that, consistently with a full regard to the claims of justice, there shall be regard for property and toleration. Touching the India Bill (No. 2) Mr. Disraeli said that he had kept it on the paper because he thought that if the resolutions were carried he could alter the bill in accordance with the resolutions. That course he now felt would not be respectful to the House, and he believed it would be more consistent with the forms of the House to introduce a new bill. Lord PALMERSTON said that the Government had taken the only course open to them. Mr. BRIGHT said it was the most convenient. Changing the subject, he urged Mr. Disraeli to take a lesson from the division on Wednesday with respect to church-rates, and not attempt to stop the progress of that measure by refusing a day. " We don't want to see a change of Government; but we are determined to have this Churoh-rate Bill passed. (Cheers.) A very large majority of the House is in favour of the measure, and at this time, when there is not much business before the House, I don't see why we should not have an oppor- tunity of proceeding with the bill, and theu, having passed it, to cement it to its fate elsewhere.' It is not in the power of any Government' to'

the bill's passing into law."

This appeal drew forth no response. Mr. VERNON SMITH took the opportunity of reverting to India and defending Lord Canning from the

censure of members of the Government when in Opposition, and that im- plied in Mr. Disraeli's statement respecting the instructions that have

been sent out. Sir JOHN PmErsoTos and Mr. DISRAELI said their cen- sures were " hypothetical." Lord Canning had given a satisfactory an- swer to the Calcutta petition.

Here the House went into Committee of Ways and Means, and much amusement was occasioned by the rapidity with which the resolution imposing a duty on bankers' cheques was agreed to without a word being said.

The next motion was that the House should go into Committee of Supply. Thereupon Captain Vrvisx complained that General Peel had made no statement on the subject of the Army Estimates, Mr. DRUMMOND made a speech on the necessity of keeping up a large army so long as we protect those " political Thugs" the revolutionists. Colonel Ssirrn objected to the disembodiment of a large force of Militia at a season when the men could get no work. Many Members enforced the objection. Lord PALMERSTON defended it. The men were called out to supply the place of troops sent to India. Recruit- ing has now filled up that gap. There are more men under arms than the revenue enables us to pay. It is the duty of the present as it was of the late Government to disembody the regiments no longer required. General PEEL and Mr. DISRAELI repeated this explanation. In Committee several votes in the Naval Estimates were agreed to. An attempt was made to take military votes ; but it was past midnight; Mr. WILLIAMS objected to further progress ; but when he had been beaten on a division by 163 to 36, the Government gave way, and the House re- sumed.

One of the last things done was to discharge the order for the second reading of the India Bill (No. 2.) A not very clear telegraphic despatch has been received this morning from India from the Times correspondent at Alexandria. The latest date is Ceylon, April 2.

" There is intelligence from Lucknow to the 22d of March. On the 20th, Brigadier Campbell's force returned from the pursuit of the enemy. Hutchison, of the Lancers, was dangerously wounded, and Cooper, of the Rifles, dead. On the 21st the Nombries (Nana's) retreat was stormed. He escaped, and a reward of 50,000 rupees is offered for his head. Outram's force had discovered and destroyed rebels in Lucknow, and the Prime Minister is among those reported as killed. Cape, of the lath Native In- fantry, and Thackwell were murdered by the enemy. Fanatics still fire on our troops. The Governor-General's proclaim:lion calling on the Ze- minders to submit had produced no effect. Oude is pacified, the enemy flying towards Sundeera. Jung Bahadoor goes to Allahabad. No civil officer had yet been sent to Lucknow by the Government. Some inhabitants were returning to the city. The beat was increasing daily.

"A telegram from Allahabad of the 24th states that Sir Hope Grant was sent on the 23d to disperse a body of insurgents under Rajah Jajlal Singh at Karee, and returned perfectly successful. He took 12 guns. The Disarm- ing Act was being enforced in the North-west Provinces. The sentence on the King of Delhi had not yet been made public. "The Inflexible, with Commissioner Yeh, had arrived at Calcutta." The intelligence by the same channel from Hongkong is to the 16th March.

" Canton continues tranquil. An Imperial edict was received on the 6th of March. Yeh's conduct is condemned. He is degraded, and -a successor appointed. The latter is to settle disputes with the barbarians, who, ex- cited to wrath by Yeh, had entered the city. Lord Elgin and his col- leagues had left for the north, the former on the 3d of March."

The debate on the Conspiracy Bill in the Turin Chamber of Deputies closed yesterday, The bill was adopted by 129 to 29. It must be re- membered that this was a vote of confidence.

M. de Lamartine has published in La Passe a reply to some of General La Marmora's remarks in the Turin Chamber. Apropos of the story of his having seen Austrian sappers working on the fortress of Alessandria, he says that he has not been in Piedmont since 1822. As to his not suffering the Mediterranean to become an Italian lake, he treats the re- port as stuff." His policy was explained in his " Manifesto."

The Nannette of this morning says that the statements of the In- dependence Beige, that France is adding greatly to her maritime arma- ments, is false. No change has been made in the provisions of the Budget.

The opinion of the present Law-officers of the Crown on the case of the Cagliari was laid before Parliament last night. The Queen's Advocate, the Attorney-General, and the Solicitor-General concur in the opinion that no evidence has been adduced which establishes any case against Park and Watt ; nothing to justify their having been " treated as male- factors of the worst class" or their subjection to "along and inhuman im- prisonment," since the Neapolitan Government "was in possession of the fullest information as to the guilt or innocence of each individual" on board the vessel. With regard to the capture of the Cagliari, the Advo- cate and Solicitor- General hold that the Neapolitan officer was justified "in taking possession of the Cagliari and in taking her to Naples, in order to a full investigation" ; but they are " unable to SOO any ground what- ever upon which the condemnation of the Cagliari as prize can be sup- ported." This opinion is given in general terms, and no cases are cited. In a separate, and much fuller paper, the Attorney-General, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, examines the facts, compares them with past cases, and comes to the conclusion " both from international law and practice that the capture of the Cagliari was illegal."