28 APRIL 1849, Page 9

POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

The House of Commons transacted a variety of business; some of which is sufficiently indicated by the simple mention in our Parliamentary index. The House of Commons transacted a variety of business; some of which is sufficiently indicated by the simple mention in our Parliamentary index.

A good deal of time was devoted to the Rate-in-aid Bill; the clauses of which were considered in Committee. Various amendments were moved by Sir HENRY BARRON, Mr. FAGAN, Colonel DUNNE, and Mr. SHA.RMAN CRAWFORD ; but severally representing very sectional views, they were supported by very small numbers. A,good deal of the discussion turned upon personalities—Sir Henry Barron's hard words on English Members, Mr. Reynolds's assaults on the Irish landlords, the recent appointment of Mr. Reynolds's son, Mr. Bateson's mustachios' &c. Ultimately, the bill passed through the Committee, and was ordered to be reported this day at noon.

A longish discussion took place on the proposed Committee on Savings- banks [three Irish and one Scotch]. Mr. REYNOLDS moved the following list—

Mr. Reynolds, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Henry Herbert, Mr. Goul- burn, Mr. Napier, Mr. John Abel Smith, Mr. Grogan, Mr. Gibson Craig, Mr. George Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Spooner, Mr. F. Mackenzie, Mr. Henley, Sir Henry Willoughby, Mr. Keogh, and Mr. Bourke.

Sir CHARLES WOOD objected, that as the question at issue resolved itself into a claim on the Consolidated Fund, it was no longer of an exclusively Irish character, and he proposed that the question should be referred to Mr. Herbert's Committee of last year; the list of which was afterwards read by MY. JOHN ABEL SMITH, as follows— The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Goulburn, Sir J. Graham, Mr. Villiers, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Berries, Mr. Gibson Craig, Mr. P. Scropet Sir J. Bailer, Mr. Hume, Mr. K. Seymer, Mr. Fagan, Mr. J. A. Smith, Mr. S. Adair, and Mr. Bramston.

Mr. HERBERT now declared that he had been unfairly treated last year. After much delay, the Chancellor of the Exchequer consented to the Com- mittee which was appointed to inquire into the affairs of Irish, Scotch, and English savings-banks; but Sir Charles Wood said, "You have not much experience in the House, and perhaps you will allow me to nominate it?" With a foolish degree of innocence, Mr. Herbert consented; and then the Chancellor of the Exchequer nominated a Committee comprising only three Irish Members!

Sir CHARLES Woon proposed a compromise: be would accept the first four names on Mr. Reynolds's list, but should divide on the fifth name; anti if he succeeded, should postpone the rest. The House divided accordingly, and negatived the name of Mr. Napier, by 111 to 74.

In the other House, Lord Busumosrr called for the long postponed papers on the affairs of Sicily, particularly communications touching the outrages committed by the Neapolitan soldiery at Catania; where the revolting bar- barities of Messina had been repeated. The conversation diverged into an animated disputation respecting the delay of the Sicilian papers generally. The Earl of ABERDEEN took it to imply that the papers were under- going a process of manufacture, requiring perhaps that great management and dexterity of which their Lordships had already had some experience. Lord EDDISBURY denied with indignation that there was any manufacture of the papers. Lord ABERDEEN and Lord STANLEY threw discredit 012 the reports from Catania; but the Earl of MINTO confirmed them in the most emphatic terms, from private letters. Certain papers specified by Lord BEAUMONT were ordered.

The discussion on the second reading of the Cruelty to Animals Bill lu- dicrously illustrates either the acoustic deficiencies of the House or the sleepy method in which the Peers were transacting business. In the midst of a sharp discussion which wandered to divers subjects—dog-carts, soft-footed animals cock-fighting, steeple-chases, &e., the LORD CHANCEL- Loa suddenly observed that there was no motion before the House, as the second reading of the bill had been carried. This intelligence took their Lordships by surprise; and the Earl of Canusut informed his noble and learned friend that the Earl of Mato had moved an amendment for reading the bill a second time that day six months. The LORD Criarramton was now equally astonished: he had not heard a word of the amendment! After some consultation, Lord CAMPBELL announced that the objections would be renewed on the third reading.