POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

The debate on Mr. Cobden's motion was resumed last night, carried on until past midnight, and again adjourned. There were eleven speakers :

on the side of the Opposition—Mr. WARREN, Mr. Warren-DB, Lord ROBERT CECIL, Lord GrODERICH and Sir JAMES GRAHAM ; OR the side of the Government—the Lonn-AirvoeKrn,4 Mr. HORSFALL, Sir CRART.V9 N.s.runr, Mr. Blarrneca, Admiral Braur.m.LBY, and the ArromairtGENERAL. The early portion of the discussion was in the main a repetition of the points pro and con raised and debated by previous speakers in both Houses. There were, however, three speakers in the latter

of the debate who threw in new points—Mr. Bentinck, Sir James (raloam, and the Attorney-General. Mr. BENTrNcx gave two reasons for voting with the Government A censure on our diplomatists would probably perpetuate and aggravate the strife in China : that was his first reason. His second was of a different character : he said he was not a supporter of the present Government, but they have a negative merit—they are powerless for evil.

No man in the House would hail the advent of "a pure Conservative Government" with greater. joy than himself, but he will never by any vote of his be accessory to bringing into power—more particularly in coinbination with a Conservative Government—any of those right honourable or honourable gentlemen who, for the last few years, have been identified with all the Anti-Protestant and Democratic measures which have been brought before Parliament ! (" Hear, hear !" and laughter.) Sir JADLES Gaanam, after reviewing the whole proceedings, took up this point, in connexion with the course adopted by Lord John Russell. "We have heard that at Canton there was a protest against these pro ceedings. I rejoiced, Sir, to hear the protest of Russell and Co. in this House last night. (Cheers and laughter.) Russell and Co. have been

heard, not at Canton, but here ; and I hope the effect of that protest will be distinctly marked in the division. Of tins, at all events, I sin sure—that the speech in which that protest was entered will be memorable in our Parliamentary annals when this miserable transaction of the loreha shall be

buried in oblivion. (Cheers.) The honourable Member for Norfolk says he supports her Majesty's present Government because he is most desirous of having a Conservative Administration at the head of affairs, and with that view he thinks it is most desirable to maintain the noble Viscount at the head of the Government. (Cheers and laughter.) I congratulate the noble Viscount upon the uncompromising support which the Member for Norfolk gives him. I am sure it must be most agreeable to the gentlemen sitting on this side of the House to know the reasons for which the honourable Member thinks the noble Lord more Anti-Catholic and more Anti-Democratic than any other Minister. (Cheers and laughter.) I congratulate the noble Lord on this support, and I congratulate the gentlemen around him on the motives upon which this support is based. (Renewed laughter.) . . . . My belief is that these debates will thoroughly occupy the minds and will reach the hearts of the people of England. I am satisfied that the division to which we are about to go will be regarded with immense interest by the people of this country. I do not think that Russell and Co. will be held subject to a very limited responsibility. I think the responsibility of that vote is near at hand, and I believe every Member in this House will be called to an account for that vote. (Cheers.) But whatever may be the question with regard to any human tribunal—(Cries of "Oh, oh !"from the Ministerial benches, and cheers)—that is not the only motive which influences me. In my opinion, the debate has proved, that whether you regard this as a question of policy or as a question of humanity, or whether you regard it in connexion with the most solemn of all considerations and by the light of our Christian prineiples—(" Oh, oh ! " and cheers)—these operations at Canton are utterly indefensible ; and I never in my life gave a vote with a more clear and conscientious conviction of its propriety than the vote I shall record in favour of the motion of the honourable gentleman." (Loud cheers.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL addressed himself to the legal points, and controverted the views both of Lord Lyndhurst and Lord St. Leonards. It was surprising and a little humiliating—even honourable and right honourable gentlemen who were so anxious to do justice to their absent friend—("Bear !" and laughter)—would be inclined to admit that it was a little hard to denounce Sir John Bowling as having been guilty of error on a point on which Lord Lyndhurst was at variance with Lord Wensleydale, and Lord St. Leonards was in direct opposition to the Lord Chancellor. . . . . Sir John Bowling did rightly and justly in upholding, in conformity with the national honour, the violated treaty, and m vindicating the ship's title to the privileges accorded by the treaty. But it was said that the Government should have been better instructed, and should not have indorsed the error of Sir John Bowling : now what did the Government do ? The Government submitted the papers to the Queen's Advocate, an officer appointed by Lord Derby : his opinion was contained in the despatch of the 10th December. The expression used in Sir John Bowring's letter was reiterated by the legal adviser of the Foreign Office, not a member of the Administration, who said, most rightly—for he indorsed the opinion fully—that "the expiration of the Arrow's sailing-licence on September 27, previous to her seizure does not appear to have been known to the Chinese au

thorities; and again is a matter of British regulation, which would not justify seizure by the Chinese."

Several Members rose at once to speak ; among them Mr. HOBERT PHILLIMOB.E who moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr. DISRAELI hoped the House would decide that night. Of course, if Ministers desired the debate to go on, it would not be fair, since they had treated it as a motion of censure, to object to an adjournment : but for his own part he hoped the House would divide. There were conflicting cries of " Divide !" and " Adjourn ! " Lord PALMERSTON said that the Government were quite ready to divide ; but, considering that many Members wished to speak, he thought it not unreasonable that the debate should be adjourned. There were again cries of " Divide !" and "Adjourn!" but the adjournment was agreed to without a division.

Earlier in the evening, Mr. Rut gave notice, that on going into Com-mittee of Supply on the Army Estimates, he should call attention to the report of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch on the sufferings of the Army in the Crimea, and also to the services rendered to the public by those gentlemen.

Mr. LAYARD inquired whether a communication had not been made to Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloeh, offering to them, as an acknowledgment of their services, 10001. each ; and whether the offer had not been indignantly rejected?

Lord Per.mensrox said, it was true that an offer had been made to Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch in the terms described. It was declined, not indignantly, but very courteously.

Mr. LAYARD also asked two other questions—Had Lord Palmerston received any information respecting the treaty alleged to have been signed between Persia and Russia ; and was it true that the negotiations with the Persian Ambassador at Paris had terminated?

Lord PALMERSTON replied, that he had great satisfaction in stating, on the authority of the Russian Minister at this Court and the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, that there was no foundation for the rumour of the existence of such a treaty. To use the words of the Russian Minister at this Court, "The whole is an entire fable." The negotiations at Paris with the Persian Ambassador were still going on.

In anticipation of a Ministerial crisis, the leaders of the Tory party have taken a direct step to improve its chances of getting into office. Lord Derby was yesterday morning surrounded by his supporters, summoned to his house in St. James's Square, in order to hear a declaration from himself. Members of both Houses were present, the Commons being represented by something more than a hundred and fifty. Lord Derby took very high ground ; his evident purpose being to re call the members of his party to their discipline. His starting-point was the amendment moved by Mr. Bentinek in the Budget debate. Ho said that the course pursued by the Opposition leader in the Commons had been laid down in council with himself; and he avowed that he would not tolerate any departure from it—that he would not permit any Member to dictate to him, and that any man who did so would be regarded as having left the party. He took some pains to counteract the report that there had been a coalition between himself and Mr. Gladstone. In doing so, ho challenged reference to his own past career, to show that he could do nothing injurious to Protestantism. At the same time, he pointed to the undeniable fact that the Conservatives are in a minority in the House of Commons ; and he asked if it would not be unwise to reject such accessions of strength as would enable it once more to resume the Government ? And while denying the imputed coalition, he observed, that when, by identity of opinion, Members were found voting together, it was impossible to deny that a political union had been de facto established. 'This statement was received with loud demonstrations of continued loyalty on the part of the Members present, many of whom expressed absolute confidence in Lord Derby. Some among the most hearty speakers in this sense belonged to the section that deviated in the Budget debate. The meeting separated with renewed "hopes,"

[How can Lord Derby refuse the right which he claims when he says that the identity of opinion and votes is a legitimate basis of union ? Surely if this principle is right in the case of Disraeli and Gladstone, it is equally right in the case of Bentinck and Palmerston.]

Letters from Macao, ,of the 10th of January, state that the Emperor of China had just placed in a state of siege the five ports of the empire open to Europea.ns.—Tekgraph from Paris.

The first annual meeting of the Middlesex Society for the Reformation and Employment of Discharged Criminals was held yesterday., in the Sessions-House, Clerkenwell ; the Marquis of Salisbury in the chair. It appeared from the report, that in the course of the year 26 eases were received from the Coldbath-fields Prison into the London Reformatory, 20 into the North-Western, and 12 into the Metropolitan ; in addition to which, 11 seamen were admitted into the Destitute Sailors' Home, and five general cases were provided for in other institutions. The report claims for the Society the credit of success, and asks further aid in order that its operations may be extended. A resolution was carried, pledging the subscribers to continue and extend their exertions in favour of the Reformatory system, especially as applicable to juvenile criminals.

The electors of Glasgow are likely to return Mr. Buchanan in the place of Mr. John Macgregor, and to find in him a man well qualified to represent them creditably. Mr. Buchanan publicly appeared as a candidate yesterday, and resolutely declined to move an inch in the direction in which Glasgow bigotry usually, forces any one who wants to be a " popular " man. He declared that he was opposed to the Maynooth grant as a part of the system of religious endowments, but that he was not prepared to vote for its abolition so long as the Irish Church Establishment was left standing. Wonderful as it may be thought, this piece of decency seems to have been swallowed by his listeners without much effort. Mr. Buchanan thought the time had come for making inquiry into the Forbes Mackenzie Act. He got pretty well through the ordeal of interrogatories about the franchise ; advocating a reduction of the tenantry qualification to 10/. in the counties and to U. in the burghs (refusing, however, to pledge himself to support a "household suffrage" in the mean time) ; but he was rather unnecessarily and inconsistently backward in avowing himself in favour of a lower ownership qualification in Scotch counties. Strangely enough, Mr. Buchanan said nothing, and no attempt was made to elicit anything from him, on the subject of education.—Seottonan, Feb. 27.

Mr. Selfe, the Thames Police Magistrate, ordered a warrant to be issued on Thursday for the arrest of one I homes Bell, calling himself a "citizen and cloekmaker," for writing threatening letters to Lord John Russell. Evidence was given to show that Bell is a dangerous lunatic."