In consequence of the forenoon sitting, the business programme for
next week will not be published till Monday morning. For Monday's forenoon sitting, the following notices have been given—
Resolution, " 1. That the Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild is not entitled to vote in this House, or to sit in this House during any debate, until he shall take the oath of abjuration in the form appointed by law. 2. That this House will, at the earliest opportunity in the next session of Parliament, take into its serious consi- deration the form of the oath of abjuration, with a view to relieve her Majesty's sub- jects professing the Jewish religion"—Mr. Attorney-General.
Amendment, " That the Clerk of this House, havingproceeded as-directed by the House to administer the oaths to Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild, one of the Members for the City of London, upon the Old Testament, being the form which he declared to be most binding upon his conscience ; and the Baron having so sworn to the oath of -abjuration, with the omission of the-words • upon the true faith of a Christian ' ; and doubts having arisen as to the legal effect of his so taking the oath ; it is expedient, at the eommencement of the next session-of Parliament, that a bill should be introduced to declare the law with reference to the due administration of that oath : and further, that this House will then take into its serious consideration the subject of the oaths now administered to its 'Members with reference to the changes which have taken place since they were first imposed by, law"—Mr. Hume.
Motion, "That the Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild, a Member duly elected for the City of London, be heard by himself, his counsel or agents, in support of his claim to sitand vote in this House"—Mr. Anstey.
The interest excited out of doors by the -determination of Baron Rothaehild to claim his -seat in_ person, has been shown by the run, for several days, upon the offices where Parliamentary, papers are sold, for copies of thelteport of -Mr. Page Wood's Committee on the Oaths of Members. The demand has only been equalled in two other cases—for theMetropolitan Interment-Bill, and the'-Heport of the Board of Health on the subject Of a Supply of Water for the Metropolis.
"In point of time even, Lord John Russell will find that he has gained nothing for the public by laying aside the dew Bill. It would have gone through its doges at least as quickly' as the bill of 1849; and that did not occupy more than nineteen hours reckoning from the first reading. Twelve hours have already been taken up -with discussions arising out of Baron Rothschild's appearance at the table ; the Ministerial 'recipe for smoothing the difficulty comes on for consideration on Monday ; and the ehonees are that the remaining seven hours will be consumed before the more systematic struggle has well commenced
-The interest in the result is somewhat heightened by the circumstance that all the officials are-at liberty to vote as they like ; whence some per- sons contemplate a break-up of the Government, from the decided dis- parity of opinion to be evinced when a critical vote shall occur. As yet the-holders of office have clung to their chief; the only exceptions occurred on the vote of Tuesday, when Mr. Sheil and Solicitor-General Cockburn voted against their colleagues, on a question arising out of Sir Frederick Thesiger's motion to issue a new writ for London.
It is thought that the lowering of the roof of the New House of Com- mons will improve the hearingto an extent which may render the cham- ber available for use. The temporary roof, the effect of which was tried on Wednesday, is fixed eight feet lower than the present roof in the centre part, and twelve feet lower at-the edges. In shape it resembles the roof of the„present House of _Commons; Which also is a "false" roof, it having been constructed considerably lower than the original, with the view of improving the hearing, at the time the Commons took possession of the chamber. Members as well as reporters speak rather favourably of the result of the experiment. In one ease mentioned to us, a-Member speaking with his back to the wall was badly heard by the benches oppo- site. Mr. Speaker is said to hear better in the chair than he did before.
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