Ethatto an turrthingo Varliamtut.

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OF THE WEEK.

Horse or Loans. Friday, June 9. Minister of War; Lord Derby's Questions —Military Knights of Windsor ; Lord Albemarle's Motion for a Select Committee —Income-tax (No. 2) Bill read a second time.

Hones OF Commons. Thursday, June 8. Minister of War; Lord John Russell's Statement—Supply; Civil Estimates—Exchequer Bonds (6,000,00014 Bill read a third time and passed—Criminal Procedure; Mr. Aglionby's Bill read a second time. Friday, June 9. New Writ for London, in the room of Lord John Russell—Sup- ply; Civil Estimates—Common Law Procedure ; Lord Chancellor's Bill read a se- cond time—Bills of Exchange (No. 2); Lord Brougham's Bill read a second time —Borough Rates; Attorney-General's Bill, leave given—Convict Prisons (Ireland); Sir John 'Young's Bill read a first time.

TIME- TABLE, The Lords. The Commons.

Hour of Hour of Hour of Hour of

Meeting. Adjournment. Meeting. Adjournment. Thursday 4h . (m) Its ism its .... 7h 5m Friday 4h .(,$) its ins Sittings this Week, 1; Time, its in Sittings this Week. 2; Time, 185 15m

----- this Session. 62; — 1465 5m — this Session. 77 ; — 530h 32m THE WAR MINISTER.

On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, on Thursday, Lord Jolts Russell. replied to a question put before the recess by Mr. Hume, with a statement of the intentions of the Government in regard to the War Department. There are two questions—the immediate efficiency of the War Department, and the arrangements of the divided military de- partments. With respect to the first, general opinion and the Govern- ment concur in thinking that the Colonial Minister is physically and morally incapable of giving that great attention to the affairs of the War Department which they now require ; and therefore it is decided to separate the War from the Colonial Department. With respect to the second question, Lord John enumerated the -various military depart- ments: the Commander-in-chief takes her Majesty's pleasure as to the amount of the force to be kept for the year, and gives generally those directions by which military affairs are regulated ; the Secretary at War administers financial matters; the Board of Ordnance manages the Artillery and Engineers ; the Commissariat is a department of the Treasury ; and there are other departments more or less connected with these affairs. The Committee of 1831-'32, headed by the Duke of Richmond, recommended the formation of a Board, with various subdi- visions; but Earl Grey, who was then at the head of affairs, objected to that plan, and it was dropped. Some years after, another Committee, with Lord Howick, then Secretary at War, at its head, recommended a great concentration of departments ; but the Duke of Wellington ob- jected, and that plan was also dropped. Considering all these objections, Government think it best for the present to confine the change to the making of a separate Secretary of State, confiding to him the superin- tendence of the whole military administration. He Bill see from time to time what improvements are needed, and can either introduce such im- provements singly or propose a plan. To introduce such changes in a time of war would put everything into confusion. It took two years to carry out the change induced on the abolition of the Navy Board by Sir James Graham twenty years ago ; a reason why no plan should be hast- ily adopted. One proposed change cannot be considered in the light of an improvement—namely, the proposal to transfer the patronage now vested in the Commander-in-chief to the hands of a political officer. It will not be necessary to pass a bill to carry out the change proposed : it can be effected in the same way as the separation of the Home Office from the Colonial Office. There will be some but not great additional expense ; the establishment already in existence will no doubt be suffi- cient.

Mr. HUME was glad that Government has made a beginning, but he bad hoped they would have laid a definite statement of their plan on the table. He desired that the Army should be placed under one head, a member of the Government, who should have all the affairs of the Army under his care. Mr. Emace also expressed dissatisfaction at the short- coming of the proposed change ; and advocated the placing of the Army under one Minister, responsible to Parliament, and to whom all the various departments should be responsible. Mr. RICH stated that he

Friday

should not now proceed with his motion to consolidate, economize, and simplify the administration of the Army : he was glad to hear the state- ment made that evening. Colonel Denise made some remarks dispa- raging the management of the war, especially as regarded supplies and cavalry. He thought the Minister of War ought to be a military man.

Surer,.

After Mr. Wila.iems bad complained of the growth of the Civil Esti. mates of late years, and had advocated the reference of those estimates to a Select Committee, the House went into Committee of Supply.

On the vote of 135,863/. for public buildings and Royal Palaces, Mr. WILLIAMS objected to an item of 2000/. for replacing the present decayed farm-buildings at Windsor. Mr. WILSON and Sir Wrixtem MOLESWORTH explained, that Prince Albert held the farm at Windsor on the same terms as an ordinary tenant—paying out of his own pocket half the ex. panic of improvements. The vote was for the Dairy Farm, an append- age of the Castle just as much as a kitchen garden. Mr. Per.a.arr com- plained that the British Museum is open only three days a week. The assigned reason is that students might copy the works of art ; but one day when he called only twelve students were there, and twenty-four is the highest number ever present. The country pays 1000/. a year for the instruction of each of these students. Mr. Goma:Erns observed that the study of art is a public advantage ; and that the students could not draw surrounded by fifty thousand persons. Vote agreed to. On the vote of 66,5851. for maintaining and keeping in repair the Royal Parks, pleasure-grounds, &c., various suggestions were made by Mr. EWART, Mr. HUME, and Lord Roemer Gnosvesoe: that the fountain in Bushy Park should be repaired ; that the Home Park at Bushy should be thrown open to the public ; that more seats should be placed round the trees in Hyde Park. Mr. WILLiams specially complained of the refusal to permit hack cabs to pass from Pall Mall into St. James's Park. Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH said, any alteration at Bushy would subvert the rights of the Ranger ; but he would see what could be done. As to the fountain, to repair it would be costly ; but he would have a new estimate prepared. Vote agreed to. A considerable conversation arose on the vote of 141,294/. for the Houses of Parliament. In reply to Mr. HUME and other Members, Mr. GLAD- nose said that last year Sir Charles Barry had been asked for a final esti- mate; but, in consequence of serious illness, he had not yet supplied it. With respect to the charge of pulling down and putting up again, much of that had been done against Sir Charles Barry's opinion. Mr. HUME meved that the vote should be postponed until the final es- timate could be laid before the Committee. Upon this a division was taken ; but the vote was carried by 57 to 35. On the vote of 68,600/. for the salaries and expenses of the Privy Council, Mr. BOIT remarked that the Clerk of the Council, in 1853, re- ceived a salary of 20001., but this year it is set down at 25001.: why had no note of the cause of the increase been appended to the vote ? It was explained by Mr. CARDWELL and Mr. GLADSTONE, that the salary was originally 2600/. a year, but had been reduced to 20001. while Mr. Gre- vine held the patent appointment of agent for Jamaica at 500/. a year, paid by the Imperial Government : that place had been bought up and extinguished, and the salary had reverted to the original 2500/. If fur- ther inquiry were asked, the vote should be postponed. Mr. VERNON SMITH corrected the statement that Mr. Greville was agent for Jamaica : he was merely secretary to the Assembly of Jamaica. Vote postponed, in deference to the desire for more information.

CRIMINAL PROCED17RE.

In moving the second reading of the Criminal Procedure Bill, Mr. AOLIONBY briefly stated, that its object is to allow prisoners accused of minor offences to plead guilty and receive their sentences at Petty Sessions in open court, to spare prosecutors the expense of attending at the Assizes, and to rescue youthful offenders from the contamination of imprisonment while awaiting trial. Mr. Col:err; arguing that the bill would increase the expense of criminal prosecutions, and encourage magistrates to inflict light sentences, moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months. Lord PALMERSTON said, the imperfections of the bill might be remedied in Committee. The House divided, and the second reading of the bill was carried by 50 to 9.