POSTSCR,IPT.
SATURDAY.
The principal business of the House of Commons last night was the passing of the Despatch of Business, Court of Chancery, Bill ; but an Irish Member provided other entertainment.
Mr. BOWYER, moving that the House at its rising should adjourn till Monday, offered a defence for the conduct of the Pope and the King o Naples ; and, denying that the state of Italy is so bad as represented, he referred the frustration of constitutional government to the secret socie- ties" and "Lord Minto's minion." With regard to the Italian Legion,, it is highly desirable ; but it may, when disbanded, become dangerous to public tranquillity. Lord PALMERSTON said that the Legion would consist of from 4000 to 6000 men. These men, having been well disciplined, will when dis- banded, be less likely to be turbulent subjects. He thought Mr. Bowyer would confer a greater favour on the Governments he patronizes—those of Rome and Naples—by holding his tongue, than by attempting any de- fence. Everybody knows that the greatest cruelty has been exercised in those countries. Cruelty may be practised without the victims being put to death. He denied that the British Government are to blame ; and he vindicated the mission of Lord Minto—all whose transactions were fair and above board—and the conduct of Mr. Freeborn, at Rome, who only did his duty in granting passports to persons who, in 1849, would have been the victims of private revenge.
"The other day I was informed, upon what I believe to be good authority, of a circumstance which, some time ago, occurred in the kingdom of Naples, and which affords us a fair specimen of what is passing in certain parts of Italy. A very respectable man, in a provincial town in the kingdom of Na- ples, was arrested by the Government authorities; and his friends remon- strated with the officer who had arrested him, saying, This man is perfectly innocent; he has committed no offence whatever ; he leads a quiet life ; nobody has accused him of anything, and he must have been arrested through some mistake.' The officer replied, There is no mistake what- ever. I know him to be perfectly innocent, and that be has not com- mitted an offence any more than you or L" Then, why have you ar- rested him ? ' was naturally asked. Why, I have arrested him because I have been lately taken to task by the Government for want of ac- tivity. I have been told, "You have arrested nobody for such a length of time, and you must arrest somebody." Why, then, should I not arrest your friend as well as anybody else ?' (Laughter.) Such is the course taken by the Governments of which the honourable and learned Member has made himself the advocate. And this is not all. I was informed a short time ago that a man had been arrested in one of these states simply for the pur- pose of extorting a ransom from his friends ; and that, I am told, is no rare occurrence."
Lord Hari:rex rebuked Mr. Bowyer for committing a greater abuse of the privileges of private Members than he ever before witnessed. Motion withdrawn.
In Committee on the Despatch of Business, Court of Chancery, Bill, the Sofscrron-Gmezmif made some general remarks on the reforms re- cently effected in the Court, and on the unsatisfactory state of the appel- late jurisdiction in the House of Lords—remarks in which Sir JAMES GRAmAid concurred. Clause 2 of the bill was omitted ; and, the standing orders being suspended, the measure passed through the remaining stages.
The time of the House of Lords was mainly occupied by a debate, began by Lord IfoNTEsufn, on war finance' on the motion for going into Committee on the Exchequer Bills Bill. He condemned the mode of raising money by Exchequer Bonds. The Earl of MALMESEURY raised a useless debate on the extradition convention of 1852. Earl GREY de- nounced the Turkish Loan from the experience of the Russo-Dutch Loan; and launched into a wholesale condemnation of the reckless expenditure of the war, which might have been conducted at far less cost, if the money voted had been judiciously expended. The bill passed through Committee.
In the House of Lords, today, the Limited Liability Bill was read a third time and passed. It is now understood that Parliament will.break up on Tuesday.
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