POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY.
Both Houses of Parliament sat yesterday, for a short time only. Both received messages from the Queen respecting the funeral of the Duke of Wellington.
"Victoria B. Her Majesty, desirous of marking in the most solemn man- ner her sense of the preeminent services of the late Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington,. and of affording to her Majesty's subjects an opportunity of testifying their veneration for his memory, and their sorrow for the loss which they have sustained by his death, has directed that measures shall be taken for the public interment, at the earliest possible period, of his Grace's mortal remains in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's. The Queen is per- suaded, that in taking this step her Majesty has anticipated the general wishes of Parliament and of the country, and that you will afford to her Ma- jesty your cordial aid and concurrence in giving to the mournful ceremony a degree of solemnity and importance worthy of the country and of the occa- sion. Her Majesty is confident that you will readily concur in any suitable provision which may be made by the liberality of the House of Commons for the due discharge of this debt of public gratitude and tribute of national sorrow."
Monday was fixed in both Houses to take the message into considera- tion. The Peers appointed a Committee, on the motion of Lord DERRY, to report in what manner the propositions of the message should be carried out, and the part the House would take therein.
In the House of Commons, Lord LOVAINE brought up the report of the Address ; and a running fire of questions and complaints was directed against Ministers. Divers Irish Members, Mr. FAGAN, Captain Maosar, and Sergeant SHEE, at different periods of the sitting, resented the use in the Queen's Speech of the words "an unhappy spirit of insubordination and turbulence" as applied to Ireland, and asked for an explanation. Mr. NAPrER (Attorney-General for Ireland) replied to Mr. Fagan, with- out giving satisfaction : Captain Megan was unheeded altogether. Mr. HUME intervened on their behalf, and thus called up Lord NAAS ; who seemed to consider that the phrase was wilfully misunderstood. At length, in a friendly but energetic and pointed manner, Mr. Sergeant Sirsa showed that nothing could be understood by the words, except that there was a spirit of turbulence in Ireland which it was intended to suppress by coercive measures. Challenged individually to display his usual can- dour, Mr. WA.LPOLE answered, that Government did not intend to apply for coercive measures. The paragraph was general, and Ministers did not intend to do anything of any sort or kind contrary to a liberal and gene- rous policy.
" We intend in the course of the session to bring in certain measures in reference to Ireland, and amongst others a measure for the settlement of the relations between landlord and tenant, including in that law that much vexed question, which is so anxiously looked to in Ireland, of giving compensation for the improvements of tenants ; and I hope it will be re- sponded to, on the part of the people of Ireland, in the same spirit in which it is offered."
Lord PALM:HESTON pointed out a significant omission in the Queen's Speech : there is no mention of cooperation on the part of the Spanish Government to put an end to the slave-trade in Cuba. Several cargoes of slaves have lately been landed in Cuba; and the Spanish Government is without excuse for the infraction of the treaty. It is exposed to the imputation that one part of its policy " with regard to the retention of the island of Cuba," has been to encourage and increase a Black population, and thus overawe the Whites, and make them cling more closely to the mother-country for protection." He stated that he would move for a return of the Negroes landed in Brazil and Cuba respectively, since the last return in 1851.
In reply to Lord Joni{ RUSSELL, Sir JOHN PARINGTON stated that Go- vernment is not prepared to declare its intention with regard to the introduction of a bill to enable the Canadian Legislature to deal with the Clergy Reserves. The Cnermemme of the EXCHEQUER declined to accede to a request of Mr. Srnarity HERBERT, that the papers relating to the fishery negotiations with the United States should be laid on the table. He had, however, no doubt but that" the result will prove satisfactory." In announcing the day selected by the Government for -the financial statement, the Cnearciuxon of the EXCHEQUER said-
" It is my intention on the 26th of November to lay before the House those alterations in our system of taxation which we think the change in our com- mercial system renders necessary. The House will permit me to say, if any notice is brought forward the object of which is to prevent me making that statement, I reserve to myself the right to take a different course." ("Hear, hear !" from the Ministerial benches.)
Sir ALEXANDER Comment; presented a petition from Derby, complain- ing that Mr. Horsfall was elected by "systematic bribery," and that the
Right Honourable Major Beresford, a Privy Councillor, a member of her Majesty's Government, Secretary at War, and a Member of that House, was himself a party to such bribery, through one John Frail, who had conducted it. Sir Alexander gave notice, that on the 19th instant he will move for a Select Committee to inquire into the allegations of the petition.
After the report on the Address was agreed to, Mr. WALPOLE gave no- tice that he should bring in a bill on Monday, and ask for it a suspension
of the standing orders, to declare that the day of the Duke of •Welling- ton's funeral should be treated as a'Lord's Day in the City, in so far as regards the payment of promissory notes and bills of exchange.
The House adjourned at six o'clock, till Monday.
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