POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

The chief proceeding in Parliament last night was the discussion and rejection of Sir John Trelawny's Church-rate Abolition Bill in the House of Peers.

The Duke of SOMERSET moved the second reading of the measure. In his speech he set the whole question carefully before the House, as it

stood in the past and as it stands at present, and followed up his histori- cal survey by well-known arguments in favour of the principle of the bill. Then he described the grievance as it affects Dissenters, and asked the House whether it is desirable to leave pending a question that pro- duces so much bitterness and hostility. There would never be a better time to settle it than now, and hereafter their lordships might find them.

selves in a worse position. He thought they should adopt the principle of the bill, but delay its operation, and he would propose to enable land- owners to charge their lands with rates. In the rural parishes this would be done, in other parishes church-rates must be regarded as a bad debt. In such places they are like old manorial rights, of no use to the lord of the manor and a torment to his neighbours. It is not a party question, and could now be settled in a calm spirit.

Lord Sr. LEONARDS took ground against the bill. He desired to see a fair settlement, but the plan proposed is literally a receipt without pay-

ment. By the law of England church-rates are a charge upon the land. Now we are asked to go back to the voluntary principle. He was ad- verse to the voluntary system ; to pew-rents ; he objected to the repeal of any portion of the Mortmain Act to allow landowners to charge their estates. But he would support any fair proposition, that would maintain the rights of the church, and the privileges of the poor, while it removes conscientious difficulties. Lord Wonzaousz combated the arguments of Lord St. Leonards. How can church-rates be a charge upon the land when in 600 parishes they are not paid at all ? He asked them to put confi- dence in the voluntary principle, and abolish this obnoxious impost at

once. The Duke of MARLBOROUGH contended that the true aim of the measure is to separate Church and State, and dry up one of the sources of the Church's revenue. The Duke of NEWCASTLE was so far from be-

lieving this that he was confident a large proportion of the Dissenters who object to church-rates are not hostile to the Church Establishment. He desired to see a settlement of the question. If the bill had come up earlier they might have found same substitute for church-rates ; but to attempt to pass the bill now would complicate the difficulties of the

question and impede its future settlement. He hoped it would be one of the earliest questions taken up by the Government next session. Lord WENSLEYDALE said there could be no doubt that parishes are under an obligation at common law to maintain the churches, but the difficulty lies in enforcing the obligation. The Earl of DERBY entered very fully into the question. He con- tended that church-rates, as far as principle is involved, stand on the same footing as tithes ; that it would be an act of gross injustice to de- prive the church of these rates without an equivalent ; that the opposi- tion to church-rates proceeds, in a great measure, upon a political-reli- gious principle; and he could not contend, he said, that the Dissenter, as a Dissenter, has a right to be relieved from the burden. He would, however, be willing to stretch a point if it were possible to come to an arrangement which would relieve conscientious Dissenters. But he must Dave an equivalent. Discussing the equivalents suggested, he seemed to favour that of the Duke of Somerset.

" I do not say that the difficulties could not be overcome. On the con- trary, the only mode by which we can come to a practical solution of the question is in such a proposition extended and carried further than the noble duke proposes ; that is the only _mode which I can see—namely, by voluntary action, in the first instance imposing a permanent liability, and not trusting to the permanent operation of the voluntary principle. I am too sensible of the difficulties which surround this question to venture to give to your lordships any distinct or decided pledge that I will undertake to produce a measure upon a subject which has baffled some of the ablest statesmen. It is a question which must be approached with the greatest caution and deliberation. It is a question moreover, in which some advances must be made both on one side and the other, and before we proceed to offer some suggestions for a compromise there ought to be fair and reasonable grounds for believing that the compromise so offered will be accepted. But if there be a mode in which it is possible gradually but permanently to put an end to the present system, it is by a voluntary commutation of church- rates. I see no other possible solution." Asking the House to reject this proposal for the absolute and uncondi- tional repeal of church-rates, he moved that the bill be a read a second time that day six months.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY insisted on the necessity of making some legal provision for the repair of churches. Earl GitaxibLE, de- sirous of effecting some compromise, said he should vote for the second reading. The sooner a settlement is arrived at the better for all classes concerned. The Bishop of LONDON thought it was desirable to settle the question ; but a bill simply depriving the church of 300,0001. a year, is not likely to conduce to any settlement. Earl GREY described the bill as a measure of injustice, a measure of robbery, against the labouring poor of the land. He was not inclined to surrender church-rates until an adequate substitute is provided. The debate was continued by Lord Penni %.N and Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY on behalf of the bill, and by Lord CAMPBELL and the Bishop of OXFORD against it. On a division there were Content (present 30 proxies 6) 36 ; Non-Content (present 109 proxies 78) 187. So the bill was thrown out.

Earlier in the evening the Duke of WELLINGTON put a question respecting the monument to be raised in memory of the Great Duke. Lord DERBY defended the selection of the design No. 18 by Stephens, and of the site in St. Paul's. He thought it would have been a hard- ship had not one of the prize designs been selected. Lord LANSDOWNE said the Government were under no obligation to select one. He thought there should be a limited competition.

The House of Commons were at work morning and evening upon the Government of India (No. 3) Bill in Committee. On clause 13, Mr. Commis proposed that the salary of the Councillors should be 5001. in- stead of 12001. a year. Negatived, after a long debate, by 224 to 67. On clause 14, Lord STANLEY, much urged by the House, consented to omit the words giving to Councillors of fifteen years' service a pension of 8001. As the clause stands, ten years' service entitles them to 5001. re- tiring allowance. On clause 27, providing that orders heretofore sent through the Secret Committee should be sent by the Secretary of State, without communication with the Council, there was much discussion. Lord PALMERSTON supported it ; Lord JOHN RUSSELL opposed it. On division, the clause was carried by 119 to 95. Clause 29 was amended by Lord STANLEY to the effect that appointments to the Presidential Coun- cils, instead of being with the Governor-General and the Governors of Presidencies, should rest with the Indian Minister and his Council.

The Committee having gone through the old clauses, arrived at the new ones. But it was now late, and notwithstanding the desire of the Government to get on, the Committee turned restive and would go no further. One new clause was brought up, and then the Chairman re- ported progress. Mr. DISRAELI was anxious that the House should have sat this morning, but he now gave up this scheme, and it was agreed the Committee should sit again on Monday.

The Marriage Law Amendment Bill passed its third reading by a ma- jority of 100 to 70, and it was finally passed.

Some conversation on the Thames was raised by an inquiry from Mr. BERKELEY. Lord JOHN MA.NNER.S replied that he had received a plan of drainage from the Metropolitan Board of Works, but he declined to give an opinion on it. Mr. GLADSTONE and others thought that an early day should be named for the consideration of the question—who shall pay for the works ? but Lord Joins MANNERS declined to enter upon that.

A seat for West Cornwall is vacant by the death of Mr. Michael Wil- liams. A new writ has been moved for, and the nomination will take place on Monday. Mr. John St. Aubyn, a county notable, is likely to become its representative without a contest. Mr. George Williams, a younger son of the late representative, states in an address that, as many persons have pledged themselves to support Mr. St. Aubyn, he thinks he ought not now to disturb the county. Mr. St. Aubyn promises to vote for the abolition of church-rates, for the fullest extent of education, for strict economy in the public service, for the admission of Jews into Par- liament, for the abolition of a property qualification, and for the ballot in the event of any constituency requiring the protection of it.

The Cagliari question has gained new interest in Piedmont since the decision of the Prize Court at Naples was made known. The Opinions, reporting it, remarks that the question at once arises as to whether the Cagliari, or any other vessel belonging to Rubattini and Co., can hence- forth safely put into a Neapolitan port. It adds that the Sardinian Go- vernment can hardly submit to a state of things by which a vessel bear- ing the national flag may be liable to seizure in virtue of a sentence pronounced by a court the competency of which is generally denied. The Indipendente of Turin, moreover, states that the Neapolitan Government is resolved to refuse all indemnity for the detention of the Cagliari. The session of the Piedmontese Parliament concluded on Monday.

The Patrie has shocked some of its Ministerial contemporaries by hailing the substitute of M. Delangle for General Espinasse as a " new era." The Pays comes forward to protest against such language ; since the Imperial Government has always used its powers with justice and wisdom.

" We do not then, very well understand what people mean when they speak of a new era, and of the accession of a policy vaguely liberal. The constitution has not been modified, as far as we are aware, nor do we know that any of the Emperor's Ministers have governed out of the Constitution. This longing after, we were going to say this affectation of liberalism, offers no real advantage, and it has its dangers. It provokes delusive approbation, pretended adhesion, and may occasion in the firmest minds illusions against which the experience of the past has taught us early, for our part, to be on our guard.

The Revue des Deux Mendel, however, looks upon the Ministerial change as a happy augury, and the feeling it inspires as a movement of ,confidence. The name of Delangle, it says, is a pledge of regular Administration.

The Prussian Correspondena of the 30th of Tune states that the Scien- tific Commission appointed to determine the frontier of Montenegro will meet on the 15th July at Ragusa, and thence proceed to the scene of its labours.

A contract for a loan of between 30,000,000 and 40,000,000 of roubles was published at St. Petersburg on the 30th June. It is to be raised exclusively in Russia, and the greater portion of it has been subscribed by the Government in the name of the charitable institutions of the country.

A telegraphic despatch from Berlin, dated Wednesday, says that "the Moniteur Prussien contains a royal order prolonging for three months the delegated functions of the Prince of Prussia. His Royal Highness has set out today for Baden. The Zeit has a strong article on the question of the garrison of Rastadt. The dispute is whether the garrison shall be composed of Austrian troops exclusively, or whether Prussian soldiers shall form a part of it. Queen Victoria will come to Cologne in the .month of August."

Advices from the West Indies to the 16th June, arrived yes- terday by the Orinoco. The sugar crop has been generally abund- ant. The Combined Court of Demerara has passed a resolution confirming the resolution adopted in November last to the effect, " That a large number of those implicated in the East India rebel- lion, who have been led or forced into the revolt by others, but who, nevertheless, have not taken part in any act of great atrocity, might be safely and advantageously received into this colony with their wives and families." The Court has also expressed its opinion that " a number, not exceeding 1000, of the graver class of mutineers or other Indian convicts, who may be sentenced to penal servitude for life, or for long terms, might with advantage be transported to this colony, to be employed on public works, on the understanding that the cost of their passage here shall be defrayed by the Government of India, and that of their maintenance here from the time of their arrival, by the Govern- ment of this colony." Six thousand immigrants have been applied for already for the season 1858-9. The Court has also pledged itself to de- fray the cost of the introduction of female Chinese immigrants.

The Daily News pays a graceful tribute to the memory of Mrs. Marcet who died on the 28th June, at the house of her son-in-law and daughter Mr. and Mrs. Edward Romilly, in the ninetieth year of her age. Mrs. Marcet was, in her day, distinguished as the authoress of several popular books on political economy and education.

Six persons were killed, and several seriously wounded, yesterday, by the explosion of a boiler in the Atlas Locomotive Works, at Manchester. The sufferers were engaged in testing the boiler at the time.