tee are of opinion that all such charges should be defrayed out of the revenue of the department whose laws are broken. However much the committee may have reason to lament the increase of county expenditure in minor points, and more especially in the payments to clerks of the peace, as well as in the salaries of officers, and other incidental expenses, they abstain from making further direct observation upon them, inasmuch as any abuse in such respects may be remedied by the existing powers of the superintending magistracy. The attention of the magistracy has been directed to the importance of economy in county expenditure, as has been lately evinced in more than one county, by their refusal to sanction charges upon county rates for returns made to the secretaries of state or either house of Parliament, which, although generally complied with are, nevertheless, not warranted by law; and the committee cannot but entertain the opinion, that the public revenues should be liable to all disbursements incurred in obtaining statistical, or other information, for the use of the legis lature or any public department. The committee, having thus stated their general views upon the important matter submitted to their consideration, beg to lay before the House the evidence which they have taken, together with an appendix, and also an index to this, their first report. RESOLUTIONS of the COMMITTEE of the House of COMMONS on NAVIGATION to INDIA. "1. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that a regular and expeditious communication with India, by means of steam-vessels, is an object of great importance both to Great Britain and to India. "2. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that steam navigation between Bombay and Suez having, in five successive seasons, been brought to the test of experiment (the expense of which has been borne by the Indian government exclusively), the practicability of an expeditious communication by that line during the north-east monsoon has been estab-, lished. "3. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that the experiment has not been tried during the south-west monsoon; but that it appears from the evidence before the committee, that the communication may be carried on during eight months of the year, June, July, August, and September being excepted, or left for the results of further experience. "4. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that the experiments which have been made have been attended with very great expense; but that, from the evidence before the committee, it appears that by proper arrangements the expense may be materially reduced; and, under that impression, it is expedient that measures should be immediately taken for the regular establishment of steam communication with India by the Red Sea. 5. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that it be left to his majesty's government, in conjunction with the East India Company, to consider whether the communication should be in the first instance from Bombay or from Calcutta, or according to the combined plan suggested by the Bengal steam committee. 6. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that by whatever line the communication be established, the net charge of the establishment should be divided equally between his majesty's government and the East India Company, including in that charge the expense of the land conveyance from the Euphrates on the one hand, and the Red Sea on the other, to the Mediterranean. "7. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that the steam-navigation of the Persian Gulf has not been brought to the test of experiment; but that it appears from the evidence before the committee, that it would be practicable between Bombay and Bussorah during every month in the year. "8. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that the extension of the line of the Persian Gulf by steam-navigation on the river Euphrates has not been brought to the test of experiment; but that it appears from the evidence before the committee, that from the Persian Gulf to the town of Bir, which is nearer co the Mediterranean port of Scanderoon than Suez is to Alexandria, there would be no physical obstacles to the steam-navigation of that river during at least eight months of the year, changing the line of the Mediterranean in every month of the year; November, December, January, and February being not absolutely excepted, but reserved for the results of further experi ence. "9. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that there appear to be difficulties on the line of the Euphrates from the present state of the countries on that river, and particularly from the wandering Arab tribes, but that those difficulties do not appear to be by any means such as cannot be surmounted, especially by negociations with the Porte, Mehemet Ali, and the chiefs of the principal fixed tribes; and that this route, besides having the prospect of being less expensive, presents so many other advantages, physical, commercial, and political, that it is eminently desirable that it should be brought to the test of a decisive experiment. "10. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that the physical difficulties on the line of the Red Sea appearing to be confined to the months of June, July, August, and September, and those of the river Euphrates to the months of November, December, January, and February, the effective trial of both lines would open a certain communication with the steam-vessels on both sides according to the seasons. "11. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that it be recommended to his Majesty's government to extend the line of Malta packets to such ports in Egypt and Syria as will complete the communication between England and India. "12. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, that the expense of this experiment by the Euphrates has been, by an estimate which the committee has subjected to the examination of competent persons, stated at 20,000l., which includes a liberal allowance for contingencies; and the committee recommend that & grant of 20,000l., be made by parliament for trying that experiment with the least possible delay.” REPORT from the SELECT COMMITTEE on DIVISIONS of the HOUSE. The Select Committee appointed To call over the whole house upon each division, and to enter the names of the members present would have occasioned a loss of time which the committee did not feel themselves justified in recommending. It was suggested indeed, that all members entering the house should inscribe their names in a book, on each successive day of the session, and that the names thus inscribed should alone be called over, in the event of a division; but as no provision was suggested for cases where a division of great importance was followed by a division of minor importance, and where the original list of 300 or 400 members became applicable to a division of fifty or sixty members, the committee felt that such a regulation would be attended with great inconvenience, and consequently could not adopt it. The scantiness of the accommodation afforded by the present buildings of the house prevented the committee from suggesting, as they would otherwise have been inclined to do, that upon every division, the ayes and the noes should be sent forth into two different lobbies and the names of the members taken down simultaneously as they re-entered the house by opposite doors. The committee beg, however, to state, that if the house should feel disposed at any future time, to build an additional lobby in the vacant space at the east end of the house, there is no plan which, in their judgment, combines so many recommendations as this, or might so easily be carried into effect. Under existing circumstances, and with a regard to existing localities, the committee must content themselves with submitting to the house the following proposi tions: 1. That in all divisions, both of the house and in committee, the presumed minority be directed to go forth into the lobby as at present and all the remaining members to take their seats in the body of the house. 2. That two tellers be appointed to stand on the floor of the house, accompanied by two clerks. 3. That one of these clerks, commencing, as now, at the end of the back bench, shall call aloud the name of each member in succession, which shall be entered by the other clerk on a paper or pasteboard, with lines ruled, and numbered; the tellers counting, as the clerks proceed, and communicating to the clerk the result. 4. That so soon as the members within the house are counted, the tellers and clerks shall proceed to the lobby doors, and that one clerk shall call, and the other take down, on similar paper, the names of each member as he comes into the house, the tellers counting, and announcing the result, as at present. 5. That the lists thus taken be brought up to the table by the tellers, and deposited there for insertion in the votes. The committee have ascertained, by experiment, that thirty names can be called over and entered in one minute, in short hand; but Mr. Joseph Gurney, on his examination, stated it to be his impression that a quick long hand writer, with the help of such occasional abbreviations as practice would suggest, would take down the names very nearly as fast as he could, in short hand, himself, and might certainly enter twenty-five names in a minute. The commit tee will assume twenty names to be the maximum, and allow five minutes for each 100 names. In this case, a division of 400 members would occupy 20 minutes, which is very little more than is required under the present system, the average time consumed in counting 100 members (taken on a mean of those who go out and those who remain in the house) being from three to four minutes. Now, if the principle of publicity be worth any sacrifice at all, it is certainly worth so small a sacrifice as this; nor does the committee believe that, under any conceivable system, a much greater degree of expedition can be combined with that accuracy which it is essential to ensure where the votes are published with the sanction of the Speaker's name. The committee do not anticipate any difficulty in finding clerks sufficiently well acquainted with the persons of members to call the name of each member in succession as proposed; but, in the very rare cases where such difficulty might occur, it would be removed instantly by the interference of the tellers, or of the member himself. AN ACCOUNT of the PRINCIPAL IMPROVEMENTS in the management of the POST OFFCB, which have taken place by order of the POSTMASTER-GENERAL during the last three years. The consolidation of the postoffices of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the abolition of the separate appointments at the head of the two latter departments. A new establishment for the General Post-office in London, and consolidation of the departments of account, with a diminution of seventeen officers, an immediate saving of 5,2581. per annum, and a further prospective reduction of 1,1907. A new establishment for the General Post-office, Edinburgh. A new establishment for the General Post-office in Dublin, with a diminution of about fifty officers, and a saving of between 5,000/ and 6,000l. per annum. A daily post with France. Negotiation with Belgium for a post four times, instead of twice, a-week, with Ostend, thus doubling the number of communications with Belgium, and other parts of the continent, the correspondence of which is forwarded by that route. This measure only awaits the formal approval of the Belgian Government. The communication with Hamburgh and Holland established by steam vessels instead of sailing packets.* It was necessary to dispense with nine established sailing packets at Harwich; by the appointment of some of the captains to other stations, as vacancies have occurred, three officers only are now on the retired list. Two of these, from age, must have been superannuated shortly, and the third only awaits the first vacancy to be again brought into active service. The correspondence with France passing by cross-post accelerated twenty-four hours. The general-post delivery in London extended to a circle of three miles from the General Post-office. The twopenny-post extended to a circle of twelve miles from the General Post-office. The delivery of letters throughout London greatly accelerated, so that in ordinary cases it should be finished by ten o'clock in the morning, Mondays excepted.* The foreign mails delivered with the inland letters some hours earlier than beforet. The more expeditious distribution of letters by foreign mails arriving after the general delivery‡. The extension of time for the receipt of letters to be forwarded by the foreign mails; they are now • The despatch of the letter carriers from the General Post-office must vary according to the arrival of the mailforeign mails, ship letters, &c. Some coaches, and the quantity of letters, of the mail-coaches do not arrive until seven o'clock and after, and a considerable time is required for the assortment of the letters and adjustment of the accounts before the delivery can com mence. The average number of letters arriving in London on ordinary mornings may be taken at 43,000; on Mondays 10,000 more. The foreign delivery did not commence until ten, a. m. These letters were distributed by the twopenny post, and only at fixed hours, corresponding with the deliveries of that department. They are now sent out as soon as they can be assorted and got ready. |