unwilling, the public could only purchase the building
for a sum. which might probably amount to 70,000l.
Then to put it in a fit state for permanent preservation
would cost a considerable sum, and there must be an
annual outlay for keeping it in repair. So much for the
building. In addition to this expenditure there must
be a certain outlay for the winter garden itself, and
then there was the cost of maintaining it. These five
charges must fall upon the public.—The Metropolitan
Sewers Bill was read a third time and passed, after a
protest from Sir B. Hall and Mr. Wakley.—The
Metropolitan Interment Bill went through committee,
not without a division upon its merits.—The house then
went into committee upon the remaining clauses of the
Petty Sessions (Ireland) Bill, and after a protracted
discussion upon the 10th clause, the chairman reported
progress, the Chancellor of the Exchequer consenting to
abandon that portion of the clause which gave new
powers to a single magistrate.

The Episcopal and Capitular Estates Management
(No. 2) Bill was opposed, on the second reading by
Colonel Sibthorp, Sir Benjamin Hall, and other
Members, not only on the substantive ground that such
management of estates ought not to be left in the hands
of the bishops, but also on the ground that the bill
should not be delayed till the end of the session and
then hurried through. The second reading, however,
was carried by 45 to 34; ministers expressing a hope
that objections might be removed in committee.

On Friday, August 1, the above bill was proceeded
with. Its further progress was strenuously opposed by
Sir Benjamin Hall, Mr. Henley, Lord Dudley
Stuart, and other members, on the grounds that it
affects an immense mass of church property in the
hands of lessees; that it had been kept back until late
in the session, hurried through the House of Lords
almost sub silentio, and first made known to the public
in the papers of that morning. Ministers were urged
to put the bill into the shape that they desired, but not
to press its passing until next session.—Lord DUDLEY
STUART moved that the debate be adjourned.—Lord
J. RUSSELL said a few words, but would not yield;
and the house divided putting a negative on the
adjournment by 51 to 30.—Mr. FREWEN then moved
that the bill be committed that day three months; and
Mr. HENLEY suggested that the perseverance of
ministers might provoke a sort of opposition to which
members would resort with regret. The amendment
was negatived by 48 to 37.—Lord J. RUSSELL then
proposed to go into committee on the bill on Monday;
and it was deferred accordingly.

On Monday, August the 4th, Lord J. RUSSELL brought
up Her Majesty's reply to the address of this house,
agreed to on Tuesday—praying that the Crystal Palace
might be preserved until the 1st of May—to the effect
that it would be necessary to consider carefully the
engagements of the royal commissioners, and that Her
Majesty would direct an enquiry into various matters
of detail, which must be ascertained before a decision
could be come to upon the subject.—After a short
preliminary discussion, the house went into committee upon
the Patent Law Amendment Bill, the details of which
occupied the remainder of the sitting, the chairman being
ordered to report progress.—The house went into
committee upon the Episcopal and Capitular Estates Bill.
Upon the first clause, empowering ecclesiastical
corporations, with the approval of the church estates
commissioners, to sell, enfranchise, or exchange church
lands, or to purchase the interests of lessees—the
SOLICITOR-GENERAL moved, after the words "church
estates commissioners," to add, "who shall pay due
regard to the just and reasonable claims of the present
holders of land, under lease or otherwise, arising from
the long-continued practice of renewal."—This amendment
provoked a long discussion, in the course of which
Mr. CARDWELL observed that these words totally
changed the principle of the bill, reversing the policy
recommended by the Lords' committee.—Sir J. GRAHAM
said, the importance of the subject was too great, and
the period of the session too advanced, to permit the
further progress of this bill, especially in its present form,
since to a power given to the church estates commissioners
to sell was now added a power to consider claims of
lessees, which would involve a vast amount of property.
It was unworthy of this house, he thought, to come to
a decision of such importance without notice.—Lord
J. RUSSELL said, no binding obligation was cast upon
the commissioners, who were merely empowered to take
into consideration the "just and reasonable" claims of
lessees. The whole question resolved itself into this—
whether nothing beyond those claims which could be
enforced in a court of law or equity should be granted
in any case to lessees, or whether the estates
commissioners should have the power at least of considering
claims that were just and reasonable.—The committee
at length divided upon a motion by Colonel Sibthorp,
that the chairman report progress, which was negatived
by 58 against 20, and the committee then proceeded
with the clauses of the bill, which underwent much
discussion, and received certain amendments.

On Tuesday, August the 5th, the Lords' amendments
to the Court of Chancery and Judicial Committee Bill
were agreed to.—The house then went into committee
on the Patent Law Amendment Bill, and proceeded as
far as the 17th clause.—The Episcopal and Capitular
Estates Bill was reported.

On Wednesday, August the 6th, Lord ARUNDEL and
SURREY took the oaths and his seat for the borough of
Limerick.—The third reading of the Episcopal and
Capitular Estates Bill having been moved, Mr. HENLEY,
after complaining of the haste with which so important
a measure was carried through parliament, moved that
the bill be read a third time that day six months.
Some miscellaneous conversation took place, but the
amendment was ultimately negatived without a division,
and the bill was read a third time and passed.—The
committal of the Patent Law Amendment Bill was then
proceeded with, after a discussion which involved the
whole principle of the measure, and which Lord
Palmerston characterised as disorderly. The opposition
being finally withdrawn, the bill went through
committee. It was then reported with the amendments
upon the measure as it came down from the upper
house.—A report from the select committee, designed
to regulate and organise the Attendance of Members of
the Commons when summoned to the House of Peers on
the opening and prorogation of the session by Her
Majesty, was adopted upon the motion of Lord J.
Russell.

On Thursday, August the 7th, on the report of the
committee upon the Patent Law Amendment Bill,
certain amendments were agreed to, Mr. C. LEWIS
stating, with reference to an objection made by Sir J.
Graham to the compensations being charged upon the
consolidated fund, that the government did not think it
advisable to create a fee fund, but it was proposed to
bring these compensations before the house by an
annual vote. The bill was then read a third time and
passed.—Sir De Lacy EVANS, referring to "a
publication entitled to the highest consideration" (Mr.
Gladstone's pamphlet), which stated that above 20,000
persons were Confined in the Prisons of Naples for
alleged Political Offences, most of them without trial,
who were suffering refinements of barbarity and cruelty,
inquired whether the British minister at the court of
Naples had been instructed to employ his good offices
for the diminution of these severities?—Lord PALMERSTON
replied that Her Majesty's government had
learnt, with infinite pain, a confirmation of various
accounts of the very calamitous condition of the kingdom
of Naples; but they had not deemed it to be a part
of their duty to make any formal representation to the
Neapolitan government in a matter relating to the
internal affairs of that country. At the same time he
thought Mr. Gladstone had done himself very great
honour by the course he had pursued at Naples and
since; and he (Lord Palmerston) had felt it his duty to
send copies of that gentleman's pamphlet to our ministers
at the courts of Europe, with instructions to give copies
to each, thereby affording them an opportunity of
exerting their influence in this matter.—In answer to a
question by Lord D. Stuart respecting the Greek Debt,
Lord PALMERSTON said that the engagement contracted
by the government of Greece, under the treaty of 1832,
had been from first to last disregarded by that government,
and the consequent liability had fallen upon the