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place upon the subject of an alleged excess of authority
on the part of the Secretary of State, in requiring,
under the Census Act, answers to questions not within
its purview. lt was explained, on the part of the
government, by Earl GRANVILLE, that the queries
referred to had been framed for the sake of information,
and that there was no intention of proceeding against
those who declined to answer them. Eventually, copies
of all the forms and instructions issued by the Registrar-General
were ordered; but, before that, an assurance
was given that the objections would be considered, in
order to see whether the queries should be modified or
withdrawn.

On Monday, March 17, Lord CAMPBELL moved the
second reading of the Registration of Assurances Bill,
and gave a sketch of the history of the question, proving
that the principle of the bill had been recognised by the
highest legal authorities, and so far from being an
innovation, it was rather a return to the ancient simplicity
of the law.—After a discussion, in which Lord
Brougham, Lord Cranworth, and Lord Beaumont took
part, and in which the benefits which would attend the
passing of some such measure were fully admitted, the
bill was read a second time, on the understanding that
it was to be referred to a select committee.

On Tuesday, March 18, Lord TORRINGTON gave
notice that, on Tuesday, the 1st of April, he would
bring before the House the Affairs of Ceylon. His
lordship complained of misrepresentations which had
been made by the chairman of the Ceylon committee in
reference to his conduct while governor of the island,
and said that he was desirous that the whole truth
should be laid before the country.

On Thursday, March 20, the Earls of MALMESBURY
and WINCHELSEA presented petitions from Wilts and
Lincolnshire complaining of Agricultural Distress, and
the latter noble lord said that he had heard the statement
recently made by Lord Wodehouse, as to the
improved condition of the labourers in Norfolk, with
considerable surprise.—Lord Wodehouse adhered to
his statement. He had made minute inquiries into the
subject, and he was convinced that there was a fair
average amount of employment. It was true that
weekly wages had been diminished in some instances to
7s., but the corresponding reduction in the price of food
had been so considerable, that the labourer was in a
better condition than he had been with higher wages
and higher prices.

On Friday, March 21, Lord BROUGHAM'S bill for the
further extension of the Jurisdiction of County Courts,
of which the noble and learned lord moved the second
reading, underwent some criticism and objection from
the Lord Chancellor and Lord Cranworth. The bill,
however, was ultimately read the second time without
opposition.

On Friday, the 28th February, in the HOUSE OF
COMMONS, Lord John RUSSELL entered into
explanations respecting the Ministerial Crisis. Their
substance amounted briefly to this. The insuperable
objections felt by the Earl of Aberdeen aud Sir
James Graham to legislation on the assumption of
ecclesiastical titles was the sole bar to union with them.
He (Lord John) was willing to agree to considerable
alterations of the bill, but must have persevered with it.
Lord Stanley was again sent for, and had resigned the
commission; and her Majesty, placed in this difficulty,
had wisely sent for an old friend of the Crown, not more
renowned for his distinguished services and the glory
of his military achievements than for his knowledge of
the constitution of this countrythe Duke of Wellington.
Lord John made some general remarks on topics of the
day, and concluded by moving that the second reading
of the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill should be deferred till
Monday. Sir James GRAHAM gave some explanations
respecting the circumstances which had occurred between
Lord John Russell and himself, and entered at some
length into the question of the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill.
With the opinions he entertained, he could not consent
to be a party to the further progress of this bill, or form
part of an administration which had this measure of
legislation for one of its chief cries. He knew the
ground on which he stood, and though it was an
unpopular one he was quite ready to stand by it; and
when the time came for the second reading of the bill
he should be quite ready to express his opinions on the
measure at greater length. A short conversational
discussion followed. In the course of it Mr. HUME
criticised the Budget; and Sir Robert INGLIS
supported the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill. Mr. OSBORNE
declared himself rejoiced at the speech of Sir James
Graham, "because it let the country know that if he
were called to the head of affairs he would conduct them
with honour to himself and with satisfaction to the great
body of the country." Lord John RUSSELL renewed
the declaration that there is in fact "no administration
now existing."—The motion to postpone the
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill was agreed to; and the House
adjourned till Monday.

On Monday, March 3, Lord John RUSSELL made some
statements respecting the Ministerial Crisis, similar to
those made the same evening by the Marquis of
Lansdowne in the House of Lords. Lord John added that
he proposed on Friday to proceed with the Ecclesiastical
Titles Bill. On that night also he would state the
course he meant to pursue as to other business. The
House then adjourned to Friday.

On Friday, the 7th, Lord John RUSSELL stated that
the mode in which it was designed to take the Public
Business was as followsSir George Grey would, that
night, describe the proposed alterations in the aggression
bill, but the second reading should be taken on Friday
next, and he hoped that after such delay there would
be no opposition to an early committee. The navy
estimates should be taken on Monday next, with some
army and ordnance votes necessary to the passing the
mutiny act. The Chancellor of the Exchequer would
state the alterations in the proposed financial measures
on Friday, the 21st inst., and a resolution on the income
tax was proposed to be taken on Monday, the 24th inst.
Sir George GREY then proceeded to explain the alterations
proposed to be made in the Ecclesiastical Titles
Bill.
After some preliminary observations, he said
that he could not coincide in the proposal that Ireland
should be exempted from the operation of the bill. If
an insult had been offered to the Queen of these
kingdoms, the exception of one of the kingdoms from
the bill would imply that the Queen's authority was less
paramount in one part of her dominions than in another.
But he admitted that there was a difference between the
conditions of the English and the Irish Catholic church,
and that difference constituted the real difficulty in
dealing efficiently with the question. The bill would
inflict no hardship upon any English Catholic, but it
might give ground for some objections as regarded
Ireland. Denying, and going into argument to
disprove, that the clauses complained of would have all the
oppressive effects attributed to them, he stated that,
upon mature consideration, government had continued
to deem it necessary to have a parliamentary declaration
upon the subject of the late aggression, but it was
desirous not to throw new impediments in the way of
endowing an unendowed church. It had therefore
been determined to omit entirely the second and third
clauses of the bill. It might be objected, that the bill
would thereby become unworthy of attention; but he
thought the reverse, and that it would be a parliamentary
declaration against the titles so ostentatiously assumed.
Such protest might have the effect of preventing the
Catholic hierarchy from publicly using those titles,
whatever they might do in private. After giving
expression to his trust in the Protestant feeling of
England, and his hope for the increased vigilance of
the clergy, he said, in reference to the question as to
the Scotch bishops, that those dignitaries had actually
no right whatever to use titles derived from localities;
and that if they were to be exempted from the operation of
the bill, he should introduce words, providing that such
exemption comprised no recognition of their now partial
use of local titles. He concluded by moving that the
order of the day be postponed until Friday. After a
number of desultory remarks by various members, Sir
G. Grey's motion was agreed to.

On Monday, the 10th, Lord John RUSSELL, in answer
to some questions respecting the War in Caffraria,
stated that the government had received despatches