presented a petition from persons in the Fourcourts' Marshalsea, Dublin, complaining of the law of arrests on mense process for debts under 20l., and of imprisonment for contempt. The hon. member said, he much desired that a further modification of the law of arrests should take place, but he could see no reason why those acts now in force in this country should not be extended to Ireland; and he mentioned, as an instance of the extraordinary oppression of the laws in Ireland, that a poor woman had been confined in the Four-courts for upwards of thirty years, for a debt of only 21l. 13s. 8d. He also stated, that in the various prisons of Ireland there were more than one thousand six hundred persons in confinement for debts under 20l.; which was a state of things which could not fail of producing misery to the unfortunate prisoner, with- out any advantage to the persons at whose suit he was confined. He was satisfied it would be better for all parties, if the debtor was exonerated from arrest on the surrender of his goods and chattels.

Mr. D. W. Harvey, seeing a noble lord in his place, begged to ask him, if there was any intention on the part of government of taking up this subject. If there were not, he would himself move for the appointment of a committee, to take into consideration the law as between debtor and creditor.

Lord F. L. Gower said, it was the intention of government to take measures for assimilating the laws of the two countries, in reference to arrests on manse process.

proposed a clause, that all writers going out to India should have an elementary knowledge of at least two of the oriental languages, of which Hindostanee or Persian should be one. He begged to assure the committee; that consequences the most lamentable, and which could only be conceived by persons who had resided in India, had frequently occurred from the want of this qualification; and further, that those who went out ignorant of the language mostly returned without having sufficient practical knowledge of it to hold a conversation with the natives.

replied, that the court of directors, acting in concert with the Board of Control, were ready to devise regulations to insure the competency of their officers upon these points.

expressed himself satisfied and withdrew his clause.

said, that he meant not to oppose any obstacle to the consideration of these Estimates; but really they were of so extravagant a nature, that he could not silently hear them proposed. Millions had already been voted for sustaining Protestant charter schools, and for systems of education in Ireland, which were entirely at variance with the wants of the people. There was also the Foundling Hospital: why not suspend the funds which were absorbed by that institution? He strongly complained that these Estimates were not referred to a Select Committee, which could look into the sums thus lavishly voted.

said, he had no objection whatever to the appointment of a Select Committee prospectively, and he would make such a proposition in the course of the session.

expressed himself satisfied with the frank explanation of the noble lord, and, acting upon it, would oppose no resistance to the present resolutions.

The several resolutions were then put and agreed to.