The Press. — London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

198 After explaining soms of the working details of his bill, the Lord Chancellor concluded by moving that it be read a first time. Lord CrairsELL pointed out several details in the bill which would require great consideration, but gave it a ge:reral approval. He expressed his satisfaction that it was not proposed to take away the trial by jury, though he admitted there were cases in which a single judge would be sufficient. He approved, however, of all the improvements proposed to be introduced into the mode of trial by jury, and particularly of the discretion given to the judge in cases where witnesses had conscientious objections to Vie taking of an oath. Lord BROUGHAM announced his satisfaction with the measure, and mentioned that, without any concert, but solely from a consideration of principles, the commissioners and himself had arrived at the same conclusions. The bill was a step in the right direc tion, which, before their lordships had done, he hoped would be converted into a stride. The bill was read a first time and ordered for a second reading, the Lord Chancellor intimating that it would then be referred to a select committee. STUDY OF LXW AND JURISPRUDENCE. An address to the Crown praying for a commission to inquire into the arrangements now existing in the inns of court for " promoting the study of law and jurisprudence, the revenues properly applicable thereto, the means most likely to secure a systematic and sound education for students of law, and to provide satisfactory tests of fitness for admission to the bar," was moved on Wednesday by Mr. NAPIER. The right lion. and learned member supported his motion by a multitude of arguments and statements showing alike the use and the want of sound legal instruction in the English inns of court, and cited the example set in various continental countries to corroborate his conclusions. The importance of securing a sound legal education for banisters became more obvious when it was recollected that they were called upon to fill situations of the highest responsibility : " Ile saw around him a number of gentlemen eminent in their profession, and whose learning entitled them to the high position which they had attained to, but their legal acquirements were not the result but rather in spite of the present system of legal education. When he came over to London to eat his dinners for the Irish bar he consulted a very learned member of that bar what course of reading he would advise him to pursue. He replied that if the Irish bar were his object he should read him self up in' Joe Miller,' for he would get more business by cracking jokes than by the most profound knowledge of his profession. The system of education was not calculated to raise the profession in public estimation, and some alteration should be made in the proceedings of the inns of court, which were in fact trustees for the public that barristers should be well educated. They were somewhat in the light of universities for the study of the law, and it would be for the benefit of the public that they should act up to the spirit of that trust. The universities had recently adopted very considerable reforms, and the inns of court ought not to be behind the spirit of the age. Voluntary lectures would be by no means sufficient, unless accompanied by periodical examinations. He thought the appointment of a commission of enlightened and learned men would be likely to adopt a sound system of legal education." The ATTORNEY-GENERAL gave a cordial assent to the proposition, observing, however, that he did not enterta►n so much hope of benefit from the inquiries which the commissioners would he authorised to make, because much had been already done in the same direction. The inns of court would, he was informed, afford every assistan'e in the proposed in vestigation. Mr. B. PHILLIMORE considered the commission likely to prove most useful. The SOLICITOR •GENERAL coincided in that view, regretting only that the terms of the motion were not more comprehensive. The ideal of utility which he wished to see realised was to convert the inns of court into a great legal university, co-operating with the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London, and affording education not merely to members of, or aspirants to, the legal profession, but to the public at lare. Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Scully, Mr. Hadfield, and Mr. Craufurd having spoken, the:motion was agreed to. EMIGRANT SHIPS. Mr. J. O'CossELL on Thursday moved for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the recent loss of life in emigrant ships, and into the sufficiency of the existing regulations for the health and protection of emigrant passengers on board such ships. Stating a variety of incidents which showed that emigrants were far from being sufficiently pro tected and cared for by the owners of the vessels in which they embarked, the hon. member enforced the necessity of an inquiry similar to that undertaken by the committee of 1851, resuming where that com mittee left off. Mr. F. PEEL had no objection to inquiry in any shape, but contended that the existing emigration commissioners were performing their duties with great diligence And efficiency, There must be a THE PRESS. limit to Government interference with private enter• prise, and this point he considered had been attained, so far as justice and expediency allowed, with respect to the vast business of emigration. Mr. Liddell, Mr. Henley, Mr. Cardwell, Captain Scobell, Mr. Meagher, Captain Bentinck, and Mr. Fagan having spoken, the motion was agreed to. INSPECTION OF NUNNERIES. Mr. T. CHAMBEUS on Tuesday reintroduced a sub ject which has for some sessions been presented in various forms to the House of Commons, namely, the inspection of nunneries. The proposition this time took the form of a motion for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the number and rate of increase of the conventual and monastic es tablishments in the United Kingdom, the relation in which they stand to the existing laws, and the expe diency of further legislation with regard to them. In bringing forward this motion Mr. Chambers dis claimed all intention of appealing to religious preju dices upon a question which he mooted solely upon social, civil, and political grounds. He then proceeded to show that the establishments referred to had largely increased during the last ten years, and were still rapidly increasing. The number of convents in England and Ireland was now 220, of which 203 were Roman Catholic, showing an increase of forty per cent. per annum since 1843, when they numbered only 50. Of monasteries (which had not been in cluded in his motion last session on the subject) there were only 00 in Ireland ten years ago, but now 72. With regard to the legal status of these insti tutions, it appeared from the Catholic Relief Act that monasteries were altogether prohibited, and nun neries simply permitted without being recognised. Practically, therefore, the very existence of both of the establishments was absolutely ignored by the law; and Mr. Chambers went on to argue, at much length and upon a variety of considerations, that it was inexpedient and dangerous to allow such a state of things to continue. Mr. NAPIEIt, who seconded the motion, noticed that in Roman Catholic countries a jealous supervision TM maintained by the state over all conventual establishments. He contended that in England a similar surveillance should be kept over them, both to prevent their infringing the rights of individual liberty and absorbing an undue proportion of private property. He maintained that such bodies were not consonant to the spirit of our laws and institutions. Mr. M‘Cssig opposed the motion, denying also the correctness of some statistics cited by Mr. Chant. bers. Mr. J. BALL urged that the conventual establish• mente in the United Kingdom consisted of associa tions of members devoted solely to charitable and religious objects, who neither enjoyed nor sought pe culiar legal privileges, and whom it was, therefore, inexpedient and unjust to subject to a parliamentary surveillance. The hon. member had given notice of an amendment embodying those opinions, but con eluded his speech by moving a direct negative to the motion for a committee. Mr. POTTER found thattlizi moti on, if tot (Isom:- raged by the Government, would have a most mis chievous effect in Ireland. _ _ Mr. R. PHILLIMORE contended that, es nothing more was asked for that the means of inquiry, the state of the law had been shown to be sufficiently anomalous to justify that demand. He could not see what reason the Roman Catholics had to dread the investigation. Mr. FAGAN controverted some statements adduced by Mr. Chambers respecting the convent at Taunton. Mr. B. Roam condemned the proposition for a committee of inquiry, which he considered had been introduced in a bitter and disingenuous spirit. Mr. KENNEDY also opposed the motion, and Lord C. HAMILTON supported it. Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE denounced the proposition as infringing the great principles of toleration. It sought to direct legislative interference upon subjects which no legislation could touch. Mr. MAOUIRE declared that the Irish convents had no secrets which required investigation. Mr. F. W. RUSSELL argued that the motion in ferred a suspicion which was false and ridiculous, and called upon the house to discountenance the calumny by rejecting it. Mr. MALL could not find one trustworthy fact among the statements made which warranted their appointing a committee of inquiry. He looked upon the motion as decidedly mischievous. Mr. Cowm4 wished for an inquiry at once, in order to stop the continued reproduction of a topic which invariably led to acrimonious discussions. Lord J. RUSSELL believed that there was no just ground shown for the appointment of the committee. The inquiry which they were asked to institute must prove either useless or offensive, according to the nature of the investigation to be prosecuted in it. There might he nothing insulting to the religion of the Roman Catholics in the proposition, but it was a serious disparagement to their common sense. Not fearing that the members of that faith were unable to protect their own children and property from any SATURDAY, danger which they might incur in the monastic es tablishments, he saw no reason for invoking the special aid of the Legislature for that purpose. Mr. WALPOLE announced his intention of voting for the motion, admitting that a much wider inquiry should have been long since initiated, involving the whole status of the Roman Catholic body in this country in respect to their relationship with the Crown and Constitution. It was the intention a the Relief Act to prohibit all monastic institutions in the United Kingdom. That provision in the statute had been allowed to slumber, and it was perhaps too late to revive it. But, if not suppressed, the estab lishments in question ought to be watched and con trolled. The convents stood upon a different foot ing, being inferentially sanctioned by the law. It was, however, right to afford the inmates t! e same protection accorded by the Legislature to minors, and provide, if possible, that every nun who entered the establishment in her nonage should have the opportunity of revising her choice upon attaining legal years of discretion. With regard to property, he urged that individuals who had resigned their free will should not be entrusted with any other possession. Mr. FITZGERALD denied that any proofs had been shown of the exercise of undue spiritual influence over the inmates in convents. If any such existed, as Roman Catholics would be the sufferers, how came it that none complained, but left the case in the hands of Protestants ? He was convinced that the law as it stood was sufficient for all purposes, and required no invigoiation to enable it either to protect persons or property. Mr. NEWDEGATE supported the motion, Which Mr. PALE, the new member for South Devonshire, also defended in a maiden speech. The hon. member insisted on the expediency of the proposed inquiry, and pointed out that many conventual establishments existed, some of them in the county which he repre sented, not belonging to the Roman Catholics, but where investigation was most desirable. Lord E. HOWARD commented upon the exagge rated apprehensions and highly-coloured statements on which he considered the present motion to have been founded. _ _ After a brief reply from Mr. CHAMBERS, the house divided, and the motion for the committee of inquiry was carried, against the Government, by a majority of 180 to 119-67. TENANT RIGHT. A series of seven bills on the subject of Irish tenant rights stood for a second reading in the Peers' House on Tuesday. Two of these measures had been introduced by the Earl of DONOUGHIIONE, under the titles of the Leasing Powers (Ireland) Bill and the Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Bill. In recom mending these bills to the house, the noble earl detailed their provisions, and said the general object was to prevent outlay by tenants upon insecure titles, and to give them every reasonable security for their expenditure upon improvements. They would, he believed, destroy the causes of the existing dis putes in Ireland, whilst providing means for the improvement of the soil. With regard to compen sation for past improvements—a subject of great difficulty—he thought that would be best left to the consideration of a select committee. Various im provements were proposed by the bills upon the existing practices with respect to fixtures, distress, proceedings in court, the granting of leases, and the power of making compensation. There was not a single provision in either of them which was not perfectly just, and which, if England required them, might not be applied to this country as well as to Ireland. They would amend an extremely faulty state of the law; and under these circum stances he earnestly recommended the whole subject to the serious consideration of their lordships. Lord MONTEAOLE approved of the bills being re ferred to a select committee, but pointed out several provisions in which he was totally unable to concur. _ _ _ The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the law at present was in a most inconvenient and prejudicial condition. Some of the provisions in the hills were of a useful character; and he thought great advantage would arise from a calm consideration of the whole in com mittee up stairs. Lord CAMPBELL eulogised the importance of encouraging the practice of leasing in Ireland ; and, with respect to the law of landlord and tenant, recommended all the existing statutes affecting them to be swept away, so that they might begin de novo. After some further debate, the other bills on the same subject were successively brought forward, and some discussion ensued upon their comparative features and merits. Ultimately the whole set of bills were read a second time, and ordered to be re ferred to a select committee. NEWSPAPER STAMPS. The motion for certain tabulated returns of news paper stamps issued during the years 1851, 2, and 3, was made on Monday by Mr. CRAUFURD, and resisted by the SECRETARY to the TREASURY, who