The Press. — London, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

JUNE 13, 1857. Lord BROITGHAM entirely approved of such a sub• stitution for the action of crim. cop.:— If any one wished to know with how much hardship and injustice a woman might be treated by the action of crim. tun. as it now stood, lie would give them en example. He held in his hand five letters from the falsely-alleged paramour of an injured lady, and he would answer for it that the reading of those letters by one, two, three, or more of their lordships would at once convince them that the charge against that lady of having had an amour with his late lamented friend Lord Melbourne was absolutely and necessarily false. They had produced upon his mind the most absolute conviction that the thing was utterly and entirely impossible. Yet this action was tried behind the back of the lady, and but for the exertions of his noble and 'envied friend, then not her counsel but that of the defen dant, her character might have been ruined for life, she being all the time as guiltless as any other human being. (" Hear, hear," from Lord Campbell.) This amendment on the clause as it originally stood having been received with approbation, clauses 22 up to 25 were agreed to. Atter clause 25, The LORD CHANCELLOR proposed a clause imposing a fine on the guilty parties, to which the Bishop of OXFORD proposed an amendment punishing them " with fine and imprisonment," or " with fine or im prisonment." After some discussion the committee . divided, when there appeared— For the amendment Against it Majority The amendment was consequently carried, and the clause as thus amended was agreed to. Clauses up to 44 were agreed to. Upon clause 45, in which, on the motion of the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, words were Inserted pro hibiting divorced persons from marrying again, The LORD CHANCELLOR proposed an amendment, the effect of which was to penult these parties to marry again. This amendment was carried on a division, in whirl► the numbers were— Content Not Content Majority —22 Lori WENSLEYDALE then moved to add a proviso that either party should not marry the person with whom the adultery was proved to have been com mitted, and the court in its decree for a divorce was to name that person. After some discussion the committee divided, when the numbers were— For the amendment Against it Majority —o This and the remaining clauses were agreed to, and the house resumed. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—TUESDAY. THE BELLEISLE CASE. Lord PALMERSTON, in reply to an inquiry by Mr. Dillwyn, said that her Majesty's Government had received full information respecting the lamentable occurrence of the death of a seaman on board of a British merchant vessel, who was killed in the her br.ur of Belleisle, on the 24th of May, by a shot fired from a French war-schooner; and that the conduct of the officer in temporary command of the French vessel of war was quite unjustifiable. The French Government, however, he added, had given her Majesty's Government no opportunity for remon strance, Count Walewski having of his own accorl expressed his regret at the occurrence, and stated that orders had been given to dismiss from the French service the officer in command of the schooner who had directed the firing of the fatal shot. GRAND JURIES BILL. Sir F. THESIGER moved for leave to bring in a bill to dispense with the attendance of grand juries at the Central Criminal Court, and at courts of general and quarter sessions holden within the metropolitan police district, except in particular cases. The interposition of the grand jury was, he maintained, a cause of much delay and expense, and, under the present constitution of the metro politan courts, had become altogether supererogatory. The examination before a police-magistrate was a satisfactory preliminary before sending any charge for trial, and this process he proposed to make suf ficient and indispensable in all cases. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL admitted the evil and inutility, in many cases, of the grand-jury system, and promised an active co-operation in maturing the measure now laid before the house. The motion was agreed to, and leave given to bring in the bill. THE LAND TRANSPORT CORPS. Mr. DUNCOMBE moved for the appointment of a select committee to consider a petition from members of the Land Transport Corps, complaining that the War Department had not fulfilled the conditions under which they had enlisted. During the past session, he remarked, the subject had been referred, on his motion, to a committee, but as Parliament THE PRESS. was dissolved so early no inquiry took place, and the grievances of the corps were still unredressed. He was, therefore, now obliged to ask for a reappoint ment of the committee. The motion was seconded by Mr. TOWNSEND. Lord PALMERSTON, under the circumstances, ad mitted that inquiry could not be refused, and con sented to the motion, which was then agreed to, and the committee ordered. CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTES. Mr. BAINES, in reply to Mr. Powell, who askad what progress had been made by the commissioners appointed for consolidating the Statute Law, said : The report of the commission is now ready, and will be laid upon the table in a few days. It is the intention of the Lord Chancellor in a very few days to bring in a series of bills which have been prepared under the advice of that commission. WILLS OF BRITISH SUBJECTS ABROAD. Sir F. KELLY moved fur leave to bring in a bill to give validity and effect to the wills of British sub jects made abroad. He observed that no branch of the law of England had been productive of more litigation and injustice than our law of domicile, applied to wills, as laid down in the case of " Stanley v. Berries," rollowed by that of " Collier v. Rivaz," and by more recent cases, the particulars of which he detailed, with all their perplexing incidents. To remedy the gnat evils arising under the existing law, he proposed to enact that all testamentary papers made anti executed by a British subject, and duly attested according to the Statute of Wills, should be entitled to probate in this country, and have validity and effect here wherever the testator might be domiciled. Mr. MALINS seconded the motion. The ATTORNEY•GENERAL Observed that the in conveniences upon which Sir F. Kelly had dilated arose from the uncertainty of the law, and he thought the attention of the Legislature might be profitably directed to the furnishing a rule whereby the testa- ' tor's domicile might be more readily ascertained without encroaching upon the general maxim, stobilia sequunter personam. He was sorry that Sir Fitzroy proposed to introduce a rule not common to the other nations of Europe, and, although the Go vernment could not consent to withdraw from the consideration of the house a matter worthy of its attention, he could not promise Sir Fitzroy his assistance or co-operation. Sir F. KELLY explained that he did not intend to interfere with the law of any foreign country, or that the bill should have any effect upon property in foreign countries. Leave was given to introduce the bill. Mi. G. CLIVE obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend and explain the Enclosure Acts. LUNATIC ASYLUMS (SCOTLAND). The Loan ADVOCATE moved for leave to introduce a bill altering and amending the law relating to lunatics in Scotland. He took the opportunity of defending the commissioners of supervision, who had been heavily censured for alleged negligence in a recent debate. By the proposed bill it was, he ex plained, simply intended to appoint a lunacy board for Scotland, consisting of a commissioner, a medical officer, a secretary, and a clerk. This board would have authority to license lunatic asylums, and the duty of inspecting them, with general powers of control and supervision, subject under certain condi tions to an appeal to the English Lunacy Com missioners. Under the central board eight district boards were to be constituted to carry the bill into effect in different parts of the country. Mr. ELLICE, jun., repeated his strictures upon the present system of lunacy administration in Scotland, and especially upon the commissioners of supervision. Adverting to the proposed bill, he remarked;that legislation was utterly useless unless the Government kept a careful watch to see that tho law was duly enforced. Mr. DRUMMOND denounced the Scotch parochial authorities, who, lie declared, invariably sacrificed humanity to thrift. Leave was given to bring in the bill. Mr. MASSEY obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the law of highways. His measure corn prised a scheme by which the country would be di vided into districts, and the management of all high ways and county roads subjected in each to the control of a district board, specially constituted and empowered. Leave was given to Mr. ATHERTON to introduce a measure to amend the law relating to the conveyance of lands for charitable uses. NETLEY HOSPITAL. Sir D. NORREYS moved for returns respecting Netley Hospital, showing by whom the site was selected, whether any reports were made on its salubrity and eligibility for its purpose previous to selection, and by whom. By whom the original plans were prepared, whether they were submitted to any medical authority for approval, by whom they were officially sanctioned, end whether any report was made upon them, and by whom, previous to their being sanctioned. Statement of the altera- 575 tions of or additions to the original plans which had been determined on, by whom they were recom mended, to whom they were referred for approval. And copy of coirespondence or rep,,rts relating thereto which had led to the adoption of the amended plan. Sir J. RAMSDEN did not oppose the granting the returns. When they were upon the table he felt suze they would be the means of disposing of the misapprehension which appeared to prevail on the subject. In fact, this site had been selected by an eminent medical gentleman. He would, however, not go into the matter, as the papers would subse quently be in the hands of lion, members. Mr. STAFFORD rejoiced that so ample and minute a return had been moved for : He would observe that an earnest protest against this hospital was matte to Lord Panmure iu February last by the whole of the medical gentlemen connected with the Middle. sex Hospital. He should move that this paper be laid before the house. Another communication had also been made by these gentlemen to Lord Peniunre, dated the 4th May lust, mid to this no reply had been given. That letter stated that Captain Lillian had explained to them the system of ventilation about to be adopted which would put an end to the insalubrity of the hospital. That system was to draw a supply of fresh air from a field at a distance. This was to be pumped into the hospital, and drawn out by a fire at the top of the building. These gentlemen repre. sensed to Captain Laffin that such a plan was fraught with evil ; that the hospital being in the country, the obvious means of ventilation was through the windows ; that the result of pumping up air would be to force effluvia fi om the rooms and outhouses. all over the house. Under these circumstances, they stated to Lord Paniuure that they could not think, therefore, that the state of the hospital was improved by what had taken place. The writers concluded by saying that the building would be a hotbed of erysipelas and hospital gangrene. When the return which was moved for by the hon. member was laid on the table, they would then see who was the gentleman who had taken upon him. self the responsibility of recommending this plan. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT thought that besides faults of construction a radical error had been committed in the selection of the site, as it was open to grave doubt whether from its position the hospital could become generally available for the use of the army, and, in consequence, fail to form that medical school for young practitioners originally intended. Lord PALMERSTON said that as to the site he bad never heard that that side of the river was at all unhealthy. With respect to the construction of the hospital considerable differences of opinion existed as to the proper construction of a hospital ; but the matter had attracted the serious attention of the Government, and the greatest care would be taken to adapt the building to the purpose for which it was intended. The motion was agreed to. ECCLI COMMISSIONERS. Sir G. GREY moved for leave to bring in a bill further to amend the act relating to the Ecclesias tical Commisiionet s and to continue the act concern ing the management of episcopal and oapitular estates m England. Mr. NEATE said at a future time he should state fully the grounds upon which he should oppose the passing of this bill. Leave was then given. REFORMATORY SCHOOLS. Sir G. GREY moved likewise for leave to introduce a bill to promote the establishment and extension of reformatory schools in England. The bill did not, he said, go the length of his former proposition, and he hoped it would obviate the apprehensions which that proposition created. He did not propose to authorise counties and boroughs of their own accord to levy rates for this object. Leave was given. ➢lr. J. D. FITZGERALD obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the Militia (Ireland) Act, 1854. The County Cass ( Ireland) Bill and the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) Bill were read a second time. On the order for the third re.►ding of the Joint• stock Companies Biil, Mr. BLAND moved that it be recommitted. Mr. WHITESIDE strenuously opposed the bill, as sweeping away existing rights and establishing a dangerous precedent. It. was ultimately read a third time and passed. The house adjourned at a few minutes past one o'clock. HOUSE OF COMNIONS—WZDNESDLT. SALE OF BEER BILL. On the motion for the second reading of the Sale of Beer Bill, Mr. K. SEYMER moved as an amendment that the bill should be read a second time that day six months. The hon. gentlemen in an eloquent speech showed that the measure would seriously interfere with the freedom of trade, and restrict the legitimate enjoyments of the community, without accomplkhing its avowed object, by diminishing the vice of drunkenness. The bill was also objectionable as strengthening the monopoly now enjoyed by the great !brewers, whose influence was already para.