The Sun. — London, England, 1844-03-22 00:00:00

t 1311°S u dience a of introth ic4 Se° by Sir Wr tint' 0 bel wterda ill lay in til° iss 31 ' 1114 Ilajes t Y . • rl of Alta tr ar 1 13 OI visited tile atee• tw o [Osdy tbs n° o : nec t, MSS' -- er twov• - ' T og *qr of . t 01° 1 10 11 fir* e ft the ben bf al*" t ort Roo' 0. at leg Pr 1. Soy; it the lay Trot Ace was. WV. ,ken uo as ire i t ; s Ind 14 Y r i d a 0 o p ec h er re • r c 4V4 -OW 15 to -to ; eii4 o ol s ter ig ht• ot De to der . 13 Vinie 4 to h ull t ° • r o i 1 sg s odor,— )131 0 4 01° ) o l s ' 0 0 lir land s oto s icy WO ° troll s tr° 2lo ll r°6g-1481 ointabi leo ,Ao ll' Sl y" fo ; part '1 :r 0 po i Ps rl4 or to ;;;00 „ T IP d.dor' tiro lr" rewr;og e er a l ' for / 10 ; irog i et etor net Cots ° o ~tt Ade rfor 1 1:0 iite r 1) 0 le M 04 6 Lel. A is oft reit bob oo' 00" 004-to g°` boo* irtatl.oo cet :or 9' fol G ey f f tli fro ° the of' csre l' hs osee d t so le s T HE HIGHLAND SOCIETY. ,tee anni versary di nner o f th e Hi g hl an d S oc i e ty Cileld l as t even i ng at t h e F reemasons ' T avern , Ot t Queen -street, it being the anniversary of the Le of Alex an d r i a , rendered memorable to all High ers, by the c on d uc t o f the Scotch Regiments upria cL Zglorious day, and by the fall of the Gallant Com %der, Sir Ralph Abercrombie. The attendance de very very numerous ; above a hundred gentlemen sat to dinne r . The scene was a most brilliant one, ii: e ak the number of naval and military uniforms, and i ( l lisplay of the picturesque costume of the of e t i s iell ds, some individ magnificent ua desc l spription ecimens of which were t o , 'le most . The gallery, t o l l 7as filled with elegantly dressed ladies, who re kVas spectators during nearly the whole of the *a s . : i ngs• The band of the Coldstream Guards 6:.11 attendance, and played several of the most dr,,?_llrite Scotch airs and popular pieces during the fge_r; its performance being varied by the skill of 404: 0 1 , i be the piper to the Highland Society ; Pipers to the Duke of Sutherland and her tit‘Y. Every arrangement was made that could ee to the comfort, the hilarity, and the amuse ;t of the company , and as a display of national gt looki ng w i t h pr id e upon th e d ee d s o f th e • and for war d w i t h h ope an d ki n dli ness t o the li s i t e, nothing could exceed it. The number of tio aa $ of " Saxon," as distinguished from " Celtic " hi LD ;' was alluded to during the evening with very 3r effect, as a proof that there is not that anti , be ei l and estrangement between them which has e u p.°o often s t a t e d t o ex i s t. Th e dinner was an the 'v'ent one, and the wines unexceptionable, and all Aalrangements gave the utmost satisfaction. ct ee - ' 4 °Tlg the distinguished gentlemen present we N e rv ed Colonel the Earl of Cardigan, Major-Gen. ~et Captain Sir Andrew Green, Colonel Elwin, Van Lloyd, R.N., C o l one l F a l coner , M a j or B urns , Nt r Chase, M a j or L u tty ens , C a pt a i n Reare, Captain 4 4 Sir John Sinclair, Sir John Hall, Sir Wm. Ad , Dr. Quin, Captain Head, R.N., Col. A. Munro, 44 hint-General Sir John Macdonald, Captain Tweet, R.N., Sir Fitzroy Maclean, Bart., J. E. .6, e n,tl Esq., M.P., &c. &c. AME S MACDONELL presided. G te s T the removal of the cloth, grace was said in ti e r by the Rev. J. Lee, the Chaplain of the So the CHAIRMAN then severally gave the toasts of of 'queen," the "Queen Dowager," the "Prince * Ete the rest of the Royal Family," which klyillurank with every mark of loyalty and enthu h„ CHAIRMAN next gave His Royal Highness Reece Albert, the Chief of the Highland Society." t kr !oast was drank with " Highland honours," and w alt uous applause. 14,T l i e i CHAIRMAN said he had now to propose the hoo f an illustrious individual, the mere mention name would, he was sure, make the hall m illi With applause. He gave them the health of Id i race " the Duke of Wellington"—(Cheers)— N em : had to inform them, at the same time, that his yir J. Macdonald, the Adjutant-General, was to deliver to them a message from his Grace. Noble Duke's health was drank with the Tat t iw 4 t applause.—Air—" See the conquering hero Yit )11e4 ,JOHN MACDONALD (Adjutant-General), re l.) th 141 the toast ; he said he was desired to convey ti e l ° l individually, and collectively, an expression Ilk h e great and sincere regret which his Grace, bee of Wellington felt, at not being able to IN. 'hem here to-day. He was prevented from at 1111141iN by the pressure of his Parliamentary duties, txl ,f ," were of such a nature as on this evening to kil a tnis particular attention. That circumstance I'l le „ue . his excuse for not meeting them.—(Cheers.) lai t 4 2light well suppose that the Duke of Welling- Si t , - ` 1 0 1 ( 1 have been desirous of meeting with the *lra of a Society of Highlanders who 444 %1 P been remarkable for their loyalty and et lent to the Crown. It was a great source itot - "PPointment to the Noble Duke, that he was 104 to mingle with the members of a Society, of 0 the Consort of their beloved Queen—(Cheers) 0 4 - 7 e that evening been announced as the Chief.— % h o t s.) He would also have been most anxious to l ii: ,2 l our to the merits of the distinguished officer they, as Highlanders, must be proud to tt oe 4 TT th e chair.—(Loud cheers.) That gallant httt r t was one who had acquired, not merely high, t he e very hi g hest, distinction in his profession, titk i most-eventful day that had distinguished the At th e e ,Duke's career.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) battle of Waterloo their Chairman had the ~'•'°rtune to be called to defend, if not the most o t i e; tti _certainly a very difficult post of the English °;* and he defended it with the greatest iri t li r Y and the most consummate military ability lugment.—(Cheers.) he CHAIRMAN then gave, "The Army and Navy." lye AND REW GREENE replied to the toast, on be °f the paying Navy, 1r of Chairman. of their E ITZROT MACLEAN acknowledged the toast on S t rtt of the army. He referred to the high esti el4;, in which the officers of both services were littu'"read, and stated that it was-the constant en $00:11r of the officers cf the army to cultivate a be e understanding with the officers of the other t• bran c h o f h er M a j e sty's service. k l, t z i e CHAIRMAN gave, as the next toast, " The ° L. r .Y of Abercrombie, and of the heroes who fell I k ric , ll in Egypt". The toast was drank in solemn phi e, and the band played the " Dead March," letti,eontrasted with great effect with the previous L Itt k e CuantmAx said they were favoured with the Itti tu iZee of several officers. He regretted that their r was small who were survivors of the celebrated %,.. e of Alexandria.—(Cheers.) too s i" aorix MACDONALD, in acknowledging the to 1 1 ? Niid it could not be otherwise than gratifying 10v e ,, 4 1 , and his brother officers to find the last toast tobreceived. There could be no doubt that the ees of the army in Egypt were most important nation while they were rendered memorable fall of commander in the glorious struggle of ; b leb he was engaged. As one of the survivors 11 0/ 1 ,7t battle he returned them his thanks for the lilt they had done him and them. Ito tarl of CARDIGAN rose to give the next teast ; lo tilt es received with applause, not, however, without ( kn . Niressions of disapprobation. He said that, at l itlt u .' l4 ent's notice, he had been desired to perform a u N tat i which, however agreable he still felt some "41 1 ; 1 °, 4 in undertaking. That duty was to propose e th of their gallant and distinguished Chair oiltSir James Macdonell.—(Cheers.) That toast tlto t° be proposed in a manner worthy both of , Gallant Officer and of the Society with whom he t hen tte sitting, but he felt himself incom liteelL to do justice to it. Nor was it 1,.Y that he should dwell upon the ,`ant4,_ services he had rendered his country , 4 litsC u eY were well known to every indivi othresent. He was covered with honours and " 5 gained in the service of his country. He Vt eeib to connect with the health of the Gallant some mention of the charitable exertions of the ci tin4. 4l4l Society itself, which had been productive Th e p„good among the children of soldiers. Rio , CHAIRMAN (Sir J. Macdonell) acknowledged L v lth;r s t in a feelings peech, expressive of his sense c ondescension of the Duke of Wellington, in tNO' taking notice of them on this occasion, and !h oy h i l n e F the - Noble Earl for . the kindly manner Nt, l 2, l te had introduced his health. Alluding t . o b•. ll irt been said respecting , the share he took in kttle of Waterloo, he said, in the defence of MI% turnont, the instructions given to himself and nions were briefly these—to d,'fend the post L ed f,',,ast•—(Cheers.) They eventually succeeded ; L ' s o a ;,,ring so, he could assure them, he ;Aid claim N' 4 reater merit than that of having done his duy th*, e utmost.—(Loud cheers.) On such a subject Ihwould excuse him from saying more.—(Cheers.) CHAIRMANtiiluse; then gave as a toast, " Chiefs and l ear alt was drunk with all the honours, and every A ° T enthusi asm . t tab.l! toast was followed by a Highland reel by the 4 t ; 44 °ll Tig men who danced before her Majesty at m it 4- 11t h Castle. They wore the full costume of 1/4-flande ,r and displayed an activity perfectly *ita es i ng• The spectator might well exclaim in .4 1 : l i g it-- motion ! changeful ever, ° I catch thee ; catch thee ? Never ! Whirling o'er the slippery boards !" I l tesi iit all eers were enthusiastically applauded by 4 all 1 1 • einsHotm rose to acknowledge the last toa st. :44 83 4reeted with cheers that continued for sovi e :°l4;t the said, no person could, for a moment , . ' ‘,Ast h.„'"e cause of th e en thusiasm with which the I %4%e°' been rec e i ve d. Th e toast of " Chiefs and qe included in it every 11 . hl nder• —(Cheers.) e e il iv t 4d lsl , l , der, then, th a t suc h a t oa st should be so re . t th such a Society. He could not forget, too, oil uw ere were many among them of their Saxon Arat o i e otintryinen and to them he felt especially 4 4a 1 for the warm s ' ympathy with which they '1 14, 1/t t r e,d into their national feelings.—( Ch eers. I lee e 'Lag heard much—too much latelw—of a • C e l t as arY • • 44. ti incongruity between the races of the and the Saxon. Let the cordiality or e bd e _ f.eeling evinced among them that evening, ve the lie to so vile and so false an asser 'reehtin,Lidond cheers.) Would that the same ,good ''elt e e s Could be diffused among all those generous Nest warily first led to believe that alienation rOn asrily exist between the Celt and the t w he re to r . who then, with marvellous inconsistency, of v t ll .--....(,,?_ a t the Saxon was well-dispos ed towards ..h he Ae...:rers.) He knew not what oth er branches eed he I w To race might believe, but he was as only only speaking the sentiment of every w ee aellveelapn,. of Hougoutnont, on the field of Waterb )o, which to tune. 3 during the day the point aoinst hich the 94 Nap:Ames attacks were directed. modern Celt, when he declared that he con sidered all animosity and jealousy had ceased to exist between them and their Saxon fellow-country men, except that which might be called jealousy, but which he should rather term a generous emulation to outvie each other in feelings of loyalty to the common Sovereign of their common country.—(Loud cheers.) The proud pre-eminence of Highlanders in this qua lity he attributed to that patriarchal system alluded to in the toast of " Chiefs and Clans."—(Cheers.) Under that system, the Highlander was taught, from his earliest infancy, that the chief of his clan was his temporal superior, and one from whom he had a right to expect every sympathy and support. The bonds which united " chiefs and clans" were those of reciprocal love ; in them there existed no feudal tyranny on the one hand, and no servile vassalage on the other.—(Cheers.) The Highlander imbibed the principle of loyalty from his birth ; and as his limbs straightened and as his frame hardened by exposure to the breeze on his native mountain's side, he felt that inborn spirit of Highland chivalry which fostered the memory of the deeds that their fathers had done, and which their country might one day require at their hands.—(Loud cheers.) Thanks be to God ! the finger of undying fame had not left his country's glory without some record of its heroes' deeds. Their attention had been called, that evening, to the ex pedition to Egypt, under Sir Ralph Abercrombie; they had been remindefi of the deeds the Highlanders there performed. While they dwelt upon them, he must beg to remind them of the fact that, although the British force mustered only 15,000 swords and bayonets, yet, so good an account did they render of their enemy, that, besides the more than human efforts they made on the field, for the glory of Britain and the freedom of England, they shipped for Eng land 32,000 French prisoners.—(Loud cheers.) Although assailed by the invincible legions of Na poleon, their enemy quailed beneath the stalwart arms of the gallant 42d.—(Cheers.) The Colonel of that Regiment—the Black 11 etch of Scotland—was then present with them.—(Cheers.) If he cast his eye over the campaigns of the Peninsular war, wherever they had been called they had maintained the character of their country, as if proud of the name which, as Highlanders, they bore.—(Loud cheers.) In the last great struggle, after the scourge of Europe burst from his island prison, and displayed his standard in the plains of Waterloo, there, too, the Highlanders showed how they could dare, and do, and die !—(Loud cheers.) Sir Walter Scott, in speaking of the fall of Colonel Cameron, of the 92d Highlanders, could find no stronger reason for the gallant bearing of that distinguished officer, than the strong Highland blood that ran in his veins. —(Cheers.) He would for awhile forget his re lationship to the Chairman, and once more relate how the blood of the Macdonell and the spirit of Glengarry showed itself that day.— (Cheers.) These deeds and such as these would never die— " No ! Agincourt may be forgot, And Cressy be an unknown spot, And Blenheim's name be new ; Yet, still in story and in song, For many an age remembered long, Shall live the towers of Hougoumont, And field of Waterloo ! " - After a song in Gaelic, sang by Mr. ArAlister, The CHAIRMAN gave " The British and Native Soldiers in India." Sir JAMES LTJSHINGTON replied to the toast in a neat speech, in which he alluded to the services of the detachment of the army in India, which, under Sir David Baird, marched across the Desert to co operate with the force in Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercrombie. He also paid a just tribute of praise to the conduct of the 74th Highland Regiment at the battle of Assaye. The CHAIRMAN then gave "The Visitors," coupling with the toast the name of the Rev. Mr. Gleig (the Chaplain of Chelsea Hospital). The Rev. Mr. GLEIG returned thanks. He thanked them, as a clergyman of the Church of Eng land, for the compliment paid him by many who, he was aware, were not members of that Church. He had seen some service in the army, and he knew what soldiers were ; though he never had the honour of be longing to a Highland regiment, yet he knew what they were, and what was the extent of their grati tude to those who endeavoured to make them not only good soldiers, but good men. The "Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot land" was then drank, the " Caledonian Society" being joined with it. The latter part of the toast was acknowledged by Mr. GORDON Dun', who stated that the asylum, which educated ninety-three boys, had just added ten to that number, and that the funds of the institu tion enabled them to add to their present building ac commodation for 100 inmates. A song, most sweetly sung by Miss P. Horton, " Will ye come to the Highlands," followed. The CHAIRMAN gave "The Branch Societies in the Colonies and elsewhere ;" the name of the Bishop of Newfoundland was mentioned with great praise in connection with this toast. _ _ vv Mr. Templeton sang, in his best style, the song of " There lived a young lassie all down in yon glen." " The Emerald Isle" was then toasted, and was followed by an Irish song, admirably given by Mr. Jones. The toast of The poetry of our native country" was followed by a song from Major Burns. " The Ladies" were given w ith all the honours. " Highlanders, shoulder to shoulder," followed ; after which Mr. Mlan sang " Donald Caird." On the motion of The CuisuoLst, Sir John Mac donald was elected a member of the Highland So ciety by acclamation. Colonel Faulkner and Mr. M'Gregor (of the Board of Trade) were chosen mem bers in the same manner. "The Fine Arts and Scottish Artists" was then given, and was followed by a song, " The oak and the• ivy," from Mr. Ransford. The CHAIRMAN gave the "Gaelic School So ciety of Edinburgh. In introducing it, he stated that when he was in Canada he met with many of his old relations and friends, for they were Highlanders, and he was much morti fied to find that their children could not speak a word of Gaelic. This, he thought, was a sort of insult to their mother country. The French Canadians, on the contrary, still spoke their native French, and many of them had even learned the Gaelic, but could not speak English. He hoped, therefore, that the Society would do all in its power to extend the knowledge of the Gaelic language. The toasts concluded with " The land we live in." In addition to Mr. Al'Kay (the Piper of the So ciety), his brother (her Majesty's Piper), by per mission, attended also, Prince Albert being chosen Chief of the Society. His pipes were of the most splendid description, the Royal arms being richly embroidered in gold on a blue banner. Macbeth (the Piper of the Duke of Sutherland) was also present, and the three, in their picturesque costumes, added much to the brilliancy and effect of the entertainment. The company separated at twelve o'clock. DISPUTE BETWEEN FRENCH and ENGLISH SAILORS AT MARSEILLES. MARSEILLES, MARCH 12.—Thistcase came on yester day before the Court of Police Correctionelle. The chief witnesses in support of the prosecution were Capt. Mottet, master of the Laurentine French coasting ves sel, his mate, his only seaman, his apprentice, and his cabin boy. The prisoners were the first mate of the Romulus English vessel, second mate, and two seamen of the same. The Counsel for the complainants addressed the Court. The Procureur du Roi next addressed the Court. He exaggerated the pretended wrong on the part of the English; the injury sustained by the French in their persons, their ship, and their trading interests. With this address the proceedings of the day closed, and were resumed this afternoon. M. Rey de Foresta being called on for the defence, proceeded to expose the perilous position of the Romulus during the gale, and the necessity the captain was under of seeking a refuge for his ship. He proved, from his having succeeded in occupying it, that the position he had attempted to take up was practicable ; and he inferred that no injury had re sulted to the complainant's vessel from the fact of none having been proved. He inferred that Captain Esson had not infringed any of the regulations of the port, from the fact that, if' he had, it would have been the duty of the captain of the port to prosecute him, which lie would have done, but which he did not; and he logically concluded, that the manoeuvre which Captain Esson had executed was agreeable to the asages of the port, and the position he had assumed lawfully acquired, from the captain of the port's confirmation of the same, in spite of the appeal, complaints, and remonstrances of the plaintiff. But, independently of the above, the counsel for the de fence was enabled to lay before the Court the captain of the port's own opinion of the case in question, as far as his jurisdiction extended, and which completely exonerated Captain Esson of all blame in the course be bad pursued. The judgment and sentence of the Court were as fol lows :—"Considering that there was evidently an infrac tion of the regulations of the port, added to the aggra vatingcircumstances of a violation of domicile ; eoasiaering that a struggle ensued, in which blows were dealt on both sides, and wounds inflicted on the Captain and his cabin-boy ; and considering that these acts con stitute a misdemeanour, punishable under the 311th article of the Code Finale, the Court decrees and sen tences the two mates of the Romulus to a fine of 16f. each to the Etat Civil, and one months' imprisonment ; and the two men of the same ship to ten days imprison ment, besides 500 f. fine for the benefit of the captain of the Laurentine, and all the costs of the prosecution, to the charge of the ship Romulus." THE LATH MR. J. F. BLARE.--The Funeral of the late Mr. J. F. Blake, Secretary to the Incorporated Society of Licensed Victuallers, will take place at Kensall-green Ceme tery on Saturday next. Besides private friends of the de ceased, the Governor (Mr. Keasley), the Trustees and Com zattee of the Society, and others, will accompany the re m:due from his residence, at the office of the Morning Ad vertiser, to the Cemetery. Several of the past Governors Trustees, and Committee, have already signified their inten tion of either accompanying the procession, or joining it on its approach to the Cemetery, where it i 5 expected to arrive Al •pilt ono o'glvolio-vidvergieer. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 22, 1844, THE WILL FORGERIES. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. two courts would be beneficial to the public ? As separate courts they had two sets of ministerial offi cers, and by the proposed measure one of those sets would be dispensed with, which would be a great relief to the public. Ile proposed to do the same thing with regard to s the courts of the A - o,h deacon of York. He -next came to consider the diocesan courts. In every diocese there was a court in which probate of wills could he granted, and which possessed contentious jurisdiction in all ecclesi astical matters. Those courts were coeval with the Constitution. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners had recommendedthe abolition of those courts. It was said that they - imperfectly performed the duties that devolved on them, and that they were pre sided over by incompetent persons. He, however, pro posed to continue those courts: He saw no reason for abolishing these ancient courts on account of the existence of abuses which could'be remedied; and by the Bill he proposed to provide that these courts shoUld be presided over by competent and efficient persons, either by advocates, or by persons who had been used to the practice of other courts of justice; and having thus remedied the abuses complained of, he could not consent to abolish these ancient local courts. He now came to a class of courts of another descrip tion—he meant the Courts of Peculiars. There were three or four hundred of these courts scattered about the country, some of them possessing such li mited jurisdiction, that it was impossible to secure the services of an efficient Judge, or of efficient ministerial officers. He proposed to abolish them altogether. In many instances they possessed the power of granting probates, and owing to the ignorance of those who pre sided over them, injustice to an incalculable extent might be done. He therefore proposed to abolish them. The system would then present this appearance :—ln ever diocese there would be a tribunal for the granting of probates, and possessing contentious jurisdiction, and in York and Canterbury there would be ap pellate tribunals ; and if these courts were pre sided over by able judges he could not see how any superior system could be established. He knew that in what he was proposing he was acting adversely to the opinions of the Commissioners, and to the authority of the Committee of the House of Com • mons, and therefore he spoke with hesitation ; but it was his opinion that even if it were in their power to abolish the diocesan courts,, it would not be expedient to do so. He knew that some Noble Friends of his would support him in the view which he took of this subject. He knew that his Noble and Learned Friend at the table was one ; and no man was more con stant, firm, and unwearied than that Noble and Learned Lord, in an opinion which he had deliberately expressed. When Sir F. Pollock, in the House of Commons, brought in a )3PI to abolish eccle siastical courts, he' was opposed by his Noble and Learned Friend with great elequence and learning. His Noble and Learned Friend said that centralisation might be carried too far—that those courts were of great advantage to persons in the provinces, and that it would be most unwise and inconvenient to bring them to London. He repeated that he knew the decision of his Noble and Learned Friend, and that he should have his support. He could refer to another authority, that of the late Lord Stowell, than whom there could be no greater authority. on ecclesiastical law. He (the Lord Chancellor) was in the House of Commons when that great lawyer brought in a Bill for the reform of those courts on the same principles on which the Bill was founded, that was to abolish the peculiar courts, and to maintain the diocesan courts. There was something whimsical in the conduct of those who called for the abolition of ecclesiastical courts, and at the same time cried for local courts to bring justice home to every man's door. Here were local courts established, and he thought that instead of trying new systems which generally disappointed the expectations of their authors, they should endeavour to apply remedies to the sys tems which existed, which could be done with less expense, less trouble, and less risk of fail ure. As to the jurisdiction of those courts, he had already stated that it was not open to his own mind to determine which was the best system, but he was satis fied that the one recommended in the Bill was the only practical one, and they ought not like froward children to reject the offered boon, because they could not get all that they desired. The Bill proposed to place the donative livings, over which at present the Bishop had no jurisdiction, under the same ecclesiastical authority as the presentive. The ecclesiastical courts had now some jurisdiction in respect to tithes. This, at the recommendation of the Ecclesi astical Commissioners, it was intended to take from them; which was of the less importance, as the Tithe Commutation duties had greatly diminished their business in regard to tithes. He had now stated all that was necessary in this stage of the proceeding. The main question for their Lordships' consideration would, of course, relate to the diocesan courts. The extent of the existing evil in regard to probates, might be gathered from the fact, that there were no less than 350 courts of peculiars—no less than 350 tribunals to which a great and serious difficulty applied. These would be swept away and confined to 26 courts, each of which would have jurisdiction over certainly a large extent. Nice questions of law, it had been hinted, would be intro duced into the discussions on this question. He did not know where those questions were to come from, as, for his own part, he believed they, had all been pretty well settled by a variety of decisions. He (the Lord Chan cellor) admitted that the only mode of getting rid en tirely of certain inconveniences connected with the dio cesan courts was u holly to get rid of them. The ques tion was, whether such a sacrifice was not paying too high for the benefit. However, let that be as it might, it occurred to him, that means, by the agency of this Bill, might be obtained to lessen the evils which now existed. He was sure the measure he now submit ted to their Lordships was a most important one, that it would tend greatly to the advantage of the country, and become an:excellent instrument in judicious and able hands for the faithful administration of the ecclesiastical law of this country. Lord :COTTENHAM said he had certainly enter tained some curiosity to know upon what grounds the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack proposed to give his assent to a Bill, the principal portion of which went to secure the maintenance of all the diocesan courts. When the Noble and Learned Lord, however, stated it was impossible to carry any other Bill he was still more surprised, for they all knew that the present Government was a very powerful one. He (Lord Cottenham) was at a loss to find out where the difficulty in carrying the measure would be ; it certainly would not be for want of Parliamentary power. either in that or in the other House. There might be inconveniences which he (Lord Cottenham) would not further inquire into, which might induce the Government not to press the Bill for the abolition of the diocesan courts. Those courts, it should be remembered, had been condemned for the last twelve years—condemned by the Ecclesias tical Commissioners—by the Real Property Commis sioners—by the Select Committee of the House of Com mons, and by the Select Committee of their Lordships' House. All these authorities had unanimously advised the abolition of the diocesan courts. The Noble and Learned Lord had himself been of that opinion last session, as he (Lord Cottenham) would prove. What had changed his opinion it was not for him to divine. The sub;ect of the ecclesiastical courts was one of the highest importance to the country. Their Lordships were aware that the ecclesiastical courts had jurisdiction over matters of the utmost importance to the people of this country. They had to ,;decide questions between husband and wife--they had to decide on the validity of marriages—they had to decide whether wills should be admitted to probate, and whether they were valid or not. The whole of these important matters came under their especial jurisdiction. Now in what way were these important questions to be decided? Why. by, as his Noble and Learned Friend had truly stated, no less than three hundred and forty different courts. His Noble Friend had stated good reasons why these minor courts should exist no longer. But he had not kept in mind that his panegyric ap plied to these peculiar courts as well as to the diocesan courts. Now, he (Lord Cottenham) would show that the same reasons which his Noble and Learned Friend had given for putting an end to the peculiar jurisdiction, applied equally to the diocesan courts. These courts had jurisdiction, not only on matrimonial questions, but on all testamentary questions. They had to decide upon the validity of a will affecting land, and also affecting money, on which the law, as it now stood, was most absurd, because, as far as the will affected money, it was subject of ? probate, but, as far as it related to land, the ecclesiastical court had no jurisdiction, and there was no means of establishing that will with respect to freehold property, unless it contained a trust, and, if it did so, then the Court of Chancery interfered. Well, then a question of law arose, what was the ultimate tribunal to decide any ques tion that was involved in that.will ? Why, that House was the tribunal ; but it' any question arose with respect to personalty, then the Privy Council was the court of the last resort ; and these proceedings, their Lordships must remember, related to one and the same ' paper. This subject had often been matter of observa vation, and must soon, he would venture to predict, be matter of legislation. He was therefore opposed to that part of the Bill which proposed the establishment of several new courts, or the remodelling of those old esta• blished jurisdictions, because he was satisfied that sooner or later it would be necessary to abolish these courts, and to subject all wills to one jurisdiction. The Bill was good, inasmuch as it went to abolish peculiars, but he objected to the continuance of these diocesan courts. The natter had , been fully investigated by the Commission which made its Report in 1832. When they considered the time which had been devoted by those, Commissioners to the investigation of the subject, the vast body of evidence which had been collected, and the authority of the Com missioners, he thought their Lordships would be inclined to pay great attention to their recommendations. The Report was signed by the .Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Lincoln, the Bishop of St. Asaph, the Bishop of Bangor, Lord Tenterden, Lord Wynford, the present Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, Sir John Nicholl, Sir Christopher Robinson, Sir Herbert Jenner, and Dr. Lushington. Their Lordships would see that the Commissioners consisted of the highest ecclesiastical and legal authorities in the realm, and that their recom mendations were, therefore, entitled to the greatest at tention. Now, all these authorities were agreed in re commending the abolition of the diocesan courts. The Report proposed to maintain the Prerogative Court of York, but it stated that it had been recommended to abolish the court. The Commissioners merely threw out the suggestion, but offered no opinion on the sullied, Now, with regard to the diocesan courts and to the peculiars. If a man died possessed of property in the jurisdiction of any one of these courts, probate might be taken out in that court ; but, if the deceased had property to the value of 5/. in any other jurisdiction, the probate was void—probates could not be sued out in either of these courts. Now, this was most Lydia Sanders, the wife of Sanders, and the fictitious Emma Slack, with whose name the public have been so long acquainted in connexion with the will forgeries, has, as well as her husband, been apprehended, through the able instrumentality of John and Daniel Forrester, the officers. They will be placed at the bar of the Man sion-house on Saturday, together with Barber, Fletcher, Mrs. Dorey, and Griffin, when the depositions against all the prisoners will be read over preparatory (according to the general expectation formed upon the evidence pub licly adduced against them) to their commitment to Newgate for trial, at the ensuing session, at the Central Criminal Court. _ _ _ HOUSE OF LORDS, March 21. Tho LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Wool sack at Five o'Clock. CORN-LAWS. The EARL of STRADBROKE presented a petition from certain landowners in the county of Suffolk, against any alteration in the corn-laws. Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from Mor peth, and some other places in the county of Northum berland, with a similar prayer. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS' BILL. Lord KENYON presented a petition from a cer tain corporate body in Shropshire, which was threatened with the loss of certain privileges which it had enjoyed from the time of Queen Elizabeth, by the Ecclesiastical:Courts Bill, and praj ing to be heard by Counsel at the bar of their Lordships' House against that Bill. The Noble Lord gave notice that he should at a future time move that the petitioners be heard by Counsel against the Bill. REDUCTION OF THE THREE-AND-A-HALF PER CENTS. Lord CAMPBELL considered it his duty to call their Lordships' attention to what he considered an unjusti fiable delay in giving the Royal Assent to a Bill which had passed their Lordships' House and the other House of Parliament. On Tuesday their Lordships had read the Bill for the reduction of the Three- and-a-Half per Cents., a third time. The a moun t o f th e s t oc k to be reducd was 250,000,0001., and by that Bill certain terms were offered to the stockholders, and a right was reserved to them to express their dis sent, 4nd to be paid off at par. By a clause in that Bill the dissentients were required to express their dissent on or before the 23d of this month. He had expected that the Royal Assent would have been given to that Bill on Wednesday, which would have given Thursday, Friday, and Satur day to the dissentients to express their dissent ; but there had been no Commission on Wednesday—there had been no. Commission to-day. The Bill could not possibly become law before four o'clock to-morrow, which would only give a few hours to the 100,000 stock holders, many of whom resided a great distance off; to express their dissent. The terms the Government offered were liberal, and possibly there might be no dissentients, but it might become a precedent for a future Minister who might wish to reduce the National Debt, and who might offer terms which the stockholders might not be disposed to accept, to force them into acquiescence. It might also expose us to misrepresentation among foreign nations. We had always prided ourselves in preserving our faith with the national creditor, and if we wished to maintain that character, a proper opportunity ought to be afforded to dissentients to express their dissent. This had happened very unfortunately and very unne cessarily. There might have been a Commission yester day, or to-day. He wished for an explanation of the delay, as it rendered the powers of dissent quite futile. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he intended to have had a Commision yesterday, but he received an intimation from the other House that it would be more convenient to have the Commission - to-morrow. There had already been given three notices of dissent, and he did not think there would be any more. Al though in point of law there could be no dissent until after the Bill had received the Royal Assent, yet practi cally the dissent in these cases had been given, and on all other occasions had been given before the Bill be came law. After much activity and tact of investigation exhi bited upon the part of the officers employed by the pro secutors, it became apparent that Sanders and his wife were both secreted at Edinburgh, or in the immediate neighbourhood of that city. John Forrester was, upon the receipt of such information, dispatched to Edin burgh, and, after considerable difficulty, he ascertained that persons answering the description of the two ac cused individuals had been lodging, under assumed names, from the middle of January until within the last three weeks, at a small lodging in an unfrequented part of Edinburgh, but that, in consequence of some dis turbance between two of the inmates of the houso, on account of which a threat had been held out that the as sistance of the police should be claimed, they had de parted, but whither, the occupiers of the house were un able to afford any information. Forrester, however, through the medium of the Post office, learned that when Sanders and his wife left the above-mentioned lodging, the former requested the post man of the district to leave the letters addressed to him at a grocer's shop, where it appeared they had been in the habit of dealing since their arrival, and during their stay in Edinburgh. The people of the shop, it would seem, did not know Sanders's place of residence, but they knew him from the calls he had made to purchase various articles, and to receive his letters. Having ascer tained so strong a fact, Forrester forthwith obtained permission to have two of the Edinburgh police stationed at the back part of the premises from morning till night for the purpose of pouncing upon Sanders when he should call for his letters. This course was pursued for several days, until at last, at about nine o'clock in the evening of Wednesday, the 13th instant, the hus band of the notorious Lydia Sanders, alias Emma Slack, made his appearance at the shop, and purchased a small quantity of tea. The desirable visit was instantly com municated to the police stationed on the premises, and to Forrester,.who, dreading that he might lose Sanders in tracing him to his home, considered that the best plan he could adopt was to secure the prisoner he had so long sought for on the spot. Sanders refused to state where he resided, what his name was, or to answer any questions put to him by Forrester, who, of course, could not guess amidst such exclusive caution as that exhibited by him and his wife. The law of Scotland does not, it appears, authorise the committal of a person apprehended under such circum stances as those above described to prison, and Forres ter was, in consequence of so remarkable a difference between the English and Scotch systems, obliged to keep Sanders at his hotel, in custody of two men, night and day during his stay in Edinburgh. where he was delayed in the hope of finding Emma Slack. With this view the officer remained in Edinburgh during the whole of Thursday and Friday, but without success, when San ders ultimately requiring that the warrant should be complied with, viz. that the prisoner should be taken before the Lord Mayor, there was no alternative, and Forrester was obliged on Saturday to leave Edinburgh with the individual named in the warrant, after having given strict injunctions to the Edinburgh police to pur sue the inquiry, and apprehend the female they sought, if she was to be found. He arrived in town with the prisoner at six o'clock on Monday morning, in the mail. At twelve o'clock on the same day Sanders was taken before the Lord Mayor, and, after a short examination, remanded till Saturday next, when her final examina tion is to take place. Forester, having deposited his prisoner in safe custody, left London again for Edin burgh on the same night, to renew his search after Mrs. Sanders, alias Emma Slack. It seemed to be next to impossible that she should escape, as it would appear that she had little or no money in her possession, and her friends had no means of sending her any assist ance, except through the former address, where, of course, she would be apprehended, if she went to receive what might be necessary to her existence. A dispatch was, we understand, received yesterday morning, from the chief of the Edinburgh police, an nouncing that they had discovered Mrs. Sanders in the course of Tuesday, and that she had been apprehended, and was then in custody; and it was proposed to send her to town on Wednesday night in the care of a male and a female guard. Forrester, it is conjectured, arrived at Edinburgh on Wednesday last, and will, no doubt, accompany the prisoner, who is to be attended by a female to town, where they will arrive in the course of this day. We have been given to understand that before it be came known to the prosecutors that Mrs. Sanders was the party who personated the fictitious Emma Slack, suspicion attached to various females who were in any degree connected with, or known to either Barber or Fletcher ; and in fact we have reason to believe that at one time Emma Slack was supposed to have been a man in female disguise. Daniel Forrester contrived, with great ingenuity, that Mrs. and Miss Neville should ob tain interviews, under the most extraordinary pre tences, with these parties, they little suspecting at the time the object of the mission. Ultimately, however, it appeared that Mrs. Dorey had been seen to kiss the female who personated Emma Slack, and that kiss at once suggested to the prosecutors the utility of looking more closely to the connexions of the former. The description of Emma Slack was accordingly ob tained with the greatest precision and accuracy, in cluding her manners, her habits, her mode of ' singing, of which she was represented to be very fond, and the songs she sung. Armed with all this information, the officers employed upon these important investigations, found that no two persons could be found so closely to resemble each other in all those particulars. Dates were then compared, and it was ascertained that Mrs. Sanders was absent from Bristol at the time in ques tion. Other facts were also ascertained, which it is not necessary to represent here, but which, combined with what we have detailed, remove all doubts as to iden tity. All that was then to be done was to track Mrs. Lydia Sanders, alias Emma Slack, out ; an undertak ing which has been just so ably accomplished by the sagacious officers to whom the task was consigned. Lord MONTEAGLE said that this was a subject of great importance, and he was glad that his Noble and Learned Friend had called the attention of the House to it. He did not think that on this occasion the delay would produce any practical inconvenience, and he was surprised that there had been even one dis sentient, as the measure was so advantageous. He hoped, however, that care would be taken to given longer time, and to act more regularly in future dealings with the National Debt. CHARITABLE BEQUESTS (IRELAND). Lord NORMANBY had a petition to present for a lady named Woolridge, complaining of negl ec t o f duty on the part of the Board of Charitable Bequests in Ire land. The petition stated, that in 1819 Thomas Wool ridge died, leaving the rent of houses in Har court-street, Dublin, for the relief of the poor in that city. In two years afterwards a Chan cery suit was instituted by the relatives of the deceased against the Board of Bequests. In 1828 there was a final decree, but since that period the Board had taken no steps to apply the funds according to the will of the testator ; and in 1840 the Master reported that only 1,000/. had been paid into Court for the use of the charity, although the rents re ceived amounted to 24,0001. 23,0001, having been squandered. In the case which he (Lord Normanby) brought under their Lordships' attention on a former occasion, when the Board of Guardians refused to allow a bequest to be applied to the education of children under the care of a rector of the Es- tablished Church, the sum in dispute was only 7L 10s., but here, where the bequest was 1,0001. a year, to be de voted to the relief of the poor, they entirely neglected their duty. The Duke of WELLINGTON—Let me have a copy of the petition. Lord NORMANDY then presented a petition from the next of kin of two orphan children—one from Dur ham and one from Rochester—complaining that the children had been enlisted without their consent, and that one of the boys was under fourteen years of age. The same Noble Lord also presented a petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Waterford, praying that the corporations of Ireland might have the same rights as those in England ; and also a petition from St. John's, Newfoundland, signed chiefly by Irishmen, praying for a redress of the grievances of Ireland. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE gave notice, that to-morrow week he should present a petition from Ire land, on the state of that country, and upon that occa sion he should draw the attention of their Lordships to the state of the sister island. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE gave notice that, upon the same occasion, he should call the attention of the House to the instructions given to the officers of the Crov%n, relative to the composition of juries ; and he should move that their Lordships be summoned for that day. Lord WHARNCLIFFE wished to know if the Noble Lord's notice had reference to the composition of the jury on a late occasion. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said his object was a general one, and was intended to apply to the instruc tions given now and to be given to the officers of the Crown in the composition of jury lists. Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented several returns re specting quarantine regulations. The RishOp of BANGOR presented a petition against the union of the sees of Bangor and St. Asaph. CHANGE OF THE IRISH MAIL PACKETS.—The day is officially announced as the 12th of April for the long-con templated change in the hours of the mail packets sailing. ITALIAN BANDITTI.—ROME, FEB! gence has just been received, that an English family of dis tinction, en route for that city, have been robbed by banditti near Itris of all their luggage ; and what renders the affair more unfortunate is, that some of the servants, in defending the property, came in conflict with the robbers and were se verely wounded. SERIOUS ACClDENT.—Wednesday evening, about six o'clock, W. B. Glasse, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn, was proceed ing along Portland-place on horseback, accompanied at a distance by a youth, his groom, when the animal, a high-spirited one, upon which the latter was riding, took fright and ran with great violence against a lamp-post ; by the concussion the horse was nearly sunned, but after a short lapse of time, it started off again, and came with such violence against some area railings, that it dropped dead upon the spot. The groom fell under the animal, and on being extricated he was immediately conveyed in a cab to the surgery of Mr. A. B. Chisholm, in Devonshire-street, who upon examina tion, found that there was a severe concussion, his right ankle being much injured, and otherwise bruised very much in various parts of the body. He was promptly bled—and we are happy to find that the sufferer is doing well. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had to call the attention of their Lordships to the provisions of the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill, the second reading of •which was fixed for that evening. This was a question which had at several times been submitted to their Lordships' con sideration. There was little novelty in the Bill, and therefore, he should occupy but little of their time in explaining its scope and object, It was, however, de sirable, that he should principally call their Lordships' attention to the history of the proceeding. It would be in their recollection that in the year 1830 a Commission was a ppointed to take into their consideration the constitution of the ecclesiastical courts and the administration of justice by those tribunals. It made its Report in the following year. The Commission he should state con tained among its members several of the most revered prelates, many eminent persons, and certain of the heads of the law, equity, and ecclesiastical tribunals of the country. They considered the subject very fully, and made a report, but nothing was immediately done. In 1833 a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed for the purpose of again investigating the subject, and to this Committee the report of the Commission was re ferred. That Committee carefully considered the sub ject, and having examined the late Lord Tenterden, the present Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and other eminent characters, presented a report agree ing in substance with that published by the Commission. Upon these proceedings a Bill was founded, and was brought into their Lordships' House by his Noble and Learned Friend who then sat upon the Woolsack (Lord Brougham). He did not know precisely from what cause, but that Bill proceeded only to a certain stage, and was not prosecuted further. In 1835, after his Noble and Learned Friend had left office, the same Bill—or the same Bill with some alterations and modifications—was presented by another Noble Friend to that 'House. Nothing took place upon that Bill, and he apprehended for this reason that, almost contemporaneous with it, Sir Frederick Pollock, who was then Attorney-General, obtained leave to bring in a similar Bill in the House of Commons. Almost immediately afterwards he resigned office, and then his Noble and Learned Friend who was sitting at the table (Lord Campbell) introduced a mea sure corresponding with those that had been introduced by his predecessors. That measure had been brought in by his predecessor in the month of June. It was founded not entirely upon the Report of the Commis sioners, but that of a Committee of the House of Com mons ; and although that Bill was introdced in June, 1835, and the Parli ament sat till August, no further ar it. What was the i eded him in the n e In the following reason ,ear, hoipf proceedingssthatNoblehe e tookuF riend codk n (x whoplace uponpplc office of Lord Chancellor introduced a similar Bill. That Bill was read a first and second time, was referred to a Committee, and a report was made upon it ; but owing to some cause the Bill pro ceeded no further and the measure was abandoned, he presumed, in consequence, of some difficulties his Noble and Loarned Friend had anticipated in another place. Thus the matter rested, and his Noble and Learned Friend, up to 1840, never resumed that measure. Have ing made these statements, he came now to the last at tempt made in the way of legislation on this subject, he meant the proceedings in the House of Commons last year, when a Bill, similar to the others that had been intro duced, was brought in by a Member of the Govern ment. The second reading of that Bill was carried, but it was considered impossible to carry it on in its then shape. Alterations were made in it—it was referred pro forma to a Committee, but the session had then arrived at that period when it was considered impossible to carry it thral l !, and th e measu re wa s not further proceeded with. nder these circumstances, he (the Lord Chancellor) had thought it important to introduce the measure this session in its modified shape. He was anxious to go as far as he could upon the present occasion to reform the ecclesiastical courts by carrying into effect, the report of the Commissioners, The peat object of the Bill was to consolidate the Arches and the Prerogative Courts. Those courts were presided over by the same judge, they were attended by the same bar, they were held i in the same hall,. and they were, for all practical purposes, one and the same court. Could it there fore be doubted that the consolidation of those " IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH.". An awful instance of the uncertainty of human life occurred in this city on Wednesday afternoon last. Mr. Newton, a respectable tallow-chandler, residing in Broad-street, was sitting in his shop in company with one of his daughters, when, suddenly hearing an unusual noise, the child looked up, and observed her father labouring for breath. She spoke to him, but he appeared insensible, and she then alarmed the family. Mrs. Newton was from home at the time, but an elder sister observing Mr. Turley, surgeon, coming up Broad street, in his gig. called him in. Mr. Turley found the de ceased lying upon the floor, where he had fallen from the chair. He immediately opened a vein in his left arm, and about an ounce of blood followed the incision. The pulse, however, gradually lessened, and soon ceased altogether. He never spoke after he was attacked with this sudden seizure. Mr. Turley, on his examination on the inquest, on Friday, said he had long considered the doceased as subject to apoplexy, and he had observed that latterly his face had assumed a darker hue. He had no doubt whatever that the cause of death was the rupture of a vessel in the brain. There was a bruise on the left eye, but this was occasioned by the deceased's fall from his chair. Mr. Hyde held an inquest on Friday morning before a respectable jury, who, after hear ing the evidence of Mr. Turley, returned a verdict that the deceased died by the visitation of God, from the rupture of a vessel on the brain. Mr. Newton has left behind him a large family to deplore his loss.— Worcester Chronicle. INTERESTING ANECDOTE OF BERNADOTTE, KING OF SWEDEN.—Among the wounded prisoners, was a young French sergeant, who so particularly attracted the notice of Colonel Wangenheim, commandant of the Hanoverian troops in the English service, by his interesting appearance and manners, that lie ordered the young man to be conveyed to his own tent, where he was treated with attention and kindness until his recovery and release. Many years afterwards, when the French army, under Bernadotte, entered Hanover, General Wangenheim, among others, attended the levee of the con queror. " You have served a great deal," said Bernadotte on his being presented, " and, as I understand, in India ?" " I have served there"—" M. Cudalore ?"—" I was there — Have you any recollection of a wounded sergeant, whom you took under your protection in the course of that service ?" The circumstance was not immediately present to the Gene • ral's mind ; but on recollection, he resumed. "I do, indeed, re member the circumstance, and a very fine young man he was ; I have entirely lost sight of him ever since, but it would give me pleasure to hear of his welfare." "That young Sergeant," said Bernadotte, " was the person who has now the honour to address you, and who is happy in the public opportunity of acknowledging the obligation, and will omit no means within his power of testifying his gratitude to General Wan genheim."— Willis's Sketches of the South of India. THE MURDER OF MR. SOLOMONS.—At an ad journed meeting of the Brighton Commissioners of Poliee, held on _Wednesday - , the following resolution, moved by Mr. Folkard, and seconded by Mr, Bradshaw, was unanimously , carried :—" It is with the most painful feeling the Com missioners have heard the awful account of the murder of Mr. Henry , Solomons, their chief officer of police, and com mend their clerk for the steps he has taken in bringing the murderer to justice. The Commissioners cannot but express their abhorrence and detestation of the cold-blooded deed which has deprived the town of an old, faithful, and valuable servant, the country of a most aealohs and vigilant officer, and a mother and nine children of the only support on which they depended for subsistence. The Commissioners, deeply commiserating the distressing situation into which, by this aw ful act, the family of their late chief officer is plunged, resolve, That a special meeting be convened on Wednesday, the 27th inst., for the purpose of taking their unhappy circumstance s I into consideration, and to adopt such measure* relating thereto as the meeting may deem expedient." injurious to real property. There was hardly an estate but what was affected by settlements ; many of these were for terms of years, and, in order to make out a title to an estate, it was necessary that all these terms should be got in. The conveyancer, in making out a title might find that one of those persons had died in a peculiar jurisdiction, and it would be necesssary to to • out administration ; but he could not venture to take out administration in the peculiar, or in the diocesan court, because, if it could be proved that the person had died worth 51. in any other jurisdiction, the administration would be void, and the title bad. That was one strong argument for the abolition of the diocesan courts. The report of this Commission recommended the abolition of the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical courts in matters which they specified—in matters of legacy and burials in church-yards, in matters of defamation, insult, adultery, and church-rates. But his Noble and Learned Friend proposed to extend the power of these courts in matters of legacy. Now, why should they do so? Was there any complaint of the courts of equity? The ecclesiastical courts could not exercise the juris diction conferred on them in legacies, unless they had full control over the estate of the testator. Such a power would be perfectly inconsistent with the consitu tion of the ecclesiastical courts. It should be recol lected that the judges of the ecclesiastical courts were appointed by individuals, and not by the authority of the Crown or of Parliament—judges appointed by individuals in a court where the greatest interests might be at stake !—(Hear, hear.) The public ought, in such cases, to have protection in the appointment of judges. They ought at least to gain that guarantee which the responsibility of Government con fers. It was provided that, in case the diocesan courts were to be continued, barristers of a certain standing were to be appointed to preside over them. That cer tainly was an improvement. Then these judges were to hold office during good behaviour ; but if this good behaviour did not exist, and if it was found expedient to remove one of these judges for misconduct, still the Noble and Learned Lord proposed that they were only to be removed in the same manner as the judges in the superior courts. How was that ? By an address from both Houses of Parliament to the Crown. But those judges were appointed by individuals—by the Right Rev. Bishops ; then hew absurd was it to propose that both Houses of Parliament should address - the Sovereign to remove a functionary appointed by an irresponsible individual, for he presumed the Noble and Learned Lord could not mean that the Houses of Parliament should address the Bishop.—(Hear, hear.) If the Crown were to remove judges, the Crown shouli appoint them. These matters had been made subjects of inquiry by the Commission in 1832, and also by the Commission of real property, which consisted of individuals connected with the law, and who were eminently qualified to discharge its du ties. His Noble and Learned Friend near him (Lord Campbell), was at the head of it, and it comprised many eminent first-rate conveyancers. They all agreed in recommending that there should be only one court for probates and administrations. A Select Committee of the House of Commons was ap pointed in 1833 to inquire into the Admiralty Courts at the head of which was Sir James Graham, Sir R. Peel, Sir Frederick Pollock, Dr. Nichol', Dr. Lushington, Mr. Abercrombie, and the present Chancellor of the Ex chequer were Members of it. The Committee naturally extended its inquiries into the jurisdiction of other courts, and after a very patient investigation they re commended the abolition of all the diocesan courts, and the appointment of probate and administration courts. They recommended the abolition of those minor courts in which strictly legal matters were dealt with, and they recommended that all ecclesiastical jurisdiction should be concentrated in the Court o f Ca n t er b ur y, an d that thejudge of this court should be appointed by the Crown.: In 1836 a Select Com m itt ee o f th a t H ouse was appointed, and in the same year he (Lord Cottenham) brought in a Bill for carrying into effect the recommen dations of the Ecclesiastical Commission. The Select Committee was appointed, he believed, at the instance of his Noble and Learned Friend (the Lord Chancellor), and the Bill was referred to them for consideration. This Committee consisted of the present Lord Chancel lor, the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Langdale, Lord Denman, Lord Abinger, Lord Brougham, Lord Plun ket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Earl of Devon, the Bishops of Lincoln, St. Asaph, and Bangor. The Committee, after a protracted and pains-taking investigation, made a Report, from which he would read some extracts. In cases of small property, it was said to be an advantage that there should be local courts, so that parties in the country might not be put to trouble and expense. The Committee, after referring to the Reports of the Committees above-men tioned, came to this conclusion—that they were entirely of opinion that all courts in England and Wales ex ercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction over probates of wills and administration should be abolished, and that one court sitting in London should be the only court for probates of wills and granting letters of administration. They were of opinion, however (and it would be per fectly consistent with the plan), that arrangements should be made so as to secure to parties residing at a distance from the metropolis all the conveniences they now enjoyed from the diocesan courts. The Report of the Ecclesiastical Commission stated that four-fifths of the contentious business was transacted in Doctors' Commons, as well as a much greater portion of what was termed the common form business—that signified when a per sonal affidavit was made, the probate was granted without any further formality or expense, and this was what occurred in 99 cases out of 100. Throughout the country there would be surrogates, officers of the ecclesi astical court, authorised to administer the oath, who would transmit the will to the court in London, through the intervention of the proctors, and those letters of ad ministration would be sent down to the individual making the application. But it was urged that persons in the country were often desirous of seeing the will of the testator, for the purpose of seeing the handwriting, &c., and that they would wish to have an opportunity of consulting the will from time to time. Now, to meet both these reasonable demands, it was recommended that the original will should be left in the hands of one of those surrogates nearest to the place of the legatee, or applicant, for fourteen days after the death of the testator, and that a correct copy of the will itself should entirely remain with this officer, so that parties might have a full oppor tunity of inspecting it. It was further recommended in the Report of their Lordships' Committee that there should be a registry of all wills kept in London. A difficulty arose in the abolition of the diocesan courts, for some of the Right Reverend Bishops urged, with great force, that they were necessary for the proper discipline of the clergy. To meet this incon venience he (Lord Cottenham) brought in a Bill which passed through this, but was lost in the other House of Parliament. In 1843 her Majesty's Ministers brought in a Bill providing for the discipline of the clergy. It was endorsed by Dr. Nicholl, Sir James Graham, and the Attorney-General. This Bill recommended the aboli tion of the diocesan courts. How very strange and in consistent did it seem, then, to see his Noble and Learned Friend on that night panegyrising those very courts which his colleagues had thought it right to destroy ?—(Hear, hear.) That Bill recommended that the judges of the courts should be appointed by the Crown. He disapproved of any measure in one session of Parlia ment which would have a tendency to contradict that of a former one, upon which the decided conviction of the House was strongly declared. It was a measure which required to be weighed well and duly-deliberated upon before they pronounced any opinion upon it. He thought that it was fraught with much mischief, and therefore he hoped that the Noble Lord by whom it was intro duced would consent to its withdrawal, or so alter and modify it as to deprive it of the many objectionable features by which it was marked. In conclusion he should move that the Bill be read that day six months. The Bishop of LONDON said that as one of the Com missioners who originally signed the Report for Eccle siastical Reform, he felt called on to say a few words, in order to defend himself from the charge of inconsistency which might be preferred against him in now supporting the present reading of the Bill. He did not understand his Noble and Learned Friend on the Woolsack to say that the present measure was the most perfect thatcould be devised, but that it was the best which could be de vised so as to ensure its passing. —(Hear.) If a measure of ecclesiastical reform was passed against the feelings of a large portion of the public, it might counterbalance the good which otherwise might be expected from it. There were certain improvements suggested by eminent men on the subject, with which, if he did not altogether agree, he thought he ought to submit his judgment to them on them. He thought there were some ecclesias tical courts which ought to be abolished altogether, but there were others which, if reformed, he thought might be rendered useful.—(Hear.) He thought the Noble and Learned Lord who had spo ken last had not fairly stated the case, when he said that the Bill created 34 new courts. The fact was that of 384 courts, it abolished 350, leaving 34 which were to be remodelled and improved. With regard to the report, he must say that his own experience of diocesan courts was such as not to impress him favourably with regard to them ; but there were many reasons to account for their falling into the state from rescue them by the present . Bill. There was . evidence which they proposed to which justified the Commissioners in . reporting that the . m eo l u th r o ts u . t mHuecbheldieetvredi finuennettins of transferredthos e t o c o t e h r e t s this to be true with regard to the testamentary courts, provincialmighte but he did not profess tohavemastered the whole ques tion of testamentaryjurisdiction. He was anxio us t o pr o v ide for a more efficient administration of the ecclesi astical law, but he was not now prepared to go so far as to abolish diocesan courts, for he believed that some of the functions now performed by those courts could not be so well perfor me d b y t h e prov i nc i a l warts. petitions were presented against the transfer, represent ing the feelings of a larger body of the clergy and laity, feelings stronger than he believed to exist when he signed the report. The question - was whether those courts might not reform the abuses which existed in them, retaining all that was valuable.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the judges he was aware of the abuses which existed in this respect, but in many cases there wero judges who performed their functions with satisfaction to all parties. He was pre pared to say that clergymen ought not to preside in courts of justice. This was one of the provisions of the Bill. Even if the entire of the recommendations of the Commissioners were right, and not carried into effect in the Bill now before the House, he did not think he was liable to the charge of inconsistency in supporting it so far as it went. He was very glad that the courts of peculiar and exempts , one of the wo rs t p ar t s o f th e ecc lesiastical jurisdiction, were to be abolished. He supported the measure, because from all he had heard, and all the consideration he was able to give the sub ject, it was the measure which was most likely to pass. Lord BROUGHAM said that though he should sup port the second reading of the Bill, he could have wished it had gone a great deal further.—(Hear.) The subject was first brought forward in a measure which he, when in office, proposed to Parliament, and which he gave up in 1835. ILis Noble and Learned Friend near him (Lord Coftenham) seemed to him not to be aware—at least, he did not argue as if he were aware—of the difficulties which were iu the way of this measure. There was no other measure which gave him s%) much trouble and labour in preparing and digesting, as the measure he introduced on the subject. If there was one deputation, there were 200 or 300 ; if there was one memorial and remonstrance, there were 800 against the R. gi,try Act. The Reform Bill ii.self had not nr. t with so much opposition out of doors—he did not say in their Lordships' Hons.., but out of doors. The same in fluences which were at work agai ns t t h e R eg i stry A ct , were now at work in opposition to the present measure. The entire influence of the landed gentry, with their solicitors and proctors, was at work to support their local courts, and to prevent an efficient measure of re form. He therefore believed that almost insuperable difficulties were opposed to the carrying out of the mea sure—not in this House, but in the other House of Par- liament ; and it was the business of this House not to send any measure to the other House which there was not a reasonable prospect of carrying. —(Hear, hear.) They ought, therefore, to take all they could get. But by this Bill they were going to create thirty diocesan judges, who would have considerable salaries. The con sequence was, that they were throwing obstructions in the way of further reform, if it was deemed necessary. He therefore thought that they should accept their offices on the understanding that their removal was not to stand in the way of any future reform. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that was provided for in the Bill. Lord BROUGHAM—Then his objection was alto gether removed. His principal reason for supporting the Bill was, that it did away with the courts of pecu liars and exempts—one of the greatest improvements which could be made. He thought that they were a scandal in the ecclesiastical system. For this reason principally, but reserving to himself the option of pro posinc, such amend men t s i n C omm itt ee as h e m i g ht be advised, he should vote for the second reading of the Bill. Lord CAMPBELL said the House bad had no intima tion of the reasons which induced her Majesty's Mi n►sters to abandon the Bill which was introduced last session. His Noble and Learned friend who spoke last had offered an ingenious apology for the present Bill, but had not stated that he was present at the deliberations of the Cabinet, or that he had been chosen as the organ of the Government to communicate information to the House. Now their Lordships were entirely in the dark as to the motives which caused the abandonment of the Bill of last session. Yet there were fire members of the Government present, and amongst them a Noble Duke, who was able to explain the advantages and disadvan tages of any measure ; and there was the President of the Council, himself a judge, and also the President of the Board of Control, who, as a magistrate at quarter sessions, must be well acquainted with the working of these courts. Yet they were all silent. The Right Rer. Prelate (the Bishop of London) gave no explanation whatever, but confirmed the objections of his Noble and Learned Friend ;Lord Cottenham), saying that he would prefer the Bill of last session. The Right Rev. Prelate had concurred in the Report of the Commissioners, who recommended the abolition of the litigious jurisdiction of these courts. In 1836 a Bill to that effect did pass the House of Commons, and it was rejected in this House ; but the Noble and Learned Lord who moved the second reading professed to anticipate his (Lord Campbell's) support. However, he should be guilty of the grossest inconsistency if he supported it, because it re tamed all the litigious jurisdiction in respect to marriages and wills. It continued the necessity of two prerogative courts for each diocese—one in the provinces and one in London. The Bill of Sir Frederick Pollock provided for the appointment of officers in the country for the regulation of wills, but it would have taken away the jurisdiction in personal and testamentary cases. (He (Lord Campbell) did not wish to interfere with the authority of the Church in matters of ortho doxy or discipline, but what had the Church to do with wills and marriages ? All questions relating to mar riage resolved themselves into the construction of an Ad of Parliament to be determined by the Queen's Judges, and the ecclesiastical courts had no right to interfere with them. With respect to wills, the Right Reverend Prelate (the Bishop of London) said, that he much regretted the Church had anything to do with them ; and he wished, as soon as possible, that it should be relieved from them. The Church equally claimed to have cognizance of wills, because it was in former times usual for persons to leave money to the Church to say masses for their souls ; but now the Church had as much to do with wills as with policies of insurance. His opinion was, that there ought to be only one court to control these matters for England and Wales, and that should sit in London. He was for local courts; but, in the comtitution of local courts, two conditions were necessary ; first, that there should be business ; and, secondly, that there should be competent judges. In the diocesan courts there was neither one nor the other. None of their had more than the frac tion of a case in the year ; and how could the judges be competent, when they were chosen from persons who had no knowledge of the civil law ? He could say from his own experience that there never was a statement in which the greatest blunders had not been committed, not excepting the metropolitan courts. Two Eccle siastical Commissions, and a Commission of that House on real estates, had condemned these courts. He was sorry that his Noble and Learned Friend on the Wool sack had not more fully explained the motives of the Government in abandoning their own measure of last year. In 1835, when his Noble Friend held a different position in that House, he enlightened their Lordships with an elaborate review of the business of the session, for the purpose of showing that the Government of that day had not carried the measures which they had introduced. Amongst other things he taunted them with not having brought in a measure founded on the report respecting ecclesiastical courts which was prepared by Dr. Lushington. Now, in 1842, her Majesty's Ministers were instructed to inform the House that a measure would be laid before Parliament to revise the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts. :But in that year no Bill was introduced. Why was it not ? At that time there was not the same prejudice against the measure which had since been raised. In 1843, her Majesty's Ministers again intimated that a measure upon this subject would be introduced. Why was that not done ? A Bill was introduced in the House of Com mons in a proper form by the Attorney-General, who proposed to abolish the litigious jurisdiction of these courts. That Bill was supported by Sir James Graham, and no measure could have received warmer sup port, in that House. But he must say that it was not the fault of their Lordships that the Bill did not pass, for it never reached them. He would conclude his observa tions in the words of his Noble and Learned Friend, when he said that the measure which they (the Govern ment) themselves had devised, prepared, and brought forward—involving, as they told them, the most im portant interests of the country—they, without scruple, gave up, at the wish of a section of a party. He (Lord C.) must say there was some mystery hanging about that transaction that required explanation, and which he hoped his Noble and Learned Friend on the Wool sack would clear up. The Bishop of LONDON denied that he had, as at tributed to him by the Noble and Learned Lord (Campbell), said he would oppose the Bill of last year it it were now introduced. He had said nothing of the sort. Lord CAMPBELL said he must have been under some misapprehension. He had thought the Right Rev. Prelate had said so. The LORD CHANCELLOR wished to make a few obesrvations in answer to the Noble and Learned Lord, who had asked what reason the Government had for de parting from their original plan. His Noble and Learned Friend had supposed that he (the Lord Chancellor) as a member of the Government had not concurred in the policy of introducing the Bill of last year into the House of Commons. His Noble and Learned Friend was in that respect quite mistaken. Nothing that he (the Lord Chancellor) had said that night in the course of the dis cussion warranted his Noble and Learned Friend in coming to that conclusion. He, in common with the rest of the Cabinet, entirely approved of that measure, and they were all most desirous of carrying it into effect. The Noble and Learned Lord now turned round and asked why they had abandoned that measure, and why. they now introduced a measure curtailed of some of the better parts of the measure of last session. His Noble and Learned Friends thought there was some mystery about the matter; but if they referred to the history of the Bill in its progress through the other House of Parliament, it would afford them an explana tion of the matter. After the second reading of the Bill in the House of Commons, it was seen by every Member in that House that it would be quite impossible to carry it, in its then form, through to the third read ing. Such alterations were made in the Committee as then should be The w hol ly question abandoned, the t o render it probable that it might be ca r ri e d i n t h e form h nwas, o whether a the t meas u re assumed. should be carried in its curtail e d s t a t e . Wh a t reason tti had they to suppose that the Bill, in its original form, as it had been sent to the House of Com mons, if again so sent, would not be treated in a similar manner as it had been last ses sion? The Bill now introduced was in Mt state in which it went through Committee last session in the other House, and in which it had, he believed, been laid before their Lordships' House. He thought it right and prudent not to do that which experience had shown would be ineffectual, but to bring in a measure which had already obtained approval. The Bill could be read a second time, and then, if any Noble Lord thought that the measure of last year could be passed into a law, he could move an amendment to that effect. But he (the Lord Chancellor) would not give his sanction to any such amendment. That was his explanation of the course which had been pursued by the Government in the matter; and in that course every member of the Government concurred. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday next. After a few words from the Duke of BUCCLEUCH, relative to the observations made that night by the Noble and Learned Lord opposite (Lord Campbell) with respect to the Three-and-a-Half per Cents. Annuities Bill, The Commons' Amendments to the Gaming Transac tions Witnesses' Indemnity Bill were agreed to, and the House adjourned at Nine o'Clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 21. The SP - RAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock. SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY BRANCHES. Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL moved that it be an instruction to the Committee of Selection to postpone the meeting of the Committee on the South Eastern Railway Bill until after Easter. He said that his object in submitting this motion was to ensure the attendance of Members who were interested in the Bill. After a few words from Mr. GLADSTONE, Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL consented to with• draw his motion. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Sir THOMAS ZRF4VANTLE, ~1