The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-06-29 00:00:00

TUESDAY.

Their Lordships sat at 5 o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAM, at the request of the Lord CHAN-
CELLOR, postponed the second reading of the Indepen-
dence of Parliament Bill.

On the motion of the Earl of MALIIESBURY, a com-
mittee wee appointed to draw up the reasons for adher-
ing to their Lordships' amendments to the Oaths Bill.
The second reading of Lord Lyndhurst's Jewish
Disabilities Bill, and of the Earl of Luean's measure on
the same subject, was deferred till Thursday week, in
consequence of the indisposition of the Earl of Derby.
The Probate and Letters of Administration Bill was
read a third time and passed; an amendment proposed
by Lord ST. LEONARDB was negatived on a division, in
which the contents and non-oontents were equal—U.
The Lord CH&NCELLOB. declared the non-contents
had it.

On the motion for the third reading of the Divorce
and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Bill,
Lord RIEDIESDALIE censured the speed with which
seine unopposed causes had been decided in the Court
of Divorce. Nine cases had been disposed of in one day
—one case only occupied the Court 11 minutes.
. . - . . .

Lord CAMPBILL Wag astonished that Lord Redesdale
should have so rashly and unadvisedly impeached the
conduct of sonic of the Judges of the land. He had
himself presided in the Court of Divorce, and could say
that the cases were fully examined, and justice done
in each.
. . .

The Bishop of OXFORD thought the religious and
thinking portion of the community regarded with appre-
hension the rapidity with which the decisions of the
Court had been given.
Earl GRANVILLE thought Lord Redesdsle should
have given notice of his intention to censurc the Judges
of the Court.
Lord CRANWORTH and Lord ST. LEONARDB concurred
in stating that the old mode of proceeding gave no
greater security against collusion than the new one.
A petition from the Society of Friends, praying —but
not " humbly" praying—for the abolition of church-
rata', was therf ore rejected as informal.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

THURSDAY.
Their Lordships sat at 5 o'clock.
The Earl of Macmicssuar, alluding to the former dis-
cwision on the seizure of the Regina Ceti and massacre
of the crew, by the negro emigrants on board, read a
French official report of the transaction, and a letter
from Captain Croft, of the Ethiope steamer, to Mr.
Newnham, the English consul at Monrovia, describing
the circumstances under which the Ethiope took pos-
session of the Regina Cceli when in the possession of the
negroes. It appeared from Captain Croft's statement
that he considered the negrocs as pirates, and that he
claimed the vessel he rescued from them as a prize to
the Ethiope. The French commander of the Regina
Cceli (Simon), who escaped the massacre by being on
shore at the time of the outbreak, had never lost sight '
of his vessel, had made attempts to retake her, with the
&sidearm° of the local Militia and some 40 Americans
whom he hired for the purpose, and had finally esta-
blished a kind of blockade of the vessel by means of row-
boats, It was in this state of things that the Ethiope,
which had ben sent for by Mr. Newnhatn, the Consul,
arrived and seized the Regina Cell as a prize, against
the protest of Captain Simon, claiming salvage for so do.
ing. The insurgent Africans subsequently plundered
the cargo of the ship, and dispersed on shore. The
Regina Cell WM taken from the Ethiope by two French
ships of war. Lord Malmeabury added that Captain
Simon " protested against being saved," or being called
on to pa salvage, as lie had never lost sight of his .hip;
and, under the circumstances, it was doubtful if any one
had a right to take possession of her.
Lord BROUGHAM conceded that, in the presence of
Captain Simon, no one had any legal right to take pop
session of the Regina Cceli ; but he had received proof
that the woes on board were not free emigrants, but
slaves kidnapped on the coast and sold by the native
slave dealers end native princes. He was confirmed in
that belief by the facts that the negro.' were manacled,
and that they rose against their captors on the fire
opportunity.
Earl GREY was not prepared to admit that the hots
of the case, as at first stated, were set aside by the
explanation they had heard. The circumstances were
still suspicious, and should it be proved that the negroan
were really bought as slaves, he adhered to the opinion
he had expressed, that they were justified in using force
to obtain their liberty. They were in lawful possession
of the vessel, she was no longer a French ship, and the
English captain was entitled to render them any assist-
ance they might require.
The order of the day for considering the report of the
reasons to be offered to the House of Commons for in.
slating on the amendments to the Oaths Bill, was
postponed till Thursday week.
• Lord BROUGHAM withdrew his Transfer of Real
Estate Bill, hoping some legislation on the subject
would be possible next session,
Their Lordships then adjourned.