The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-17 00:00:00

to issue a royal commission to look into the whole
natter, with all its difficulties, which were not few,
and by this means he thought a more advantageous
solution of the question would he arrived at than by
resolution of that house.

Mr. LINDSAY insisted upon the injustice of taxing
the shipping interest as a body for lights which it
was the duty of the nation to maintain. It was not
the shipping interest alone that derived benefit from
the lights ; the merchant, the shipper of goods, and
even the consumer were benefited by them ; the
question, moreover, affected other and friendly
nations. He objected to handing the matter over to
a royal commission.

Mr. LOWE agreed with Lord Clarence Paget that
the cause of the great expenditure fur lights was the
double government of the Trinityhouse and the
Board of Trade, and so long as that double govern.
mert existed, he believed it would not be in the
power of the board materially to reduce the large
expenditure. Lord C. Paget proposed to throw
these dues upon the Consolidated Fund, but th a first
step should be to empower the Minister to deal with
the estimates. He should oppose the motion.

Mr. CARDWELL observed that a single government
meant nothing more nor less than that a large
expenditure, and the patronage it involved, should
be at once transferred to the Board of Trade. He
contended that there was really no double govern-
ment and no divided responsibility, and that before
this charge should be fixed upon the Consolidated
Fund, and this increLse of power and patronage
given to the Executive Government, the house
ought to be informed upon many most important
points. He should, therefore, support the proposi-
tion for inquiry.

Mr. Barcriscx recommended Lord C. Paget to
adopt the suggestion cf Mr. Henley.
Lord PALMERSTON said, although on the main
points he agreed with Lord C. Paget, as important
changes in the constitution and management of the
Trinity-house had been made since the year 1845,
he strongly recommended him to accept the pro-
posal for a royal commission. There was a great
plausibility in the argument that these dues ougtt
to be borne by the public at large ; on the other
hand, the change should not be made until the
proper department had the power of controlling the
expenditure and providing for the efficient perform.
once of the service. Further inquiry on these
points, be thought, was requisite.

The discussion was continued by Mr. WHITE, Mr.
A. SMITH, Mr. PHILIPPS, Mr. Cowart, and Mr. J.
E WART.

Lord C. PAGET withdrew hig motion, upon the
understanding that the Government would issue a
royal commission.

TRIBUNALS OF

Mr. ATETON mov d for a select committee to in-
quire respecting the expeiiency of establishing tri-
bunals of commerce, or for otherwise improving the
administration of justice in disputes of a commercial
nature.

The SOLICITOR. GENERAL, not opposing the motion
for a committee, examined the nature of the
tribunals of commerce in foreign countries, which,
though he would not term them remnants of a
barbarous age, were very far inferior to our own
courts. He was of opinion that Snell tribunals would
not be satisfactory to this country, though be did
object to the subject being investigated.

Lord J. RUSSELL believed that some good might
arise from investigating the sutject, though he was
very much of the opinion of the Solicitor-General
that these tribunals would not be satisfactory in this
country, so that lie was not very sanguine as to the
result of the inquiry.
Alter some further discussion, the motion was
agreed to.

CHANCERY REFORM.

The Sourcrroft•GEnntat moved for leave to bring
in a bill to amend the course of procedure in the
Court of Chancery. The obj?.cts of the bill were
two, both having one end, to enable a suitor to
obtain in one court the complete relief he required.
One object was to empower the Court of Chancery,
in applications for an injunotion, or for specific per-
formance, to award damages ; the other object was
to obviate a difficulty in that court in trying ques-
tions of fact, by authorizing it to call a jnry to try
such questions, instead of sending an issue to a
court of law, the witnesses being examined in open
court. He proposed that for the present this power
should be not compulsory, but discretionary, in the
judge.
After a short conversation, leave was given to in-
troduce the bill.

Lord J. MANNERS obtained leave to bring in a bill
to confirm a contract for the sale, by the Commis-
sioners of her Ms Hty's Works, of certain lands to the
Commissioners et' Chelsea Hospital.
The orders having been dispotied of, the house
adjourned at eleven o'clock.