The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

the law, and he was happy to say than many of the
suggestions had already been anticipated.
CHARGES ON REAL ESTATE.
The second reading of the Real Estates Charges
Bill was moved on Thursday by Mr. LOCKE KING
" He said that under the present state of the law the
heir or the devisee to a real estate which had been left to
him mortgaged , had a right to claim payment of that
mortgage out of the personal estate of the deceased owner.
From this system great hardship often arose. It fre-
quently happened that the whole of a deceased's personal
estate, which was all that stood between his widow and
the younger members of his family and destitution, was
entirely swept away, in order to swell up still more the
already disproportionate share of a single heir or devisee."
Mr. MALINS contended that the bill in its present
shape would go to disinherit the heir-at-law.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, after pointing out some
amendments which were necessary in the bill, con-
sented to its second reading, upon the understand.
ing that the first clause should be considerably
modified.
Upon a division the second reading was carried
by a majority of 166 to 124-42.
PUBLICITY OF EXECUTIONS.
The Bishop of OXFORD on Monday presented to
the Peers a petition from Aylesbury praying for the
abolition of capital punishments in public. His
lordship spoke at some length in favour of executions
being intramural, in the presence of the sheriff and
other official parties. He expressed an opinion that
the Executive had legally the power of altering the
existing practice; and he asked the Government
whether they would take the subject into their serious
consideration ?
The Earl of ABERDEEN doubted whether the Execu-
tive had the power which the right rev. prelate attri-
buted to them, and feared that executions in private
would not be satisfactory to the public. Many cases
might arise where it would be most impolitic to have
recourse to the practice. Those who were most con-
versant with criminal jurisprudence were notfriendly
to the proposed change.
Lord CAMPBELL said that by the common law capi-
tal punishments must be before the public. The
Executive had not the power of ordering them to take
place in private, and be was sure that if the experi-
ment was made the public would not endure it.
After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM and the
Bishop of OXFORD in reply, the subject dropped.
DRAINAGE BILL.
The second reading of the Draining of Lands Bill
was moved on Wednesday by Mr. K. SEYMER.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER opposed the bill, moving as an
amendment that the second reading be postponed for
six months.
Sir J. Trollope, Sir J. Shelley, and Sir W.
Heathcote, having spoken briefly in favour of the
measure, Mr. HENLEY considered that it contained
provisions which rendered it highly distasteful to the
' farmers, and hoped that, if read a second time, it
would be referred to a select committee.
Lord PALMERSTON gave a cordial assent to the mea-
sure. The subject of drainage was most important,
and no objections had been urged to the bill that
could not be removed by amendments in committee.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER having withdrawn his opposition,
the bill was read a second time, and ordered for com
mittal on Monday.
IRISH LANDLORD AND TENANT LAW.
Two bills on this subject, entitled the Landlord
and Tenant (Ireland) Bill, and the Leasing Powers
(Ireland) Bill, passed through committee in the
Peers on Thursday, after a long explanatory state-
ment from the Duke of ARGYLL, and a discussion on
♦arious clauses of its former measures, which occu-
pied their lordships for some hours. There was a
division on an amendment to the 116th clause, but
both bills went through committee without under
going any serious alteration.