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

THE PRESS.

was dissolved so early no inquiry took place, and the
grievances of the corps were still unredressed. He
was, therefore, now obliged to ask for a reappoint-
ment of the committee.
The motion was seconded by Mr. TOWNSEND.
Lord PALMERSTON, under the circumstances, ad-
mitted that inquiry could not be refused, and con-
sented to the motion, which was then agreed to, and
the committee ordered.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTES.
Mr. BAINES, in reply to Mr. Powell, who askad
what progress had been made by the commissioners
appointed for consolidating the Statute Law, said :
The report of the commission is now ready, and will be
laid upon the table in a few days. It is the intention of
the Lord Chancellor in a very few days to bring in a series
of bills which have been prepared under the advice of that
commission.

WILLS OF BRITISH SUBJECTS ABROAD.
Sir F. KELLY moved fur leave to bring in a bill to
give validity and effect to the wills of British sub-
jects made abroad. He observed that no branch of
the law of England had been productive of more
litigation and injustice than our law of domicile,
applied to wills, as laid down in the case of " Stanley
v. Berries," rollowed by that of " Collier v. Rivaz,"
and by more recent cases, the particulars of which
he detailed, with all their perplexing incidents. To
remedy the gnat evils arising under the existing
law, he proposed to enact that all testamentary
papers made anti executed by a British subject, and
duly attested according to the Statute of Wills,
should be entitled to probate in this country, and
have validity and effect here wherever the testator
might be domiciled.
Mr. MALINS seconded the motion.
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL Observed that the in-
conveniences upon which Sir F. Kelly had dilated
arose from the uncertainty of the law, and he thought
the attention of the Legislature might be profitably
directed to the furnishing a rule whereby the testa- '
tor's domicile might be more readily ascertained
without encroaching upon the general maxim,
stobilia sequunter personam. He was sorry that Sir
Fitzroy proposed to introduce a rule not common to
the other nations of Europe, and, although the Go-
vernment could not consent to withdraw from the
consideration of the house a matter worthy of its
attention, he could not promise Sir Fitzroy his
assistance or co-operation.
Sir F. KELLY explained that he did not intend to
interfere with the law of any foreign country, or that
the bill should have any effect upon property in
foreign countries.
Leave was given to introduce the bill.
Mi. G. CLIVE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
amend and explain the Enclosure Acts.
LUNATIC ASYLUMS (SCOTLAND).
The Loan ADVOCATE moved for leave to introduce
a bill altering and amending the law relating to
lunatics in Scotland. He took the opportunity of
defending the commissioners of supervision, who
had been heavily censured for alleged negligence in
a recent debate. By the proposed bill it was, he ex-
plained, simply intended to appoint a lunacy board
for Scotland, consisting of a commissioner, a medical
officer, a secretary, and a clerk. This board would
have authority to license lunatic asylums, and the
duty of inspecting them, with general powers of
control and supervision, subject under certain condi-
tions to an appeal to the English Lunacy Com-
missioners. Under the central board eight district
boards were to be constituted to carry the bill into
effect in different parts of the country.
Mr. ELLICE, jun., repeated his strictures upon
the present system of lunacy administration in
Scotland, and especially upon the commissioners of
supervision. Adverting to the proposed bill, he
remarked;that legislation was utterly useless unless
the Government kept a careful watch to see that tho
law was duly enforced.
Mr. DRUMMOND denounced the Scotch parochial
authorities, who, lie declared, invariably sacrificed
humanity to thrift.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
Mr. MASSEY obtained leave to bring in a bill to
amend the law of highways. His measure corn-
prised a scheme by which the country would be di-
vided into districts, and the management of all high-
ways and county roads subjected in each to the
control of a district board, specially constituted and
empowered.
Leave was given to Mr. ATHERTON to introduce a
measure to amend the law relating to the conveyance
of lands for charitable uses.
NETLEY HOSPITAL.
Sir D. NORREYS moved for returns respecting
Netley Hospital, showing by whom the site was
selected, whether any reports were made on its
salubrity and eligibility for its purpose previous to
selection, and by whom. By whom the original
plans were prepared, whether they were submitted
to any medical authority for approval, by whom they
were officially sanctioned, end whether any report
was made upon them, and by whom, previous to
their being sanctioned. Statement of the altera-