The Express.
London, England, 1856-07-18 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, JULY 11.

Ms ROEBUCK hu given notice of a motion to be
brought on next Monday, "That Lime SADLIEL
having absconded from public justice, be expelled this
Howe.* None of our readers will for a moment
suspect that we have the slightest desire to interpose
between this d-linquent member of the Legislature
and the sovereign displeasure of the Howe. It is
perfectly fit and right that a prom against wham
an information has Duo sworn end a want issued
on a charge of criminal ociaspireey, for whose
ensure moreover a reward has been offered by Go-
runniest, and who is with good ground imputed
of having sought to evade *doe by flight,
should, es duo proof of those things, be expelled
with ignominy from the British House of Commons.
We by no means stek to limit the legitimate powers'
of tho lower branch of the Legislature. We freely
admit that many ads not technioally asowitiag to
offences Honest the criminal law, may fairly entitle
the House of Osman' to interpose between may glean
tionstitoney aai the man ea 'ben tacit asks Ma
fallen, sad from wham Asir soalassea hr ant bus '
withdrawn, in declaring by a solemn vale that sulk
perms .hall no longer sot is a reikessetative of the
people in Parliament. All that we urge is this—
that a decision so important, an act of legislative
power so exceptional in itself, and so liable, without
due precaution, to be abused, should be at Meet pro-
oeded by some form of judicial inquiry. It Amid
sever be forgotten that the Huse of Commons is
something materially different from a private club.
Every individati member of that House is there, not
by the choice of the Hones itself, but by the choice
of a eoristituency. The eoastitueney that has dele-
gated the trait of representation may at any time
withdraw it, but, in the absence of any union on the
part of the constituent body, it requires a snug end
dear ease to entitle the House of Commas to in-
terface.

We way be told, indeed, that the ow of Jut=s
SADLEIR is init coo of those that render all forms
of preliminary inquiry little better than an Idle
show. Ilabemus eoeftlesitern reuse. By the amis.
Mon of the ATTORNEY-011111PAL ice Ireland, the
position of JAMES SADLEIZ la this--an information
bas been sworn, a warrant issued, a reward offered
ter his apprehension—what more do you want P As
far, perhaps, as reasosable prase facie proof of the
man's delinquency is osaceread—nothing I as regards
the character of the tribunal by which he is
to be sentenced—moth ; as nerds the area

the of a precedent important in the let degree
to muse of the highest privileges of Englishmen—
more still. It is not a light thing, and it sight not
to be treated as a light thing, to deprive say met-
lotteries of the people of those oniatitsiloaal powers
with which, in the exercise of their anquestireed
rights, • portion of the essiatitseat body has in-
vested him. The least that the Howe of Cesamoom
tea do as preliminary to sash a tranemadeat anus►
Mee of their peculiar powers as a tingle breach of
t►e Legialatore, is to delegate to a @sleeted portion
of their own body the duty of investigation and
Inquiry. It will not do to sot oa hearsay and

even on statements suds like
in the

those of the Irish A.
coarse of previous debates. We may be told the
all this is formalism sad pedantry. Oar reply is, WI
=Wog can fairly be called so, the object of whisk b
to secure from infringement the plain rights of flb
ounditasmeies, sad to mistake beyond the Ilia r,
own the high elkeneter of the Home of Coneeme.
lees in the easiest cases, mad in periods of the
greatest popular excitement, the House of COMIIKOI
kw inquired before it has expelled. In tke noted
batmen of the South Sea frauds, whoa the whole
peep* Rid with the exasperation of dkeppointed
cupidity, were hounding on the Legislature to the
most qinetioaable schemes of lawless retaliation, even
It that wow, when spy measure of enmity against a
South Sea Director would have been generally ap-
plauded as an act of public virtue, the Hoene of
Osseasous first inquired by a secret eriandttee into
the alleged delioqesnoiey and on the report of that
committee proceeded to expel.

The Legislature has in one instance inileated by its
own act the mode of prooedure which, even in nolo.
vices circumstances of delinquency, it deems advisable
to follow before vacating the seat of one of its mem-
bets. An Act was passed in 1812 (the 69 Ozo.
U. 144) for suspending and flatly vacating the slab
of menders of the House of Commas who shall
beams bankrupts and not pay their debts within a
limited time. By this Act, in ems the fiat aping'
the lan krupt member be not superseded or the debts
fully satisfied within 12 months, the sommissiosens
are to certify the same to the Speaker, and thereupon
the election is to be declared void. U, even is such
a notorious case es open bankruptcy, the Hesse
requires formal proof before prossedleg to expali
sagely it ought not to be aniteetsd with
lees in a case like that of JAMES Summit. There
sea be no difficulty about obtaining such proof, and
when obtained prompt action will beams not only a
right but a duty. Until it is obtained, we trust, for
the mks of Parliamentary precedent and the whole-
some maintenance of oonstitational observances, that
the Hones will not be led to vote, on Mr. ROEBUCK'S
awe motion, the expulaiou of JANIS Loud&

Attorwzn Government measure gone. The Ma-
trimonial and Divorce Bill has followed the Ap-
pellate Juriedicitioc, the Testamentary, and the
Partnership Bills. Lord Pimaisairrox appears to
relish the sport. A general bettor of Bills he con-
siders tam* and unsportsmanlike, bet there le the
excitement of novelty in thus kipping them down
one by one. His purpose, he tells us, is to continue the
Omussmset, and state the murderous inteations of Go-
vanuent on each separate Bill as it some us. Beery
sae to hie taste. We are no advocates of hasty and
uneossidered legislation: it is better that the cosatry
should wait for good measures than agar limier a rash
inflictioa of bad ones. Bat what, may we venture to
silk, are the Jamaica. of a Prime Minister if sot
to single out, at all events, some reseseres from among
those which his Government has introduced, for the
purpose of carefully watching their progress and ener-
getically pressing their pump through Parliament ?
As regards this Divorce Bill, far fastanees no doubt
it is a nesesure of vast importance, involving Tier
time on which considerable differences of opinion
exist. No one denies this. The tree question is,
why, when this was notoriously the tees, was the
Introduction of the Bill delayed till after Better IP A
protein is now gives to revive the aware at the
very anoteracesieat of sat assios. Had it been

' brought forward at the oommeamment of the present
asemon, it might hare received ere this the Royal
Anent.

When re•introdnced let os trait that the improve-
ments in its form will not be confided to the mere
omission of that clams inserted in the Home of
Lords prohibiting the future marriages of persons di-
vaned for adultery. This, of Goons, must go; but
let us earnestly press on the attention of the Sou-
crroslizzcznat the extreme importance of endea-
vouring still further to simplify and cheapen the
procedure contemplated by the Bill. The House
of Lords have, by a decided majority, declared
their conviction that divorce a cameo should no
b*Ser be the privilege of the rich. Let Sir RICHARD
BITH/LL devise the machinery far carrying this,
decision into practical effect. Should be mooed in
doing this, there will be no cause for regretting the
delay in passing this particular Bill. As to the
general policy of so conducting the legislation of the
country us to be compelled to abandon projects of
law at the end of a session, simply from want of
alertness in introducing and energy in pressing
them, there can be no two opinions. It is not t►us
that the prestige of wise and firm government is
created or maintained.

Illiiinli•mr4