The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-14 00:00:00

CRIMINAL LAW ADMINISTRATION AMEND-

MENT BILL.

Lord C 4MPBELL ;;;clthecOMmittte on this bill. The
select committee bad thoroughly gone into the subject—they
had examined Sir F. Kelly, Mr. Grooves, and other gentle-
men, for whose opinion they had great respect. He hoped
their lordships would think he had done wisely in leaving
the right of appeal merely to questions of law.
Lord I)ENMAN approved of the bill in that particular,
but moved the omission of the first two clauses. The courts
of quarter sessions would be constantly assailed by counsel,
contending that there would be doubtful points of law in
cases in which they were concerned ; and these appeals must
come before the superior courts to the obstruction of all other
business. Mr. Justice Patteson and Mr. Justice Coleridge
had both expressed an opinion that it would be extremely
inconvenient to have appeals from quarter sessions to the
judges of assize. Mr. Justice Erle approved of the bill
generally; but Mr. Justice Coltman disapproved of the
appeals from the courts of quarter sessions, and thought that
justice was, generally speaking, satisfactorily administered
at those tribunals. The noble and learned lord quoted the
opinions of other of his learned brethren, and said that a
majority of them were opposed to the appeal from quarter
sessions.
. .

Lord SHOT- GIIAM said it was a great mistake to sup-
pose that the same course could be pursued with reference to
appeals from courts of criminal judicature, as from civil
court'. They must double the number of judges, and make
I them sit in July as well so in November, if such a proposi-
tion were carried into effect; and anything more wild, alto-
gether, could not possibly have beta proposed. He thought
nothing was more unsatisfactory than the manner in which
points'were now reserved by judges and finally adjudicated
upon. He considered that their judgments should he given
in open court ; but still he could not approve of the present
measure as an effectual remedy for the existing evils in the
administration of the criminal law.
Lord CAMPBELL mid that many difficult and important
questions came before the courts of quarter sessions, and it
was quite as important that appeals should be allowed in
such cases as in those tried before the superior ccurta It bad
generally been considered one of the defscts of the courts of
quarter restions that there was no appeal. A judge could
consult his learned brethren upoa a difficult point, but a
chairman of quarter sessions had not that advantage. Ho
did not think there was any danger of the privilege of ap-
peal from quarter sessions being abused.
The amendment was then agreed to, and the two clauses
accordingly struck out.
heir lordships resumed, and the bill u amended was
reported.
Their lordships adjourned at 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-rhIURSDAY, JULY 13.

The SPLICER took the chair at 4 O'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

LORDS' AMENDMENTS. CONSIDERED.— Bridal and Exeter
Railway (Branch from Bleadon to Wells, Glastonbury, and Street)
Bristol and Exeter Railway (Tauuton and Castle Cary Branch) ; Gino-
Emlatlinry, and Greenock Railway (Amendment and Branches, hc.);
y and Enniskillen Railway (Relinquishment of line be-
tween Omagh end Enniskillen) ; North Staffordshire Railway (Ash.
bourne Branch and Approach to Congleton Station) ; Wkitchaven
Junction Railway (Extension, Alteration, and Branches, ha); York.
Newcanle, and Berwick Railway (Great North of England, Clarence
and ilartlepeol Janctkm) ; Bills.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.

-West -I;dra-laile'llteLief; Nasal Medical Sup.

A.A.
nnL -
THIRD READlNG.—Truntees Relief Ireland Bill.
PETITIONS.—By Mr. DUNCAN, from a pariah in Porfarsbire
spinet the Lunatic Asylums Bill—Lord F. MANNERS, from Lin-
colnshire, in favour of the People's Charter.—Mr. BAINES, from
Hull, complaining of the County Courts.—Mr. lIUME, hose London,
Glasgow, Sc. (5), for reform, and from the Cape of Good Hope (2),
praying for raif.government ; also from Chiswick, Fulham, and Chei-
sea parishes, praTing for representation in that house by having the
meant mats fur sudbury conferred on them. —Mr. A. HASIIE, from
distillers at Glasgow in favour of the existing differential duties on
rum—Lord C. MANNERS, from Leicestershire, in favour of an in-
crease of bishops.
NOTICES OP MOTlON.—Tutown. or EZPII2SINTITIOW.—Mr.
HUMS, on an early day, to move for leave to bring in a bill to confer
the sesta meant by the Matron:Aliment of liedbiwy on the district
formed by the union of Fulham and Chelsea perishes.
EaItOLATION 64.—Mr. lIINDLET, on on early day, to move for
leave to bring in a bill to facilitate the formation of emigration clubs.
Cermet RATIM—Mr. B. OSBORNE gave notice that be should
abandon bin intention to ark for leave to bring in a bill to abolish
church rata, end defer the subject until next seision.

MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES.
Mr. D. WADDINOTON asked the right hon. gentleman
opposite when the report of the committee of which he was
chairman would be ready?
Mr. V. SMITH hoped it would be ready in a week or so,
DISEASED SHEEP.
Mr. BAGGE begged to ask the right hon. gentleman the
President of the Board of Trade whether his attention had
been called to the fact that large numbers of diseased sheep
had been imported from the continent.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Board of Trade had been
made aware of the importation of sheep in a diseased state
from the north of Europe, and an inspection was at once in-
stituted. The importation loon afterwards ceased. The
services of an officer of the Veterinary College were obtained
and his report was, that out of six cargoes no diseased sheep
had been discovered after examination. He had received
reports from some of the eastern counties that disease had
manifested itself amongst the sheep. Oa lam Saturday one
diseased sheep was found in a ship coming from Hamburg,
and it was immediately killed. 'f he strictist surveillance
was now exercised, and the import of sheep wee closely
watched.
Mr. W. MILES asked whether it was customhouse °di-
cers or veterinary surgeons who inspected the sheep at the
outports ? The disease was so insidious as to require the ut-
most skill to discover it. He hoped veterinary surgeons per-
formed that duty.
1 Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the case was so.
Mr. HENLEY asked if all the sheep ,were inspected, or
only those suspected of being diseased.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the whole of the sheep im-
ported were closely examined.
RUM DUTIES.

_
Mr. BARELY asked the noble lord (J. Russell) whether
he could state whea the resolutions on the rum duttts would
be brought forword
Lord J. RUSSELL said that his right hon. friend the
Chaaceller of the Exchequer would reply to the question.

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.
The Earl of LINCOLN begged to ask the Under &ere-
tory for the Colonies :
Whether a commission had been appointed, either by the
Secretary of otate for the Colonies, or by the Governor-General
of Canada, to inquire into the complaints of Mr. lobster
and others against the pretreat government of the Red
River settlement, or against the Hudson's flay Company generally;
and whether, if no Inquiry is now pending, he will ley on the table of
the house any correspondence which has taken place on the subject ;
also, whether a grant has been made by the Secretary of State for the
Colonies of Vancouver'. Gland to the lindsou's Bay Company, and if
so what warn to be the form of government, what regulations had been
nude as to the working coals and minerals, and what stipulatiom bad
been entered into as to the future colonisation of the Inland; also,
whether there will be any objt etion to hy on the table of the how
copies of the coneepondenee between the Colonist-dace and the Hud-
son's Ray Company on this subject, and of the charter, if any, granted
to the company!
Mr. B. HAWES said that in June last year complaints
had been lodged with the Colonialoffice by a gentleman
named Latimer against the governor of the Hudson's Bay
Company, which complaints had been submitted to the com-
pany, end a reply requested. That reply did not satisfy hie
noble friend • and the original complaint and answer was
sent out to the Earl of Elgin, the Governor-Gerteral of the
Canada', with directions to inquire into the matter. The
great diatom of the lied River from Canada prevented the
inquiry being. instituted on the spot, and a fortnight ago a
despatch, stating the fact, was received from Lori .Mgin,
who referred to a report which he had received from a colonel
residing at the Red River, which somewhat corroborated the
views entertained by the government at home on the subject.
The Colonial-office was now going to take advantage
of the departure of an officer holding the Queen's com-
mission for the Red River, where he was going to command
a small force, and this gentleman would be charged to in-
quire and report into the complaints forwarded by Mr. la-
hater. It would therefore not be just to the Governor of the
Hudson's Bay Company to lay the correepondeacs on the
table until the inquiry war completed. With respect to the
second question of the noble earl, be had to state that no
grant bad yet been Mille of Vancouver's Island, although
proposition wen now under the consideration of the
Cok-
nial-o for the purpme of giving a charter.
The Earl of LINCOLN said as the inquiry wee still pend-
ing, he would ask no further questions on the 'abject. He
begged however to ask whether the government was pre-
pared after tha inquiry was over to grant the company a
charter for Vancouver's Island without further nipulatices
Mr. B. HAWES said the company had already one rimrites
and that the usaal mune would be punned in the matte.
BOBOIJOB ELECTIONS BILL,

The order of the, day for the hoses to go into ecassivtae one
this bill was then read.
Lord J. RUSSELL laid that ho would now eat° tho
tonna which was prepared to pursue aroordinj to the
notice he bad already given. His intention was AM