The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-26 00:00:00

IPdPEIII4L PARdLULENS

HOUSE OF 0031110148.e-nWzrnrinDAY, JIM 25.
flflfStlF 'COURT GOVERNME
nrages.)
NT BILL.
thated freer mediertia7' E
Mr. COLL(CoeIER mad he peopmed Ants to onsidermhether
the tans of court should be remosatuted. He did sot ques-
tion the right of parliament to deal with these societies,
but he thought parliament would require evidence that the
peaces turning the in of court required reformation to
be applied to them. The constitution of these societies had
been in it. present state Iron time immemorial, and it
rested with the hoe. and leaned gentleman to prove that
it aught to be altered There might be occasional offences
committed by members of the bar, but they were very
rare. The need the bar in England was, be believed, higher
than in any other country. The commissioners appointed
in 18&i to Moire into the inns of court did not report in
favour of such un alteration ss now proposed, and, accord*
to the hon. and Maned gentleman's own argument, renoen.
lion would be destruction. As far as this bill was to be
understood, there was to be an election of new heathen ;
but that was not required, for there were too many already.
The proposition of bin hon. and learned friend would be
destructive of the harmony which now existed in the elec-
tion of the beechen ; but, from the mode in which the
clauses of the ball had been framed, be believed his hoe. sad
learned friend did not believe in their nootesful '
As regarded the secrecy pf the bombers' ings, he
might state that they did not form a criminal coon. He
thought, however, that a man charged with en offence ought
to be in a medial to insist that the judges should be
always the men men, and that the charge should be heard
in pabilt. This was an alteration which the henithere could
make without the Intervention of parliament, and be might
state that they had already considered the matter. With
regard to the cam of Mr. Edwin Jamas, be might observe
that that gentleman did not require the proosedio to be in
public. The beechen engaged the services of a abort-hand
writer, and ha Ron/ present on all occasions, and all
the evidence was taken, tetated, and remitted to
Mr. James. After some time Mx. 'Janie proposed
to withdraw from practice in England and not to practise
in any of the colouia, if his ease were not ediadiottad
upon% but the matter Laving gone so far the beechen were
of opinion that the roust adjudicate upon it, and he had
never heard tbdr impugned. He submitted that a
question if this magninde thould not have been introduced
until further investigation, and then by a person in higher
authority than the hon. and learned gentleman who had
=of the till. The estartire wee disappeared of by the
en and the barristers in Westminster-hall, who repo
dialed the hon. and learned member an their leader. He
begged to move that the bill should be reed a second time
We day three mesas.
Mr. ROEBUCK. seconded the amendment.
Mr. CRAUFURO proposed to support the second reeding,
not thet be approved of all the details of the measure, but
became he approved of the elective principle, and bemuse
he had beard on sound objections against the measure.
• Mr. M. SMITH opposed the sewed reading.
Mr. WALTER should strongly advise the boo. baronet to
'withdraw the present bill, with a view of re-introducing ft
next amnion, when they would have had more time to car-

eider the subject.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that. with regard to
the object of this bill, he bad never hewed • case of ammo-
'Coo made apparently with lees coeviatiou of its being well
handed and of the result being favourable to the mover.
He was not prepared to say that publicity on some occasions
might not be desinethe, but he felt that no case had been
made out to justify the iota/memo of parliament. Would
the beachers, if elected by the bar, be • better body than
they were at present? Unless that was made out, the
hoses should hesitate before it sasetirmsd a plan which,
would give rise to the disturbance and funned of what wee
'called a popular election, with all its disappointments..
heartburnings, and 111Zatillin. (Hear, hear.)
Sir H. and, Mr. Die, Seymour rose together, bet
there being general cella of ' Mr. Seymour:. the hon., mad,
herbed member for Belfast gave way.
Mr. DIGBY 1511YMOUR maid—ln ming to address the
house on the pretest *notion, I feel that I am in • posi-
tion of coraiderable difficulty, bat if I were to remain
idle* perhaps these who vend the debits to-morrow
may place as wafer construction on my conduct.
I am sure, however, that every member of the
house will be disposed to make some allowance for what I
may say, under the exerredingly
hear
in
winch I am plead. (Hear hear. name has, as a
matter of necessity, be connected with the discussion from
beginning to eud, and is saying what I am about to do
I have the satisfaction of thinking that it may not
be too late for the house to do nes justice.
Without entering into the merits el the bill, I hops that
the boeourable baronet who his °leery of it will not retire
from his position without pviag some pledge that he will
bring it forward on some other occasion when the public
attention hen been more thoroughly drawn to the subject.
Ido not hesitate to say that the system, as it at present
works, is one under which it is almost impossible for any
man to obtain inenatial justice. I blame the 'yeas, sot
individual heathers. It is perfectly true that 1 did accost
the honourable sad learned member for Truro in Won-
s roster-hall, and having a high respect for his
=l character, and great confidethe in his
and inspertiabty, sad feeling from the (coon
the inquiry wee Oaths that it was one in which
prejudice was doing more than proof, I requested
hie to take part in the inseam:sake. Owing to circum-
stances which Imuld not fathom, I was asked- on evldeooe
them:at trivial and extraordinary to answercberges of the
severest and blackest character. It would have been all
very well if those charges had bees made • year or so alter
the alleged tranasctioes, when I was a stuff gownsman,
fighting my way up in my profession ; but I have • right to
complain that they were not preferred until six, seven,
eight, and nine years had flows away, when some
of the parties to three trepanations were in their
graves, and when oceans roiled between others whom
I should have called and myself. (Hear, hear.)
One fact which cannot be gaineed must be for ever remem-
bered. For many years peat many member; of the
bench of the Middle Temple were aware of the facts upon
which the.e charges were afterwards founded. Bat I
repeat I do not complain of individuals, I complain of that
secret syetem which ambles • party, behind a man's beak,
to prefer • billed indictment against him for motives which
it is inip,isilde to fathom. I ask the hams to beer with
me only for • short time. (Booz, hear.) From this monsent
I place myself in its !made, sad if the house thinks I have
Dotted:en the proper scene, I should rejoice if it gave
me • committee to consider the whole question
of my character. Let me take the first
charge against me in point of time and gravity.
Art the end of 1852 and the beginning of 1853 I was accused
of being guilty of trathactices which, if they were true or
any pert of them, so far from the hoe. and learned mansber
saying I ought to have been disbarred, I should have been
flung from the bar like a rotten branch, end not be allowed
to remain cite hour longer a member of this house. The
charge against me was that in February 1853, when
I wan chairman of • company known in the
City sa the Waller Mining Company, without the
knowledge or consent of a brother director, I opened •
strong box and abstracted from it securities which were his
property, and amounted in value to between 2,0001. and
3,01101.. and used them for the purpose of niaing money for
my NO private benefit. I take on myself to assert that a
eharge more monstrous—a blacker or more beincus impute-
tem—could not have been made against any man in my
position. and I may that no body of men ought to have the
power of putting a man on his trial upon such • charge
until they have satisfied themselves by seine previous
inquiry that it has at least some troth or basis. (Cheers.)
What a. the grimed foe the accusation? Had that gen-
tleman—the late Captain Roberto:ea—a stem box? There
was no pro of. but it was assumed be had. Were his secu-
rities ta..eu out by my baud? No proof, only assumption.
Were they taken to a broker for the purpose of raising
money ? The broker in the City was not even called. Wile
the charge, then, wholly without proof ? Oh ! Do ; for this
assembiage of lawyers actually introduced as evidence
against me • letter from • gentleman in Ireland, written
during the inquiry, stating something be sold he beard a
man say before he died in Wei. (Hear, hear.) That some-
thing was the bees of this charge ; and how did I meet it ?
By joining hese en every point and demonstrating my Mum-
mies). It was my misfortune when member for Sunderland
in an evil hour to accept the chairmanship of a public com-
pany-6 xl knows I have been the chief sufferer by it—and
I deeply deplore that act of folly and imprudence. I could
not regularly attend the meetings of the company, my pro-
fessional duties oe circuit and eieswhere occasionally calling
me away : but is the beginning of 181$3 my co-direness hay-
ing formed some connexion on the Stock Exchange, entered
into transactions which I did not understand, and which if
I did, I was not in • position to connect myself with. They
engaged in buying up shares, and involved themselves in
large liabilities. I received a menage front London to tome
up to town, and I came up just before the settling day, on
2eth February, 11(63, and I attended. meeting of the boardof
directors. I was told there was • fen of some treachery in
our own ranks, and it was expected that the *bares would
have to be delivered on the settling day. The result was
that the brokers bad involved themselves in large ha.
bilities, for which they were responsible on the Exchange.
What did Ido ? 1 said to the directors, " You have signed
the agnomen (this document was shown to the beechen),
and every one of you are parties to it. HT name is not
attached to the agreement, and I am not legally liable, bat
I will not desert you in this crisis, and will share all your
risks and difficulties.' I then said to the directors, among
wham was Copt& Robertson, " Bring up an
per private securities to the office, in order that
we may raise money to pay the broken.. Captain
Robertson brought securities, sot, as dated, for 3,100.,
but three debentures in the Army and Retry Club, worth
3001. I never had three debentsres in my head, but they
were given to a YT. Murray, who is let 1101Vailve. I pro.
duoed my owe securities, which were then of the value of
between 15,0001 and 16,0001., sad were need with the
others in order to meet the difficulty of the moment The
day of settlement came, and on rams of the broken toms
which might prove their ruin ware likely to fall. Captain
Robertson was absent from Melee at the tilos. There was
one `endemism, • Mr. Helps, am olimember of the Stock
Exchange. who had purchased shares, who came to us and
said if be did not pay 2,5001 be should be declared on the
Stock Exchange. It was late in the day ' and all my power
of borrowing moth, being *Awned, I proposed that we
should go to Messrs. Price sad Brown, stock-
brokers, of Charge-alley, and raise money on the securities
' topy Mr. Helps' debt. I corriiid my own neuritis* in a
' bundle, and Captain Robertsca's were taken by some of the
other directors. A cheque for 2,5031. was obtaised from
Mears. Price sad Brown, and heeded over to Mr. helps