The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-09 00:00:00

int Otourt.

WINDSOR, MoNnsir.—Ptinee Albert, attended by
Mr. E. Anton, the lion. Colonel Phipp., and the Hon.
Capt. Gordon, went shooting in Windsor Forest.

Mr. G. Moffatt had an interview with Sir G. Grey
yesterday ; Mr. 8. Martin, M.P., bad also an interview yes-
terday with the right hon. baronet, at the Home-office.
The Earl of Carlisle arrived in town yesterday
evening from Yorkshire.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office, from the governors of the West India colonies.
Despatches were sent off last evening from the
Colonial-office, for the governors of Ceylon and Hong-Kong.
The Lord Chancellor will sit in court at Lincoln's-
inn on Thursday next, the fint day of Hilary term. The

judges, Queen's eour.stl, &e., will not assemble at his lord-
ship's residence on that day.

DEATH OF COL. CLEAVELAND.—CoI. R. F. Cleave.
land, of the Royal Horse Artillery, an old and distinguished
racer, expired at his raid nee, en Woolwich-common, cio
Sunday evenhag. The deceased, who was 62 years of jigs,
was tont on Friday with the field batteries, going towardi
Blackheath for exercise, when Capt. Wright, the adjutant of
the bandies, noticed that his countenance en duly boil.
mated an alarming change. He rode up to him and inquired
whether Major Griffin should take the command of tha bat-
teries, but the cleansed made no answer, havin4 been seized
with a fit of paralysis. He was taken name, but remained
speechless till Sunday evening, when he expired. By tbs
death of Col. Cleavelland the ()flowing officers will he pro.
meted :—Lient.-CoL and Brevet-Col. W. Wylde, C. 8., to
the rank of colonel ; Major Burke Copper., to tilt reek of
; Second Capt. Thomas de Warton, to the rank
of captain; and Lieut. J. L. Mgt' to the rank of esp.
lain. The Wiles of brigade major to the corps is vs.
cant by the promotion of Major Cunpaco, end a vacancy
occurs for a coloneley in the Royal Horse Artillery.
DEATH OF COL. CONOLLY, have to an.
flounce the death of L'eut -Col. Connlly, one of the members
for the county of Donegal, which melanchols event marred
at his seat, Castletown. near Dublin, on Thursday night.
Col. Conolly was the eldest son of the Hon. Admiral Sir T.
Pakenharo, and named the name of Conolly on inheritiog
the estates of the Right Hon. T. Conolly, the celebrated
Irish commoner, who mama. d Lady Louisa Lennox, sister to
the mother of Gen. Napier, of " T. Y." notoriety, and of
the " Hero of Mode." Cal. Conolly was bare in
1786, and was married in 1819, to Catherine,
eldest daughter of Chambre Ponconby Barker. gag.
Deceased was lieut.-col. of the Done,ral tallith, a D.C.L.,
and a depute lieut. for tho counties of Doneg and Kil-
dare. In 18§I he was first elected to the House of Commons
'or the county Donegal, ire conjunction with his relative, Sir
Edmund Hoye a, Bart., which county he has since continued
to represent in parliament The deceased was an exaellent
landlord, and from his residence on his Irish property he was
beloved by his tenantry. In parliament he was always a
supporter of the conservative patty.
REPRESENTATION OF DONEGAL.--Sipco the death
of Col. Conolly, there has been a rumour that Mr. Hamil-
ton, of St. Brunei; (who has so much distinguished hinuelf
by his efforts to promote employment on his estate in Done-
gal) would be called upon to start for that county. It has
also been stated that Mr. 'fhomas Conody, late sheriff, in-
tends to offer himself. It is probable that some arcing. mint
will be made to prevent a con•cat, as tho lindlords of Done-
gal have been considerabi sufferers from the 10. g continued
distrees which effects all classes. Lord Moon:aeries, Fond
the Marquis of Conyogham, has also been spoken of as a
candidate.

SOCIETY FOR THE AMENDMENT OF
THE LAW.

Yeeerday, a general meeting of this society wu
held at its rooms, in Regent-street, Mr. Commi>sioner ham
in the chair.

Mr. STEWART, in moving the adoption of the report of the
committee on the equity of the law, relating to the confine-
ment of pe runs all( ged to be lunatics, stated that since the
last meeting of the society the committee lase made several
alterations in the report. Oae of these receinmended the
ru e that all lunatic asylums,l public or private., should be
called upon to give in, periodically, a lid of the minket' re-
ceived by them from time to time. Another suggestion made
was, that the original order of commitment, and the original
certificates in each case, should be filed in the ulne, of the
commissioners, instead of Wing, as nod, deposited with the
keeper of the asylum, a change which would obviate the risk
of demo garbling. of orders which it was known Low took
place in not a few cues. Mr. Stewart referred to the recent
decisioa in the Fishponds Asylum case, as fully belong oat
the general tenor of the committee's report.
Mr. C. WEBSTER ascended the adoption of the report,
which was accordingly received.
Mr. STEWART moved the appointment of a committee to
consider the present arta of law reporting, and to suggest
measures for its improvement. The present system of law
reporting was an absolute nuisance to the professa n, afford-
ing no rent of accurity to its members or to the pubic, but,
on the cent eery, mieleediese all parties front the incccureciet
and contradictions which disgraced halt our books of reports.
As for the cost to the profession, it was monstrous. The
least estimate of the outlay, to which every member of the
profession was almost compelled, in the I urchase of these
most unsatisfactory productions, was 211., but nearer 301.,
per annum.
Mr. PULITE°, in seconding the proposition, said that
the mischief arose, in a great immure, from the grasping
extortion of the bookeeders who imposed a tax upon the sale
of every book, 'mounting to no less tLan 33 per cent. of the
twal woe lie considered that a society of 10,000 nasmbem
might supply themselves with a copy of the statute s 'Marge,
with improved editions of the great teat book., and with in-
finitely better reports from all the count', thou were now
produced, for a eubseription of three guineas a year.
Tne motion was then agreed to.
Mr. FAHRIIa then moved the adoption of the reported' the
committee appointed, on the following refereuer :—" That
the committee be requested to direct their valuable labour
to the consideration of whether any further site rations can
be made in the whole system of the jurisdiction, practice,
and constitu ion of the masters and masters' offices, with a
view to obtain a more speedy and el:taper administration of
justice in the Court of Chancery."
The scope of this important report will be gathered from
the following resolutions, founded upon it, which Mr.
Stewart, in seconding the adoption of the rep• rt, pave no-
tice he should propose at the next meeting ef the society:
1. That the evils attending the existing procedure of the
Court of Chancery are now fully admitted, not only by the
suitors who buffer from th no, but by the judgea, the masten,
and other officen of the court.-2. That it has been
proved before a select committee of the II ouse of Commons
that, under such procedure, the most grievous dean and
ruinous expense now take place in the disposal of many suit',
and that the suitor is frequently deprived of hos jut
rights for many yeses, while sometimes his whole
property is consumed in unnecessary costs.-3. That
while this society fully allows that extensive changes
in such procedure are not only aboolutely necessary, but
highly advisable, yet as such changes involve the adjudica-
tion and administratioe of millions of property by the first
tribunal of this country, it as of great importance to oldish
no part of the exiring machieery before the suttee 'tun shall
have had a fair trial. and be found to wink wed in practice.
—4. That the number et the judg,s tied officers of
the Court et Cr:am:cry .i 1 easily permit the trial
of a new procedure, by way of option to the suites,
without altogether sup. rseimg the present machinery.-
5 Teat this society is or oponsu that the greater part of the
present delay and aieree now attending a su.t in Chancery
arises from its being a -jadiested upon by two judicial pet-
s.: s—the judge and the muter, who are not :necessarily in
communication with each other.-6 and 7. That if the
judge had the direct and exclusive tespontibility of dis-
posing of a suit from beginning to end, sitting in court or in
chambers, as he might think best, and availing himself of
the assisting. of a staff of officers similar to those now em-
ployed by a master, this society is of opinion that a great
number of cases would be easily and speedily decided, and
that months, or even days, might be substituted for the yeses
which now frequently elapse before such suits are disposed of.-
8. That if any of the pre cent judges of the (limn of Chancery
were willing to undertake the whole conduct and disposal of
a cause on this principle, a fair trial might b given to the
plan without further sweerseding the present machinery of
the Court of Chancery.-9. That this society is of opinion
that a more effectual machinery for taking accounts
by professional accountants, and for disposing of
the administrative business of the court might be
adopted.-10. That the whole fee system of the
Court of Chancery requires revision and regulation.—
11. That the great bulk of the fees now paid in tne Court of
Chancery fall on conteatious suit*, that is, on suits in which
the rights of the parties are in litigation while suits of an
administrative character, that is, suits in which property is
kept in safe custody, and properly distributed by the court,
are comparatively lightly taxed.-I'S. Toot a small per
centage should be levied on all payments made by the
Accountant-General of the monies administered by him,
which per centage should form a primary fund, to be appli-
cable to the poyment of the judicial a stablishment of the
court ; and any deficiency therein should be raisable by fees
payable by the suitors in contentiousmatters betere the court.
—l3. That it would be highly desirable to relieve, as far as
possible, contentious suits from the payment of such fees and
to place them on suits of an administrative character; and it
would appear that if a small ad oeforem fee w ere levied 0*
the property paid and distributed by means of the Court of
Chancery, the suitor most entitled to consideration
would be materially relieved from the fees which
he is now obliged to pay, and the burden placed
on the class of suitors most able to bear it.-
14 That a certain number of neeners should be appointed
by the Lard Chancellor, among whom, according to the ne-
ceseities of the use, should be apportioned the real estates
under the management of the Court of Chancery.-15. That
the business should be so apportioned ea to secure the ser-
vices of experienced land annts.-16. That these receivers
should render their accounts to one common head or depart-
ment, which should he authorised to issue regulations on
this subject, and to allow disbursements for the benefit of the
lands under its care.-17. That to this department should be
also intrusted the sale of estates directed to be sold by the
court.-18. Thst a sufficient number of official assignees
should he appointed by the Lord Chancellor, who should,
on the motion of one or more of the parties to the suit, or at
the discretion of the court, be attached to the cause where
their services were required.
Atter some observations from the Chairman, the report
was received, and the meeting separated.