The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENI
HOUSE OF LORD&—TrEsDAy, JULY 26.

The Lows CMANCIILOIII leek kis seat at 6 o'clock.
IIiENERAL BOARD OF MALIK (No. 3) BILL.
The Deka of ARGYLL withdrew the order fur going
Leto committee oei this bill, with the view of refusing it to
• select committee.

BRECON COLLEGIATE CHURCH BILL.
This bill was reed • second time.
PARISH VESTRIES (No. 2) BILL.
The E,rl of CIIICHEStEIt moved the weond reading
of t►is bill.

Earl WALDEORAVE moved that the bid be read a
second time that day three months.
After a few words from the Marquis of Seitenette, the
louse divided, when the numbers were :
Fur the second reading
Against it
The Bankruptcy (Sootlaud) Bill and the Public Houses
(Scotland) Bill were read a third time and passed.
COURTS OF COMMON LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM, in avivieg the second reading of
this bill, said that it was a bill which had been prepared
with very great care:by persons of consummate learning and
great knowledge of the praetiee of the law, partscolerly in
Ireland, to is hie! it referred, and of great skill in the pre-
paration of legislative measures. Atter having been pre;
pared in part by hie hen. and learned friend the late Sole
limiter-General for Ireland, It was submitted to other mem-
bers of the profession in that eguirry, including the heads
of the courts of law and equity, from whom it had met with
general approval. It was sow a quarter of acentury since, in
the other house of parliament, he called attention to the
various evil. and defer• of the judicial system ; and it was
satisfactory to him to find that not one of the principles
which he then laid down, not one of the propositions which
be thea made, had been neglected or overlooked by
the learned persons who prepared this measure.
This bill would tend to diminish unjust litigation
and to reduce expense. In cases of debt both plain-
tiff and defendant would have to swear that their ease was
true to the best of his knowledge and belief. At present
ao defendant could be heard in equity except
en his oath ; but, by a singular inconsistency,
the plaintiff was nut requited to swear. He was
anxious that the judges should have the power of
willing both the plaintiff and defendant before them, and
of examining them, so as to elicit the truth which it was the
object sometimes of the plaintiff, and sometimes of tho do•
fondant, to keep concealed. He was a:sio anxious that
every facility should be given for compromising disputes, so
as to avoid the necessity of having recourse to legal pro-
cess. The dr ferelant had now the power of lodging money
in court in eases of contract, or quasi contract. But in
cases of slander, seduction, trim. rot.—in all these, end
similar Mies, money could not be lodged in court. But
this bill provided that money might be paid into court.
One principle pervaded it throughout. It adopted, as far
as was possible, the natur-I mode of procedure, and re-
jected, or where it could not reject abridged
technical procedure. Having gone through the whole of
the provisions of the bill, he said that great as was his desire
to see them:become the law of the land, he did not hope,
at that late period of the session, that they could be carried
in their entirety. But he thought that a most materiel
part of them might become the law even in the present
session, and it was with that hope that he moved the second
reading of the bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the present bill
was another obligation added to the many which the country
already owed to the exertions of his noble and learned
friend in the cause of law reform. (Hear, hear.) He con-
curred with his noble and learned friend, in thinking that
the bill would be an immense improvement on the judicial
system in Ireland.
After a few words from Lord Boottnitaiit, the bill was
read a second time.