The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-01 00:00:00

(Stamped ld. AdditianaL) [TWOPENC.

trisection. But on that point, we will rewire to ourselves at
some future opportunity, in the course of the business of the
session, to st ate what car wishes and intentions may be. Washall
therefore proceed w;th the business before ;sc The 7111 be

some of the estimates to be considered and voted by the
house ; there will be the budget of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to be stated and considered ; there will he inc ISW elly
probably, consequent on that budget; and there may be
other meaauree of minor Importance which we may feel it
our duty to propose. I think that amount of business will
probably, or certaioly, occopy so much of the remaining
period of the summer as that daring which It is possible for
the house to expect a sufficient attendance to determine and
deliberate on the measures laid before them. I shall not in-
trade longer on the attention of the house, except to say this,
that considering how late the mention is, considering how
important it is that the business which is usually called the
business of the government, but which is really the
business of the country, should proceed ea feat
as poesible, it is my intention to propose on •
future day that all Thursdays, beginning with this day
fortnight, Isbell be order days, instead of being, ea usual,
notice days. That is an arrangement which has generally
hoes made towards the latter part of the session, and I trust
that under the circumstances members whe may wish to

have that day fur %lair notices will fool the urgeeoy of toe
matter, and liot ;nuke any opposition to the arroogoosat I
propose.

POSTAL CONVENTION WITH PORTUGAL.
Lad 1. RUSSELL laid upon the table • espy of a Postal
e.,os reoestly concluded itlalt the Else of Portogel.

DU& NAVAL DI FENCE§

Sir C. NAPllilt said that before he could give hie support
to the present government he must know distinctly what were
their intentions as to the defences of the country. The late
First Lord of the Admiralty had certainly done a great
deal but not all that he (Sir C. Napier) wished. What was
It that we saw happening at this moment ? We saw the
French advancing in the must rairaordioary manner through-
out Italy, and gaining battles as fast as they began to fight
them. What would that great man, the Einem, of the
French, do next?—he (Sir C. Napier) would call him a great
mace, since be, succustomel to war as he bad been, was
now performing such extraordinary teats, worthy of his
great uncle. There was no knowing what would happen
lent. After placing the King of Sardinia on the throne
of Italy, and retuniing victorious' to Francs, having per-
formed all he vomited to do, and thereby acquired
each great power is the public opinion of Europe,
wild the Emperor be ahle to make a n teen
like the French contain its It ? He (Sir C. Napier) implored
the House of Commons therefore to look to our defences
now. We ought to have not 24 sail of the line, but 40 or
60 WI of the an.. Ile hoped it was not true that the Chan-
cellor of the Ex.lequer proposed to relate our naval expen-
diture.
Lord PALVIERATON was about to rite but
The SPEAKEtt remarked that there was no motion
before the house, and the discussion was irregular.
CONSOLIDATION OF STATUTE LAW.
Mr. WHITESIDE, who hat put a notice on the rarer
far leave to bring la • bill to consolidate and amend tee
Criminal Statute Law of England and IreLutd, said he
wished to state the view. with which he would
now hand there bills over to the present goverment.
Is dealing with offences punisblibb with death, be peopoeid
to loclude treason and wilder, and to exclude conspiracy
murder. that !Arne* was capital In Ireland, bur not in
England. The occasion, on which it was necessary to have
separate laws for the two countries were becoming more rare
every day, and he hod no doubt that If a little effort were
suede, It would be found that there need not remain on the
statute book a single act relating to Ireland that did not ex-
tend to England. The measure which he coctemplated
would include a complom procedure bettor the two eau:Arks.
With respect to c nfiscaben of lends, he thought the opera-
tion of the law very just ; for. after criminal. in certain
cases were deprived of life, their relatives were punished by
the confiscation of their property. He proposed attogetber
to abolish the taw relating to tee comfircation of lands for
crime' such as that which it now governed. He would now
hand over the measure to the government, treating that it
would be fully considered by the law officers of the crown,
to whom he should he happy to render every assistance in
carrying it into effect. (Hear, hear.)
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he would give his
attenticn to the mater ; but it was necessary for the house
to come to some deranubiation en another matter connected
with the subject. The house was asked to receive and con-
sider • measure proposing to consolidate the whole of the
I criminal laws of Enabled and Ireland—that they should
abrogate the whole of the existing law, and receive n new
enactment in its place. Now what means would there be of
sateen .iniag that the new enactment would be nothing more,
except in the particular eases specified, than the re-enact-
ment of the present law ? Ile thought the house would never
be prepared to take such a step in the dark. In one particu-
lar be entirely concurred in the sentiments of the hon. and
learned gentleman, and had long felt that groat 'kinetics and
inconvenience arose from the forfeiture of good* end chattels
and land, and believed a change in the criminal law is that
respect to he neceersey. But it would be • fearful thing to
accept a consolidation of the criminal law, which might in-
volve alterations in that law, without due examination. For
these reasons be had always been favour able to the establoh-
ment of a department of justice, whore duty it sbould be to
examine into this subject, and be reap ratable for any measures
which might be submitted to parliament. The stemma even I
If they were gathered together in the very words of the
existing enactments, if strung together in a different form
and under • different arrangement, and with a differaut
preamole, might receive • very different ineepretation
from the emestrueaun now put upon them. Fur
yeare there had been a statute law emenstasion in existence,
but that cnnuniesion had never placed on the table • single
bill, except, perhaps, those introduced by the tete Attorney-
General during the last session ; and he apprehended it would
be one of the moat important duties of the new government
to consider forthwith what should be done with respect to
that commiesicio, and whether it might not be desirable to
place the matter in responsible hands.
Mr. MALINS could not allow the Idea of a depart-
ment of justioe being propoundai without entering his most
decided prorate against 1,.
Mr. L. KING urged the house to proceed upon some
fixed plan instead of these eureoldation Mlle, beginning
with an expurgation of the statute-book.
After some remarks by Mr. Bowyer' and Mr. COLLIER,
Sir F. KELLY defended the statute law commiesioe,
and pressed upon the goverammt the itopertm. e of the
object of • consolidstiou of the statute law, placing his own
KIVVINS at their command.

The SOLICITOR•GENERAL nninttined the practl-
csbility of a consolidation of the rostutes; the only question '
was, be observed, the hest mole, and he concurred with the
attorney-general in thinking that the object could not be car-'
rind out until there was a deportment or minister of justice,
or • body of persons who could devote themselvet to the task
and be responsible to the house.
Mr. II'MAIION opposed the project of the department of
justice.
Mr. WIIITESIDE having replied,
After route observations by Mr. SLANEY,
Mr. WALI'OLE recommended the Attorney.Oeneral to
take up this subject at once, Oararillir that the proposed
11110•Ur0 embodied a safe, stead, and practical solution of the
question relative to the amendment and coneolikition of the
criminal law of the two otentetts.
Leave was then grin t e introduce the bills.
Ina.. was ale given to Mr. IlTsus to bring in a bill for
the sale of grain, flour, weal, potatoes, &c., whole's!e and
rnail, by the pound averdapiers its decennial multiples end
aliquot pans; to Mr. DUNLOP' a bill to affi rd famlities for the
et ire certain asc venni...in of the law adminietered in
ONO part of her Majesty's dominions when ph idol in the
courts of another pert they. of ; and to Sir J. Su ZLLIA, a bill
to regulate the proceedings of gas companies.
On the motion of Mr. WALVOLZ a /elect committee was
ordered to inquire into the operation of the existing acts of
grnlitaztnt and legal regulation. for the caro and custody of
The Lotus having resolved itself into a committee of
80
On PPI the proposition of Lord PALMERSTON, Mr. Metsey
wee van' into the chair.
A formal tuition, granting a supply to her Majesty for the
public service was put sn I carried.
Tho house then resuuted.
NEW WRIT FOR MARYLEBONE.
Mr. BRAND moved test the Speaker should issue his
warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, directing bite to make
out • new writ for the election of • member fir the borough
of Merylebone, in the room of Sir D. Hell, who bed been
raised to the peerage.
Agreed to.
The new Lille were Introduced and eeverally road a Brat
time; and the house adjourned at half-pest seven o'clock.

ELECTION FOR THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTIL—III
Odoa•quenoe of the intluencas brought to bear on the elec-
tions fur Moomouthshire by the !ceding territoriel proprie-
tor, a body of the e'e...ire hare determined upon putting
Mr. Edward C. Whiteout's, the Vice-Chairman of the
Ballot Society, in nomination` t the election to-day—not to
go
to the poll, but to expor he protect system of mi.-
eepereotatimi, and the paramount neon city of the ballot.
CoNscrence MONET.—Front a document yester-
day boned by owor of polimnent, it appears tart in the year
ending the Slat of March lest, the sums remitted to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, am " conerienee mosey,"
amounted to 3,0151. 9a.
ERRATUM.—MY. Charles Appleton, recently
elected to the vac .nt scholarship at St. john's College, Ox-
ford, came up to the I.Titiver•ity from Iteedutg Grammer
School, not Merchant Ta)lone, r stated in our impression
at Tuesday last.