The Express.
London, England, 1858-10-13 00:00:00

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LONDON. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13.

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A SPECIAL EDITION et the " EXPRESS,"
cantata' ing the results of the day's Races, ia pub-
lished every main daring the Sporting Season, at
six o'clock.

LORD JOHN Rranu. has Una making a very ad-
mirable inaugural address at the Liverpool Social
Science meeting. It has been the fashion in certain
quarters industriously to represent Lord Joint
lirg,ti.t. as a Statesman who has done growing—
** a politician whose stock-in-trade mainly cossists
of a cut and dried assortment of Constitutional

notions, made up after the formal pattern of
historical Whiggery. It has been said of him
that he breathes, wherever he goes, a perpe-
tual atmosphere of Snooks's, regards public affairs
principally through the medium of family interests,
and has never made an advent* in political or social
philosophy beyond the opinions which were current
in his own circle at the epoch of the Reform Bill.
Sensible people, of coarse, were never misled by these
rancorous efforts of avowed enemies or " candid"
friends. In spite of all this frothy clamour, the
sound instincts of the great body of intelligent
Englishmen have always led them to regard Lord
JOHN Bream as one of the statesmen most
deserving of their confidence, They have never
believed in the silly misrepresentation that he was
either indifferent to the great social problems of the
time, or imperfectly informed as to the true prac-
tical bearings of the " Condition of England " goes-
lion. Even those who have too long suffered them-
selves to be influenced by the once fashionable
calumnies, must have had their faith in the calum-
niators somewhat rudely shaken by a perusal of this
inaugural address at Liverpool.
To map out accurately and clearly within the
compass of a single address the vast provinces of
thought and exertion comprised within the bounda-
ries of Social Science—to leave no topic un-
touched, yet so to touch each as to show
that familiarity with its salient points which
only study sad reflection can bestow—this is not a
teak to be achieved by any mind, even of the highest
faculties, by any amount of more occasional prepara-
tion. No conceivable power of cram, no intensity of
reading up Blue-books, would have enabled Lord
JOHN RUSSELL to arrange in lucid order, and discuss
with comprehensive brevity, the widely diversified
subjects included within the range of his inaugural
discourse. As it is, it would be difficult,
if not impossible, to find a more clear and
accurate survey than is presented in this address,
both of what has been done, and of what yet remains
to do, in the various departments of Social Science.

It is not, of course, oar intention to make any
attempt at following Lord Jong RUSSELL over the
vast field in which he has so successfully expatiated.
But there are ONO or two points of more than ordi-
nary importance en which it is especially interesting
to ascertain the views of • public man so influen-
tial. In the Department of Jurisprudence, for
inseams, there is the question relating to the Con-
solidation of the Statute Law. On this point the
opinion of Lord JOHN RUNSILL entirely concurs
with that which has been more than once advanced
in these columns. To consolidate our statutes—in
the sense of compiling and aggregating them under
certain heads, without material alteration either in
their substance or in their expression—would be of
comparatively little advantage. Parliament must
go farther. Parliament must be prepared, in the
well-chosen language of the inaugural address, "
" repeal what is obsolete, to supply what is
" defective, to condense what is dispersed,
" and to place in lucid order what is
" obscure and confused." It is to be hoped
that Lord JOHN Russeu. will maintain in the ,
House of Commons the principle he has so ably
stated in Bt. George's-hall. The example of the
New York Legislature in the revision of their laws—
an example not unfamiliar to our readers—wee also
adduced by Lord JOHN RUNNISLL. Three able American
jurists drew up a report for the Legislature, showings
with regard to each enactment—first, what the law
was ; secondly, its presumed defects ; thirdly, the pro-
posed remedy. The Legislature, supplied with these
materials, went vigorously to work, and the result
has been • body of law which has given universal
satisfaction on the other side of the Atlantic. Really
the question seems to resolve itself into this—
have we or have we not some half-dozen jariste
amongst us, capable of drawing up such a report
for our Parliament as that which these three barris-
ters drew up for the Legislature of New Yak P
That is • question which it is to be hoped Lord
JOHN Rnserit will lose no time in pressing on the
attention of Parliament. He has a right notion of
the task to be performed and the mode of accom-
plishing it; what we want cannot be better de-
scribed than in his own words :—" A complete code
r worthy of the country, simplifying and im-
" proving our laws, on principles fit to be adopted
" in an enlightened age, and founded on the solid
" masonry of oar ancient institutions."

Peking by many very admirable remarks on the
especial necessity that exists for simplifying our law
of Real Property and improving our system of Judi-
cial Statistics, we come to the great question of
Penal Discipline. Fully accepting the position that
lilies beams a necessity for us to consume our
" own crime, and not to send it forth to contaminate
" other parts of the world," Lord JOHN presents