The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-15 00:00:00

OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON.

Sir F. KELLY moved for leave to bring in a
bill to consolidate the statute laws relating to offences
against the person. The hon. and learned gentleman
explained that this was the first of a series of bills to
consolidate the statute law, and he hoped that by it he
should accomplish that which others had failed in. He
proposed to subdivide and classify the statutes into the
whole of the subjects comprised within their enablements ;
to repeal all the statutes relating to any one given subject,
and then to re-enact the whole statute laws relating to
that one subject into one part. Then, instead of the statute
law filling forty volumes, and comprising twenty thousand
acts of parliament, without order, classification, or arrange-
ment, the law would be simplified, made easy of reference,
and would abbreviate the necessity for dependence upon. a
text book. The task was one of great difficulty, but!nth
the assistance of the House, and of the statute commission,
he was prepared to undertake it. It would, of coarse, be
some time before these consolidations could be
effected, and he must ask the forbearance of
Irish members while he first dealt with the English law.
Immediately after, he would proceed with the classification
of the laws of Ireland and Scotland. If, however, repre..
sentatives of Ireland and Scotland, anxious for the speedy
improvement of their statutes, would bring in measures for
the purpose, he promised them his best assistance. Beyond
classification, he promised to remove from the statute book
obsolete and expired acts, of which latter, he believed there
would be found, relating is revenue, four or five volumes,
of a thousand pages each, and, by these means, he was of
opinion that the statute book would be diminished
to one fourth of its present extent. He contemplated,
if his efforts in the consolidation of the statute
laws were successful, to bring to the notice of Parliament
at, the earliest opportunity, a scheme for the control of
future legislation. The cost of the legislation he now pro-
posed would be about £5O to I:100 for each consolidation
act, and a great saving to the country would be thereby
effected, when he mentioned the fact that two acts of Par-
liament alone—the County Courts Act, and the Common
Law Procedure Act—saved the country more than a
million a-year. He did not anticipate much opposition
to :his plan for consolidating the law. The hon. and
learned gentleman concluded by moving for leave to bring
in the bill.

Lord STANLEY seconded the motion. He had never
heard any objection to the plans 'proposed by his learned
friend, and he was sure that energy and perseverance
would not be wanting it to carry it out. The noble Lord
touched upon the advantages likely to accrue from such
a system of consolidation , and to show how it would
operate, remarked that he had found nine separate acts
with distinct heads upon one subject.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL observed that the plan
was the same as that suggested by the Statute Law Com-
mission, and he was not awa*e that the right hon. and
learned] member (Sir F. Kelly) was to be considered as
the organ in that House of the Commission, of which they
were both members. He did not approve of
the plan in question. He thought a comprehensive
measure was required. He did not think the plan
could be carried out in as short a time as the honourable
and learned member seemed to be believe it could; on the
contrary he was of opinion it would take two centuries to
deal with the first part of the project, and the laws of
Ireland would be left till doomsday. He was for dealing
at once with the question in a bold and comprehensive
manner; to prepare a sketch or:plan of the whole law of
England ; to divide it into its various departments, to
subdivide it into chapters and under separate heads, lad

Luture regtstation, he thought it woul
ensured by publishing from time to time at fixed i-
the then state of the statute laws.
Mr. L. Krso supported the measure-
R.

course.

AINES also s

Leave was they given to bring in the bill.
Sir F, KELLY also obtained leave to bring in a bill to
consolidate the laws relating to bills of exchange and pro-
missory notes.

THE IRISH JUDGES.
Sir J: SHELLEY moved for a return of the date of the
call to the Bar of , the Judges of the superior. Courts of
Common Law in Ireland, the 'date of their -respective
appointments as Judges, the number of times each had
been absent the whole of any assize, or if absent during a
part only, stating what part, and the reason (if any) of
leave giyen for such absence also in how many and in
what instances substitutes 'Ave been appointed by the
Crown to preside at any assizes, or any portion thereof, in
the absence of any such Judge. The hon. member stated
that his object in making the motion was to call attention
to the fact that certain Judges in Ireland from age or other
causes, were unable to attend to their duties and functions.
He alluded particularly to the case of Baron Pennefather,
who was blind, and it .was shocking to think that one
who could not take a note- should try pers)ns for their
lives and characters. •

Mr. KENNEidt Mored that the words "in Ireland" be
omitted from the motion.

Mr. NAPIER had thought that some member of the
Government would have risen to reply to the attack of
the hon. baronet upon the Irish Judges. What were the
motives which led to this motion 7 Was it a wish to
drive them from the Bench because they were opposed to
the existing Government ? In reference to Baron Penne-
father, he was still an active man, and out of 35 years',
during which he had been upon the bench, he had only
been absent one circuit and part of another.
Sir G GREY observed that the right hon. and learned
gentleman had made unwarrantable assumptions with re-
gard to the feeling of the Government towards the Irish
bench, and the relative positions of the hon. member who
introduced the motion of the Government.
Mr. DISRAELI opposed, and the ATTORNEY-GENERAL
supported the motion.

After some remarks from Mr. S. Wortley. Mr. George;
Mr. A. Bruce, Mr. R. Ferguson, and Mr. J. Phillitnore,
who opposed the motion,

LorifPALmEitsTorf itai'd that Mr. Napier had attempted
to withdraw the attention of the House from the motion
before them, and convert it into a personal movement.
The noble Lord supported the motion at some length.
Sir G. SHELLEY then replied, and the House divided on
Mr. Kennedy's amendment. The numbers were—For the
amendment, 120; against it, 134; majority, 14.
A division immediately followed on the original ques-
tion, the numbers being—For the motion, 132; against it,
121 ; majority, 11.
The House then adjourned at half-past 12 o'clock.

POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY

--4-

(BEFORE MR

H. SMITH.)

THE ABUSE Or A PeKER —A wild-looking fellow named
John Doran, was charged by a policeman, who said, on
Wednesday evening he saw the prisoner in Bevington-hill ;
he was drunk and shouting fnriously. Ile had a poker in
his hand, with which he was smashing the wind )ws in the
houses as he went along; and when the constable arrested
him, the prisoner he said, thinking his head a piece of trans-
parent sand, was very near letting daylight through it with
the aforesaid poker. (Laughter.) The prisoner called on
a number and variety of unseen spirits to be his witnesses, but
there was "no appearance" put in, and then the prisoner
declared he was in a state of ,4 obseubilation," He was
fined ss.

STEALING A SILVER SrooN.--A respectable-looking
vovng female, named Margaret M'Cullagh, residing in
Copperas-hill, was charged with having stolen a silver
spoon from the house of Mrs. Selina Brooks, No. 1, Elliott-
street. Mr. Bluck appeared for the prisoner, and asked
police officer 225, who had her in custody, if he knew
her ? and he replied, I do well. Mr. Black :Is she
respectable ? Officer : She is highly .respectable. From the
evidence it appeared that the prisoner is a dressmaker and
well connected ; she had gone with a dress to the prosecu-
trix's servant, and had been in the kitchen whilst tea was
being got ready, and the silver spoons were on the table.
The prisoner was left in the kitchen for a short time, and
after she went away a spoon was missed. She was followed
and brought back by a police officer, but the spoon was not
found upon her; it was subsequently found near the back
door of the house, in the yard. Mr Black urged that there
was not sufficient evidence, against the prisoner, and his
worship concurring, discharged her.

FEMALE " GAROTTERS ! "—Two-stout, smart, and rather
well looking females, named Mary Jones and Martha Davis,
apparently about eighteen years of age, were brought up on
the :following charge. A handsome young lady, named
Mary M'Culloch, stated that, in company of another lady,
she went, on Wednesday evening, to the shop of
Mr. Stafford, Great Georges-street, to get her watch, which
was being repaired. The prisoners went at the window of
the shop at the time and saw what was passing inside.
The complainant put the witch in her pocket, and was
proceeding with her friend homeward, when soon after
leaving the shop, the prisoners came up, one at each side of
her, and seized her by the dress, at the same the
prisoner, who was next the pocket in which the watch was,
attempted to get it out. With the assistance of her friend
she shook off the prisoner, who for a moment disappeared.
On going into Seel-street the prisoner again attacked her—
one caught her by the throat, whilst the other seized her
by the pocket, and attempted to abstract the watch. She
again struggled with them, while her friend called for the
po ice, who came up and secured the prisoners. The watch
and chain were hanging out of her pocket when the police
came up. The prisoners, who, in the most impudent
manner denied the statement, were remanded.
SMUGGLING.—Captain Juan de Ventura, the commander
of a Spanish ship (not named), which arrived in the river
from Havana, on Wednesday, was charged by a Custom-
house officer with having attempted to smuggle 1-Ilbs. of
foreign manufactured tobacco. Signor Francisco Tomasa,
the Spanish interpreter, acted in the case between the par-
ties: The tobacco was found in the prisoner's hat, and he
was fined £1 Is., the value, which he at once paid, and was
discharged.

(BEFORE AIR. ➢fANSFIELD.)

IMPORTANT.--His worship, in tho course of the morning
sittings, remarked that he had received from Mr. Clough an
important document, being a report in respect to the fami-
lies of juvenile offenders in Liverpool. He would look over
the document carefully, and in a day or two would perhaps
make a statement that would be of great importance to the
public in respect to that class of offenders.
ASSAULT.—A respectable looking person, named Samuel
Braid, described as a publican and lodging-house keeper,
residing in Frederick-street, was charged by a person named
Edward M'Gunnell with having violently assaulted him.
Mr. Bluck was for the complainant, and Mr. Grimmer for
the defendant. The complainant's face was considerably
mangled with wounds and sticking-plaister, and his head
bound with bandages. His story was, that he went with a
sailor, who had lodged at the defendant's house, to get his
trunk, and pay £2 due to the defendant. When at the
house he gave the £2, and demanded the trunk. The de-
fendant said there was 15s. more due by the sailor, but this
the latter denied. Some words then took place, and as the
complainant alleged, the defendant struck him a violent
blow in the face with his fist, which cut him, and then he
ran into the bar, put on a " knuckles," with
which he inflicted several severe wounds on the face
and head of the complainant. This was corroborated by the
sai'or. For the defence Mr. Grimmer produced some
witnesses, who gave a conflicting account of the transaction,
but all agreed as to the assault. It wait, however, alleged
that the complainant struck first. Mr. Mansfield said but
for the conflicting statements made, he would have sent
the defendant for trial, as it was a case he would prefer
having tried by a jury. If he had been satisfied that the
defendant used the cowardly and d'ngerous weapon called
the " knuckles," and that the wounds were inflicted by it,
he would at once send the case before a jury. The case
was a serious one, and he would remand the defendant to
this day, in order to have a doctor's description and
opinion of the wounds. Ile would, however, allow the
defendant out on his own recognizance of 450 to appear
this day.

with this skeleton to place each under one particular head.
Nevertheless, he would not oppose the measure which was
a first step to the settlement of ' a great questiott, brit
give all the assistance in his power to enable Sir F.
Kelly to carry it through that House.
Mr. S. WORTLEY concurred in the measure proposed
by Sir F. Kelly, and had observed that, had the Right
Hon. and learned Member taken such a bold step as that
suggested by the Attorney-General, he would not have
been able to get the House to assent to it.

Mr. J. G. PRILLIMORE advocated the drawing up of a
code for England, assuring hon. members, that they
would meet with less difficulty in such an undertaking,
than was experienced in France, when the " code
Napoleon " was framed.
Sir G. GREY supported the measure. He could not
agree with the Attorney-General, that it would have
been advisable to introduce at once, a more extensivo
scheme than . that proposed by the hon. and learned
gentleman, (Sir F. Kelly,) as there would
have been found more difficulties in the way of its passing.
With regard to the difficulty the of codification
. _in way

.er vals,

wouta De good if they topped at once at consolidation
and good if they went on to codification, as it would sim-
,
plify the statutes, and render codification less difficult to
accomplish, than it would be if they at once adopted that

Mr. 111‘111AnoN accorded his thanks to the hon. and
learned gentleman for introducing the subject, and
promised his support to the measure before the House.
With respect to Ireland, he was of opinion that the best
course was, to remove all laws that were peculiarly appli-
cable to Ireland, and to legislate for both countries

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL explained the course taken by
the Attorney-General and himself in the statute law com-
mission, and expatiated upon the advantages which they
believed the plan generally referred to that evening by
the Attorney-General possessed, over that suggested by
:he other members of the commission, lie was glad,
however, to find that there was every chance of a bene-
ficial aniendbient In the statute book before the proroga-
tion of Parliament.

ORMSKIRK

The weekly meeting of the board of guardians for the
Ormskirk Union, was held yesterday: The guardians
present were, Mr. W. G. Tinsley (in the chair), Mr.
Lenaker, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Jenkinson, Mr.
Stoner, Mr. Howard, and Mr. Mercer. The journal of the
master of the workhouse reported that the number of
paupers in the house last week was 93, number admitted 6,
discharged 3, remaining in the house 95. The number of
paupers receiving out-door relief was reported as follows :
able-bodied 120, not able-bodied 232, children 329. The
amount of out-door relief in money was £29 6s 9d, and in
kind XI Is 4id. The balance in the treasurer's hands was
stated to be £3,253 5s 84(1. Mr. Stoner called the attention
of the board to this balance; and reminded the meeting
that a sum of £2,200 odd of that balarce would have to
be paid to the countyr.rcounty • rates next

ther sum of

i one loan.and the VinterestvofVtou another.equire Hed
•qgested that the guardians for Ormskirk, North