The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-17 00:00:00

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRO-

NOTION OP SOCIAL SCIIINCN.

SECOND DAY.

The various departments of this association were
opened on Thursday morning, at half past ten o'clock, at
the Four Courts, Dublin.
FIRST DEPARTMENT—JURISPRUDENCE.
The proceedings of this department took place in the Soli-
citors' Room, where the address of the president was ap-
pointed to be delivered.
The chair WAS taken, on the motion of Mr. 0. W.
Meetings (the honorary general secretary), by the Lord
Justice of Appeal, one of the vice.presideuts of the society,
and subsequently by Lord Brougham, the President, on his
arrival from the Viceroy* Lodge.
There was a very large ►nd influential attendance.
The Right Sm. JOSEPH NAPIKR delivered the opening
address. He commenced by expressing regret that there
wis as yet so ministry of justice forming part of the
government, afterwards referred to the commercial law
and other topics, and then dwelt on the unsatisfactory sad
conflicting state of the marriage law. He was loudly ap-
plauded at the conclusion of his address, when the meeting
adjourned to the Court of Chancery, where the busiuess
of the Jurisprudence Department is conducted. The court
was densely thronged.
The chair wee occupied by the Right Hon. Joseph Napier,
president.
On the beach were Lord Brougham, Judge Lynch, the
Right Hon. James Whiteside, and the Recorder of Birming-
ham, Mr. Hill.

Tbereeefateas of the Patent Law Committee ba►ing
beta ""4. . .

Mr. Arthur Ryland read a paper by Mr. J. Napier Hig.
gins, on "The Machinery of Legislation." The paper
&Wowed the present very faulty method of drafting and
enacting acts of parliament; matters were left to private
parties in the drat instanoe, and brought hastily and incon-
aidenstely into the legislature. The recent discussion on the
law of bankruptcy was a flagrant example of this. No pro.
pee attempt bed yet been made to consolidate the law, and
all the commissions to consolidate the law had been failures.
The principles of the Bankruptcy Bill, although approved
of by the mercantile community, had been defeated by in.
vidnal members of the Houses of Lords and Commons. The
Trades Marks Bill had been defeated also, and bills for the
Palace of Justice had been defeated. No bill should be
allowed to be brought into the Houses of Lords or Commons
by private ies ; and at least all government bills should
be by a separate department.

PIIOORIAS OP LIGISILATIOR IN OCR CRIMINAL LAW.

The Right Hon. JAIL% WillTitsioa then cam. forward to
shires the meeting, sad was entbusisatically received. He
mid no subject could be more interesting to the jurist or
statesman, to the philanthropist or to the Christian, than
the "Progress of Legislation in our Criminal Law." His
rupees was not so much to speculate or to philosophise as
to refer briefly to our sexiest criminal, and chiefly statute
laws, to state as bristly as possible what had been effected
is the way of amendment, sod to express a hope that a
wed work happily begun may be speedily crowned with
the spirit of completion. Large questions were involved
in the ioquiry—themes of vast importance. touching
the object of punishment, the probable refommtion of the
condemned persona, the preservation of order, and the
peace of society. In coosideriog any system of law framed
ma former ages we might to make allowance for the temper
of the times, ter the habits, tastes. customs and manlier, of
tiea9lll. The boa. and horned gentleman then pro-
be give a sketch of our ancicist statute
Los which was at the same time a sketch of the
social history of the kingdom.
Lord Baortolcim said that his right hoe. and learned
friend had referred to the late Sir Robert Peel's share is
the alteration of the criminal law, and lie wished to observe
that be had assisted Sir Robert in his exertions by opposing
him most bitterly and successfully upon the errors he coop
milted in insisting on puniabieg forgery by capital punish.
meat. He would, however, do Sir Robert Peel the Justin
to say that hearted with the greatest possible fairness, and
afterwards assisted him in abolishing seven or eight other
cases of capital punishment.
Mr. Hill (the Recorder of Birmingham), Mr. Herne, Q.C.
mid the Right Hon. Provident of the Department also made
some observations on the very able paper read by Mr.
Whiteside.

Mr. D. Dimon, Q.C.. in the absence of Mr. Arthur
Simonet. (barrister), read a paper on "The Contitution of
Traumata." It analysed and enumerated the different
functions of a court of justice, the officers which should con-
stitute such a court, and the whole machinery of the court.
The system of the adniioistration of justice in England,
Ireland, sod Scotland, ought to be consolidated. There
should be only one profession of advocates and agents for
the United Kingdom, and parliament should have attached
to it a Minister and Commission of Justice.
This concluded the day's proceedings iu this section the
reading of a paper by Baron Holmodurf, "On Public irieir
entices in Pniasis," being postponed to the following day.
SECOND DEPARTMENT.— EDUCATION.
This department met et 11 o'clock in the Court of Es-
denser ;
Sr J. G. SHAW Lu'm*, E.C.8., pratident, in the chair.
Vice-Presideate : T'he Very Rev. Dean Grins and Liu.
news Waldron. Lg. M.P.
Secretaries (Permaneet) : Rev. George D. Boyle and Rev.
Nash Stephenson, For Dublin : Rev. W. Reeves, D.D.,
Vicastreerege, Leek ; and G. W. Abraham, LL.D., 15, Rutland.
li_pper.
Min MART CAirsirtri, of Bristol, read an interesting
to'1:011 the APO-altos of the Principles of Education
to &hook fee the Lower Classes of Society."
Professor KAVANAGH, of the Catholic University, said
he felt lam to have the honour of welcoming Miss
Carpenter• and he felt happy In stating that, so far hack
al" Yeas ago, he used the same sentiments whit