Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-15 00:00:00

TILE OVERLAND MAIL,

The Earl of HARDWICKE asked whether any arrange_
ments had been made for expediting the India mails
through France. He understood that the French govern-
ment sorted their own letters first, and until that was done
the English bags were not allowed to leave the post.office
doors. The consequence of this was that the English mails
were delayed from twelve to twenty-four hours, while
under a different arrangement they might be forwarded at

once.
The Duke of ARGYLE had directed his attention to tle
important subject referred to, and was prepared to stale
that in no instance during the last six months had the
mails been delayed more than twelve hours. In Ftbruary
the French government made an arrangement, by which,
in case the India mail arrived within two hours after the
departure of the morning mail, the Engli:h letters were
forwarded by express.

The subject then dropped.
Their Lordships adjourned at ten minutes past seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—TUESDAY.
The Speaker took the chair at 12 o'clock,
Mr. GLADiTONE presented a large number of petitions
from the clergy uuty throughout the country in
opposition to the Divorce Bill.
Mr. WALPOLE presented petitions of a similar character
from Kensington and other places.
GRAND JURIES (METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT) BILL.
The house went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,

Mr. BOWYER moved, as an amendment, that the Chair-
man do leave the chair. This bill was intended to repeal
a part of the British constitution without due consideration
and he was surprised that such a proposal emanated from
the Conservative side of the house, the occupants of which
professed to have so great a respevifor the ancient institu-
tions of the land. The hon. and learned gentleman (Sir
F. Thcsiger) had fairly in,roduced the measure, but he
(Mr. Bowyer) had reason to believe that that honourable
gentleman now regretted that he had taken cherge of
it. In cases of felony a person could not be tried without
a bill from a grand jury, whereas a person might be
indicted for misdemeanour without such a bill, facts which
showed the policy of the law, which established the highest
precautions by the institution of grand juries, and yet they
were called upon on mere grounds of inconvenience and
expediency to aboliih an institwion founded up an the
highest principles of law. The hon. gentleman quoted
largely from Blackstone in support of his views. He
thought hon. members could not have any doubt as to the
course Blackstone would take if he were alive, and a
member of that House, He believed that the great evil
to b e remedied in refereuce to this department of Justice

was tee want of a public prosecutor, an evil which was

PASSENGER LIST PER S.S KERSONESE.—Mr. Glasgoerl, I
I not felt in Ireland, where there was a Crown solicitor ; or
Mrs. G. Nais, Rev. Mr. Bosworth, Rev. E A. Eaton,
Rev. James Law, Messrs. W. W. Htil, J. J. Hill, in Scotland, where the Lord Advocate acted in a similar
Cobb, Master Brown, Messrs. Jenkins, J. R. Blood, capacity. If the grand jury system should be abolished in
Thomas Sykes, R. M. Sykes, G. S. Mabett, S. D. London it must gr further, and the system, which he con-
Maelagan, W. Penham, J. P. M'Kenzie, Waters, J. H. tended had worked well, would be abolished throughout
Symms; M. and Mrs. Mortimer and child, Mr. and Mrs.
Cormick and sans, Miss Cormick, Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly. the country.
Mr. Munro, Mr. Greave, Masters J. C. and D. Brady ; Mr. Me3.Linese seconded the amendment.
Messrs. J. Fraser, B trr, Quintin, A. Currie, D. Slater, R. Sir F. TRESIGZR complained that no intimation had
Noyle, Skirving, and fifty-seven steerage passengers.
LIST OF PASSENGERS PER S. S. " INDIAN '' FROM QUEBEC. been given to him until recently of any opposition being
—Mr. and Mrs. Webb, four children and nurse
offered to the principle of the bill It was solely on
Graves, Major Wake, Mr. B. B. Hughes, Mr. ' Miss
Henry account of the inconvenience end detriment of the present
Alexander, Mrs. Seaton, two children and nurse, Miss s 3 stem that he had introduced the bill, and he felt no
Morgan, Miss Savage, Miss Borphier, Messrs. H. D. regret, as had been suggested, at having done so. He
M uirhead, E. Hetherington, E. Goodier, E. M. Chaffer,
Bowrne, Hingston, P. A. Murphy, J. B. Fish, Francois might remind the honourable gentleman who had proposed
Baly, o,ay, Fisher and son, J. Robertson, W. M. Robert- the amendment that institutions of an ancient character
son, Mrs. Berekerek, Messrs. Langlois, Griffin, Hewitt, had been broken in upon -by legislation, and he might
Rev. M. Marsh, Rev. J. Sho:t and Lady, Messrs. Alleyn, instance County Courts, where to a certain extent, petty
Vernnorous, Martin Lezare, Hecht, James Rigg, Capt.
juries had been abolished, and a single judge was empow-
L. Hall, Mr. Bonttber and Lady, Mrs. Kerr, child and -
servant, Mr. M. Ramsay and Lady, Messrs. Morris, ered to try cases which came before him. If Blackstone
Bieaudry, Bryan, wife and two children, Messrs. W. A. had been alive, uo doubt he would have resisted si.ch
Murray, Kerr, G E. Henning, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, an innovation. (Laughter.) With regard to the
Miss Forbes, Mrs. Col. Clerk, Mrs. Robb, Mrs. Cuthbert,
and two servants, Mr. and Mrs. Burns, three children and operation of the measure in the country, he had to say
servant, Miss Burns, Miss Rivuse, Mr. and Mrs. Hedge, that his bill did not apply to the country at all, being
Miss Lamplier, Messrs. Pliunisol, Park, Fulligar, A. confined exclusively the metropolitan police district,
Poison, Wilson, Rev. J. Frethiugham, Rev. W. Stan-
derwick, and son. where grand juries were a positive obstruction to justice.
THE STEAMER ADRIATIC.—The New York correspon-
At the Central Criminal Court, recorder after recorder
dent of the Boston Journal says :—" The great steamer had expressed an opinion that grand juries were an im-
AA atic still lies at her dock. The sound of the workmen pediment to justice, and that there was ng occasion for
from a hundred hammers indicates that the day when she
investi-
will take her place on the ' Collins Line' is yet a distant one. their services when a ease had previously been
She was to have sailed last October. There is now no geted by stipendiary magistrates in the metropolitan
probability
if lity_ that she can be ready for sea till the coming police courts. At present the inquiry whether there
even then. The folly which has guided the was sufficient evidence to send a person to trial was
management of this splendid craft cannot be painted. That
3 new invention, one never tried, one that promised great
now made in a most satisfactory merino before carefully
things, for success or failure, should be first tried on such a selected magistrates, the accused had the opportunity of
ship is marvellous' In the firste place, an attempt was made i confronting witnesses, and the depositions were carefully
to use a valve that was patent. The parties- were sued made out before they were sent to a judge. But grand
and threatened with a law suit. This vet . was ith" juries assembled to decide whether the magistrate had
drawn—a new invention introduced that‘e was
demanded w thes
done right or wrong in sending a person for trial, those
was done. The whole proved a splendid failure, and now juries being composed of persons of non-legal minds,
the work has all to be done over again. The cost is over sitting in a secret chamber, and in the absence of she
100,000 dole. The delay and mortification will be but
accused. In the metropolitan police courts grand juries
little less, and what was to be one of the proudest monu-
ments n our commercial skill has, through the blunderin had obtained the name of "The hope of the London
and obstinacy of some parties, become a bye-word and . thieves," He thought that under the eiretemstancei this
reproach:,
'll was not the time to obstruct the iartllem progress of the
i