The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-18 00:00:00

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY asked the First Lord of the
Treasury if any propositions for concluding the var in
lithe East had emanated from the Austian Govert ment,
or had, been transmitted through the French Govern-
ment, since the last protocol of April 26, 1856' ; and
whether the documents containing such propositi me, if
any, could be placid on the table of the house?
' Lcrd PALMEItStON said he had already ant veered
the same question the other evening. The reply Ito bad
now to make was, that there bad been communi': ations
pass:ng between the Governments of England, ranee,
and Austria, but no formal communications ba,l taken
place which could be with propriety laid upi,a the
table.

SCHOOLS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Mr. STIRLING postponed the second reading of this
bill until to-morrow. ' - '
Mr. HA.DFIELD objected \re repeated pol pone-
ment of this measure, and tla 4-10:0 moved, as ,t had
been'again put off, that it be re second time th at day
viz mouths. ' '

Mr. STIRLING said that so far as he was cor.: 3rned
he had, merely postponed the bill for the i:onve-
nience of the house. The hoUse had heard so much lately
upon this subject that be thought hon. member, would
like to be relieved. If his bon, and learned frien(:
which stood for to-morrow, were carried, the louse
would, in all probability, hear no more of his L ill ; if
not, the house would have before it that whic 1 to a
certain extent embodied the views of a number C.' mem-
bers on the question of education, in. Scotland. (J-ear.)
Mr. CRAM= and Mr. DISaAELI defended the t•ourse
adopted by Mr. Stirling, which they chi racter-
ised as ,most proper,, and expressed a hope
that the hon. member for Sheffield would withdr iw his
amendment.

Mr. HADFIELD thereupon withdrew his :.tnend-
ment, and the order for the second reading of the bill
was entered for to-morrow. .
PUBLICs'.I3ROSECITTORS BILL.
On the order ofthe day for the second reading )f this
bill,
Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE asked the noble lord
at the head of the Government to namb 3 Go-
veinment night ou which he might bring the bill for-
ward.. (Oh, oh.) Honourable members might laugh,
iiut the Attorney-General was con4red to his re;flence
with an attack of influenza, aid he (Mr. Phi] iniore
ought' to be in bed himself. (Laughter.),
Lord PALMERSTON replied that the Attorney-
General had given notice of
with
to refer the bill to
a eelect committee, and, with the hon. and learned gen-
tleman's permission, he would move
,that it be refei red in
the nght hon. and learned gentleman's absence.
Mr. PHILLIMORE
.'planation as
was tl e case
he must offer a few words of planation as to tl,e rea-
sons why the bill had been introduced.
Sir F. THESIGER said he thought the ho'. and
learned gentleman had risen to make some arrant !inert
with the noble lord opposite (Lord Palmerston), v 3d he
bad no idea that he.,. was going into explanat'. ins in
order to do so.

Mr. PHILLIMORE thereupon said he woul
pro-
pose the second reading of the bill. The bill lost
introduced because a number of abuses of para• c runt
importance existed in the administration of critnina, jiss-
tice; and many of those abuses attributable to the want
of a public prosecutor. It was on this ground that he
asked the house to assent to the second reading c ! that
bill, and thereby to declare its opinion that the me st ex-
alted function of the Crown, and the-meet sacred tights
of the subject, should not be letift to the discrei ion of
attorneys and policemen, but that the means of ei forc-
ing public justice should be entrusted to men of st:u ding
and qualification for the duty. It was de dirty of
the Government to provide in this way for the
efficient administration of justice, because when ti. law
by direct operation gave the rich an advantage ov. r the
poor; and afforded more aid to the person who cou'd pay
for it and put it in motion than the man who could tot, it
was precisely to that extent that it established inji seine
and bad a bad effect on the moral sentiments of the peo-
ple. It was impossible in the present state of the lave that
instances of this kind-should not constantly occur, he.
causeit threw upcn the injured party the task of ding-
ing the offender to justice, in spite of the spirit ~f its
own language, which laid down that ever/ of-
fence was committed against the State itself.
The hon. member then proceeded to enforce his vie vs in
reference to the subject by reading the opinions of neny
eminent lawyers on the necessity of there being a I. zhlie
prosecutor, and said he was ashamed to enter into
.the
question of expense in connection with the est:lA.llBh-
meat of a public prosecutor. If he could establish the
fact that such a measure was necessary for
the better administration of criminal justice, the ques•
turn of expenSe was a subordinate matter, but far
from adding to the expenses of criminal prosecutio-is, it
would considerably diminish them, by putting a R:.. pp to
frivelotiaproseeutions, such as were often brought forward
for ti tfteake of gain.,„ All be asked the house now to do
wan •
after
to assent to the general principle, of the bilT,
t
that he would gladly accept of any sugge,,tions
h" migght
-be made with reference to its de-
toe
showy it was the duty of the
the po„ andEn w
the rich
public that the right of
rich in criminal matters stood
on an equal footin
ari dpes that.erieuerueli fhl
orphan u„,,„ telg, and that women and the poor house
o
public justice,sehtrrienek
iann,,(l open eyneoovvf
the case, from the imo,
had neithe:ri:teah:ee nweer senor
resolution, nor ex
vided for them, when tf ne r? encounter
.pro-
person to whom they mighr ed by a public griew;
would-be at once supported, aPply, and by whonaiLtrhe'eya
err ee
the
et to a
Mr. EWART supported the principle of
but considered the whole subject should be rf hill
select committee.
Lord PALMERSTON said there could e no "e.t
the subject was one of very deep interest, invoi;zi
not
only,the interests of the community at large,
the great question of morality, arei the ppr" ession ciao
The propose. to establish a oul
crime. (Dear)
. Undrul i,edi;
prosecutor was a question on which existed a'2r);:t.
diversity of opinion. (Hear, hear.)
the practice in Scotland and Ireland might be
quoted in favour of such a measure, whilst, oo the
that, -.hat Liras "her hand, there were good grounds for arse iting
might not b 31- successful
to it area of England,
in Scotland and Ireland
where tray,: app,:ca....e-the
•,•
character „emotions of a mote nintereus and compb -attd
time he 'prep,: to den
before the Courts-Of justice. At the same
the principle of::'
the house- •wte4 not prepared- y
adopt the °/•2 bin .ilinaitAbl*hte' friend, .to
iot::ntion of arrasbisZbna"ti 13:e'praposed. It was the
to propose to the hoaer's'eet'
second time, and to
friend the Attorney General
allow the bill to be read a
until a select postponecommitteehathde further proceeding on it
examined the subject to