The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-23 00:00:00

SUN,

-------
petition between the American and the Aberdeen
build,rs, in the building of quick sailers, and the Aber-
deen vessels had usually beaten the American in the
voyage 4 from China and New South Wales.
The
,Marquis of GRANBY observed that Hon. Gen-
tlemen oppoitte might learn from what had been stated,
that we must not underrate the genius of foreign nations,
and if we were to compete with them, our builders and
owners must not he overweighted is the race we had
to rue.
Captain HARRIS complained of undue retrenchment
under the head of stores.
sir F. T. B AING said, before the estimates had
becn laid on the table they were carefully gone through
by him, and at their close he had been assured by Mr.
Duudas, the Storekeeper-General, that the stores were
in a meit. efficient state.
Trio vot, was thou agreed to, as were alsd the fol-

lowing
265 1401. for new works, improvements, and repairs in
)(ink, &o. Z'
23 000/., medicines and mediclfitores.
• 50 8501, miseelknoou,, services.
707 5201., halt. p:.y ofbers of the navy and marines.
the vote 490 533/. military pensions andallowancQs,
C wain SCOBELL complained of the immense num-
ber or Waif-pay or. on the retired lt,t, which, nor-
withststiding the reductiols made by the late Govern
'new,. was r,early a crowded as attcr the war in 1815
He- 'thought the vote should not pass without some
reference: to the Ise t•nti,,n at Lagos, one' of the most
gallttrie and ble,,dy actions ever rou4ht by boats atl.l
steamers. acid in which, out of 400 officers and men nu-
ga.,,,,d,`100 were killed and wounded.
agreed to, to: also were:-
156 5621., mil pensions arid allowauce..3.
127,6001., cAtv,y4fie:, of troops.
On Eno .vote of 1370,1581., for the Pos't-office packet
set vice.
Mr. FL HERBERT complained of the decreased
tweed of the eat kets between ffilyhead and Kingstown.
They lost half an hour on the speed attain-d by the
Holyhead and Cheater Railway boats. Tne sum
allowed for the service was totally inadequate, and it
ought to be put up to competition.
Mr. B. CO(3E-MANE complained that though there
wes a large sum for the packet communication with
New York, there was nothing allowed for steam
ootnmunication between Canada and Newfound-
land. Passengers were carried within sixty
miles of St. John's, :and were then brought on
600 miles further to Halifax, whence they must make
their way back to St. John's as they best could. It a
grant of 5,0001. a year were made by the home Govern-
ment, the rest would be made up by the colonial legis-
lature, so as to have a direot communication with St.
Joh n's.
Mr. STAFFORD said that-the Admiralty was sub-
ordinate to the Post•office in the matter, and it was
with the latter that the matter rested.

Mr. ANDERSON complained of the inefficient
poital arrangement with the Orkneys. He hoped Gu-
vernment would d., something of an efficient character,
as he had been pressing the subject on them for some
time.

Mr. CLEMENTS drew the attention of the Govern-
ment to the inefficient character of the service between
ly head and Koigstown.
Alderman THOMPSON considered that Government
had ra..t the objections very fairly. Tne reason why the
contract had not bean properly carried out was in a
great rro-asure the fault of ;he Admiralty, sho ought to
c•nfurce the due observance of the conditions of the
contract,

Mr. STAFFORD said Government would look into
the situation of affairs, in order to remedy what might
be do! eetive.

Mr. H. HERBERT said the fault partly rested with
the Holyhead Company; for they were accustomed to
consider that they fulfilled their contract to go at a
speed of twelve knout an hour, if one vessel went ten
knots and another fourteen knots an hour.—(Laughter.)
the real fault, however, lay with the Post Office, which
was too niggardly in the terms it entered into with

companies
Mr. COWPER said that when the contract was in
the hands of officers in her Majesty's service the mails
were carried at greater speed. If the Admiralty
would insist on the boats going at an average speed of

• •
12 knots per hour each the great complaint at present
against the service would be remedied, without the ne-
cessity' of spending any large sum of public money.
Mr. HA MILTON• assured Hon. Members that the
question should he looked into.
Alt. M. J. O'CONNELL complained of the irregula-
rity of the night tn,kil to Outilin. He hoped this grie-
vance would be looked to when the contract. expired.
Mr. SCULLY hoped small vessels would riot be re;
cloned to' pat on too much Steam, as some of the vessels
were too slight to bear much pressure.
After a few words from Mr. GRANVILLE BER-
KELEY,
Mr. PETO said, as chairman of the Chaster and Ho-
lyhead Railway, he must be permiited to say a f,w
words. If Government would meet the question fairly,
there was no reason why letters should not be delivered
at eleven o'clock.
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress and ob-
. tain..d leave to sit again.
The ledenanity Bill then passed through Committee.
SUITORS IN CHANCERY. _ _

On the motion for going into Committee on this Bill
Sir P. WOOD presented a petition from London relit
tive to reforms in the Court of Chancery and the abolition
of fees. He should be glad to he indulged with a few
minutes while he corrected some singular misstatements
which had been made witk reference to the intentions
of the late Government with respect to this subject.
The Lord Chancellor said that he would not take credit
for any measure founded on the recommendation of the
Commissioners, and in the course of his statement he
further said, that he had not found the Bill so advanced
as he expected, and had only found certain clauses pro-
posed with reference to the abolition of the masters'
offices. So far he had no reason to complain of the
statement. But a statement had been made in that
house which went beyond the statement of the Noble
Lord. It had been said that when the present Govern-
ment came into office no trace of a Bill had been found for
improving the Court of Chancery. That was not a correct
statement,hu E x aet
statement of the facts. rr
it. The report of the Chancery Commissioners was not
laid: before the Government till the 27th January.
andhe statementw repeats this
Be had already made the .
Parliament met on the 2d of February, so that only a
period of about five days intervened. But anxious that
the recommendations of the Commissioners should be
carried into effect this session, he had received a copy
of the report seven days before the first mentioned date.
Having been, therefore, in
Possession of the substance of
the report twelve days before the meeting of Parlia-
ment, the late Lord Chancellor gave directions to the
secretary of the Commission to pre
pare A Bill to carry
the recommendations into effect. That directions
having been given, the Speech from the Throne an-
eiteneed that a Bill had been directed to be prepared.
He was anxious to state tbii, as most streege rumours
had gone abroad, to the effect that the Speech from the
Thrtalfl bad stated that a Bill had been directed to be
prepared, then not a trace of it could be found. It was
not correct to say that no trace of it was to be found.
The secretary had beau instructed to prepare a Bill.
While it was in the course of preparation it occurred to_
the Lord Chancellor that it might be made better if the
Coeteniesioners themselves were to prepare it. He was
not present at the Commission when the question vise
considered; but they came to a resolution that it was not
their duty to prepare a Bill. In consequence of that
and of the answers given by the Master of the Rolls and
the Vice-Chancellor that they would willingly give their
advice in preparing a Bill, the Lord Chancellor renewed
hie directions to the secretary (Sir. Barber) to proceed
with its It was proceeded with, and the most material
clauses were sketched. The keystone of the Bill was the
ab- oftthe master's (-flees., and thesecret ary pi epared
the heads of clauses for that purpose. It was not,
therefore, correct to say that no trace of the Bill was lett
when the litre Government resigned office. He cared
little who carried the Bill; but it ought to be recollected
that the Commission was appointed by the late Govern.
meta, and that the intention of reforming the Court of
Crsancery originated with the late Government. The
Hon. and Learned Member for Newark had proposed to
add two other gentlemen to the Commiaiion, whom he
desznated as "men of business." As soon as he
there nod what was meant he agr•ed to the appointment
f the President of the Board of Trade.and the Right
Floe, Baronet the Member fur Ripon to be members of
tee Commission. The report made received the aperient
tion of the profession and of the three Noble Lords who
had filled the office of Lord Chancellor, and be had never
any doubt of the Bid being carried into effect. All he
wished the HOW, tounderstand was that the late Lord
Chancellor had given instructions to prepare the
Dill. He felt that he had some reason to complain of the
almost personal imputations Made when it was stated
that no trace was to be found of the Bill mentioned in
her Majesty's Speech. If the floveenment—bad re-
mained in office, the-311 4oid.rbe on the table; but,
anxious as he was for Cnaucery reform, be did not
think the question of importance enough to delay a dia.
stholauttiothne. oumldightiet
blaeltlaelen tthoe table,discuss so
There was only another part of the Lord Chancellor's
building was neces-
sary.naesceth(P)Piserdliatnitenwt
nt for the Vice-Chancellors
It might be convolve
observations he wished to notice. The Noble and
Learned Lord had suggested that a building
and the Masters of the Rolls to have rooms in which
their clerks could do the duties noir performed by chi,
Masters; bat he would feel some alarm it it was
merchants or
in-
tended to delay the. change until a building was pre
pared. If the Noble Lord was correctly reported, be
engineers—bat that they
had been. mail° to state thee it *as not desirable for the
judges to have the power of reference -to
them-
selvesaccountants--
doalie Work.. 'The effect of that would be,
a demand for an '
them
with increased stsff of judges, or art over;,
discussed and din thve"nnetnxettlttat?
loading
,no lot of the present Government He trusted it would fail to
either
Mr. J. STUART said, nobody couldetment.
man in the mattertkot fact he had detailed.'
racy of' the statement of the Hon
itiaot however,aiovve nr,tnhmt ah,etantittt
hhweaardse
nhaoaptdp apbrreeeenpnt
a,
rneeodv
meaninsyftrooßkmeai
have the subject
ande
Learneddoubt the owl-
atihnweeditethtx!opaeruitneagftetehl
the
.erte-:
epee to Chancery reform which their successors could
take up.' There was scarcely time to prepare a great
measure between the 27th of January Geld the 2d lof
February, and, accordingly, no measure was prepared.
Before the report had been Made, according to the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, a sketch bad been framed by
the S,Tretary to the Commission; but those who went
to look for the great measure of the Government would
find only this sketch, which lay in Mr. Barber's cham-
bers, or those of the Solicitor-General. His (Mr.
&hart%) H(.n. and Learned Friend bad set the question,
therefore, at resat tilt“ the Government had no measure
prepared, brit Merely Ono shadowed out to alter the
whoio practice of,zike,:.oourt. uf, Chancery. He (Mr.
Stuart) felt called on Disc; to correct a misapprehension

TUESDA.N7

in his Hon. and Learned Friend's history of the Chancery
Reform Commission. He bad said that the Master of
the Rolls proposed that Commission in consequence of
the 'success of his measure for the reform of the Irish
Court of* Chancery; , but the fact was, that fully
nine months previously, he (Mr. Stuart) had, on
the 15th of April, 1850, given notice,of a motion for a
similar Commission, which he had only not pressed be-
cause he was entreated not to do so by Lord-Chan-
cellor Cottenham and the Master of the Rolls, the former
stating to him that he had orders which would have
the effect intended to be produced by his (Mr. Stuart's)
motion. These orders were issued, and. tho proof of
their failure was the issue of a Commission of inquiry at
the end of 1850. It was a part of his (Mr. Sivart's)
original motion to place cwo laymen on that commission
---such as Sir J. Graham and Mr. Henley—in whom
the public would hive confidence.
Mr. F. MAULE could not congratulate the Hon.
and. Learned Gewlensan on the fairness of his reply to
his Hun. and Learned Friend. The obji,ct of his. Hon;
,nd Learned Friend wal to expltin away the statement
made, no doubt, in error, th4t the Ire Government teld
left no traces of a Bill -for reform in Chancery. The
wordy iii thr, Qa-en's Speech were, not that Bills should
no laid on the -table of the Heuse, but that Bails should
b' prepared, and he (Mr. F. wale) put is to any candid
man whether a measure which had been ozone over by
the Solicitor-General, revised by the then Lord Chao-
and handed over to the new Lord Chancellor in
that st,sv, was not a Bill in a state of preparation ? He
claimed only tor the Government that words h,id not
ben inserted in the Speech from the Throne to which
uu attention hsd been paid in the course of the session.

Air. HENLEY would not hav;;;l;ri—iitiig-iWthe ciis-
zhe Han. „.3k,e„ed
hine;elf to ertp'aining• the misapprehension which he I
•eateci to exist; but tie had not. confined himself to that.
He had, on the umtrary, taken—indeed made—en op-
portunity to cast doubts up 'n what was intended to be
done by the present Lord Chancellor. Sach a course
was alto; other foreign to the question of explanation.
No one distrusted or doubted •the sincerity of the into
Government to carry out their measure; indeed, there
was no reason they should not do SO, as it- Was their
own commission. But the House would recolleet :he
remarkable words on the subject in the Speech from
the Throne. These, moreover. were iremeeliaTely fol-
e one, and no the opening of
t
lowed up by a notice given by the Prime- Minister to
introduce
tr os de
suscieo n
—a
ameansoutri e 0
o wwithinhioh ten
surprisedday very
s from
person more, perhaps, than the lion. and Learned Gen-
tleman himself. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman, no
doubt, stated correctly the instructions given
Chancery
yt
Commission; but he (Mr. H.)
up to the period of that com-
by the late
Lord Chancellor. "end also what bad been the communica-
ctioountdmaasdceeroi
to the
eCshayan,
tLhteirrdes a
Lordm Truro, in yst
inunication nothing had been done towards the prepara-
tion of a measure by the commission. Isis
and Learned Friend bed correctly statedi3l:aidolin d
againraaddobcie -
ctouorkrepdlainc(„t.helonotrithme iHussotons;ea ofu
an-
swer to questions put to him on the most important
points of the measure, said be should consider them—
implying that be had not made up his mind on these
points. So stood the case, as far as the public were aware,
until the change in the Government. How far the pre-
llddi
alluded
for toe measure might have been carried, he
(Mr. Henley) .)f course knew not; but the Lord Chan-
ce 'be (Mr.
a,inoire)h)a
sda to t i
ththaink thethe.fopuart,dtictuhlearhea
expressionsds, ad
to were worAi the discus-ion. He had never, as he said,
distrusted the intentions of the late Government on the
subject of this measure; but he greatly regretted the
course the Honourable and Learned Gentleman had
taken to remove the misepprehension of which he com-
plained.
The House then want into Committee.
Mr. WALPOLE begged to infirm the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman opposite (Sir W. P. Wood) that
the amendments referred to by him might be inserted in
the Bill pro forma, and discussed on Friday next.
Sir W. P. WOOD said he was aware of the nature of
the amendments, and was ready to go into Committee;
but as other Hon. Gentlemen might wish to see them, he
wsuld accept the suggeStion of the Right Hon. the Home
Secretary.
The CHAIRMAN then put the question, that the
amendments be inserted, which was agreed to.
The House then resumed.
COPYRIGHT AMENDMENT BILL.
On the motion that the House resolve itself into Com-
mittee on'this Bill,
Lord MAHON hoped that when the Bill would be
passed into a law, the Government would pursue the ne-
gotiations set on foot by the late Government, particu-
larly as regarded B•lgiuna and the United States. He
wished to know if her Majesty's Minister's would pursue
these negotiations?
Mr. HENLEY was not able at present to iuform the
Noble Lord on that point.
The House then went into Committee.
Mr. BELL hoped the negotiations would also be ex-
tended to Germany, as many works of that country were
at present pirated.—(lle3r.)
The Bill then passed through Committee, and the
House resumed.
ST. ALBAN'S DISFRANCHISEMENT BILL.

On the ques ion that the Speaker do leave the chair,
Mr. STUART hoped the Government would take
some immediate steps to flit up the four seats vacated by
tobfests
Tithe
actittement of Sudbury, as also, he might say,
Mr. WALPOLE slid the Bill to be brought in was
simply one fer the disfranchisement of St. Alban's. Pro-
visions for filling up the tour seats referred to by the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman would be contained in
another Bill specially referring to the subject. Her
Majesty's Government would be prepared to fill the
vacancies immediately, in order that the next Parliament
might meet with the lull complement of Members.
Mr. BELL hoped the House would in justice afford
him an opportunity of explaining borne matters in con-
nexion With that borough. However, as the hour was
now advanced (half-part twelve o'clock), he hoped her
Majesty's Ministers would consent to postpone the
question at present. If uot,'he begged to
move that it
be postponed, and it was his determination to divide the
House on the questien. - -
The House then. went into Committee upon this Bill.
On the Ist and only clause being g propoofd,
Mr. BELL presented a petition frow several electors
of the borough of St. Alban's. who denied that they
had be the slightest degree participated in the corruption
charged against the borough, and expressed
a hope that
the offending parties would be punished. They prayed to
be heard by counsel at the bar of the House against this
Bill. The Hon. Gentleman said that if this Bill were
intended to punish the offence•of bribery and corruption
throughput the country he would not have a leg to
sttud on.—(Laughter.)
Was it not notorious that the
Blsggs tied Edwardses were
busy ihrouateut the king-
dom, and•did, not cement; their exertioes io St. Alban's?
—(Hear, , hear.) He believed filet 'at the next elec-
tion there would be more bribery and corruption prate
risen than had ever been known before. '
riueNvble Lord
lately et the head of the
,Government. was ,the first
who attack'd the borough of St Alban's, ateltivai soon
followed by several other great ans. When the late
Government evaporated by spontiinietts decomposition
—(Laughter) —they left a vacuum to be filled up by the
Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite.
The game was there-
fore hunted down. by the termer Government, but the
present Governmeet came in hitt the brush.—(Loud
laughter.) St. Alban'e was first to be _ got rid ofeand
heneverylind of 'corrupt practiCe would be'reserted to
at the coming election before any measure was enacted
to abolish an offence that wits spread allover the country.
On the eve of an approaching election be knewhe la-
boured under a great disadvantahension which Hon.
ge in bringing forward
his amendment trona the apprehension
Members might labour under as to being charged with
encouraging bribery and corruption if they were found
supporting him. He fet he was made a tool of by the
former Grovernm•nt as well as the present; but he
could assure the House that be had every objection to
be made a tool of by any one.—
(Laughter.) His amend-
ment was simply to add the names of other boroughs to
the' clause.
Mr. VV ALPOLE said that such an amendment would
be out of order, inasmuch as it was.coatrary to the
title of the Bill. S
Mr. BELL then said that he felt the'best course he
ceuld take was to move that the Bill be read that day
six mouths, .witle a view of haVing it remodelled in the
way,he sugrt•wed. .
.Mr..BERNAL said that such, an amendment was ir-
regular. •
Mr. BELL continued to urge the injustice of making-
the borough of St. Alban's alone. punishable, for an
offence that was well known to have been committed in
many other boroughs throughout the country. He
waster. oppose the
Rthßezßuilr gl in every stae; -
Mr.
that
it 'was not quite
fair to proceed with this measure at such an advanced
hour .of the evening, in the absence of an Bon. and
mLeoatironne do
on the
Member who
~,wchto given notice of an impprtant
. had
Mr. WALPOLE said that the notice given was by the
Hon. and Learned Member for Sheffield, who said that.
on the second reading of the Bill he would move that
Mr. Coppock be called to the bar of the 'Luse and ex-
amined. The Hoe. and Learned Member not having
persevered in his intention upon that etage" of the mea-.
sure, he (Mr. W.) did not think that the GrOvernment
were called upon to delay the further stages of the mea-
sure until that Hon. end Learned Gentleman was present.
Mr. BROTHERTON said he believed it was the prac-
tice not to move that a party be examined at the bar of
the House until after the second reading.
. The Bill wasitten pasted through Committee, and the
House resumed,
Mr. DEEDES obtained leave to bring in a Bill to con-
solidate. and enlarge the Aots relating to the appoint-
menteind pay of psrish constables.
REPAYMENT OF ADVANCES (IRELAND) BILL.
The -CHANCELLOR •of the EXCHEQUER ;.13, n
of advances made to ''
.• '
latiog to the repaynonst
swas
sdtstricaterelnd
short one ,and
Tee Bill was asked. leave to introduce Bill to amend the Acts ie-
Irt land.
by the late Government.ithont delay, He was aware that
It was a measure whiPchreft Was
necessary to pass w _
were auxious to is-
many
important measure, connected as it was with
so a
cusscouldwould
but he assure them that he
Irish annuities;
every opportunity for such diet
be ready to afford them
be second reading;
but it was highly im-
portant Hon. Members from Ireland
cession upon t
there were upwards of 75,000/.1• eked
proceeded with, as
of Ireland, which the Bill proposed to
up from the poor
feel obliged by Hon. Members al-
liberate. He would
for the public service that the measure should be
d that the measure was one of the
Sir L. O'BRIEN said e .
eh
. .
anectiog nis constituents.
deepest importance as
uite aware of the im ortance
. Mr. MAUNSELL was q day p
fixed
early would be
of the measure, and hoped au
for its discussion.
'd the distresses of the people
lowing him at once to. introduce the Bill.
Sir W. BARRONRRO,. ,t'
stated by the conduct of that
had been seriously aggra •
unt e —agricu u
lest one-thirdof ts value sin co
produce was reduced at
House, and their taxes ahnost ld ' -lt ral