The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-15 00:00:00

declared that all the bills are in preparation, and
that every care is taken to render them as perfect

as possible.

This is what we had anticipated

from Lord ST. LEONARDS. The great improve-
ments introduced into the rules and practice of
the Irish Court of Chancery by the Noble Lord,
convinced us that he would assume a prominent

position in the ranks of Legal Reformers ; and the
experience of last Session has more than realized
our anticipations. We have it on the very high-
est authority—that of Lord BnotraliAm—not only
the greatest law reformer, but perhaps the most
distinguished of any age or nation, that " within
the last twelve months, more considerable pro-
gress had been made in the amendment of the
law than during any twelve times twelve months
within his recollection." It is true that many of
these measures had been prepared under the di-
rection of the late Government, and that the RIJS-

SELL Ministry, if it remained in office, would
have been justly entitled to the credit thereof.
But, on their secession, the plans which they had
sanctioned were not only fully and fairly carried
into execution, but even extended, and rendered
more beneficial by their successors. There was
no petty jealousy—no captious objections taken
to the productions of their rivals. On the con-
trary, the different parties appeared for once to
have met on neutral ground ; the chief, if not the
only, competition being who should render the
greatest aid in improving the practice, and ren-
dering the administration, of the law as nearly
perfect as any merely human institutions could
hope to be. The LORD CHANCELLOR was nobly
seconded in his exertions by the Law
Lords, who co-operated zealously and efficiently in
promoting the necessary alterations. It would,
indeed, be difficult now to find any person as-
serting the soundness of the existing system, or
denying the propriety
of large and comprehensive
measures of Legal Reform.
Among those measures will, as we have recently
pointed out, be one, or more, relating to the
Ecclesiastical Courts. The paragraph in the
QuEEN's Speech rendered that certain. We sin-
cerely trust that the total abolition of these ob-
jectionable tribunals--the business of which may
be far more efficiently, cheaply, and expeditiously
performed—will be decided on. No sympathy
can be felt for the sinecurists who have so long
battened on the community, and who have alto-
gether neglected the comparatively trifling duties
for which they have hitherto been so extrava-
gantly remunerated. The sole object for which
they were created and maintained appears to have
been the quartering of certain relatives of bishops
on the public purse, without any reference to
their age, sex, or efficiency. We find from
a recent Parliamentary return that women and
children were considered eligible for these situa-
tions ; and it is a matter of public notoriety, that
the reversionary interest in one of the most
lucrative situations has been mortgaged by an in-
surance company for a large sum of money. Surely
the Right Rev. Prelates are sufficiently rewarded
for their own services without any indirect advan-
tages being required. It is exceedingly impolitic
to permit their names to be coupled with such
gross jobs, calculated to bring scandal upon the
Church. The temptation to error should
be forthwith removed. When we find that there
are no less than 26 courts in a single diocese, all
affording opportunities for patronage, but of no
other utility, we can only express our astonish-
ment that such a system should ever have been
sanctioned, or that it should so long have existed,
with all its abuses and imperfections.
The law relating to , the management of the
property and the protection of the person of luna-
tics, wil also be ameliorated. The Lord CHAN-
CELLOR, on Friday evening, clearly and distinctly
assumed the responsibility of the necessary legis-
lation on the subject. Lord LYNDHURST had
last Session introduced a Bill for these purposes,
but the Noble and Learned Lord willingly
surrendered it to the present occupant of the
Woolsack, on whom the duty properly devolved,
and who, representing the Government, pos-
sesses facilitieg which no private Peer, how-
ever influential, could command. The HOME
SECRETARY has also declared in the House of
Commons that the Government was preparing a
measure for the codification of the laws. At
present, none but professional men of high experi-
ence are acquainted with the real state of the law
on any subject. It is scattered through hundreds,
if not thousands, of volumes. Every man, how-
ever humble, should be made acquainted with the
rules and regulations to which he is bound to con-
form. The law, more especially the criminal law,
should be presented in an intelligible and accessible
form, so that "he who runs may read," and
understand what his duties to his Sovereign and
his neighbour require at his hands. We have it
on the authority of Lord BROUGHAM, that " the
whole of the first branch of the Criminal Law
Digest—that relating to crimes and punish-
ments—has been fully examined by one Commis-
sion, after being diligently prepared by another."
It is the second branch relating to procedure
that alone requires revision. This digest is not
intended to alter the existing law, but merely to
state its provisions accurately in a simple and in-
telligiblefiosrcompleted,
subsequent f o rfo
rm. Any
choe
nnsi the
era
amtieonnd m,
defects b eunt
at
nwN
dvhi 1 le
incongruitiesn b e
thea matter Digest
l.
of the law are rendered apparent, such amend-
ments may be introduced with comparative ease,
and without incurring the risk of t. crea mg greater
evils than those which it was intended to remedy.
It is, indeed, time that the prolixity and conf-
sion in our statute laws should be set aside, that
the English should know with clearness and pre-
cision that which they are called on to obey. It
is not merely the Criminal Law that requires this
codification. That is, unquestionably, the first to
-be undertaken; but the whole of the Statute Law,
and of the Common Law, should be subjected to
the same process. Litigation will thus be pre-
vented, and " the glorious uncertainty of the law'°
will be a thing of the past at which our descen-
dants may well wonder, and which they can
scarcely conceive.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
We announced on Saturday that carriages with persons
going to houses to see the procession pass, would be allowed
to set down in Piccadilly at any hour in the morning not
later than nine o'clock ; and to houses on any other part of
half
-past
bnietnweeeon,clrocickca.
We are owdillyanduTempl-baT, not later than
authorised
to
state that
it has been found expedient to alter the
.time from nine
o'clock and half-past nine, to half-past eight o'clock and

nino.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—Special performances
will take place at Exeter Hall, on Wednesday and Thurs_
day next, the evening proceeding and the evening of the
day of the Duke's funeral. They will be on the Society's
usually extensive scale, conducted by Mr. Costa. Handel's
sPealeulct'ae,datfotrheth
Dead March in Saul, some of the music to be sung at St.
and
saimipprolarpraipapteroppiriecaetse,
celebrationsveb
feunocceralasion.
will be held at the Town-hall, Birmingham, and elsewhere
in various parts of the country.
" LIVING MARIONETTE THEATRE," LEICESTER-SQUARE.
—The talented troupe of children now exhibiting at the
theatre, are very ably drilled to their new line of business,
which consists merely of strutting on the stage, only going
through the action, whilst the speaker is placed behind the
Coulisse; but the easy and graceful style in which these
talenteyoungsters go through their evolutions must be
seen to be appreciated. A cleverly-written version of
" Uncle Tom's Cabin" is now running a successful career,
which, together with a charming ballet, and a laughable
farce, constitute this admirable entertainment. Great
praise is due to Mr. F. Cooper, the manager, for the talent
he evinces in getting up the pieces, and training these
dumb comedians, which rival in comicality the celebrated
wooden dolls of Mr. Simpson.
GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENT.—Henry Charles Mules,
Esq., is appointed one of the three chief commissioners of
the Tithe and of the Land Inclosure Commission for
din. Ilhfre.r3sioulomesowf
aCsafpormtainerlWy Wentworth
En gßuller,lan dE
a.
Nn Wales,d
dec e a s
to the Inclosure Commission, and has acted in the same
capacity to the united board ever since the consolidation
I of the Tithe Commission.