The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-10 00:00:00

and especially when this relates to matters of
religious prejudice and invokes the influence of I
peculiar tenets to bear upon it. It is in every way
a subject for rejoicing that the bill has been sum-
marily rejected by the House and its introduction
not permitted. It is to be hoped that this decided
step in the right direction will produce its effect
and deter Mr. SOMES and his friends from again
taking up the time of the House in bringing forward
such unwise and unpopular measures before Par-
liament. It is always a very imprudent thing to
make changes that press upon the lower classes in
an inconvenient form, and give rise to angry dis-
cussions, and create dangerous comparisons es to
the different working of the social system respect-
ing the rich and poor; all such dispates are most
injurious and injudicious, and no right-judging and
experienced statesman would think of voluntarily
raising such a discussion, and allowing the worst
suggestions of the evil-disposed members of the
community to influence those who in calmer mo-
menta would disarm them, but who, irritated by
injustice and fretted by the vexatious introduction
of petty annoyances and unfair restrictions, will be
induced to take an extreme view of the question,
and almost persuade themselves that there is no
care or consideration for their comforts among the
upper and superior middle classes. Sir GEORGE
GREY met this question in a very proper spirit,
and the tone he took evidently produced a great
effect upon the House. It was very desirable that
the government should take a decided stand upon
the question, and declare in no meagre manner,
and with no stinted phrases, its unqualified oppo-
sition to so ill-timed and mischievous a proposal.
The right hon. baronet very properly said that
if the House assented to the introduction of this
measure it would be certain to be rejected on the
second reading, and meanwhile the time between
the first and second readings would be filled up
with angry discussions. This was very true, and
it would be well if so much consideration were
more generally exhibited when these exciting
questions come before the House. As it is, no harm
has been done ; but if the discussion of the sub-
ject had been left in doubt, and the matter re.
mained in abeyance, the consequences would have
been that many might have misunderstood the
case, and confused the assent of some with the
withheld expression of dissent of others, and thus
the most disastrous effects might have been pro-
duced. Fortunately, by skill and promptitude, all
chance of such a misconception has been avoided,
and a decided veto put upon the proposed scheme.
There was great truth in the remark of Sir G.
GREY, that to introduce another measure of this
sort would be "unwise, inexpedient, and unne-
cessary." Mr. ROEBUCK delivered one of his
slashing speeches on this question, which elicited
considerable laughter from the racy manner in
which he drew his comparisons of the inconsis-
tent manner in which this bill would affect the
rich and poor. It is quite justifiable to take these
reformers of existing abuses to task for their great
unwillingness to interfere with the privileges of
the rich, and their reticence in curtailing their
luxuries, and unnecessary employment of time as
regards themselves and others in secular pursuits
on Sunday. Mr. ROEBUCK came out in his pecu-
liar style'of irony, when he exclaimed that if the
advocates of this measure were consistent, they
would proceed much further on the track upon
which they had entered. " Not only would they
shut up the Star and Garter at Richmond, and the
Trafalgar at Greenwich, but they would also shut
up every Club in Lordon." Sometimes more may
be done in overthrowing a scheme by taking up the
fallacies of its construction in a tone of raillery than
by arguing them out in dull and tedious detail, and
descanting upon them in a dreary wilderness of
words. Mr. ROEBUCK'S dashing.charge swept the
enemy out of the field, and it will be well for both
parties concerned in the discussion, and for the
public at large also, if due heed is paid to the ad-
vice and weight attached to the wisdom that lurked
under the sallies and sarcasms of the speech of the
hon. member for Sheffield.

There can scarcely be two opinions es to tb, im-
perative necessity of introducing some elange into
the administration of our County Courts, after
the Lord Chancellor's lucid statement on Friday
evening, although then may possibly be some
difference as to waters of detail. There has long
been considerable dissatisfaction felt regarding the
working of these acts, which were designed partly
in mitigation of the severity of the then existing
lt:w of imprisonment for debt, but which have since
become vehicles of the most ruthless oppression,
especially towards the very poor. Few persons in
the metropolis are at all aware of the hardships
which they are often the means of bringing upon
the labouring classes in the provinces. Lord WEST-
BURY, who has been at some pains to collect accu-
rate information on these points, gives us some
statistics that are positively steeling. We learn
that in the two years ending with last December,
17,979 persons were committed to prison by these
courts, and that the number of days which they
actually spent in prison was 257,251, Of those per-
sons, the large number of 17,850 were committed on
the ground of not having satisfied the judgment
and costs, having no means to do so. Many persons
are under the impression that the full powers of
the County Courts are seldom exercised, and that
the imprisonment is merely a verbal threat. Such
a notion is evidently most incorrect, and the hard-
ship of the case is redoubled when we reflect upon
the class and occupation of these prisoners and the
amount of their liabilities. They are, for the most
part, artisans and agricultural labourers, and the
Slims for which they were imprisoned were very
frequently of no higher value than one or two shil-
lings. In one instance, indeed, a man was com-
mitted for several days for ninepence! The
for
objections which are made to imprisonment
debt among the higher classes apply with tenfold
force to men in such a sphere of life who have no
possible means of payment but those to be provided
by the labour of their own hands. Although it may
be urged that the power of the County Courts is
limited, it appears that the judge is able to imprison
for 40 days any debtor who may appear to have
contracted the debt without reasonable expectation
of being able to discharge it. Furthermore, such
imprisonment is no acquittance of the debt, but the
creditor has the right of putting in an execution
as if there had been no imprisonment. The cir-
cumstances under which the small debts which thus
eventually ruin a poor labouring man and break up his
house are often peculiarly painful. According to a
statement made by the judge of a large district in
Wales, the tally system is extensively carried on
by travelling packmen, who often induce the wife
and daughters to buy articles at three times their
value without the knowledge of the husband, and
when the payments fall into arrear, as they are
constantly doing, the packmen does iris business
on a large scale, and takes out his judgment sum.
menses in great numbers, This statement is con-
, firmed by another judge in Lancashire, who adds
that this state of things often produces much do-
mestic misery, as the wife keeps the affair secret
until the creditor comes forward and remands the
(Honey from the husband, who frequently beats his
wife, and refugee to pay what, is ofsn an extor-