The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-22 00:00:00

well, that no suitor should come into court with-
out " clean hands," or, in other words, that no
relief would he granted to one who was himself or
bersej guilty el the same effeece which formed
the ground of application against another. How
-^h the business of the court was lightened by'
plat- 'e decision is known to those only who
tlne singe e scenes, who had thus the op-
were ilthind to - not only what cases did
portunity of ko_rivinb
but also what
actually come to is bee.. ' -
stances infallibly
, jcir by
would, under any other circue7 thet
have done so. Even as it is, the time Pe
and of the public is liable to be monopool.tu g le
such leviathan suits as Fitzgerald and Pitzgerseu
which, after lasiing for a week, and scandalising tbo
whole town, ends by proving that the mountain )245P
been in labour only to give birth to the most dim''
nutive of mice. In this particular instance there is.
no doubt that serious hardship has been inffic.eet
upon one, if not upon two individuals, of whose
nocence the jury were convinced. But this, tin°
fortunately, is a contingency against which lie
judge, however able, and no system of procedure,
however perfect, can entirely guard. All that can
be done in this respect has, we fear, been alreadl
accomplished, and the only consolation is that, vt'ere
it not for the stringent regulations now enforced,
such cases would be multiplied ad infinitum. We
can only hope that those who have hounded on Mrs.
Fitzgerald to blacken the character not only of bet
husband, but of a purely imaginary rival in IliFl
affections, may receive a partial recompense of their
deserts in the shape of a handsome bill of costs, for
which all Mr. Chambers's eloquent denunciations ea
the opposite side will be but a poor consolation. 111
spite, however, of the obstruction which has been
unavoidably created by this cause célèbre "stoPPing
the way," we must congratulate Sir James Wilde
upon the energy and success with which he bee
grappled with the mass of arrears bequeathed to
him in consequence of the premature death of lilt'
predecessor. Not only would the mantle of Sir
Cresswell Cresswell seem to have descended neon
him, but, fortified by sound precedents, and with a
bar which has been gradually trained and diseir
lined to a somewhat repulsive task, he has even ire'
proved upon the expedition of the late judge in the
despatch of business. When Sir James Wilde took
his sear, at the commencement of Michaelense
Term, a printed list of no less than one hundred
and nine divorce cases, not to speak of the bust'
ness in the Court of Probate, ominously stared
him in the face. Of the will causes, we believe
that not one which was ready for hearing now re"
mains undisposed of. Of divorce cases, the Court
has decided, during the continuance of the prefacet
sittings, no less than seventy-one, including all th"
were ready for hearing among those which bad bee
°
set down for trial without a jury. In eleven Mere.
instances proceedings have been stayed by consen`
for various reasons, and these cases have been
struck out of the paper accordingly. Twenty- de
only stand over for hearing until next term, et,
even of these several have been respited upon 1";
application of the parties concerned. Among the''
are probably some of an important character; fig;
while seven only of the number are set down fe
trial without a jury, twelve are common jury &If s;
and in eight notice has been given to imptinee'
special jury. In all human probability, bowev,eci;
by the end of next Hilary Term Sir James VVII
will exhibit the enviable spectacle of a judge Pre.;
siding in a court with no arrears at all, and one Is
which suitors may obtain a relief as immediate
can be granted with a due regard to those forms
which are requisite to ensure the proper adtaillisi's
tration of justice under any circumstances. 11/e,
cionaumrnation is the more satisfactory, because, 1"
the first, place, it is the direct reverse of whet 71:
were told to expect when the Court was origlee'4,
established; and in the second, there is no Court
which the subject-matter of the suits stands me°
need ofa prompt and early investigation. We
6e
remember the ill-omened vaticinations of the
phets who dinned in our ears that those who touche"
pitch could not be otherwise than defiled theniselyesj
and that the morals of society would be underntineh
were that relief which was always open to the riet
vouchsafed to men of more moderate means. Thawe
many foul scandals have been brought to light, _
of course cannot deny; but that any real evil 11"
been done to society by setting free a certain nutty
her of innocent individuals from their guilty par;
ners for life we are fully persuaded. Upon tilf
second head there can be no manner of doubt. g
some of the most difficult and delicate relations
life are to be inquired into and criticised, and eve!
regulated by judicial authority, it is of the essencil
of justice that the necessary inquiry should follow
as closely as possible upon the commission of the
specific offences which form the subject of complaint.
There are few things more painful to the feelings
of all concerned than the opening afresh of a wound
which the gentle influence of tune has begun to
heal, or the raking up of a controversy with regard
to speeches and actions which are either remembred
imperfectly, or which halve gradually lost their first
and most painful impressions upon the mind of the
witness. There are certain kinds of proof, as there
are certain classes of offences, with respect to which
the freshness of the testimony adduced is half the
btittle. As we must have a Divorce Court, it should
be one in which justice, if sharp, should be Ills'?
short and speee.y. Sir James Wilde deserves all
the credit of an attempt to make it so. The success_
of this, his first effort, may, we think, be regarded
_
as an augury of his future fitness for the difficult
and disagreeable task which has teen assigned t‘'
him.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

-.1-

COLCHESTER—DEc. 19.
There was a moderate supply of wheat at our market td
day, and the currencies oflast week were about main tai
s'n;
In barley, which was scarce, full prices were W
Beans and peas rather lower. ogs 324
Wheat, white. 44s 50s 13eans,Mazagan.., 36,
red 40s 44s middle & 5ma11.332s 38,
Barley
20s 25s
Oats . grey ...... 34s

GLOUCESTER—DEC. 19. A from
There was a fair show of English wheat to-uevour.
the tanners which sold at prices rather in Were' :ices of
Foreign wheat was dull, with no advance on tlo APQ but
last week. Oats, barley, beans, and peas Were "-
unaltered in value.

C H ELM SFORD—DEC. 18. busi-
At this corn exchange to,:ay there was an inaci'veouir
ness don.—the prices of las week being barelY rates;
rained. Barley also dull, and best sorts at previous,__nb,ed
interior, is to 2s per qr cheaper. Other grain uncu'
in price, with a dull trade.
Wheat, old white 30s 46s
new 44s 99s
old red Ms 39s
new 38s 41s
Batley 27s 37s
Chevalier ..28s 39s
Grinding 22s 31s
Malt....

Chevalier 64s 69s
Oats 2os 28s

Peas, Partridge. .365 596
‘Vliite ..... ..... .
39s 41
38s 39s
.......
Dun .. .......... 33s :365
Ditto new ...
Beans, Tick, „icie .. ..... 3Os
35s 400
Harrow Ticks ..
1107.. 3
Mazagan .....•
.303 503

KIRKCALDY GRAIN—DEc. 19. 5OO
We had fair supplies of barlby and oats at "` the car'
to-day, but small of wheat. Sales were brisk, at
rencies of last week.
Wheat. Barley. Oats.
I First....3ss Od 25s Od 1 16s 6d
Second .. 37s Od 26s 0(1 178 61
Third....4os Cd 29s Od 196 6"

COAL MAktKET.
Mee of Coal per on at tan close of thealgae. d;
s. d.
Buddle'sWest Hartley 16 6
Byass's Bebsido West
Hartley ...16
Cowpen Hartley 16
Lambert's West Hart-

Walls End. .is 3
Tunstall .........•0
... 20
Haswell ..............
0
Hutton ..... . .... ... 20
South Hettou ....... 19 0
Bmddyll's liettou ...
Hartlepool ........•
20
East Hartlepool ........ 0
Eieugh 1-1.911 ........ g 9
South fl artlepool..••
it, 16001 . .10

ley l6
West Hartley ..16
Holywell ..17
Hastings Hartley ....16
Canfield Moor Bates ..15
Eden Main ... 18
Waldridge Gas l6
Ships at mar]

R.N., of a son.
Births.
ANKETELL,—On the 21st inst., at Hampstead, the wife of
a daughter.
Fitz-Ameline Maxwell Anketell, Esq., of a son.
PELLY.— On thenh inst,, at The Willows, West gagit
slithELeFwoilei: at 28, Belgrave-road, the
theLcoaai l'97, hilYi'n .t . ,
wife of NV. Shelford, Esq., of
TAYLOR.--On the 20th inst., at 34, E 1 on-square grO*
George Cavendish Taylor, of a son cc efit ,
.

- -
Marriages.
BnocxwELL—Bois,—On the 19th inst , Hammersraitbo
Arthur Butler Brockwell, Esq., of Bridlington
Yorkshire, to Clara, youngest daughter of the late Cie°
Boys, Esq , of Rochester.
MEW—KENDAL—On the 19th inst., at Saint Georgestil:
Blooni4ury, Fredk. Mew, Esq., of 30, Doughty-strgar
Mecklenburg-square, to Anna Maria Mardon, the
daughter of Henry E. Kendall, jun., Esq , of Bruno
square.

Deaths.
COLLISON.—On the 19th inst., at Brixton, John Colfiscal,
Esq., of East Bilney Hall, Li:charn, Norfolk, aged 74.
DRESSLER.—On the 19th inst., at his residence, Gust'll.ll
313
Dressler, Esq., of The Russettings, Streatham,
Corbet-court, city.
Fox.—On the 21st inst., Miss Fox, of 13, Redcross-streett
Cripplegate, aged 54.
Lyrr.—On the 20th inst., at 37, Upper Brook. street, Sir
G hard
Ri Plumptre Giyn, Bart. , ot Gdunt's House, .1N1•
set, ag. d 76.
GRIHAME.—On the 19td inst., at Newport, D. P.
Grandme, Esq., of Glenny, late Captain sth Fusiliers.
54
POOLE.—On the 20th inst., at 48, Avenue-road, Regent'
park, Moses Poole, Esq., eged 74.
Warn ford-
TA.TE.—On the 19th inst., .Mr. Wm. Tate, of
court, city, aged 57.

London: Printed and Published by WILL lA A
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SON Office i\
Strand, ,n Precinct of die Savoy. 21 the Coutkt)
Middleges. —Tueslay, December 22, 1863.