The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-28 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Morning Herald of this day, speaking of Mr. Ser-
geant Talfourd's Speech on the Copyright Bill last night,
in the Commons, observes Kith great truth and justice,
" all the objections which have in former years been urged
by the Humes and Warburtons, and Wakleys, and which
were re-produced last night by the same order of men
against the claims of authors to the inheritance created by
their own brains, were disposed of by Mr. Talfourd by
processes of reasoning at once searching and graceful."
The Herald adds that the Copyright Bill is " admirable
so far as its provisions extend, and may in its operation tend
somewhat to strengthen and elevate the social position of
authors." In another article upon the Ministerial Church Bill
our ultra-orthodox Contemporary remarks as follows: " The
property whose title-deeds may be cancelled by the pen of a
Secretary of State, or dissolved by the breath of a Parlia-
mentary division, is very like no property at all. This is
just the position in which Lord John Russell's Bill of
Ecclesiastical Duties aid Revenues places Church pro-
perty, by the precedent which it goes to establish with
regard to cathedral establishments." We cannot agree
with the Morning Herald that under the operation of the
new Bill, Church property is "very like no property at
all ;" for it strikes us that there is something exceedingly
substantial, and definite, and well-protected in the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury's fifteen thousand per annum ; and
that the other episcopal incomes are by no means likely to
be rendered more precarious in tenure, more apostolical in
amount, by the operation of Lord John Russell's measure
The Times is exceedingly acrid and choleric about Lord
Ebrington's appointment to the Irish Viceroyalty, and
writes on the subject, as if with a pen dipped in a vinegar-
cruet. " That such a post," says our soured Contemporary
" is deemed fit for Lord Ebrington, accounts sufficiently
for the rest of the world having shunned it. Whatever of
extravagance—whatever of feebleness—whatever of shal-
lowness—whatever of blindness to all interests and objects,
but those of the narrowest political partizanship, has yet
been betrayed by Viceregal or Vicereginal quacks in Dublin,
we shall now be scarcely shocked by seeing its prompt and
unwearied repetition !" We augur, from all this rabid
abuse, that Lord Ebrington's appointment is likely to be a
popular one in Ireland. In another leading article on Sir
Francis Head's correspondence, our Contemporary says,
with more point than justice, " it is into the hands of a
wholesale conspiracy that Lords Glenelg and Gosford,
with their eyes fast shut, and Lord Durham, with his eyes
half-open, have been playing for successive years, running
recklessly along a rail-road, the terminus of which was the
loss of our Colonial empire. The .first chapter of the
Head Correspondence appears one of the most strikingly
illustrative of the malignant genius which has so long pre-
sided over our Colonial policy."
The Morning Post, in a leading article discussing the
question of Lord Ebrington's appointment, observes,
" Finding no Peer who would accept the Irish Lord Lieu-
tenancy, with the consciousness that Mr. O'Connell's ap-
probation had been a condition precedent to the appoint-
ment, And must be a permanent condition of its continued
enjoymenT. Ministers have made the painful and costly sa-
crifice of what they can least spare, a seat in the House of
Commons, rather than fail to give Mr. O'Connell a Lord
Lieutenant after his own heart for his kingdom of Ire-
land." The exceeding soreness of the Tory journals with
respect to this appointment goes far to convince us that it
will be every way satisfactory to Ireland. In fact, it may,
be looked on as a sort of voucher—a testimony to cha-
racter—a proof, all but positive, that Lord Ebrington will
acquit himself as Viceroy to the satisfaction of the Irish
people.
The Morning Chronicle, commenting on Lord Ebring-
ton's appointment, justly remarks that " it will give great
satisfaction to Reformers, both in this country, and in
Ireland." In another leading article, on the subject of
Lord Brougham's speech in the House of Lords, respect-
ing the local administration of justice, our Contemporary
says, What is wanted is, not a tribunal of shop.
keepers, for the recovery of their own claims : but
justice, in civil or criminal cases, without the im-
pediments of distance, whether of time or place, or the yet
more formidable impediments of costliness : justice for the
poor, easily and always accessible, and administered in a
manner that ensures their confidence ;—in short, the popu-
lation need a version of Magna Charts in the vulgar tongue
fistice neither sold, nor denied, nor delayed."
Alluding to the late defeats in Parliament sustained by
the Corn-law' opponents, the Morning Advertiser observes,
" it is yet doubtful whether this defeat will not rather tend
to accelerate at least a modification, if not a total abroga-
tion of the prohibitory duties."

PRIVATE BILLS COMMITTEES.

RESOLUTIONS TO BE MOVED BY MR. POU-
LETT THOMSON THIS DAY.
That the present distribution of counties in the several
Lists, for the purpose of forming Committees on Private
Bills, prepared under the direction of the Speaker, as pre-
scribed by the Resolution of the 19th day of April, 1826,
has been found not to answer the object for which it was
framed, and that the same be discontinued.
That, with a view to give effect to the opinions and Re-
solutions contained in the Report of the Select Committee
on Private Business, presented on the 25th instant, it is
expedient that new Lists be prepared under the direction
of the Speaker, reducing considerably the number of
Members abeve the line in the Lists as now famed, ex-
cluding altogether those below the line, and having regard
to the new divisions of counties as regulated by the Re.
form Act.
That a Committee of Selection be appointed, consisting
of the Chairman of the Standing Orders Committee, and
of the Chairman of the Committee and of the three Sub-
Committees on Petitions for Private Bills, and of whom
three shall be a quorum ;' and that the said Committee of
Selection do report from time to time to the House with
respect to the proceedings on Private Bills,
That no Member whose name shall be on the List pre.
pared under the direction of the Speaker, shall be entitled
to attend or vote unless he shall have previously made a
declaration, in such form as shall be prescribed by the
Committee of Selection, of his willingness to serve through-
out the proceedings of the Committee on the Bill referred
to the List to which he belongs.
That any Member who is not included in the List dl.
rected to be prepared, shall be at liberty to make special
application to the Committee of Selection, alleging that
his constituents have a local interest in any private Bill in
progress ; and the Committee shall have power to add the
name of such Member to the List, if the importance and
reality of such interest shall be established to their satis-
faction.
That the Committee of Selection shall select and add
to the List such number of Members not locally interested
in the Bill in progress, and in such proportion, as in the
circumstances of each case shall in their judgment be ne-
cessary.

Mr. flume—To move as an amendment to Mr. Poulett
Thomson's motion, the following resolutions ; viz. :-
1. That the business of Committees on Private Bills is
of so judicial a character, and so frequently involves a de-
cision upon rights and pecuniary interests of such vast im-
portance and amount, that it is expedient to assimilate them
as much as possible in their functions and practice to a ju-
dicial tribunal.
2. That it appears, from the concurrent testimony of all
the witnesses examined, that a practice prevails of Mem-
bers voting who have not attended to hear th. 3 evidence
or the arguments of Counsel ; and that, owing to this, as
well as to the number of the Committee, a system of can.
vassing has been adopted, alike harassing to Members, and
prejudicial in its results to the ends of justice.
3. That great inconvenience, expence, and delay arises
from the number of Members composing a Committee ;
and that it is impossible to secure a strictly judicial decision
where so many of the Judges represent parties who are
deeply interested in the result.