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

-11. that no suitor should come into court with-
w` - •
it cle.on hands," or, in other words, that no
°rill,
\void
sp.,:_nted to one who was himself or
-tote offence which formed
herself pill, of toe a
ets s li htened by
.
iainst. another. How
the ground of application
much the business of the moat g
this single decision Is known to thosa only who
were behind the scenes, who bad thus t,
;e op-
portunity of knowing not only what cases
actually come to a hearing, but also what.
woted, under any other circumstances, infallibly
have done so. Eren as it is, the time of the judge
and of the public is liable to be monopolised by
such leviathan suite as Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald, ,
which, after lasting for a weal, and scandalising the
whole town, ends by proving that the mountain hao
been in labour only to give birth to the most dime'
nutive of mice. In this particular instance there la
no doubt that serious hardship has been inflicted
upon one, if not upon two individuals, of whose in-
nocence the jury were convinced. But this, un-.
fortunately, is a contingency against Which na
judge, however able, and no system of procedater
however perfect, can entirely guard. All that caA
be done in this respect has, we fear, been already'
accomplished, and the only consolation is that, were
it not for the stringent regulations now enforced,
such cases would be multiplied ad iyinitunz. We
can only hope that those who have hounded on 'Mr&
Fitzgerald to blacken the character not only of her
husband, but of a purely imaginary rival in his
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 on
the opposite side will be but a poor consolation. In
spite, however, of the obstruction which has been
unavoidably created by this cause celibre " stopping
the way," we must congratulate Sir James Wilde
upon the energy and success with which he has
grappled with the mass of arrears bequeathed to
him in consequence of the premature death of his
predecessor. Not only would the mantle of Sir
Cresswell Cresswell seem to have descended upon
him, but, fortified by sound precedents, and with a
bar which has been gradually trained and discip-
lined to a somewhat repulsive task, he has even im-
proved upon the expedition of the late judge in the
despatch of business. When Sir James Wilde tool`
his seat, at the commencement of Michaelmas
Term, a printed list of no less than one hundred
and nine divorce cases, not to speak of the busi-
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, tOe Court
has decided, during the contiouatice of the present
sittings, no less than seventy-one, including all that
were ready for hearing among those which had been
set down for trial without a jury. In eleven more
instances proceedings have been stayed by co nsent
for various reasons, and these cases have beet.)
struck out of the paper accordingly. Twenty-seven
only stand over for bearing until next term, and
even of these several hate been respited upon th 9
application of the parties concerned. Among theca
are probably some of an important character; as,
while seven only of the number are set down fee
trial without a jury, twelve are common jury caseEt
and in eight notice has been given to impanel
special jury. In all human probability, however,
by the end of next Hilary Term Sir James Wilde
will exhibit the enviable spectacle of a judge pre'
siding in a court with no arrears at all, and one ill
which suitors may obtain a relief as immediate 0
can be granted with a due regard to those forms
which are requisite to ensure the proper adminir
tration of justice under any circumstances. Tila)
consummation is the more satisfactory, because, le
the first place, it is the direct reverse of what we
were told to expect when the Court was originally
established; and in the second, there is no Court in
which the subject-matter of the suits stands more ill
need of a prompt and early iavestigation. We el
remember the ill-ornericd vaticinations of the pre;
phets who dinned in our ears that those who touched
pitch could not be otherwise than defiled themselves,:
and that the morals of society would be undermine,'''
were that relief which was always open to the Tie':
vouchsafed to men of more moderate means. Thew
many foul scandals have been brought to light, we
of course cannot deny ; but that any real evil h'
been done to society by setting free a certain num'
her of innocent individuals from their guilty par-
tlers for life we are fully persuaded. Upon 0.3,e,
second head there can be no mariner of doubt. 11,
some of the most difficult and delicate relations °I
life are to be inquired into and criticised, and eve:
regulated by judicial authority, it is of the essercw
of justice that the necessary inquiry should foil°
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 time has begun to
heal, or the raking up of a controversy with regard
to speeches and actions which are either remembered
imperfectly, or which halve gradaally lost their first
and most painful impressions upon the mind of the
witness. There are certain kinds of proof, as there
are certaiu classes of offences, with respect to whichh
the freshness of the testimony adduced is half te
bettle. As we roust have a Divorce Court, it should
be one in which justice. if sharp, should be als°
short and spec.y. Sir James Wilde deserves all
the credit of an attempt to make it so. The success
of this, his first effort, tney, we think, be regarded
as an augury of his future fitness for the difficult
and disagreeable task which has been assigned la
m.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

,I.___

COLCHESTER—DEC. 19.
There was a moderate supply of wheat at our market dto-
day, and thl currencies of last week were about :naintain( .
In barley, which was scarce, full prices were ulaue
Beans and pea loer. . Vs
Wheat, +whites rather
44sw 50s I Beans,Mazagan..2°° 36,
red ...40s 44s middle & small.32s 355
Barley
Oats

GLOUCESTEIt—DEC. 19. froo
There was a fair show of English. wheat to-fl,st,:lvour;
the farmers which sold at prices rather in buyers ;Jos °L
Foreign wheat was dulj, with no advance on the C'cl but
last week. Oats, barley, beans, and peas were du
'
unaltered in value.

CHELSFORD--Ec. . „ Dug'
At this corn exchangMe to-cay there was 18
an insc"-waia-
ness dews—the prices of las week being barely
'ltes;
rained. Barley also dull, and beet sorts at previous,
.ed
`,
s",
interior, is to 2s per qr cheaper. Other grain linen
in price, with a dull trade.
Wheat, old white 30s 46si
new 44s 49s
old red 34s 39s
new 38s 41s
Barley 27s 375,
Chevalier 2Bs 39s
Grinding 22s 31s
idalt.
Chevalier . 64s 69s
Oats 20s 28s

qgg 29$
Fens, Partridp.;u-.•.'v- 39s
IVhite .......... 38 415
Boilin ...... 3„6 363
Dun ............mss
3`)3
Ditto new ...... 39s
Beans, Tick, old
new. • 40$
Harrow Ticks ••""
............ 385
Mazagan .. .. .

KIRKCALDY GR2!-IN—DEC. 19.
~010 t
We had fair supplies of barl6y and oats at at ,%'`,"e our
to-day, but small of wheat. Sales were brisk, at the
rencies of last week.
Wheat. Barley. Cats-
Wheat.
Od I 258 Od 1 163 Gd
Second ..37s Od 26s Od 17s 6d
Third....4os Oct 29s Oct 19s Gd

COAL asitz ET.
vie elohe of the otillet.

I'rloes of Coal per on al

R. d.
Buddle'sWest Hartley 16 6
Byass's Bebside West
Hartley 16 6
Cowpeu Hartley 16 6
bambert's West Hart-

Walls End. .is
Tanstall ..... .
HaSWell ‘2.o 0
Hatton ........ •' • .20 0
South Hettou ...... • • :19 0
Brs,ddyll'a Hetton .... 9
Hartlepool ............ 2L'ti 0
East Hartlepool l9 0
Hough tIBO .... ....... 18 9
South fiartlepoo .
.1 u
n
Otos .........
,t, 60; sold. 47.

-ley_--- _
16 3
West Hartley 16 6
Holywell l7 9
Hastings Hartley l6 6
l'anfield Moor Butes 15 0
Men. . 18 b
Waldridge Gas l6 6
Ships at marki

ANKETELLii---int Oheale;:i2yet
rh
PST. I:xlit‘
riiLeLellzo:For. I:°C‘o:l?veOntaah
ietshh: ha 9
osrit 1.
,oatta34Bl.
he
Willows, West 1-100
be
hvg;:ei11:511613:
Ay:i:nni;noteh(eTaal..lh:' de Hampstead,
Ea
Ea
1"
tl ir.a nt
w if°
Of
W. Sheltord,
the cpu Pe tNof a
son.
inst., at 28, Belgrave-road,
, celeston-square, grfh

Marriages.
13nOCKWELL—Boys —On the 19th inst , at Hartuneronitbo
Yorkshire, to Clara, youngest es4tsci...i.ugh.ter of the late tie'
ri?,s.liqu.,toletr.
REocrhocekstweerl.l: F q of 'Bridlington Qt!yt
ABortyl:
ME e%
W—KENDALL.—On the 19th inst.. at Saint Georg,
~_
Bloonn,bury, Fredk. Mew, Esq., of 30, .I)9ughtystr.
Meeklenburi--squaro, to Anna Maria Martha], the el. wl,
daughter 01 Henry E. Kendall, jun., E,:1., of Bruusw
square.

Deaths.
COLLLSON.—On the 19th inst., at Brixton, John Coßison.
Esq., of East Bilney Hall, Li cham, Norfolk, aged 74' ,
DREssLER.—On the 19th inst., at his residence, Gustav%
Dressler, Esq., of The Russettinge, Streathato. all
Corbet-court, city.
Fox.—On the 21st inst., Miss Fox, of 13, Redcross-slrect'
Cripplegate, agcd 54. it
GLYN.—On the 20th inst., at 37, Upper Brook. stree , '
t
Richard Plumptre Giyn, Bart., of Gaunt 's House,
set, rig% d 76. n A
GRAHAME.—On the 19td inst., at Newport, 1.W., V.
Grahame, Esq., of Glenny, late Captain sth Fusiliers.
POOLE.—On the 20th inet., at 48, Avenue-road, Beger;LtlA
park) Moses Poole, Esq., eged 74.
TA.TE.—On the 19th inst., I%ir. W. Tate, of Warn
fol'
court, city, aged 57.

Londcn Prlraod and Published by WILLIAM A:Wilk-A. P.
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE '5uN Office
Strand, in the Precinct of the lavoy. the (70010
December 22,
.1663.