The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-14 00:00:00

The Concentration of the Law Courts.

A meeting of the Jurisprudence Department of the Na-
tional Association for the Promotion of Social Science was
held last evening at their rooms in the Adelphi ; Mr. Thos,
Webster, F.R.S., in the chair.
A report was read from the committee of the department
in favour of the concentration, under one roof, of all the
courts and offices of law in London. The report, after
showing what had already been done with reference to the
project and the present station of the question, urged the
necessity of the metropolitan and provincial law societies,
and similarbodies;petitioning Parliament, and waiting upon
their representatives to request them to support the bills.
Mr. SEYMOUR TEUTON hoped that the members of the
legal profession and others would use their influence with
their representatives in Parliament to support the Govern-
ment bills, and recommended that the fees of all the con-
centrated courts should be paid in stamps, as in the Court
of Chancery.
Mr. ROBERT STUART trusted that the bringing together
of all the courts of law would promote the fusion of law
and equity.
Mr. E. W. FIELD dwelt on the fallacy attempted to be
raised that no funds in Chancery existed available for the
erection of new law courts. As one of the Commissioners
of the Court of Chancery, he was well able to refute such
an assertion. With regard to the interior accommodation
of the proposed buildings, provision should bo made for the
deposit of all the legal documents connected with the ad-
ministration of the courts, as the existing courts were
quite inadequate for such a purpose, as was admitted by
Lord Chelmsford and others, who were opponents to the
present scheme, and thought it possible that accommoda-
tion might be afforded for a general deposit of the wills
proved in all the prerogative courts in England, as was
contemplated by a measure some time since proposed in
Parliament. He was glad to see that the benchers of
Lincoln's-inn were coming round in opinion as to the
desirability of the Carey-street site. The site of [the
Thames Embankment, though tempting to the eye, would
not be so convenient either to the members of the profes-
sion or to the suitors, and as the fees of the latter would
provide the funds there was no reason why the suitors
should be dragged to the water side for ornament sake.
Grand exteriors generally showed a great want of accom-
modation within ; and he approved Mr. Cowper's plan of
appointing a committee to consider the requirements of the
interior force before the outward decoration. He hoped, as
the building was intended ultimately to be vested in the
Board of Works, that some solicitors, or gentlemen earnest
in the object in view, should be appointed on the govern-
ing body.
Mr. F. HELL approved of the Carey-street site, and pro-
posed that the report should assert more emphatically in
its favour.
Mr. HASTINGS said that the site had many technical ad-
vantages combined which no other available site could pos-
sibly afford. A portion of the site being in the City of
London would enable the citizens to settle their own liti-
gations under the advantages of the new courts within
their own jurisdiction. The feeling now was everywhere
becoming unanimous in its favour.
The CHAIRMAN thought for the purposes of utility the
proposed site was by far the best located, as it was adja-
cent to the inns of court and the immense number of public
law-offices. The projected basement-communication with
the Temple and Lincoln's-inn was highly favourable to the
spot chosen.

After some observations, in which Sir F. H. Goldsmid,
Bart., M.P., Mr. W. S. Cookson, and Mr. Williams took
part, the report was adopted.

M. MAILLART'S LARALara," at Her
—MThe
tys,us
eTcereatorfe,Mis.
Maillart's "
frank and incontestable. The fact cannoties of course have
proved otherwise than agreeable to the c
music when the news was conveyed to hie:-
poasnear
weof the
not surprised that he should, on the spur of 'the moment,are
have addressed the subjoined very hearty and unaffected
letter to Mr. W. Harrison, the manager :—" Dear Mr. Har-
rison,—Permit me to thank you with all my heart for the
flattering zeal and intelligent care with which you have
produced Lara ' I deeply regret, and shall always regret,
that it was not in my power to be in London on the day
when, for the first time, one of my operas was represented
in England. The sympathetic favour and kindness with
which the English public, whose artistic taste is so ele-
vated, has welcomed my work, touches me profoundly ;
and I shall never forget the generous hospitality with
which the music of 'Lars' has been received in the coun-
try of the great Byron. Will you, my dear director, be the
interpreter of my sentiments of gratitude to your excellent
artistes, and to my confrere, the Maestro Arditi, your emi-
nent chef d'orchestre, to whom, as well as to yourself, I am
indebted for a good part of the success of my work, and
believe me, &c., A. MAILLAItr." The above letter is con-
ceived in the spirit and written in the language do gen-
tleman and an artist.—Mtmical World