The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-28 00:00:00

THE STANDING ORDERS.

Col. W. PATTEN called the attention of the house to
the report of the Committee of Referees on Private Bills,
and moved the following alteration in the Standing Orders :
—To repeal Order 88, and to substitute the following
The Chairman of Ways and Means, with such other
persons to be appointed by Mr: Speaker, and for such
period as he shall think fit, shall be referees of the house
on private bills ; such referees to form one or more courts,
and three at least to constitute one court ; the chairman of
each court to be a member of this house." After No. 90,
to insert the following :—" In case the promoters and
opponents of any bill shall agree that all the
questions in issue between them upon such bill shall be re-
ferred to the referees, it shall be competent to the referees
to inquire into the whole subject matter of the bill, and to
report their opinion thereon to the house ; and, in case they
shall report that such bill ought to be proceeded with, the
same shall, unless the house shall otherwise order, be re-
ferred to the committee on unopposed bills, and shall be
treated as an unopposed bill." After No. 91 : "In case
the referees shall report, with reference to any bill, that
the estimate deposited in respect thereof is insufficient, or
that the engineering is inefficient for the proposed object,
the bill shall not be further proceeded with unless the
house shall otherwise order." The hon. and gallant gentle-
man went at great length into the matter, and said he was
of ()opinion to compensate th.) meinber.4 of the house
for the sacrifice of time they ware called upon to make in
filling the office of referees.
Mr. AYRTON objected to the proposition of paying
members of that house for services rendered in committee.

Mr. LIDDELL thought it would be better to postpone
the consideration of the matter until the next Parliament
met. He did not think that a thin house at the close of
the session ought to determine the matter.
Sir E. COLEBROKE was quite ready either to take
the motion into consideration on that occasion, or leave it
to be dealt with in the next session of Parliament. He did
not think they could carry out effectually the committee of
referees without the members were adequately compensated
for the undivided attention they were called upon to give
for the public good.
Lord HOTHAM objected to the payment of the refe-
rees without they were placed in the same position as the
chairman of committees.

Mr. HENLEY was quite disposed to vote for the conti-
nuance of the arrangement of the court of referees,
pure and simple, but ho was indisposed to give his assent
to a propcsition now made for payment of the members of
the house forming the court.
A long discussion ensued, which terminated in Colonel
Wilson Patten withdrawing the 88th order, which involved
the question of payment of members, and the other
alterations suggested by the hon. and gallant member were
agreed to.

The SPEAKER, at the conclusion of the debate on the
standing orders, said ho had to thank the several members
who had taken part in the transaction of the private busi-
ness of the house, and

Sir G. GREY, on the part of the Government, also said
that the house and the country were under deep obliga-
tions to the hon. gentleman for the valuable services per-

formed.

The amendments to the Clerical Subscription Bill were
considered and agreed to.
The amendments to the Turnpike Act Amendment Bill
were considered and agreed to. _

The County Courts Equitable Jurisdiction Bill l'ras read
a third time and passed.
Tho Colonial Docks Loan Bill, as amended, was further
considered, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.
The Poor Law Board Continuance, &c., Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The Marriages (Lambourne) Bill passed through com-
mittee, and was reported without amendment.
ADMIRALTY ACTS REPEAL BILL.

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,

Mr. HENLEY hop the bill would not be proceeded
with at that moment; as he had certain observations to
offer upon the bill.
The order for committal was postponed until to-mor-
row,

The committee on the Dockyards Ports Regulation Bill
vas postponed until to-morrow.
Tho Lords' amendments to the Union Chargeability Bill
were considered and agreed to.
The Lords' amendments to the Lunatic Asylums Act
Amendment Bill were considered and agreed to.
Thsrating of the house was then suspended. -
At six o'clock the house resumed.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR AND THE LEEDS

BANKRUPTCY COURT.

Mr. LO.NGFIELD said he did not know how far ho was
in order m prefacing the question of which he had given
notice by making a statement of facts lie would, how-
ever, endeavour to compress the observations. he had to
snake into as narrow a compass as possible, in order that
the house and the country might be in a position' to un-
derstand the reasons which had induced him to bring this
subject forward. (Cries of " Order.")
The SPEAKER interposed, and said that it would not
be competent for the hon. member to make any introduc-
tory statement unless ho made some motion. In the pre-
sent instance there was only a question on the paper.
Mr. LONGFIELD said that such being the case he
would put himself in order by moving the adjournment of
the house, and though that was an unusual course, and one
which he himself had never before taken, he thought the
unusual circumstance of the case justified him in pursuing
an unusual course of proceeding. Those circumstances
were, unhappily, rather too notorious. It appeared that a
member of her Majesty's Government, holding the very
highest station that could be held under the Crown, had
now, within three months, given occasion for two separate
investigations into the purity and propriety of his conduct,
and on both occasions his conduct has been very familiar.
In each case, having, in the course of his judicial functions,
found out that certain offences had been committed, he
took advantage of those offences to force out of their
offices the persons who held them, and, taking advantage
of their detection, he made a profit to himself by appointing