The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-27 00:00:00

IMPE RIAL PA RL Eli T.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEA.KER took the chair soon after 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Dundeo, Perth, and Aberdeen Railway Junction and Dun-
dee and Newtyle Railway—London, Tilbury, and South-
end Railway—Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Rail-
way—and North Devon and Okehampton Railway.
The Kensington Station and South Junction Railway
Bill was read a second time.
The following bills were considered :—Edgware,
High-
gate, and London Railway—Lancashire and Yorkshire
Railway (additional powers)—North Eastern and Hull and
Holderness Railway Companies Amalgamation—South
Mal ton Corporation—and London and South Western
Railway (additional powers).
The Great Britain Mutual Life Assurance Bill was read
a first time.

WEIGHTS
.
Mr. W. P.WART gavnoticehat onEASURES April 9th he would
move for a select committee to consider the' feasibility of
establishing a uniform system of weights and measures.

REGISTER:OF VOTERS BILL.
The house then went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1 being read, which provides for the compil-
ing an index to the election lists of the different parishes,
Mr. LOCKE KING moved, as an amendment, that each
index should only be regarded in boroughs comprising more
than six parishes, as in boroughs comprising less than six
parishes, and having only six lists, a voter could have no
difficulty or inconvenience in ascertaining without an index
whether or not his name was on the register. The borough
of Manchester contained only one parish, consequently
there was no use for an index there.
After some further discussion the committee divided,
when there appeared—
For the amendment . 43
Against it ..........
Majority against the amendment
The amendment was consequently lost.
The question Was then put that clause 1 stand part of
the bill, upon which the house again divided, when there
appeared—
For the clause
Against it
Majority for the clause
—36
The clause was then ordered to stand part of the bill.
The remaining clauses were then agreed to, and the
house resumed.
SMALL HOUSES EX EMPTION' (SCOTLAND)
BILL.
On the suggestion of Sir G. GRIST,

Sir J. OGitVIE postponed the second reading of this
bill till that day fortnight.
CHANCERY REGIST RA7ION. BILL.

oafs the
On the order of the day being read for going into com-
mittee on this bill,
ELwWYdN
hoopptoosedtakteheawmaeyasurfrome onthiets
judges merits,
effeMr. S
ct of it would
Court of Chancery that discretion which they have been
hitherto in the practice of exercising as to the manner in
which justice should be administered in their own courts.
I t would give an advantage to the plaintiff in a cause which
the defendant could not take advantage of, while it would
fetter the action of the judges of the Court of Chancery, and
would give rise to much inconvenience as well as expense.
Should the bill be passed, the effect of it would be either to
compel them to increase the number of the judges of
the Court of Chancery, or to return to the old system of
Masters, or to the still more objectionable one of delay.
Mr. HADFIELD approved of the principle of tho mea-
sure, but was of opinion that they ought to establish the
existing rules or regulations, which prohibited barristers-
at-law and attorneys and solicitors to practice in the Court
of Chancery ; and at the proper time he should move an
amendment to that effect.

Mr. ROLT defended the measure, contending that it
would prevent suitors being handed from court to court, as
they were at present. It would take away none of the dis-
cretion decreed by the judges of the Court of Chancery, as
they would still have the discretion of sending questions of
fact to be tried in another court, if they saw it would
be: a saving of expenses, but as he considered that
that discretion having been already tried and found
wanting, they should nr)w impose on the judges of
the Court of Chancery the trial of all cases
which came within the particular jurisdiction, either
by jury or otherwise, and he did not think that the trial of
cases by such means would be detrimental to the carrying
on of the other business of the Court.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he had several ob-
jections to the measure as it stood, but as these would be
obviated by an amendment which he had prepared and
would propose at the proper time, he had no objections to
the bill going into committee.
Mr. M ALIN S considered that the measure would bring
about a great improvement in the practice of the Court of
Chancery, and he should cordially support the motion for
going into committee.
Mr. WALPOLE said his opinion of the question was,
that while he agreed to the principle of the measure he
considered that the amendment to be proposed by the Soli-
citor-General would in a great degree neutralise its effect,
and he thought it would be better to leave matters as they
stood, unless they were prepared to take away all discretion
from the Equity Judges, and leave them to try cases in all
the stages and issues which properly came within their
jurisdiction.
Sir FITZROY KELLY considered the measure a.
valuable and important one, and hoped no further obstacle
would be put to going into committee.
The SPEAKER then left the chair, and the house went
into committee on the bill.
On clause 1,
Mr. HADFIELD moved an addition to the effect that
all sergeants and barristers-at-law, and all attorneys-at-
law and solicitors should, from and after the passing of this
Act, be entitled to practise in the Court of Chancery, not-
withstanding any rule or regulation to the contrary, and.
that the said sergeants and barristers-of-law should have
respectively the same rank and precedence as they were
now entitled to.

Mr. It OLT said the amendment was unnecessary, as there
was no rule or regulation which prevented any of the par-
ties referred to from going into and practicing in the courts
of equity.

The amendment was accordingly withdrawn, and clauso
1 was agreed to.
On clause 2,

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL proposed as an amend-
ment that it be left to the discretion of the Judges
in Equi y to send questions of fact for trial before the
courts of law should they consider that they could be tried
there with greater advantage to the parties.
Mr. ROLT opposed the amendment, as it interfered
materially with the principles of the bill.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL explained that the
olject of his amendment was simply to create a uniformity
of practice between jury trials in eases originating in courts
of equity and those arising in courts of law. In the latter
jury cases are tried at the assizes or at London or West-
minster, as was most convenient, and all that he wanted
to do by his amendment was to place jury trials arising
out of cases in the Court of Equity under the same system.
Sir H. CAIRNS and Mr. MALINS supported the amend-
ment, which was agreed to without a division, and ordered
to be added to the clause.

Mr. HADFIELD next moved the followingamendment :
—" That the Lord High Chancellor, the Master of the
Rolls, or one of the Lords Justices, or one of the Vice-
Chanzellors of the said Court, shall be empowered to pre-
side at the trial of any such issue, if it shall be deemed ex-
pedient to do so, or the justice of the ease shall require it,
or render it advisable."

The amendment was however negatived without a
sion, and the claim as amended was ordered to stand part
of the bin.

- The remaining clauses were then agreed to, and tho
house having resumed the bill was reported with amend-
ments.

SMOKE NUISANCES (METROPOLIS) ACTS
AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill was read a second time, and ordered to ba com-
mittal this day week.
WHIPPING (No. 2) BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,
Mr. STANLEY moved an amendment intending to
abolish the system of administering punishment by the cat,
and providing that whipping should only be administered
with a birch rod.
The amendment was agreed to, as was also another to
the effect that in Scotland no offender for theft or for crime
committed against the person or against property, under
16 years of age, be whipped more than once.
Mr. BLACK moved an addition to the clause in effect,
that in cases where the punishment of whipping was in-
flicted, the offender should not also be imprisoned for the
same offence.

---Dir. HADFIELD opposed the amendment, on the
ground that it neutralised the effect of 64 clauses in the act
of last year.
... _

Afte-r some discussion the amendment was withdrawn.
The clause as amended was then agreed to, when the
house resumed, and the chairman reported the bill as
amended.
TURNPIKE TOLLS EXEMPTION (SCOTLAND)
BILL.
Mr. BLACKBURN moved that the house
h go
oThe great.
On the motion for going into committee on thisinbtoill,com-
mittee on the measure that day
exemption to tolls, as it provided that all clergymen
tolls.
in any parish sh,nld be exempted payingfrommset
n parish ministers
objection he had to the measure wsiaxs,mtkofinttits. extenvdiesditinthge
Mr. BUCHANAN said that at 'Derive
mea-
sure was to exempt thoset the object of the
frem the payment of tolls
alsoetive districts.
another
rfrboomd
body
oolfl s,
clergymen, but as there
opposed measure. As,
were now in all the
while under
wpwaehrrii els
while
exsemanpo exempted
travelling
Mr. STIRLING roinisters were only exempt from
in i n i
slTpiertrs_oom:th: tolls
oi ntfir
travelled
eolri
esdi xon parishestheturronupni
kde.
the present law parish this measure would exempt
tolls in their own parishes,pretsioPnthethey could scarcely define
~_ in. theirxem
Dissenting TTR , tiff Ani f also oaptpeousred.prtehaechmeresawsuerrec.3
nal:
exempt, for
that they would have to
or m
become so am
Mr. P.
mostly a
exempt
roads. (Laughter.)onsidered the measure would be
1 ilr, iiURE c
a great
' improvement on the present law, and he would support the
wthheoy
wexetreentdoedbernthoexi:
oing
e• into committee.
bilmui., LESLIE would have no objection to exempting the
clergy of all denominations, but he would also have ex-
empted the medical practitioners, and he should move a
clause to that effect in committee if the measure should
reach that stage.
Major C. BRUCE objected to the measure, as he was
opposed to all exemptions.
Mr. DUNLOP explained that the object of the measure
asimply was to allow clergymen of all denominations to go
bou their pastoral duties in their respective districts free
of toll. Let them do away with the exemptions as to
parish ministers, and then there would be no complaint;
but as there seemed no intention of doing that, he would
press his Pleasure.
Mr. STUART opposed the measure, and the house hav-
ing divided, there appeared—
For going into committee
Against it
Majority —2s
The bill is consequently lost.
LAW OF PROPERTY AMENDMENT BILL.
and ordered
This bill was read a second time,
to be com-
mitted this week.
DWELLING HOUSES (SCOTLAND).
On the motion of Mr. MURE the following
dwelling
returns were
.
houses or
ordered :—Returns of the number of all
1857 to 1861 inclusive,
a. 42, on.
Scotland, in each year, from the yearex„ed /A, and the other heritages, in any parish or combination
the annual value of which doesonesos _
ed for the poor in each
oc-
cupants of which have been
assessed
of the occupants of
of the above years ;and, of the of parishes in
heritages who, in each of the above
such dwelling houses or
pay
have been exemPidnlet 8 and 9 Vic to 83,
ment of the assessment,
under the provisions of they.
the ground of inability to Pay.
The „ ed at half-past four o'clock,
The house then auk'
years,