The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-21 00:00:00

JUDGES_EXCLUSION BILL.

' On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair
for going into committee on this bill,
' Mr H. DRUMMOND said it had been his intention
to move that the Speaker do not leave the chair until
this day six months. (A laugh.) That was, that the
bill be not committed until this day six months ; but he
Should reserve his opposition for the third reading.
The house then went into committee on the bill, and
the clauses were agreed to.
Mr. HUME said he wished to make a proviso to the
effect that, provided always that the Recorder of the
city of London, after the present Parliament, shall
during his continuance in office as such recorder be in-
capable of being elected or sitting as a member of the
House of Commons. He wished this proviso to apply
only to future recorders, not to the present right hon.
gentleman who held the office.
The RECORDER of LONDON was much obliged to
the honourable gentleman for the exception he
wished to make in his favour, but the committee
'should remember that there was a great distinction
between the position of the offices under discussion, and
that of the judges contemplated by this bill. The Re-
corder of London did not hold his office under the Crown,
nor had he any jurisdiction beyond the limits of the
i City. The office conferred.no title or distinction on the
holder, while the duties attached to it, which consisted
!of acting as law adviser to the Corporation—
acting as its mouthpiece on State occasions, and
'officiating as Speaker with the Lord Mayor,
could in no way prevent the holder from fulfil-
ling the functions of a legislator. True he had to at-
tend for a week in every month in the Central Criminal
i Court, but in that respect his situation was only ana-
logous to that of an hon. member who attended quarter
isessions as a magistrate. There was in.fact a wide differ-
ence between the Recorder of London and a judge who
held his appointment from the Crown, and who was
considered to hold too exalted a position, or to" be too
much occupied with his public duties, to be able to per-
form the duties of a member of Parliament. In his
own case or that of the Speaker of the House, there was
no humiliation in being called upon to take part in the
turmoil of a contested election, and though he should
abstain from voting on the question, he could assure
the house that, inasmuch as it was part of his duty to
be constantly on the spot in the metropolis, he expe-
rienced no difficulty whatever in performing the public
duties which were demanded of him as a legislator.
(Cheers.)
Mr. HUME argued that the duties of the Recorder
of the City of London were by far too onerous and mul-
tifarious to admit of his being an efficient member of
Parliament, and he must therefore persevere with his
proviso.
Sir G. GREY entirely disapproved of the spirit and
principle of the bill ; but with regard to the amendment
under discussion, he could see no reason for excluding
the Recorder for the City of London from Parliament
any more than for excluding the Recorder of Bristol,
Liverpool, or any other large town.
Mr. WHITESIDE also opposed the proviso.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL believed that the
amendment, 'if carried, would be pushing the principle
of the bill too far, and he must, therefore, resist its
introduction.

Mr. LABOUCHERE contended that this question
ought to be left to the decision of the constituencies
themselves. They were the best judges of who
should represent them, and it was unjust to
push this bill to the extent that was now demanded.
Already they had excluded two men of talent and emi-
nence from the house, and the house should now draw
the line where these exclusions should stop.
Mr. ATHERTON insisted that the exclusion from
Parliament ought only to extend to judges of the superior
courts, and he should therfore oppose the amendment.
Viscount MONCK opposed the amendment.
Mr. HENLEY suggested that the amendment should
be deferred until the bringing up of the report, as if it
it were inserted now it might endanger the passing of
the bill by strengthening the hands of its opponents.
Sir R. H. INGLIS was opposed alike to the bill and
the amendment.
Mr. HUME announced his intention to accede- to the
proposal of the right hon. gentle/limn the member for Ox-
fordshire, and withdrew his amendment on the under-
standing that he should move it again upon the • bring-
ing up of the report.
After a few words from Lord HOTHAM, Mr. VERNON,
Mr. Sergeant MURPHY, and Mr. Mum, the amend-
ment was withdrawn.

The whole of the clauses in the schedule were then
agreed to, and the house having resumed, the Chairman
reported the bill. The report was ordered to be received
this day week.
COUNTY ELECTIONS POLL (SCOTLAND)
BILL.

This bill as amended was considered, the amendments
were agreed to, and the bill was ordered to be read a
third time on Thursday, the 28th instant.

COCKERMOUTH ELECTION.

On the motion of Mr. C. BERKELEY, the evidence
taken before the Cockermouth election committee was
ordered to be laid before the house.

The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned at half-past five o'clock.

ADDITIONAL COLONIAL BISHOPRICS.

Yesterday a very crowded meeting of the clergy
and laity was held at Willis's Rooms, King-street, St.
James's, for the purpose of considering " the great
benefits which would accrue to the Church and depen-
denc:es of the British Empire, by the erection of
bishoprics to those• provinces which are virtually cut off
from episcopal superintendence ;" and also to " take
measures for raising contributions towards the endow-
ment of addititional colonial bishoprics."
Among those present we noticed the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Duke of Newcastle, the Earl of Chi-
chester, Lord Harrowby ; the Bishops of London, Ox-
ford, Winchester, Chester, Exeter, Norwich, St. Asaph,
Lyttleton, Quebec, Cape Town, and the Bishop Elect of
Lincoln ; 'Archdeacon' Hale and Sir R. H. Inglis ; the
Rev. Xessrs. Howarth, J. S. M. Anderson, Dalton,
Beresford, Hope, and a great number of the principal
clergy of the metropolis.
Shortly after three o'clock the chair was taken by
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, who, in opening the
proceedings, , said he could noV express the feeling of
satisfaction with which the presence of so lirge an
assemblage inspired him. The proceedings of the after-
noon he Would briefly explain was the foundation of
new colonial bishoprics. A simple reference to facts will
show that rarely has a meeting of Churchmen met with
more gratifying results than have followed from the
meeting held in this room twelve years ago; for the
erection and endowments of additional bishoprics. The
°result of. the pre-sent assemblage he was surciwould not be
less satisfactory. His Grace then called upon the secre-
tary 'to read the report of the Council for Colonial
Bishops.
The Bishop of LONDON moved the first resolution, to
the effect that the blessed results following the exten-
sion of the episcopacy ought to be regarded with feelings
of great thankfulness. The Right Rev. Prelate then
entered into a statement of facts of good effects following
the establishment of colonial bishoprics. - -
The Earl of CHICHESTER briefly seconded the resolu-
tion, which was put to the meeting and cat ried unan
mously.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE, in proposing the second
'resolution, said that when he entered that room he had
not the slightest idea of taking part in the proceedings.
At the request, however, of many of his noble friends,
he had been called upon to propose a resolution, which
he had scarcely had time to read. -Occupying the posi-
tion he did, he thought he was merely fulfilling one of
its duties by being present to-day ; and their former suc-
cess The Much
was a source of the highest satisfaction to him.
had been done, but much remained to be done.
unfortunate. occurrences at the Cape having termi-
nated,
he had every hop%wit the blessing of Almighty
God, that the olive branofh
everlastingly embraced.—The
rpeseoalcueti
that two new bishoprics be foundedohne,lwdvasiozu.t,to wtheGraham's
uel d
ff e bete
Town and Natal.
The Bishop of CAPE
To-wx, in coming forward to
second the resolution, was
received with marks of great
aP-Ti3rhebrletskn.
olution. having been put to the meeting it was
carried "unanimously ; as were also some others.
The meeting tennittatet with a vote of thanks to the 3 1, ~
chirman.
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