The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

CHANCERY SUITORS' FUND.

Lord ST. LEONARDS complained that the time
which was allowed for the commutation of stocks by the
late act was too short, and that the suitors in Chancery
had not had sufficient time to allow them to come to a
determination as to which stock they would choose for
the investment of their funds.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had never had
any subject to deal with on which he felt so much re-
sponsibility as this. He had throughout consulted the
broker of the Court of Chancery and the accountant-
general, and the order which he had made would not be
final until Thursday next.
Lord ST. LEONARDS said that there would be a
loss of 10,0001. to those suitors who had not had time
to make up their minds as to the stock which they would
choose.

Lord BROUGHAM again asked the Lord Chief Jus-
tice when it would be convenient for him to attend the
select committee on the consolidation of the criminal
law, because the committee was only waiting for a day
of his attendance to agree upon their report ?
Lord CAMPBELL said he would attend on the first
day on which it would be convenient for his noble and
learned friend, Lord Truro, who was at present absent
from indisposition.
ALTERATION OF OATHS BILL.

Lord LYNDHURST rose to move the second reading
of this bill, the object of which, he said, had been very
much misapprehended, but which was in fact merely to
remove those parts of the oaths at present taken by
members of both houses which were unnecessary and ab-
surd. In the oath of allegiance he proposed to make no
alteration whatever, for it was plain and simple enough,
and lay of itself at the roots of the common law. The
second oath, the oath of supremacy, which dated only
from the time of Henry and Mary, was originally
aimed against the Roman Catholics—(hear, hear)—
and professed to repudiate the authority and su•
premacy of the Pope of Rome, but it was not now
required from Roman Catholics, and was only taken by
Protestants, from whom, indeed, it was perfectly supe-
rogatory and useless. This oath, therefore, was quite
useless. The Protestants did not believe that the Pope
had any spiritual authority in this country, and there-
fore ought not to be called on to renounce it by
oath, while the Roman Catholic, who did believe
in such spiritual authority, was not called upon
to take any such oath. The oath of abjuration,
which dated from the 13th year of William 111., and in
the preamble it was stated that the reason of it was the
late proclamation by Louis XIV. of the Pretender as
king of England. It was framed against the Pretender,
and was an abjuration of all rights of his or his descend-
ants. It ought to have ceased when the family of that
Pretender had terminated ; and to take it now, when
there were no descendants of the Pretender in existence,
was nothing but an idle mockery. It had been stated
that the fourth clause of the bill was intended to admit
members of the Jewish persuasion into Parliament ; but
that was entirely unfourided, and he certainly was
not the man to attempt to do that by a side-wind which
their lordships had refused to do openly. (Hear, hear.)
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS EVENING.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS

The South Staffordshire Waterworks Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The following bills were considered and ordered to be
read a third time :—East Grinstead Railway ; East
London Waterworks ; Lands Improvement Company
(No. 2) ; Leominster Markets and Fairs ; New River
Company.