The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-30 00:00:00

CONSOLIDATION OF THE LAW.

In reply to Lord ST. LEO.NARDS,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he expected in about
a week or ten days to issue a commission to inquire into
the constitution of the Bankruptcy and County Courts.
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMEND-
MENT BILL.

This bill went through committee.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH inquired what were the
intentions of her Majesty's Ministers with re.3pect to
the salaries of schoolmasters in Scotland, which he
contended were by no means commensurate with the
arduous and important duties they had to perform.
The Earl of ABERDEEN replied that their case
would be considered in connection with the general
scheme of education which the Government had been
compelled to postpone till next session. It was not in-
tended, therefore, to introduce a separate bill on this
subject.
The Resident Magistrates (Ireland) Bill was read a
second time.
The Public Libraries (Ireland and Scotland) Bill was
read a second time.
The Registrar of Meetings' Bill went through com-
mittee.
The Customs Duties Bill was read a third time.
The Dublin Parliamentary Registration Bill was read
a third time.
The Stamp Duties Bill went through committee.
The Hurgh Harbour (Scotland) Bill was read a second
time.

The Elections Bill was read a second time.
SHERIFF COURTS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The Earl of ABERDEEN, in moving the second read-
ing, said this was a bill of law reform, from which he
anticipated great advantage to the people of Scotland.
It was so completely technical in its character that he
could not attempt to explain it in detail ; but its general
object was to expedite legal proceedings, and to cheapen
the distribution of justice.
Lord BROUGHAM said his sole objection to the
measure was that it did not go far enough. It was a
very doubtful question whether the double judicature
should be at once abolished ; but at all events he saw no
reason why the juri:diction of these courts should not be
extended to 501. instead of being limited, as it was
under the bill, to 12/. The true course to adopt was
to give an appeal in matters of law, and not to allow
it in matters of fact, except in the case of a new
trial, where there had been a miscarriage in point of
law. On the whole he would not object to the second

reading.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH thought that the mea-
sure would confer great benefit on the people of Scot-
land. He was aware that there was a feeling in
Scotland against the double administration, but so far
as he was able to judge the maintenance of the double
sheriffs—principal and depute—was the best system, at
least for the present. (Hear.)
The bill was then read a second time.
The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
SOUTH SEA ANNUITANT DISSENTIENTS.

(Continued from our First Edition of yesterday.)
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY thought it was impossible
for the committee to assent to the resolution as it
now stood. He objected to placing in the hands
of the Treasury a power to deal with each indi-
vidual. and to fix the amount of money he should
receive for his stock. It would make the Trea-
sury the greatest stock-jobbers of the country. The
demand on the part of the Ministry was not, as bad been
contended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, analo-
gous to his control over the unfunded debt ; the latter
had certain limits which might or might not be too wide,
but were reducible to a certain degree of fixedness.
What was now asked for was absolute, unlimited powers.
He thought he had a right to call upon Ministers to de-
clare the terms on which they intended to act, and he
was sure that their refusal would not be fair to the
house or to the country.
Mr. GLYNN apprehended that the object of this re-
solution was not to make a new offer, but to give an
option to a particular set of men, whose position at the
time of passing the first bill had been overlooked, and
who had no power then given of accepting any offer.
He thought the mode of going into the market, provided
by this resolution, was by far the most economical. He
regretted that the right hon. gentleman had relinquished
his intention of bringing in a bill to deal with the funds
. in the Court of Chancery.
After a few words from Mr. SPOONER and Mr.
WILSON,
Mr. WILKINSON wished to know whether this was
a new offer, or whether it was mcrely intended to ac-
commodate those who formerly could not accept any
offer.

Mr. DISRAELI protested against the new view
taken by the Government, that the failure of their finan-
cial scheme was to be attributed either to the state of
the weather, or to the state of the continent. It had
been condemned from the first by all practical men, and
the public had wisely abstained from having anything to
do with projects so illusory. He should very much like
to know the amount of those deficiency bills to which the
right hon. gentleman had so lighty alluded. He believed the
amount of interest on these bills must be much greater
than a few hundred pounds, or else the Bank of Eng-
land were accommodating the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer at a much lower rate of interest than they ac-
commodated other parties.
The committee then divided, and the numbers were—
For the resolution
Against it .67
Majority —5O
The resolution was then agreed to.
The third resolution was then agreed to after a few
words from Mr. NEWDEGATE and Sir F. KELLY.
The house then resumed.
ASSESSED TAXES BILL.

This bill passed through committee, the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER having intimated his intention to
consent to almost all the amendments proposed by dif-
ferent hon. members.
The Stamp Duties (No. 2) 13111 was read a third time
and passed.
The house then adjourned until six o'clock.
The house resumed at six o'clock.
PETITIONS.

Dr. MICHELL presented a petition from the mer-
chants and bankers of Bishops Stortford, praying this
honourable house would not allow the Lords of the Ad-

miralty to treat its resolutions of the Bth of April, 1850
with contempt, by continuing the degradation of the
assistaiit-surgeons of the navy--which degradation has '
compelled the honourable board to reduce the standard
of qualification, in order to procure a sufficient number
of inferior officers of the medical profession for the Royal
Navy ; also another petition from the medical practi-
tioners of Bishops Stortford, to the same effect.
Mr. H. BERKELEY presented a petition from a
branch of the medical profession of the city of Bristol,
praying the house to use due deliberation in legislating
on the subject of vaccination.
Mr. THORNELEY presented a petition from deputies
of congregations of Protestant dissenters of the Presby-
terian denomination, praying that the congregations and
chapels of non-conformists, and their fferent trusts
may be exempted from the Charitable Trusts Bill, and
that the 43rd clause of the bill may be omitted.
Captain SCOBELL presented petitions from members
of the Town Council of the city of Bath, praying certain
amendments in the Charitable Trusts Bill ; also praying
that the same bill may speedily pass into law.
Mr. W. LOCKHART presented seven petitions in
favour of the Nunneries Bill.
NOTICE OF MOTION.

--- -
Mr. OLIVEIRA gave notice, that on the first day of
going into committee of supply, he would bring under
the consideration of the house the state of the metropo-
litan bridges, with a view to call the attention of the
First Commissioner of Works to that important subject.
CAB FARES.
Mr. BOWYER observed, that it was now a received
principle of political economy, and shown by. experience
to be a correct one, that there ought to be no interfplie
labour
by legislative enactments in respect to the price of d
or any other commodity. That principle had been ap
not only to all things sold and manufactured, but also to
public conveyances, such as steam-boats and omnibusesrice
furn .
Of course, he was speaking only in respect to the price
Of
paid by the public for the accommodation, ished y
those conveyances, entirely setting aside, as a separate
matter, the question of regulation. With this preliminary
statement, he put the question of which he had given no-
tice, whether the Government would agree to the appoint-
ment of a select committee to inquire whether the prin-
ciple of unrestricted competition should be applied to cab
fares?
lied, that at that period of the
Lord J. RUSSELL rep
session he should not think it advisable to appoint a select
committee on the subject.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.

Lord J. RUSSEEL, in moving that the house at its
•
rising ' do adjourn till Monday, gave notice that on Tues-
day and Thursday next he proposed that the house should
go in
to committee of supply, and that on Monday, before
the house went into committee of supply, he would
explain, iu compliance with a wish expressed by the right
hon. member for Droitwic h, the intentions of the Govern-
ment with respect to theisland of Jamaica.
Sir J. SHELLEY said, that as the Government had now
taken Tuesdays for their business, he should have no oppoi-
tunity of bringing forward his motion, which stood for
next Tuesday, for the prosecution of Mr. Mare, the un-
seated member for Plymouth. He regretted this circum-
stance, as ho thought it absurd for the house to have a
resolution on its journals declaring that it would visit with
its utmost displeasure any person who endeavoured to ob-
tain a seat in Parliament by bribery or other corrupt prac-
tices, and yet allow gentenien who had got Mewls in that
hotise to go scot free, while it punished small men wha had
nobody to defend them for prevarication before a c?m-
iiaittee. He had done all he could to bring the subject
before the house, and he now gave notice that he should
pursue it no further, though he thought the house had lost