The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-13 00:00:00

NEWFOUNDLAND.

From the Newfoundland Public Ledger, Oct. 26.)
lesterday, at two o'clock, his Excellency the Governor,
attended by his suite, went down to the Council Chamber,
and, under the usual ceremonies, prorogued the Legislature
with the following speech from the throne :
" The public business being at length completed, I am
enabled to relieve you from the labours of the session, which
has been extended to an inconvenient period, and one far
beyond my original expectation.
" I have to thank you, in her Majesty's name, for the
supplies. They will, I hope, be found adequate to the in-
tended objects, and they shall be faithfully and carefully
administered.

" In taking leave of you, probably for a period of several
months, I wish most earnestly to impress upon you the
duty which belongs to us, not less individually than collec-
tively, of cultivating harmony and good will throughout
every class of our society.
" Let us endeavour to obliterate those unhappy political
and religious differences which have of late years sprung up
amongst us, and which were formerly unknown. They are,
indeed, the bane of our peace. They destroy the delights
of social intercourse, and impede every effort for the public
good. May all members of the community, and especially
those who are influential from talent or station, join hear-
tily in this work of beneficence, and zealously endeavour to
restore to Newfoundland its former character for general
philanthropy and benevolence.
" I take advantage of the present occasion, the most
serious and impressive that can be offered to me, to bring
under your particular observation extracts from various
despatches on this interesting subject, and to assure you
that the obligation I am under to render prompt and full
obedience to every order I receive, is enforced in this in-
stance by my warmest feelings and most ardent aspirations."
" MAY 18, 1838.—Her Majesty relies on your earnest
endeavours to afford to all persons under your Govern-
ment, irrespective of any political or religious distinction,
the utmost protection in the enjoyment of their just rights
and liberties. Her Majesty is also persuaded that no
exertion will be wanting on your part to moderate the
violence of party animosity, and to induce all classes of the
inhabitants to lay aside angry and excited feelings, in order
to co-operate in advancing the welfare and developing the
resources of the Colony."
" A uG. 12, 1838.—1 feel confident that you will second
the views of her Majesty's Government by using all your
personal and official influence to allay the irritation which
has heretofore pervaded the society of Newfoundland, and
to restore harmony and good feeling among all classes of
the inhabitants."

The Legislature was then formally prorogued to Mon-
day, the 21st January next.

MEETING OF BOOK AND PAMPHLET-SELLERS•

—A numerous meeting of persons in the above trades was
held last evenir, at the Lyceum Tavern, Strand, for the
purpose of considering and adopting the best means of de-
feating the efforts made by common informers to enforce
penalties upon them under the Act 39th Geo. IV., which
provides that the name of the printer of any publication
must appear on the first and last page of it, under a penalty
of 101 ; and also to appoint a Committee to manage a pe-
tition to the Houses of Parliament for the repeal of the
above Act. At eight o'clock Mr. Limbird was called to
the chair, and having briefly called the attention of the
meeting to the objects for which it was called, several reso-
lutions were then proposed, and carried unanimously. A.
Deputation was then appointed to wait on the Commission-
ers of Stamps, in order to obtain their aid to forward the
object ; and it was further moved that Mr. Sergeant Tal-
fourd be requested to accompany the Deputation. Thanks
were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting sepa-
rated.
Between eight and nine yesterday morning, Mr.
Samuel Stock, a respectable tradesman, living at No. 13,
Stanrnore-street, King's-road, St. Pancras, was sitting at
breakfast with his wife and family, when the younger child,
aged eighteen months, who was playing on the hearth-rug,
by some means set fire to his clothes, and before the flames
could be extinguished the infant was burned in a dreadful
manner. He was conveyed as quickly as possible to the
University College Hospital, but, we regret to state, ex-
pired in a few minutes after his arrival there.
Mr. Francis Wayland, son of Mr. George Way-
land, of Ballywater, who was wounded by the assassins at
the time of Mr. Cooper's murder, died.at his father's resi-
dence on Thursday morning, after lingering several months
from the effects of the shot he received on that occasion.—
Liverpool Courier. •

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1838.

REFORM OF THE LANGUAGE OF
ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.

" When a man asks in what book the Statute law is to be found,
he learns that, so far from being contained in any one book, howso-
ever large, it fills books composing a heap greater than he would be
able to lift.

" If he thereupon asks in which of all these books he could,
upon occasion, lay his hands, and find those parts in which he him..
self is concerned, without being bewildered with those in which he
has no concern, what he learns is, that the whole matter is so corn-
pletelyof those
same mixed up together, that for him to pick out the collection
parts from the rest, is utterly impossible. "—BENTHAM.

A very important Parliamentary document has just
been issued, which was presented to Parliament at the
close of last session, by command of her Majesty. It
is a collection of Papers on the drawing of Acts of
Parliament, in reference to " the means of ensuring the
uniformity thereof in language, in form, in arrange-
ment, and in matter." They are from the pen of Mr.
Arthur Symonds, who has been for several years en-
gaged in such pursuits, having in 1835 produced a vo-
lume, on the " Mechanics of Law Making." The
present document also contains models of statutes illus-
trative of the principles suggested, and outlines of
indices, adapted to the purposes of legislation, and to
supply an existing deficiency in that respect which is
altogether extraordinary in the history of our laws.
There is NO INDEX calculated to point out to any man,
as Bentham says, those parts of the law which concern
him more than other parts.
It appears that 250 years have elapsed since Bacon
applied himself to amend the laws in regard to " their
registry, their expression, and tradition, so that they
might have rather new light than any new nature."
In 1666 a Parliamentary Committee was appointed
to consider " of expedients for reducing all statute
laws, of one nature, under such a method and head as
may conduce to the more ready understanding, and
better execution of such laws."

In 1806 the Commissioners on Public Records de-
sired a Report to be made, " as to the best method of
rendering the style of our future statutes more cor-
rect, concise, and uniform in their forms of expres-
sion, and at the same time more perspicuous in the
arrangement of their enactments and provisions, with
a statement of such practical rules as appear to be
most ffirectual for this purpose." But no Report was
made.

In 1816 the Houses of Lords and Commons con-
curred in a resolution as to arranging the enactments
of the statute book under separate and distinct heads ;
and that for such purpose, a person learned in the law
should be appointed, with clerks under him, not ex-
ceeding twenty.
Yet, notwithstanding all these endeavours, here we
are are at this day groping our way amidst the conun-
drums of Acts of Parliament till it is utterly impossible
to make any sense of their unintelligible wordiness.
What may have been the cause we cannot divine. But
as the papers which have led us into these remarks
seem to have been prepared with a full insight into the
evils of the present system, and a determination to
provide a remedy, we can only hope that statutes may
in future partake of a little of the clearness which Mr.
Symonds has given to the examples of a few remo-
delled statutes.

According to the letter in which he opens the sub-
ject and gives a summary of his plans, it appears that
the language of statutes may be rendered more precise
by the very simple expedients of properly applying the
legislative terms " may and shall," and a strict atten-
tion to the composition of sentences, so as never to

have in any sentence more than one enacting verb.
These rules, and due attention to arrangement, would
do much for our laws. The arrangement of matter
he proposes to control by a table of contents to each
Act, formed from the marginal notes; and to make
these notes very brief, and to give them a position
across the page and at the beginning of paragraphs,
and not on the margin, which is both less convenient
and more expensive.
In short, it seems that we only require to have our
laws written IN ENGLISH, and under proper superin-
tendence, in order to have the doings of the Legisla-
ture fitted for the every-day business of a great com-
mercial people.

By ofitaiifing a remedy for the defects of the form
and expression of the laws, we shall soon be able to
find out a way to amend its principles ; for, with shame
be it said, the laws of Britain are at present DEVOID
OF PRINCIPLE, being merely the patchwork of suc-
ceeding generations of our wise Lords and country
Gentlemen, who have legislated for the most trifling
incidents, instead of generalizing their labours, and
having machinery in operation to enable them to do so.
We shall again advert to the subject, which must not
be lost sight of by the urgency of less weighty matters.

STATE OF THE NAVY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SU.N.

MR. EDITOR,—A Naval Officer, who writes in the
Naval and Military Gazette, advises the naval alarmists to
follow his example, and proceed to Tower-hill, from thence
to Ratcliffe-highway, visit the Docks and Deptford, and
ascertain, as he has done, that there is no difficulty in
getting seamen to man our ships.
Really, Mr. Editor, I see not the smallest necessity to
take so much trouble. The Naval Officer has very frankly
told us that the port of London has furnished two hundred
men in three weeks ; one half of whom are mechanics and
ordinary seamen. Perhaps he will tell us in his next letter
how!long, at that rate, it will take to man ten sail of the line.
He is quite correctin saying I had visited the rendez-
vous,
and I am sorry to say my inquiries agree pretty well
with his own. The first week after the Admiralty placard
was issued, fifty men, including ordinary and mechanics,
were entered ; the week before, thirty-seven able seamen ;
and the week before that, forty-six. So much for the
placard.
If there was cause for alarm before, there is still more
now, when it is ascertained that in three weeks the port of
London
has only furnished two hundred men for the navy ;
one half of whom, it is probable, no captain would receive
if he could help it ; and this at a time when we are me-
naced with a war in India—when a fresh rebellion has broke
out in Canada, supported by the American borderers, and
in all probability countenanced by the Government—when
France has shut us out from the Mexican and South Ame-
rican trade, and is preparing to attack St. John de Ulloa—
and when Russia has a fleet of thirty sail of the line in the
Baltic, ready, when the sea is open, to take advantage of
any untoward event that may befal this country.
I am sick, Sir, of hearing that we have no cause to be
afraid of Russia. Suppose France had a fleet of thirty
sail of the line at Cherbourg, ready for sea, would we be
comfortable ? The Baltic is only a week's sail from our
shores, and we are called alarmists, because we complain of
our defenseless state.
Either, Mr. Editor, we are on good terms with Russia,
or we are not. If the former, why have we a fleet of eight
sail of the line in the Mediterranean under a flag at the
main ? To protect Turkey against Russia, no doubt ; and
in so doing, should a collision take place between us and
the Russian fleet, can we suppose for one moment that the
Emperor of Russia, with the force he has in the Baltic,
would not instantly make an attack on this country? If
he did not, his Nobles would, in all probability, bow-string
him.

We must trust, Mr. Editor, to our own resources alone.
bFrance, t o
byf
theher
'Turkishoccupation
empire,
poi r
e and has deprived f Algiers,
lef of
the right of remonstrating with Russia, even if she had
the inclination ; and after the manner Louis Philippe has
fulfilled the Quadruple Treaty, no great reliance can be
placed on him. Should any accident happen to the Duke
of Bordeaux, he would be the legitimate Sovereign of
France, and be received into the family of Sovereigns who
rule by Divine right ; and would, in all probability, place
Don Carlos on the throne of Spain, and Miguel on that of
Portugal.
I beg to assure the Naval Officer I have taken up the
question of the Navy from a conviction that the country
sthhoreueld not be left defenceless, and not for party purposes.
My feelings go entirely with the present Government ;
but I can tell them, unless they act with more decision
they will lose all their friends. They came into office under
Re-
form .s%Pe
. e
hdagvees pledges—Reform, e; form, Peace,
Peace
we aec e,
don't
d Retrenchment.want,
unless
ito a
nbe
maintained with honour ; Retrenchment neither, unless it
can be followed up without endangering the State.
I am, Sir, yours, &c.
CHARLES NAPIER.
Merchistoun Hall, Horn Dean, Dee. 10, 1838.

Comparative circulation of the London Evening
Papers as extracted from the official returns published by
the Stamp Office for the six months from April 1 to Sep-
tember 30, 1838, inclusive :
Total, Six Months. Daily Average.
SUN ...... ... 750,000
Standard 523,000
Globe
Courier
CHARLES DUKE DONNE, Registrar.
Register of Warrants Office, Stamps, and Taxes, Oct, 20, MB.