The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, .TANUARY 14, LS:36

whom they advance. On the contrary, we are ready
to admit that Ministers have made choice of the two
most respectable equity lawyers whom the slender ranks
of their party could supply—an admission which by,
no means implies that we gainsay the awful " perhaps"
of our worthy Contemporary of the Chronicle. The
job consists in this—that, after keeping the Court of
Chancery in a state of confusion and inefficiency for eight
months, the Melbourne-Whigs have made these appoint-
ments when they know, and merely because they know,
that their lease of office has run out to within less than
one-fourth of that period, and when there is, to the clear
perception of all the world, a strong probability, to say
the least, that the only practical effect resulting from
these appointments will be to give the country another
retired Lord Chancellor, at an expense of 5,000/. a
year, and a new and untried Master of the Rolls, in-
stead of the present occupant of that office, with
whom, upon the whole, the nation was not dissatis-
fied. It is notorious that for eight months the Mel-
bourne Ministry has permitted the Court of Chancery
to remain in a state much more detrimental to the
country than a total and absolute suspension of its
functions could have been ? Is it not notorious that
this great offence against the nation has been commit-
ted in mere terror of Lord Brougham's hostility ? Is
Lord Brougham propitiated—or, in their despair, have
the Melbourne Ministry ceased to fear him ? A few
weeks will show to which of these causes the Chancery
jobs ought to be ascribed. For the present we adhere
to the opinion that they are the natural results of
" the ruling passion strong in death."—Morn. Post.
The great question which has agitated the Court,
the Cabinet, and the country, during the last nine
months, namely—who is to be Lord Chancellor ?—has
at length, after an almost unparalleled series of negocia-
tions and deliberations, beem solved, we hope, to the
satisfaction of the country. The Master of the Rolls,
Sir Christopher Pepys, is to be the Lord High Chan-
cellor, and Mr. Bickersteth is to succeed Sir Christo-
pher in the Court in which he has hitherto sat. The
professional reputation of these gentlemen is too well
known to render.it necessary for us to state how highly
they are qualified to discharge the important duties of
the Courts to which they have been severally ap-
pointed. They unite every requisite for fulfilling
with honour to themselves and benefit to the country,
the duties which now devolve upon them ; and yet in
their appointment there is a small spice of wormwood
for others, we mean Lord Brougham and Sir John
Campbell, which the country will find it difficult
to swallow, without a more satisfactory explanation
of the matter than has yet been given. - Why, it will
be inquired, was not Lord Brougham re-appointed to
the office of Lord High Chancellor, seeing that after
all endeavours to the contrary it was found necessary
to appoint one ? Why, also, it will be asked, Lord
Brougham being rejected, or declared unfit, or being
disagreeable to the King—was not Sir John Campbell
preferred to his more successful rivals ? Of the emi-
nent services rendered by both—not only in their legal,
but their political capacity—no one who has witnessed
their patriotic carecr, can entertain the slightest doubt.
The one is not only the first man of his age and
generation, but has been instant in season and out of
season in advocating and supporting legal and Consti-
tutional Reform, in a manner and with a power of
persuasion unequalled in this or in any other country •
while the latter has not only signalized himself in his
profession as one of the soundest lawyers at the bar,
but may be set down as one of the ablest and most
consistent Reformers of the present day. The men
who hare been appointed are sound and excellent
lawyer.* perfectly adequate to the discharge of
the duties which devolve upon them ; but they are
mere lawyers, each moving within his respective
circle, and incapable, so far as the past is proof, of
moving beyond it. The two others are not less capa-
ble of the functions which the former will have to dis-
charge, and have besides signalised themselves in other
capacities not less beneficial to the people. The cause
of their failure, however, is not to be traced, we be-
Flew, to the prevalence of any unworthy motive on the
part of the Mellmininc Administration in the prefer-
ence which has been shown ; but to their desire, on
the one hand, to retain Sir John Campbell in the
House of Commons comparatively unshackled from
other duties eand, on the other, by he appointment of
Mr. Bickersteth, to pave the way for the separation of
the judicial and political duties of the Lord Chan-
, eellor, and the ultimate appointment of Lord Brougham
as the political Chancellor. Sir John Campbell has
at once reason to be proud and to be grieved. Lord
Brougham cares too little for office and its patronage
and emoluments, to remonstrate against any proceed-
ing which Lord Melbourne deems necessary for the
maintenance and successful progress of the cause of
Refo r .—Moening Advertiser.

KING'S BENCH-WEDNESDAY.

castle of Corfe, by which the whole island of Pur-
beck was found to be warren of the King, and a variety of
privileges to be attached to it ; also letters patent of the
date of the 14th January, 32d Henry VIII., grant-
ing and giving to his Queen Consort Catherine the three
hundreds which at that time contained the whole island, with
all its privileges, as fully and amply as he would have held
them himself. Letters patent were also produced, dated in
the 18th and 27th of Elizabeth, granting the Caitle and
Lordship of Corfe to the same person with its privileges
more amply detailed. Amongst other things these privi-
leges included chase and free warren, the appointment of
constable to the castle of Corfe, the prisage of all vessels
laden with wine, anchoring near the island, wrecks of the
sea, all Royal fish and falcons, the authority of Admirals
within the manor, castle, and lordship of Corfe and the
precincts of the same, as well by water as by land, and upon
the high sea flowing to and adjoining the island, and all
ports, rivers, creeks, and arms of the sea, being within the
island, so that no Admiral of England should enter within
the precincts of the said island to do or execute anything
there which did or might belong to the office of Admiralty.
Dr. ADDAMS appeared on behalf of Mr. Banks, and
urged at considerable length the decisions in the Court of
Exchequer as conclusive against the Crown itself.
The KING'S ADVOCATE and Dr. PHILLIMORE will be
heard on the other side next Court day.

INSOLVENT COURT-WEDNESDAY.

THE SLAVE TRADE.--IN THE MATTER OF MARY ANN

PORTLESS.

In this matter a rule-il4been obtained a short time
ago, calling on the insolvent, who was discharged hi Sep-
tember, 1834, to attend the Court for the purpose of being
further examined touching her estate and effects, or to show
cause to the contrary. The application was made on the
part of the assignees, two creditors, named Bolton and
Underwood, who claimed, from the Commissioner in her
right, the value of nine negro slaves domiciled in the
island of Demerara, under the Act abolishing slavery in
the colonies.

Mr. Woodroffe, on the part of the assignees, moved to
make the rule absolute, and Mr. Cooke showed cause.
Mr. Cooke contended that the rule must be dismissed.
The COMMISSIONERS, after mutual consideration, granted
a rule nisi for a re-bearing.