The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 15.
ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Royal Assent was given to-day to the Calico Draw-
back Duties Bill, to the Mutiny Bill, the Scotch Cre-
ditors' Bill, and three private Bills.
The Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the
Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Durham.
Petitions were presented from Bolton, in Gloucester-
shire, and several places in the Isle of Ely, against the
tithe system, also petitions from different parishes of
Middlesex for the removal of the police ; by Earl Rad-
nor from Lambeth, in favour of Reform ; by the Earl of
Westmoreland, from Westmoreland, for the repeal of the
punishment of death in cases of forgery; by Lord Ros-
lyn, from Dysart, in favour of Reform ; by Lord Carbery
from a parish in Cork, for the abolition of slavery; by
the Duke of Northumberland, from Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, against the proposed duty on the Canadian
timber; by the Duke of Norfolk, from Fifeshire,
in favour of Reform, also a similar petition from Rox-
burgh ; by the Earl of Rosebery, from a borough in Lin-
lithgow, to the same effect : by the Marquis of Bute, from
Swansea, in favour of Parliamentary Reform ; by the Earl
of Chichester, from Sussex, complaining of distress, and
praying for the relief of the agricultural classes ; and by the
Marquis of Downshi re, from Carrickfergus, against slavery.
Lord SUFFIELD presented a petition from a parish in
Norfolk, praying for Reform, a change in the poor laws,
and a commutation of tithes. In doing so the Noble Lord
could not refrain from expressing his most unqualified 'ap-
probation of the Bill before the other House: on the subject
of Reform. If Noble Lords, who were possessed of bo-
rough interest, felt grateful to his Majesty's Ministers for
the measure they bad adopted to relieve them from the
obloquy under which they laboured, bow much more
grateful ought those Noble Lords to be who, possessing no
borough interest, still shared that obloquy with those who
did.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from the Corporation of Calne, praying for an extension
of the elective franchise and Parliamentary Reform.
In presenting the petition the Noble Alarquis said
that it was a great satisfaction to him to state what-
ever might be said about the close borough influence
exerted in. Cilne, a place with which be had the honour
of a chute connection, he would take upon himself to assert
that that influence had never been bought or soil. For
himself he had but four houses in the place, each paying
10/._a year rent.

The isioar.E MARQUIS also presented petitions from Dun-
dalk, the Corporation of Wrights in Edinburgh, Lisgard,
and other places, to the same effect.

PRESCRIPTION PERIOD LIMITATION.

Lord TENTERDEN laid on the table a Bill to limit
the time of prescription. The explanation of the Noble
Lord, of the object and features of his measure, were
wholly inaudible below the bar. The Noble and Learned
Lord then moved that the Bill be read a first time, and be
printed, allowing it to stand over for the ensuing three
weeks, in order that Noble Lords might have an opportu-
nity of inspecting its provisions, and coming to a correct
opinion as to the expediency of the measure.
The Bishop of BRISTOL briefly observed upon the
the nature of the proposed alteration, as it was likely to
affect the property and privileges of the church, which the
Noble and Learned Lord, he was convinced, would be one
of the last men living to injure, either directly or indi-
rectly. The Bill, however, which he was now chant to
bring in could hardly prove acceptable to the public, lay as
well as clerical, much leis could it pass through that
House, unless certain of its provisions as now framed
should undergo considerable modifications. Many incum-
bents throughout the kingdom who, from a supineness
not altogether discreditable to themselves, had neglected
to enforce their just and equitable rights, would suffer ma-
terially from the operation of the measure. He trusted,
therefore, that his Noble and Learned Friend would afford
sufficient opportunity for duly investigating, and satisfac-
torily recognizing, the claims or the clergy.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY also felt assured
that the Noble and Learned Lord entertained no un-
friendly feeling towards the church, and be was the more
confirmed in such an impression by the mazy acts of kind.
ness and valuable assistance which he had himself expe-
rienced at the hands of the Noble and Learned Lord
while preparing the Bill for establishing a satisfactory ad-
justment of tithes which he had the honour so recently
to introduce into their Lordships' House. He would not,
however, pledge himself on the present occasion one way
or other as to the course which be should pursue with
reference to this measure, as he was desirous first to have
an opportunity of examining its provisions in detail, and
that opportunity the Noble Lord's proposed arrangements
would hereafter afford him. Meanwhile he might express
his concurrence in what had fallen from his Ri;ht Rev.
Friend with respect to the remissness of the clergy in en-
forcing their rights,--a remissness proceeding from the
assumption that no prescription could prevail against the
church.

Lord TENTERDEN was understood to assure the
most Rev. Prelate that the interests of the clergy would
be adequately protected.
The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that whatever
difference of opinion might exist respecting the details of
this measure, all must agree in acknowledging the great
pains which his Noble and Learned Friend had bestowed
upon it, the profound learning and extensive experience
which be bad brought to its consideration, and finally all
professional men would confess that a larger or more bene-
ficial legal improvement had seldom been proposed. In-
deed, no one who had not been versed in the practice of
the Courts could properly estimate the vexatious doubts
and professional objections which continually arose out of
the liw of prescriptive rights as it now operated, but it
required all his Noble Friend's experience, and all his in-
tellectual astuteness, to effect so salutary and withal so ex-
tensive an improvement as that which he proposed. That
part of the Bill, however, which would be most generally
interesting and most fully appreciated, was his Noble
Friend's amendment of the law as it affected terms for
y ears, and outstanding terms, which had given rise to
more chicane and gross injustice than had proceeded from
any other component part of the whole legal system. The
necessary consequence of this Bill would be the extinction
of the practice of getting hold of outstanding terms for the
purpose of " squeezing out" incumbraneers in possession
—a practice once in full observance, and up to the
present moment recognised. With respect, however,
to that part of tl.e Bill which related to church
rights, he perfectly agreed with his Noble and Learned
friend that the most satisfactory course would be to read
the Bill a first time then, and have it printed, leaving it
to stand over for three weeks, with a view to enable all
parties to examine it at leisure, and form an opinion upon
its merits. The Right Rev. Prelate had stated most truly,
that many incumbents had allowed their claims to slum-
ber, influenced by motives of the most honourable nature,
which reflected credit on their forbearance, and it was
perfectly just that all such claims should be satisfied by an
equitable arrangement, concluded after a proper degree
of attention should have been devoted to the subject. The
church, in this respect, certainly had to complain of a
very great grievance, and underwent no inconsiderable
share of unmerited obloquy. He should conclude by
wishing his Noble and Learned Friend all the success
which his laudable exertions so eminently deserved.
Lord MELBOURNE here gave notice, that he should
move on Friday next for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal
the rth of George IV., c. 1 l.—(The Sub-letting Act.)
The Earl of FIFE then rose, and proceeded at some
length to denounce, in most vehement terms, the whole
of the legal Reforms recommended by the Noble and
Learned Lord on the woolsack, who, he contended, had
endeavoured to create changes " subversive of the princi-
ples of common law," and reminded him of the Duke of
Exeter, mentioned in " Blackstone's Commentaries" as
having been the first to introduce the rack into
England, la consequence of which that engine of
torment had been designated by the soubriquet of
the Duke of Exeter's daughter." In altering the con-
stitution of the court of bankruptcy', as the Noble and
Learned Lord proposed, he way, in his opinion, offering a
premium to the people to drag forth the fathers of families,
and coffin them alive till their flesh grew rotten ! The
Noble Earl subsequently with great energy expatiated on
the enormous expenses and the vexatious delays attendant
on litigation, and further animadverted on the intended
Reforms proposed by the Lord Chancellor, which he de-
clared to be altogetlar incompatible with the privileges of
the peerage. His Lordship was entering somewhat mote
at large into the demerits of the Reform Bills, when_
The LORD CHANCELLOR rose to order, and re-
minded the Noble Lord, for whom he professed to have a
high respect, that it was not possible then to debate the
policy of bills which were not under consideration ; indeed
the one to whirls he particularly alluded had already passed,
and was at present in the other House. Lawsuits were
certainly tedious and expensive matters;—that there was
no denying, and tare Noble Lord, be believed, had but too
good a reason to assign for the truth of what he asserted
on that head, as he remembered having been his counsel in
a case of great hardship assuredly'; and he would now
candidly confess that be thought him at the time an ex-
tremely ill-used man. If, however, they once recognized
the principle of debating what seas not debateable, con-
sistently with Parliamentary usage, and what, moreover,
had been already debated when regularly under considera-