The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-16 00:00:00

LONDON MARKETS-THIS DAY.

(From the New London Price Current.) '
EAST INDIA DITTIEs.—Mr. Ewart, in the House of Com-
mons last night, presented a petition from the inhabitants of
Calcutta, praying the equalization of the import duty from
the East Indies' on Sugar, Rum, Molasses, and Tobacco,
The Ministers did not oppose it, Mr. P. M. Stewart stated
his being favourable to a graduated scale that is the idea of
the West India interest, the Sugar duty to be yearly lessened
till it is equal with the West India. The general understand.
ing is that in 1844 this will be made equal.
SUGAR,—The West India Raw Sugar Market became very
hei.vyl;sl iye&s after the Tuesday the estimated sales were
only about 1,500 hhds. and tps,, p. ices 4114 Mien §cl, per
cwt.
The stock of West India Sugars is now 10,07 Q 111*, -and
trs., beingl9,7 less than last year. The stock of Mauritius
is now q 8,054 bags, which is 17,524 'less than last year. The
delis4ry of West India last week was 1,939 Mids. and trs.,
which is 242 less than last year. The delivery of igauritiui
was E3,75q bags, being 610 less than the eor.r esponding
last years week o

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 15
The SPEAKER took the Chair at four o'clock.
LEEDS AND DERBY RAILWAY.

Sir J. BECKETT pres:ented a petition for leave to bring
in a Bill for the formation of a Railway from Leeds to Derby.—
Leave giveti.
Sir E. WILMOT hrought up the Report of the Com:-riace
on the Coventry Canal Bill, repurting thot the Standing '....aders
had been complied with..—Leave-was given t6b:ing in the- Bill.

NAVY ESTIMATES

Mr. C. WOOD brought u- the NAvy 'Estimate-J.—Laid on
ie table.

SUPPLIES

Mr. F. BARING brought up the Report of the Committee
of Supply. —Ordered to lee printed.
Mr. PENDARVES r-oresontad a petition from Runcorn, ia
favour of the railway from that town to Marehestor.

DIVOaCE BILLS.

Mr. TOOKE .said that the motion which he was about
to,submit to the House was so perfectly e:::•lanatory in its
nature, and the grievance it sought to remedy was so obvious
from what had passed in that House during the preceding
session—the painful if not disgusting exhibition they
had witnessed of the witnesses that 'had been ex-
amined at the bar—of the counsel spealting so low
as not to be heard, or when hearJ, olensive or
disgusting—that he hoped be would be c:empted from-
entering at large upon the motion, which as relative to the
grievance it sought to iethed? -.vas, at least, a sal'e exper:ment.
He was =ate that an opinion was ente:talued that any legisla-
tive enactment on this subject was qu.estionable, until some
other measure was adopted, he thought t,'art a Select Co-.-.-i-
-mittee so constituted as. he p-..0p07ed, would answer tlie pa--
pose. He had spoken to those individuals wl7orn he wished to
form the Committee, and the" consented to attend
under these circumstances, and to spare the Muse the
time and waste of attending to such maters for which it wa
perfectly incompetent. He proposed that a Select Courait.,:ce,
to consist of not more than nine Members, farce to he

quorum, be appointed, to Whom should he referred ever; Di-.
vorce Bill on the second Tooling, w:tli :xraer to ezzmice wi::-
ncsses, and verily 4ocurrient:-:-..:7 evidnec, and fae r.p-
pointment of such. Committee the prr.ctic: of hearing
and examining witnesses Et the Vt.:: of the House he dis.:3n-
-tinned. except when specially orde•-ed.

Mr. HUME wished to know if the Attorney-General air
proved of this. motion.—( Hen.- her. 7.) This V7OS a very
important subject, and he not help thinking not
it would be, interfe..ing the clue co:s.r:e cf joe-
tice ; and therefore any o offi3ers, o:

any of his Majesty's A.:in:ste:s lSchg p esont,
to his Hon.- Friend'whethcr lie i:a ie a.:70.1ri-eacz in •-'..he
.
object of this motion, and even 1: he the,y -chght
be there to state their reasOns.—(Cries ;.7 "fear,
They ought not to proceed till_ they. had asce:t ........ f..•orn
law officers of the Crown what it was right to do.
had considerable doubt of the propriety of ping a shb-
ject of such importance into the hands of a few --nSividh.r.lrs.
Mr. TOOKE said-he had been in comraunica;ion with
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and•with the Seeretahy.fo: file
Home Department on this subject ; and they Were cf opih:ch,
at least the first named Gentleman, that his resolhtion was hn
improvement on the present syctem, until some be; •ter
remedy could be devised. He had also been speahirg to
the Learned Gentleman who represents the ToWer Hamlets,
who approved of the motion, and into whose hands he would
willingly commit the matter. He hoped Hon. Members wouli
consent'to the motion as an cxner:ircntal measure, until a more
permanent remedy could be devised.
Sir ROBERT PEEL wohld be sorry to throw any obilacle
in the way,of an imp:ch.-en-rant on the present system; bnt
would suggest-the propriety of not deciding a matter of such
grave importance without fuller debate and discussion. He
thought the present plan of examining witresses ht the Ear
acted as a great check to collusion between the parties, and
he would wish for titre for cleliberetion.
Mr.
.DI VETT thought the time had arrived when some
change should be made in the system. The exposures which
they were in the habit of witressing at the Bar nere either the
grossest indecency or a perfect farce. He would not then
enter upon a discussion of the question bet he gave notice of
his intention, whea the next Divorce Dill came under their
consideration, to tale the selse of the Flouse • upon it, with a
view to an alte,mtion in the presert mode of Foceedios.
Dr. LUSHINGTON thcs of opinion that the practice
hitherto pursued in passing Acts of Parliament in individual
cases was bad, and he ente..tained z:o doubt that some improve-
ment in the matter to by the Hon. Merther for Truro
should be made. 'He did not agree with the iliecabe for
ter to the full extent of hid assertion, that in the majority of
cases brought befo--e the House there was collusion tiC'.:77CCII
the par ties. He admitted that the present mode should
go a change, and that cases should be referred either to. the
tribunal which now has coghiharce of matrimonial suits,
or to a new jurisdiction created for the purpose.
If new attempts were to be made to alter the mode. of
proceeding, he certainly agreed with his Honourable -.l.7r:end
opposite, the Member for Truro, that rather than have the
examination at the bar of the it would be p..eferable'to
refer it to a SelectCommitttee. Eh,: I etboughttrrtwhent_esub.
ject was daily considered in all Ls ben`.-ihh;s, rot h: stilytaken up bat
considered with reereree to the great importvoe of keeping
the marriage tics solemn a•:.(1 unbroken, it would be found a
legislative remedy vies''only means of tle'rg jastice.
Lord JOHN au SSE L consideic.-d the question o: "ht
.2.. Ws bpl,-to-1
was tht,.t the p..e.:,e11;:, mode o 7 Liliofee s shas
nei;:ber satisfactory to Pa,..liamel:; no! &ocie;:y.
pemed to him that the ireposiLiol be G"..e the liouso we-at to
convert a Select Co,-nrrit:ee into a Tribunal, and that it did_
not male that trihnnal a compe;:er:: comt justice
in these cases. There we're to be niTe Members named .
to the House to form a select COTII%;;CC, but thezhs was
no security thrt those nine Members would be persons iiz
whom to place the great judicial powe.s that might.
be placed in a competent tr:bunal, wuperly constith;;ed tor the.
purpose of deciding those cases. if one man wo:s appointed as
judge he woeld not be subject to shell ihterraphois, /red '-1 ilia
discharge of his duty as the mercber of the Cocoh•itt2p -,ll*
-:;11;,
but the Committee would hare all tie 07 j,ds.es
without the sacred character whica 3udges ()light t per.:sc,3s.
It certainly might be proper to hi ve a remedy, but tl:e Hohse
ought not to agree to the motion of his Honourable Friend,
subject -of t' a lrw of divorce
(gltbae)t
He had no doubt when oche: Subjects which mono lira h-
diatelv pressed for the conshi.ehation of the House ne.e die_
posedsh!f,bet:loree
brou
The opinion of his Hor. and Lcauecl !end the Member for
wthelghTzolefiei,,,rh Hamlets, would, oounld,thls
st4ec:;
; but be implored.
the House not-to agree to a remedy wllicla Ira thought would
be insuaicient, egairhit principle, and indeed NTVSO than the
presen:-. course of v-oceeclingh
Sir ROBE wr.INGLiS trusted that there would be a ge-
neral expression of the opirion of tl:ct House oh the rhohon
of his Hon. Friend ;I bet hc thought it most r.nfalr
to try the merits of the question in Vie way propose: by
his motion. He trusted that his Hon. Friord would not raise
the question on an individual case, but make it thoe.subotj.eott-h:ea
distinct motion.
Mr. O'CONNELL - would. oppose every
Bills, because he tlyoug,ht them ttad upon prieciple,
this was a refried:7; -it --was --ore which was only aeocable
tothe rich. He therefore could not sanction any remedy, of the
bene3t of which the poor should be deprived. He should
therefore object to the Bills altogether.
Mr. TOOKE said that after what had fallen from the Noble
Lord the Secretary for the Home Department, although be
thought the reform which he had promised nvigh come too late,
still he did not feel disposed to press his notion; he woul/41,
therefore, with the leave of tie House, withdratv it,
SHERIFFS' APPOINTMENT IN IRELAND.
Colonel PERCEVAL, seein.. the Noble Lord the Secre-
tary for Ireland in his place, wished to put a question. I-fe bad
heard from private sources, as well as through the nowspepers,
that a gentleman named Lee, who had gone to Dublin to be
sworn in as High She iff, for the County Wexford, had been
set aside by the Lord-Lieutenant. Now he, (Col. Perceral,)
begged to ask the Noble Lord whether there was any truth in
the statements to which he alluded.
Lord MORPETH said. the-statement referred to by the
lion. Gentleman was quite'. correct. Another gentleman had
been substituted for MN Leei,in the office of High Sheriff for
the County Wexford.
• Colonel -PERCEVAL then gave notice that he would move
for aretUrn of the names of the gentlemen recommended by
the Judges to 1111 the °Mae of High Sheriffin the several coun-
ties in Ireland, and also the names of those who had been a.e.
tually appointed.
• Mr. O'CONNELL wished-that the Hon. and Gallant
Gentleman would extend his motion to a period of the last Et:
years.

7.-.0

I e.ft