The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-27 00:00:00

COMMON LAW COMMISSIONS.

It seems right that the public should be apprised
of the effect which has been already given to the
recommendations of the Common Law Commis-
sioners. The following is an accurate general ac-
count of the principal reforms hitherto resulting
from their labours. It is to be observed that they
are the produce of. the original commission only, as
appointed in May, 1828, and that they amount but
to a very small portion of the general plans of im-
provement developed in the two reports of that
commission. The introduction of the Bills by which
they have been carried into effect is a service that
has been divided between Lord Tenterden and Sir
J. Scarlett. Of the acts hereunder mentioned, the
Ist Will. IV., sess. 1, c. 70, and 1 Will. IV., seas.
2. c. 3, were the work of the latter gentleman, the
others of the Noble Lord

1. The abolition of the separate judicature of Wales, and
the admission of the principality to the benefits of the
general judicial system ; by which the complete conso-
lidation of England and Wales is at length, for the first
time, effected--1 Will. IV., sees. 1. c. 70.
2. The strengthening of the judicial establishment of
Westminster-hall, by the appointment of three addi-
tional Judges, by which the Welsh circuit is provided
for, and great despatch given in various ways to the
general business of the courts.—lbid.
3. The better regulation of the terms, the fixing of Easter
term, and the substitution of a simpler method of re-
turns, in lieu of essoign or general return days.—lbid.
and 1 Will. IV., less. 2, c. 3.
4. The establishment of a more reasonable and conve-
nient system of appellate jurisdiction among the courts
at Westminster, by which the writ of error from the
Common Pleas to the King's Bench is taken away, and
a writ of error given from each of the three courts to
the other two.-1 Will. IV., sess. 1, c 70.
5. Power given to the Judge to pronounce sentence (in
case of misdemeanours, &c.) at the trial, in lieu of the
former inconvenient system, by which judgment was
postponed till the full court met in b
6. The breaking up of the monopoly of the officers of the
court of Exchequer, the admission of all attornies to
practise therein, and its consequent establishment upon
an equal footing with the other courts in Westminster-
hall.—lbid.
7. A provision by which rules of practice are required to
be made by all the Judges of the three Courts conjointly,
or by eight of them at least, whereby foundation is laid
for the future uniformity of their practice.—lbid.
8. Provisions for giving immediate judgment and exe-
cution upon a verdict in lieu of the former system, by
which judgment and execution were postponed till the
next term, and the plaintiff often subjected to the ruinous
delay of several months.—lbid. and 1 Will. IV.,
sess. 2. c 7.
9. Provisions, giving increased facility to landlords as to
the time of bringing an action of ejectment, and pro-
tecting them from the inconvenient and prejudicial delay
to which they were formerly exposed when the right of
entry occurred at certain periods of the year.-1 Will.
IV. seas 1. c. 70.
10. The improvement of the course of proceeding in pro-
hibition and mondamas, by which some unnecessary
expense is saved, and some unmeaning forms rescinded,
and proper provision made fir payment of costs to the
successful party.-1 Will. IV. seas. 2. c. 21.
1.1. Power given to the courts of common law to order
the examination of witnesses upon interrogatories, and
to order a commission to issue for examination of wit-
nesses abroad, the want of which power has hitherto
been productive of great difficulty, delay, and expellee,
and sometimes of an absolute failure of justice.--
1 Will. IV., seas. 2, c. 22.
12. Various provisions with respect to bail, tending to the
material diminution of difficulty and expence, to the
abolition of the disgraceful system of sham bail, to
the better security of the plaintiff against insufficient
bail, and to the greater facility of time defendant in pro-
curing bail.-1. Will. IV., sess. 1, c. 70, Regulm
Gcncrales of Trinity term last.
13. The retrenchment and simplification of the technical
forms of demand in certain actions of the most ordi-
nary occurrence, by which considerable expence is
saved, and the foundation laid for still more important
reforms of the same description.—Regulee Generales,
of TI inity term last.
With respect to future operations, we understand
the arrangement to lie, that the original Commis-
sioners are separately, (mom their colleagues, to make
a further report upon various matters of pleading
and practice, upon which they had entered before
the appointment o f the latter gentlemen, and that
the whole commission (as lately renewed and en-
larged) are to report on the important subjects of
arrest for debt and the law of evidence.

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY.—The second
and concluding volume of Dr. TnomsoN's " History o
Chemistry" forms the tenth number of the above popular
work. The author has pursued the plan which gained
such great success for his first volume, nmely, the se-
curing his reader's attention by original anecdotes of all
the great professors of the sciences, so that his work may
in this respect be termed the Lives of the Chemists. To
this will succeed as the eleventh volume of the " National
Library," "Mr. St. John's Lives of the Travellers," a sub-
ject particularly dear to the lovers of rare and striking ad-
venture.

Field-Marshal PA SKEWITCH, a Lithuanian
by birth, served Poland in the war of 1792, under the
orders of Prince JosErr! PoritKrowsKi, and afterwards in
1794, ut the time of the struggle for national indepen-
dence, ❑nder KOSCIUSKO. Being without fortune, and
unable to join the Polish Legion, commanded by General
Postnaowsxt, in Italy, Captain PASKEWITCIt took ser-
vice in Russia, where he arrived to the rank which be
ntr;v occupies. It was intended at the commencement of
the hostilities with Poland, to appoint him Commander•in-
Chief of the Russian forces, but it was said at the time
that he had positively declared that he was ready to take a
command against Persia and Turkey, but that he would
not accept one against Poland. We are anxious to know
will he decline, or yield to the Autocrat's insinuations.

SEC ON I ) EDITION.
SUN OFFICE, Seven o'clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

OF THIS EVENING.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Ten Minutes past Five o'clock.
Mr. Farquhar, from the Tanjore Commissioners, pre-
sented a second R.port.
A Gentleman presented the fifth Report of the Metro-
politan Road Commissioners.
Mr. Walker presented papers from the Consistorial
Court in London.
Viscount MELBOURNE moved the first reading of
the Irish Expiring Commissioners Continuation Bill, and
the Suspension of the Standing Order..., number 126 and
155, in order to enable the speedy carrying of the Bill
through the House.—Agreed to.
CHOLERA MORBUS.

The Earl of WALPOLE wished to know whether his
Majesty's Government would have any objection to lay
upon the table of the Honourable House a list of the
medical gentlemen appointed as a Board of Health
for the prevention and remedy of the cholera morbus.
He did so in consequence of a medical friend of his in-
forming him that there was not one person in the appoint-
ment to whom cases of cholera morbus had ever ban per-
sonally known. If such was the case, he considered it
most essential that medical men well understanding
this dreadful disease should be added to that Board.—
Many men of great science were now resident in the
country who had seen cholera in its worst shapes in India.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN said he had no ob-
jection to the motion of the Noble Earl, but he
would beg at the same time to state, that the names of the
Board were in the Gazelle. One of the Members of that
Board was Dr. Russell, who had probably seen more cases
of cholera than any man in existence. That scientific
gentleman had gone over to Russia to ascertain the na-
ture of that dreadful disease there, and he the (Marquis
of Lansdowne) expected shortly to receive information
from him that would greatly relieve any anxiety on the
part of the public. The Noble Marquis concluded by
moving for extracts of all communications respecting the
disorder, prevailing in the North of Europe.

LABOURING POOR.

The Earl of WINCHILSEA brought in, and moved

the first reading of a Bill for the better employment of the
agricultural poor. The Noble Earl stated that he should
reserve the observations which he intended to make on
this Bill, till he moved its second reading, which he gave
notice he should do on Friday next. —The House (hen ad-
journed.