The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-11 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION

•
worth while to press the Hon. Gentleman's arguments
further—the House was impatient at his theology, and
he would therefore content himself by cordially sup-
porting the second reading of the Bill.
Captain HAMILTON observed that if he had not
heard any arguments in favour of the Bill, the speech
of the Hon. Member for Oxford would have decided
him to vote in favour of it.—(Hear.) He believed it
would be found that the Right Hon. Baronet had not
a majority even on his own side of the House.
Mr. MILNES differed from the Right Hon. Baro-
net, the Member for the University of Oxford, on this
subject. The Bill before the House did not appear to
him to involve those national peculiarities which his
Hon. Friend had so eloquently described. The ques-
tion was simply whether gentlemen of the Jewish per-
suasion should or should not execute those corporate

offices, which being entirely of a local nature, they were
from their position and acquaintance with the particu-
lar locality as likely to execute well as any other
class of individuals. The question was neither reli-
gious nor political, and protesting against the principle
of exclusion, be should give his vote in favour of the
Bill.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided—
For the second reading
Against it 24
Majority —ll3
The Bill was then read a second time.
COUNTY CORONERS.
Mr. PAKINGTON moved the second reading of
the County Coroners' Bill. It contained the same
provisions as a Bill which had been introduced in that
House in 1835, and which bore on it the name of the
Hon. Member for Bridport, namely, that the election
of Coroners should be vested in those who ware en-
titled to vote for Members of Parliament. He trusted,
therefore, his Bill would meet with no opposition from
that Hon. Member.
Mr. WARBURTON said, it did net follow that
because the Hon. Member who introduced the Bill put
upon the back of it the name of another Hon. Mem-
ber, that that Hon. Member was bound by all the pro-
visions of the Bill. His objections were principally to
the clause which proposed to render the election of a
county Coroner the same as the election of Members
of Parliament ; because, by adopting that mode, the Ma-
gistrates would have a voice in the election, which he
deprecated, because it ought to be remembered that
the Coroner had often to sit in judgment even upon
Magistrates themielv2s, and therefore he thought the
election of that officer should be as little as possible

connected with the Magistracy. He thought the
election of Coroner aught to approach as near as pos-
sible to universal suffrage. It was upon these grounds
he opposed the Bill, and would divide the House upon
its second reading.
Mr. FOX MAULE hoped the Hon. Member for
Bridport would not insist upon dividing the House on
tae second reading of the Bill. He thought, looking
at the state of the law with respect, to Coroners, the

House was much indebted to the Hon. Member who
had introduced the measure. With respect to what
had been stated as to Coroners' Cour►s being open
ones, he thought there was great room for argument
upon all sides ; but his opinion was that a large dis-
cretion should always be given to Coroners to clear
their Courts, or no►, as justice required it.
Colonel SIBTHORP thought depositions ought
to be taken before Coroners as they m ere in Courts of
law. He hoped the House would let the Bill go into
Committer..

Mr. HUME said that whilst he agreed with
the Hon. Gentleman that a Bill ought to be passed to
prevent fraud in the election of Coroners, he could
never agree to any measure which would narrow the
suffrage. He dissected entirely from that part of the
Bill. He trusted, however, that his Hen. Friend

would not divide the House upon the second reading,

but let the Bill go into Committee, on the understand-
ing that he would th-n oopose what he considered as
objectionabl.. If th t Hon. Gentleman who moved
the Bill wool 1 leav Vat suffrage on the same footing
as it had hitherto rested, he (Mr. flume) would sup-
port the r.-.easure.
Mr. WARBURTON said he woull not divide the
,souse. _ _ _

r G. STRICKLAND would give the 13:11 his
heady support, becauie the system at present in force
was very expensive, particular., in Yorkshire, hue
each Coroner, a'though he we. to act for only a district,
pas (dated by the whole county, in wh.c't there were at
jest 50,000 electors. No one could co to that expense,
ant: consequence ivas that the il:cioa was carried by
a few freeholders near the county towu. lle fl id not
agree to all the clauses in the B 11, but he would sup-
port
the second reading', in the hopes that it would be
amended in the Committee
Mr. WAKLEY would support the second reading
of the Bill as several of its provisions were vary good,
but he mutt decidedly object to the Magistrates having
anything to do with the clect'on of the Coroner—the Co-
roner had often to sit in judgment on the conduct of the
Magistrates, and he must decidedly oppose giving them
any more power ov2r the Coroner—they had too much
already. Upon prin:tiple, and generally, the Coroner's
Court ought to br.:an open Court, but ea',e4 might
arise, when, if the Coroner had not the power to
take evidence in secret, the ends of justice might
be, and he had no doubt had been de!eatel. It was
said that the murder of Mr. Weitwood was in
the room where the inquest was held, and afterwards
escaped to America. In such a case, where no suspi-
cion attached to any individual, it would be very

rious to the puhl c intcrest9, if the Coroner had not
the power of closing his court. With regard to the
clauses relating; to the franchise, the constituency in
Middlesex and Surrey would be eel aged, and would
not be so open to fraudulent practices. The registra-
tion would have a great (Meet in doing away with such
practices. The constituency under the Bill, in West
Middlesex alone, would amount to 25,000, whereas at
present, in the whole county, they did not amount
to 14,000. He ohject td to any change being
made in the Coroner's districts by the Magistrates,
without his cons,int. The districts in Middlesex
had been settled years ago, and his colleague
sand himself never interfered with each other.
Tke Coroner was one of the hardest worked and worst
paid officers in the country. The Gallant Colonel was
anxious to have the depositions taken at length. Now, as
the inquiry was as to whether a person had died a vio-
lent or a natural death, many questions were asked,
which afterwards turned out to have no connection with
the subject, and which would give great pain, if they
were published. Ha was glad his Hon. Friend did
not intend to divide against the all. With regard to
the deputy, the 15th clause provided that such deputy
should be a barrister or an attorney. Why not a qua-
lified medical practitioner ? He bad been Coroner for a
sufficient length of time to know that it was absolutely
necessary that the person holding the office of
Coroner should have ;received a medical educatior.
He belitved that when the Hon. Gentleman moved
that_. clause he woull find a large majority against it.
With respect to appointing deputy-coroners he was op-
posed to such a measure, unless the Coroners ap-
pointed their deputies on the same terms that the She-
riffs did—namely, that they themselves should be re-
sponsible, and not the deputies. Unless that were
any ffieol
done, whenevertnr doubtful case occurred
the Coroner would absent
.m himself, and act by his de-
puty, and the decision made such case would not be
valid unless the Coroner were unavoidably
must be then navoidably absent. The
great inconvenience of that co
appa-
rent to all. There was another
P in the Bill to
which he wished to advert—the tableot
of fees to be
that
paid by Coroners as disbursements.
laid before the House relative to By returns
were sub-
ject, it appeared that the claims
similar in all the counties of England. In the county
not
of Middlesex, one farthing was not allowed to jurors
who attended at inquests, whereas on the other side
of the river each juror was allowed Is. The clause
which would amend that state of things would meet
with his cordial support.
After a few words from Colonel SIBTHORP,
the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted on Wednesday, the 24th March.
The Double Costs Bill was read a second time, and
ordered to be committed on Friday next.
The Houghing of Cattle (Irel Ind) 8.11 was read a
second time, and ordered to be committed.

SUPPLIES,
On the motion of Mr. HAWES that the Report of
the Committee of Supply bo brought up,
Captain BOLDERO said that, during the last
eighteen months, a large sum, 500,0001. (as we under-
stood) was voted by the House to supply arms and
ammunition for maintaining the integrity and inde-
pendence of the Ottoman empire. 500,0001. had on a
former occasion been voted also by that House to sup-
ply military stores for the service of the Queen of Spain,
who was now their debtor to that amount. He wished
then to know whether the stores sent to the Grand
Seignior wei e voted on the same terms as those which
were sent out to Spain. That was a question which
he would put to-morrow evening, when he expected to
receive a satisfactory answer.

The Report was then brought up and agreed to, with
the exception of the vote for Ordnance store;' which,
on the suggestion of Mr. Hume, was postponed till to-
morrow (this) evening, to give an opportunity of ask-
ing the question already mentioned by the Hon. and
Gallant Member (Capta.n Boldero), and also some
other questions rel xtive to Syria.
On the motion that the Evidence Bill ba Told a
second time,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, that he
highly approved of the BP, but he must requeit the
attention of those who had charge of it to look to
one proviso. The Bill went so far as to allow
parties to speak as witnesses for themselves. You
could not allow the defendant to prove his own case.
He thought that the landlord ought not to be allowed
to give evidence in favour of the tenant in a case in
which a verdict for the latter would be beneficial to the
former ; and that in
tyite other
. ttiel should eases th© evidence of parties
fay.aur -thaa t side with
ped wthh hiac theirnoo
issue of
were i,deat'fied. - He ho twbne
interestsreceived
t gentlemen who had
,

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