The Sun.
London, England, 1824-08-17 00:00:00

[MORNING CIIRONICLIA

' We hope that the attention of Parliament will
be directed generally to many evils that are re-
mediable hi the civil as well as criminal admi-
nistration of the law. Mr. Peel's Bill on the
subject of Special Juries will be salutary,
and probably he the fore-runner of a reform
altogether in that faulty system. Lord Al-
thorp's County Court Bill (which, it is under-
stood, is to be brought forward again in the
next Session), would be productive of great
good, as is evident from the loud clamours
of the Lawyers against it. It is, however,
questionable whether it will pass. The Committee,
which prepared the original Bill, expressly ex-
cluded the Crown from the patronage it neces-
sarily created ; but Ministers have eagerly grasp-
ed it., apparently making their possession of it
the uric qua non of their support. To extend the
influence of the Government in any direction is
inexpedient ; butte) add to the overgrown pa-
tronage it possesses already in Westminster Hail
is particularly so. On this ground, therefore, it
will meet with great opposition ; besides there are
certain claims to compeusation, which Ministers
are disposed to admit, but which probably will not
be carried ; and the rejection of them may again
produce the loss of the measure. Thns a virtual
denial of justice, in cases where it can least be
borne, will be continued. It might not be amiss
that a Commission, similar to that now sitting
upon Chancery Abuses, but consisting of efficient
members, in whom the nation would repose con-
fidence., should be appointed to prepare a Bill for
the general amendment of the law. The whole
proceedings in suits might be simplified ; the non-
sense that is calhal special pleading, iu great men-
sure, abolished ; the forms of action reduced to
one, and the practice of the Courts made uniform.
It is scarcely credible, that in the 10th century
Courts of Justice are as much employed in dis-
cossiog the regularity of the proceedings as in
decidiog 1.11)011 contested rights. Whether a plain-
till' shall sue for damages, where his carriage has
been overturned anti broken, in an action of tres..
pass, or trespass on the rase (in the wretched jar-
gon of the Courts), has produced more contrariety
of opinion, and occasioned more argumentation
than pet liaPs any subject of judicial cogni-
zance, in which the reputation, liberty, and
even the life of the subject has been concerned.
The lawyers might continue to puzzle them-
selves with such absurdities, if they did not pro.
duce serious consequences to the suitors. It has
been observed, "•That the worst cause cannot be
60 prejudicial to the litigant as his Advocate's or
Attorney's ignorance or neglect of forms." A
law suit is often like an ill managed dispute, in
which, time first object is soon out of sight, and
the parties end upon a matter wholly foreign to
that upon which they began. The sound sense of
the present day calls for the sweeping away the
chicaneryand sophistry that, in darker ages,
might have been considered science, but which,
founded upon the puerilities of the school-
men, who spun out distinctions without differences
ad infirtilum, should meet with the same neglect
and contempt that attend the writings of Dans
Scptus sod Aquinas. In no department are
:these subtleties (useless for any good pur-
pose) retained but in the law, where they
acre, unfortunately found to contribute mainly
to the gains of the profession. A reformation in
these'matters, for the reason just hinted at, is more
to be desised than expected ; there is, however,
0110 abuse, that excites notice at this particular
period, which requires no legislative enactment,
but which may be corrected by the Judges. Time
practice of making reronnels on the Circuits is a
grievous evil. After parties have suffered all the
anxiety of expectation, and incurred the expence,
not only of the lawyers who are engaged, and of
the legal proceedimigs, but the far greater one of
keeping their witnesses (frequently brought from
groat distances) molly days at the Inns in the
Assize toweis---it is announced, that time enough
leas soot been allotted, and they are seat

',away to core again eight months hence, to suffer
`the same anxiety and incur the same.expence
It has happened, that half the whole number of
causes in the list have been so postponed. All
this cruel waste of the suitors' money, and vexa-
tious delay, is occasioned by the not allowing time
enough for each county. It is proper to add,
that no blame is imputable to the Judges on the
score of want of industry ; they labour on the
Circuit most indefatigably. It is in their power,
however, to prevent this crying inconvenience, by
requiring, before they allot the days for the dif-
ferent counties, a return of the prisoners in the
gaols, whose numbers can always be ascertained,
and also a calculation of the causes expected,
which, with tolerable accuracy, can be supplied.
With this knowledge beforehand, there could be no
difficulty in preventing the recurrence of this mis-
chief ; the due administration of justice requires
an alteration ; the hurry that is now unavoidable
is destructive of the dignity of the judicature ;
a great deal of business is left undone ; and
nothing is gained as a set-off against all these
evils, but addition of a few days to the Long
Vacation, with which the public can have no
concern.