The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-03 00:00:00

FOREIGN ENLISTMENT BILL.

On the order for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. NORWOOD remarked that the bill was one of very great
mportance, and he understood that, although when it
vas discussed en the last occasion *several eminent mew-
)ers took part in the debate, still no mercantile men had
)een able to speak on the subject. The constituency
vhich he represented was one which was likely
o be extremely affected by any hostile proceeding
,n the part of any European Power, and unfortunately it
was much more likely to be affected by the war which had
noken out, than any other portion of her Majesty's
lominions. He thought the Government should not have
lone more than re-enact the old Bill, with such amend-
ments as were necessary to meet a case like that of the
Mabama—that was to say, an enactment which would give'
nore complete power.to stop the delivery and despatch
)f an armed ship. But it appeared to him that the
Bill went very much further than that. It was very
stringent indeed in many of its clauses—too stringent in
his opinion—and he hoped the law officers of the Crown
would make considerable concessions. He especially
abjected to that part of the bill which changed the court
which was to have jurisdiction. Under the old Act it
was one of the superior courts in common law at West-
minster—the Exchequer Court, he believed. It was now
proposed that the duty of deciding upon theforfeiture of a
ship should be transferred to the Court of Admiralty.
The Court of Admiralty did not, he said, enjoy very
greatly the confidence of the public, and he was sorry to
say that mercantile men had not much confidence in it,
as at present constituted. The hon. member objected very
strongly to power being given to a judge without
the aid of a jury to exercise so very stringent
a jurisdiction, as to the forfeiture of a ship—
involving as it did a question as to intent and know-
ledge of the purposes for which the ship was
intended. Such a power should not be given to a judge
no matter how eminent he might be.
Mr. VERNON TIARCOURT thought the Admiralty Court
would act with perfect fairness.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he had heard with a good
deal of surprise the member for Hull protest against the
Bill on behalf of the mercantile classes of this country. He
denied his right to protest on behalf of those classes, or to
represent himself as expressing their views when he ob-
jected to the measure, because there was no class so much
interested, in it as the mercantile community, for they,
above all others, were interested in the preservation‘of
peace. And the sole object of the bill was to preserve
peace. The hon. gentleman had expressed something
like (In opinion that.the House ought, not to go beyond
the present law, but he was the only member in the House
who held that opinion.
'II,A House then went into committee on the bill.
Thewhole of the, elapses were agreed to, and the bill
was reported with amendments.

The Meeting of Parliament Bill, the Canada Loan Bill,
and the Beerhouses Bill, were read a third time and
passed.

The. Appropriation Bill was brought in and read a first
time.

The House adjourned at 10 minutes to six

THE CHANNEL FLEE r.

The division of the Channel fleet, consisting of the
Hercules, the Captain, the Minotaur, and the Monarch,
all armour-plated vessels, is now at Portsmouth ready to
proceed to sea.