The Sun.
London, England, 1834-06-25 00:00:00

CRIMINAL LAW.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said he would
take that opportunity of moving that an hum-
ble address be presented to his Majesty, praying
that there be laid before that house a copy of the first
report of the commissioners appointed to inquire into
the criminal law. He had great satisfaction in
stating that those learned commissioners had made
their first report, and that more valuable doctrine
had never arisen out of any inquiry committed to the
care of any body of commissioners whatever. ( Hear,
hear.) Most important matter had been col-
lected by them, in order to give to all
persons, whether lawyers or not, a complete and accu-
rate idea of what the law was ; and it would be found,
when the report should be laid before their lordships. if
his Majesty should he pleased to agree to the address he
had then the leave of moving, that a very sound and
judicious view had been taken of it, after most elabo-
rately digesting the criminal law. It was one of
the most masterly specimens of a digest of the
law he had ever seen. He should now propose, as it
was so late in the session, that the matter should
be allowed to stand over for the thorough con-
.sideration of the profession during the recess,
and he should, at as early a period of the next
session as possible, move that the report be taken
into consideration by the house, or that it should
be referred to the consideration of a select committee.
That was a course which, as at present advised, he
thought would be most satisfactory ; in the meantiro-,
he merely moved the address to his Majr..sty.
Lord WYNFO RD made a few 01-dservatirjns which
were inaudible in the gallery. 7tie addless was then
agreed to.
PLURALITIES NON-RESIDENCE

BILLS.
The Duke of. CUMBERLAND wished to ask
the noble ant', learned lord on the woolsack when he
intended to move the second reading of the Non-
Resider...cc and Pluralities Bill, because the ses-
sion was now drawing very fast to a close, and
it was very desirous that the discussions should take
,dace in the presence of the right rev. prelates, many
of whom were in town. The noble and learned lord
had mentioned to him the other night that there was
one clause he wished further to consider, but he
was afraid that if it was delayed too long they
should not have the presence of the right reverend
prelates.
'Hie LORD CHANCELLOR said, that what
the illustrious duke had stated with respect to
the clause he had mentioned to him the other
night was perfectly correct. It was a very important
uric, and should be drawn with great care, and tho
learned individual who had to draw it, had had some
difficulty in framing it so as to meet the e--
gene} of the case. ( Hear, hear.) That difilcultv
had been now overcome, and he had tot tlie
least doubt that, on next Monday at the latest,
(if not on Friday), he should be able to rive his royal
highness a copy of the bill, if not publicly he would
privately. He had notmadel:tp Ma mind yet on what day
be would move the second reading, and it did not
matter how late in the session the bill passed. He had
a great deal of correspondence from patrons and per-
sons interested on the subject, which would certainly
take him a long time to read over. (Hear.)
He would net proceed further in the discussion on the
bill than to say, that his only wish was to have those
points to which he had adverted fully brought before
the attention of their lordships ?
The Duke of CUMBERLAND put it to the
house and to the noble lord whether it would be act-
ing candidly to try on a measure of the importance of
the one the noble lord had adverted to in the absence
of the bench of bishops.
Lord WYN FO RD said that there were several
*parts of the bill that would require the undivided at-
tention of the house. The present bill could not
satisfy anybody ; and if it was pressed in its present
form, their lordships would allow him to say, that
there was not a single clause but he should feel it his
duty to give his decided opposition to.
The Duke of RICHMOND thought the present
one of so irreat importance thateitonghtto be:well dr-
batesi- He thoughtit most desirable that there shceilo
be a resident clergyman in every parish, and tlidt
divine worship should be performed in every rural
parish twice on a Sunday, and in towns three times.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY thought
that the Length of time for the absence of clergymen
ought to be extended in cases of ill health. He had
received more complaints from the absence of curates
than from any other cause. In his opinion the bill that
had been brought forward ought to undergo the most
mature consideration, and would require great atten-
tion. His wish was to enforce as strict a re-
sidence as possible.. The means of enforcing residence
under the existing law was exceedingly objectionable,
inasmuch as it was in the hands of the common in-
former. His wish was, that a bill should be introduced
compelling the residence of clergymen, and giving
the jurisdiction to any other person than the diocesan
to compel his residence.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he had
brought forward the Subject of the criminal law, and
upon that occasion the right reverend prelate had
taken the opportunity to speak upon the subject
of non-residence, which had no more to do with
the subject than the light with the dark. He
had been dragged into the question of non-residence
by his noble friend (Lord Wynford) and the
right reverend prelate whether he would or not,
and that too without any question on the subject being
before the house. The right rev. prelate had made a
speech on the merits of the bill, and his noble friend had
stated that if the bill was proposed in its present
shape, he should oppese every clause of it. Was it to
be supposed that he should sit quiet without saying one
word upon the subject. There was no pretence what-
ever to introduce the subject, and he would Snot
be tempted to enter into any further discussion upon it.
His noble and learned friend had taken an
erroneous view, not of the bill but of the abstract
of it which had been published incorrectly.
He defied any one to say that there was truth in
the remark that no one party would be pleased with
the hills because they did not go far enough. He would
defy his noble friend to produce any one who would say
so after reading the bill : it went completely to put
an end to plurality altogether, if that was not far
enough he did not know what would be ; indeed the
most Rev. Prelate thought it went much too far.
( Hear, hear.) He did not complain of what
had been said of the two clauses proposed to be added,
because it had been introduced by his answer-
ing the question put to him by the Illustrious
Duke. He would now, however, after what had fallen
from the most rev. prelate, think seriously about whe-
ther he shoulc now introduce these clauses or not,
because the most reverend prelate thought they
were unnecessary. Now if he, upon the
part of the church which he represented
thought that the clergyman should not have a day
or two to attend the assizes or other place with his wife
or daughters, without its being included in the 90 days,
certainly he (the Lord C.) would not think it his duty to
press upon the house.
Lord AV YNFORD explained.
The Duke of CUMBERLAND said the dis-
cussion had arisen out of the noble and learned
lord's explanation of the clauses he proposed
to ;efroduce, and not upon the question which he had
pskedi
tie Archbishop of CANTERBURY was not aware
that there had been any other question before the
house. As the noble and learned lord had entered
into a full explanation of his two new clauses, there-
fore he had as good a right to state his opinion as
he had.
The LORD CHANCELLOR cried" Hear, hear."
I had no right to do it.
The address was then agreed to.
Lord FARNHAM said he had, on a former night,
put a question to the noble eaal at the head of the
Government as to their intentions with respect to the
Coercion Bill. In that noble earl's absence he wished to
state that that bill would expire in a very few days.
more than a month, and as every obstruction was likely
to be given to it in another place, he thought no
time should be lost in bringing it in. ( Hear.) He
wished to know from the. noble viscount (Melbourne)
whether that bill was to be renewed, and whether, as
expected, it would be introduced first into that house?

He therefore wished to ask when the bill would be
brought in, for he repeated that as it was certain to
meet with great, but he trusted unavailing opposition,
not a day ought-now to be lost.
Viscount MELBOURNE said he could add but
very little to what had been said by his noble
friend on a former occasien. t was in-
tended to reintroduce the bill, and to do so in that
house first. He trusted that M a few days his noble friend
( Earl Grey )would be.pterared tobring in thebill,no time
would be lost upon the part of the government.
Petitions 'in favour of the church were presented by
the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Beaufort,
and several other Peers.

The Earl of ROSEBERRY presented a petition
from the schoolmasters of the Presbytery o`f Linlithgow
in favour of the connection of churel and state. He
presented the report of the sae& committee upon the
Scotch Entail Bill, which he would move for further
consideration on Tuesday next.
A noble lord, whose name we could not learn, pre-
sented several petitions from the county of Monaghan
against tithes, and for the repeal of the union.. The
latter player he could not support.
Witnesses and counsel in favour of the Warwick
Bill were then recalled, and the house was left 'sitting.