The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-31 00:00:00

addition of two law life peers to that house, the judicial
functions of that house would be discharged with univer-
sal satisfaction. He did not like his noble friend who
spoke last regretting that the bill did not give the Crown
power to create naval and military peerages fur life. He
thought that the hereditary character of that house (on
which the liberties of England so much depended) would
by this means be attacked, and that the constitution
itself would not long survive. He did not, however, ob-
ject to the addition of four law life peerages, because
their creation was absolutely necessary for the retention
of-their appellate jurisdiction. He should not say any-
thing about the details of the bill until they went into
committee. .

Earl FITZ WILLIAM expressed his surprise at one
passage in the speech of his noble and learned friend, in
which he had stated that the question ofa, life peer created
by the Crown to sit in that house was res judicatu. Did
he suppose that after one debate on the question whe-
ther Lord Wensleydale had a right to sit in that house,
it was res judicatu ? They must recollect the case of the
Middlesex election. And he could not forget that Mr.
Wilkes was deprived of his seat by more than one resolu-
tion of the House of Commons, and yet that these reso-
lutions were subsequently rescinded, as he believed, to
the universal satisfaction of the people in general. (Hear.)
In the sixth clause, which regulated the manner in which
her Majesty was to exercise the right of creating life
peers, he thought that words might 'be introduced, the
eff,::ct of which would be the same, but which would not
have the appearance borne by the present word, of attack-
ing the prerogative of the Crown. And if no other peer
took up the question, he should move an amendment to
this effect in committee. _ _

Lord CAMPBELL did not rely on a resolution of
either house of Parliament to declare the law ; but by
the constitution the House of Peers was the only tribu•
nal to which 'the question of the validity of a peerage
could be referred ; and when it had once decided the
question, it became ree judicata.
Lord DENMAN was at a loss to conceive how the
bill would work. He was understood to oppose it.
Earl GRANVILLE did not intend to go into the
question of life peerages. He still retained the opinions
which he had previously expressed on that subject, but
he did not think it would be expedient or advisable now
to argue that question over again. He might, indeed,
rpmark, that it appeared to him that the evidence taken
before the select committee, on whose recommendation
this bill was founded, furnished a justification of the
course which the Government had pursued in the crea-
. . .

tion of life peerages. What, however, he had more par-
ticularly risen fur was to guard himself from its being
supposed that ho assented to the defence which had been
offered by the Lord Chief Justice from- the manner in
which the Government bad introduced this bill. He
could not admit that this bill extended the Royal prero-
gative. On the contrary, he thom,h; that it limited it—
and that it was, therefore, necessary that the assent
of the Crown should be signified while it was going
through that house. The only question was as to
the manner in which that assent should be given, and
he thought it was more consistent with precedent that
some noble lord, probably himself, should at some stage
of the bill express it, than that it should be communi-
cated by a message previous to the introduction of the bill.
The bill was then read a second time.
The Annuities (No. 2) Bill was read a second time.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY BILL.
This bill was read a second time,
Lord GRANVILLE stating that its object was to en-
able certain pictures, which were not wanted, to be sold.
Lord ST. LEONARDS recommended that c'auses
should be inserted rendering it compulsory to invest the
money derived from the sale of any pictures in the pur-
chase of others.
The report on the Oxford University Bill was received.
FIRE INSURANCES.
This bill passed through committee.
The house adjourned at 5 minutes past 8 o'cloes.

ROUSE OF COMMONS.-4YESTEIu AY.)

The SPEA.KEU, took the chair at the usual hour.

Several petitions were presented against the abolition
of Church Rates, the sale of spirits on the Lord'd-day,
and the Leases and Sales of Settled Estates Bill.

PRI VATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Bawtry and.Ticsley Road, Middlesbrough Extension
and Improvement, Penrith and Cackermouth Roads,
and Rotherham and Barnby Moor Road.
Tho following bills wore considered and ordered to be
read a third time :—Brough and Lamont Bridge Road,
Crystal Palace Company, Dooping• Fen Drainage,
Wandsworth and Putney Gas, and Westminster Termi-
nus Railway.