The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—',YEsTwItsiY).

The LORD CEIANCILLOR took his seat on the wooing
M five o'clovic.
Lord RAVENSWORTH presented petitions front
places in Yorkshire and Herefordshire agans the abo•
lition of Church rates.
Lord COLVILLE presented similar petitions.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from a gen-
tleman, who stated that he was placed in a very painful
position owing to the faithlessness of his' wife. He had
brought an action against the party who had injured
him and obtained damages. He had proceeded by suit in
the Ecclesiastical °mins, and had obtained a judgment
in his favour a mensa et th,oro, but that his circum-
stances would not permit him to come before
their lordships for a bill of divorce. Under these
eircuresiances the petitioner prayed that the
house would enact such a measure as would
enab'e a man in humble circumstances to obtain a
divorce.
The Duke of CLEVELAND bore testimony to the
respectability and lionoir of the petitioner.
Din LORD CHANCELLOR gave notice that he
would move the second reading of the Divorce Bill that
day fortnight. It would no doubt be in the recollection
of some of their lordships, that in rpecial cases persons
were allowed to apply to that house for a bill of di-
vorce in forma pauperis.
COUNTY COURTS.

Lord RAVENS WORTH presented two petitions
from certain trade assooi ttions in the vicinity of Liver•
pool, suggesting certain alterations in the bill for the
amendment of the County Courts Act, which stood upon
the paper.f lr that evening.
Lord BROUGHAM said that while he was most
anxious that the bill should be as efficient as possible, he
objected to the introduction into the bill of any provisions
which could have the effect of interfering with the local
courts already in existen.•e.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then role to more the
second reading of the County Courts Acts Amendments
Bill. One of the objects of the bill wasto throw the burden
of the cost of an appeal to those courts as far as it was
possible upon the person against whom judgment was
given. The bill would have the effect of reducing the
amount of fees levied in those courts, which in many
cases was wholly disproportionate to the amount sought
to be recovered. The average amount of the fees ex-

acted by these courts during the fart two years
amounted to 278,0001., out of which mere paid
the salaries of the judges and the Court ex-
penses. He proposed to reduce the fees nearly by
one half—that the Government should pay out of the
consolidated fund the salaries of the judges
and the expenses of the court-honsee. Ile con-
sidered the arrangement as to the salaries of
the judges at present highly objectionable.
That arrangement was that the sa►laries of the
County Court judges should not be less than 1,2001.,
nor more than 1,5001., which salaries were paid
out of the fees of the court. This bill proposed
to retain the salaries at 1,2001.,. excepting in

the twenty cases where that amount had been increased
by the additional 3001., in consideration of the great
amount of business in the courts of those judges. He pro•
posed that their lordships now read the bill a second time,
and on Thursday he would move the committee of the
bill pro forma in order that certain amendments might
be presented, and immediately after the holidays he in-
tended to proceed with the consideration of the bill.
Lord CAMPBELL cordially seconded the second
reading of the bill. He objected to a clause suggested
by Mr. Pitt Taylor, which would close the superior
courts to suitors in actions of libel who did not recover a
verdict of damages above 201., by precluding costs.
Lord BROUGHAM said that Lord Campbell was
under needless alarm. The question was merely whether
the action in tort (damages) should be raised to 201. in
these courts, as in contracts. He thought it should be
so. The competence of the judges to try such cases was
acknowledged. As for the salary of 1,5001., it was not
too much.

Lard ST. LEONARDS agreed entirely with the
principle of throwing the expenses of justice on the pub-
lic funds. _

The bill wag then read a second time.
JOINT STOCK WINDING-UP ACTS AMEND-

MENT BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
CHANCERY REFORM.

Lord ST. LEONARDS, after vindicating his claim
to the practical carrying out of the original suggestion
of Chancery reform, inquired whether it was the inten-
tion of the Lord Chancellor to introduce any measures
founded on the report of the Chancery Commissioners
The LORD CHANCELLOR said much of what
had been suggested could be carried out by orders
of the Court, which were in preparation. As regarded
the giving the Court of Chancery the power to grant
damages, he had ordered a bill to that effect to be drawn
u Lord BROUGHAM and Lord ST. LEONARDS

exchanged compliments on law reforms, and
The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-YESTEEDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bilk were read a third time and passed :
—Aberdeen and Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Company Amalgamation (new title), Coventry (City)
Gas, Rlinburgh Water, Gravesend Improvement, and
Leicester and Welford Road.

The following bills were considered, and ordered to be
read a third time :—Antyrim and Coleraine Roads; Elgin
and Lossiemouth Harbour Improvement (changed from
" Stotfield and Lossiemouth Harbour Improvement") ;
Middlesborough Extension and Improvement ; and Scot•
tish Drainage and Improvement Company Mill (changed
from "Lands Improvement Company of Scotland").
The order of the day for the second reading of the
Dublin (City) Steam Packet Company was discharged,
the bill having been withdrawn.
Lord H. VANE presented a petition from the Stock-
ton and Darlington Railway Company, and moved that
it be referred to the Select Committee on Local Charges
upon Shipping.—Agreed to.
Sir P. EGERTON moved for an accannt of the quart-

Cities of cheese imported into the several ports of Great
Britain in each month of the year 1855, distinguishing
the European, United States, and colonial produce ;
and of all European cheese, exclusive of British cheese,
exported from England in the year 1555 (in continua-
tion of Parliamentary Paper, I'D, of Session 1155).—
Agreed to.