The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CRANCRLLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at the usual hour.

CRIMINAL LAW.
Lord LYNDHURST called the attention of the noble
and learned lord-on the woolsack to the bills he had intro-
duced, as he had been informed, for the coturolidatien of the
criminal law. One of these bills was not confined to the
consolidation, but extended to the amendment of the law.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, not amendment, but
assimilation.
Lord LYNDHURST said, at all events he inferred that
a clause in one of them was at variance with the law.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said the noble lord had
been entirely misinformed, when he was told the bills were
merely for consolidation. He had expressly said that the
object was to assimilate the law of England and Ireland.
He had spent hours in company with Mr. Greaves in ex-
amining them with a view of preventing any inaccuracies,
but he intended to propose that a committee be appointed
to examine them still further, and any assistance the noble
and learned lord could afford would be of great value.
Lord LYNDHURST referred to a certain clause which
he thought bad.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he could not go into
the subject, because he had not received any notice that he
intended to do so from the noble and learned lord.
CHURCH RATES.
The Marquis of BATH presented petitions against the
abolition of church rates.
ST. GEORQE'S-IN -THE-EAST.
The Earl of DERBY rose to put the question of which
he had given notice relative to the proceedings that had
for some time past been taking place in the pariah of St.
George's-in-the-East. The noble lord took the opportu-
nity of alluding to the subject in order that his noble
friend might contradict what he felt sure must be a
mistake in the sp3ech made in another place by
a right honourable colleague of his. Re had no
sympathy with those persons who introduced into the
simple services of the Church of England practices dis-
tasteful to the majority of the parishioners and worship-
pers, and which might eventually have the effect of driving
them into dissenting chapels. This, however, would offer
no palliation to the conduct which made St. George's-in-
the-East scandalously notorious. The proceedings that had
taken place in that church were disgraceful to any Christian
parish. Their lordships had, no doubt, seen the accounts
in the papers of the slamming of doors and other proceed-
ings, a parallel to which could only be found in a penny
theatre. He could not dwell any further upon the scenes
that had taken place, further than to say that a rev. gen-
tleman had that day informed him that the reports of the
proceedings were in no way exaggerated, as he had himself
been struck in the face by peas and other substances. The
question he wished answered was, whether the Government
had had their attention called to the proceedings that had
taken place in St. George's-in-the-East, and what steps
they had taken to suppress a repetition of them,
and whether they had examined the laws on the question
with a view of ascertaining whether they were sufficient
to check such scenes. If the law had been found insuffi-
cient to check those outrages, whether they were prepared
to introduce a measure to remedy this scandalous -state of
things ?
Earl GRANVILLE said the words that had fallen from
the noble earl would no doubt have very great effect. He
perfectly agreed with him that the matter was a great scan-
dal to all parties concerned. With regard to the police,
there was some difficulty. Orders, as he had stated the
other evening, had been given to do all they could to
repress the disturbance as vigorously as possible, but
they could not legally interfere further than they
had done. He could not at that moment take upon
himself to state what the law was, but the magistrate
in the district had informed parties ho had waited upon
him that if they could point any individual who had created
a disturbance there he could be taken into custody, but that
he had no power to interfere. On Sunday last the church-
wardens informed the police that there was no necessity for
their entering the church.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed his disgust at the scenes
that had been reported. The noble earl talked of the power
of the police to interfere. Why, his noble friend (Earl
of Derby) had distinctly stated an instance of palpable as-
sault. The police ought not to have remained outside,
notwithstanding the direction of the churchwarden. He
thought the disturbances could most speedily be put an end
to by closing the church.
The Bishop of LONDON said there were in existence
two laws quite sufficient to meet the evil. The noble earl
had said there was some difficulty on the point, but he
must say he could not discover any to the carrying dti:of
the law. Ho was certain that if any of the rioters were
taken before the magistrates they would be punished. Witt
respect to closing the church, that had been tried, but he
was quite certain that if all parties concerned in the painful
proceedings were to agree to place the whole subject in his
hands, he would, he felt assured, restore that peace which
was so much desired by all parties. (Hear, hear.)
The subject then dropped.