The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-23 00:00:00

THE SUGAR DUTIES.

Mr. CRUM EWING asked the Secretary to the Trea-
sury if he would state at what date the new regulations as
to the amount of drawback on sugar, to be allowed by
France, Holland, and Belgium respectively, as provided
for by the recent Convention, were to come into opera-
tion.

Mr. RUNT said as soon as the resolutions were passed
by the house the three Powers interested were at once
made aware of the fact, and requested to fix a date for the
reduced duties to come into operation. Onlyßelgium had
yet replied fixing the Ist of March, and in the event of the
other two Powers not signifying their intention before
the day fixed in the English bill, a short act would be
introduced, as it was most desirable) that the action of all
the Governments should be simultaneous.
BIRTH OP A PRINCESS—ADDRESS TO HER
MAJES TY.
The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQU.Eit said he rose 1

to move an address to her Majesty on the happy event
which had taken place in the royal family—namely, the
birth of a Princess in the direct line. The royal family
lived so much in the eye and the heart of the country that
any event that added to their happiness was a subject of
joy to the whole of her Majesty's subjects, and he felt
that tho house would with all sincerity offer its congra-
tulations to her Majesty, and therefore he moved an address
of congratulation to her Majesty on the Princess
of Wales having happily given birth to a prineess. (Hoar,
hear.)
Mr. GLADSTONE seconded the motion, and said that
the indisposition that her Royal Highness was suffering
under previous to the happy event was a subject of deep
regret. That Providence would, in addition to blessings
already enjoyed, grant her uninterrupted good health was
the desire of the whole country. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was agreed to.
THE NEW COURTS OP JUSTICE.

Mr. BENTINUK called the attention of the House to
arrangements that were being made with respect to the
erection of the new courts of justice. He thought the best
mode to be adopted in the selecting and carrying out the
work was most objectionable. He thought that a motion
of such magnitude should be in the hands of
persons responsible to Parliament. The manner in
which the designs had been prepared was very
far from satisfactory, and the cost that was attached to
some of them - was enormous. He thought the
whole of the evil arose from the fact that
there was an irresponsible body acting behind the
scenes, who pulled the wires without caring one straw for
the public, and where the funds were to come from was a
matter of the greatest indifference to them. He thought
the whole matter should be taken out of the hands
of the irresponsible body with which it now rested,
and 'placed under the control of a responsible
body amenable to Parliament. (Hear, hoar.) The sum
originally spoken of as required for the erection of those
courts was .£70,000, yet in some of the estimates at-
tached to the plans they amounted to two millions. The
sum at present disposable was £150,000, to which
Government proposed to add £400,000 by way of loan,
and if one of these expensive plans was decided upon
he should like to know where the funds were to come from.
He moved the following resolution :—" That in the opinion
of this house it is expedient that all arrangements re-
specting the building of the new courts of justice should
be effected under the sole responsibility of her Majesty's
Government."
Mr. B. HOPE defended the architects from the charges
of extravagance.
Sir R. PALMER defended the constitution of the Com-
mission. They had taken pains to arrive at a satisfactory
result, and it appeared to him quite impossible to fix upon
a certain sum as the unalterable cost of buildings of such
an extent as the new courts of justice. There was one
thing,however,that was quite open to be pursued, and that
was that the commission could reject the whole of the de-
signs sent in.
Mr. CARNEGIE and Mr. DILWYN supported the motion.
Mr. COWPER said when the sum of £730,000 was voted
as sufficient, the buildings then required were not of so
extensive a character as had been found requisite. If the
accommodation was required to be enlarged, the expense
of course must, as a natural consequence, increase.
After a short discussion,
Mr. BENTINCK withdrew his motion.
MYSORE.

Sir H. RAWLINSON asked the Secretary for India
whether the Government of India had come to any deci-
sion on the recent appeal of the Maharajah of Mysore with
regard to the succession of his adopted son ; and, if so,
whether ho was prepared ty lay upon the table of the house
any correspondence that might hay," p:tssod on the sub-
ject. The hon. gentleman made a strong appeal to the
Government to recognise tho succession, contending that
a generous and confiding policy was that which would
tend to the pacification of the country and the security of
our rule in India.
After some observations from Sir E. COLEEROOKE in
support of the claim,
Lord CRANBORNE said the Government coincided
with that of their predecessors in office in his opinion that
the rights conferred upon the Maharajah of Mysore would
terminate with his life. It was not, however, their inten-
tion at the prince's death to annex his territory, or to
hand it over to a native prince without check or control.
When the son of the Maharajah obtained majority it might
become the duty of whoever administered the government
of India to consider whether he was a parson who ought to
be admitted to rule over all or part of his father's territory.
Meantime care would be taken to give him the advantages
of a European education and to supply him with an esta-

blishment suitable to his rank. With regard to the papers
asked, the Government had no objection to produce them.

DEFECTS OF OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM'.

Sir R. PALMER called attention to the unsatisfactory
state of the different appellate jurisdictions in this coun-
try, as exercised in the louse of Lords, the Privy Coun-

eil, the Court of Exchequer Chamber, and the Court of
Appeal in Chancery, and other defects in our judicial sys-
tem by which the administration of justice in the superior
courts of law is now impeded. The hon. and learned gen-
tleman., in a speech of singular power and lucidity, pointed

out the various defects and shortcomings of our judicial sys-
tem, and offered practical suggestions for their amend-
ment. Having commented upon the inconvenience and
injustice arising from the arrear of business in the common
law courts, and indicated the means by which, under a new
arrangement of the business, greater despatch might be
secured, he recommended that the special jurisdiction of
the Courts of Queen's Bench and Exchequer should be
done away with, and the three common law courts become
branches of one great court; that the attendance of judges
at Chambers should be discontinued, and the business be

transferred to the masters and chief clerks; that the pre-
sent waste of judicial power should bo utilised; that the
appellate jurisdiction of the House of Lords should be
transferred to a court of appeal ; and finally, that the lega
functions now performed by the hereditary branch of the
Legislature should cease and determine so soon as a more
effectual tribunal should be established in its stead.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, having expressed his
amaument that so earnest a law reformer as the late
Attorney-General seemed to be should have been so long

in office and yet have done nothing to give effect to his
views, denied that the suggestions which he had offered
would economise the judicial Power of the country or pro-
mote the bettor administration of the law. The House of

Lords bad existed for ages as the final court of appeal, and
no case had been made out for withdrawing its jurisdiction.

Sir R. COLLIER was prepared, in common with Sir It
Palmer, to extinguish the exclusive jurisdiction of the com-

mon law courts, and establish one court of appeal, but the
matter which pressed with greatest urgency was the state
of business in the courts of common law, whore there were
nearly 500 remanets.

Mr. SANDFORD thought that the appellate jurisdiction
of the House of Lords was in a most unsatisfaetoiy condi-
tion, as it was practically limited to Lord Chelmsford and
the new Scotch peer, who might have to reverse the deci-
sions of Lord Justice Cairns and Lord Justice Turner.
Sir G. BOWYER and Mr. E. JAMES supported the views
of Sir R. Palmer, which were opposed by the Solicitor-
General in a brief speech.
Mr. DARBY GRIFFITH next endeavoured to induce
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to depart from his atti-
tude of reticence in reference to reform, by asking him
whether he meant to invite tho House to come to a conclu-

sion in favour of the reduction of the qualification for the
elective franchise without at the same time affording a
clear indication of what that reduction was intended to be.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER declined to
gratify the curiosity of the hon. member for Devizes, but

assured him that he had taken a note of his questEn, as
well as of many others, and that he would answer them

all in the fulaess of time—namely, on Monday evening.
Mr. BROMLEY made an elaborate complaint as to the
condition of the streets in the vicinity of the Houses of
Parliament, which he described as perfectly disgraceful.
The hon. gentleman was followed by Mr. OSBORNE,
who demanded further explanation of the sums required
for particular items connected with the approaching Ex-
hibition at Paris. Ho understood that a house (making-up
40 beds) had been taken in the Champs Elysees for the
secretaries to the commission, of whom there were 47, and
he asked what remuneration these gentlemen were to get,
and what portion of the vote of £116,000 was to find its
way into the pockets of " our trusty and well-beloved

Henry Colo, C. 8." Ho also asked how it was that im

plements of war were to be forwarded at enormous cost to

an exhibition intended to be confined to objects of "indus-
try, agriculture, and the fine arts."
Mr. H. BRUCE, having been vice-president of the Edu-
cation Board of the Privy Council, when the greater por-
tion of the expenditure was incurred, replied to Os-
borne, and stated that the requirements of the authorities

of the Exhibition wore such as to make a Tory large out-
lay absolutely necessary.

Mr. BERESFORD-HOPE, as one of the commissioners,
isclaimod all responsibility, and suggested the appoint-
Lent of a select committee to get at the facts. .

Mr. HUNT (Secretary to the Treasury) promised that
full (Nails of the expmditure should appear when the civil
service estimates were laid upon the table, and
Mr. OSBORNE expressed a hope that the munitions of
war would not be sent to Paris.
In reply to Mr. DILLWYN,
Mr. CURRY stated they had not yet been forwarded.
The Habeas Corpus Suspension (Ireland) Act Amend-
ment Bill passedihrough committee with verbal amend-
ments; and, the standing orders having been suspended,
the bill was reported and read a third time and passed.
The remaining business was disposed of, and the house
adjourned at half past one o'clock.

Frank Leslie says The last effusion of the re-
nowned Artemus Ward we have not yet seen in
print. It is said that A. W., being at one of the
New York churches, lately edified the audience by
his unexpected reply to the preacher's text, which
was as follows :
" How are the mighty fallen ? How are the
mighty fallen ?"
After a short pause, Artemus looked up inquir-
ingly, and said, meekly, "I give it up."