The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-27 00:00:00

COURTS BILL.

The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing of this bill, and stated that it was the intention of
the bill to place the Judge of the Probate in
the Court of Admiralty whenever a vacancy
should occur, and to create two new judge-
ships, which would supply an adequate number of
judges to conduct the rapidly increasing business of
these courts. It would be perfectly patent to their
lordships how great was the necessity for these
additions, when they took into consideration the
extraordinary extent to which the business had increased
in all these courts. Iu the Court of Admiralty, while in
1811 there were only 237 suits, in 1866 there were 627.
It was true that many of the cases that would come
formerly before the Admiralty, such as the claims of sailors,
&c., did not come before that court now, but the Admiralty
Court still took into consideration cases relative to the
ownership of ships; charter parties, &c., which had mate-
rially added to their business. It was also thought that
when the Divorce Court was first instituted that in the
first year there might be a large amount of business, still
it would not continue. However, it had been found to be
different, and that, while in 1838 there were only 376
motions, there were in 1863 780. Ono of the principal
advantages to be derived from the operation of the
bill would be that there would be two judges
to each Court, two to the Admiralty, two to
the Probate, and two to the Divorce Courts,
and such an arrangement as that must materially facilitate
the carrying out of the public business. There would
also be a full Court ready at any time to decide upon any
question which might arise from the decision of any in-
dividual judge. The salary of the judges was an important
portion of the bill, and he (the Lord Chancellor) did not
think that any objection would be taken to it when the
position which those learned gentlemen had to main-
tain was taken into consideration. There would also
be the fees attaching to the position of the Dcan of Arches.
After having introduced these remarks relative to the bill,
the noble lord moved the second reading.
Lord GRAN WORTH stated that he could not do other-
wise than oppose the bill. He thought that there was
already quite a sufficient amount of judicial appointments
to carry out the functions which they were expected to
perform, and that the increased number provided for by
this bill would be superfluous. Ho then entered into the
whole question of the proceedings in the Court of
Admiralty.
The bill was read a second time; but its further conside-
ration is to be postponed until the measure for the extension
of the Admiralty jurisdiction comes before the house.

The Confederation of the British North American Colo-
nies Bill was read a third time and passed, and
Their lordships adjourned at seven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SrEAlun took the chair at 4 o'clock.
ROYAL COMMISSION.
The SPEAKER attended at the bar of the House of
Peers to hear the Royal assent given to the Habeas Corpus
Suspension (Ireland) Act.

THE REFORM BILL—WITHDRAWAL OF THE
GOVERNMENT RESOLUTIONS.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
deemed it would be for the convenience of the house if he

took the earliest opportunity of stating the course the Go-
vernment intended to pursue. The great object the Go-

vernment had in view was to secure for the propositions
of her Majesty's Government a fair and candid reception.

It was impossible to conceal from himself the effect of the

observations of the hon. member for the Tower Hamlets

and other hon. members some nights ago, and more espe-
cially the remarks of the right hon. gentleman opposite,
(Mr. Gladstone), that there would be a moral under-
standing that any bill that the Government might

introduce would receive a frank and candid consideration,

and that the second reading of the bill would meet with
no opposition. (Cries of " Olt, oh.") lie deemed it right,
after a consideration of all that had been said, to state that

the Government lid not propose to ask the house to proceed
with the euusideratiou of the resolutions, but t•) apply
themselves at once to the introduction of a bill with as
littlo delay as possible. (Hear, hear, and " Oh, oh.") It
was impossible that there should not be some delay,
because a Reform Bill was not like a road bill.

(Laughter.) Ho hoped in about a week from
that time—ho would not take upon himself at that moment
to state the exact day—but he would say that by Thursday
week at the latest he should introduce a bill for the reform
of that house,. (Hear hear, and cheers.)

Mr. GLADSTONE said he wished to follow the state-
ment of the right hon. gentleman with a few remarks.
The right hon. gentleman had not now stated fully the
intentions of the Government, and, previou3 to his state-

went, he had placed a motion in the hands of the clerk

the house which he meant to move by way of amendment.
It was to the effect that it was the opinion of the
house that the further discussion of the motion by
resolutions •would only tend to cro9.te delay, and that
any plan that the Government had on the question
of Reform be submitted to the house in a definite form.

(Hear, hear, and cheers.) It was impossible there should
not be some delay—that was inherent from such a change
of proceeding, but the right lion. gentleman was not liable
for that blame. Delay was necessary for the consideration
of the various details of such a measure; but what he
hoped was that there would not be a longer delay than
was absolutely necessary. (Hear, hear, 'and cheers.)
With respect to the other topics touched upon by the
right hon. gentleman that there was something like
au engagement existing in that house that there should be
no opposition offered to any bill her Majesty's Govern-
Tnent might introduce—(hear, hear)—he felt it right, that
no misapprehension might exist, to state that he
could not consent to anything that appeared to limit
the discretion of any hon. member. (Hear, hear.) It was
to certain parts of the bill that some observations had
been made, but with respect to the bill itself it was
right that every member should reserve his discre-
tion entire and unfettered, and to state their opinions
unreservedly upon any bill that might be brought
before them. (Hear, and cheers.; He could only express
his great desire that hon. members on his side of
the house would find the bill which was to be sub-
mitted by her Majesty's Government such as to
enable them at once to give their ready assent to it,
to. expedite its passing its earlier stages, and then
fair to join issue on any point that members on his side
of the house might unfortunately find themselves com-
pelled to differ from the propositions of the Government.
Committee would certainly be the place where the nume-
rous amendments and proposals could most properly be
discussel. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. BRIGHT said as the right hon. gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer seemed to be iu the mood for
receiving advice from members of his (Mr. Bright's) side
of the house, perhaps he would allow him to give him the
same advice that he had given to Earl Russell ; and that
was to introduce his Franchise Bill by itself. (Hear, hear,
and cheers.) If he did that he (Mr. Bright) would
promise that he would not read to him any portions of the
speech of the noble lord the member for King's Lynn.
(Loud laughter.) It was wanted to remove the grievance
of the excluded working classes. (Cheers.) That was the
chief and material poiut, and every day it was left untouched
it became charged with evil to all parties. (Hear, hear,
and cheers.) It was the universal feeling that the measure
proposed by the Government was very incomplete and
very unsatisfactory, it was as bad as the ono of last
year, if not worse; and nothing useful could be
derived from delaying the great question until the
distribution plan was settled. He thought the wise and
prudent course was to take the Franchise Bill first and then
deal with others. (near, hear) It would afford them a better
leverage to deal with the little boroughs ; for himself he
would not object to leave that until after a general election.
(Hear, hear.) They ought to settle the question of the
franchise first, and after that they could apply themselves
with reference to the distribution of seats. To take it
into the question of the franchise would only be clogging
the bill. (Hear, hear.) It was not a statesmanlike
way of dealing with the question, and he hoped they
would abandon it for the present, and apply themselves
to tha one great question of the franchise. (hear, hear,
and cheers)
Lord JOHN MANNERS said he should like to know
what Earl Russell thought of the advice of the hon. gentle-
man. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) At the proper time it
would be shown that the distribution of seats was a pro-
per part of the measure, and if hor Majesty's Government
acted on the advice of the hon. gentleman, it did not ap-
pear to him that the present Government would derive any
more good from it than the Government of Earl Russell
had done. (Laughter.)
The motion for the adjournment of the house, which
had been moved by Mr. GLADSTONE, was then withdrawn.
OFFICES OF PROFIT.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE moved for a return showing the
total number of offices of profit which might have been
held at one time by members of the House of Commons at
the commencement of the years 1827, 1817, and 1867 re-
spectively ; distinguishing those the acceptance of which
would have rendered it necessary for the members accept-

ing the same to vacate their seats.—The motion was
agreed to.

ARMY (INDIA AND THE COLONIES).
Major ANSON moved for a select committee to inquire
into the duties performed by the British Army in India
and the colonies ; and also to inquire how far it might be
desirable to employ certain portions of her Majesty's Native
Indian Army in our colonial and military dependencies.

Mr. O'REILLY moved the addition of the following
words to the motion, "Or to organise a force of Asiatic
troops for general service in suitable climates."
The subject gave rise to a discussion, in which Major
Dickson, Sir 11. Rawlinson, Captain Vivian, and Mr. Laing
took part.

General PEEL intima'ed that if the question at issuo
were of a merely military character he should have opposed
the motion for inquiry, and even in its present shape he
thought a select committee was not the best tribunal to
conduct the house to a correct conclusion. But there were
questions of a sanitary and economical nature which might
perhaps render it expedient to appoint a committee. It
would be easy enough for such a body to inquire what were
the duties performed by the British army in India and the
colonies ; but if they came to decide how the performance
of those duties should be distributed they would find them-
selves in a difficulty. Upon that point military men were
best able to speak, and if the committee confinedthemselves
to that class of witnesses he believed they might obtain any
number of them who would give the most opposite opinions
as to the propriety of employing native troops in place of
Europeans for :general service. Again, whether it was
proposed to raise native troops, and reduce the number of
British troops in proportion, or whether the native troops
should be in addition to the number voted by Parliament,
made a material difference in the matter of expense. He
should disagree with any proposition to substitute such a
force for British regiments in healthy colonies, and should
strongly object to seeing Indian soldiers doing duty at
Gibraltar, Malta, or New Zealand. There were 42 regi-
ments of British troops in the colonies, and only nine places
where native troops could be substituted for them, and
this would have very litttle effect in reducing the require-
ments on the British army generally. Another objection
was the difficulty of supplying to native troops a sufficient
number of officers who would be acquainted with their
customs and language. Moreover, there was great advan-
tage of having British troops in the colonies, for the colo-
nists reposed greater confidence in them, and in some in-
stances maintained them at their own cost. He hoped the
committee, if appointed, would inquire into particular and
definite objects; for if they wandered over military ques-
tions he could not see that any good result would follow.
Lord CItA.NBORNE suggested that the committee
should not content themselves with an oral investigation
only, but should also address their inquiries to the highest
authorities in India. By that means they might collect
very valuable information, and possibly be the means of
introducing an useful reform in our military system.
The Marquis of HA RTINGTON entirely dissented from
the policy of employing native regiments as a substitute