The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-16 00:00:00

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
PBC iMOTION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE.

LIVERPOOL, OCT. 1.5
esterday the five sections met in their respective apart-
ments at 10 o'clock, and papers were read in all of them.
L--JURISPRUDENCE AND AMENDMENT OF THE LAW.
(Lord Brougham, president.)
In this department, Mr. C. Bousfield, of the Leeds
Chamber of Commerce, read a paper on the " Registration
'of Partner Ships," and, after a brief discussion which arose
upon it, a resolution was carried by a majority of 23 to 3
to the effect that a system of registration of all private
partnerships was imperatively called for, and that the sub-
ject should be referred to the Special Law Committee.
Tapers having been read by Mr. Wakefield on the
44 Law of Saving Banks ;" by Mr. Darlington on the
" Desirability of Incorporating Chambers of Commerce by.
Charter ;" and by Mr. E. Heath, on the "Existing Neces-
sity for Social and Permanent Civil Courts,"
Mr. G, W. HASTINGS delivered an address upon the Con-
solidation of Local Courts, which excited some attention.
He observed that the want of local courts of plenary juris-
diction was quite of modern date, for that some centuries
ago all the principal towns in the kingdom, more especially
the mercantile towns, had been supplied by the wisdom of
our ancestors with local courts possessing such powers.
These courts had gradually fallen into desuetude, because
their judges, the recorders, had ceased to be resident, and
because they possessed no power of enforcing their judg-
ients beyond the boundaries of their respective boroughs
defect which not been felt when trade was coneen-
(rated and communication difficult between different parts
ofthe country, but which was fatal in modern days when
contracts were made by mercantile men over the whole
kingdom. After alluding to the almost entire disuse of
these ancient local courts the speaker proceeded to describe
the Parliamentary history of recent county court legisla-
tion, and did fall justice to the unwearied efforts of Lord
Brougham in this direction during the last 30 years.
His lordship, he said, had in 1830 introduced a bill to
establish local courts, with a compulsory jurisdiction up to
£lOO, and with a voluntary jurisdiction to any amount.
These courts were also intended to be courts of reconcile-
ment and arbitration. This great and comprehensive mea-
sure was defeated, and a subsequent bill, with somewhat
similar provisions, introduced into the House of Lords a
year or two after, was also lost, though by a very narrow
majority, and several later measures shared the same fate.
After alluding to the introduction of the first County Court
Bill by Lord Lyndhurst, who had actively opposed Lord
Brougham's measures, but afterwards came round to his
views, Mr. Hastings went on to state his planfor the better
administration of local justice. He proposed that in each
of our large towns a borough court should be established by
uniting together our present Bankruptcyand County Courts,
the recorder's court and any other local tribunal existing in
the town ; that the recorder should be chief judge, assisted
by one or two deputies, who should all be compelled to re-
side in the locality, and be paid such salaries as would make
their posts objects of ambition to lawyers of the first class.
He showed by figures that the salaries now paid to diffe-
rent judicial officers in our large towns were sufficient to
defray the expenses of such a court as he proposed, and he
concluded by describing the operation of the Lord Mayor's
Court in London, which had precisely the same origin as
the ancient courts in other places, which, like them, fell at
one time into disuse, and which has recently been so im-
lroved by an act of Parliament as to form a most valuable
ocal tribunal for the citizens of London.
Lord J. RUSSELL expressed his approval of the sugges-
tions made by Mr. Hastings, and asked him if he was pre-
pared to bring forward a resolution on the subject.
Mr. HASTINGS replied that he was averse to any resolu
Con being passed in the association without the most ma-
ture consideration, and the matter was postponed for further
discussion.
Mr. EDGAR read a paper from Mr. Milne in praise of the
Scotch Sheriffs' Ceurts; but
Mr. M‘LAREN, of Edinburgh, expressed his preference
for the English County Court system; while
Mr. MITCHELL, of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce,
said that they were more blessed with law than with justice
in Scotland, and, speaking of his experience of the Scotch
Sheriffs' Courts, he said that he would rather have summary
injustice than dilatory justice.
Several other papers having been read in this department
two resolutions were carried, the first by a majority of one,
to the effect that it was desirable that chambers of commerce
should have charters of incorporation • and the other, based
upon Mr. Danson's paper "On the Law relating to Foreign
Debtors," declaring, "That it is desirable that the law of
attachment now in force be abolished; and that a law be
enacted embodying the principle of the Scottish law of
arrestment, and made applicable to the United Kingdom ;
and that the subject be referred to the mercantile law com-
mittee."