The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-14 00:00:00

NEW PEERS.

We understand that it is the intention of her
Majesty—of course, on the recommendation of her
Ministers—to confer the dignity of the Peerage on
two eminent lawyers the Lord Justice General
M'Neill and Sir Hugh Cairns. The necessity o',
providing for the appellate jurisdiction of the House
of Lords, which the increasing legal business of the
country makes every year more important and mere
onerous, is the object of these promotions.
There is, indeed, at present no lack of Lag
Lords in the House. Indeed so large a number
of men raised to the Peerage for their legal
abilities were never congregated there before.
There are no less than four ex-Chancellors!
Lords Brougham, St. Leonards, Cranworth, and
Westbury ; and there are, besides these, Lord
Wensleydale, a distinguished common lawyer, a°,
Lord Kingsdown, a man of consummate legal
knowledge, together with the actual Lord
cellor and the Master of the Rolls. Yet it Wow t
seem that the business of the Appellate C°ll,ro
is likely to stand still for want of an adequa'ci
number of Judges. The days are gone by when Lar,
Eldon could sit with two non-legal Peers, and eollt
centrate the whole authority of the House as a C°llr,
of Law in his own person. The public and the Pl9ro
fession are not content unless at least three Yee
it
learned in the law and in the full vigour of
understanding attend. To furnish such a tribunal
there ought to be at least four or five Law 1-ger
d
the
accustomed to take part in the business 0- of
house. But though there are at present eight jai
them, the greater part are not available for jacilercv
business. Lord Brougham is 88 years old, L° do
St. Leonard's and Wensleydale are very 11
younger, and these three have ceased to attend
peals. Lord Kingsdown's health is infirm, and t
of
country has lost his services both in the Boll6:iiri
Lords and in the Privy Council. Lord West 00
is, it is understood, about to go abroad agai°' Lord
Master of the Rolls cannot attend, and the P
it
Chancellor is often required in his own Courtvi.
ben
thus appears that for the present session, of
there is a large number of appeals, many of tho
old standing, we have only one Law Lord joss
full time to devote himself to the judicial 'Oslo 0
of the house, and that is Lord Cranworthf W 0-
himself 77 years of age. If even the Lord G
Acta
cellor join him the house will be a very ine°ll4-

tribunal. deter'
In this dilemma the Government 110° ifero
mined to raise to the Peerage two eminent lawieso
of their own party. The Right Hon. I),Liiir,vg
I\ll.'Neill was Solicitor-General for Scotland n111.4.,6,
Sir Robert Peel's short Administration in 1t?'10,5
was Lord Advocate from 1842 to 1816, and L'e,i33ol
been Lord Justice-General since 1852. As 8?
-1,700
Scotch cases are brought before the House of have
it is but reasonable that a Scotch lawyer sboln't sr,
a seat in the House, and we have no doubt t" or.
M‘Neill is eminently fitted for such an 11°13der3
But hero, again, we have the old evil which oo-
the House inefficient, in spite of so IllanY tice'
tions. It is enough to say that the Lord "tl5l
General was born in 1794, and is consequell
years of age. If his Peerage be a reward, We
leg`
good but if it be conferred to increase t -
strength of the House, wo may regret tha bet
° 116
roo
lit yis likely to last but a very few sessinus" soh
Peerage of Sir Hugh Cairns is free frog' 0/.0 still
objection. The new Lord Justice of ApPeal ant's
v,re to
young, and brings his faculties in their
to the business of the House. Should hey es' .rt,
of s Cou
spare sufficient time from the duties to e
he will, no doubt, render important sere
ices
country.—Tinto,