The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-28 00:00:00

COURTS.

On the motion of the Lord Chancellor for the third
reading of this bill,
Lord CRANWORT LI moved, according to notice, that it
be read that day six months. He considered that, although
he had the greatest respect for him as a judge, that
he had very light duties, inasmuch as he only sat eighteen
weeks in one year, and if this was contrasted with
the sittings of the Judges of the Common Law Courts
would be found that they sat twenty-four weeks in one
year besides circuits. He considered that under the circum-
stances, and looking at the facts dispassionately, there was
no case at all made for any in the Divorce Court. There
was therefore no reason for the creation of new judges,
and in his (the noble lord's) opinion such creation was a
positive evil. He proposed to show their lordships that
the present staff of judges was quite sufficient. Tbo
sittings in term occupied 13 weeks, and during that time
four judges sat in each Court. Now he having been in one
of those Courts himself was prepared to say that the
fourth judge was an injury. There were two judges sit-
ting on each side of the chief, and the fourth judge was
quite outside, and therefore what good could he do ? By
some arrangements which might be made by the circuits
beginning earlier and other concurrent arrangements
judges might always be at disposal. Although it was the
duty of the country to provide adequate judicial strength,
still unrequired increase of strength should not beallowed.
He thought that the latter evil might be avoided if
they would consolidate the whole of the three
courts under discussion into one equivalent to the
other common law courts. The Divorce and Probate were
conducted on the same principles, and there was only a
slight difference in the Admiralty. His grounds for op-
posing the bill, therefore, was that there was no cause
to make a new court, and that there was a sufficient
number of judges if further judicial assistance was re-
oired.
• The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he must say he
thought that his learned and noble friend had taken a very
narrow view of all the advantages that were to be ob-
tained by the scheme, and if ho had exercised his
candid mind upon the subject he would have thought
differently. The noble lord then reviewed the whole of
the circumstances which bad led to the construction of
the Divorce and Probate Courts.
On a division the bill was ordered to be read a third
time by 83 to 40. It was then passed.
The National Debt Bill was read a second time ; the
Criminal Law Bill, the Labouring Classes D welling-houses
Acts (1866) Amendment Bill, and the British Spirits Bill
were passed through committee; and the British White
Herring Fishery Bill and the Sale and Purchase of Shares
Bill were read a third time and passed.
The Habeas Corpus Suspension (Ireland) Act Conti-
nuance Bill was moved on the second reading by the Earl
of DERBY, and the motion gave occasion to Earl Russell to
descant on Irish grievances, and to intimate that after the
Whitsuntide recess he should call attention to the question
of the Irish Church Establishment. The noble earl ad-
mitted, however, that it was necessary to continue the
extraordinary powers required by the Government under
the bill.
The debate which followed was closed by the Earl of
DERBY retorting on Lord Russell that, if the Irish Church
were such a grievance as ,he noble earl regarded it, it was
strange that during the eighteen years that he had been in
office out of the last twenty he had never taken any steps
towards legislating upon the subject.
. The bill was than read a second time, and their lord-
ships adjourned at a quarter to eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
TILE TORNADO.

..._ _
Mr. GREGORY gave notice of his intention after Whit-
suntide to call the attention of the house to the affair of
the Tornado and Victoria.
SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE.

In reply to Mr. 13. Cocuness,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
privilegesof private members would not be interfered with
in the event of the motion which he intended to make
with respect to the alteration of the time of morniirg sit-
tings. The discussion of the notices of motion would
commence on Tuesday and Friday at nine, instead of six
o'clock in the evening.