The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Lord LIFFORD said that he should to - morrow
evening present a petition from certain persons in
Ireland, praying that those persons now under sen-
tence of death in that country for political offences
should receive the Royal prerogative of mercy.

ADMIRALTY DIVORCE- AND PROIIATE BILL.
After a few inaudible remarks froin Lord CRANWORTH,

The LORD CHANCELLOR; in moving the commit-
ment of this bill, said that his noble and learned friend did
not quite.agree with.him in someof the clauses, but he sug-
gusted to him that there was another bill in another place
which might remove his noble and learned friend's objec-
tions, and therefore in compliance with his wishes he de-
layed moving the commitment of the present bill, but now
ho should press it on. His noble and learned friend (Lord
Cranworth) had suggested that perhaps the increase of
causes had arisen from the circumstance of there being
a number of small causes brought before the Court, but he
(the Lord Chancellor) would instance the case of the Ad-
miralty Court. In 1841 there were 66 salvage cases, and
in 1866 139. ' The total value of the property in the one
year was £10,400, in the other £221,301 In the case of
pm obate cause, liketvise, there was an immense pressure of
business. Ile found that at the end of Hilary Term there
were 59 remanets, and 61 cases had been entered between
that and Easter, none of which had come on, and there
were 17 fresh cases now. This gave a preponderance of
the Probate, to the disadvantage of the Divorce, and they
would probably remember that a long will case had
occupied the court many days. It was quite im-
possible that the judges should despatch the business
there, and he thought that there should be two judges ap-
pointed to the Probate and Divorce, and that they should
be judges of .assize. Ile had consulted the judges, but
they objected to this, and wished an addition to their own
courts.. Nobody could deny that.
there must be anew
circuit, and then he should want two judges. But be
thought that, with a little arfangeinent, the matter might
be well adjusted. By an act of William IV. there
were to be four judges in Banco, but he could not see the
use of this, it was not so in Chancery; if these judges sat
there would be two judges let at liberty to conduct nisi
pries cases. Now he did not want to add two judges to
the superior court, but to add two judges to the Probate and
Divorce, and two who would be available on circuit. It had
been urged that if these judges were to go on circuit they
would not be present when motions were made in court.
When the judges never were in court the judges at assize
tried the records from all circuits. He trusted that their
lordships would pass the bill through committee.
Lord CRANW ORTH considered that as far as the Ad-
miralty was concerned, his noble friend . proposed to add
judicial strength where it was most wanted. He should
like to knew what the arrears of cases were at the end
of the seven years; other calculations were fallacious.
Taking into consideration the length of time the
court sat he did not think that judicial strength was re-
quired there. He considered, however, that not only
would three judges be better than four, but that two would
bo infinitely better still. ]ie objected to the present state
of the bill. He considered additional judges to be a great
evil.

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in reply, said that his
noble and learned friend had totally misunderstood him.
He did not wish to have certain judges going on
circuit, while others tried cases in Westminster. Had
his learned friend reflected, that the disadvantage of
this would be to upset all judicial arrangement and divide
the bar? Ho could not conceive a more inconvenient ar-
rangement.

ihe,house then resolved itself into committee, and the
bill pasSed through committee.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the:chair at four o'crock.

THE SLAVE TRADE.
Sir F. BUXTON asked whether it was proposed to
make any alteration in the cruising ground of her Ma-
jesty's ships, with a view to the more effective prevention
of the slave trade on the East Coast of Africa?

Mr. CORRY said the recommendations of Commanders
Latham and Purvis had been adopted as far as circum-
stances would admit. It was not the intention of the
Government to act on the advice of Mr. Seward.
THE REFORM BILL.

'
ho ma have from his landlord the
on deduct
called on to pay for additional
Mr. HANKEY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
at what time could a weekly tenant of a house, for which
athmeourantto is 7
rating on claiming to be separately assessed in order to
claim his vote ; and, supposing the amount of rate so paid
exceeded the amount of the rent due, and the landlord dis-
charged his weekly tenant., how could the said tenant re-
cover the amount of additional rate he bad paid ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it *as
not a case that was likely to occur, but he had referred to
of the rCATALOGUE.
mr.
the point for consideration, and on receiving an answer he
would communicate with the hon. member.
H
ANDoie
Vice-PresidentA.R
Com-
mittee of Council whether any agreement had been made
with the Times newspaper to print the Art Catalogue for
a certain Sum, and, if not, whether the printing of this
TGREESGCOIREYNCE asked
catalogue would be suspended - until the house should
have decided whether the object to be obtained justified
the expense ? . .
Lord R. MONTAGU said there was no agreement with
the Times. rnui'proprietor of the Times behaved in a very
generous manner when they were told it was for the benefit
of science and arc that the catalogue should be published,
and it was then agreed to print it' at a sum, barely
sufficient to cover the exrenses. The plan adopted in the
Times was merely an experiment, as it was thought it
would be more beneficial to publish the matter as an ad-
vertisement,rather than in the form of a pamphlet. The
wiyortigiomult iyo,2 originally °Atom' fvz. tom 14wilogss.