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

lIIIPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.—LAST EVENING.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Plymouth Corporation Water and Weymouth Con-
sumers Gas Bills were read a second time ; the Salford
Borough and Herne Bay Water Bills were read a third
time.

THE CONVICT BURKE.
Lord CLARENDON said he hoped that in asking a
question in relation to the convict Burke, the most strin-
gent investigation had been made in the matter possible;
and after the announcement that had been made on Satur-
day last by the noble earl opposite, that, through a depu-
tation which had waited upon his Lordship, that the
Council would reconsider their decision, lie (the
noble earl trusted that the greatest consider-
ation had again been exercised to ascertain if possible
whether Lis life could be spared or not.
Lord DERBY said that no one could conceive the deep
responsibility which rested upon those who had the duty
of advising her Majesty to exercise her preroga-
tive of mercy or not than he did. It was the
responsibility that should decide the life and death of a
fellow-creature, and deeply had they felt this on Wednes-
day last on looking into all the circumstances, and were
deeply grieved that they could not do otherwise
than advise her Majesty that the sentence of death
should be carried out against the convict Burke.
But since that period they had been convinced by repre-
sentations from the highest quarters,which representations
deserved the highest respect, that the feeling of the whole
country was that mercy should be extended, and
therefore they had advised her Majesty to exercise her
royal prerogative of mercy, and her Majesty had
signified her assent. The life of Burke would, there-
fore, be spared. But he (the noble earl) must ask their
lordships to remember that this was no rebellion in which
the feelings of party might be concerned, but an attempt
by misguided people to upset the peace and order of a
whole people, and to retard in all probability the progress
of Ireland for a long period. Under.those circumstances
the offences of Burke were of the highest class,
and deserved most fully the punishment awarded
to them. However, they (the Government) had
concluded to exercise mercy, and if they had erred it was
on the side of leniency. He trusted that the warm-
hearted feeling of the Irish nation would appreciate the
concession. (Hear, hoar.)
A NOBLE LORD said that would be the crowning act
of vengeance against the misguided Fenians.
THE ADMIRALTY, PROBATE, AND DIVORCE
COURTS.
On the motion of the Lord Chancellor for the third
reading of this bill,
Lord CRANWORTH moved, according to notice, that '

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. Ile 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. The
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 ho 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 be allowed.
He thought that the latter evil might bo 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-

quired.
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 he had exercised his
candid mind upon the subject he would have thought
differently. The noble lord then reviewed the whole of
the circumstances which had led to the construction of
the Divorce and Probate Courts.
On a division thB bill was ordered to be read a third
time by 8G to 40. It was then passed.
The National Debt Bill was read a second time ; the
Criminal Law Bill, the Labouring Classes Dwelling-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 COMAIONS—LAsT EVENING.
The SPEAKER. took the chair at four o'clock.
THE 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. B. COCHRANE,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
privileges of pivate 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 morning 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.
BOUNDARIES OF BOROUGHS.

In reply to Mr. BUTLER,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
formal arrangements of boroughs would entirely depend
upon the decision of the Boundary Commissioners.
SCURVY IN THE MERCANTILE NAVY.

In reply to Mr. Alderman SAMMONS,
Mr. CAVE said scurvy had disappeared from the navy
in consequence of the use of lime juice and vegetables;
and as there were certain defeCts in the law with respect
to the carrying and storing of lime juice, steps would be
taken to remedy that evil.
THE FENIAN CONVICT BURKE.

In reply to The O'DONOGIIIIE,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said her
Majesty's Ministers had, after the most anxious inquiry,
come to the conclusion that it would not be their duty to
interfere with the sentence of the law with respect to the
convict Burke, who was found guilty of high trea-
son. But within the last few days a divided opinion
had become apparent, and the Government felt
that the deterring effect of carrying that senteneo
into effect could not be attained in the face of that divided
opinion. Her Majesty had been most graciously pleased,
on the recommendation of her Ministers, to express her
will that the capital sentence on the convict Burke should
be remitted. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He hoped
her Majesty would never have to repent that most gra-
cious act of clemency, and that it might be looked back to
with perfect and complete satisfaction.
MORNING SITTINGS.

The CHANCELLOR of tho EXCHEQUER moved the
suspension of the standing orders with the view of moving
that tha house for the future would commence *its sittings
on Tuesdays and Fridays at two o'clock in the afternoon
and continuo until seven o'clock. That public business
would at that hour be suspended, and resumed again at
vino o'clock.
Mr. BOUVERIE moved, as an amendment, that the
morning sittings, as proposed by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, should, by way of experiment, be confined to
the ensuing month of Juno.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said be had
no desire to oppose the amendment of the right lion. gen-
tleman, tut as the motion was merely permissive and
might be altered in a week, he did net think it was neces-
sary to alter it.

The amendmont of Mr. Bouverie, howover, was ulti-
mately agreed to.
TILE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.
The house went into committee on this bill.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUEE said be
would make a few observations with respect to a subject
on which there appeared some misunderstanding. In
laying the resolution he had done on the table with
respect to the compound householder, he thought the
Government were in that resolution embodying the
proposition of the hon. member for Newark, which
stated that no person other than the occupier should be
rated, and also that they had embraced in the rider which
he hon. member for Pomfret had thought it was desirable
to make to the proposition of the hon. member for Newark.
The direction given to the person who drew up the clause
was to embody such a clause as would fulfil to the
very letter and spirit the proposal of the hon. member
for Newark. He was surprised that it should have been
said that the Government had in what they had done