The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-13 00:00:00

NOES, 136.

Abercromby, R. W. Gray, William Mordaunt, Sir G.
Adderley, C. B. Griffith, C D. Morgan, Major
Atherton, W. Haliburton,'Justico Mundy, William
Baillie, H. J. Hamilton, Lord C. Naas, Rt. Hn. Lord
Baring, Sir E. Hamilton, Major Newdegate, C. N.
Barrow, W. H. Hardy, J. North, F.
Beach, W. W. Headlam, Thos. F Northcote, Sir S. 11.
Beamish, P. B. Heathcote,
LordS Patten, J. W.
W. Parker, Major W.
Beecroft, G. S. Henley,
Ben tinck, G.C.
HlTeeyngnaetsesT s,
irj.F. P.
Pennant,
nHt,.
Benyon, R. Col.
Beresford, W. Hill, Hon. R. Potts, George
Black, Adam Hope, G. W. Ridley, Sir M. W.
Blackburn, P. Hotham, Gen. Lord Rowley, Hon. R. T.
Blencowe, J. G. Howes, Edward Sclater-Booth, G.
Bramston, T. W. Humberstone, P. S. Selwyn, C. J.
Brooks, R. Hunt, G. W. Seymour, Sir M.
Browne, Lord J. T. Ingestre, Viscount Smith, M.
Bruce, C. L. C. Jermyn, Earl Smith, Abel
Cavendish, Lord G. Jolliffe, Sir W. Smith, S. G.
Cayley, E. S. Kekewich, S. Somes, Joseph
Clive, H. G. W. Kendall, N. Spooner, R.
Cross, It. A. Kennard, It. Stanhope, J. B.
Dent, John Dent Kinglake, Serj. J. Stirling, Win. •
Duff, M. E. Knatchbull-Hugess Steuart, A.
Duncombe, A. Lacon, Sir E. Stuart, Major W.
Dundas, Sir David Lefroy, A. Stracey, Sir 11.
Du Pre, C. G. Leslie, W. Taylor, Colonel
East, Sir J. B. Liddell, Hon. H. G. Torrens, R.
Edwards, Major H. Lockhart, A. E. Trollope, Sir John
Egerton, W. Longfield, Robert Valetort, Lord
Elphinstone, Sir J Lopes, Sir M., Bt. Vandeleur, Col.
Enfield, Viscount Lyall, G. Vansittart Wm.
Estcourt, S. Lyg:on, Hon. P. Verner, Sir Wm.
Farrer, James Mackie, J. Walpole, S. H.
Fellowes, Edward McMahon, P. Walter, John
Fergusson, Sir J. Malcolm, W. J Wallington, J. W.
Fortescue, Hon. D. Manners, Lord J. Whitbread, S.
Galway, Viscount Martin, P. W. Whitmore, H.
Gard, R. S. Martin, J. Wickham, H. W.
Garnett W. J. Massey, W. N. Woodd, B. T.
Gavin, Major Miller, T. Wynn, Col.
George, John Mills, A.
Gordon, C. W. Mitford, W. T. TELLERS.
Gore, J. R. 0. Montagu, Lord R. Hardy, Gathorne
Graham, Lord Wm. Montgomery, Sir G. Packe, C. W.
Greenall, G. Moody, C. A.

Mr. HEATHCOTE objected to the bill, as it would no_
remedy the evil complained of, but would lead to greater
difficulty, and open the door to all sorts of evasions.
Mr. LOCKE said by the Common Law Procedure Act
of 18.54 the judge had, in civil cases, the power of relieving
a person from taking an oath if he stated that the doing so,
according to his religious belief, was unlawful ; and the
present bill only sought to give the same power in crimi-
nal cases. The affirmation in the bill now before them set
forth that an oath would not, in the judgment of the wit-
ness, be more conducive to the speaking the truth than his
deliberate undertaking to do so. But the Common Law
Procedure Act required a witness to declare that, accord-
ing to his religious belief, the taking of an oath
was unlawful. The fact was, the whole tendency
of legislation on this subject had reference, not so much to
the relief of the conscience of witnesses, as to furthering an
act of justice. No inconvenience had ever arisen from the
relief that had been already given to certain sects. He
should vote for the second reading of the bill ; and in the
event of its not being successful, he should bring forward
the bill on the same subject that stood lower down in the
orders for that day in his (Mr. Locke's) name, and he
should claim the votes of many:gentlemen who objected to the
measure then under discussion, because in his bill he ex-
pressly laid it down that a person making an affirmation
must have a religious belief. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. AI‘MAHON should vote against the second read-
ing
of this bill. The affirmation set forth in the bill was
such as the most careless could take, because it contained
neither reference either to speaking the truth or the reli-
gious belief of the parties making the declaration.
Mr. MELLOR thought the bill ono that would be of
great service. He had met with cases where failures
of justice had taken place in co isequence of there being no
such power as the bill proposed to give the judge, With-
out committing himself further than the present bill with
respect to the question of oaths, upon which he entertained
a strong opinion, he would give his vote in favour of the
second reading of the bill.
The SO LICITOR-GENERAL most strongly objected
to the bill, and he advised the house to be very cautious
before they agreed to the changes proposed by it. Va-
rious efforts had been made in former years without
success to effect the object now proposed, and he thought
their ancestors had acted right when they declared that
persons without a religious conscience or belief should not
be accepted as witnesses in courts of justice. He believed
it was admitted that the change, as far as witnesses were
concerned, would not stop there. He thought the bill was
objectionable in principle, and seem to hold out an invitation
to those who wished to evade the responsibility of giving
their evidence under the sanctity of an oath.
oRf
theEC OR
NorthernD E RS 1 I ICI
Circuit,
t
Sir J. SHELLEY rose amidst loud cries of it Divide!'
ThPa Ss NbVeieenli.-- appointedlA r Jtx). He said they had had the reasons of many legal gentlemen B THE
why they intended to vote for or against the bill, and he
bill p of Ipswich, rendered
this bill
the
anxious to state that in giving his vote in favour of vacant by the resignation
lie was not, as bad been reported, of all those, who Rip- of Mr. David Power, Q.c,

LETTERS FOR 7HE SOUTHERN STATES OF
AMERICA.

A notice of which the following is a copy has been re-
ceived from the Postmaster-General of the United States :
" Post-office Department, Washington,
May 25, 1861.
"All Postal Service in the States of Virginia,
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas will be sus-
pended from and after the 3,lst instant.
order will
" Letters for offices temporarily closed by this _
North
be forwarded to the Dead Letter-office, except those for
Western Virginia, which will be sent to Wheeling.
(Signed) "M. BLAIR, Postmaster. General."
In due course all letters from the United K ingdom for-
warded to the Dead Letter-office at Washington will be
returned to the Dead Letter-office in London, and in such
case they will be opened and sent back to the writers.
assuming
s ing that Nevertheless, as this suspension of the postal service is
such
stated to be only temporary, the Postmaster-General will
continue to forward in the general mails for the United
may States
be posted
lettersi
li
theaddressed
United
Kingdom,
Statesdo
m su,referredm towhich
a course is desired by the writers.—BY Command of the
Postmaster-General;
June 12

ROWLA.ND HILL, Secretary.
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