The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-15 00:00:00

LAW.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL moved to introduce the
following bills :—Bill to consolidate and amend the statute
laws of England and Ireland relating to offences against the
person ; bill to consolidate and amend the statute law of
England and Ireland relating to malicious injuries to pro-
perty ; bill to consolidate and amend the statute law of
England and Ireland relating to larceny and other similar
offences; bill to consolidate and amend the statute law of
England and Ireland relating to indictable offences by
forgery; bill to consolidate and amend the statute law of
the United KinAom against offences relating to the coin;
bill to consolidate and amend the statute law of England
and Ireland relating to accessories to and abettors of in-
dictable offences; bill to repeal certain enactments which
have been consolidated in several acts of the present session
relating to indictable offences and other matters. Towards
the close of last session the whole of those bills had come
down from the other house; they were read a second time,
but there was not opportunity to give them due consideration.
At the same time it was intimated that the bills would be
introduced in this house early this session. The bills were
seven in number, and their general object was to consoli-
date and assimilate the statute law in England, Scotland,
and Ireland, as it bore upon crime. One of those bills was
simply a bill to repeal other acts, and another related
merely to accessories and abettors. It was not proposed to
interfere in any way with the common law. but to deal only
with that which depended on statutes. As to the propriety
of the consolidation of the statute law generally, there was
but one opinion among those who had applied their minds
to the subject, however they might differ as to the means of
effecting this object. (Hear.) To attempt to consolidate the
common law would be to enter on very debateable ground.
Reference to the titles of the five bills would show that they
had a very wide application and effected a great reform. The
bulk of our criminal law for many years had been the crea-
ture of statute. As society advanced it was necessary
to enact punishments for fresh offences. It was proposed
by these bills not merely to consolidate, but to assimilate.
The house would probably think this a wise object; at the
same time there was such differences between the two
peoples of England and Ireland and their condition, that it
was impossible to attempt general assimilation. The first
steps necessary were consolidation and assimilation in the
statute book, and next and nearly important came expurgEo-
tion. Then came the operations which were necessary to
place the statute book in a satisfactory condition. Consoli-
dation then being the first step, they must proceed with it
subject by subject. The statutes relating to crime were mos,
conveniently consolidated, so that the house must admit
that all the steps already taken had been in the right diree-
tibn. Suppose the present bills to become law, they will
feral part of the system of consolidation which was com-
menced by the late Sir R. Peel. Various commissions had
been issued on the subject. The first was in 1833—nearly
30 years ago ; and that commission issued three reports. la
1837 a similar commission was appointed and Published four
reports ; and in 1845 there was another commission, which
published four reports also. These commissioners were to
take note of the labours of their predecessors, and in 1849