The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-16 00:00:00

the subject prematurely before the house. It had for years
been notorious that the courts for the administration of
justice in this country were inadequate in their ccommc-
dation ; and so strongly did the Earl of Der y feel this
when he was in office that he issued a comm • sion to in-
quire into the subject. That commission, in • hich the dif-
ferent interests were ably represented, con sted of Sir J.
Coleridge, Vice-Chancellor Page Wood, Sir G. C. Lewis,
Bart, Dr. Phillimore, and Mr. J. Young, and they unaz„
motisly concurred in the opinion that, ;:s Wati neCeflattry there
should be new courts, thsg,'they
should be conectitrated on
the site which
uad been ao mach criticised by the noble
and learhed lord, and that the suitors' fund might be legi-
timately applied towards the expense of their construction.
If the report of the commission had been made before the
Earl of Derby left office, without the smallest doubt he
would have directed a bill to be brought into Parliament
for the purpose of carrying its recommendations into effect.
He (the Lord Chancellor) had to announce on the part of
the Government to which he belonged, that though the
measure was originated by Lord Derby's Government, they
were most anxious to follow in his footsteps in this respect,
and they had prepared a bill on the subject which would be
immediately brought into the House of Commons. His
noble and learned friend was quite wrong in supposing that
no plans or estimates had been prepared. All those had
been prepared, the usual notices had been served, and all
the other preliminary steps taken; and is the course of a
few days the bill would, with the permission of the House
of Commons, be introduced, unless the threatened injunc-
tion with regard to the suitors' fee fund prevailed. (Hear)
His noble and learned friend need hot be under any misap-
prehension that he would not have ample opportunities for
discussing the measure. On the present occasion he
would abstain from entering into details in regard to
the proposed plan. He would only now say that he
regretted leaving Westminster-hall, to which he had the
warmest attachment, but their departure had become
absolutely necessary. Westminster-hall answered the pur-
poses of& palace of justice most admirably when, as in the
time of the Plantagenets, they had only four courts sitting,
but now, from the increase of population and wealth in the
country, they had no less than four other courts. He agreed
entirely with the commissioners that it was most desirable
that the courts of equity and common law should be concen-
trated upon one spot. At present they were dissevered by
great distances, and the judges and counsel practising in
them seldom had any opportunity of coming in contact with
each other. There would, by such an arrangement, be a
clear saving of time and expense to all concerned in the ad-
ministration of justice. The commissioners had selected the
area to which the noble and learned lord had referred, and
be believed that if the plan were completed it would be most
conducive to the health and ornament of the metropolis.
The Lord Chancellor then entered into some details respect-
ing the suitors' fund, and repeated that he thought it might
be legitimately applied to the building of the proposed courts,
Here was a large sum of money which had been brought
into the Court of Chancery, to be retained in the custody of
the court, and was there any harm in applying any profit
that might be derived from so retaining it to erect a build-
ing for the court to sit in ? He believed that next to having
honest, intelligent, and learned judges it was essential there
should be proper offices for the court. As for lowering the
fees, they had already been lowered, and were very mode-
rate now; but as for the proposal to abolish them altogether,
he must say, however unpopular might be the declaration,
that he thought it would be unjust to the taxpayer to call
on the State to defray all the cost of litigation. He could
not see, then, who was injured, or who had a right to com-
plain of the intended arrangement; but he would reserve
anything more to be said about it till the bill should come
regularly before their lordships' house.
Lord CRANWORTH said that although this was not a
discussion that could lead to any result, he must say a few
words. He could not agree with the noble and learned lord
opposite, who thought that the whole of the suitors' fee
fund was one which the state had no right to deal with.
No doubt, whenever the suitors individually claimed
repayment, the State was bound to repay it, and to sell
stock for that purpose ; but the suitors were not a corpora-
tion. Every individual suitor had a right to have his own
money delivered to him, but as a body they had no claim.
These furtds were the accumulations of a century and a
half, and did not belong to any existing suitor. If a great
defalcation occurred in them, as happened once in the last
century, the State would have to make it good by taxation,
as the court was but the agent of the State in taking charge
of this money. On the other hand, though he admitted
the right of the State to apply the interest of the fund to
the building of the new courts, he did not see the advantage
of it, because the interest was all appropriated by Act of
Parliament, so that there would be a charge on the conso-
lidated fund to that amount. He concurred in thinking
that the erection of the new courts of law, on the plan de-
signed, was a very desirable object, but he would express
no opinion as to whether that object was worth tho cGst.
The discussion then terminated, and their lordships ad-
journed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The standing orders were declared to have been com-
plied with in the case of a number of railway and other bills,
and in the cane of several others, that they had not been
complied with.
The following bills were read a second time :—Chard
and Taunton Railway ; Cork and Macroom Direct Rail-
way; Kilrush and Kilkee Railway and Poulnaaherry
Reclamation; Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway;
North-Eastern and Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Carlisle
Railway Companies Amalgamation; Shirley Railway;
Southampton and Netley Railway; Wallasey Improve-
ment ; Whitehaven, Cleator, and Egremont Railway ;
and Workington Tidal Basin and Railway.
Several private bills were also read a first time.
PETITIONS.

Petitions were presented against the unconditional aboli-
tion of church-rates ; from the wine merchants of Notting-
ham against the present mode of assessing the wine duties ;
six from Norwich praying that a new Reform Bill may be
passed without delay ; for the new census being taken ac-
cording to counties, and not according to registration
counties ; by Mr. Bright from the Town Council of Rock-
dale in favour of an amendment of the bankruptcy laws, &c.
ROYAL MARINES.

Sir F. SMITH moved an address for return of all nomi-
nations to the Royal Marine Corps, or to Royal Marine
cadetships, for each year, from the year 1851 to the
year 1860, inclusive ; showing the names and Christian
names of the several individuals ; the date of each appoint-
ment, and the age of the person at the time of appointment;
and specifying, as far as is known, who amongst the num-
ber were sons or other near relatives of officers in her Ma-
jesty's service.—Ordered.
EAST INDIA (CIIINA WAR).
Sir S. NORTHCOTE moved an address for account of
of the sums which had been claimed from the Imperial
Government by the Government of India for advances or
disbursements on account of the war in China to the 31st
day of March 1860.
HARBOURS, RAILWAYS, &c.
Mr. M. GIBSON moved—" That the Board of Trade do
present to this house reports upon the several private bills
relating to harbours, docks, navigation, !cc , of the present
session ; that the Board of Trade do present to this house
a report upon the railway and canal bills of this session, in
compliance with the recommendation contained in the fifth
report of the select committee on railway and canal bills of
the session of 1853."
These returns were ordered.
CONSULAR SERVICE.
Mr. D. SEYMOUR gave notice that on the motion for
adjournment next Friday he would call attention to the
subject of consular service, and ask if it was the intention
of Government to act on the recommendation that had
been made by the committee on this matter.

SALMON FISHERIES.

In reply to Mr. GREGSON,
Sir G. C. LEWIS 'said that the report of the committee
on this subject had been presented.
THE OUTBREAK AT CHATHAM.
In reply to Alderman SALomoss,
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that in January last an attempt
was made by the convicts at Chatham to escape, and they
were transferred to the penitentiary of Milbank. There was
also an outbreak at St. Mary's Island, which required the
intervention of the military for its suppression. Some of
those engaged in the latter disturbance had been sentenced to
36 lashes, which had been carried out. He could give no
satisfactory explanation as to the cause of these outbreaks.
THE POPE AND THE ITALIAN QUESTION, &c.
In answer to several questions,
Lord J. RUSSELL explained with reference to the an-
nexation of Mentore and Roquebrune, that when Nice was
ceded to the Emperor of the French, these towns were
purchased by the French Government for 4,000,000 fr. He
did not consider that any political importance attached to the
event. With regard to the next question ho could not give
any specific answer. The idea of any interference on the part
of Government in reference to the matter alluded to was
unfounded, for they had determined to allow the Italians
and his Holiness the Pope to settle the question at
issue between themselves. With respect to the Stade tolls,
negotiations had been entered into, but owing to some ex-
ceptions taken by Hanover in the details relative to the
redemption of the toll, the matter had not yet been settled.
However, Hanover had shown herself disposed to an ami-
cable settlement of the question, and, therefore, such settle•
went might be looked forward to.

POOR LAW (IRELAND) BILL
In reply to Mr. BLAKE,
Mr. CARDWELL said that several Irish parishes were
anxious for the appointment of the committee in question,
and he only wished to make a motion on the subject until
it had been brought before the house by some hon. mem-
ber. After the question of the hon. member he would feel
justified in bringing the subject forward, and he would move
for the appointment of the committee next week.
THE MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES.
Mr. BENTINCK asked ;when it was :the intention
of her Majesty's Government to lay on the
table of the house the miscellaneous °t
He ?
He said that a reduction in these estimates
which y were
'fteught before the house. They were submitted to the
-ideration of hon, members at a period of the eeseiotz

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