The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-22 00:00:00

THIRD READINGS.

The following bill., on the motion of Lord REDES-
DALE, were read a third time and pas-ed :
Londo❑ Gas Liht Company (capital) ; Milford
Improvement; Orkney Rocks; East Kent Railway
(Eaten-ion to Diver) ; Midland Great Western of Ire-
land (Sligo Extensi.m) , Monklands Railway, and Mid
Great Western Railway of Ireland (Streamstown and
Cara Junction).
PRISONERS REMOVAL BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
REGISTRATION OF LONG LEASES
(SCOrLAND),
The rep in of amendments on this bill was brought up
and agreed to.

CROWDED DWELLINGS PREVENTION BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
INCLOSURE ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.
On the motion of Lord GRANVILLE this bill passed
through committee.

TURNPIKE TRUSTS (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a tbird time arid passed.
TRANSFER OF LAND.

Lord St. LEONARDS called the attention of the
house to the measures proposed for facilitating the trans-
fer of land, and laid on the table of the house a bill for
simplifying titles to land. The learned lord then said
that in no other country could a man settle his land upon
himself and his children, and remain in the full enjoy-
ment of it himself after makinc, that settlement. It had
been said that a title to land should be as portable and
negotiable as a bank note, but he hoped never to see the
day when a man could put his title deeds in his cigar-
case, and deal with his land in that summary manner.
His lordship then gave the house a conci.e history of
the system of conveyancing, showing the different modes
of transfer in operation from the teudal times down to
the reign of Henry VIII. He then described the devices
adopted by the priests to get lands into the possession of
the. Church improperly by means of the creation of
trusts, and how those devices, which were contrary to
the Statue of Mortmain had been sought to be frustrated
by the 27th Henry VIII., entitled the Statute of Uses.
Since that time various changes had taken place, arising
from the exigencies of the times and the alterations in
the customs of the country. It had been occasionally
proposed that land should pass by a simple entry of the
transfer in a public register, but that had always been
opposed by landowners, who objected to their mortgages
and sales being made public. One of the great objections
to tbe present system was that a purchaser of land was
always liable to what were termed equitable rights, pro-
vided he had notice of toe rights being in existence at the
time of purchase. The effect of this was that if a purchaser
had a dishonest attorney, the latter might receive the
notice and conceal it from his client, and the client
immediately afterwards be deprived of the land for which
he might possibly have given his whole fortune. It was
now time that such a system was prevented, and property
in land placed upon a more sure basis. All attempts to
establish a general registration of property for the whole
country bad up to the present time been failures. His
opinion was, that a general registry would lead to more
expense, and be productive of less real advantages than
the present system of conveyancing. Any attempt to
establish a system of complete registration would, he
felt convinced, be a mere sham, attended, however,
with a sad reality to both vendor and purchaser. The
real object of this proposal was to make the transfer and
sale of landed property as easy and as simple an affair as
the sale or transfer of a railway share, or a few hundred
pounds of stock: But if this were accomplished, it would
be at the expense of the loss of the power to landed pro-
prietors of making settlements on their property. It had
been stated that a bill had been printed for carrying into
effect the recommendations of the commission, but there
appeared to be great difficulties in the way of giving
effect to its provisions. The noble and learned lord was
roceeding to explain the provisions of the bill, when it
Was suggested by
Lords CAMPBELL and BROUGHAM, that it
would be more convenient if the noble and learned lord
would reserve his observations on the bill until it had
been explained by its author to the house.
Lord ST. LEONARDS, after some further observa-
tion., concluded by introducing a bill, the object of
which was to remove existing obstacles, and afford in-
creasing facilities for the sale and purchase of landed
property.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said that their lordships
were greatly indebted to the noble lord for introducing
the bill, and in moving that it should be read a firbt
time, guarded himself from the expression of any opinion
as to the merits of its details.
Lord BROUGHAM stated that he bad himself pre-
pared a bill on the same subject, which had been laid
on the table for some time past. . .

•
Lord CAMPBELL protested against the statement
made by the noble and learned lord, that a system of
registra i m of landed property would be unattended with
any benefits or advantages to owners of landed pro-
perty;