The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

The Marquis of Westminster took the oaths and his
seat.

SWEARING WITNESSES.

Lord CAMPBELL brought up the report of a select
committee that had been appointed to inquire into the
present mode of swearing witnesses. The committee
had unanimously passed a resolution that no alteration
should at present be made in the mode now practised as
to witnesses of matters of fact, but witnesses who came
to give their opinion, it was decided should not be
sworn at all.

CIVIL SERVICE.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
the civil servants of the Crown at Shoreham, prayink for
an alteration in the administration of the Superannuated
Fund.

The Earl of EG LINTON presented a similar petition
from the clerks employed in the Post-office, Edinburgh.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a number of petitions
with a similar prayer front certain Crown establishments
in Ireland.
EDUCATION IN THE ARMY.

Lord PANMURE said be begged to take that oppor-
tunity of contradicting a report which was prevalent
A ith respect to the Military Education Committee. It
had been stated that the commissioners, after having
elicited some very important information, had burned
the whole of the notes of evidence. He begged most
emphatically to state such was not the case. The whole
had beeu carefully preserved, and in a short time the
very valuable report of the commission would be upon
the table of their lordships' house, which ho promised
would well repay perusal.
THE DUBLIN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

Viscount DUNGANNON rose to move for a cop?
of the correspondence which had passed during the
month of April, 1857, between the Dublin Protestant
Assoc'ation and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The
noble lord took the opportunity of explaining to the house
the causes which led to the correspondence in question. It
arose from the gross and insulting conduct of a mob in
hooting a large number of ladies and gentlemen upon
entering the association. The committee wrote to the
Lord• Lieutenant complaining of the conduct of the
Popish mob, and begging that means might be taken to
prevent a recurrence of the annoyance. The Earl of
Carlisle took offence at the language used in one of the
documents and refused to interfere.

Earl GRANVILLE said there was not the slightest
objection to the motion of the noble lord. -
The returns was then ordered.
PROBATE AND LETTERS OF ADMINISTRA.-

TION BILL.
Their lordships then went into committee on this bill.
Clause 1 was agreed to.
On Clause 2 being read,

Lord ST. LEONARDS moved an amendment, the
affect of wtich was to prevent any alteration in the law
al regarded real estate.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the question
did raise the point whether or not the bill affected real
estate, and if the house decided in favour of the motion
of his noble and learned friend he should withdraw all
the enactments relating to real estate. On the other
hand, if their lordships decided in favour of the clause
as it stood, he hoped they would not again raise the
question as to real estate. He had already stated that
he did not think the same necessity existed for probate
of real estate as for probate of personal estate. But
there was an anomaly be was anxious to remove. The
probate of a will conclusively established the title of the
executor to every part of the personal property ; but if
a question was raised as to the sanity or insanity of the
testator at the time of making the will, or as to whether
the will was duly executed, the question, inasmuch as
the probate did not extend to real estate, was reopened
as to the real estate. Suoh questions rarely occurred ;
but it had happened that a testator had been held to be
sane in the disposal of his personal estate, and insane
with regard to his real estate. What he had proposed,
therefore, to remedy this was, not that wills of real
estate should require probate, but that if a will was dis-
puted on the ground of the insanity of the testator, or
on other grounds extending to the whole will, that all
persona having an interest in it should be cited, and the
question settle,' at once and for all. He could not con-
ceive any objection to such a proposal. He felt that be
should have been to be blamed had he not in a bill of
this kind attempted to remedy the anomaly.
On the question that the words proposed to be left
out stand part of the clause their lordships

Contents
Non-contents ... 25
Majority against the amentment ... —2l
The clause was agreed to.
On clause 37,

Lord ST. LEONARDS moted an amendment, so as
to make the appeal under the clause to the House of
Lords instead of the Privy Council. He deprecated
transferring the rights over real property to a tribunal
constituted by the Crown. It was unconstitutional to
do so, as the Crown cou'd dismiss or appoint the mem-
bers of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council at
pleasure.
Lord CAMPBELL concurred with his noble friend,
and considered that the House of Lords should be the
tribunal of last resort in all cases of common law. He
bad, however, no such jealousy as hie noble and learned
friend that her Majesty would alter the list of Privy
Councillors for such a purpose.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said he would be happy
;o adopt the suggestion.
The clause was then added to the bill.
On clause 96,

The Bishop of LONDON expressed the hope that on
bringing up the report the Lord Chancellor would
devise some means of providing salaries for those learned
persons who performed the important duties of chancellor
and registrar of the diocese of London.
The LORD CHANCELLOR doubted the justice and
propriety of making E. charge upon persons who came
up to prove wills, in order to provide salaries for eccle-
siastical officers, however important the duties they
might have to perform. He would, however, take the
matter into consideration.

The remaining clauses and the schedules were then
agreed to, and the bill was reported with amendments to
the house.

DULWICEI COLLEGE BILL.

This bill was read a second time, and referred to a
select committee.

The house adjourned at five minutes past eight.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTBRDA.Y.)
The SPEAKER took the Chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Sir W. Somerville took the oaths and his seat for
Canterbury.