The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-15 00:00:00

accuracy by the Noble Marquis, and it was very true
that Mr. Brewster gave directions that means
should be taken to purchase copies of this
ballad from Moran, who was the printer,
according to the information which had been given by
Osborn. The Noble. Marquis must remember that
when Osborn gave his information he was placed
very much in the position of a common in-
former, and, therefore, his evidence was not
entitled to much weight, and ought not to be relied upon if
they could get better evidence by proper means. A man
dressed as au itinerant ballad-singer was therefore sent
to Moran's house, to purchase one of these ballads, and lest
Moran should have none printed in his possession
the man took with him a manuscript copy of the ballad
in his pocket, with directions that in such case he should
order Moran to print some more copies from that manu-
script. It was ascertained that there were no printed
copies in existence, but he produced the MS., and pro-
cured others to be printed in his presence, and pur-
chased eighteen dozen of them. He said, further,
that when Moran received the MS. he asked if
it had been procured from Ulver, and was answered in
the affirmative. Now he had produced the MS. to Mo •
ran, had got it printed in his presence, and had pur-
chased the copies. That was a different case from sending
a person to a printer's house to purchase publications
which had been printed previously. He believed
that that was a course which was every day adopted
in this country without objection, but if no printed
papers were found, and a MS. was taken to the printer,
and he was induced to print it, such a course of
conduct was perfectly unjustifiable. Now, Mr,
Grey at all events, knew of this transaction, for
Falvey said in his evidence that he had told Mr. Grey of
all that had occurred. Mr. Grey had reported on this tran-
saction to the authorities of the Castle,and yet he had never
mentioned one word of this circumstance. The gist of the
whole transaction consisted in his having sent to Moran
to get these ballads printed. The accusation against
the Government was that they had employed a
policeman as a spy—they bad furnished him with a
manuscript to get printed, and had prosecuted
the printer. Now be could not acquit Mr. Grey.
-Mr. Grey said he could not recollect the circumstance,
that it had escaped his memory ; but the other said that
he had positively given directions that those orders
should be given to Falvey, and Foote said that he
was not sure if Jennings or Mr. Grey mentioned it,
but that the two bad been consulting together,
and that Mr. Grey was in the room, when
the orders were given ; therefore, Mr. Grey knew all
the circumstances, and yet had not reported the facts to
the Castle. Jennings afterwards said that Falvey
went to Moran disguised as a ballad-singer,
and desired Moran to print the ballads. Besides
that of the other witnesses, they had the evi-
dence of a person named Cooke, who swore that he came
into the room where Falvey and Moran were, and saw the
manuscript produced ; that he understood Falvey was
acting under orders, and further, that on his return from
Cashel he informed Mr. Grey of all that had passed.
Under all the circumstances of the case, he thought Mr.
Grey's friends were acting unwisely in moving for the pro-
duction of those papers. Of all other situations there
was none which should be more clear from any suspicion
than that of the stipendiary magistrate. He considered
that the evidence which had been adduced in the inquiry
instituted before Mr. Martley, Q.C., fully justified the
course adopted by the Government. Mr. Grey saw the
report which had been made after the investigation, the
accuracy of which he did not deny. Under those cir-
cumstances he did not think that the Government would
be justified in retaining Mr. Grey in the commission of
the peace. With regard to the papers be would say at
once that it was not necessary the Government should
in all cases lay before the House all the confidential
papers that might pass on any subject ; but if the Noble
Marquis persevered in his motion, he would not object to
all the papers being given.
The Marquis cf CLANRICARDE said that he had
heard the speech of the Noble Lord with great regret.
If this were a mere question between the Government
and Mr. Grey, he had shown that Mr. Grey was to a
considerable degree culpable. The fault, or crime, for
it was nothing less than crime, of Mr. Grey he had no
doubt was from want of judgment, or excessive zeal, and
as such it was fit that be should be removed, but he did
not think that the Noble Earl had shown that the Go-
vernment were not at fault. He did not think that the
Government had taken the proper steps to know what
was going on. He had not explained how it happened
that from the Ist of December till April no notice
had been taken of the conduct of Mr. Grey, or of
Jennings. If practices such as were disclosed in
this case were allowed, and there were unfor-
tunately many similar cases, the confidence of the people
in the law and in its administration would be very much
shaken. The Government ought to be particularly
careful in watching over the police force of Ireland.
That force was totally different from any force in this
country. It was a most excellent and useful force in
Ireland; provided it were well governed ; but if the force
should get into abuse, and should not be properly go-
verned, it would reduce Ireland to a state of slavery.
Earl FORTESCUE thought it would be well if their
Lordships were to suspend their judgment upon this
matter until the papers were before the Houre. He had
seen Mr. Grey for the first time that morning, and he
distinctly stated that he gave no direction whatever that
copies of the ballad which had been referred to should
be printed. In what he-had done, he had acted upon the
instructions of the Law Officers of the Crown. It was
in consequence of the suggestion of the Attorney-Gene-
ral that he became a party to the course which had been
pursued. The course he suggested was to obtain the
evidence of Osborn against Moran, and, upon that evi-
dence to send a search warrant to Moran's house, as he
had no doubt that copies of the ballad would there be
found.
The Earl of WICKLOW said it was quite clear that
if Mr. Grey had directed a person to get copies of the
ballad printed, in the manner stated, that he was guilty
of an offence for which he deserved to be dismissed. If
a Conservative magistrate had committed such an of-
fence, and the Government had not dismissed him, he
could imagine the clamour that Noble Lords opposite
would have raised. Yet now, after a culpable act had
been committed—(Cheers from the Opposition benches)
—an outcry was raised because the person committing it
was discharged from his office.
After a few words from Lord WHARNCLIFFE and
the Marquis of CLANRICARDE in explanation,
The Marquis of NORNIANBY rose to reply. The
police had been employed as spies. The Government
had refused to prosecute, and they had dismissed Mr.
Grey without giving him an opportunity of explaining
his conduct. Now nothing of all this would have oc-
curred if it had not been for the loose opinion given by
the Attorney-General for Ireland as to the conduct of
sessions juries in Tipperary. He was by no means sa-
tisfied with the defence which had been made for the
Irish Government ; and if ever the realisation of that
fond and foolish prophecy, as the Noble Lord had called
it, of, the Tories' dovvnfal was to take place, the con-
duct of such officials as Mr. Brewster and Mr. Lucas
was more likely to occasion it than a thoasand ballads.
The Earl of WICKLOW explained.
The Earl of WINCHILSEA said it was certain that
Mr. Grey had concealed from the Government the fact
d ot h
e s o
fact. o
that the police had been employed to get the ballads
nproitnhteedd,
easnedrywedhethhiesr
dhiesmhadissairdfeorr ealelcohniemtiong
The Government had acted as soon as
withthey became ac-
quainted the facts of the case, which was not until
Mr. Scott bad read the depositions. Mr. Grey had kept
circumstances from the know:edge of the Government with
which he was acquainted, and that was sufficient to
justify the Government in dismissing him. He should,
however, reserve his judgment until the papers were
before their Lordships.—(lronical cheers from the Oppo-
sition.) Noble Lords opposite had . brought forward m
this motion in order to do everything their power to
make her Majesty's Government as odious as they could
in Irelaud.—(Hear, hear.) They were no true friends to
Ireland who acted in this way. Those who had to ad-
minister the law in Ireland had a very difficult task to
perform, and ought to be properly supported.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said it was at
all events not necessary for his Noble Friend to appeal
to the people of Ireland to ask whom they con-
sidered their best friend. He would not deny
that what he had said was meant as an attack upon the
Government. Nothing had been said to satisfy him why
this magistrate had not been dismissed four months be-
fore. They would, however, when they had the papers,
see the date of the appointment of his successor, and
they would then, in all probability, find that nothing had
been done in this affair until after public attention had
been drawn to the subject.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE was understood to say that
the date of the new appointment was the 18th of April.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE—Not until after
public attention had been called to that subject by the
speech at the assizes.

The Duke of BUCCLEUCH rose to order. It was
impossible that the order and regularity of their proceed.
ings could bq observed if Noble Lords made more than
one speech on the same subject.
The Marquis of NORMANBY would not be prevented
by the lecture of the Noble Duke from replying to the
attack of the Noble Earl, who ought to have spoken in
the course of the debate, instead of waiting until after
his reply. He should undoubtedly exercise the right of
bringing the conduct of the Irish Government under
their Lordships' notice whenever he thought it neces-
sary ; and he would do so even were the Noble Earl
himself a member of that Government, and were he in
that capacity to renew his visit to Ireland, where a vivid
recollection of him was retainediby sounds not so articu-
lated, but possessing quite as much meaning as anything
the Noble. Earl uttered in their Lordships' House—he
meant the Kentish fire.--(Hear, and laughter.)
The Earl of WINCHILSEA explained.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said the assizes were held on
the 20th of March, and the new appointment was made
on the Bth of April.
The motion was then agreed to.
HER MAJESTY'S SHIP QUEEN.
The Earl of MINTO, in moving for a return of the
services of her Majesty's ship Queen, stated that the
Queen, a -three-decker, built on. a new principle, had
been sent out to Malta, where she was the flag-ship. His
complaint was that she had not had a fair and proper
trial. A voyage to Malta under easy sail, and a few
holiday trips from that island, were not sufficient to test
her-powers. He had no wish to cast any imputation on
the conduct of the Gallant Admiral commanding at
Malta, as he considered that the Mediterranean station
was so near home, that whatever was done there had
been done by orders from the Admiralty.
The Earl of HADDINGTON agreed that it was de-
sirable that every opportunity should be taken of testing
the powers of trial ships, and although the powers of
the ships in question had not been tested to the extent
that he wished, yet they had been tested to a much
greater extent than the Noble Earl seemed to imagine.
On the voyage out she had been tried against the For-
midable ; since she had been at Malta, she .had.been
'tried against the Vernon, but they had been separated
during a tempest. The Admiral reported_ very favour-
ably of bet It was net always in the Admire A's power

(togo to sea when he wished. The affairs of Greece,
Syria, and of Spain had obliged him to keep his ships
together, so as to be enabled at once to send them in any
direction, which the exigencies (~f the service might re-
quire. The Government had latterly thought it inex-
pedient to keep up such a large force in the Mediter-
ranean, and there had only been two or three line-of-
battle ships there during the last year. This rendered
the presence of the Admiral at Malta almost constantly
necessary. lle objected to granting the return, because
it cast an imputation on the Government, for which the
Noble Earl had laid no parliamentary ground.
The Earl of MINTO thought the reasons of the Go-
vernment for refusing the returns insufficient. He had
heard from a naval officer that the Queen had remained
in Malta harbour until she had almost grounded on her
"beef bones." The trials to which she had been sub-
jected had been nothing to the purpose fur• testing her
qualities as a ship.
After a few words from the Earl of HADDINGTON
the motion was negatived without a division.

RAILROADS.
Earl FITZWILLIAM moved that a message be sent
to the Lower House of Parliament, requesting them to
furnish their Lordships with their reports on the Com-
mittee on Railroads. The Noble Earl then alluded to
the contest now carrying on between two railroad com-
panies in the north of England for the formation of a
third, or junction line, each :company claiming a right
of property in the making of this third line, as an illus-
tration of the necessity for some interference on the part
of the Executive to prevent the wasting of such great
sums of money as would be spent in carrying on con-
tests of this nature before Committees of the two Houses
of Parliament.

The Earl of DALHOUSIE assured the Noble Earl
that the Government were alive to the importance of
the subject. At the commencement of the session, the
head of the department, which had a limited control over
railroads, had moved for a Committee to consider the
subject ; that Committee had furnished several reports,
and would soon complete their labours. Perhaps it
would be better to wait until then, and have all the re-
ports together.

Earl i'ITZWILLIAM wished at once to have the re-
ports which had already been presented.
The motion was then agreed to ; and the Bills on the
table having been forwarded a stage, their Lordships
adjourned till Friday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 14.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock.

NEW WRIT.
Lord MARCUS HILL moved that a new writ be
ordered to be issued for the election of a burgess to serve
for the borough of Kilmarnock, in the room of Mr. A.
Johnstone, deceased.—Ordered.
Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Toxteth,
near Liverpool, against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
Mr. WYSE presented a petition from the Art-Union
of London, praying that Art-Unions might be legalised.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented petitions from Pres-
byterian congregations of Bangor and Ballygilbert, near
Kihnore, in the county of Down, in favour of the Dis-
senters' Chapels Bill.
Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND presented a petition
against any alteration in the law of mortmain.
SHEFFIELD. ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND
MANCHESTER RAILWAYS BILL.
Mr. PARKER moved the further consideration of the
report of the Committee upon the Sheffield, • Ashton-
under-Lyne, and Manchester Railways.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said that, as the
relative merits of the two lines could not be understood
by Hon. Members who had not had the reports of the
two Committees in their hands, he would move that the
consideration of this report be adjourned till Thursday
nest.

Mr. LABOUCHERE would not object to the adjourn-
ment ; but he would say that the Committee upon this
Bill had sat for nine days, and had unanimously agreed
on the report.
Mr. GLADSTONE hoped there would be a general
acquiescence in the proposal of his Noble Friend, to
adjourn the debate.
After a short discussion, the debate was adjourned till
Thursday next.

NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. CHRISTIE postponed till this day fortnight his
motion on the subject of education.
DISSENTERS' CHAPELS BILL.
Sir R. INGLIS begged to ask his Right Hon. Friend,
the First Lord of the Treasury, a question with respect
to a measure to which both sides of the House, attached
great importance—the Dissenters' Chspels Bill. At pre-
sent that Bill stood first on the paper for Friday ; he
wished to know whether it was his Right Hon. Friend's
intention to press it forward on that day, the Bill not
having been in the hands of Members more than one week?
Sir R. PEEL said that he thought a week was a very
ample allowance of time, considering how Much public
attention had been excited to the Bill. However, he
would not bring on the measure that night if it
had not a fair chance of being discussed.—(Hear.)
It would be absolutely necessary for his Right Hon.
Friend to bring forward—first, his resolutions respecting
the customs ; after which his Hon. Friend the Lord-
Advocate of Scotland would bring forward the Scotch
Parishes Bill ; and if he were not able to bring on the
Dissenters Chapels Bill before ten o'clock, he would not
then proceed with it.—,(Hear, hear.)
Sir R. INGLIS said he ought to have stated that,
though the Bill had been before the House for a week,
it had not been during that time in the hands of Members.
. IRISH REGISTRATION BILL.
An Host. MEMBER. inquired when the Irish Registra-
tion Bill would be brought forward?—(Laughter:)
Sir R. PEEL said he must bring forward the 'Bank
Resolutions on Monday, and, as we understood, it was
not likely that the Irish Registration Bill would come on
before the holidays.
Mr. FERRAND said that the Right Honourable
Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) had, on the previous evening,
quoted a document which set forward the claims of the
coal miners during their unfortunate strike. As he
was informed that that document also set forth their
grievances, which were of the most oppressive kind, he
wished to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had
any objection to lay it on the table of the House ?
Sir R. PEEL said he believed it was not consistent
with the forms of the Douse to lay on the table a hand-
bill ; but he had a copy of the printed hand-bill from
which he quoted, and if the Hon. Gentleman wished to
have it for the purposes of debate, he should be happy
to furnish him with it.—(Laughter.)
Sir ROBERT PEEL postponed, till that day fort-
night, his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to define
and regulate certain rights of the Duchy of Cornwall.
EXTENSION OF THE SUFFRAGE.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD, previous to bringing
forward his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to ex-
tend Parliamentary suffrage, and to secure the
free representation of the people, presented
petitions from Leicester, the Tower Hamlets,
and Leeds, signed by upwards of 10,000 per-
sons, in favour of his motion. The Hon. Gentleman
then proceeded to state, that on firmer occasions ho had
brought before the House propositions similar to that
which he now advanced, and had entered into different
arguments in support of his views which he would not
then reiterate. He should only state his general views
on the question, and explain as shortly as lie possibly
could, the principles he desired to see in operation. If
they considered the principle of all government,
they would find it to be that the great body
of the people gave up their natural rights, and
entrusted them to others to exercise them for the
benefit of all. This principle was consistent with
his proposition that every man should have a share in
the appointment of those who were to make .the laws
which he was bound to obey. He would not
maintain universal sufFrage in all its details,
but the principle of the Bill he would in-
troduce to the House was, that all male adults
of twenty-one years of age should Le entitled to vote for
Members of Parliament ; but that principle should be
limited by registration laws, which should confine the
exercise of it to a residence within the locality where the
election took place. He would exclude from the right of
suffrage all those who were under sentence for any
crime, or who were insane, but he would have no class
of the community subjected to limitations to which every
other class was not. He would also propose a new ar-
rangement of the electoral districts, for he could not
think it fair representation, if a district having 100
voters should have as many representatives as a district
having 1,000 voters. His third proposition was the in-
troduction of vote by ballot. He considered it impossi•
ble to extend the suffrage with safety to the
people unless voting by ballot was also adopted ;
nor did he think that vote by ballot would be
safe unless it was accompanied by extended suffrage.
He had thus stated the three principles to which he
wished to draw the attention of the House ; first, the
extension of the franchise.; secondly, a new arrangement
of the electoral distriets; and, thirdly, the vote by ballot.
He did not wish to trespass on the time of the House by
going into the detail of the argument which bore upon
those three points ; but he would read the petition
which he had formerly presented to the House from the
delegates at Liverpool, and which contained a summary
of those arguments. (The Honourable Member then
read the petition, but could not possibly b© followed
correctly in the gallery.) Perhaps gentlemen might
admit the principles which he had alleged, and yet
differ from hills as tosome of the details ; and if so, they
ought not to object to going into a Committee, where
the details might be examined. The great body.of the
people were, by the present system, excluded from the
representation, and the advocates of that exclusion should
show that it was wise, expedient, and just. He had been
challenged by the Right Hon. Baronet opposite io
say why he excluded females from universal suffrage.
But, although he did not include women in this measure,
he was not prepared to say that women should not in
some cases possess the suffrage. He did not think that
the working classes were represented in that
House or that their interests were sufficiently
attended to. Nor did he think that it was right to re-
fuse the franchise to a poor man, because he was poor and
unlettered. The poor man without learning was still '
capable of judging of his own interest, and he was the
person who most required protection. To show that
the working classes required protection, he need only
refer to the recent divisions upon the Factories' Bill,
when the House of Commons twice decided by a ma-
jority, that women and children ought not to berequired
to work in factories more that ten hours a day. Then
on a third division the same House divided that they
ought to work more than that time, and afterwards, on a
fourth division, by a large majority, that they oughtl to
work twelve hours. It was evident that in those divi-
sions the House had not acted as a body that represented
the working classes, whose almost unanimous opinion
had been expressed in favour of the measure; in fact,
the House was the representative of the Government
and not of the people. There were other points besides
those which he had enumerated, which were included
in the demand for full and fair representation. -Amongat
them was the reduction of the duration of Parliaments.
No man could say that there could be free representa-
tion so long :us Parliament sat for so many years. Ile

was aware that many sincere Reformers disagreed as to
the extent of the reduction which should be made, but
all agreed that there should be some reduction. He
would not say that there could be no due representation_
for the people unless all these points were carried, hi!t
in bringing this question before the House he had felt
it his duty to state what the demands of the people were.
That House relied on its power as a means of resisting
popular rights; but he warned Honourable Members
that there was an amount of discontent existing
which would lead to effects of the most disastrous
nature on the constitution of the country, and en
society at large, if the grievances of the people were not
redressed. It was not his intention to trespass at al,
further length on the attention of the House. He had
already stated that those who voted fur the introduction
of the Bill would not thereby be considered as pledginq
themselves to its details. The Hon. Member concluded
by moving for leave to bring in the Bill.
Dr. BOWRING said he had great pleasure in second.:
ing the motion of his Hon. Friend. He thought that'll!
that moment especially, when great:discontent existet!
among the people, those who looked at public opinion
were
the only safe foundation for general legislation, e
bound to give some evidence that they were willing to
,
allow it to have due influence upon the deliberations 01
that House. He believed that public opinion sometimes
erred—he believed that it had erred greatly on a late oe'
casion—but he thought that the greatest advantage
would be derived from allowing public opinion to bear
on the discussions of that House. He did not see wig!
because a man had a little less of the good things of !his
life, he should not have a voice in the representation
of the country. The State took care to take
of his earnings for its support, and he ought, therefor!!
to have a voice in it. Concurring in the general view 0i
Hon. Friend, he willingly seconded the motion.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided, when there appeared—
For the motion 3l
Against it
Majority against the motion
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE postponed to this day week his
motion relative to the petition of Charles Price and W...131*
White Thompson, complaining of the conduct of certain
Magistrates of arwick.
COMPENSATION TO OFFICERS IN CHAS"
CERY.
Mr. WATSON presented a petition from vari°lls
solicitors against granting compensation for salaries 0
officers in the Court of Chancery.
The HON. MEMBER then brought forward the modes
of which he had given notice, for a Select Committee, 0
inquire into the orders for compensation made by the
Lord Chancellor to the persons filling the offices °t
clerk of the enrolments, comptrollers of the hansPer'
riding clerk, six clerks, sworn clerks, waiting clerks,
agent or record keeper in the Court of Chancery, under
the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 103 ; and to inquire into the Dr
tare, duties, and emoluments of those officers before the
passing of that Act, and their right to compensation
(and if any, to what amount) during their life, and for
seven years after the death of such person ; and to in-
quire into the circumstances attending the passing,
Of
that Act, and the moneys charged on the suitors fee
fund in Chancery, for passing that Act ; and also to iva
quire into the taxation of suitors in courts of law and
equity, and the application of moneys raised thereby, aee
the propriety of continuing the same. The annual sin,
paid for compensation under the above-mentioned ete
was 78,0001. Out of the six clerks to whom compensa-
tion had been awarded, only one was ever found necessary
to be in attendance on the courts. It was to the clerics
of the six clerks he wished particularly to call attention. ,
They were in number 60, and they had little or nothing
to do. In fact they were rather an obstruction to the
course ofjustice. The business of the clerks depended oe
the solicitors who employed them ; and, besides thee
the Chancellors had the power of altering the fees AaS
they willed. They were cut down in 1785 by Lo.-
Chancellor Jeffery, afterwards by Lord Hardwieke.
and again by Lord Erskine—and the most inti
portant fee which they received was, in 1828, cut
off by Lord Lyndhurst. In 1840, Mr. Pemberton,
a distinguished member of the Chancery bar, de-
clared in the House that the system of fees was iniqrti
toes and enormous, and that the suitors were compelle
to pay to those officers no less than 59,862 L in a year'
for doing absolutely nothing. The only real duty of the
six clerks was to transmit to the solicitors for "Al
they acted any notices that were entered in court, an
the fees upon that alone amounted to 14,00
Such having been the nature of the dual
what was the ground of the compensation
Mr. Gatty had awarded to him for compensation, as ton
as he lived, the sum of 5,428/. He was also appoint
taxing master, with 2,0001. a year.—(Hear.) He therefore
received 7,4281. without any deduction whatever. Then
there were others who received 5,0001. a year 9.5 ce";
pensation for their office, and one of them was to ha%
2,7001. a year for seven years after his deatb.—(A laugh;)
Neither the naval nor military service received anythi°6
like such amounts. He put it to the Right Hon. Baronet,
who wielded the destinies of this country, whether he
received such a sum ?—(Flear, hear.) He appealed to,
the Chair. Did the representative of the Commons 0'
England receive such a sum ? He put it to lict
Meiubers whether, after various charges, sn-Y,
of them had a clear rental of 7,000/. a yearL
—(Hear, hear.) The poor unhappy suitors had
pay an increased taxation in order to make up these
enormous salaries and compensations. But the Hems!'
however, in its liberality, not only compensated the sib
clerks, but their agents received three-fourths of what
they had received previously. One of these agents re-
ceived 900/. a-year. There was what was called s
waiting clerk, who received 500/. a-year. There was
clerk of the six clerks who received 1,935/. 2s. 70:
whilst out of office. In fact all the flesh and blood who"
was found in Chancery-lanj was compensated.---
(Laughter.) He had been very anxious to ascertain
how the Bill had passed through Parliament, and he had
referred to the journals for that purpose. It appeared
it was hurried through at a railroad pace. (The Hon. 3101"
ber then read an extract from the journals of the House.)
There never was a Bill forced through the House with:
so much indecent haste ; and, two days after the third
reading reading in the House of Lords, it received the Ro}•3
assent. No Bill had ever passed through Parliament a°
rapidly. He did not impute any acts of commission
what he imputed was acts of omission, in not inquiring
into the nature, amount, and application of the compen-
sation. The Bill was introduced in the month of Augio"
just at the very time the law Members of the }Ouse
'of Commons went on cireuit.—(Hear, hear.) The com-
pensation was not made upon an average of the gain' 0f
those clerks for the last six years, or ten years. but of
the last three years. This Act of. Parliament, if
pared with other acts of compensation, would seem" verlt
extraordinary indeed. It was mosteunfair and utla,
s
that the funds p'aced to the creditdof the accountainbe.
general in Chancery, and which, fon the most part, u,
longed to minors, and infants, and females, should bb
taxed for the compensation of the fees of these six del:4
and other sinecurists. And it certainly did seem a ttl"ra.,
strange and unjust proceeding, that not only the o,his
pensation to those persons should be aid out of '"„
fund, but also the very expenses of passing this inela-e
through Parliament.—(Cries of " Hear, hear:), as
this the charge of 3391. was made to be Paid, de.
he had already said, out of the fund of these
her
fenceless persons, who were, of course, altoget"in
at the mercy of the Court. There were two funds
ect
Chancery—one called the Suitors' Fee Fund, obta,ieich
from suitors in the Court of Chancery, and ," to
amounted, in the year 1842, to 62,000/. ; in 1843,
rs,
153,0001. There was another fund, called the Suit of
Fund, which consisted of unclaimed dividends,
ola
which there was a sum of 2,800,0001. in stock, and
both these funds the enormous sum of 277,0001 ft
suitors' fees were deducted. It was the bounden or
of the Lord Chancellor to investigate these chargelato
compensation, and to see that the funds which came the
his Court were not malappropriated. It was gal' the
Lord Chancellor had no power, but such was not,ce.
case—he possessed the power, and he should have c- be
• ibt
cised it. He was sure the House, thought it ttlif, ivg
in favour of some compensation to these six clerks d,urthe
life, would think it rather extravagant to extenclth,
pension to their families for seven years after their dean,ta
Neither would Hon. Members, after a little reflee Act
be at all satisfied with the manner in which this'
passed, without deliberation, without discussion, I:cte
riedly, and evidently with a view to avoid inquiry seed
its objects until inquiry might be useless. treeflo
the House would grant the inquiry he sought for,their
if so, he felt convinced that such facts would come tovcaul
knowledge that the repeal of this Act of Parliament
speedily ensue. It was well known that thereninde.
what were termed Bankruptcy Exchequer Fee -e.ving
Now, he did not think it right that the system of P°Z,eds
or pensioning the officers of the Court out of thesel_r;di
should be continued. They ought, as he had ',s.l,qtors
said, to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. ? l`stiee.
ought not to be mulcted. There should be chesPll4 tee
Mr. Pemberton Leigh—no mean authority----!titoes;
present system of fees was enormous and intlr wake
wourees.)
and the House in acceding to this motion,
one great step in favour of cheap justice.—(Cheers.)
Mr. JERVIS seconded the motion. dit
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL gave great e, re
ha"
his Hon. and Learned Friend for the industrLeeiti
exhibited in collecting these detail, , and for the. for the
and address he had used in placing them earned
House; but he complained that the Hon. anu Lve ad-
should he hire.
Gentleman could stopped short when he
vanced, because advance would have condepiu7, „rd
The Hon. arid Learned Gentleman had brought -them
very serious charges, but he thought manY,uo„jeion
could not be sustained; and he was further e Rouse
that he could make out a case fully to justify tv,`, Gentle-
in resisting the motion of the Hon. and Lear be
encircle'
man. In some things which had been stated nu . icon}'
tha6 et
concurred. He thought, for instance, Court d,
of the offices connected with the. _
abcliae._
Chancery were sinecures, and ought to De those in?'
done by s
From the year 1688 nothing was eeding t
in
erform an n the
clerks beyond signing their names to the proece that
the Court of Chancery, and to the p . two rao
st
duty they attended in rotation, each takuragen,
sweat°
in his turn, according to an arranged
0
were called sworn clerks. Their number Act they
themselves. Those six clerks appointed
was
iiruited t
pinerl:C9r°,,e.ddthtoe
sixtyw•er o;nblyuttwaetutthye-fitivraueinofnutmhbeer. passingr..o:of
originally belonged
subsequent to 1688 which orig.'s,
ings, making office copies of the
the six clerks, viz. the issuing
differentofwrti
in court- ~r,
they also graevecslled
performance of those duties
n;lit.(oothe sworn
agents, Chancery, and representing solicitors
Masterswho
aagnedu
tst,h they
and devolved I vueudly uponduty preetursuoinusi
bills of the
Chancery to tax the
e•oyed their anY
fipfirnogeeoefdifigrsoiao
clerks to perform was attending befosroelicitorsoffico
employed them. Those agents peJe
_vas seidonitions,
their being removed from tad c
practically for life, inasmuch as. thhedr
,tlit`heeyir situaithrosf
prospect of
d by the _
for compensation and when ihotsieunoffiwcebsionh•erme.eraeboluidsmitte
things
was
state 0. • eerablo
Parliament. He admitted that thab
_d conSiar .
_d
a great abuse—that those officers rectbeQuiveriuse filo Da
fees for doing next to nothing, but