The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-22 00:00:00

COUNTY CORONERS' BILL.

On the Order of the Day for the second reading
of the County Coroners' Bill being read,
After a few words from Mr. HUMS and Mr.
PAKINGTON,

Mr. WILLIAMS protested against the principles
of this Bill. It was similar to the one which had
been brought forward last year, and so properly
altered in the other House. An attempt had been
made to raise the mileage from ninepence to eighteen-
pence, but it was eventually settled at one shilling
per mile. He thought the remuneration given
to coroners was too great, for he knew one county in
which thousands of pounds would be expended in the
contest for the coronership. In its present state he
should most decidedly vote against the secend reading
of this Bill.

Mr. C. BERKELEY hoped the Hon. Gentleman
would not divide the House upon the second reading
of this Bill.—(Hear, hear.) He thought the present
discussion ought to be confined to the Committee.—
(Hear, hear.) There was but one clause in the Bill
which related to the increase of mileage to coroners,
and he (Alr. Berkeley) had given notice of his inten-
tion to move the omission of that clause.

Captain PECHELL thought it would be much
better to postpone the Bill to a future day.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that, considering the im-
portance of the adjourned debate, he thought the
better course to pursue would be ',to postpone this
Bill for the present. He could not see why the Hon.
Gentleman should object to that course. •
Mr. PAKINGTON could assure the Noble
Lord that he had no wish to throw any impediment
in the way of the important debate to which the No-
ble Lcrd had alluded ; but he had expected when he
moved the second reading of this Bill, that there
would be no opposition to this stage of the Bill.
Mr. \VAKLEY thought the Hon. Gentlemen who
had opposed this Bill had not read it—(Hear, hear)
—but he supposed that they were privileged in that
'respect. The present Bill was merely for the pur-
pose of reducing the expense of electing coroners.
Everybody knew that the present mode of electing
coroners was a disgrace to the kingdom. The poll,
when once opened, was obliged to be kept open for
ten days, and it would be illegal to close it before
that time.

The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered
to be committed on Wednesday, the 6th of March.
HORSE-RACING PENALTIES SUSPENSION

BILL.

Mr. HORSMAN asked the Hon. and Learned
Member for Bute if the Bill relating to the penalties
on horse-racing was of such a pressing nature as to
interpose before the Order of .the Day for the ad-
journed debate. This was the second time it had
done so.

Mr. J. S. WORTLEY said the Bill was of a very
pressing nature as some of the actions were being
commenced at the assizes. He should, therefore,
move that the Speaker do leave the Chair.
After a few words from Mr. CHRISTIE,
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that if the Hon. Gen-
tleman was to make the Bill at once what it ought
really to be—a private and personal Act to exempt
certain Noble Lords and Gentlemen from cer-
tain penalties to which they had subjected
themselves in consequence of their ignorance of the
law, he would find no difficulty in getting it passed.
His own opinion was, that they were fairly entitled
to this indemnity, and there were many instances
upon record where indemnity in similar cases was
granted.

Mr. HORSMAN said if the Bill were really press-
ing, then he was sure there were many Members who
would support the Hon. and Learned Member; if it
were not pressing, surely it was a fit subject for con-
sideration whether the delay now sought should not
be conceded.

Mr. CHRISTIE said, it might conduce to the
convenience of the House, if he stated that the decla-
rations in these actions were only delivered two or
three days ago, and that they would not come on for trial
at the Surrey Assizes ; therefore, there was no
necessity for thus pressing on the Bill. If the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman would postpone the Bill for
this evening, every facility would be given to him
hereafter.

Mr.WORTLEY said he was sorry he could not ac-
cede to the wish of the Hon. Gentleman. Proceedings
were at present going on in these actions as rapidly as
possible for the purpose of accumulating costs, and
he knew that two of them were ready for
trial one at the coming Surrey, the other at the
York assizes. Under these circumstances, and
recollecting the difficulty there might be in
hereafter bringing this matter before the House, with
the mass of other subjects coming before it, he did
trust that no fuither delay would be insisted on.
Mr. CHAISTIE must say then, as no delay would
be conceded, sthat he should proceed to move the in-
struction of which he had given natice.—(Cries of
" Spoke, spoke,". " Chair, chair.")
The. SPEAKtR declarel that the Hon. Gentle-
r man, having previously addressed the House on this
subject, had • forfeited his right to move his in-
struction.—(Hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. HUME said the Bill now before the House
had been altered according to the propositions made,
the other night, from his side of the House. It was
now, in fact, a Bill simply to stay proceedings. The
promoters of the Bill having fairly met them, and
carried their wishes into effect, he for one could he
no party to the present opposition.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BRIGHT said, as his Hon. Friend (Mr.
Christie) was debarred moving his instruction, he
should take upon himself to do so. Re begged to
move that it be an instruction to the Committee to
extend the provisions of the Bill to all proceedings of
common informers under the authority of any penal
statute.

Mr. CHRISTIE would second the instruction he
could not propose ; and he did so because he thought
the measure as now before the House was to throw
a protection round a few individuals, which, if
desirable at all, ought to be extended to every class.
He could not, nor would not, recognise any distinc-
tion between small bets made by persons in an
humble station of life, and larger ones by the aris-
tocracy and richer classes, neither could he distinguish
the difference between horse-racing and any other
species of gaming. H e was so convinced in his opi-
nions upon this subject, that he should offer the
strongest opposition to this Bill. The most eminent
judges of the land had decided, that under the penal
statue of Queen Anne the sport of horse .racing was
included, and Baron Rolfe had pronounced a similar
decision in the Court of Exchequer no later than the
term before last. It had been stated by the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman who introduced this Bill that
the Noble Lord. the Member for Lynn (Lord
George Bentinck) was one of the parties intended
to be relieved by the Bill. In making that
statement, he said that the Noble Lord was
entirely ignorant of the law against which he
had offended. No such statement however had
been made by the Noble Lord himself. If the No.