The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-19 00:00:00

of 75 appeals, amounting to 34, or 45 per cent. Wits
respect to writs of error, oat of 62 cases there had been
16 reversals. From England there were 41 affirmations
and 7 reversals; from Scotland, 1 affirmation and 2 re-
versals; from Ireland, 21 affirm; tic ns and 7 reversals.
Out of 66 cases from the Cousistory and Admiralty
Courts of London, 17 had been reversed or altle d.
From the Consistorial Court at York there had been 1
affirmation and 4 reversals ; from the Channels Islands
4 effirmations and 1 reversal ; from the col, nit s
and plantations, out of 83 appeale, in 32 the
judgment had been reversed or varied. Of
the 6G appeals from the Company's posse trions, 43 had
teen reversed; and it was somewhat singular that the
gre..t pre portion of reversals were in cases of appeal
from the sup ease ccurts. Out of 41 appeals fsom the
native courts there had been 21 reversals; while of 25
from the superior courts tie: number of reversals
amounted to 22, making a proportion of no less than
seven reversals to one as compared a ith the appetite
from the courts in this country. There was this differ-
ence between the proceedings by appeal from the supreme
and inferior courts. The raw administered with respect
to the supreme courts was nearly our own; but the law
administered in the native courts involved all the nice
ties of Ilindoo manners Had customs, which were re-
markably puzzling, and it was hardly ppssitle, in this
country, to imagine how so much perjury and forgery
should be imported into the administration of justice.
whether civil or criminal. The result vas that the
appellate jurisdiction trusted very much to the judgment
of the registrars' court., and a judge of eppeel almost
inevitably felt himself compelled to give a casting vote
to the judgment below, and only to reverse, alter, or vary
in the case of a clear reit-decision. It a as; therefore,
more natural to affirm tt e decision in the native
than in the supreme courts, and that was one reason
why an appeal was more likely to be made against.
the judgment of the supreme than of the native courts.
Of thirteen appeals from the Supreme Court at Madras
not one had been affirmed. The same was the case with
resievet to the Supreme Court at Bombay. He had heard
with the greatest delight of many important and valu
able suggestions from India with respect both to tie
supreme and native courts, which if reformed upon sound
principles would be equally advantageous to the suitor
and the judge, and the general administration of justice.
He had great satisfaction in saying thet the East India
Company had spared no expense in improving the educe
tion of their officers. That education, which was com-
menced by Lord Wellesley, had been carried on in this
country in the admirable establishment at Heileybury.
Great as had been the improvement in that respc et, it was
still more necessary to send out good judges; and no
more important duty could devolve upon a Colonial
Minister than the selection of competent persons to
exercise judicial functions. If the means we re given
there would t e no difficulty in finding properly-qualified
persons. But, from a miserable, paltry saving cf a few
hundreds, and the still more unjust economy of
refusing a retiring pension in all the colonies (with the
exception of the East Indies), such men could not be
found, and the result was those disgraceful squabbles
which had sometimes taken place between persons ap-
pointed to judicial offices and the Governor. An alter-
ation in this respect would be productive of the greatest
advantage to the administration of justice and to the in-
terests of the colonies. The Noble and Learned Lord
concluded by laying on the table certain resolutions em-
bodying the facts which he had stated, observing, that
he was willing to move their adoption at once, or to
wait until after they had been printed.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that if the reso-
lutions contained a mere statement of facts, he did not
see any objection to them.
Lord BROUGHAM was understood to more that the
resolutions be printed.
POST-OFFICE SUNDAY LABOUR.
The Earl of MALMESBURY, seeing the Noble
Marquis the Postmaster-General in his place, wished to
put a question of which he had given notice on present-
ing a petition praying for the cessation of all Sunday
labour in the Post-office. On that occasion he stated
that although the petitioners were entitled to be treated
with the greatest respect he dissented from the
prayer of their petition, and did net believe that
they had sufficiently considered the subject. Since tl at
time he had ascertained the manner in which signatures
were obtained to these petitions. A man was asked
simply whether ho was not for keeping holy the Sabbath-
day? Of course his answer was "yes." He was then
asked whether he did not think it a hardship for post-
masters in the country to be compelled to work on Sun-
days when they were not obliged to do so in London?
and the reply would naturally be "yep." In this way
an enormous number of signatures had been obtained in
that part of the country with which he was connected.
Hs should like to know if the Noble Earl could say from
his experience whether it would be possible to keep the
post offices generally closed all Sunday, and if so, whe-
ther parties would get their letters as early as at present
on Monday morning?
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that had his
Noble Friend given him notice of his question, he should
sot have been unprepared with a full answer, consi-
dering how much had been slid, and, he would add,
improperly said, about the matter during the recess.
Having been subjected to much abuse and gross misre-
presentation—some Noble Lords, Members of that
House, had even published lett:rs in the newspapers
with very strong opinions, censuring him for what had
been done—he was only surprised that nothing bad
been said in that House, where he could have answered
ir. Tha question addressed to him by the Noble Lord
was of a different nature to the allegations against him,
and insu ai of giving his own opinion, the best answer
be could give would to to lay on the table shortly cer-
tain reports' which would state what had been done with
respect to Sunday labour in the Post-office during the
lest few years, anti what %ere the views on the question
of the best authorities of the Post-Alice. His own opi-
nion was, that it was quite impossible to disrrgerd the
convenience—therequirements—in fact, what ho might
call the absolute necessities of the cour try, by stopping
the transmission of the mails on the whole ef Sunday.
Neither did he think there was any religious or moral
obligation that imposed such a necessity on them. He
would ley the necessary papers on the table with the
more readiness, because he perceived a notice had been
given in the other House calling for information on the
subject. When the returns were on the table he had no
doubt they would furnish all the information the Noble
Lord required.
The Bishop of OXFORD had a strong opinion as to
the possibility of stopping the mails on Sunday, but he
would not dismiss the subject at that moment.
Lord BROUGHAM—Do you mean stopping the mails
all over the country?
The Bishop of OXFORD replied in the affirmative.
He only rose, however, to say a few words on the sub-
ject of the parties who signed petitions presented to that
House. The Noble Marquis seemed to say that many
of the petitions had been signed in ignorance of the
quaition, and through misrepresentation. He had pre-
sented numerous petitions on the subject from various
quarters, and he could take upon himself to say those
petitions by no means bore the character imputed to
petitions generally on the subject of Sunday labour in
the Rost-office by tho Noble Marquis. They who
signed the petitions he had presented perfectly well
knew what they wanted, and perfectly well knew their
own feelings on the question. The petitioners ex-
pressed no opinion as to the recent alterations ; they
only petitioned in favour of a great principle. They
believed that it would be beneficial to the beet in•
terests of the country to have the different post-affices
closed throughout the kingdom on a Sunday. The
petitioners thoroughly knew what they were about, and
neither acted from ignorance or under misrepresentation.
He again repeated he was ready to discuss the question,
but would not unless urged to do so.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE had made no dis-
respect'ul allusion to the petitioners. No one could feel
deeper respect for those who signed these petitions than
he did, and when the proper time arrived he should be
able to prove ho had done, as far as his duty allowed,
what he could to diminish Sunday labour in th• Post-
office. The paper?, when produced, would show what
h• bad done, and what an immense diminution of Sun-
day labour had taken place. With respect to the peti-
tions on the question, they were not all of the same li-
mited character. Some even went so far as to pray for
the total cessation of every sort of labour, including the
stoppage of mail trains from Saturday night to Monday
morning.
Lord BROUGHAM wished to know whether the
packet service was also to be delayed?
The Earl of MALMESBURY could state, from his
personal knowledge, that some of the petitions were
signed in ignorance.

The Earl of HARROWBY said the petitioners from
Manchester, Liverpool, and the trading districts of Lan-
cashire, had no objection to be placed on the same foot-
ing as the Londoner.

Lord BROUGHAM remarked by running into ex-
tremes the greatest mischief was awn done. It was
proposed to render tho keeping holy the Sabbath-day
the more general, but if matters were pressed to an ex-
treme point, it might have the effect of rendering that
unpopular which ought to be popular. If the packet
service was also to be interfered with, were the packets
to lie like logs on the water all Sunday?
The conversation then dropped.
THE CASE OF MR. RIDER.
The Duke of ARGYLL brought under the notice of
their Lordships the case of Mr. Rider, who had been
deprived cf an office in Canada, at the time of the union,
without compensation. After an attentive consideration
of the whole case, and a careful perusal of the documents,
he was satisfied Mr. Rider had a valid and solid claim
for recompense against the Imperial Government. Papers
on the subject had been moved for, and when produced,
unless they threw a different light on the subject, he
should, early after the Easter recess, introduce some
measure on the subject. When he saw such vigourous,
effective, and it might be righteous measures adopted to
secure compensation fur injuries at the hands of foreign
Governments, he did hope that the appeal to an indivi-
dual for redress against injury by our own Government
would not be neglected.
Earl GREY said an address to her Majeity had al-
ready been moved for papers relating to this matter. He
must say Le did not think the reflection on the colonial
government was deserved. The colonial gve
had treated Mr. Rider with consideration and liberality.
The Duke of ARGYLL was sorry to differ with the
Noble Earl on that subject.

GREY said he aid ne t think Mr. Rider had any
case either against the colonial government or t'le
Tleisury.
The Eirl of MOUNTCASIIELL pc"tpotel his mc-
tion for papers relative to the conduct cf the officers and
surgeon of the Sobraon till Friday.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 18.
STAMP DUTIES.
The House then wont into Committee on this Bill.
The CHANCELLOIt c f the EXCHEQUER said
that the resolutions he was then about to move would
deal only with that elan of stamp duties ;Thigh related to