The Sun.
London, England, 1828-02-11 00:00:00

r • .

LONDON,
MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 18:28.

It is to be hoped that much time will not
elapse before some practical advantages result
from Mr. BROUGHAM'S late motion respecting
the improvement of the Law. It is impossible
to read that eloquent , and masterly statement
without being satisfied that monstrous abuses
exist; and, whatever may be said of the prac-
ticability of redressing some of them, it is
very clear that others can be easily and
safely remedied. But none of the Learned
Gentleman's suggestions appear more deserving
of notice than where he says—" It would be
most desirable to establish a Court of Arbitra-
tion, before which persons might come, without
Counsel and without Attornies, to state their
case, and io be informed of the weakness or
strength • Of their suits. This would be
the cheapest . reformation ever made in
this country. It would take away all
trifling disputes . about words, and oust the
Equitable jurisdiction in nine cases out of ten,
in which it is now necessary." This Court
I would act, we presume, in the nature of a Grand
Jury, deciding whether there was a sufficient
case to occupy the: time and attention of a Court
of Law, and might be invested with such
power respecting the costs, as to deter any indi-
vidual from wilfully. appealing against their de-

C 1 SlOll.

What innumerable law suits might
be thus
prevented ! In the case of libel, for instance,
how simple would the proceeding be ! A
newspaper, we will suppose, has inadvertently
fiveit insertion to some Police or other re-
port, which, in the present shameful state
of the law is, however true, still construable
into a libel. The aggrieved party would forth-

with apply to this Court of Arbitration, who,
on hearing the facts, might give damages vary-
ing according to the nature of the case, from
five to five hundred pounds, but leaving it opti-
onal to the defendant to let the case go to a Jury.
If he preferred that course—he could not sub-
sequently complain as he may now, of the costs
being a thousand times the amount of the
nominal damages ; but we suspect that in
most cases, the cheap decision of honour-
able individuals composing such a Court,
would be preferred to the ruinously ex-
pensive verdict of England's boasta jury of
one's country. But this, no doubt, would have
its drawback, for it ‘Nould ruin the business of a
mighty respectable class of attornies, who live by
libel-hunting, and sharing with their clients the
costs given in cases where damages of a shilling
or a farthing announce to their victim the me-
lancholy fact, that all characters had better not
be submitted to the valuation of impartial men.
On the whole, it is very clear, that the
delay and expense of our Law . Courts often
amount to a virtual denial of juStice, and
he is a sorry legislator- who, being satisfied
of this fact, tamely submits to th© supposed ne-
cessity for its continuance, without making some
effort to procure redress. Whilst. millions are
voted annually for the army and navy, the salary
of an extra Judge is unfortunately considered
matter of serious importance—whereas, in our
opinion, the speedy and impartial administration
of justice would be well purchased by the nation,
even at the expellee of half a million added to
our burthens ;—for what burthen can be com-
pared to the possibility of being virtually rob-
bed of - all your property by being dragged
into Chancery, or into the Common Law
Courts, which, by Mr. BROUGHAM'S account
are little better, where hope delayed maketh
the heart sick, • and ultimately consigns to
an untimely grave the unfortUnate sufferer, who
had not even an opportunity offered of " agree-
ing with his adversary quickly by -the way."

I❑ another column will be found extracts from
the French Papers of Friday, and the Gazette de
France dated Saturday. They are barren of
political news, but the Circular addressed to the
Rectors of Academies, by the new Minister of
Public Instruction, will be read with interest. It is
a document conceived in a liberal spirit, and ex-
pressed with much frankness of character.
The note of preparation in the East -of
Europe begins to subside, and the most warlike
expectants , are, now thinking that the conti-
nuance of peace is not impossible.

We rectived thiS afternoon the Gazette de
France, dated yesterday, but it contains no news.
The fhllowingis *a list ,of the Mernbrs compos-
ing the Bureaux of the Chamber of Peers :