The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-10 00:00:00

TH P. LONDON JOURNALS.

DA I LX
Bxgractsfrom the Morning Plmrs,lllarch 10,1826,

[MORNINO HERALD.]
Mr. Secretary'Peel last night obtained leave.
-10.bring.in a Bill to consolidate, and simplify the
.Statute Laws,- as far as the same regard theft,
•-•'''etrabetzletnent, receiving stolen goods knowing
~:thefattme to have been -stolen,Stc. The Bill will
tooolltlate and simplify ninety-two Statutes on
the tubjecrof theft, and simplify the offences by
Alzsctibint them on general principles, instead of
particularizing cases; it will remedy the law re-
' 'OO4 embezzlement, by not requiring the coin or
~PRles.to be proved, &c.; it will make the receivers
of stolen goods, knowing them to have been stolen,
subject to indictment as for the theft ; it will
reach 66 accessories after the fact ;" it will also
remedy the evils of escapes on account of " vet'-
- bal inaccuracies ;" and finally, in the language
of Mr. Peel, besides consolidating and simplify-
ing. ninety-two Acts into one Act of thirty-two
pages, it will " facilitate the conviction of guilt,
end the acquittal of innocence." Mr. Peel said,
" he had limited this Bill to the laws regarding
theft, because an enormous majority of commit-
ments to prison are on charges of theft. In 1825,
he. stated, 14,437 persons were charged with
crimes; of that number, 12,530, or six•sevenths,
were for theft. He therefore took the most
important class, as far as numbers were concern-
ed." The exceedingly clear and luminous
speech, the importance of the proposed Bill, and
its successful compression,. were loudly cheered
by the House ; and should Mr. Peel achieve this
immense and incalculably useful work, of which
there is not much doubt, he, will accomplish what
Bacon 260 years ago proved to be wanted, but
failed to effect ; and what the most powerful
minds afterwards, down to the time of Itomilly,
attempted in vain. This is inik-d making a
noble use of high office and commanding station.
It is living for more valuable purposes than the
mere patronage of place ; and such laudable am-
bition on the part of Mr. Peel will set useful ex-
ample to statesmen, while it makes due use o
peace in promoting requisite internal reforms.

[NEW Timus.l
Not a Session passes in any Parliament, and
scarcely a week in any Session, which does not
• • witness some extension of the principles of en-
lightened freedom in our legislation. Last year
the Jury Laws of England were consolidated and
improved, under the superintendance of the Se-
cretary for the home Department ; nod this Ses-
sion. a Bill has been brought in by the President
of the Board of Controul, to regulate the appoint.
meth of Juries in the East Indies. By the Act
of the 13th of the late King, it was provided,
that all offreitces tried at Fort William should
be tried by a jury of British subjects resident
in the town of Calcutta; The present statute ex-
tends the right and duty. of serving on juries to
all good and sufficient persons resident within
the limits of the towns of Calcutta, Madras, and
Bombay, and not subjects of any foreign state.
A very wise and considerate part of the statute
is, that which authorises the respective Courts
of Judicature at Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay,
from time to time, to establish such rules as
they may deem expedient, with respect to the
qualification, appointment, form of summoning,
challenging, and service of the jurors. These
rule, are of Course to he transmitted to England,
for his Majesty's approbation, correction, or disal-
lowance ; but it is of great importance that the
Judgeion the spot, who, front experience, know
best the objects that are desirable and can be at-
tainett, should have a regular and official mmle of
snittieSting the regulations which they think ad.
visable. On great benefit which may be expert.
ed to result from this act, is, the raising of the
half castes in the scale of society. These per-
sons, the offspring of Earopean fathers and In.
titan 'mothers,. now form a numerous class in
Indiatt society ; and investing them with political
rights, `'
and imposing en theta political duties,
while It raises them in the scale of civilization,
.`roilltdoisbtless render them better men, and more
• Valuable Subjects.

[MOANING, eIIitoNICLE.3
We yeiterday published a letter from a Solid•
tor„ complaining. of the delay and injury occa-
sioned to Suitors by the Lord Chancellor's (milt-
ing to fill up the vacant Masterships, Our Cm-
rehpoodent asks to what this delay is to be attli-
tinted, and suggests that the Lord of the Wool.
back should retire, if he cannot make up his mind
whom to appoint to the vacant offices. We be-
lieve. that the cause of the delay is perfectly well
understood, and that the supposed difficulty of
making an election has nothing whatever to do
with it. The Chancery Report is just about to
make its appearance, and the Chancellor natu-
rally desires as much support us he can Com-
, mandir though he has really nothing to apprehend
team a Report made by a Committee of his own
4oirstment„ and drawn up, we may say, under his
own eye. Rut still a prudent man. like the
,Crintncellor, loves to draw all his friends round
him when an occasion for hostilities presents
itself. There are at this moment about a dozen
Candidates for the vacant Masterships, all of
horn, in the characters of expectnnts, must ex-
".reedingly revere the Chancellor, and admire and
opprove the system, into the sweets of which they
dtsiie to enter. Now, while the good things are
' itt the Chancellor's gift, all these gentlemen, and
friends„ relations, and political connections,
ore the Chancellor's warm friends and stre.
diCRIS supporters; but when the two good things
ch sweeten a dozen expectants and their allies
"Kie given away, ten influential petsons, with their
'resPeetiie weil.wishers, are disappointed,' and
Ityrri sotir and radical on the instant. This
VII/ be avoided, and therefore, at this pre.
4,,ht conjuncture, the Lord Chancellor disap.
vointi no one by disposing of the vacant Mas.
'ilithhips, but, 00 the contrary, he SeCurPS the best
11ip4ort or many, by the exPectotroo of bend ts to
nthe, which he keeps alive.: The Chancellor
'"rot do better than hold up the vacant offices
ue'the rewardi opthe ,rovst zealous Of) ;the occa-„,

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