The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-25 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The House resumed at Five o'clock, when there was a con-
siderable attendance of the Members, and from the conversation
there appeared considerable excitement.
Several petitions were presented by Lord Pollington, Sir
Howard Douglas, Mr. Ewart, and other Members, for rail-
way and other private Bills, but from the loud conversation of
the Members the names could not be correctly ascertained in
the gallery..
Sir JOHN YARDE BULLER brought up the reports of
several railway Bills, and stated that the standing orders of
these before the Committee had been complied with.
The Caledonian Railway Bill was read a second time.
Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from 1,800 inha-
bitants of the borough of Lambeth against the extension of the
South-Western Railway. A petition was also presented from
480 inhabitants of the borough of Lambeth for a free passage
over Waterloo-bridge.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from Manchester
against the sale of spirits on the Sunday.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from the rate-
payers of Rochdale, complaining of the introduction of the New
Poor-law Act by the Poor-law Commissioners into that district.
The petitioners prayed that they might be heard by counsel
at the bar in support of the allegations contained in the petition.
The Hon. Gentleman gave notice of his intention to move to-
morrow that the petition be printed with the Votes.
Lord MAHON presented petitions againat the Medical
Bill.

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition against the Medical
Reform Bill.

NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. COLLET T gave notice that he would ask the Right
Hon. Baronet, the Frst Lord of the Treasury, whether he
intended to appoint another Bishop of Bath and Wells
during the life of the present incumbent? and in the event
of his receiving an answer in the negative, whether, at the
death of the present bishop, he intended to propose another
Bishop of Bath and Wells, or to unite that diocese with the
diocese of Salisbury.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD gave notice that on Tuesday, March
11, he would call the attention of the House to the petition
which he had just presented from the rate-payers of Rochdale,
against the new poor-law system.
Mr. WALLACE postponed, from the 6th to the 11th, his
motion with regard to railways.
Colonel WOOD gave notice that in the Committee on the
Poor-law Settlement Bill, he should move that any poor person
who had been resident in a parish for a year without receiving
parochial relief, should not be liable to be removed.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.
Mr. W. 0. STANLEY asked whether the line of com-
munication between this country and Ireland had been agreed
upon, and whether it was intended that the line of communi-
cation should be by Holyhead and over the Menai?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said the subject was under the consi-
deration of the Board of Trade ; and in the event of the
plan being approved of, the Government would be inclined to
make a grant for the purpose of carrying out that object.
Mr. W. 0. STANLEY asked whether it was the intention
of the Government to bring in a Bill founded upon the report
of the Commissioners of Lunacy.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM was understood to say that he
had not yet had time to peruse these reports.. The Government
would give the fullest consideration to the subject.
Sir. BANKES moved for a return of all duty paid by per-
sons acting as auctioneers during the last three years, distin-
guishing the numbers who have respectively paid the different
amounts of duty.
Lord PALAIERSTON asked when certain papers con-
nected with slavery would be laid on the table of the House ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said they had been laid on the table
last night.—( A laugh. )
Mr. M. PHILIPS put a question, which was not heard, re-
lative to the sugar duties.
Sir R. PEEL said he thought it better to reserve the opinion
of the Government for the present on that subject.
COURTS OF SESSION (SCOTLAND).
Mr. WALLACE said that for the convenience of Members
of the Government he had brought forward that motion first
which he intended to bring on second. The motion
of which he had given notice had reference to the
Courts in Scotland, and he hoped before he sat down
that he should be able to prove from facts that the
time had arrived when a regulation of these Courts was not
only necessary but practicable. Hon. Members should
know that there were in Scotland two Courts of Review.
Now in his opinion there was no necessity for two Courts of
Review. The Supreme Court of Scotland might be so can-
ducted that the whole of the business might be confided to one
Court, without any detriment to the interests of the country.
It was evident that, since he had agitated this question
greater attention had been paid by the judges to the business
of the Court. In the First Division of the Court of Session,
in the years 1841-42 the number of cases which had been
brought before the first division of session was 204. In the
'ears 1843-44 it was 174, and in the years 1844.45 it was 270.
In the second division of the Court of Session, in the year
1842-3, the number of causes was 216 • in the year 1843-4,
the number of causes was 145 ; and in 1844-5, it has
diminished down to 82 ; therefore he had no hesitation
in saying that that return proved that the people of Scot-
land, represented by their attorneys, had not such confidence
in the legal knowledge and acquirements of the judges of the
second division of the Court of Session, as they had in those of
the first; inasmuch, as during the last year, while the number
of causes in the first division Court amounted to 270, those of
the second division Court had diminished to eighty-two.
The next document to which he should refer, was a return
of the number of causes in the Inner Court and Outer House.
A number of causes were brought from the Outer House to
the Inner House. The number of causes brought before the
Outer House had considerably diminished. In the first division
there had been 298 causes brought forward, in the second only 46.
That was an incontestible proof that in the opinion of the in-
habitants of Scotland, as represented by the solicitors, the
second division of the Court of Session was not an efficient
court. The second division had fallen off, in what the Lord
Justice Clerk. The difference between the Courts was,
as he had stated, was in the proportion of 270 to 82.
Another return showed that only one-fifth of the business
found its way from the outer court to the inner. In three-fourths of
the present session there had been but nine causes in the Inner
Court of Review, and at the end of the session there will
searcely have been more than twelve causes. The sub-
ject was one which concerned all the people of
England, Scotland, and Ireland alike, for they all paid alike,
and and bore a great cost, no less than 25,0001. per
annum for the payment of their judges. He held in
his hand the Act that was passed for increasing the salaries of
those judges, in order to diminish the arrears of business, and
to facilitate justice.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

THE THEATRES.
HAYMARKET.

A new and original comedy in three acts, so styled in the
bills, entitied, The Sheriff of the County, from the pen of our
old friend Peake, was produced hero last night, with the most
deserved success. In the olden time, when there were such
things as three-act farces, this would most probably have
been called a farce, bnt we will not dispute about names—
farce or comedy, it is a most agreeable, lively, bustling affair,
and kept the audience in a constant titter for more than
two hours, and Peaks may boast that he has done more
than Majesty itself can do, created a high sheriff whe does
not, either by himself or his deputy, cause a moment's heart-
ache to a single individual. Mr. Ifollylodge (Mr. W.
Farren) the high sheriff of the county, is the most amusing
of officials—a retired country gentleman, devoted to hie