The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-18 00:00:00

upon it the advantage it possesses over other spots, in
aaommanding, at a lower price, the luxuries and many of
die necessaries of life."
We are well aware how very dangerous and impo-
Itic a thing it is to interfere with the laws and the
language of a people who have long lived contented
and happy under a vicious and barbarous system ;
nor should we advise such a course if the people of the
Channel Islands alone were concerned. But now that
these islands are within a few hours' run to London,
and, by the aid of steam, within a few hundred
4ninutes sail of Granville and St. Maio and the French
:oast—now that thousands and thousands of British
inhabitants resort thither for the purpose of business,
pleasure, commerce, or with a view to become perma-
nent residents—now that the acts of the Lieutenant-
Governor are questioned and traversed by the Bailli
and Jurats, it becomes more than ever necessary to
he accurately informed of the nature and constitution
Ithose Courts, and the mode of election of those
edges with which the inhabitants are so enamoured.
Of the constitution and legislature of the islands,
Inglis thus speaks :
" The constitutions of these islands ought not to be
left to the management of their own legislatures. Amend-
ments are required both in constitution and laws, which
trill never be maede by the authorities in either island.
It would be absurd, in thesis days, to moot the question
ss to the powers of the British Government, or to discuss
the question, whether the right of legislation over these
islands is vested in the King as Duke of Normandy, or
as King of England. It is a favourite o;.,,inion in the
islands, that in cases where the general interests of the
empire are in any way connected with the interests of
the island—where, in fact, there is a common interest—
the British Parliament may interfere; but that in all
local matters concerning the interest of the islands
solely, legislation lies with the island institutions and
the Privy Council. Ido not see the force of this dis-
tinction: I look upon it to be the duty of the island
legislature to legislate for the benefit of the whole em-
pire ; and if certain changes in the constitution of Jersey
or Guernsey would insure greater security to property,
=ore certain or cheaper justice, or would even have the
effect of diminishing feuds, and of advancing civilisation;
nd if there is no hope that the island legislatures will
themselves originate these changes, then there is suffi-
cient gr.,und for the interference of the British Govern-
ment, and for the adoption of whatever measure; may
be sanctioned by the British Parliament. In these ob-
servations I have Jersey more than Guernsey in view,
though I am very far from subscribing to a very general
opinion in Guernsey, that there no reform is needed."
These observations were written ten years ago, and
recent occurrences give them a ten-fold force. Sir
Robert Peel may smile, look specious and solemn—
enunciate some puling plausibilities—or bring forth,
with faithful gestation, some admitted truism, only a
century and a half old, dressed up for the occasion in
his " richest wardrobe" of euphonious and sounding
expletives. He may talk, like his Solicitor-General,
of the law of expe-liency, the only law by which he
squares his conduct—he may send Sir James Graham
to the Privy Council, as the descendant of " John of
the bright sword," to interpret the Coutumier de Nor-
mandie—or tell the " travelled Thane, Athenian
Aberdeen," to shroud himself in more than his usual
North British reserve—he may tell his Chancellor to
crack ribald jokes; but will he come to a Parliamen-
tary solution of the question at issue, satisfactory to
the Lieutenant-Governor of the Channel Islands, or,
most material of all, satisfactory to the British
people ?

We accorded to the British Pranaier the praise
which he deserved, for recently appointing a judge in
Westminster, Mr. Justice Erle, totally irrespective of
party feeling. IVill he sanction a different system in
Jersey? where judges, according to Inglis, are thus
appointed :
The judge is borne into the seat of justice on the
shoulders of a party. It is scarcely necessary, I think,
for me to enlarge upon the bad effects of this system.
The bench, with one or two exceptions, is composed of
the most furious partisans ; the court of justice is too
often the arena for party feuds ; and it is not impossible,
by glancing the eye along the bench, and knowing who
are the parties to a suit, to guess with tolerable accuracy
what will be the issue.

" But this is not the only evil of the system. No qua-
lification is necessary for being elected to the office of
judge. A farmer, a shipowner, a merchant—anybody.
may Le seated on the bench by the electors. No pre-
vious acquaintance with law or usage is required ; no
preparatory education, no education of any kind requi-
site. The electors, generally utterly uneducated them-
selves, and influenced by the most violent party spirit,
cannot be expected to fix upon the best qualified indi-
viduals ; and thus the bench is alike disqualified by
party feeling, and by ignorarce, from exercising that
sound and unbiassed judgment which alone gives respect-
ability to a court of justice."
These are the men who have often to decide on
British property, amounting to thousands of pounds,
and on Briti,h liberty and life, infinitely more valu-
able than British property. The case of Mr. Wilson is
so recent as to be fresh in the memory of our readers ;
but that is by no means the only case. Inglis cites
the following instance of oppression which occurred
ten years ago :
"It is but lately that a girl was imprisoned, charged
with some inconsiderable offence, by the authority of
some police-officer. There she remained nine months,
at the end of which time, upon the representation of
one of his Majesty's receivers-general (for be it recol-
lected, that the maintenance of prisoners forms a deduc-
tion from the King's revenues), the girl was brought up
for trial, or rather fur accusation. There was no accuser
—no charge—the cause even of her imprisonment was
unknown, and she was discharged."
The English reader will naturally inquire into the
constitution and composition of courts which not
only refuse obedience to the Queen's writs, but set
her military governor at defiance. We are told by
one authority, Lecras on the laws of Jersey, that
bailli and jurats are so unacquainted with their
duties,
" That they suspend their judgments in order to con-
sult a party on the framing of them, and alter and re-
voke them after they have been delivered, and that they
sometimes prepare these judgments before the trials are
heard, as was the case in the prosecution of the Crown
at the instance of the late Lieutenant-Governor, Major-
General Thornton, v. Le Breton, colonel of Militia, when
one of the jurats, after the pleadings were closed, pro-
duced a judgment already written, which was adopted by
the bailiff and jurats, and rendered against the said
Lieutenant-Governor."

We are also told by the same authority, that per•
sons are seized without oath and warrant, and tha

Dlssenters, notwithstanding recent statutes in their
favour in England, labour under great disabilities in
the islands. Mr. Inglis thus shortly describes the
constitution of the Court, and the restrictions placed
upon the bar :
" Attached to the Royal Court are the King's two
officers, the I'rocureur du Roi and the King's Advocate,
who are appointed by the King ; several other officers,
and six advocates, who are in the nomination of the
bailly—an absurd and unjust nomination, both as regards
the public service and the manner of appointment.
There ought to be no restriction upon the bar, ex-
cepting that which depends upon competency ; and yet,
in this important particular, there is at present no regu-
lation. No co.irse of education is necessary—no axami-
nation is required ; all is left to the judgment of the
bailly, who, possessed of such powers, and presiding over
a court comprised of men without legal education, ought
to be a man possessed of many acquirements, and distin-
guished by a sound and discriminating judgment."
In another passage he thus speaks :
" So long as the present mode of cons ituting the
bench be maintained, the spirit of faction will continue
to exercise its despotism; and ignorance and partiality
will impede the course of justice. From the island legis-
latore nothing is to be hoped; it is in vain to imagine
that the twelve judges and the twelve rectors v. ill accede
to any proposition fur excluding themselves from the
legislative body."
Surely this is a system which cannot be allowed
to continue longer. We had intended to have made

some obiervations to-day on the folly of governing
these islands, in the nineteenth century, according to
the provisions of laws made in OK! twelfth and
fourteenth centuries ; but these observations, together
with so i e others in reference to the same subject,
must be reserved for another occasion.

DEAFNESS—ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS.-39, Albe-
marle•street, Piccadilly.—lnvisible Voice Conductors,
when fixed in the cavity of the ears, are not more uncom-
fortable nor perceptible than having a small piece of
wool in its place. They enable individuals at an ad-
vanced age, and of forty or fifty years' standing of ex-
treme deafness, instantly to join in general conversation,
and to catch the sound of a distant, low speaker, at
church, theatre, fee. They pour the conversation into
the ears to such an extent, that in most severe cases
deafness eaenot be observed. Also original Ear Cur-
nets, French, German, and Spain it Artificial Ears, and
improved Hearing Trumpets of every description. Many
of those instruments have received the approbation of
the Royal Society and Royal Institution of Great Bri-
tain. The Newly Invented Spectacles, immediately
they are placed before extremely imperfect vision, it
is brought to its youthful,' natural, and original state.
Also Achromatic Telescopes, Opera-glasses, Micro-
scopes, &c.—Caution : Messrs. S. and B. Solomons,
Opticians and Aurists, are not in any way connected with
a person of the same name in their immediate neigh-
bourhood, nor in any part of the country. To prevent
mistakes, be cautious, and observe—Only to be had at
89. Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, opposite the York Hotel.
FATAL ACCIDENT IN TIIREADNE EDLE- STREET.—
Last evening, about half-past five o'clock, a van belong-
ing to a Mr. Maynard, carrier, of Barking, was proceed-
ing up Threadneedle-street, towards Bishopsgate-street,
when the right hind wheel came in contact with a quan-
tity of paving stones. At the same moment a truck,
drawn by a pce)r"mten, in the employ of Mr. Stevens, of
Minerva-street, Hackney-mid, was passing the vehicle
on the, other side, and, in consequence of the wheel
passing over the stones, the van was completely canted
over on to the unfortunate man, throwing out at the
same time a lad, named Chalk, with much violence into
the road, who was seated with the driver.' On the cart
being lifted up, the ill-fated man Nvas found dreadfully
mutilated about the head. Ile was promptlyLlarth removed
on a stretcher, as also the lad, tos
hospital, but on arriving there he was found otloonaw's
breathed his last. As regards the boy, -4 is sadly feared
that he has sustained some serious Internal hurt. The
driver of the van was itntnediately taken into custody by
the police, and will be examined this day before the Lord
Mayor.