The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE—Sir R. Peel's reply last night to. Mr. Hutt's
question—as to whether Lord Ellenborough would re-
ceive the annual compensation for the sinecure he held,
Since abolished by Act of Parliament, would continue to
be enjoyed by him while in the receipt of his sa-
lary as Governor-General of India, forcibly re-
, 'minds us of the days when Tory Ministers regarded
the public revenue as their legitimate inheritance, to be
portioned out
,among themselves and their supporters,
with reversions and remainders to their heirs and sac-
.7vessors. the facts, as admitted, are few, but forcible.
,LOrd Ellenborough, who has been selected to fill the
'''heriuurable and lucrative post of Governor-General of
'lndia,
is in the receipt of a pension of 3,202/. annually,
'• as 'compensation for a sinecure office, since abolished,
to which he was presented by his father when Chief
Justice of the Court of King's Bench. Was the
- • Noble Lord to receive both the pension and the salary
sVith one hand was he to receive upwards of 3,0001,
from the British revenue, and with the other 20,p00/. a
year from the East India Company ? What is the
'reply ? The first thing which strikes us, on reading
irremier's answer, is the struggle between cupidity. and
t
.shame which appears to have taken place In the
:.of Lord Ellenborough, on having the Government of
India pis/I:used to,his acceptance—
, When he (Sir li. Peel) piOposed to his Noble Friend,
then a Cabinet Minister and President of the Board of
ontrol, this appointment, his Noble Friend pointed out
to his notice the Act of Parliament, and said it would be
hard, in the performance of a public duty, in accepting
the office which he (Sir R. I'eel) proposed to him, that
big compensation; together with his office as President of
°fthe Board of Control, should be forfeited."
flow much is Lord Ellenborough to be pitied, that
he,eould not retain the Presidency of the Board of
Tr e, and appoint a deputy to perform its duties, while
puadblic duty called him to the honours and emolu-
ments of Governor-General of India ! His Lordship
had'; been so long familiar with salary without duty,
thafit seems to have been regarded as somewhat bard
that,be could not retain his place in the Govern-
enent,.at l!eine, or at least its salary, while
governing in another and distant part of the
globe ! The pension, however, it was hoped, might be se-
cured; although the post in the Government at home
must be relinquished. " The compensation received for
,the (Ace," said Sir Robert Peel, " must be continued.
lie had looked at the-Act, and he apprehended the Trea-
sury oculd not stop the compensation." We should have
been surprised if compensation-pension could have been
suipended under such circumstances. That which jns-
ticeito the public and a respect to the suggestions of com-
mon sense alike prescribe, is generally disregarded in all
such arrangements.
S'TANDAR D.— The conversation that passed in the
House`of Lords last night, holds out a hope that the
country. may at length have an important step in law
reform, beginning at the right end. A cheap and
simples process for the recovery of small debts and
the redress of slight injuries—if not rendered too
prompt and, peremptory in Operation (the error
into which law reformers have often fallen, but a
very serious one)—will be of itself a very great benefit.
But the good effect of such a process will not stop with
plaintiffs and defendants in such inferior actions. If
the erection of tribunals for the recovery of small
debts, and trifling' damages be accompanied, as of
couoe it will be, by a new arrangement of the law
of Casts, throwing the burthen Of expense upon all
whO unduly make demands in the courts of higher ju-
risdiction, the consequence will be to put an end to
those grossest abuses of the law—speculative actions.
Suppose, for example, the jurisdiction of the .new courts
fixed at debts and damages of 401. or 501.—and the re-
forn/ will be worth but little if it goes much lower—and
suppose, also, that .a party bringing an action for 'no
matter what sum, iu the superior courts, 115 recover less
than 40/. or 501., or whatever the limit of jurisdiction
may be, be rendered liable to the costs on both sides,
few excessive demands would be heard of in the supe-
rior courts, and there would be almost a perfect secu-
rity against the vindictive and extortionate proceedings,
and against those which are approbriously called
" attorneys' actions?' Men would think twice before
they would incur' the risk of heavy costs, in order
to persecute, or to bully into submission, an unfortu-
nate defendant'`; and. attorneys would tee the dan-
ger Of speculating in cases like those in which,
at present, par,tlea are put to the expense of hundreds of
pounds, with a moral certainty that the damages will not
be assessed at more than a few shillings, because " what-
ever party wins the day, their booty is secure." The
relief afforded to the superior courts, too, by the with-
drawal, of the 'vast multitude of petty causes from their
jurisdietian, must have the best effect in putting an end to
the ruinous delays that now occur in weightier causes,
properly coining under their cognizance. We are not,
however, ighorant, that a great deal of the benefit of
any reform like to that which the nation has reason to
expect, must depend upon the details of the change, and,
neon the qualifications of the new judges to be appoint-
ed. We have already_ hinted at the danger of precipita--
ting process in the matter of small mini and small
damages. •
COURIER.-The brief dismission last night in the
Lords oq the introduction of a bill for the establishment
of Local" Courts, coupled with ihe assurance given by the
Lord Chancellor that he was about to lay on the table of
the House a measure having a similar object in view, fully
satisfies us that at length something really substantial is
about'te be done with respect to the recovery of small
debts, and the administration of justice, by means of local
and comparatively inexpensive courts. It were, indeed, a
work of supererogation oh our parts to show by specific
instances how many have been deterred from the search
for justice by the enormous expense attending upon
every step of their progress, or bow many the search
has irretrievably ruined. This mainly arises from
the fact of being compelled in almost every case
to resort to -- the courts .at Westminster, and
their cumbrous and costly 'machinery. In Ireland
and Scotland the case is very different, each of these
portions of the State having the• advantage of efficient
County Courts, *Where the process of recovering small
debts is simple, economical, as well as regular and
speedy in its operation. The Irish Quarter Sessions, pre-
sided over by a Barrister of not less than seven years
standing, are yearly rising in public estimation; appeals
from the decisions given are as a consequence yearly de-
creasing in number. One great blunder of the late Go-
vernment was the making Assistant Barristers 'also
revising ones. The power of determining actions
on civil bill
.process bad nothing whatever to do
with the business of registration, and
.the effect of
mixing them up has been to give in many instances a
partisan character to these Courts ; but although the
Whigs had, so far as the operation of the Reform Bill
went, done their utmost to prejudice the public mind
against them, they were not able to impair their effici-
ency or lower their character for sound and impartial
decisions. We see no reason whatever why analogous
courts, with analogous functions, shonld not be esta-
blished in this country, but a variety of forceful and
cogent ones for their establishment.'

EXPLOSION IN LAMBETH WALK

LA'TES'T PARTICULARS.

Numerous reports were in circulation' during yester-
day, relative to the origin of the late calamitous fire
on the premises- of Mr. D'Ernst, in Doughty-street,
but pending the inveStigation about to be institutf2d
before the Coroner, it might, perhaps, be improper to
embody them in, the form of a newspaper paragraph.
One however has been stated upon credible authority, and
that was, that the. boy Tebbet said, when passing
through the Lion brewery, that he was sent to get a
light, as Mr. D'Ernst was about sealing.a. parcel. Mr.
Hepburn, the beadle-of Lambeth parish, has been inde-
fatigable in his endeavours to procure evidence necessary
to enable the Coroner-and Jury, to pronounce some de-
cision as to the cause of the combustion ; but owing to
the fact of all those , who were upon the premises
baying been killed, his exertions have as yet been almost
in vain. Mr.. Carter, . the Coroner for Surrey, has ap-
pointed the inquest- to be holden on the bodies this day,
at two o'clocic_, at. the John' Bull public-house, Tyler-
strJet, Lambeth. •

The excitement in the neighbourhood last evening
seemed as great as at the moment after the explosion,
the place being crowded with persons eager to see the ruins,
of which scarcely a brick is now standidg, the greater
part of the tide-wall having fallen in in the 'early part of
the day.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, FEB. 28, 1842.
Notice is hereby given, that. her ;Majesty will hold Levees
at St. James's Palace, on the following days, at two o'clock :
Wednesday, March 16;. Wednesday, April 1J; Wednesday,
May 4; and WedneSday, Juno 1.
REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED AT TINE QUERN'S LEVEES,
. AT ST. JAMES'S PALACE.
The Noblemen and Gentlemen, who propose to attend her
Majesty's Levees at St. James's Palace, are requested to bring
with them two tards 'with their names thereon written, one to
be left with the Queen's Page in attendance in the Presence-
Chamber, and the other to be delivered to the Lord in Waiting.
who will announce the name to her Majesty.
Those Gentlemen. wlia are to be presented arc hereby in-
formed, it is absolutely necessary that their names, with the
name of the Nobleman or Gentleman who is to present them
(not that of the Lord in Waiting), should he sent to the Lord
Chamberlain's-office, Lefore twelve o'clock on the day but one
previous to each Levee, in order that they may be submitted for
the Queen's approbation ; it being her M jesty's command that
no presentation shall hereafter be made at the Levees, but in
conformity with the Above regulations ; and farther, that no '
person shall be ,admitted, on any pretence whatever, who has
not been sopreseiated.
It is particularly requested, that gentleman who are to be
presented at the Levees will have their names distinctly written
upon the card to be delivered to the Lord in Waiting, in order
that there may be no mistake in announcing them to the Queen.
The state apartments will not be open for the reception of
company coming to Court, until half-past one o'clock.
Notice is hereby given, that all persons. having petitions or
addresses to present to her Majesty at the Levees, are to write
on two cards, with their names, a statement of the object of
such petitions or addresses, and of the persons from whom they
come; one card to be delivered to the. Page in the Ante-
Room, and the other to the Lord in. Waiting, who will read its
contents, at the time of presentation, to her Majesty ; and, on
these occasions, no other statement is to be addressed to her
Majesty. i
A Deputation, to present an address, is not to exceed four
persons.
LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, FEB. 28.
Notice is hereby given, that her Majesty will hold Drawing.
roums at St. James's Palace, on the following days, at 2 o'clock :
—Thursday, April 7 ; Thursday, April 28: Thursday, May
19, to celebrate her Majesty's birth-day; Thursday, June 16.
N.B. The Knights of the several rders are to appear in
, 4heir &fins tsttl* g-
Majesty's Drawinroom on Thursday the
n rEMI etaLablesiz---
t,.., GOMT Ns, Bfr'soßSEß DAT THE QUEEN'S DRAw.
yllt• ; 1, ~T 9 - :',IN-G-v.xooms.
rz- The Ladies, who pt4o4f attending her Majest-;,i Drawing-
*llooo4fiare.rested to bring with them two ord.,. with their
k-i?rliefOijObly written thereon, one to be left !vial the Queen s
041:taitt in a
.-., ! Deg in the Presence-Chamber and the other to
gOli, • - . ~41,. • 'Lord in- Waiting,
.who
.1;41 announce . the
e-fidt •,. yi-
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