The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-08 00:00:00

GOVERNMENT LVFORMERS.

Mr. O'CONNELL begged to draw the attention
of the Secretary for Ireland to the confession of the
murderer Delahunt, lately executed in Dublin, and
who stated that his sole motive for swearing
away the lives of innocent people, charged with
the most atrocious crimes, was, that he should
be paid and supported by Government. Now he
(Mr. O'Connell), wished to ask whether it was
the intention of Government,• to alter this system of
patronage, which had, especially since the late wretch's
disclosure, excited a very strong feeling in Ireland ?
Lord ELIOT admitted that some crimes must be
attributed to the temptations held out by this system
to depraved persons ; but he feared that in the exist-
ii:;; state of Ireland, and having due regard to the
administration of justice, the practice could
not be altogether discontinued. Witnesses must
be procured to convict persons guilty of capital
crimes, and unless those witnesses were, provided
with support, and assured of personal safety, it would
be very difficult to get them. However, he (Lord E.)
should not hesitate to say that this subject should come
under the careful consideration of Government,
and if any alteration or step towards the abolition of
the system could be effected, he should be most
willing to undertake it, though, at present, he could
not hold out much hope.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY

COUNCIL.

Mr. C. BULLF.R. begged to ask the Right Hon
Baronet whether it was the intention of Government
to introduce a Bill to alter the jurisdiction of
rthe Ju-
dicial Committee of the Privy Council ; particularly,
whether it was intended to append a new judicial
office to it ?

Sir R. PEEL assured the lion. Gentleman, that
the reports he might have seen referring to this
latter pobit were entirely without foundation.
He (Sir Robert Peel) thought, before any altera-
tion was attempted in this Court, they should
wait to see the effects of the recent improvements in
the Court of Chancery, to which two new judicial
officers had been added. It should also be remem-
bered that last year the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council made great attempts to reduce its
arrears of appeals, and that there were now but fifteen
cases ready for hearing in it. The addition of
the two new officers and the Vice-Chancellors'
Court would tend also to keep
.these arrears down.
The appointment of the two new Vice-Chancellors in
the Court of Chancery had produced a great reduc-
tion in the arrears of business in the Chancery Court.
Those arrears had already been reduced from 500 to
about 200, and as it was probable that the
Vice-Chancellors might hereafter have more leisure
time at their disposals so as to enable them to take a
more active part in the proceedings of the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council than the- did at pre-

sent, it was desirable that any measure affecting the
appellate jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council should be postponed for the present.
He believed the legal portion of the business of the
Judicial Committee was in a satisfactory state.
COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH TEXAS.

Mr. O'CONNELL wished to ask if the commer-
cial treaty entered into by the late Government, with
the Republic of Texas, had been confirmed by the
present Government ?
Sir R. PEEL—No, I think not.
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

Mr. F. MAULE wished to ask if it was the inten-
tion of the Right Hon. Baronet, or some other Member
of her Majesty's Government, to bring in any mea-
sure in reference to the state of the Church of Scot-
land?

Sir ROBERT PEEL would, when he had any
such measure in contemplation, give ample notice of
it.—(Cheers from the Opposition.) It was hardly
fair to call upon her Majesty's Government to admit
or disclaim an intention of bringing forward a mea-
sure ofthe nature alluded to. Should any such measure
be determined on he would give ample notice of it be-
fore its introduction. For himself, he must admit
that he was at present against the introduction of any
such measure.—(Hear, hear.)

CHURCH EXTENSION.

Mr. HAWES was about to put a question to which he
hoped he should obtain a more definite answer than had
been given by the Right Hon. Baronet to his Right
Hon. Friend—(Laughter)—and so was desirous of
ascertaining from the Hon. Baronet, the Member for
Oxford, if it was his intention to bring under the
consideration of the House, during the present Ses-
sion, the subject of Church extension ?
Sir ROBERT INGLIS said it certainly was his
intention to call the attention of the present Parlia-
to the subject of Church extension, as he had done
that of the late Parliament; for he had never wavered
in his opinion as to the importance of that measure.
Mr. B. HAVES—During the present Session ?
Sir R. INGLIS—In the course of the present
Session.