The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-26 00:00:00

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.

Mr. W. 0. STANLEY asked whether the line of corn-
munication between this country and Ireland had been agreed
upon, and whether it wa) 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.
Mr. 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 PALMERSTON 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 those 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 con..
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 businesa
of the Court. In the first division of the Court of Session,
in the year 1841-42, the number of cases which had been
brought before the first division of session was 204. In the
year 1843-44 it was 174, and in the year 1844.45 it was 270.
In the second division of the Court of Session, in the year
1842-43, the number of causes was 216 ; in the year 1843-44,
the number of causes was 145 ; and in 1844-45, 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 fotward, 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 cf Session was not an efficient
court. The second division had fallen off, in which the Lord
Justice Clerk presided. The difference between the Courts
was, as he had stated, in the proportion of 270 to 82.
An.:,ther return shcsued that 0111 V one-fifth cf the b.,7
found its way from the Outer Court to the Inner. In three.foui the
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
scarcely have been more than twelve causes. The sub-
ject was one which concerned all the people of