The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-17 00:00:00

THE MAGISTRACY.

We are extremely glad to find that Mr. Peel
is proceeding with his useful labours in the sim-
plification and amendment of our heterogeneous
system of Statute Law—by bringing in a Bill
for the better execution of the office of .Justice of
the Peace ; the object of which measure is, not
only to collect together in one Act all the provi-
sions relating to Justices of the Peace—at least
all that are worth preserving, and which are now
scattered through more than twenty Acts of Par-
liament—but also to make two or three important
alterations in the law, which are, in our opinion,
calculated to prevent jobbing, and to improve
the administration of justice.
Of course our opinions on the present system
of Magistracy are no secret to our readers. We
consider it decidedly and radically vicious, and
think that it calls for some alteration far more
extensive than those which the Right Flon. Se-
cretary proposes to make by this Bill; but it is
consolatory to find that the subject is attracting
observation. One amendment, however trivial,
leads to another ; and we hope the time is not
far distant when the system will undergo a more
thorough and searching revision than that which
it now seems likely to experience.
The most important provisions of the Bill
are, perhaps, those by which the holding of the
Petty Sessions of the Peace, and the powers of
Justices assembled in such Sessions, are defined
aad regulated. To these Sessions, and to them
only, Mr. Peel proposes to entrust the adminis-
tration of some branches of the law previously
exercised by individual Magistrates, or by
any two or more who might happen to meet in
their own parlours or stables (the latter being a
place where a Magistrate in this neighbourhood
not unfrequently dispenses justice), or in any
other private and secluded place. Amongst the
powers thus required to be exercised only at the
Petty sessions are two, with regard to which
there has been an immense amount of injustice
committed in this country—namely, the stopping
up of highways, • and the execution of the laws
relating to the preservation of game. When
Mr. Peel first brought the measure before the
House of Commons, he is reported to have said
with reference to these Petty Sessions, that " he
thought an open Court a much better security
for the due administration of justice, than any
other which it was possible to devise." In the
truth of this observation we must fully concur,
both as regards Petty Sessions of the Peace, and
some other proceedings ; and we looked with
some anxiety to the Bill to see how this security
was to be applied. To our surprise we do not
find a syllable on the subject ; and we can only
infer that Mr. Peel imagines that Petty Sessions
of the Peace are now, in all cases, open Courts.
That that is generally the case, wa have no doubt,
but we happen to know, that there aro many parts
of the country where the Magistrates in Petty
Sessions sit with closed doors, and refuse
admission to all persons whose presence is
not acceptable to them, Indeed, if we mis-
take not, there was an action very recently tried,
against some Magistrates at Bristol, for excluding
a Reporter from a Petty Session ; w herein the
Judge decided that the Magistrates had a per-
fect right to act as they did. Unless Mr. Peel
should introduce a clause, declaring the Petty
Sessions to be open Courts, in the same manner
as the Assizes and the Courts at Westminster,
the profligate and corrupt part of the Magi-
strates will laugh at him and his Act. They
will hold Private Sessions, at which they will
job for themselves and friends, as they have been
heretofore accustomed to do. If he will render
it imperative on the Magistrates to hold these
Sessions in public, and, at the same time, ex-
tend their exclusive jurisdiction to a few more
objects, we have no doubt he will effect a very
extensive and substantial good.
Another very important provision in the Bill
is that which requires Magistrates to make a re-
turn to the clerk of the peace of all pecuniary
penalties levied before them. We believe the
public generally have not the slightest idea of
the extent of the malversations at present carried
on in different parts of the country. It is well
known that portions of some penalties inflicted
belong to the King—of others to the poor of
the parish, the surveyors of highways, or com-
missioners of turnpike-roads ; but it is, perhaps,
not so well known that his Majesty and the
other parties mentioned, in a very great num-
ber of cases, are somehow deprived of their
portions. For instance, within the last few
years, some thousands of pounds have been
levied in this neighbourhood for offences com-
mitted against the Highway Act—and one-half
of each penalty should go, either to the
surveyors of highways, or, which is more
frequently the case, to the commissioners of the
roads on which the offences are committed. We
have reason to believe, however, that a very
small portion of the money reaches its proper
destination. We happen to know of one road,
on which a very large number of convictions
have taken place, but where there has never been
one farthing of the penalties paid over to the
Commissioners. What becomes of the money
we have never been able to learn, and can only
suppose that the informers are improperly allowed
by the Magistrates to retain, not only the share
to which-they are entitled, but that which be-•
longs to the public.
There are several other points in the Bill
which are well deserving of notice, but we must
postpone them until next week.—Manchester
Guardian.

The high winds of Wednesday morning pre-
vented nearly all traffic on the river, except with large
barges. The effects were very conspicuous above West-
minster-bridge. The vessels were beaten in upon the
shore by Lambeth Palace, many were swamped or much
injured, in spite of the efforts of the men, and many barges
were obliged to be put further out into the river, to pre-
vent their being dashed against one another or on the
shore walls. This fresh-water storm was quite pic-
turesque, and drew many to Militia* to witness the
p ffe 0. The sprays frequently dashed completely over
large barges.
A DAMP SWEAT.—Hovr, the officer of
Chorlton-row, during his perambulations on Friday last,
net a lad who appeared to have a copious perspiration
trickling down his face, and anxious to know what had
brought it on, he stopped him, and taking off his hat,
found contained in it a woman's gown, wringing wet, the
dew from which had caused the appearances which HotT
had imagined was the effect of sonic powerful sudorific.—
The gown had been abstracted a few minutes before from
the washing mug of a woman in the neighbourhood, for
which the Magistrates on S4tuyday committed the lad to
the Sessions.—Manchester Mercury!

In digging the foundation of the King's
Bridge, on the vest side of the road, about six or eight
feet from the surface, a large quantity of bones have been
observed. They ale principally, if not entirely, of oxenand sheep.
Under these a bed of stiff solid clay occurs,
which ie qughout extremely impregnated with the blue
puled! ulent phosphite of iron, derived no doubt from the
decomposition of the hones, which lay on or near its sur-
face. This fact was first observed by HENRY WITHAM,
Esq., a scientific gentleman from Yorkshire, who has been
amusing himself with the study of mineralogy in Edinburgh
for some time past,—Caledonian Mercury.