Star.
London, England, 1825-07-05 00:00:00

THE OA RDNER PEERAGE.

Examination resumed-- Dr. James BlundelL—l have had con-
siderable practice in parturition and protracted pregnancy. One
Lady bad become pregnant on the night of the 9th of November,
and was not delivered till the 23d of August fonowir.ig.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, they must have the hus-
band to prove that—(laughter).
The Doctor then stated other
—she is now dead.

respecting the Lady

The Doctor then said, that in his judgment the usual period of
gestation may be protracted by several causes. He founded this
judgment on bis own observations, and the actual experience of
Tercier, in France.

Some ohierv.itions were made by the ArronantY-Giwzaat. as to
opinions fous;(!,:d on the ohst,rvitions of utlivrA.

The LORD CHANCF.T LOU said, :h .t his judgment could
only be founded on the opi;::,lni of uthurs. S,:ppace he were to
found an opinion on the law of Scotland,it could only be by asking
the nature of that law from Scotch Lawyers, which was merely
an opinion.
Dr. Power—l am a Physician-Acconcheur in London and West-
minster. I have personally attended 1500 cases, and superin-
tended as many more. lam of opinion that the period of gesta-
tion may be extended beyond nine calendar months: I hardly
know how to limit the period, but I think it has been extended to
eleven calendar mouths, and longer. I have known several cases
where it has gone to eleven months; and the result of my own
experience, built upon natural observation and the accounts of wo-
men, is, that gestation may be prolonged to that period.
Dr. Gitonvir-La was then called, with two of the Ladies men-'
tioned in his 9,000 cases of pregnant women.
Some discussion took place as to the propriety and delicacy of
examining the women, and how far the declarations of the medical
men might be received as evidence.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that there was no other
way of judging, but by the accounts of the women themselves, nor
could medical men found their opinions otherwise. Suppose, in a
case of 9,000 pregnant women, a medical man should say that 8,998
had gone nine months, and the other two bad gone, one ten months,
and the other twelve months. What proof had they that the 8,999
had not gone more than nine months. but the evidence of the wo-
men. as communicated to the Doctor?
The first woman was then called in.—She said that she Was then
pregnant, and had expected to be delivered two mouths ago, so that
she was now eleven months in that state. She was eight months
gone the 7th of April. She had three children.—The further con-
sideration was adjourned.
Mr. Tortures, from the Treasury presented a Copy of the Trea-
sury Minute for registering the 0/ice of the Clerk of the Pelts.
O'NEIL V. FITZGERALD.

The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that this was an
appeal from summary proceedings adopted by tl,e
Court of Exchequer in Ireland, against the Accountant.
General of that Court. It appeared that some money
had been wrongly transferred from one suit to another,
and the Court had decreed that the Accountant• G-
eneral was answerable for the amount. He doubted
very much that the House could inter fere in chic case.
If the Court of Exchequer had jurisdiction to proceed
in that summary way Against me of ,heir own officers,
he thought the House could not interfere, but still he
,thought that the Court ha,d not jurisdiction. He there-
' fore thought it better to let it stand over till next Session,
giving O'Neil liberty to request the Court of Ex-
chequer to reverse that order; or if not, to chew that
it had jurisdiction.
Lord REDESDALE said, that it was quite impossible
their Lordships could have jurisdiction iu this ewe,
there being no record before them. The question was,
if an officer had exercised his duties so irregularly as tt.
make himself responsibte to suitors, and so relieve the
Bank of Ireland from the responsibility ? It was a fit
subject for a distinct action, it being a que..tion of pro-
perty. If tried in a regular manner, it might then
come by way of an appeal before their Lordships ; but
as it was, he thought they could take no more notice
of it than if the Court of Exchequer had proceeded
against one of its officers for contempt. Under these
circumstances he thought the proper manner to treat it
would be as the Lord Chancellor proposed.—lt was
accordingly agreed to.