Star.
London, England, 1829-10-01 00:00:00

ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.

In the library of the--"..--House of Commons there is a ma-
nuse r ipt index to the Act of Parliament, prepared by Mr SPEW.
the librarian ; and that portion of it which regards the acts since
the Union has been found so useful, owing to the matters kgisla-
ted upon, as well as the titles of the Acts, being indexed, that a
limited number of copies have been printed exclusively ter the
Treasury. It is printed in quarto form, so as to class with the
" Statutes at Large." and occupies 300 pages. The priming Is on
one side of the leaves only, so that the index may be kept perfect
by manalcript Windom as new Acts appear.
There is a preface by Mr. Rickman, the Second Clerk at the
'fable of the House of Commons, giving a 11W.m.y.of the modes of
preparing and classing Acts of Parliament, &c. Pae kat:swing are
retracts :--
Pubik General Acts have been practically distilignisited from
Private Acts ever since the commencement of Sessional publica-
tions by the King's Printer in 1484 (10 Rie. III.) ; and In 1539
(31 Henry VIII.) the distinction becomes precise, as being thence-
forth specified in the Sessional Rolls of Parliament. which are cer-
tified in Chancery, and preserved in the chapel named after them.
The Clerk of Parliaments and the King's Printer seem for a long
time to have decided whether an Act was to be deemed'' Public"
or " Private " In the time of Queen Elizabeth (A.D. 1582) an
Act is said to be printed " by special suit," and appears among the
Public Acts ; and the practice of enabling a defendant to plead the
" General Issue" commenced with the reign of James the First,
whereby Acts containing that provision became of necessity Public
Acts, and were printed accordingly. The practice of declaring by
words Acts to be " Public Acts" commenced with the reign of
William and Mary, and soon became usual with regard to almost
all Acts by which felonies were created, penalties inflicted, or tolls
imposed; but these Acts multiplied so fast in the reigns of Gm. 11.
and Geo. 111. that the Sessional publication gradually became in-
convenient from its bulk. For the year 1793, the printed Acts
filled three folio volumes. containing about four thousand pages,
and weighing twenty-eight pounds ! whereupon, in 1794, modern
type was substituted for old English black letter, which had been
nut of use, except for Acts of Parliament, nearly two centuries !
In fact, the black letter bad gradually become so obsolete, that,
from 1725, an Abstract in modern type is annexed to the Sessional
publication of the Statutes ; whereby it appears that the black let-
ter Statutes of that time were in this manner abridged to one-
ninth part of their former bulk. In 1797 (after which the practice
ceased) the Abstract in due proportion filled one-sixth part of the
number of pages contained in the Sessional volume, which had been
reduced to two thirds of its former bulk by the aforesaid introduc-
tion of modern type. • • In the year 1815 the number of Pub-
lic," Local" and" Personal" Acts becoming onerous to Courts of
Justice, a regulation was made, by which Private Acts are since
that tine printed as such at the desire of the parties ; who thereby
procure, at a small expense, copies, authenticated by the King's
Printer (which are received as evidence in all Courts of Law), in-
stead of being under a necessity of resorting to the Parliament
°Moe for a manuscript copy. In the case of " Estate" Acts, the
parties are thus enabled to procure, at a very small expense, most
authentic title deeds ; and such Acts are usually obtained to regu-
late complicated family interests, or with a view to extensive sales
of real property, &c.
The value of this facility will not be duly appreciated, unless on
consideration that an Estate Act is found by experience to be more
speedily obtained. and at less expense, than a Chancery decision;
as well as to be more decisive and effectual in all cases to which it
is applicable. The Statutes, therefore, now appear in a four-fold
arrangement, and the printed Acts (besides the Public General
Acts) occupy four or five volumes annually I
The following are the results of a synopsis, contained in such
preliminary statement, of all Acts passed since the Union. The
synopsis gives the number for each Session :
" Public General Acts," in 28 years
Local and personal" Acts, same period
" Private Acts" printed
" Private Acts," not printed
Total number of Acts, 9,961; being 3,567 Public General Acts,
and 6,304 local, and personal. and Private Acts ; and, on the
average, 131 Public, and 225 Private Acts; or. altogether 356
Acts annually, or nearly one for each day in the year, Sundays
included.

TILE POST OFFICE.—In 1653 the postage of England,
Scotland. and Ireland, was farmed of the Parliament by John
Manley, Esq. for 10,0001. per annum, and received its first orga-
nization from Cromwell, as a General Post-office, three years
afterwards. Charles 11. confirming the regulations of the Pro-
tector, settled the revenue from It on the Duke of York, the pro.
duce in 1665 being 21,5001. Ten years afterwards this amount
was doubled, and it still continued to increase until the reign of
William and Mary, when it was considerably influenced by the
hostile or tranquil state of the country. The Post-office revenue,
which during the eight years of war only avenged 67,2221. a year,
produced in the succeeding four years of peace, on an average,
82,3191. annually. A similar effect was experienced during the
reign of Anne, when the war postage was about 60,0001. and in
years of peace about 90.0001. This disproportion has of late been
d, and the last years of war were those in which the Post-
office were the most productive. On the union of England with
Scotland, in the year 1710, a General Post-office was esta-
blished by Act of Parliament, which included, besides Great
Britain and Ireland, our West India and American Colonies. This
extension of the Post-office increased the revenue to 111,4611.—
What portion of this 311 M was produced by the respective coun-
tries does not appear ; but there is reason to believe that it was
almost entirely Irish and English, for even so late as between 1730
and 1740, the post was only transmitted three days a-week be-
tween Edinburgh and London ; and the metropolis on one occa-
sion, only serif s ink kiln, which was for an Edinburgh banker
named Ramsay. The most remarkable event in the history of the
Post Office, previously to its present removal and scale of mapifi-
tenet, lathe plan, first suggested by Mr. Palmer, in the year 1784,
of sending the letters by the coaches instead of the old custom of
transmitting them by post-boys on horseback. From this moment
the prosperity of the Post Office commenced; and the revenue,
which at first was not more than 5,0001. slur, and which, after
the revolution of two centuries, only produced, 1783, 146,4001.
annually, yielded, 30 years afterwards, a net revenue of nearly
1,700,0001. Nor was it only by increasing the revenue that Mr.
Palmer's plan was beneficial, for, to use the words of the Parlia-
mentary Committee on the subject, "at the same time that the
revenue is augmented, answers are returned to letters in half the
time, and with a degree of punctuality never experienced before ;
the expense is at a less rate per mile than upon the old plan; and
when the plan had been so far carried into effect that the mail-
coaches had travelled above 40,000,000 of miles, not a single rob-
bery bad been committed, or a passenger insulted." The General
Post-office was originally settled in Cloak-lane, near Dowgate-hill,
whence it was afterwards removed to the Black Swan, in Bishops.
gate.street. On occasion of the great fire of 1666, it was removed
to the Two Black Pillars, in Brydgessstreet. Covent-garden, and
finally to Sir Robert Viner's mansion. in Lombard-street. the now
deserted old Post-office.
In the next Session of Parliament a Bill is to be in-
troduced, for the purpose of remaining the details of the contem-
plated consolidation of the English and Irish Post-office Establish-
ments. It is understood that the Bill is preparing under the su
perintendence of Mr. Vesey Fitzgerald. The salary of the Eng-
lish Secretary is to be reduced to sEI,OOO per annum, and that of
the Secretary residing in Dublin to seBoo. All orders relative to
the details of management, and all appointments to offices, clerks
Sec. are to issue from the London office. Of course a discretionary
power over the Irish provisional offices will be vested in the Secre-
tary at Dublin. The clerks are not, as heretofore, to be stationed
permanently, but those in London are to be removed occasionally
to Dublin.. and vice versa. It is proposed to reduce the salaries of
clerks generally; but no alteration in this regard will take place
with the present possessors, who will be superannuated, or permit-
ted to die off. Neither will any change occur in the salaries of Sir
Francis Fretting or Sir Edward Lees. One or both of the Irish
Postmasters General will be altogether dispensed with.
Sunday last, between the hours of seven and eleven
o'clock, the dwelling-house of Mr. F. R. HAT, situate at Park-
terrace, Camden-town, was broken and entered by means of
picking the locks of both the front doors, and plundered. The
same night the dwelling-house of Mrs. ADAK., Osborne—place,
Whitechapel, was entered by means of skeleton keys, and several
at titles were stolen.
Thursday night, the 24th ult. or early the following
morning, the premises of Mr. JAMES, wine-merchant, at the
corner of Black Lion-lane, Hamtnersmithovere entered, and pro-
perty stolen therefrom, chiefly articles of wearing apparel.
At an early hour on Monday morning a disgraceful
scene of plunder and riot took place in Eagle-court, White Hart-
yard, Drury-lane. It appeals that some of the unfortunate
females who live there by prostitution and plunder, enticed
three young men, in a state of intoxication, into one of those
dens kept by a Jew; and after remaining there some time, and
having something to drink, the foolish fellows discovered that
they were robbed ; two of theft of their watches, and all of them
of their Money, amounting to nearly twelve pounds. An in.tant
fight and riot took place between the sufferers and the people of
the house, and others of the same calling who came to their attest-
nice, which ended in the three young men, after a good heath's*,
being ejected net at the holier at another door than the one by
which they emceed. By the tithe thtly Mere enabled to protium
the aid of watchmen befogging to that district, the paeans robbed
amid not identify the bogie Where the rubbery was committed ;
and the brothel-keepers therefore escaped as is too often the ease
in that place, with perfect impunity and the plunder.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

NEWMARKET FIRST OCTOBER MEETING.

Rau Coarse, Wednesday ARNIM&
The St. Leger Stakes of 23 soy. each, for three yrs old 44114.10, 7111
aid allies, at 41b. D. I.
Lard G. Cavendlsk's e. by Godolphin - •
Sir. Grille's Vortigern s ,
Mr M. Wood's Nessus
The share only came to the field out of the fourteen entered for
tr. It-had been expected that when Patron was drawn. the
field would have been larger, as it would then have bad a better
chance. Those who paid were the following :--Lord Sefton's
Morris Dancer, by Morino • Duke of Rutland's brothel to
Mow Lord Grosvenor's Ebury, by Muter Henry ; Lord
Jersey's Will-o'.tb' Wisp, by Phantom ; Mr. Houldsworth's
b. f. by Orville; Sir. Penis's ch. c. Post Obit, by Woful ;
Champion's b. f. by Eno da Pans, and b. f. by Duplicate • DAe
of Grafton's b. c. Darman t Lord Exeter's Patron, and Gold*.
The betting was far front being brisk, u tbe Elm:gm& colt was
considered safe, his opponents being of a very inferior kind—the
odds were I to I on the winner, 4 to 1 apt Vortigern, and a to 1
eget lfessus,which made the running to the Duke's Stand, followed
by Verniers ; he then gave up to the EepagnoUe colt, which ran
abreast of Vonigern for a short distance, and then beat him off ;
winning cleverly by a length—rode by Arnull, Vortigun by Ro-
binson, and Nessus by Doekeray. The race was indifferent, but
much better than any one expected.
Sweepstakes of 100 sou. h. ft. colts, est. 71b. and fillies, est.
41b. A.P.
Lord Exeter's Green Mantle received-5 paid forfeit.

The October Underley Stakes of 100 sou. each, b. ft. colts, Bd.
71b. fillies, Sat. 41b.
Lord Exeter's 1. Acacia
Mr. Hunter's c. by Gustavus
Mr. Thorabill's b. f. Worry
Mr. Nowell's 1. by Orville, and Mr. Nowell's c. by Walton,
paid.—Won easy.
At one o'clock this afternoon the entries for the King's and
Town Plates, Ie be run to-morrow, closed u follow :

:no anso's ?car'.
D. of Rutland's Cadland I Colonel Wilson's Lamplighter
Mr. ThornbUl's Mariner
11111 TOWN PLATS.
Mr. Batson's Seraph I Lord Orford's Chiron
Mr. Pettit's f. by Tramp

VII

The question came before the Club this morning. when the
Stakes were awarded to Mr. Day. the owner of Liston. The
question as to the bets is not yet decided.
When our account left the Race Course yesterday afternoon the
following match was undecided. •