Star.
London, England, 1827-02-23 00:00:00

a duty of Ss. a quartet upon foreign corn, the home agriculturist i
could sot live.
Mr. G. LAMB supported the Petitions.
Mr. ROBERT SMITH moved for an amount of the number
of Hemmers granted to sell thread lace in tlwi costae of the last year,
with the profit which they produced to the Exchequer.
Colonel TOR RENS presented two Petitions from the Apti.
Bread Tax Associations, in Glocastershire, Nos. 311, and 34, pray-
ing for the repeal of the existing Corn Laws.
After a few words from Mr. Werreen, Lord Mismor, Mr.-
Caw , and Mr. Primes, the Petitions were laid on the table.
Mr. JOHN WOODpresented a Petition from 4.1109 merchants,
watavers, and shopkeepers. of Preston, fur a raped of the Cern
Laws, and a reform in Parliament.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM postponed until Wednesday nett the
presentation of two Petitions respecting the introduction of the
military during the late election for Carlisle. •
On the motion of Sir ROBJCIT Wixom, an account was ordered
to be laid before the House of the different fees required to be paid
for starching the registers within the Bills of Mortality, and of- the
authority by which they were demirsded.
Mr. CURTEIS presented three Petitions from parts of the
county of Kent, for the protection of the Landed Interest.
Mr. RUSSELL presented a similar Petition from Kinsale.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL gave notice, that on Monday
next he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to alter the laws
respecting Promissory Notes.
On. the motion of Mr. Seems Rica. accounts were ordered of the
number of troops, artillery, cavalry, militia, &c. maintained in Ire-
land in the years 1787, 1738, 1789, and 1797, 1798, and 1799 re-
spectively; as well as the expense of sending troops from England
to Ireland at the same periods.
Lord FRANCIS OSBORNE presented a Petition front Wis-
beach, in Cambridgeskire, for the protection of the Landed Interest.
hlr. LEYCESTER presented three Petitions to the same effect;
from places in Yorkshire.
Mr. HUME moved for copies of all claims made by the Duke
of Athol, and the proceedings taken to adjust the same, Mime his
Grace had received 1.40,000 L from the
Mr. HRIIRIES said, that the'papers alluded to could, he bad
no doubt, be produced, but the motion was improperly frueseCtor
there were no claims of the Duke of Athol reeding., The offer
alluded to was instituted not by his Grace, het by the piabllo, for
Ids interest in certain rights In the Lallauf dam ..
Mr. HUME withdrew the motion:oe the purpose al oseteet•
iog it.
A Petition was presentid from So George's Parlatattbi.leirlilo
favour of Emigration. Referied to the Ernigretries
A Petition was also presented from the Catholic lobabitaats et
the Parish of Kik:mine, in the county of Mayo, praying he Catho-
lic Emancipation.
Mr. WESTERN moved for various returns relating to the
amount of freightage of foreign shipping, and also for several items
of foreign corn.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the
information which the Honourable Gentleman sought for, although
desirable to be obtained, was not so easily commanded. He was
to aware of the ezister ee of any ollacial details by means of which
those returns could be furnished.

CONSOLIDATION Of CRIMINAL LAWS. •
Mr. Secretary PEEL, pursuant to the motion of whish
he had given notice, rose to move for leave to bring la a
Bill for consolidating the statutes of larceny, burglary,
and robbery. His Bill would have four chapters ; the
object of the first was, the consolidating and simplifying
the laws of thelt ; that of the second, the consolidating
the laws relating to another class of offences against
personal proper; those of lesser burglaries; that of
the third, those of the provisions of the taw of rob-
bery ; and that of the fourth, the repealing all the
statutes regulating those laws, so as to give the other
three a free and unembarrassed operation. He le-

on a former occasion, entered so fully into the merits,
and principles of the measures he bad been, since'
his entry into office, engaged in, that he felt it an-1
necessary to trouble the House, though many of its
Members were new Members of a new Parliament.
The main principle of consolidating the policy of those
laws was, that it was consistent with the dictates of
common sense, and with the rules of justice, that the
laws by which the'conduct of the members of society
was regulated should be intelligible to all, that its pro.
visions should be known to all, from its spirit being
couched in precise, definite, and unambiguous language
--(Hear.)--He expected, therefore, the House would
support him with the same cordiality as its predecessor
—the rather, as he was far from acting with rashness or
immaturity of-judgment, had introduced no important
alterations in the spirit of ihe laws, and had retained all
those forms and language of expression which usage bad
invariably adhered to, and which authority had sanc-
tioned. In his fit st statute he intended to dispense with se-
veral clauses, which were framed under circumstances of
society quite different from those we live in, and adapt
them to the improved manners and institutions of the age.
As the laws stand at present, there exists a distinction be-
tween grand and petty larceny,for which he saw no cause,
either in reason or what is called practice, and which
he therefore meant to abolish. It a criminal stole to'
the value of Is. he was indicted for simple larceny;
if for more than Is. for grand larceny, and punished
accordingly. Among other inconveniences copse-
quent upon this distinction was, that the latter crime
could only be tried is certain County Courts; so that
if a man stole 2.. worth of property, he could not be'
tried by the Court which might punish him for a Is.
theft, but must be sent to the County town at a great
expense and delay to the ends of justice. The conse-
quence was, that to evade the inconveniences of the
law, thefts were often valued at Is. and only punished
as such. He would abolish these distinctions, and the
inconveniences consequent upon them ; and this with
the less hesitation, as the maximum of punishment for II
either grand or petty larceny was seven fears trans-
portation; and he begged leave to say, that he at no
time •in his Bills increase!! the penalties for crimes.—
Whenever he interfered, or would interfere with punish-
ment, it was merely to mitigate it—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Another distinction between grand and petty' larceny,
which he (Mr. Peel) meant also to abolish was, that a
second committal c f the former offence constituted le.
lony without benefit of Clergy. He intended to wipe
off that class of penalties from the Statute Book. It
was absurd to retain the term clergy able offence (a term
that could not be translated into any other language—
s() bad test of its folly) in our criminal code at all, now
that the prioelegiuns ckrici, and the rights of the
tonsure, and other such absurdities, no longer ex-
ked but in the records of antiquaries—(Hear, !tear,
hear.)—The principle of these was so absurd and so
irrational, that it had only to be known to be repro.]
bated. It was, in a word, that the more educated and'
enlightened you were, the less you wet e responsible for
moral transgressions—(Hear, hear).—lnstead then of
having the penalty of one conviction of grand larceny
a clergyable offence, he would punish it with transpor-
tation for life—a mitigation of the penalty; Another
alteration he meant to introluce was to raise the sum
(at present 405.) the stealing of the value of which, con-
stitutes the distinction between capital burglary and
that species of robbery which was nut liable to capital
convictions; this alteration therefore would le.►eu ma-
tesially the number of capital convictions. He claimed
credit to himself for havii g more mitigated the severity,
and done more to improve the administration of the Cri-
minal Laws, than any r ne in or out of office that ever sa:
in Parliament—(Hear).— Still he acted cautiously and
gradually, convinced that as crime was on the increase,
and as terror seemed to be its most efficient check, that
it was mpetatite to act with the most gradual caution,

in mitigating the penalties of offences. He had also
an example to the House, in presenting them with Acts .
of Parliament which- all might read and understand.
All he bad hitherto read was so lull of repetitions, of
plurals and singulars, kc. thaehe never could unravel
the puzzlintparaphrases—(Heu, hearorad laughter).
The Right Ron. nentletnan• announced his intention to
have a Commission i istituted for the purpose of aster-
mining the tees and emoluments of the subordinate
Officers engaged in the administration of justite, simi-
lar in its scope and end to that which so ably pro.
mated the ends of justice by its successful efforts to
ascertain the fees and emoluments of the Judges and
higher Officers. The subordinate Officers, to which be
principally alluded, were the Sub Sheriff' and Coroner,
(who complained much of being ill paid,and yet contested
their appointments with great expense and obstinacy,)
the Clerk of Assize, the Clerk of the Peace, and the
Clerks of Magistrates. He could recite instances where
the fees of all these persons materially interfered with the
ends of justice, and therefore should be estimated to be
otherwise regulated. The Right Hon. Gentleman
stn ed, that the expense of his Bills to amend the
Jury Laws, and she Liters of Felony, which permitted
to take bail in certain cases, did not exceed 10001.
—(Hear,)hear)--and that though.;it had.been objected
to them thy it would be necessary to remodel them,
to amend and alter them, he found they worked so svell,
that he never had the least occasion to introduce
the least alteration into their present form. It had been'
besides objected to them that they increased the county
rates ; and kt had been thrown in his teeth, that the at-
tempt to diikover the Fetcham murderers cost the
County of Suiedy 6001: 'This expense had nothing to
say to any Bill of his whatever, and was not undertaken
at his advice, or from his knowledge. A statement had
been drawn op in whicis the increase of the county
hies, consequent upon his Bills was estimated (he ad-
mitted as far as the items west correctly) at 2,3431. for
this yeir's Sessions at Clerkenwwll; and the Old Bailey,
while that of last year amounted to bar 1,2974 Now
the fart was, that the number of felonious cases tried
this year amounted to 524 while only 406 were tried
at the same period last year; and all that his Bill ap-
plied to was misdemeanours, of which 45 were tried a: an
expense of 1491. ; this chiefly, because the witnesses were
poor persons who required to be recompensed for their
time and trouble; and he asked, ought not the poor man
to receive justice cheaply ?—(Hear.) This reminded him
of another improvement, namely, that of detaining cri-
missals,' who had undergone the incarceration adjudged
to them by the law, from inability to pay prison fees.
This was a monstrous anomaly in a code of justice, and
should be abolished. The Right Hon. Gentleman ex-
,pressed his acknowledgments of the most able assist-
ance from the Judges and Law Officers of the Crowp,
and with appealing to a Noble Lord (Althorp) cob-
versant with the details, as to the vast labour which the
mere preparation of a Bill required. He might acquire
a more splendid reput*ion by identifying his name with
a new Code altogether ; but he thought he better .stag
his country, and promoted the ends of justice, by VW
running counter to ancient ue and prejudices, MI
contented himself with the moderate reputation allay.
ing done his endeavour to consolidate, improve, and
umplify its Criminal Code—(Loud cheering.)
Lord ALTHORP expressed his satisfaction that the
Right Hon. Gentleman bad thus far surmounted the
difficulties of his undertaking, tie arduous nature of
which his own experience had enabled him fully to
appreciate ; and he rejoiced still mere in the determina-
tion he had expressed to persevere in his beneficial
course. The expenses awarded to prosecutors and wit-
nesses at Quarter Sessions were much less than those
awarded at Assizes, and the reason was plain enough,
for at Quarter Sessions they were awarded by the payers
of the county rates, and at the Assizes by other per-
sons. These expenses ought he thought to be made a
general charge upon the country. He thought it right
to mention one circumstance connected with the Act now
in force, for the punishment of malicious injuries to
property. This act was frequently applied to purposes
for which it bad never been intended. He could in-
stance the case of poaching; which it had been attempt-
ed to check by means of it. He gave the Right Hon.
Gentleman the highest credit for his persevering and
judicious efforts.
Sir EDWARD EAST begged to offer his humble
tribute of thanks to the Right Hon. Gentleman. He
had acted for 24 years as a Magistrate in a very popu-
lar county, and from the experience he had had of the
effects arising from the present state of the law, he had
no doubt that the measure proposed by the Right Hon.
Gentleman would confer a lasting benefit on the
country.
' Mr. HOBHOUSE never rose with greater pleasure
than he now did, to offer his humble testimony to the
outwits and services of the Right Hon. Gentleman.--
There was only one passage of his able speech with
which he did not concur. The Right Hon. Gentleman
bad said that he might have shed greater lustre upon
his name by the formation of a code ; but he (Mr. H.)
giould say, that it was impossible for any name to be
awe splendid than that which the Right Hon. Gentle.
man was about to secure for himself in the history of
his country. Other eminent men had bad the will to
effect these important alterations, but the Right Hon.
Gentleman had bosh the will and the power. If the
distinguished Lawyer, who once filled the seat be now'
so unworthily occupied, could have seen a Secretary of
State acting as be had done, how gladly would he
have resigned to him the benevolent labours he bad
so zealously and nobly, though so unsuccessfully,
pursued? No doubt there were difficulties in the way
of the Right Hon. Gentleman; but if he persevered
in the wise, temperate, and vigorous course he had
begun, he might be confident of the successful convic-
tion of his undertaking. It was sometimes his task to
complain of the conduct of Ministers, and he gladly,
therefore, embraced the opportunity of offering a Et ibute
of unqualified praise. He did not now express merely
the sentiments of an individual, for at the annual meet-
ings when the Representatives for Westminster were'
brought into immediate communication with their con-
stituents, the name of the Right Hon. Secretary was
constantly mentioned as one of the greatest benefactors
of his country. He hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman
would not be deterred by difficulties. He anticipated
confidently for him a more splendid fame than his
Modesty permitted him to look forward to. He had
laid the secure foundation for becoming a great man by
being already a good one.—( Hear, hear I)
Mr. SYKES recommended that single Magistrates
should be eprivtd of the power t.f commitment, and
that con ty rates houkt be spared as much as possible
in any iew regulations that might be adopted. Toe
county rates amountscho a larger sum uow than the
poor rates did thii teen years ago. •
CRIPI'S warmly applauded the otioctr of tic