The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-TUESDAY, APRIL 4,

The Earl of Bective took the oaths and his seat for
Westmoreland.

SPAIN AND AMERICA.—In answer to a question whether
the government have authorised Mr. Crampton, our mi-
nister at Washington, to act in behalf of the Spanish go-
vernment in the affair of the seizure of the Black Warrior
by the Cuban authorities, Lord J. RussiLL said that, al-
though the government had sent out no special authority
to Mr. Crampton on the subject, Mr. Crampton had insti-
tuted proceedings for effecting an amicable settlement of
the matter in question, and a despatch had been received
on the subject, which he had not yet had an opportunity
of perusing.
THE HAY FRAUD.—In reply to a question, Mr. Os-
BORNE said that, on looking into the report which had
been sent in on the subject of the hay contracts lately ex-
ecuted with the government for the army, it had been
found that there was no ground for charging Messrs.
Sturgeon with any deliberate fraud, and that the truss of
hay in which the dead lamb had been packed had not been
sent in by Messrs. Sturgeon at all.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.—Mr. FAGAN moved for leave to
bring in a bill to make provision for the better govern-
ment of the University of Dublin ; for the establishment
of a second college therein, with co-ordinate authority and
equivalent income with Trinity College, to be called " The
Queen's College ;" and for the extension to students of all
religious denominations of the honours, degrees, emolu-
ments, and offices, in the said Queen's College. After an
animated discussion, the motion was negatived without
a division.
ACTIONS POE ADULTERY.—Mr. BOWYER moved for
leave to bring in a bill to amend the law regarding actions
for criminal conversation, and the protection of women in
such actions, in order to remove what he considered
a great blot on the jurisprudence of this country.
Our law treated adultery, not like that of every civilized
nation in Europe, as a criminal offence, but as a civil
wrong, for which a pecuniary compensation was awarded ;
and this distinction was itself presumptive evidence that
our law was wrong. He pointed out the abuses to which
our mode of treating the offence gave rise, and proposed that
in future no damages should be given in any action of this
nature, but, where a verdict was obtained by the plaintiff,
it should be lawful for the court to impose a fine upon the
defendant. If it should be proposed to substitute an in-
dictment, he would support that proposal. Further, at
present, the wife was no party to the suit, and was not
heard ; the question was between the husband and the
paramour, and was one of money, whereas to the woman
it was a question of utter ruin. He proposed, therefore,
that she should be placed in the situation of a defendant,
and entitled to appear by counsel.—Mr. FITZROY said he
did not oppose the introduction of the bill. The state of
the law was not satisfactory, and to make an offence of this
kind a question of damages was exceedingly revolting to
every honourable man. Leave was then given to bring in
the bill.

PLEAS OF GIIILTY.—Mr. AGLIONEY obtained leave to
bring in a bill to amend the law of criminal proceedings,
and to enable justices in petty sessions to take pleas of
"guilty" in cases of larceny.
TIIE Ancrw ExpEnntotr.:—Sir T. ACLAND moved for
copies of any instructions issued, or hereafter to be issued,
to the commanders of Her Majesty's ships now engaged in
the Arctisreoions in the search of Sir John Franklin's ex-
pedition. He expressed a hope that the instructions would
not convey a peremptory order to put a stop to the investi-
gation, but would leave a discretion if there was a reason-
able chance of a successful result. Motion agreed to.
SCOTCH EDUCATION.—The LORD-ADVOCATE postponed
the second reading of the Education (Scotland) Bill, until
the sth of May. The house adjourned at a few minutes
past one o'clock.