The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-19 00:00:00

HOUSE. OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY.

Mr. COCHRANE moved for copies of any correspon-
dence with Sir E. Lyons, or with France and Russia, on
the late events in Greece. He adverted to the favourable
reception which bad been given to the constitution pro-
posed there ; and, after an encomium on the character
and ability of Sir E. Lyons, he inquired what course the
government intended to take respecting the loan, and re-
specting that article of the constitution which required
that the successor to the throne should be a member of
the Greek church, and which he regarded as inconsistent
with the treaty of 1832. He considered himself open to
no imputation of inconsistency for vindicating at once
legitimacy and constitutional, government. and expressed
his warm sympathy with the rising fortunes of Greece.
Sir. R. PEEL answered, that be purposed substantially
to comply with this motion, reserving a large discretion
as to certain passages .vhich it might not be proper at
present to publish. The general object had been to en-
courage the constitutional settlement of a limited monar-

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chy ; but it would not be expedient to produce details at
this moment; and it was clear that any attempt to coerce
the deliberations of the authorities in Greece would en-
danger the permanence of the constitution which they
might adopt. On the subject of the loan, he begged to
excuse himself for the present from any statement upon
that subject, considering the peculiar circumstances
through which Greece was now passing.
LORD PALMERSTON considered Sir R. Peel's statement
to be on the whole a satisfactory one. He stated his ge-
neral opinion that all 'countries were 'fit for free constitu-
tions ; and that the very best way to fit any people for
them, was to give them to that people. He agreed that
England and France were bound to exercise great
forbearance with respect to details in Greece, though
he thought those Powers well justified in requiring that
Greece should adopt a free constitution. He wished for
some modification of that article of the Constitution
which relates to the question of religious creed as a con-
dition of the succession to the Crown of Greece, and
eulogised Sir E. Lyons as a soldier and as a diplomatist.
SIR R. PEEL concurred in this pane. yric.
SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS and SIR R. INGLIS said each
a few words; and MR. COCHRANE shortly replied.
MR. M. MILVES called the attention of the house to
the present state of criminal jurisdiction over British sub-
jects within the dominions of PORTE. The term British
subjects included not only Englishmen, but Mattes and
lonians. All these we had withdrawn by treaty from the
criminal jurisdiction of the PORTE, and yet we had pro-
vided no tribunal or authority of our own in substitution.
He moved an address to the Crown for the Establishment
of some judicature for the protection of life and property
in those countries.
Sir ROBERT PEEL admitted the state of the law to be
unsatisfactory, but insisted upon the difficulty of intrust-
ing a consul with a jurisdiction of life and death. Inqui-
ries had been addressed to Sir Stratford Canning, and
when his reply arrived no time would be lost in devising
some remedy. In consequence of this statement Mr.
Milnes withdrew his motion.
Mr. TURNER moved a resolution in condemnation of
duelling. He treated the subject at vast length, on moral
grounds; and then recommended that capital punishment
for killing in a duel should be abolished, except where the
parties fought without seconds ; and that a man killing
another in a duel should be liable for the debts of the de-
ceased. He read several passages from eminent authors
condemning the practice, and many extracts from letters
addressed to himself by various correspondents, suggest-
ing various remedies.
Sir It. PEEL objected to deal with offences by way of
resolution. To pass a resolution which could not be en-
forced would be but to lower the character of the house.
He objected to Mr. Turner's idea of recognising seconds,
as affording an indirect sanction to the practice; and he
ridiculed the notion of the survivor's paying the debts of
the deceased. He doubted the possibility of establishing
a court of honour with good effect; he would rather, in
the present state of society, trust to the operation of indi-
vidual good feeling to make reparation by a fitting apo-
logy. Nor did he think that the abolition of capital pu-
nishment would produce much effect; fur it was not the
greater or less probability of a conviction that operated to
prevent duelling. There was now a flow of public opinion
against it; an association comprehending great numbers
of brave officers, naval and military, had been formed to
discountenance it; and he would not willingly run the
risk of checking this wholesome sentiment.
After one or two other members had spoken, Mr.
Turner consented to withdraw his motion.