The Sun. — 1828-03-29 (London, England)

SUBJECTS FOR DISSECTION.  The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved that part of the clause empowering the Judge to order the dissection of the body of a murderer be left out, leaving to the Judge only the discretion of having the criminal hung in chains. The Noble Marquis stated that, from his communication with the medical profession; he understood that they would rather be without the limited assistance which the present law afforded, than allow a stigma to he attached to the dissktion of the human body. It was desirable on every principle to encourage, as an act of public good, whatever might lead to a greater supply of subjects for the anatomist, and if the stigma attached by the people to the dissection of the human subject were removed, a more ample supply would be obtained.  The Earl of ROSEBERRY, having been one of a commission to inquire into the Edinburgh University, wished to make a few remarks on the subject. He could assure their Lordships that many medical students were obliged to leave this country and fly to the Continent for the purpose of pursuing their education. $o long as the infamy of dissection continued to he a part of the punishment for the worst offences, so long would one great operative cause prevent the supply of a sufficient number of bodies for dissection to ,erve the purposes of science. Lord TENTERDBN, though assenting to tho amendment of the Noble Marquis, wished the House to consider what might be the effect of it on the country. Another point worthy of their Lordships' consideration was the feeling of respect paid by the people to the bodies of their deceased relations,—a feeling, he thought, which ought to be encouraged.  The amendment was then agreed to. Lord TENTERDEN proposed an amendment in the clause relative to the concealment of the birth of illegitimate children. There bad, he observed, been cases where some difficulty bad arisen in proving the alleged illegitimacy...— He proposed, therefore, that the clause should be made applicable generally to all cases of concealment of birth.— The Noble Lord proposed another amendment in the same clause—viz. that the party should be put upon her trial, either upon the coroner's inquest or the indictment, in the discretion of the Judge. The above amendments were agreed to; and, after a  veriety of verbal amendments had been nial.‘, the Bill was ordered to be reprinted. The House then went into a Committee upon the Bill for amending the law of evidence. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE observed, that since he had introduced this Bill, he had received a variety of communications from members of that respectable and excellent body of persons to whom one clause of the Bill particularly referred. They wished it to be understood that the proposed enactment bad not been sought for by the general body of Quakers ; and be (the Marquis of Lansdowne) believed be had so stated to their Lordships when he moved the second reading of the Bill. It was not proposed as a boon to the Quakers, but as an act of justice to them, and for the benefit of the community at large. At the same time he thought it due to the general body of Quakers to state, that although their peculiar tenets made them averse in ninny instances to give evidence in criminal cases, yet they had not objected to the produced alteration in the law, which would henceforth render it imperative on them to give their evidence upon their affirmation in criminal as well as civil cases. There was but one amendment in the clause of the Bill now under the consideration of their Lordships, which he (the Marquis of Lansdowne) wished to propose : and the object of that amendment was to extend the evidence of Moravians to criminal as well as civil cases, so as to put them on an equality with the Quakers in this respect. The amendment was then put and agreed to, as was also one which had reference to the other clause of the viz. that enabling a party whose hand-writing had been forged, to give evidence on the trial of an indictment for forgery, notwithstanding any interest he might have in the document forged. The amendment excepted the case of a party convicted of perjury. A few verbal amendments were made, and the Bill was ordered to lie reprinted. Both Bills were ordered to be recommitted on Wednesday next.—Adjourned to Monday.