The Express. — 1860-10-30 (London, England)

THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL.  The Solicitor-General (Sir W. Atherton) attended a meeting of hia constituents at Durham, on Thuncisy, and reviewed the legislation of the smaioa.  He expressed approval of the bills for preventing adulteration, for opening endowed schools to diameters, and for the meosgemeot of endowed charities. Sir W. Atherton next explained, by reference to dates and fat* how the bills for the reform of the bankmptcy laws and for the consolidation of the statutes bad failed. He then referred to other law bills that had Famed—the bill' for reform of the Court of Chancery, for reform of the Divorce Court, and for reform of the Ecclesiastical Court. The French Treaty had been sanctioned and the national defences improved. New laws for the government of the navy and for the amalgamation of the Indian armies had also been passed. The SolicitorCeneral next referred to the bill regulating the admission of Jewish members of the House of Commons by standing order, and not by resolution in each case; the Comma Bill, a bill reforming the Ecclesiastical COMM/1h Mon, the Mines Inspection Bill, the bill for repressing party processions in Ireland. Besides these bills, in themselves proofs that • ent had not been very idle, Sir W. Atherton of the sobjec disowned, church-rates, the Maraooth grant, the he.llot, whirls he advocated, and the paper duty. On this last point he said:—The House of Lords had the power to refuse its meet to any and every measure coming from the House of Commons ; the Sore. reign could refuse went to any and every measure coming from the Lords and Commons ; but if they were to do so. though acting in accordance with the letter of the law, there would be such • departure from its spirit es to throw the state into a condition of anarchyr and revolution. ("Hear," and applause.) However, theLordlhad frustreted. by their unconstitutional rejection of the bill for the abolition of the paper duty, • part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget which had been looked forward to with great interest. He believed there was no reason to apprehend • repetition of such • ooune--suicidel as it must he— on the part of the House of Lot& (Hear, bear.) Now, a word about the Reform Bill. In his opinion that bill was a good bill, and if adopted by parliament, it probably—at all events for some time to come—would have given satidection to the country. But how had it turned out? The bill failed to pass the House of Commons, and he would explain how that occurred. The opposition—that waste my the supporters of the late government—had committed themselves to the principles of parliamentary reform ; and it would have been too bed—a thing that they could hardly well do with regard to their owu parliamentary reputation, their standing before the country.—to oppose the introduction of such • bill The second reading was consequently allowed to pin without opposition ; but, upon the motion of(Going into committee, certain tactics of delay were to, 1 which made it perfectly hopeless to carry the measure. Sir W. Atherton next briefly referred to the Chinese war, end then to the Italian question, sad said Ler Majesty's gocerement had scrupulously adhered to the determination expressed in the Queen's Speech, at the opening of parliament, not to interfere with other countries respecting the form of government which they might cheroot* select. The people of this country had theirsympathies, awl he believed the vest majority of them were in favour of Italian i tion. (Loud applastee.) A vote st thanks to the SolicitorGeneral was thee moved, and carried unanimously.  MR.