Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 28th April 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 388

Page 388
Page 4
4 of 24

On this page

  • Text (1)

      Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      had been a reformer in this respect ; and that it is now high time to set our great educational iustitutions free . —The motion was seconded by Sir Erskine Perrt . Lord Palmerston said he agreed with Mr . Heywood in the propriety of sweeping away those obsolete provisions which require religious tests for schoolmasters and tutors in private families ; but , with respect to that part of the proposed measure which wou ld disturb the settlement made last year in connexion with the University of Oxford , he thought Parliament should not interfere until some

      practical experience has been had of the working of the Oxford Bill . He would not oppose the resolution , but must reserve to the Government full liberty to object to any part of the proposed arrangement .- — Mr . Gladstone : urged similar views , and recommended Mr . Hey wood to limit his motion to that part which affects schoolmasters and tutors . — A rapid and rather desultory discussion ensued , the result of which was that Mr . Hey wood withdrew his original motion , and then requested to move the first part of the resolution as a substantive motion ; but the Speaker decided that he could not make another motion without the full consent of the

      House . THE CHABITT COMMISSION " . Mr . Pelt-att moved along series of returns , under no fewer than twenty-two heads , relating to appointments , informations , cases , memorials , briefs , reports , &c , connected with' the Charity Commission . His object in moving for these returns" was not to attack individuals ; but he was anxious to have some explanation on the subject , because he believed that the expenditure on behalf of the Charity Commission is far higher than it ought to be , considering the amount of business transacted . He admitted that considerable benefit had accrued to the country from the labours of the Commission , and it appeared to him that some of the appointments he referred to ought to be made by the Commission rather than

      the Attorney-General , or any other person , and that they ought not to be of t hat incongruous nature , that an individual should have the power , in one capacity , of advising the Commission to take measures which would bring him profit in another capacity , nor should one officer be placed in the peculiarly inconvenient positipnof acting at the same time both for plaintiff and defendant . — Mr . HAdfield seconded the motion . —The Attorney-General said this was a most extraordinary motion , and the mover he described as " the mouthpiece of a discontented solicitor . " The greater part of the returns had already been laid on the table of the House , and he thought the form in which they were now required conveyed undeserved insinuations against persons of high respectability . —The motion was withdrawn .

      LANCASTER SHOT MANUFACTORY . Mr . Monsell , in answer to Captain L . Vernon , said that Colonel Foster , of the Royal Engineers , Woolwich , and Major-General Hardinge , B . E ., had stated that the building erected -by-Messrs .-Fox and Henderson at "Woolwich for the manufacture of the Lancaster shot was not safe ; but that the contractors had guaranteed that the building should stand for six months , which was all that was considered necessary

      ARMY COMMISSIONS . Ueplying to a question from Major Reed , Lord Pai . merston said he believed it was quite true that occasionally sums larger than the regulation price were given by officers for commissions . But it was contrary to the orders of the Conimander-in-Chief , ancl # K > officer was ever passed over who was willing to give the regulation price . These practices , therefore , were entirely without the sanction of any department of the service .

      POSTAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE HEBRIDES . Mr . IT . Baillie called attention to the system under which the Post-office is administered , and moved that the orders given by the Treasury to the Postmaster-General in the year 1848 , to establish a Post-ollieo communication at the expense of his department between the islands of North and South Uist , Hurris , and Barra , be carried into effect without delny . The inhabitants of all the Hebrides , until the year 1848 , were compelled to maintain the packets wnich conveyed the letters from the main

      land ; but in that year the pressure of the famine was so groat that the people refused to pay for the packets , which consequently ceased to ply , and all postal communication was cut off . From that time , the Government undertook to maintain the communication ns far as the island of North Uist ; but they never carried it further . The cost of maintaining the boats to the remoter islands is about 80 / . a-year—a heavy charge for the poor inhabitants . —At this point , the House was countod out , only thirty-eight mombors boing present . . MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT BILL . On tho order for the second roading of this bill , on Wednesday , Mr . Walpolb moved to defer it for qix . months . He opposed tho measure upon tho grounds frequently stated before—viz ., that it was contrary to true religion and morality , and that it

      would introduce great confusion into social arrangements . Marriages with a deceased wife ' s _ sister were , he knew , contracted in this country ; but it would be a complete innovation to legalise them . The people of Scotland and Ireland dislike these marriages ; in England , a great majority think them wrong ; and 11 , 000 English women have petitioned against a change in the law . Mr . Walpole , therefore , implored the House to reject a measure which would sacrifice the interests of the many to the wishes of the few . —The Attorney-General defended the bill , reiterating the arguments he had advanced on the first reading . He should vote for the repeal of the present law , since he conceived it was mischievous , uncalled-for , and tyrannical . —The bill was supported by Mr . Collier , Mr . Monckton Milnes , and Mr . T . Chambers ; " and was opposed by Mr . Wigram , Mr . Napier , Mr . Seymer , and Mr . Whiteside . The arguments used on both sides were precisely the same as those previously employed . As regarded the religious aspect of the question , it was contended on the one hand that the proposed marriages are contrary to Divine law as set forth in the 18 th Chapter of Leviticus ; and on the other that the Levitical law was made for a people who practised polygamy , and that the prohibition applied merely to the time when the wife was living . —Subsequently , the debate was adjourned to the 9 th of May . PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS BILL . This bill was recommitted pro forma ; some amendments were introduced , and the further consideration was appointed for next Monday . CHURCH BATES . Sir William Clay brought in his bill for the abolition of Church rates , which was read a first time . THE ALDERSHOTT CAMP . Lord Palmerston , on Tuesday , in answer to Colonel Boldero , said that arrangements had been made at Aldershott for the erection of huts for 10 , 000 men . The greater part of these were already pre - pared , and the rest would be soon ready . It was the intention of the Government to have twenty regiments of militia there , a few regiments of the line , three battalions of field artillery , and two or three troops of cavalry . It was not intended to have any yeomanry there , for reasons that must be obvious to every one . The yeomanry regiments were only called out for eight days , and unless that happened to be in the vicinity of the encampment , the greater part of the time which was required for training these regiments would be spent in marching to and from the camp . It was considered advisable not to draw these valuable corps far from their homes . CAVALRY . Mr . Frederick Peel , in answer to Mr . Noel , said the cdvalry force , both in men and horses , was double what it was this time last year , and with the view of giving effect to that increase arrangements had been made for raising the cavalry regiments for service 120 men and 300 horses each . The cavalry force irrthe Crimea had ^ been increased by bringing two regiments from India , vid Egypt * and , in addition , to that , 550 men , and double that number of horses , were on their passage from this country to the Crimea . Besides that , 1100 men , and double that number of horses , were under orders to proceed there . One of the vessels taken up for the conveyance of the cavalry was the Arabia , a steam-vesselthe others were sailing vessels . It was also the intention to form a reserve of 150 men and horses for each regiment at Scutari . REFORM IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT . . Lord Palmerston , replying to a question from Mr . Miles , said that the details of the contemplated reforms in the War Department were under the consideration of Lord Panmure , and would be submitted to the House at the earliest possible time . THE CRIMEAN TELEGRAPH . A question from Mr . Layard elicited from Lord Palmerston and Sir Charles Wood the facts , that the telegraph was now open from Balaklava to London ; that tho First Lord of the Admiralty had received on Wednesday a despatch from Sir Edmund Lyons , which merely announced the opening of the telegraph ; that the portion of tho line from Varna to Kaliacra was not yet complete ; but that wo could have intelligence from Balaklava in the course of four-and-twenty hours . A similnr statement was made in tho Lords . TIIE BUDGET . Several bills , involving tho propositions comprised in the recent financial statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer , were successively brought forward for second reading . These bills respectively sanctioned the raising of the 16 , 000 , 0001 . loan ; tho one per cent , increase to tho income tax ; the enhancement in tho Customs duties on sugar and tea ; and tho addition to the Exoiso duties on Scotch and Irish spirits . ¦ Somo miscellaneous comments were offered upon the details of each bill as it was presented : but ultimately tho whole wore read a second time without serious opposition . The chief objection was that wo were reversing our lato Free-trade policy by

      substituting indirect for direct taxation . —Mr . L . was of opinion that it would have been wise make a large addition to the income-tax , or , bi still , to extend the loan to eighteen or twenty mill - —On the other side , Mr , GLADSTONEstrongly ol > jc to the principle of loans , and feared the House i continue to revert to protective duties , though for protective purposes ; and Mr . Laboucherk tended that , when there is a necessity for a ] addition to taxation , some part of it should be b by indirect imposts .

      TESTAMENTARY JURISDICTION BILL . Mr . Malins , on the order for the second rea of this bill , moved that it be read a second time day six months . He said that , had the proposi been to reform the Courts of Probate , and n them temporal courts , the bill should have hearty support ; but the design was to abolish t ] He desired to know on what principle the busi of the testamentary courts was to be transfern the Court of Chancery . The Solicitor-General given as a reason that the probate and the consl tion of a will are so intimately connected , that should be placed under the jurisdiction of the i court . Mr . Malins , however , was of opinion

      there is a great distinction between the two thi and that it would be practically very inconver for one court to take cognisance of both . Chancery Commissioners , in their report of l had stated their belief that testamentary busi ought not to be transferred to the Court of Chant or to a separate court connected with it . bankers and merchants of London , also , are agj this change , which would cost a large sum in ( pensations , and which would abolish a body of p titioners who work well and cheaply . Mr . ill added that he did not desire to throw out the but merely to induce the Solicitor-General to me that part of it whicli transfers the business of Probate Courts to the Court of Chancery .

      Sir Frederick Thesiger advocated sin opinions ; and asserted that the present systen proving wills in common form gives great secui and that suitors derive immense advantages froi Court and a bar specially trained for this branc thelawv Referring to the fact that these TJourts often before been threatened , without receiving injury , he proceeded to read portions of a humo document , called " The last Will and Testamei Doctors ' Commons , " which he alleged to have 1 written as far back as 1611 . The"document , he ran as follows : —

      "' I , DoctorsCommons , of the parish of Saint I diet , Paul ' s Ward , London , being very aged , and fin by general computation , that my time draws to an and being much shaken , both in mind and body , w Westminster ague , yet being' now of a perfect mint memory , to avoid all suits and controversies that ' after may arise concerning my estate , or any pa : parcel of it , and to the intent and purpose that my tentious deeds may be consummated and ended in p do institute thus : For my personal estate , ha never been possessed of any landSj- I-willingly bequ my reverend judges , vicars general , chancellors , com sioners . archdeacons , deans of chapters , and their si

      gates , and also my doctors , advocates , and proctor .-the High Court of Parliament , there to be cheri according to their merits and deserts . Item , I beqn all my registrars , deputy-registrars , examiners , public notaries , to the Court of Common Picas at AN minster , to be admitted as attorneys . He ( Sit Thesiger ) need not go on tx > read the other bequest Doctors' Commons , such as that of all his ' libe defamation' to tho Penitentiary ; and all his ' decree the Court of Chancery ; and all the rest of his ' writi records , manuscript , and superfluous paper whatc to cooks , bakers , grocers , and chandlers . ' (^ 1 /"' The House would observo that that ancient d

      mont was the only true model on which the Sohc General must have framed tho present bill . But in * i of that menace , and in spito of every reproach , the t < montary jurisdiction of Doctors' Commons had contii to flourish , and to boar a good name and reputation i tho present day . " Sir Frederick concluded by asking the I If whether they would disregard the opinion of Chancery Commissioners , and adopt tho rush vxp nient of the Solicitor-General . Mr . Whiteside fully admitted tho necessity some reform in these Courts ; but lie objected to present bill , and cautioned tho llouso against bi misled by ignorant clamour with respect to ec siastioal courts , and by misplnccd con / ldonco in despatch of tho Court of Chancery .

      Mr . HBADLA 3 I , although inclined to v oto for second reading , thought that tho system propc would bo more expensive than tho present , by quiring more offlcors , nnd that therefore tho i would suffer by it . The bill-required nmendmen Mr . CoLLiEn supported tho bill , which ho rcgar as introducing a very great iniprovoment upon existing system , though ho did not conceive t tho measure was perfect . Ho approved of it , iv ever , because it went upon tho principle of aboii ing ecclesiastical courts , which aro a mockery to

      Untitled Article

      3 THE IiEADEB . . [ Saturda y

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 28, 1855, page 388, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2088/page/4/