NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE House of Lords has been tolerably busy this week. A useful measure, the Registration of Assurances Bill, has been passed through all its stages ; leave has been given to Lord Redesdale to introduce a bill, much needed, to regulate the elections of Scotch Peers ; and Lord Truro has brought in a bill to establish a perma- nent Commission for the supervision of Charitable Trusts. The Chancellor's plan elicited expressions of approbation from Lords Brougham and Stanley, and deserved them. One great fault of Lord Cottenham's bill was that it constituted the Commission a special tribunal, or nest of tribunals, with jurisdiction in all cases of abuse in charitable trusts; Lord Truro's confines their functions to investigation. When a case of abuse is made out to their con- viction, they are to hand the matter over to the Law-officers of the Crown; and the legal proceedings are to be instituted, when the charities exceed a certain sum, in the Court of Chancery—when below it, the agency of the County Courts is to be employed. In- dependently' of its own merits, therefore, the bill is recom- mended by being so framed as to recognize and extend the usefulness- of the County Courts, and to take advantage of the increased strength proposed to be imparted to the Court of Chancery. It shows that the advancement of Law Reform has assumed a systematic shape in the Legislature. It is true, as Lord Stanley remarked, that the bill has been introduced at so late a period of the session that it is likely to be dropped in the Commons on the plea of pressure of other business; and it is also true that it ng* have been introduced on the first day of the sessim as easily as now, had the Chancellor done his duty. The - improved Chancery Reform measure might also have been intro- duced months ago, and in the House of Lords ; where, the indefa- tigable Lyndhurst reminded their Lordships this week, regard to
their privileges ought to have made it to originate. The activity of Ministerial Law Reformers is rather late in the day to warrant any sanguine anticipation of much fruit this year; but the Chan- cery Reform Bill, which has been licked into a respectable shape, and the Charitable Trusts Bill, tending as they do mutually to enhance each other's utility and extend the benefits of the• County Courts, should they unfortunately be allowed to fall through this session, can be resumed next year as soon as Parlia- ment meets.
In "the other place," the Chancery Reform and Jews Bills have each been advanced a Aage sub silentio. The dreary discussion on the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill has made such progress that there is now a prospect of its reaching the Lords this session. The St.
Albans Bribery Commission Bill has been read a third time. I The Protectionists appear to be struggling between a conviction that their honour required they should have another field-day be- fore the close of the session, and their sense that they have no available battle-field. Mr. Herries, with philosophical equanimity, submits to repeated postponements of his motion on the Navigation- laws; ana Mr. Disraeli has found it very difficult to show that his motion on the financial resolutions he is to move on Monday next means anything.' - I The Scotch Educational Reformers in the House of Commons appear destined to approach as near to victory as it is possible to do without achieving it. Lord Melgund's Education Bill was rejected by a narrow majority, and Mr. Cowan's for abolishing Religious Tests in the Scotch Universities was thrown out only by a majority of one. This is tantalizing, and, considering that Min-
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isters profess to approve of both measures, not quite intelli ible. Mr. Bouverie has given notice of no fewer than.fou ' , and other Members have also measures to introduce : for w at pur- pose, it is difficult to imagine, seeine. that Ministers are shelving one of their bills after another. Lord John Russell has given the House to understand pretty clearly that the Woods and Forests Bill is not to be pressed this session.
