• 'NEW'S OF -- TI1E. WEEK.' .
Roisrit.Es are ticiw "treated in the House of Cm:Moons after the manner of packing up for -departure into the country. Such of them as demand no -revision are .sent on tfiiongli their stages without debate; those those which. challenge - any kind of inquiry are quarrelled over- for an hour and 'then put aside; ::or arothiewn over at once as rubbish, which must wait "till we come to-town next year."' ,
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One of tliose.,measures,- however, could not be disposed of - summarily, it involved A great conflict; and the arguments on both sides had to be exhausted, whatever -might be the incon- venience to Ministers or their views of expediency. - This was the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, which presented at once a mea- sure of professed reform and the embodiment of a particular kind of compromise. Everybody remembers the origin of the bill, —how Ministers had to a certain extent committed themselves by taking an instalment before they had tjte authority, in recom- mending the creation of Lord Wmaleydilies a Peer for life only ; how the House of Lords refused to admit Lord Wensleydale ; how the:chaneellor set about improving the Appellate Jurisdiction ; he* the Peers are deaf to any proposal for taking it away from their House and erecting an independent tribunal designed solely, with reference to its purpose ; how there was a oonflict between the Peers and the Executive ; and how, at last, both sides conceding something, a measure was framed which provided an appropriate position for Lord Wensleydale if he should be made one of the Deputy-Speakers, enabling the Appeal Ceurt- to go on with a sufficiency of Judges and to sit during the 'reoess, although still constituting it essentially a part of the Heitse--Of Lords. Here, then, was a proposal before the House ofdobinuitiS to establish a new Appeal Court. No one defended-the measure by itself. Mr. Attorney-General Cockburn, Who moved the second reading - of the bill, confessed that he disliked it. Sir Jetties Graham, Lord John B,ussell, and other Members, objected to the erection of an indifferent appeal -court when it would be -possible to con- struct a better. Some Members objected to the interference with the prerogative, others to the recognition of the prerogative. And if the Lords are deaf to reason for surrendering their juris- diction in appeals, leading Members refused for the Commons to admit a plea which implied that the Lower House must be over- ridden by the Upper House. The bill, hoe-Fever, , poised the second reading, on the showing of speakers like Mi. Reandell. Palmer, who. thought that it would be at least Worth while to examine it with a view to improve it in detail ; and Mr. White- side fulfilled the alleged compact by which the Opposition lead- ers were bound to Support the bill. In the mein time, the House of Commons allowed a separate step to be taken for providing salaries for the Deputy-Speakers. But Thursday came' and with it . Raikes Currie's proposal to refer the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill to a Select Committee. The argument for this course appeared to-be - irrefragable. The difficulties which had impressed the Ministers in the House of Lords became feint in the view of the Commons ; who, on the other hand, were strongly impressed by the fact that Ministers now appeared before the Representative Chamber pro- posing to create a now Appeal Court confessedly imperfect in itself, perhaps obstructing a more perfect reform, and relying for _ that makeshift upon the support of the Tory Opposition. Mr. Raikes Currie and his supporters claimed - the right at leak to investigate the matter minutely, with time to consider the pro- bable effects Of -We bill on the law andon the royal Prerogative important constitutional political questions being involved in that same prerogative: If y_ou refer the measure to a Select Com- mittee, said Lord Pelmet:Sten you practically reject it. The House did vote, by 165 to 133, against going into Committee of the whole House, and the bill -was referred to a Select PM-. mittee—in other words, it is lost.
The Public Health Bill has been thrown over. It would have somewhat improved the Health department ; but it has been Met with the old cry against commissions, the creation of places, the 4 little necessity for these governmental interferences with munici- pal business, and so on ; and the second reading of the bill was negatived by 73 to 61. , • Mr. Lowe's Partnership Amendment Bill is suffered to proceed in appearance, but it has been crippled. The object is to permit advances .of capital to private traders, with a liability on the Part of the capitalist limited to the capital advanced,. although he should dm* his remuneration- in the form of profits. Under the eiisting law, that: form: of remuneration Would constitute Alin a .1i-orb:ler, and-render him liable to the whole extent of his property. Mi. Gregtou crippled the -measure by a clauise _which wouldilark, any7 min' lending Money to tied& from claiming any portion' until all the :other. creclit,ors should be " satisfied, - one :pcfint Ministers haYe.:rather agreeably anticipated the " .public. Lord Goderich had a Motiini intended to stimulate the extension-.of the practice Of exaniinations for persons appointed to: the Civil Service ; but he has waived it for mime shown. Ministers draw distinctions between those highest posts which must be to a certain extent given it the discretion of the heads of departments, those posts of the lowest scale Which do not require much test in the way of examinatien,: and those of intermediate grade .which: would be the better for iniproved qualifications' in the officers.. To this last class Ministers pledge-themselves gradually to ex- tend the practice of competitive examinatien as the rule for itcl Notwithstanding " the -late period .of the session,7.1dinisters: have dexterously _ intrOduced a new measure into the il011130 of Lords; It had 'been in Part anticipated, but in part also it: took the House by surprise. It was w bill- to enable the Bishops • of London and Durham te be superannuated, with a.proper provi- sion on retirement. - These Prelates have signified their intention " to resign their bishoprics, in consequence 0 faidiag: themselves • unable to -discharge their duties efficiently. - Sonie. measure of • the kind, but More-general in its scope, . had been talked about. This has been laid aside ; bat Ministers have rather suddenly in- trediteed ""." the Sharp_point of the wedge," in these last: days Of the session.. The bill will- probably be pushed through' both Houses, out of personal consideration for the two infirm Bishops-.
