BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 6

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

NEWS SUMMARY. THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON DIVORCE. 'INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS, London, March 25. An interesting scheme was unfolded before the Eoyal Commission on Divorce by Mr. C. W. P. Barker, clork to tho Sunderland magistrates. He said ho was of tho opinion that jurisdiction in divorce should, subject to certain limitations, be vested in the magistrates. It should bo confined to "the class of cases in which a petitioner might now proceed in forma pauperis, the amount of income not to exceed, 6ay, £5 a week. In applications for divorce the depositions of the witnesses should be taken in writing, and the magistrates should be empowered, to pronounce a decree nisi. The depositions and decree should be filed in the divorce registry, and the decree absolute should be made in the Divorce Court if, upon examination of the depositions, it appeared that the facte warranted it, subject to intervention. The Court should have power to order the matter to be retried before itself, or to remit it to the justices with instructions, or summarily to set aside the decree nisi.

THE ISLANDEES. The Duke of Fife is president of a new organisation, tho Islanders, which has just come into being for the purpose of securing a policy by which two British ships shall be laid down for every one of the next strongest European Power. Members, however, do more than merely affirm the need-for the two-Power standard. They make the following promise: "I will endeavour each year to perform some act, however small, for my country which will increase her commercial pror sperity, maintain her maritime supremacy, and strengthen her moral influence among tho nations." EMPIRE TEIBUNAL. A large number of cases' of considerable oversea interest have been heard recently by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Supreme Tribunal of Empire. Three important appeals came from Canada, one from Australia, and one from 'New Zealand. The case of tho Florence Mining Company (Limited) v. the _ Cobalt Lake Mining Company (Limited) _' was an appeal on the part of the plaintiff company against a decision of the' Court of Appeal for Ontario, affirming a judgment of Mr. Justice Eiddell. The decisions appealed against dismissed a claim by the appellants, as assignees of a prospector named Green, to be entitled to certain lands and minerals under the waters of Cobalt Lake, Ontario. The claim, it was stated, was discovered by Green, and staked out as a mining claim in accordance with the law. The plaintiffs stated that, notwithstanding the existence of the claim, the, Crown assumed to grant to the respondents the lands described in certain letters patent, including the portion embraced in the claim. Their. case was that such sale was made without any legislative authority, and the letters parent' were void with regard to them. Tho appeal was dismissed with costs. ...

'AUSTRALIAN LAND CASE. • Another mining case heard by their lordships was an appeal from a decree of tho Chief Justice in Equity of New South Wales. The appeal was' brought 'by. one Barton,' who had'agreed to buy 1042 acres of land in New South Wales from the respondent, Lempriore, for .£IO,OOO. On agreement the > purchaser paid- down i 82500 as a forfeitable deposit if the balance was'inotrpaid'.'by ;June 80,:- 1908. The purchaser 'failed to complete and contested- the vendor's claim to forfeit the deposit on :the ground that, he was unableto show-a good title, in accordance, with the contract. The question- turned on a sentence of the contract, Btating that the property was to bo sold "free from encumbrances, but subject to the reservations mentioned in the schedule, and to the local laws and regulations affecting the same." In connection with two conditional purchases, the words, "gdld reserved to the Crown," wore attached to their description in the schedule, and the appellant argued that the words meant that the properties were purchases convertible on terms into mining conditional purchases. As it was, they, fell under Section 14 of the Crown Lands Alienation. Act of 1861, as they were within the area of a proclaimed goldfield, and so were not convertible, Tho appeal was. dismissed, with costs.

GBAND TEUNK APPEAL. ' Another case of importance was a petition by the Grand "mink Railway Company of Canada for special leave to appeal from a decision of the Snpreme Court of Canadi. The dispute, which was with the Canadian Government, concerned an issue of bonds by the company, of which the Canadian Government guaranteed payment of the principal and interest. Leave to appeal was granted. Their lordships also delivered judgment in a case in which the Corporation of the City of Toronto appealed from a'decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, by which they' were enjoined to refrain from interfering with the construction by the Toronto Eailway Company of new lines in certain' streets of the city. The appeal was dismissed with costa. THE LABOUE EXCHANGES. The Tcturns of the 22 London Labour Exchanges, which have just been published, would appear to show that in the metropolis, at any rate, the exchanges have met with • small success. TheTe were 41,024 applicants, and the number for whom employment waa found was 2049. The following are 6om© of the more remarkable figures r— Number Number regis- emClass of Labour'. tered. ployed. Building and Works ofConstruction 9283 856 Metals, Machines, Conveyances 6227 589 Conveyance of Men, Goods, and. Messages ... 4402 193 Agriculture 112 21 Precious Metals, Jewels, Watches, Instruments ' and Games •■ 242 , B Skins, Leather, Hair, and Feathers — 2948 60 Textile Fabrics ~- 2610 61 Dress ~ •••- 2820 104 Miscellaneous ..... ~ 4803 235 UNIONIST WOEKING MEN CANDIDATES. A dinner was given by the Constitutional Club in honour of the working men candidates at the late general election, for whoso election expenses a fund was opened at the time by "The Standard." At a meeting afterwards a resolution was unanimously carried asking "The Standard" to again open a fund for the payment of their election expenses, and suggesting that for the purposes of administering the fund trustees be appointed; that these trustees should be Sir Alexander Ackland-Hood, M.P., Chief Conservative Whip, or his nominee; Messrs. Edward Goulding, M.P., W. T. Madgo, and the editor of "The Standard." Lord Malmcsbury then announced that, acting on .the advice of the Political Committee, tho. Constitutional Club bad decided to subscribe tho sum of .£SOO to the fund. A very large numbor of subscriptions was also announced, including sums of £1000 from Sir William Bull and Captain Morrison.—"Standard of Emi pire." .