The Sun. — London, England, 1861-02-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARMANIENT. HOUSE OF LORDS:--ITEsTERDAY.) The LonD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. CHURCH RATES. Petitions against the abolition of Church-rates were pre sented by the Earl of MALmEsnunY, Lord CHELMSFORD, and the Marquis of BATH. INSANE WARDS IN CHANCERY. The LORD CHANCELLOR laid upon the table a bill for the better management of lunatic wards in Chancery, SECOND READINGS. The following bills were read a second time :—The Fins bury Circus City Station, Agricultural Insurance Com pany, Portsmouth Water, Rhymny Railway (Additional Capital), Rhymny Railway (New Lines), Westminster Life Assurance Society (Dissolution), M'Mahon's Estate, Eastern Counties and Saffron Waldon Railway, Forth and Clyde Junction Railway, Macclesfield Gas, and South Essex Water. SYRIA. Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE rose to move for the correspondence connected with the recent events in Syria. He said it was of interest both to the Legislature and the country that he should ask for the papers of which he had given notice. With respect to the proceedings in China they had gone on there openly, and had been carried on with a spirit which reflects credit on the Government, but with respect to the recent events which had taken place in Syria comparatively little has become known. For the last six months certain most important proceedings had taken place, and before Parliament separated last year a very talented and amiable young nobleman (Lord Dufferin) was appointed to an extraordinary mission to that country, and it was natural, ho thought, that Parliament and the country should be anxious to know what had been done during the residence of the noble lord abroad. (The noble lord, who stood within a few feet of the Earl of Granville, here ad dressed the whole of his observations to that nobleman, and in such a low tone of voice as to be quite inaudible in the reporters' gallery.) Lord WODEHOUSE said tho noble lord had not over rated the importance of the subject of Syria. There was at that moment a Congress of the great Powers now sitting at Paris, at which the subject of Syria was under consideration, and the noble lord at the head of the foreign office felt that to produce the correspondence the noble lord wished for would, at the present time, lead to great and serious embarrassment. Amongst the subjects now under the consideration of the conference was whether the stay of the French troops should be pro longed, and, under all the circumstances, he hoped the noble lord would not persist in his motion for the pro duction of the papers. After a few words from the Marquis of CLANRICARDE, The motion was withdrawn, and their lordships then ad ourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.--(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. AFFIRMATION BILL. This bill, on the motion of Sir J. TRELA.WXY, was brought in and read a first time. PRIVATE BUSINESS. Several bills were read a first time, and the following bills were read a second time :—Airedale Drainage, Alton, Alresford, and Winchester Railway, Birkenhead Railway, Bolton Corporation, Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock, Colne Valley and Halstead Railway, Darlington Local Board of Health, Dublin and Antrim Junction Railway, Dublin Markets, Eastern Counties Railway, East ,India :Irrigation and Canal Company (No. 2), Frosterly and Stanhope Railway, Gainsburgh Bridge to East Retfordßoads, &c.; Great Western Railway (Capital); Greetwoll District Drainage, Henley in Arden Railway, Llanidloes and Newtown Railway, Leeds and Boland Road, Leven and East of Fife Railways (Extension, &c.), Marlborough Railway, Midland Counties and Shannon Junction Railway, Preston Markets, &c., Ramsay Railway, South Staffordshire Railway, South Yorkshire Railway (Keadby Extension), Thorne Moor Drain age, &c., Trent, Ancholme, and Grimsby Railway; - Uxbridge and Rickmansworth Railway, West Cheshire Railways, West Midland and Severn Valley Railway Com panies, Withington and Northenden Road, Wycombe Rail way (Extensions), Chatham Dockyard Enlargement, Forest of Dean Central Railway, and Royal Marine Bar racks (East Stonehouse), (Devon). PETITIONS. Several petitions were presented, chiefly from rural dia• tricts, against the abolition of church rates, against the Parochial. Assessments Bill, in favour of the passing of a Reform Bill, from wine merchants in favour of a unform duty on wine imported into this country, from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Town Council of Sudbury against the pro posed disfranchisement of that borough. THE YELVERTON CASE. Mr. V. SC ULLY gave notice that to-morrow he would draw the attention of the house to the law proceedings in this case. SALARIES AND PENSIONS. Mr. WHITE gave notice that on Friday next he would move for returns showing the amount of salaries and pen sions paid by Government, and information in respect to the duties which such recipients had discharged. THE FAILURE IN THE HARVEST AND THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. Mr. CAIRD gave notice that on an early day he would call the attention of the house to the serious deficiency in the harvest, and the consequent necessity which existed for the exercise of economy in the public expenditure. TIIE BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL, Mr. SCULLY gave notice that he would ask the Go vernment whether it was their intention to introduce a bill, similar to the above, for Ireland during the present session. CHINA. Lord J. RUSSELL laid on the table additional corres pondence in reference to China. NEW ZEALAND. Lord A. CHURCHILL asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he had received official in timation of the passing, by the General Assembly of New Zealand, of a - bill for constituting a council to advise the Governor on . all questions con nected with the management of the natives ; and whether her Majesty's Government have as yet come to any determination in reference to the allowance or disal lowance of such bill? Mr. C. FORTESCUR said that the subject was under the anxious consideration of his noble friend the Duke of Newcastle, but it was thought advisable that a communi cation should be made direct from Government to the Go vernor of Now Zealand, instead of reaching him through any unofficial medium. other members of the Government by surprise, as they were quite unprepared fur the statements which that report ton tained. He deemed it his duty to make some qtiities on the subject in the City, but it did not t ppear that there was any reason against the ap, ointment of Mr. Laing. Ile felt that it would be h , duty to in quire more particularly into this matt . From the communication which he had with he chairman of the company in question, it appeared that the charges in the report were a mere ex parto statement, and thei efore, in justice to the gentleman whose character was affected, it would be only fair to suspend opinion on the charges made against him until further inquiry was instituted. THE NAVY ESTIMATES. In reply to Mr. BAILLIE, Sir G. C. LEWIS said that the navy estimates would be proceeded with on Tuesday next. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL. The house then went into committee on this bill. Clause 118 was agreed to. Clause 119, Mr. MURRAY and another hon. member proposed amendments, making number as well as amount of creditors tell in decisions in bankruptcy. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought that upon the whole it was better the creditors who had the largest amount of interest should exercise the greatest influence in tho election of assignees. The clause, as amended, was agreed to. Sir F. KELLY wished to know when it would be conve nient for the right hon. gentleman the Attorney-General to take the sense of the house with respect to the question of remuneration to the county court judges? On clause 120, which gave creditors the option of taking no further proceedings in bankruptcy, Mr. HADFIELD moved the addition of the following words to the end of the clause :—" And the bankrupt shall be entitled to an order of discharge." The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that great inconve nience would arise from the adoption of the words proposed by the hon. gentleman in their simple form, because if a bankrupt were to be entitled to his dischargebefore, perhaps, he had passed any examination or made a full discovery of his estate, he would be enabled to go awayand leave his cre ditors without the necessary information. He would not object to the introduction of the words "the bankrupt loving made a full discovery of his estate may be at liberty to apply for an order of discharge." Mr. HADFIELD withdrew his amendment, and that of the Attorney-General having been adopted, The clause as amended was agreed to, as were also clauses 121 and 122. On clause 123, which gave to the majority of creditors who had proved debts power to choose one or more creditors as assignee, to be called the creditors' assignee, Mr. MURRAY said that he thought the creditors ought not to be compelled to select an assignee from their own body. He should therefore move the emission of the words "one or more creditors who has or have proved to be the assignee or assignees," and thus leave the law as it now stood. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL adopted the suggestion of the hon. member. The clause as amended was agreed to. On clause 124, which stated that the powers and duties of the official assignee should cease and determine on all the estate, both real and personal, of the bankrupt upon the appoiitment of the creditors' assignee, Mr. MOFFATT moved to insect, after the word "assig nee," the words, "as creditors' assignee." The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he would meet the objection of the hon. gentleman to the clause in its present form by consenting to omit the words, "the power and duties of the official assignee shall cease and determine." Mr. MOFFATT would be willing to adopt the sugges tion of the right hon. gentleman. Mr. VANCE said that manymercantile men in the north of England questioned the wisdom of the arrangement pro posed by this clause. They would prefer to have an option whether the estate should be wound up by the official assig nee or by the creditors' assignee. It would be a pity to de prive the creditors of the power of deciding whether they might not prefer the services of the official assignee to those of the trades' assignee. He must also protest against the haste with which the present measure had been hurried on. Mr. MALINS said that he had by that morning's post re - ceived no less than 12 or 14 letters from chambers of com merce and gentlemen throughout the country on the sub ject of this bill, and, he believed, containing suggestions for its amendment. He had literally not yet had time to look into one of them, but it so happened that the bill had been pushed on with such rapidity that he, and many others, laboured under great disadvantages in discussing its provisions. He believed, however, there was a very general opinion that the management of the bankrupt's estate ought to be given to the official assignee instead of the trades' assignee. Mr. MOFFATT believed that the bill was received with so much favour by the public at large from carrying out the principle of giving creditors the entire management of the property immediately the insolvency was declared. The mer cantile community were not disposed to go back to the old bankrupt laws and the abuses to which they gave rise. He trusted the Attorney- General would adhere to the clause, which was one of the best features of the bill. After a few words from Mt. liAl/11ZIAJ, Mr. GLYN was sorry to see any objection raised to the clause. With regard to cases of malversation, so many por tions of the bill protected the public against them that no distrust need be entertained. The mercantile community, while giving due praise to official assignees, were very de sirous that in the management of estates a little more should bo left to the control of the trade assignees than was the case at present. What they complained of was that after a man was made a bankrupt, and the official assignee ap pointed, the trade assignees were very little consulted, and the management of the estate passed away from them almost entirely. The clause, as amended by the Attorney-General, was then agreed to. Clauses 125, 126, 127, and 128 were also agreed to. Upon clause 129, "security by creditors' assignee," Mr. MURRAY proposed the insertion of words to pro vide that a " majority in value of the creditors," instead of " the creditors," should at a meeting for the choice of cre ditors' assignee determine whether any security should be given by such assignee. After a short discussion, the amendment with some ver bal alterations was agreed to. Mr. MOFFATT said that the bill would not work if the conditions imposed on trade assignees by this clause and clause 185 remained. It was now difficult without such penal restrictions to get persons to act as trade assignees. Their object, he thought, was to obtain men of standing and of high credit and reputation, but such men would never accept the office with the conditions proposed. This clause required that the trade assignee should give security for the amount of the debts he collected, but in the commercial world it would be considered a great offence to ask any one to give security where he voluntarily took an office fur the benefit of others as well as himself. He proposed to strike out the words of the clause which required security to be given. SALVAGE OF LIFE. Captain JERVIS asked the President of the Board of Trade whether her Majesty's Government had considered the advisability of entering into negotiations wit h foreign maritime powers, with a view to a reciprocal re cognition of claims for salvage of life occurring beyond the jurisdiction of the High Court of Admi ralty; and, whether the mercantile marine fund would ad mit of larger rewards being given in cases of salvage attended with danger to the salvors ? Mr. M. GIBSO.\ 4 said the subject to which the •hon member's question referred had been under the considera tion of Government, and in his opinion it would be very satisfactory if such negotiations as those alluded to could be successfully carried out. However, so far as this coun try was concerned, the question of the claims for salvage of life could be efficiently provided for by introduc ing a clause fet that , purpose in the" Merchant Shippin g Act, which it was prtiposcd by her Majesty's Government to do. He alluded to certain rewards recently given to the salvors of life to show that the Government had every wish to act liberally to those whose services deserved the warmest recognition. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the hon. member read the clause as if it were a matter of obligation that secu rity should be given by creditors' assignees, whereas there was no obligation. Under the clause creditors had power to choose certain persons, not being creditors, to be ma • nagers of estates, and to remunerate them for their trouble, and it was deemed a very wise thing that they should be enabled to impose conditions on those persons. It would be better to leave the clause as it stood, as it conferred very wholesome power, and could not, he thought, give offence to any gentleman, and he hoped the hon. member would consent to withdraw the amendment. Mr. MOFFATT reiterated his belief that if this clause , and clause 185 remained, the bill would be utterly worth- I less. He had proposed his amendment at the suggestion TELEGRAPHIC CABLES. of a number - of influential mercantile mon, and if the Mr. G. LANGTON asked the President of the Board of Attorney-General would which promise sill to o adopt v it le m bee. sho e -' Trade, when the report of the Commission upon Submarine ca Telegraph Cables would be laid on the table of the hou se ? would withdraw it now, bu w t as otherwi la se r h e e o wo je u e ld t. p n r a es b s le' th h e o Mr. M. GIBSON said the report was in the hands of the question to a division, printers, and would be ready for circulation in a few days. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that if when they TRADING COMPANIES. arrived at clause 185 the majority of the house were in Mr. MURRAY asked the At torne y -General whether it favour of the. hon:.metaber's amendment, ho would defer to was the intention of the Government to introduce this ses- their opinion. mien the bill, brought from the House of Lords last sea - Mr. BO VILL thought that the clause giving power to aion, for the incorporation, regulat ion, and winding •u p of appoint a manager wa s one o f t h e moat important clauses trading companies, and other associations ; and, if so, whe- of the bill, and that it could scarcely be too much appre ther ho did not consider it would be advantageous to the elated. house to discuss such bill in connection with the Bill for Mr. vANCE, as far as his own experience went, believed sunending the Law of Bankruptcy and Insolvency ? that if any creditor were asked to become creditors' assig The ATTORNEY GENERAL said that he regretted nee, and thus to confer a great obligatio n on t h e rest of the the bill in question had not' been laid on the table of the cre dit ors , an d aethe same time told that he must give secu house, but it was prepared by the Board of Trade, who r it y , a lth oug h h e would receive no remuneration whatever claimed a property in the measure. He had no doubt, how- for his services, he would spurn the offer with the greatest ever, that it would be shortly laid before the house. indignation. The clause, he was quite sure, would never CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT. work well, and would not satisfy the commercial commu- Mr. T. DUNCOMI3E asked the Secretary of State for nity, but as the Attorney-General seemed determined to the Home Department when he intended to lay upon the insert it he could say no more. table his Witte amend the Corrupt Practices Act? Mr. BEECROFT was understood to say that it would Sir G. C. LEWIS said he hoped that shortly he would be better to pay the trade assignee and make him respon be able to lay the bill on the table. aible. AP - FAIRS OF SYRIA. The AT TORNEY•GENERAL said the principle of the Mr. E. iAllirEa` ' Affairs, asked the Secretary of State for Foreign clause whisthei It had decided in was borrowed from Scotland, where it had worked been decided in conference on the affairs of Syria, a t I. • admirably. In that country an official factor was appointed , that the occupation of Syria French trooies shall V e by over an estate, and received remuneration; a committee of hu e d Or i g i nid ._ , _ Prolonged beyond the period stipu lY u'Y "tam convention • and, if so, for what creditors controlled and advised him in the execution of his duty; and according to the best information he had been period : And whether' the representative' of the Ottoman Porte, present in such conference, protested against any enabled to get, the expense of winding up a bankrupt estate longer occupation ?in Scotland was about 13 or 14 per cent., whereas, in Eng- Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to reply to both land, it was between 33 and 34 per cent. There was a g reat questions in the negati ve . concurrence of opinion in the mercantile community in MR. LAING AND THE. GREAT WESTERN OF favour of the clause. CANADA RAILWAY COMPANY. The clause, with some verbal amendments, was then Mr. VANSITTART asked th e S ecretary of State for agreed to; as was also 130, relating to " certificate of ap• t India whether his attention hat' been d rawn to the Re pointment." of the Committee of Investigation appoint e d b y the Great Upon clause 131, "removal of creditors' assignee," Western of Canada Railway Company, in which charges had The ATTORNEY-GENE RAL said he thought it would been made affecting the charaiter of Mr. Laing, the Fi nan - be desirabl e to insert the word " manager" after "creditors' c i a l Secretary of tho Legislative Council of Calcutt a ; an d alleigne"throughout the clause, so as to give p ower t o th e if so, whether it was theintention of her - Majesty's Gove rn _ , majority of the creditors to remove . a manager in case of w ent to cause inquiry t o imseend uet . Th e h on . an d l e arn e d gen tl eman proposed an be made as to the tr u th or other wise of the charges in question ? amendment; for that purpose, which was agreed t o , an d th e Sir C. WOOD.said that his attention had been called on c ' c u r I'nka added to the bill. ulrB 132 and 133 were a eed, te wit4lit amendment. Thursday morn ing to a report which appeared in the public . 0 etau gr s 134, ;"1 , 1 , 0 nicfrloic:43 —' papery relative to this subject , w hich took him as well as D . SCHOLEFIELD proposed after the words, "the THE SUN, LONDON, Bank of England.," to insert "or sttch bank as the creditors at each iiieetiiig may direct." He said no harm totild be done by this. The creditors were dealing with their own money, and it seemed but fair they should choose where it should be invested. Mr. MURRAY said he would propose an amendment which would come before that of the hon. member. He proposed to leave out the words, "not necessarijy retained for current expenses," he thought the retention of those words would leave a look-hole for the assignee keeping money in his hands which ought to be in the bank. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought the words " necessarilyretained for current expenses," imposed a great check. The inconvenience of striking out the words would be that the creditors' assignee would bo compelled to pay every small sum ho received, even down to £5, into the bank, and ho could not get anything out without going to the official assignee, and the result would be that costs would be incurred for getting out every £5, £lO, or £2O, as it might be required. Mr. GLYN said there was a great deal of observation abroad as to the large balance that would be kept in the Bank of England on this account. He was not prepared to say that some commission ought not to be charged by the Bank, but at the same time it ought to be regulated. Mr. Alderman SALOMONS had always heard in the City of London the opinion that for commercial service there should be commercial remuneration, and he could not see why the creditors' assignee should not have some re muneration for his services. The great objection now made was to the large sums carried off by the official assignee, and creditors had felt that it would be better if some of their own body had the management of their own affairs. Ho thought it was better the money should be paid into the Bank of England. After a few words from Mr. AN RTON and Mr. EDWIN JAMES, the amendment was negatived. Mr. MURRAY remarked that the last return showed that the average balance in the Bank of England standing in the name of the Accountant-General of Bankruptcy was from £BO,OOO to £100,003, and they charged for keeping that account between £3,000 and £4,000 a year. There was no charge for receiving the money, but they charged ss. per cent. for paying it eat. As the Bank had always so large a balance in its hands, be thought no charge ought to be made for paying the money out. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he hoped some ar rangement might be made with the Bank by which this charge might be reduced. At the same time it was but fair to the Bank to state that these payments were made in different parts of the country, and there certainly ought to be some percentage to the Bank for making these payments, The hon. gentleman might rest assured that this subject would not escape his attention, and that great care would be taken in endeavouring to make a more advantageous ar rangement. With regard to the amendment proposed by the hon. member for Birmingham, he was sorry ho could not consent to it. When the alteration was made by which official assignees were appointed, the system of having private banks was entirely put an end to, and he thought rightly, for under the old system when the creditors chose the bank they were never able to ascertain whether certain sums of money might not be left in those banks undistri buted. Accordingly when the new system was introduced the official assignees exerted themselves, and they found very large sums of money that were retained by different bankers throughout the country who had profited by the retention of those moneys for an indefinite period of time, and which the creditors would never have heard of but for this new arrangement. He could not by any means con sent that money should be left in the hands of private bankers. He thought it very injurious to permit bankers to bid as it were for creditors' money by offering them an amount of interest. lie hoped the committee would adhere to the present practice in this respect, which ensured to the whole body of creditors every shilling that was paid in, which might not be the case if the money was left in the hands of private bankers. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD said heshould not press his amend ment against the opinion of the Attorney- General, and he withdrew it. The clause was then agreed to. On clause 135, which provides that the official assignee shall collect debts under £lO, Mr. PAGET moved to insert, after "duo to the estate," the words, "as the creditors' assignee shall require." He thought the realising of the assets would be best accom plished by the creditors' assignee. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said a little consideration would probably satisfy the hon. gentleman that his amend ment would never answer. Take a debt of £l5O or £5OO, and suppose the creditors' assignee instructed the official assignee to get it in ; who was to employ the solicitor ? The creditors' assignee would have virtually to do that, and therefore the proposal was merely a long roundabout pro cess with regard to the collection of large debts. With re gard to small ones, however, the case was different. The official assignee had a number of clerks, and accordingly as soon as a man was bankrupt he would send round a circular to persons who owed the estate trifling sums, and require them at once to pay ; or, in the event of their not doing so, he would proceed against them by summons, or would have recourse to the county court. He would rather give the whole duty into the hands of the official assignee than leave it on the indotinite footing proposed. Mr. PAGET requested that the clause might be post poned. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said if the hon. gentle man had any well-considered clause he might on the report move to substitute it for the one now in the bill ; but to postpone the clause would only lead to confusion. Mr. ROLT observed that if the proposal of the bill were some well-defined scheme of making the official assignee, paid by salary, act under the supervision of the creditors, it would be intelligible. But as the bill stood, with the divided functions of the two assignees, he was afraid it would not be found to work well. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said there never had been more prophecies of failure than with regard to the Testamentary Jurisdiction Bill; and yet no law had been found to work more quietly or more efficiently than that. lle thought there ought to be an efficient audit of Ail assignees' accounts; and it was a simple process for obtain ing that audit which excited the alarm of the hon. and learned gentleman. ➢lr. AYRTON suggested that some difficulty might be experienced under the clause in case of a business being carried on by the creditors, and he therefore recommended the insertion of the words " if the assignees should so require." Mr. COLLIER thought the clause was better as it stood ; and it was then agreed to. On clause 141, " Pay, half-pay, and pension of bankrup' to be applicable for creditors." Mr. AYRTON moved that it be omitted altogether. By a subsequent clause (163), power was given to make any future property of the bankrupt available for the payment of his debts, provided that he had been guilty of any mis conduct towards his creditors. This clause was, however, an absolute one, and was quite irrespective of any question of conduct. He (the hon, gentleman) could not see any dis tinction between the position of a public servant and the servant of a railway company or a private merchant. If the bankrupt had anything in the nature of property, let it be made liable in the same manner as other property ; but he did not perceive how a remuneration for services to be per formed could conic under that designation. He did not desire however, to deprive the court of the proposed power; only let it be made a general one, applicable to all persons alike, and not merely to persons in the public service. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the clause was copied almost verbatim from the Ist Vic. c. 110, a. 156, the present Insolvent Act. The principle was that when a man pos sessed halfpay, or a retiring pension, or a settled salary for life, it was not right that he should be left to enjoy the whole of it while his creditors remained unpaid. There was in fact no difference between a salary of £l,OOO a year for life and a life estate of £l,OOO a year. except that in justice to the padre service the possessor of it (night '— allowed sufficient for his maintenance, so that he 'eight be able to fulfil the duties of his office. As to making the clause universal, it must be remembered that persons in private employment only held their situations durante belie placito, and were liable at any time to be dismissed. It would therefore be idle to attempt to deal with their incomes. The only question was whether the clause went far enough; because, in the case of retiring salaries, it was doubtful whether the whole ought not to be taken like any other life interest. Mr. AYRTON said the principle of the Insolvent Act was wholly different from that of the present bill; and therefore the hon. gentleman's reasoning from analogy did not apply. Under the Insolvent Act a person only oh' ahted security from arrest, and did not get dear from his liabilities; but the principle of this bill was that on giving up all his property the bankrupt should be entirely discharged from his debts. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that retiring pen sions wore not permitted to be assigned except with the consent of the department. This therefore could not be made part of the general assignment of a bankrupt's pro perty, and must be dealt with specially. Under the old law the insolvent might be called up do anno in annum, and ordered to set apart so much of his salary as the court might think fit. The present bill would give power to deal with it once for all. The clause was then agreed to. Clause 142, " Sequestration of profits and benefices." Mr. AYRTON objected also to this clause. The salary of a clergyman was no property of his own, but was in tended for the benefit of his parishioners ; and it was of the utmost impertanco that he should continue to receive it, to enable him to discharge the duties of his office. He thought the commissioners had the best right to the fund, and it ought to be preserved for their sakes. Mr. COLLIER said he did not sej why clergymen should be - exempted from the necessity of paying their debts more than other people. It seemed to him to be only an extension of the preceding clause, which related to pensions. The ATTORNEY -GENERAL was pleased to find that the hon. and learned member for the Tower Hamlets was so great a friend to till clergy. But he thou ht tho interests of the clergy would be best consulted by making no invi dious distinction. When a sequestration took place, the bishop stepped in, and an appropriation was made of part of the emoluments, in order to py the stipend of a curate. ,He had introduced a similar provision into this clause. Nr, AYIZTON said that if the Attorney-Gewral had TUESDAY EVENING, given the bishop a power to remove from his pest a clergy man who should become bankrupt, he shoull have been much obliged to him. But he objected to a ram remaining in his parish whilst the money contributed by the parish ioners to his support was being spent elsewhen. Mr. MALINS said he thought his hon. and lamed friend (Mr. Ayrtot) had Mistaken the object of the cause. This clause was merely a transcript from the Insolvent Act, which had been always found to act very well inthia respect. Mr. E. JAMES said he thought his hon. and learned friend had misconceived the effect of the clams 3. Clergy men were often subscribers to banks and other institutions, which sometimes failed. In fact, clergymen plight become bankrupt by misfortune, and it would plainly be if great injustice to deprivethem altogether of their livings on that account. The clause was then agreed to, as were climes from 143 to 159 inclusive. After clause 159, Mr. E. JAMES moved to insert the following clause : " If any bankrupt shall be liable under any covenant or agreement to keep on foot any policy or policies of insurance effected on his own or any other life, the amount or value of such liability shall be ascertained by an actuary or other wise, as the court may direct, and the creator entitled to the benefit of such covenant or agreement shell be admitted to prove against the bankrupt's estate for the sum which shall be so ascertained." Agreed to. On clause 163, fixing the rules as to grafting orders of discharge, Mr. MALINS suggested that power ought to be given to the chief judge to grant certificates to lankrupts who have been without them, and were imprisoned for twelve months. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he considered the bill went far enough in that direction already. Mr. WALPOLE urged that in all cases vhere the bank rupt was to be placed on trial for misdemeanour he ought to have the benefit of a jury. He moved the omission of the words in the clause, " if the bankrupt should require it." The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that in many cases of misdemeanour they could not have a trial by jury with out considerable inconvenience and expense. Many bank rupts would prefer charges of this nature being disposed of by the chief judge or commissioner without the interven tion of a jury. He hoped the amendment would not be pressed. Mr. ROEBUCK thought the clause as it stood might, when the bankrupt demanded to be tried by a jury, create a:feeling of antagonism in the mind of the judge. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL believed that no such feeling would enter the mind of a right-thinking judge, but that, on the contrary, he would be most anxious to avail himself of the assistance of a jury. Mr. WALPOLE said that he would not, after the ex planation of the Attorney-General, press his amendment. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD thought that where a bankrupt omitted to keep proper books of account, such omission ought to be taken as wilful intent to conceal ace true state of his affairs. Mr. GREGSON suggested as one of the offences for which imprisonment not exceeding 12 month ought to be inflicted be, where a bankrupt carried on trade not only by means of fictititius capital but with the aid ofaccommoda tion bills for which no value was received. Mr. ROEBUCK asked, was it possible that ending could be carried on without accommodation bills The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that accommodation bills to a certain extent might be right in manr,ases. The difficulty connected with them was where the! were used in excess, and substituted for actual capital. lie could not agree in the suggestion of the hon. member for Lancaster. Mr. MALINS was of opinion that when a bankrupt had been punished for an offence against the bankruptcy law, and when the terms of his punishment had in al respects been satisfied, he ought then not to be excluded from all further chance of redeeming himself again in circumstances by any severe operation of the act, but ought to le restored to society, and at liberty to pursue his industry end enter prise in trade again. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he saw no reason for altering the provisions of the bill in the mower which his hen. and learned friend had suggested. It wis a well known fact that a bankrupt, after he had gone there or four times through the court, rose from each fall he hal in trade with renewed vigour, and was again ready to emberk ire new enterprises ; and it was in order to protect creators and honest traders that those provisions in the bill yhich his hon. and learned friend thought too stringent wire intro duced. He should therefore adhere to his resolution of leaving the clause as it stood. Mr. ROLT said that if his observation was rigit, a great deal of what they called traders' dishonesty arose from the fact that the trader knew that if he succeeded le would keep the gains; but if he failed, his future property would be safe. At present a non-trader was free from that; but by putting them upon the same footing, the result would be the same in both cases. He must, therefore protest against lie tenor of this bill, as calculated to introduce, in relation to non-traders, a distinction that might hereafter Rajas an incentive to and result in dishonesty. H. thought the power proposed to be vested by the bill lin the hands of the chief judge with respect to any property which a non twat, UVILW 111t0 receipt of was not sufficient. The ATTORNEY GENERAL could not coney- in the observations made by his hon. and learned friend, and he considered that when the debtor delivered up all that he was poss.essed of at the time of the bankruptcy to the cre ditors was all that, in such a state of circumstances, should be required of him. He thought that when creditors gave accommodation to young men with facility, it might lead them into extravagance and profligate habits of life, and that some check ought to be put to such proceedings, when the credit was known to be given only because the creditors knew that the young man was likely at some future time to come in for property, and be in a position to discharge his Act M Y a n N y said apioanrnpt odnpp power peculiar ei reovutrneylthatsa:bmarhfysauci that the s e pt provisions tiparty m theig might t o come courto the e et Insol ventnto toaka take obligations.rr.o. cognisancesebE tDebtors rws of might rhtchtubemebseltenafnetficbet by the f t t o ht h d e o e p a cr l roe w vdi i is t ti h oorn i s t s. , asHufebi thoughtteucrt future o time,certain that a n dt that of this bill in the hands of the chief judge. The LORD ADVOCATE said that in Scotland they had had for about five years a system similar to that pro posed to be introduced by his hon. and learned friend, and they had found none of the disadvantages which had been credit fo s,and spoken of. No extreme cases of p ersecuti en or hardship had occurred. The true object s o f a b ankruptcy were to equally make the whole estates bankruptofa available th e ; ha t was a pay mentdebtsoffachtiswhieh had been lost si g ht o f i n the course of the among all his creditors, present discussion. Another object was the discharge of the honest debtor from all future liabilities. lie could not con ceive any benefit to arise to society by allowing a roan who had been unfortunate to have this chain around him, per haps all his life, simply for the chance that he might pea sibly earn something for the benefit of his creditors. It appeared to him, therefore, that there was no just objection to the clause as it stood. Mr. MALINS agreed with the general principle just laid down, that the two great objects of a bankruptcy law should be to produce a cessio bonormit and a general dis charge. In that respect he did not see that there should be any distinction made between traders and non-traders, because when persons gave credit to non-traders they had the opportunity of knowing the means of the debtor, and therefore to judge for themselves as to how far he should have credit given him. There were reckless creditors as well as reckless debtors, and they ought nut to bo encou raged by the law in giving eredi , , not upon the existing means of the debtor, but upon the expectation of property to which ho might afterwards become entitled. Nothing could be more abominable than the system of credit in use among money-lenders who gave credit to extravagant young men entitled to succeed to property, and the greater iv." `" -- ragement given by the law to these speculators the better it would be for society. But the fact was that the bill, as it now stood, did give power to the court, in certain case, where the transactions of the debtor had been tainted with fraud, to make any future acquired property liable fir the payment of his debts. As to the supposed or alleged hardship in the case of non-traders, those who were conversant with the actual practice in the courts, knew that notiing was so easy as for son-traders to get up a colourable and fictitious trading, and thus entitle themselves to all the benefits of the bankruptcy. A few years ago a young lobleman, son of an earl, and entitled to large property, inorder to get rid of his debts, petitioned as abrickmaker—that was, he turned over some clay, made a few bricks, sold them, an I then came before the court as a trader, and received a discharge in full. The law of debtor and creditor °ugh to be the same for all. Mr. MELLOR supported the clause as t stood. The clause was then agreed to. On clause 164, Mr. WALPOLE said he had given notie of an amend ment to omit the clause which gave the lief judge the power to send cases of misdemeanour to be li e d in the cri minal courts. That appeared tolim to beeontrary to the general principle of the bill, which was thathe new courts should be competent to deal with all matter brought before them ; and on that simple ground he holed his hon. and learned friend would consent to the omissiol of the clause. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said thtelause referred not only to the chief judge, but also to thecommissioners, and it was thought better to give the distrideommissioners the discretionary power of sending cases o misdemeanour to the assize courts, for this, among other fasons, that the persons so dealt with might not in the coqtry be able to obtain the services of counsel to defend thei. Ho thought, therefore, this was a very proper clause, ad trusted his right hon. friend would not press his objecton. After a few words from Mr. ROEBUCK and Mr. MELLOR, Mr. WALPOLE said he must frankly dmit that the reason given by the Attorney-General in fabur of this dis cretionary power had made a strong izression on his mind, and he should therefore withdraw is'opposition to the clause ; which was then agreed to, as lore the follow ing clauses up to and including 175- On clause 176, which relates to the appal against the order of things. Mr. MALINS said he thought the clausenight to secure a right of appeal to the bankrupt as well asthe creditors. The ATTORNEY -GENERAL gala 401104 YerY carat FEi3iitiPARY 26, 1861. fully considered the matter. It occurred to him that where the case was heard by the chief judge in company with a commissioner, it was not desirable to give the bankrupt whose discharge had been refused a right of appeal. But in the cases where the commissioner heard and decided alone, they had the right of appeal to the chief judge. The clause, and also clauses to 181 inclusive, were agreed to. On clause 185, Mr. MOFFATT moved the omission of the clause, and that the following clause be inserted in lieu thereof :—" At a meeting of the declaration of a final dividend, the accounts of the creditors assignee shall be audited by the official assignee, in the presence of the registrar or the county court judge, as the case may be, and thereafter the creditors' assignee shall be entitled to his discharge, unless cause be shown to the contrary." He thought the clause, as it stood, was so stringent, that it would prevent any respect able merchant from accepting the office of assignee. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought there was no thing in the clause to deter respectable men from under. taking the duties of the office of assignee. After some conversation, the ATTORNEY-GENERAL having proposed some alterations which met the views of Mr. Moffittt, that gentleman's clause was withdrawn. The clause as amended was then agreed to, as were also clauses up to 197 inclusive with verbal amendments. The!ATTORNEY-G ENERAL intimated that he would re sume the committee on this bill that day week. The CHAIRMAN then loft the chair and the house re sumed. APPROPRIATION OF SEATS (SUDBURY AND ST. ALBANS) BILL, Sir G. C. LEWIS in moving the second reading of this bill said, that as the principle of the bill was the filling up of four vacant seats no hon. member who voted for the second reading of the bill would be bound to the parti cular arrangement which was proposed in the bill, nor be precluded from taking any course he might deem to be ex pedient and fitting in the next stage of the bill. If that view of the matter should be acquiesced in he should simply now move that the bill be read a second time. On the question being put, Mr. BAXTER, said he had not any objection to the transfer of the seats, but he could not concur in the pro posal that the bill should be read a second time sub silentic His object in rising was to call attention to the claims of Scotland to ono of the vacant seats, and to express a hope that they would give one seat to the Universities of Scotland instead of giving it to Chelsea or Kensington. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) lie would leave that question in the hands of the hon. member who had given a notice on the subject, and he hoped the Scotch members, irrespective of party, would give the hon. mem ber for Perthshire their earnest and cordial support. (Hear, hear.) The universities in Scotland were at pre sent entirely unrepresented, though they were celebrated in all countries, and he wished them, therefore, to under stand the great injustice that was practised on Scotland, and that the people of Scotland looked forward to a great increase in the number of their members. Ho hoped the Government would deal with the borough of Berwick upon-Tweed as they had done with Sudbury and St. Albans, and transfer the seat either to Dundee or Aber deen. There was the county of Ayr, and other Scotch counties, which only returned ono member each. He held in his hand a return which was printed in March, 1859, which was made upon the joint basis of taxation and of population. According to that basis of representation Scotland should return 73 members, whereas it only re turned 53 ; and, upon the same basis, Ireland, which re turned 105 members, should only return 101. Ireland hod, therefore, four members more than it was entitled to. He, therefore, thought that one of the vacant seats should be given to the Universities of Scotland. Mr. BENTINCK considered the proposal of the right hon. gentleman, the Home Secretary, as unjust. There had been much said in that house about Reform, and there had always been great difficulty found respecting it, but the real evil was that the rural districts had not their fair share of the franchise. (Hear, hear.) The position which he maintained was, that while popular orators were clamouring about popular rights, and for extending the franchise to the working classes—the claims of the popula tion of the rural districts were wholly overlooked, Now it was admitted that taxation and representation were convertible terms. If this were so, then, there was no doubt that the rural districts had the strongest claims pos sible on that house to have the representation increased. How stood the fact? Why, that the property of the counties amounted to sixty millions sterling, the in habited houses exceeded three millions, and the popula tion was ten millions. The property in boroughs amounted to £42,000,000. The value of inhabited houses in boroughs was £1,200,000, and the population was about £7,000,000. So stood the facts of the case, and arguing from them he should say that the rural districts ought to have an addi tion of 144 members. (Laughter.) He also objected to the proposed plan of the Government, seeing that it proposed to increase the number of the Metropolitan members. Now, his opinion was that instead of being increased they ought to be lessened. (A laugh.) The proposed addition in this respect was a subject of serious consideration to the house. As, however, it was said that this was a matter that ought to be considered in committee, he would not farther occupy the attention of the house. Captain CARNEGIE said what he complained of was, that the bill did not go far enough. He should be glad that Gloucester, Wakefield, and Berwick-upon-Tweed had been included in the disfranchising clauses of the measure, as these borough had given proofs that they were influenced by corrupt motives in sending members to Parliament. (Hear.) The claims of Salford, of the county of Cork, of Staleybridge, Aberdeen, and other places, had been urged upon the consideration of the house for an additional mem ber. His opinion was that that place which made out the strongest claim ought to have the benefit of the representa tion they asked for. lie saw no special reason why one of the seats in question should be given to the West Riding of Yorkshire, while there were other places that could show stronger claims to be represented in that house. And hero he must urge upon the house the very great claims which the universities of Scotland had to be represented in that house. Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin had two members each, but the universities of Scotland were not represented here. This being the case he thought the modest demand which the Scotch universities made for one member ought not to be overlooked; and he was sure of this that any member who was returned by the constituencies of the Scotch universities would be an honour and credit to that house. (lit ar, hear.) Mr, PEACOCK expressed his regret that the opportu nity of affording a direct representation to the working classes in that house had been thrown away. Recent legis lation had tended materially to improve the position of the working classes in the country, and yet it was to be re • gretted that the class of our fellow-citizens had no di rec t representation within the walls of that assembly. Under the Reform Bill the classes whose interests were taken care of were those in the middle ranks of society, and it ought now to be their duty to sce that the working classes should be represented in some way. lie would take the two large towns of Liverpool and Manchester, and he would ask, why not add to the representation of these towns, an additional member to each, to be returned by electors rated under £lO ? The £lO franchise under the Reform Bill gave the borough representation into the hands of a parti • cuter class, but it was their duty to extend the franchise in the way he suggested, in order that the representatives of the working classes might eit side by side in that house with the representatives of the £lO franchise, and thus the working classes would, through their direct representa tives, have an opportunity of having their views and feel ings brought fully and fairly under the consideration of that branch of the Legislature. (Hear, hear.) The only way in which the working classes had of making them selves heard in the country was by attending monster and suss, ilhe meetings, and it was possible that during a period of excitement In the country their attendance at these meet ings might lead to inconvenience. But it they had a direct representation by the means which he suggested in that house, they would not be induced to attend such meet ings, but would be content that their views came properly before that house through the medium of their recognised representatives. For himself he must say he had every confidence in the working classes, and he was satisfied they would send proper and effi cient members to represent them in the Legislature. The constituencies of the metropolis possessed an in fluence which was not adequately represented by the mere numerical votes of their representatives ; for whenever a metropolitan grievance was brought forward, if there wore only a vhadow of foundation for it, it was immediately re dressed. The representation of Kensington and Chelsea would not effect tho enfranchisement of any new class of the community, and for that reason ho strongly objected to _ _ it. lie could only say ho had a strong feeling on the sub. ject, and if any lon. gentleman would move in committee a resolution embodying the views he had enunciated, he might rely upon his receiving the most cordial support from him. Mr. LOCKE said that he should not have risen to speak in that debate had it not been for the usual attack on the metropolitan members. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) The hon. member for Maldon came forward in a generous way on that occasion, and seeing four seats vacant expressed his readiness that they should be given to the working classes. According to his plan, however, those four representatives would be elected on different conditions to the remainder of the house ; but, setting aside that consideration, he would ask the hon. gentleman whether the working classes, who numbered 6,000,000, according to the esti mate of the hon. member for Norfolk, were likely to be put off by a representation of four members. If they were, he should say that they would forfeit all claim to the intelligent character which was attributed to them without contradiction. The hon, member for Norfolk had expressed a great aversion to the metropolitan members, but he did not see that he had given them any good reasons for that opinion. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Having himself had a long experience as a member for a metropolitan borough, ho was altogether unable to confirm what had Lech a a srl by the hon. member for Maldon as to tho ease and readiness with which metropolitan grie vances were redressed. On the contrary, he generally found said the fact of a complaint being metropolitan, disinclined the Government to attend. to it, while a grievance brought frou; Inland kialccliotely oll§tvtl otrog feeling 9i4244 nos sirens the English members which led to its speedy cor rection--(latigixtet from the Irish members) and the Scotch members showed themselves fully sensible of the value of union, for no matter wbether a Lord Advocate was Whig or Tory, he dined at Greenwich with the other Scotch members. (Laughter.) Now the hon. member for Norfolk had brought forward some figures which nobody had risen to answer, because no one thought there was any thing in them, and he did not think there was much. The hon. gentleman said that the counties should have more members. (Conservative cheers.) The hon. gentleman contended in support of that proposition by a reference to the population of the country districts. But what was that population ? Why it was composed of those very working classes to which the hon. gentleman and hon. gentlemen opposite persisted in denying the franchise. (Cheers ) Then with regard to his other point, that of taxation. If taxation were to bo the criterion, what place could have a better claim to increased representation than the metro polis? Whether from population, therefore, or taxation, or the interests it contained, were derived the proper basis of the representation, the metropolis was entitled to a much larger share than it at present enjoyed. Its population was nearly 3,000,000, while its representatives were only 18 in number, or 20, including the two members for Middlesex. On this question, therefore, the hon. member for Norfolk, in advocating his extraordinary views on the question of Reform, scarcely did justice to himself, and he hoped that, after having had an opportunity of re-considering them, he would, when the subject was next under consideration, ad dress them a wiser and better man. (Cheers and laughter.) Mr. BLACKBURN deprecated the principle laid down by the right hon. gentleman the Home Secretary in intro ducing the bill, that because these were English seats they ought to be given to England, for if that principle were to be fully carried out, any re-distribution of seats which would redress the grievance of Scotland would henceforth bo impossible. No more distinction should now be made between the country north and south of the Tweed than was now made with reference to the Thames, the Trent, or the 1 yne. Looking at the comparative representation of England and Scotland, he had found that in 10 counties south of the Thames, with the county of Middlesex, more representatives were enjoyed than was enjoyed in Scot land ; yet now it was proposed to enfranchise Kensington and Chelsea, a district which, with a less intellectual com munity than that of Lanarkshire, only produced asparagus and mushrooms. (Cheers and laughter.) Lord ENFIELD expressed his gratification at the sub ject having been taken in hand by the Government. Per sonalities had unfortunately entered into the discussion, but he could assure the house that, while the rural districts were not denied their full rights to a fair share in the repre sentation, on the other hand, there was no reason to put objections to the metropolitan members. He feared the hon. member for Norfolk bad not taken into account schedule D as well as schedule A of the income tax, in re ference to his relative estimate of taxation. Mr. C. BRUCE said that the united Universities of Scotland were, on every showing, fairly entitled to be re presented ; and, were the point conceded, the house would gain an irreproachable constituency, while the cause of education in Scotland would receive a powerful impetus. Colonel DUNNE said the agricultural and landed inte • rests were not fairly represented, and this was especially the case with regard to Ireland. Boroughs were much better represented in that house than the counties were. This was proved by statistics; for whereas in boroughs there was one member to £127,274 in the valuation, there was in the counties only one to £380,906. Some hon. gen tlemen had talked of the working classes being represented. No doubt they ought to be represented, and were repre sented, but it was not by those whom they called their owss members, but by his (the Conservative) side of the house. (Opposition cheers.) In proof of this, he would ask who it was that supported the Ten Hours' Bill, the bill for Fencing Machinery, and the Factories and Bleaching Works Bills? They had been carried by that (the Oppo sition) side of the house, with one or two splendid excep • tions, as, for instance, when the hon. member for Sheffield raised his voice on. behalf of the working men. In fact, liberty in the mouths of such persons was similar to liberty in the mouths of the Southern secession party in America, with whom it signified liberty to retain their slaves in bon dage. The Southern Americans were . always talking of liberty, but did not extend it to their slaves; and some members professing to represent the working classes in that house acted in the same way. He thought in justice one of those seats ought to go to Ireland. (Ileer, hear, and laughter.) Last year two of them were promised to Ireland, and no one objected ; with what show of reason, therefore, could they object this year ? (Hear.) Though 105 was the proportion settled for Ireland at the Union, the population had gone on increasing, and there was no reason why the representation should remain at that num. her. He contended that the representation was at present very unequal, and should be more fairly balanced ; for there was in England ono member to 36,612, in Ireland one to 65,924, and in Scotland one to 54,000. Two of there seats having been promised to Treland last year, he did not see how they could justly be refused now. Mr. JACKSON advocated the claims of Birkenhead, which he said would begin with 5,319 voters, of whom 2,500 were over the £2O rental ; there were between 50,000 ana (*emu inuatntants, ana tn.e number was co nstantly in creasing with a rapidity unexampled in any other part of the country. In fact, by the time this measure came into operation in December, the number of voters Would have increased to over 6,000. Mr. HORSMAN bogged to draw the attention of th: house to one point which had not been adverted to i n the debate. A paper had been put into his hand by an hon. member which led him to think that the conclusions which his hon. friend bad arrived at would lead the house to one result. „He stated that there were twenty metropolitan representatives, and that if they took the population into account there ought to be 40 members. Iledoubted it if they were to take the number of representatives by those who theoretically sat for those constituencies. Here was a list of no fewer than seven very eminent London bankers, all of them representing etherconstituencies, but whose residences and interests were all in the City of London. (Hear.) Then he found that there were also no less than eight Bank di rectors, who also sat in that house as the representatives of other constituencies. There were also four aldermen of the City of London who represented rural constituencies. There were also five great merchant princes, eminent London mer chants, representing distinct constituencies from those of London; but no man in that house would say that where the interests of the metropolis were concerned, they would not be representatives as accessible and as efficient as any of those who represented a metropolitan borough. (Hear.) Then, there were six very eminent shipowners, whose com mercial interests were in the City of London ; and without going more minutely through the list, he might say there were no less than 40 members in that house, in addi - tion to the 20—all eminent men, all as available, as fit, and as well adapted to represent the Metropolitan inte rests as any metropolitan member who represented them. (Hear.) That was putting out of the question a great many others who, like himself, were electors for metropolitan districts, having property in those districts, and who were entitled to assist in all matters of local interest, and who were more or less representatives of metropolitan consti tuencies. So far, therefore, from there being only 20 re presentatives, there were more than the number of 40 mem bers, which was the number demanded by his hon. friend (Mr. Locke). He would say, then, that there sat in that house from 40 to 50 members unconnected with the repre sentation of metropolitan districts, who still were as di rectly connected with all metropolitan interests as any of those who had been elected to that house. There was another point which was very much lost sight of, which was that in the claim of any constituency to representation the question of locality and vicinity should be considered. He held that any borough being within the vicinity of the me tropolis, having two members residing within 10 miles of the metropolis, and who were always accessible, did not re quire so many representatives as a district in Ireland or Scotland of the same population. For those reasons he thou g ht ^ esoeeties. er g ravy avuht whether the metro polis was not represented far more in proportion than more distant constituencies who had greater claims. (Hear, hear.) Lord J. MANNERS said the principle under discussion in the Government Bill was the distribution of the four vacant seats, and the question for the consideration of the house was the distribution of those seats. His opinion was that two of those seats ought to be disposed of in a different manner, and he:must say that he thought the Government/ in the disposal of the seats, might give a third seat to the West Riding of Yorkshire, which at present had but two members, but whose population and importance justly en titled it to look for a third member to represent its great interests. Mr. ROUPELL said that many of the objections which had been raised by hon. members to the Government bill might be far more fitly made in committee. He merely rose to express his entire dissent from the opinion of the right hon. gentleman the member for Stroud. It appeared to him a most extraordinary notion that the metropolis should be considered as represented by 40 or 50 members, who were returned by other constituencies, because they were more or less interested. (Hear, hear.) Surely the noble lord the member for Marylebone might be considered as representing an Irish borough. (Hear.) Nothing could be more absurd than to say that the metropolis was represented by 40 or 50 gentlemen who were supposed at the same time to represent their own constituencies. (Hear.) Did they repre sent their own constituencies, or did they not ? They might represent the general interests of the country, but it was idle to say that those seven or eight bankers, those eight directors, and also those gentlemen who were con nected with the shipping interests were sent to that house as the representatives of the metropolitan constituencies, rather than the constituencies that returned them to that I house. Lord W. GRAHAM was anxious to ask her Majesty's Government what course they meant to pursue with regard to the motion put on the paper by the hon. member for Finsbury (Mr. Duncombo). He put that question because he thought it might influence certain members when the house wont into committee ox that bill. Now, if the Go • vernment did not intend to oppose that motion it would be unwise in them, in his opinion, to proceed further with the present bill. (Hear.) The result of the census next year might alter materially the determination which hon. mem bvrs 09140 t 9 as to too places cia which additivAg No' presentatives should be conferred. The Government mu, it, he presumed, have fully made uptheir mind on the que and he desired to be iuformd whether they intends d to support or oppose the motionof the hon. member f or Fiasbury. Mr. COLLINS said ho was gad the vacant seats were to be filled up, but he cotasideredthat the West Riding of York had not meted out to it tbat measure of justice whi , sh was promised last year. He blight they might vote far the second reading of th." bill, tnd then in committee me such amendments as they believed desirable. Mr. V. SCULLY wished that the silence of the 10 ifit members might not be interpreted as an approv - fd of t measure. They had heard claims made for the vacant se:..' ta on the part of Scotland and the metropolis, but in his op nion they ought to be kept open u ntil a bone fide reform bi 11 was introduced. He protested against this miserable al td. wretched apology for a reform and if any hon. member divided the house he should v o t e against the second read in g. Major PARKER said that he ha.i received a letter fr( ,m the mayor of the ancient borough of Sudbury which he should like to communicate to the hong:. For three eel t - turies, up to the year 84, when the borough was dis franchised, it enjoyed theprivilege of returning two men t bers to Parliament in cersideration of services rendered t o the Crown. The western division of Suffolk, in vvhich Sud !- bury was situated, returned only 9 members, while tb e county of Sussex returned 18, Wiltshire 18, and B,Acking hamshire 11. The mayor poin t e d out that numerous other, constituencies had been convicted of bribery and corrupt: f on* and yet they were allowed to retain the right of electing r 'ems presentatives. In Gloucester and Wakefield the writs werck suspended, and at Berwick •on-Tweed the house could not forget what had very recently occurred. Would the Govern ment deal out the saute penalties to those smaller consti tuencies who had fallen into the grievous error of corrup- . tion and bribery as they now proposed to inflict on the larger delinquents ? The bill was then r e ad a second time, and the considera tion in committee fixed for Thursday week. HIGHWAYS BILL. Sir G. C. LEWIS moved the second reading of this bill. He hoped the house would assent to the motion, as the mea sure had been fully discussed last session. (Cries of "No, no.") Mr. HENLEY said he trusted the hon. gentleman would not, at so late an hour, ask the house to consider a measurer with reference to which many bon. gentlemen desired to ...pre.. their epionn. Lord PALIIE itSTON moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr. II appcalcd to the rigM hon. gentleman to fin some definite period when hon. members interested in this important question might rely that the bill would be discussed. Sir G• C. LEWIS would do his best to name a day when the house could, without further delay or postponement, consider the bill. CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION AND AMENDMENT. • On the motion of the SOLICITOR-GENERAL the Select Committee on Criminal Law and Consolidation Amendment was appointed, to consist of the following members Attorney-General, Mr. Solicitor-General, Sir George Cornewall Lewis, the Lord Advocate, Sir Fitzroy Sir Hugh Cairns, Mr. Whiteside, Mr. George, Hr. Mure, Mr. Massey, Mr. Henley, Mr. Selwyn, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Gaythorne Hardy, Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Edwin James, Mr. Butt, Mr. Macaulay, Mr. Mellor, Mr. Sergeant King— lake, Mr. Bovill, Mr. Cobbett, Mr. Collier, Mr. Locke, Mr. Hadfield, Mr. M'Mahon, Mr. Ewert, Mr. Digby Seymour, Mr. Denman, and Mr. Ayrton ; power to send for persons, papers, a nd records ; five to be the quorum. The house then adjourned at ten minutes to 12 o'clock. COUNTRY MARLETS. COLCHESTER-FEB. 23. A moderate supply of wheat ; best samples readily rea— lised the fall prices of last week ; inferior parcels difficult of sale. Fine malting barley commands full prices, and oth e r sorts dull. Beans and peas as before. Wheat, white ....60s to 68s Beans, Mazagan..36s to 42s red ......44s to 60s Middle & small 44s to 50a Barley Oats ..—s to —s Girey.. 424 to 488 CHY.LMSFORO-FEB. 22. A fair number of samples of wheat on offer, but the business done was very limited, at barely previous prices. Spring corn firm. Wheat, white 39s to 63s i Peas, Partridge ..43s to 44s red 48s to 60s I White 43s to 46s farley 29s to 42s Boiling 438 to 47a Chevalier ....32s to 458 Dun 39s to 42s Grinding 26s to 378 Beans, Tick ....36s to 44s lalt 61s to 67s Harrow Ticks 37s to 47s Chevalier 6ls to G9s Mazagan 30s to 41s Oats , 26s to 32a NORTIIAMPTON—FEB. 23. At this corn-market tho wheat supply was a limited one, with a fair demand, prims ranging from 648 to 68s for old, and 42s to 62s for new. In barley a steady business, malting 38s to 435, grinding ,298 to 328 per qr. Oats in small supply, and prices as ku."ore—quoted at 22s to 388 per 24 stone. Beans, old, 51s 1.0 56s ; peas, 40s to 508. Rye, 37s to 42s ; malt, 68s to 725 ; flo u r, 33s to 34s p er sack KIRKALDY-FEB. 23, We bad only moderate supplies to-day a wheat and barley, but large of oats. Last week's rates were realised for wheat and barley, and oats sold at rather more money. Wheat Barley Oats First.... 33s Od 31s Od 203 0(1 Second.. 563 Od 41s Od 28s Od Third .. 60s 6d 43s Od 32s Od TILE MAILS. MAILS DUE. Australia, Ceylon, and Mauritius (via South ampton) • • .. .. Mar. 21. Do. (via Marseilles) Mar. 15. Brazil and Cape Verde • • .. .. Mar. 6. Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. .. Feb. Cuba and MeXiC9 • • • • • .. Feb. 2S Canada, &c. (via L'derry) Overdue. Cape of Good Hope, &c. March 1. China, Penang, and Singapore (via S'ampton) Mar. 6. Do (via Marseilles) Feb. 27. Gibraltar (via Southampton) .. Feb. 25. India(Calcutta), Ceylon, &c. (via Southampton) Feb. —. Do. (via Marseilles) Feb. 27. India (Bombay), (via Southampton) .. Feb. 25. Do. (via Marseilles) .. Feb. 27. Lisbon .• .• •• .• Feb.2l. Malta, Egypt, and Aden (via Southampton) .. Mar. 6. Do. (via Marseilles) Feb. 27. Vigo, and Oporto .. .. Mar. 1. United States, California, .......Feb.b. 28. Western Coast of Atrica, Madeira, Teneriffe .. Mar. 10. West Indies and P a cifi c , C a Tchagena, Cuba, &c. Feb. 28. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—The following are not the least re rucirkable among the numerous ex,;raordinary cures with out medicine effected by Du Barry's delicious Health 4 i s s s Re storing Revalenta Arabica Food. Cure No. Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Vicarage, Waltham-cross, s , Herts : a cure of extreme nervousness, indige,qion, gather ings, low spirits, and nervous fancies. Cure 4x,,314. Miss Elizabeth Yeoman, Gateacre, near Liverpool; a cure of 10 years dyspepsia and all the horrors of nervous irritability. Cure 18,216. Dr. Andrew Ure, of constipation, dyspepsia, nervous irritability. Cure 34,210. Dr. Shorland, of dropsy and debility. Cure 36,212. Captain Allan of epßeptic fits. Cure 46,814. Mr. Samuel Layton, Leidester, of two years diarrhoea. Cure 54,812. Miss Vir ginia Zeguers, cured of consumption, after her medical adviser had abandoned all hopes of recovery'.. Avoid Pills and Medicines : they invariably aggravate and perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, disappointment, and expense may be avoided by using Du Barry's Food which, at a few pence per day, saves a , times its cost in other remedies, removing effectually, a ,trout purging, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia) nervous, bilious and liver complaints and all their consequences. Certificate No. 36,418. We find it the safest remedy. Andrew Uro s MD., F.R.S. Dr Harvey, Dr. Wurzer, Dr. Shorland, Dr.. Campell. Let invalids avoid the fearful dangers of spu rious and injurious imitations offered under a variety of false pretences. Nevill's imitations aro prohibited by the high Court of Chancery under a penalty of £5,000 against Alfred Hooper Nevill and his agents ; and the pretences that Ncvill has a patent f o r Aratiza Food and that :Ou Barry's are connected with such patent are utterly fake. No canister is genuine without the name Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, in full, ontheseal and wrapper. Shopkeepers who attempt imposition in one' article must expect to ho distrusted in all others. Packed in tins 11b. 28. 9d.; 21b. 45, Gd. ; 61b. lls. ; 121 b. 225. ; 241 b. 40s. The 121 b. and 241 b. canisters are sent carriage free on receipt of Post-office order by Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Re gent-street, London; Fortnum Mason, and Co.; Abbic, 60, Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 63 and 150, Ox bard-street; 330 and 451, Strand; 49 and 60, Bishopegate street ; Batty, 16, Finsbury Pavement ; Phillips and Co. tea-dealers; Petty, Wood, and Co., King William-street City ; at 127 High Holborn ; and all grocers• B I It T II S. BARKER.—On the 24th inst., at Twickenham, the wife of John E. Barker, Esq., of a daughter. SMITIL—On the 23d inst., in Grosvenor-street, Lady Smith, of Suttons, of a son and heir. TAYLOR.—On the 23d inst., at Upway Rectory, Dorset, the lady of Capt a i n Ralph Neufville Taylor, of a eon. MARRIAGES. EVANS — GRIFFITHS.—On the 23d inst., at All Saints', Wokingham, Berks, Lieut.-Colonel William E. Evans, Ist Bombay Fusiliers, to Caroline Ann, only daughter of William Griffiths, Esq., of Great Cumberland place, Hyde- park. FtNctum—ADAMS.—On the 20th Dec., at the Cathedral, Hong Kong, Alfred Fincham, Esq., of Canton, to Ann Maria, eldest daughter of the Hon. W. H. Adams, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. DEA.THg. BERRY.—On the 23d inst., at Islington, Samuel Blake Berry, Esq., many years representative of the house of Day and Martin. LAWRENCE.—On the 24th inst., at 2, Upper Hyde-park gardens, Edith Hamilton, infant daughter of Sir John and R L l ady — Law n h r t en e ce. ME 23d inst., at Upper Tooting, John elhuish, Esq., aged 76 . OLIVER.—On the 25th inst., at Swilley H ouse , near Devon port, Robert Moon Oliver, Esq., aged 72. WuorrEsi.Er.—On the 24th inst., at Clifton, the Hon. Charles Alexander Wrottesley, second - son of the Ist Lord Wrottesley, late of the 29th Regiment, aged 62. LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, at No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TUE SUN Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County a Mb:Wiens, nudity. February 20, 1601.