The Sun. — London, England, 1854-06-28 00:00:00

W 1 • 1 "'" d othe r of time t Malta cow nce feroph o 11" la .11". f der off sh° en _ 014 oa 2 rci,. ° , 0010 a Beta i 01 fait 4131 n 0 pOl v - o n aviDg 3 63 ores, coris l , I t °: daft via hol ,he avr°V o t ng tial ",,s pr . e B eP os bise nt 0811 Of o dua 3oo 0 eeS• 11 0 nr, v.—, , Fee". VrII.TT'I I WtL p PT T.A.,ATFNTT liv 0:Z.; o.b ' CU-A - 1%10 lei DA.11.) The SPIISKER took the choir at t.velve o'clock . ; THIRD READINGS. The Blackburn Improvement Bill; the Eastern Coun ties Railway Bill ; the Ambergate, Nottingham, And. Boston Bill ; the Aberdeen Shoeinakers' Bill, were read a third time and passed. PETITIONS; Petitions were presented by Mr. SPOONEE, froM copy holders at Worcester, complaining that the Church Es tates Commissioners refuse to enfranchise copyliold estates ; by Mr. PETO, from places in Cheshire, against church rates ; by Mr. HORSFALL, from shipowners of Liverpool, against certain clauses of the Mercantile Ma rine Bill ; by Mr, LocKE KING, from Wimbledon, for closing public houses on Sundays. LIMITED LIABILITY. Mr. POTTER rose and said, that in consequence of the unanimous resolution passed by the house last even ing, relating to the important question of limited liabi lity in certain cases of partnership, and inasmuch as the noble lord the Secretary for the Home Department, and the Attorney-General for England, in the observations made by them, did not assure the house that a bill would be introduced on this important subject, he begged to give notice that he should, on an early day in the next session, move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act of the 21st and 22d Geo. 111., chap. 46 (Irish), entitled " An Act to Promote Trade and Manufacture by Regulating and Encouraging Partnerships." (Hear.) MORTMAIN BILL. On the order of the day for going into committee on this bill, Mr. GREEN-stated that there was a strong feeling in the country against passing this bill in its present form. If it passed in its present form he had not the least doubt it would most injuriously affect a large num ber of most valuable charities throughout the country. Under those circumstances, he hoped his hon.- friend (Mr. Headlam) would consent either to alter the form of the bill or to withdraw it altogether for the present.. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HEADLAM explained the course he had taken on this bill in select' committee during two sessions, and said he hod not brought in the bill till two successive Governments refused to do so. At the same time, - he was willing to give way to the wishes of the house in modifying certain clauses. He regretted that no mem ber of the Government was now present. He thought they ought to be—(hear hear)—for there barely could be a more important bill. He was, however, quite in the hands of the house. (Hear, hear.) Mr. GOULBU RN considered they ought to have the presence of some of the legal members of the Govern ment to give their opinion on this important bill, and he thought it ought to be postponed for that purpose. 'Mr. HADFIELD thought the manner in which the attempts of any private member to introduce important bills was received was most discoura g ing, and byno mem bers of the house - were such laudable attempts more frowned upon than by the legal members of the Govern ment for the time being. He thought the hon. and learned member (Mr. Headlam) deserved the thanks of the house for having brought in this bill, and he hoped he would press it into committee. Mr. WALPOLE thought some protest ought to be made on the part of the house against the fact of not one single member of the Government being present, who were bound to watch such highly important mea sures as the present. (Hear.) He would suggest to his hon. friend (Mr. Headlam) to postpone the bill till some other orders of the day should be disposed of, and then, perhaps, some members of the Government would be present. (Hear.) Mr. MASSEY thought no sufficient reason had been advanced to induce the house not to proceed with the bill. After the. Government had allowed the bill to be read a second time, they ought to have been present, and some stand ought to be made against this practice, which was not the practice of this Government only, but of every Government. (Hear.) Mr. BOUVERIk thought it would be unworthy the dignity of the house if they were to acknowledge, by. not proceeding now with the bill because certain members of the Government were not present, that they were not themselves competent to deal with such a bill. (Hear.) Mr. SPOONER. thought it would greatly facilitate the passing of the bill if the house knew the intentions of the Goverriment on it, and he concurred in the suggestion of the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Walpole) to postpone it till some other orders of the day were disposed of. Mr. HATHERTON hoped the house would go into committee at once on this bill, for the introduction of which he considered the hon. and learned gentleman (Mr. Headlam) deserved the thanks of the house and the country. Mr. MOWBRAY concurred in the 'suggestion for postponing the consideration of this bill till after the other orders of the day were disposed of, and he moved that it be at once so postponed. Mr. HEADLAM said he had heard no objections to any portion of the bill but the lath and 16th clauses., and he should consent to postpone those two clauses, if the house wished, till some members of the Government were present. The house then divided on Mr. Mowbray's motion for postponing the consideration of the bill till some of the other orders of the day were disposed of. The num bers were — For the motion Against it 55 Majority for the motion —l9 The motion for postponing the bill was accordingly carried. PUBLIC LIBRARIES BILL. The house then went into committee on this bill, and the various clauses were agreed to without discussion, and the bill passed through committee. PROPERTY DISPOSAL BILL. Mr. NAPIER said he had been requested by Mr. Whiteside to ask leave to postpone this bill for a fort night, and to state that he did not intend to proceed with it further this session. (Hear, hear.) _ MORTMAIN BILL. Much amusement was caused by the Clerk then reading again the order of the day for going into com mittee on this bill. Mr. MOWBRAY then moved that the consideration of the bill be postponed till after the other orders of the day were disposed of. Mr. BOUVERIE repeated his previous observation, that it would be unworthy of the house to refuse to go on with the bill because the law officers of the Crown were not present. • Mr. BOWYER considered the further consideration of the bill ought to be postponed titl next session. Mr. GOULBURN thought the house ought to go at once into committee on the bill. Mr. MOWBR A.Y . said a suggestion was made to him by his honourable and learned friend (Mr. Headlam), that he had no objection to postpone the consideration of the 13th and 16th clauses fur the present, provided the house went at once into committee on the bill. Under those circumstances he begged to withdraw his . motion. • The motion was then,' by leave, withdrawn, and-the house went into committee on the bill. On clause 3, which provided that the quantity of land to be devised for the purposes of building schools or churches, should be limited to five acres, Mr. MULLINGS moved an amendment, that the quantity should be limited to two acres. Lard PALMERSTON•(who had entered the house a few minutes previously) Supported .the original propo sition of the clause. . Mr. MAGUIRE considered that burial grounds should be exempted from the "operations of the bill. • After a good deal of diScassion, the amendment was withdrawn. [LEFT SITTING.] STATE OF TRADE. ( From the Manchester Guardian of this day.) MANCHESTER, JUNE 27. —From the United States we learn that the markets for cotton, were showing a slight improvement at the latest dates ; middling being quoted Bc. per lb on the 10th inst. at New Orleans, with freight at ; and Tic. per lb, freight 13-16 d. on the same date at Mobile. The indications of a favourable change on this side at the end of May had just reached New York. The receipts of cotton continued large for the lateness of the season. The reports of the growing crop were satisfabtory. In Liverpool, cotton continues at least firm in price, and .spinners are adding to their stocks. The b;ghly propi tious state of the weather for crops of all kinds, contri butes, with other favourable circumstances, to strengthen the confidence of the commercial pub lic, and augment the demand for our staple produc tions. Feeling this, and finding, also, that the raw material constantly tends upward in price, both spinners . and manufacturers are showing a farther disposition to harden in their terms. To a considerable extent, the former are requiring another ad. per lb. In long cloths, T's, and domestics there is a stiffening rather than a positive advance in the quotations ; while the makers of most kinds of printing cloths are getting lid. more. It is found, however, that buyers hesitate to pay anything beyond the attainable rates of last week, though, at those rates, they wo uld now p urchase more freely than they did then. The business of the day is therefore greatly restricted. But, in general, sellers have done rather better for themselves than they did before. - HALIFAX, Juno 24.—1 n our piece hall to-day there has been rather more inquiry for lastings, but the sales have not been& extensive. Prices are very unsatisfac tory. The yarn trade continues languid, and merchants are unwilling to give out orders, except at rates wholly unremunerative to the spinner. There is little doing in wool, with the turn in favour of the buyer. ROCHDALE, June 26.—We have undergone little or no change, either in prices or amount of bu-iness trans acted since last week. The merchants continue to buy very sparingly such goods as they may be in immediate want of. In wool there is no change, either in price or dt;avind. HUDDERSFIELD, June 27.—The market has been attended by several buyers from London houses, and on the Whole a fair business has been done, contrasted with the run of business for some months past. Compared with last week, there has, how ever been a • slight falling off ; goods Of low" And middle qualities are mainly in demand; those of the bet ter qualities not being much inquired for. The wool trade has improved a little since last week. It is understood that Colonel ;William B. Dundas, C. 8., formerly inspector of Royal Artillery, will succeed Colonel Dyneley, C. 8., in the comm Lnd of the Royal Artillery in Ireland, on the promotion of the latter to be Major- General. " TEN TTIOTTSAYD A YEAR." f 11:2. e6ition. U /'CII, .1 ItOUSaii.Cl a Y hll r,.;•_LLI. wiLa peculiar interest by its not easily numerable ad mirers—in other words, by a very considerable proportion of the reading population. By none, however, will it be perused with more plea - Sure than by those who may formerly have been disposed to quarrel with the biting severity of its pungent and acrid satire. By a few inimitable touches. Mr. WaVren .demolishes many enormous webs of misapprehension. The "Preface" is as follows : "The author having now bestowed upon this work a rigorous and final revision, hopes ho may be allowed to say a word to the reader, before it leaves his hand for ever, to take its chance of appearing before posterity. "Ten Thousand a Year is a fiction, the plot of which was contrived with great care for the purpose' of '44.: once exerting and sustaining, as far as possible, the reader's interest, and exhibiting in a .course of natural events, and by the agei.cy of natural .characterS, the aspect socially, professionally, politically, and religiously of English society in the' nineteenth centuiy; For this reason the tale travels over a great space of ground, and deals with almost every class of society. With-. out sharing the opinion attributed to Mr. Titmouse (vol. i., p. 9), that the only real distinction between Mankind is that effected by money'—the author considers it an enormous engine :for developing and testing the character of man, individually and collectively. With this view, having called up before his mind's eye.a con siderable number of widely dissimilar characters, in different positions in life, he described the sudden loss of a splendid fortune by one, and its acquisition and sub sequent loss by another, with all their agitating and vividly illustrating incidents ; his object being to teach, by the form of action and events, important moral les sons. How this is brought. about, and how far the at tempt may be deemed successful, must now be deter mined by a candid and competent reader. " Some parts of Ten Thousand a Year have been written with a pen dipped freely and deeply into satire ; but never with any other object than to disoriminate be tween virtue and vice, between sincerity and hypocrisy. Every institution has its defects, every ordor of men its unworthy members; and that writer deserves no serious attention, and will produce no salutary effect, on his reader's mind, who confounds individuals with the class to which they belong, and exhibits derogatory views of a system or institution, instead of tracing out, as with a caustic pencil, what are deemed the faulty parts. "The author hopes that he will not be judged in too harsh and exacting a spirit in respect of anything to be found in this work; but that some licence may be allowed to one whose aim is not alone to instruct, but to amuse. He has received, from time to time, a great number of letters, one or two of them suggesting that he has sinned in respect of some of the matters above referred to. A Peer wrote to him to complain of his having intended to ridicule the aristocracy by the character, sayings, and doings attributed to the Earl of Dredlington and Lady Cecilia ; and some months afterwards he received an extremely violent letter from a linendraper, accusing him of an intention to render that respectable calling. odious. To charges such as these he is not concerned to give an answer. As reasonably might members of either House of Parliament, or of 'either branch of the legal profession, deem themselves wrongett and misrepresented, because certain unworthy and con temptible individuals belonging to them are placed in unfavourable contrast to those constituting the great body of worthy and honourable members of these classes. The Author lately, however, received an earnest and courteous remonstrance from 'an eminent Dissenting minister against the alleged tendency of Ten Thousand a Year, to exhibit disparaging views of Dissenters gene rally. The Author solemnly disclaims having ever been actuated by such unjust, and unchristian feelings and intentions. He knows much and great to the honour of the' Dissenters ; and would consider himself acting unworthily as a member of the Church of England, if he presumed to speak, or leave on record, a single disre spectful word concerning any denomination whatever of professing Christians. If the Reverend Dismal Horror,' and the Reverend Smirk Mudflint,' typify bad specimens of Dissenting thiniAters, surely the Reverend Morphine Velvet,' and the Reverend Gideon Fleshpot,' are by no means desirable representatives of the Church of England clergy. " Amongst many letters of a 'different character, the Author received - one, a few years ago; from a town in the state of kentucky, U.S., of which the following, with the suppression of several enthusiastic expressions, is an exact copy. The letter is subscribed with the writer's name, and found its way, addressed simply To the Author of Ten Thousand a Year, London, Eng land.' He lately discovered the writer to be a gentle man now occupying a high position in American society, and who recently filled an important and responsible office in the State : " < Kentucky, U.S. " Sir,—Permit an humble individual, and a stranger, to express to you the gratification and delight your in structive work Ten Thousand a Year has afforded Mtn. Instructive it was ; for, at the time I had the pleasure of perusing it, misfortune had laid her heavy hand upon me, and sometimes when those who instead of aiding rather assisted in oppressing me, my heart would fail me ; but when I thought of Charles Aubrey, as portrayed by you, who, though born to affluence, and reared in luxury, how he bore his misfortunes, I felt ashamed that I, but a mechanic, ono of the toiling millions to whom God had given health and strength, should so far forget his goodness as to despair ; so I put my shoulder to the wheel right man fully, and turned neither to the right nor to the left, and with a firm reliance on His providence, determined to extricate myself from the pecuniary embarrassments I was surrounded with, and have succeeded. " 'As to glorious Kate, I cannot tell you how I appre ciate" her character, more than by saying that I hope sincerely the little stranger born to me some few nights ago, whom I have taken the liberty of naming Kate Aubrey,' will take her namesake as a pattern of excel lence, and follow it. " You will please accept these few lines in the spirit they are sent, from one who may never see your face, and has no motive in addressing you but the pleasure of paying homage, not to kings, or to high birth, but where it is due. Believe me, sir, I wish you happiness and prosperity, " C C " If the writer of this letter should see these pages, he is assured that the author of this work has been per haps more gratified by the foregoing communication, than by any that have hitherto reached him with refer ence to Ten Thousand Year. "'lnner Temple, London, April, 1854." LLOYD'S SHIPPING-(THIS DAY.) LONDON, June 28. Wind this day at Noon, S.S.B. ; strong breeze, with alternate cloud and sunshine, and occasional showers of rain. PORTSMOUTH, June 27.—Wind, 'W.S.W. Arrived — La Bella Dolinda, from Antwerp, for Genoa ; Geradino Klazina, Rotterdam, for Civita Vecchia ; Charlemagne, London, for Jamaica ; Johanna Henrietta, Charlestown, for Surinam. COWES, June 27.—Wind, S.W. Arrived-Emnresa, from Amsterdam, for Gijon ; Johann, Porto Rico ; Nuestra Senora del Pilau, Havannah, and sailed for Ham burgh ; So.xonville, Mato.nza.s. SALCO3IBE, June 27.—Wind, W. Arrived— Contest, from Messina. PLYMOUTH, June 27.—Wind, W.S.W. Arrived—Le titia, from Honduras; Panope, London, for Genoa. —The Roslin Castle sunk at her moorings in Stonehaven Pool, having filled from the' bowsprit, after ballasting. GRAVESEND, June 27:—The Ostsee (Russian prize) has arrived here from Cronstadt. • FALMOUTH, Juno 27.—Wind, W.S.W. Arrived 7 -- Othello, from Mac aio, for Liverpool; Gazelle, Tenez ; Eliza, Paraiba; Prospero, Porto Rico ; Clothilde, Ha vannah ; Persian (s s), Liverpool, for Genoa, with tele graph cable shifted; Thetis, do., for Tonsberg, with rudder_ carried away. • SUNDERLAND, June 27.—Wind, W.S.W. Arrived — Magdalena, from Christinia. SHIELDS, June 27.—Wind, S.W. Arrived—Ark, from Carthagena ; Enterprise, do. ; Jonge Hermann, Tonning. HULL, June 27.—Wind, S.W. Arrived—Moderate, from Eupatoria ; Triumphant, Girgenti. BRIDGEWATER, June 27.—Wind, S.W. Arrived — Louisa, from Barbadoes. SWANSEA, June 27.—Wind, S.W. Sailed- Lady Prud hoe, from Coquimbo ; Quos Ego, Cape de Verds. QUEENSTOWN, Juno 26.—Wind, N. to N.W. Arrived-- Cubosa, from Cardenas, and sailed for the Clyde ; Expe dient, New York. HOLYHEAD, June 27.—The schooner, salt laden, reported yesterday to be sunk off Cemlyn, about 16 miles from this place, proves to be the Despatch, of Yarmouth, from Liverpool to Dordt. CALCUTTA, May 13.—The Victoria, hence for Singapore, capsized in N.W. squall, near Ree/Buoy, on the night bf May 3 ; master, mate, pilot, landsman, and forty men saved ; three men missing. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) LIVERPOOL, 10.30 a.m. Wednesday, Wind S. moderat;breeze. Arrived Elizabeth from St. John's, N.B ; Ba albec, Alexandria ; J o h n an d Albert, Charleston; Gustav, Sant ander. Off Port—Livorno (s.s.) ; Rattler, Mobile, gam Bombay; Phcenix, Ed war d Boustead, Magician, from Porto Rico ; J. Mo n t gomer y. Sailed—Forest Queen, for Sydney. (BY SUBMARINE AND EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH.) GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning. Wind W. ; tide, first hour flood ; cloudy. Arrived, 27th—Ceres ), from Oporto ; Prince of Seas, Sydney; Royal Stuart. Sydney; Marquis of Bute, Mel bourne; Windermere, Port Philip; Herefordshire, Syd ney ; Mensido, Maranham ; Primura, Bombay ; bart, Newfoundland ; Dorothea, Granada; Queen of Britain, St. Lucia ; Alice Jane, Jamaica ; Maria Bertha, Stral sund; Geriena, Stettin. Arrived, 28th—Hildegard von Schvarton, Stralsund ; Iris, Guernsey ; Leena, Memel ; Hofnung, Nikobing ; Hebron, Matanzas ; M ar y Ann, C a pe of Good Hope ; SJuthern Cross, Hobart Town. 'Sailed—Belgium (s.), for Ostend ; City of London (s.), Dunkirk; Seine (a.), Boulogne; Adonis, Bremen. - DEAL, Wednesday, 9.30 a.m. Wind S.W., fresh, and cloudy. . Anchore.l—Dexterous, for AiarAeilles; Pictura, Porl Philip ; L. Shelbourne, Belize; Spirit,,Port Natal—al from London. Passed—Portuguese war steamer, name unknown, to the eastward. Sailed—Mimosa, for Leghorn ; Caroline, Sydney; St, George, Valparaiso: • - -_ ARRIVAL OF GOLD.—Three vessels have arrived with gold from Australia, bringing t3gether 26,818 ounces, valued at 107,2001. The principal amount is 25,000 ounces by the Windermere, from Geelong, the Lord of the Isles having only 1,052, and the Marquis of Bate 766 ounces. Two other vessels are reported—viz., the Antipodes, from Van Diemen's Land, and the Royal Stuart, from Sydney, but their quantity has as yet to bo ascertained. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 28, 1 854, THE TREATY OF .ADRIANOPLE tiro titfoiect of tiie .t 3 ill Liao lOil3e of herd V!1 Monday, from the Earl of Aberdeen to Lord Hey tesbury, respecting the treaty of peace bet,weeu Russia and Turkey, concluded at Adrianople on the 14th of September, 1829. The despatch, it will be observed, is dated - the 31st of October, in- , stead of, as was stated by Lord Clanricarde, the 31st of December. It was, therefore, written im mediately upon the receipt of the communication of Count .Nesselrode, to which it referS, instead of. after a lapse of four months, as would appear from Lord Clanricarde's statement and the arguments which have been founded upon it Foreign-office, October 31, 1829. " My Lord, - I. have received from his Imperial Majesty's ambassador at this Court a copy of the , definitive treaty pf peace between Russia and the Porte, together with the mani festo 'of the Russian Cabinet; and a circular despatch from - Count Nesselrode; dated the 4th of October. "These papers have engaged the serious attention of his Majesty's Government. The consequences of the transaction to which they refer are so various and important, andwinfiu once so powerfully the future happiness and tranquillity of all nations, that it would be inconsistent with the station which his Majesty fills among the Sovereigns of Europe; as well as with that frankness and. sincerity which he is desirous should characterise all his relations with the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh, if he were not at once -to communicate to his Imperial Majesty the sentiments which have been produced - in hiS mind by an examination of the treaty of.Adrianople. " The first desire of his Majesty is to express the satisfac tion which he has experienced from the restoration of peace. He sincerely rejoices that a state of warfare should at length have ceased ' the existence of which he has constantly de plored, and the prolonged duration of which had only in creased his Majesty's apprehensions of the evils to which it must finally have led. "Count Nesselrode, at the conclusion of his circular de spatch, expresses an opinion that the treaty now concluded holds out to Europe a long prospect of tranquillity and repose. That this judgment, may be fuily confirmed is our most anxious desire. In• the meantime, it will be an object worthy of the solicitude of his Imperial Majesty to strengthen the confidence, of his allies, and to remove those causes of alarm to which, if not discovered in the treaty of peace itself, the present state of the Turkish empire cannot fail to give rise. . " When his Imperial Majesty announced. his intention of declaring war against the Ottoman Porte, upougrounds affect ing exclusively the interests of Russia, his Majvsty's Gt6vern meut, without pronouncing any opinion respecting the justice of the war, expressed their conviction that the most complete success in the justest cause would not entitle the stronger party to demand from the weaker sacrifices which would affect its political existence, or would infringe upon that state of territorial possession upon which the general peace had rested. They also observed that demands of indemnity and compensa tion might be carried to such an extent as to render compli ance • scarcely practicable, without reducing the Ottoman Power to a degree of weakness which would deprive it of the character of an independent State. " His Imperial Majesty, in carrying into execution his threatened iuvasion'of the Ottoman - dominions, declared. his adherence to that disinterested principle which had character ised the protocol of St. Petersburg and the treaty of. Loudon. He renounced all projects of conquest and ambition. HIS Imperial Majesty frequently repeated that, so far from desir ing the destruction of the Turkish Empire, he was most anxious for its preservation. He promised that no amount of indemnity should be exacted which could affect its political existence; and he declared that this policy was not the re sult of romantic notions of generosity, or of the vain desire of glory, but that it originated in the true interests of the Rus sian Empire, in which interests, well understood, and in his own solemn promises, would be found the best pledges of his Moderation. _ _ " His Imperial Majesty, added that his thoughts would un dergo no change, even if, contrary to his intentions and his endeavours, Divine Providence had decreed that we should now behold the termination of the Ottoman Power. His Im perial Majesty was still determined not to extend the limits of his own dominions ; and he only demanded from his allies the same absence of all selfish and ambitiops views, of which he would himself give the first example. " Does the treaty of Adrianople place the Porte in a situa tion corresponding with the expectations raised by these as surances ? The answer must be left to the judgment of Europe ; it might bo left to the dispassionate judgment of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg. " Undoubtedly, if we look only at the relative position of the two belligerents, the fortune of the war might have enabled the Emperor to exact still harder terms. The Sultan, threat ened by a formidable insurrection in Constantinople, having lost his army, and havin,g ordered the remaining Asiatic troops to retire to their homes, was unable to offer any effectual op position, and threw himself under the mercy of the Russian commander. By the persuasion'of the British and French ambassadors, and of the Minister Extraordinary of the Kin; of Prussia, the defeated =March was induced to place entire confidence in the,moderation of his Imperial Majesty. " It may not be easy to accuse of , want of generosity the • conqueror who checks the unresisted progress' of success, and' who spares the defenceless capital of" his enemy. NeVerthe less, the treaty in question, certainly not in conformity with the expectations held out by preceding declarations and assur ances, appears vitally to affect the interests, the strength, the dignity, the present safety, and future independence of the Ottoman empire. ".The modes of dominations may be various, although all equally irresistible. The independence of a State may be over thrown and its subjection effectually secured without the pre sence of a hostile forge, or the permanent occupation of its soil. Under the present treaty the territorial acquisitions of Russia are small, it must be admitted, in extent, although most important in their character. They are . commanding positions, far more valuable than the possession of barren provinces and depopulated towns, and. better calculated to rivet the fetters by which the Sultan is bound. - " The cession of the Asiatic fortresses, with their neighbour ing districts, not only secures to Russia the uninterrupted occupation of the eastern coast of the Black Sea, but places her. in a situation so commanding as to control aepleasure the destiny of Asia Minor. " Prominently advanced into the centre of Armenia, in the midst of a Christian population, Russia holds the keys both of the Persian and the Turkish provinces; and, whether she may be disposed to extend her conquests to the east or to the west, to Teheran or to Constantinople, no serious obstacle can arrest her progress. "In Europe the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia are rendered virtually independent of the Porte: A tribute is, indeed, to be paid to the Sultan, which he has no means' of enforcing, except by the permission and even the assistance of Rissia herself; and a prince elected for life, is to demand investiture whiCh cannot be withheld. The Mussulman inhabitants are to be forcibly expelled from the territory. The ancient right of pre-emption is abolished ; and the supplies indispensable for Constantinople, for the Turkish arsenals, and-for the fortresses are entirely cut off. The most important fortresses upon the Danube aro to be razed,' and - the frontier left exposed and unprotected against incursions which at any future time may be attempted. " It is sufficient to observe of the stipulations respecting the islands of the Danube, that their effect must be to place the control of .the navigation and commerce of that river exclusively in the hands of Russia. " Servia, by the incorporation of the six districts referred to in the treaty, is erected into au independent and powerful State ; and when the Allied Powers shall have fivally decided upon the character of the Government, and the limits to be assigned-to Greece, the circle will be completed of territories nominally deiiendent or tributary, but which must be ani mated with the most hostile spirit; and the recognition of which by the Powers of Europe is scarcely compatible with the security, perhaps not with the existence, of the Turkish empire. " The commercial privileges and personal immunities which are secured by the treaty to the subjects of Russia, appear to be at variance with any other notion we . are able to for :I;o'4,l[le authority of a p* i If-le tige.il4t gy-the Ay' . 'the Porte, ,seitere4n o dent in obi or the defective administration orjuStice by the Turkish Government, rights have been obtained by European nations of such a description as would not have been conceded by the States of Christendom. These rights have not only becu - still further extended by the pre sent treaty, but the stipulations,. so far from being draWn in the spirit of peace, are to all appear ance calculated to invite , and justify . the renewal of hostilities. What reasonable prospect of eternal peace, friendship, and good understanding' can be afforded by an instrument which contains a special provision, making the calamities of war-almost dependent upon the capricious ex tortion of a Turkish officer, or the unauthorised arrogance of a Russian trader ? " His Majesty's Government are persuaded that it will be impossible-for his Imperial Majesty to reflect upon the terms of Article 7, of the treaty of Adrianople, 'without perceiving at once that they must be utterly subversive of the indepen dence of the Ottoman Power. " This article stipulates that merchant vessels of all nations, without any restriction of size or tonnage; shall be, admitted to pass freely through the Straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. The right of visit on the part of the Turkish Go vernment is expressly excluded. This provision not only de prives the Porto of the exercise of. a right in its own waters, inherent in the very nature 'of independent sovereignty ; but it also destroys a necessary protection against the effects of foreign hostility, or domestic treachery. The power of marching a Russian army, at any moment, through any part Of the Turkish territory, without .the permiss:on of the Go vernment, could not be more degrading, or more dangerous. " Such stipulations are not only destructive of the territo rial rights of sovereignty, and threatening to the safety of the Porte, but their obvious tendency is to affect the condition' and the interests of all maritime States in the Mediterranean, and may demand from those States the most'. serious' sideration. ' • . . " How is the true charadter °MO vessel to be ascertained? In former treaties the bulk and the amount of tonnage to be admitted had- been fixed by Ruseia herself, and was regulated' by what had heen found to be most usual and most advanta geous in the navigation of those seas. The right of search, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature and value of the cargo, with a view to fix the duties to be levied on importation, was very generally relinquished by the Porte in its practice to wards the vessels of foreign Powers; the ship's manifest trans mitted from tho Consul's office being admitted as sufficient evidence of the nature of the cargo, instead of proof derived from actual inspection. But the right of visit, in .order to ascertain the character of the vessel, and the object of the voyage, has never been relinquished, and can never be relin quished by a State in any degree careful of its own independ ence and of its safety. ." The Porte is not only prohibited from exercising any in terference with the free passage of the Straits by Russian ships but it is also divested of this indispensable attribute of sove reignty id its relations with all other Powers, and that, too, by virtue of a treaty concluded with the Emperor of Russia. " If the Turkiih Government should detain and visit a ship belonging to any foreign State, the injury would not be offered to that State, with which, perhaps, no treaty may exist, but. to the Eznperor of Russia, who, according to the terms of the article in question, would at once be furnished with a justifi able cause of war against the Porte. But suppose any such ,State were fraudulently - to send an armed vessel, or a vessel 'carrying-armed men, into the waters of the Turkish dominion. and under the wails of the Seraglio, with purposes the most hostile, would his Iniperial Majesty, by the treaty of . Adria nople; become responsible for such an act ? • In,either Case the Sultan would beveutirely dependent upon Russia in a mat ter in which the dignity and security of his Government were vi tally affected. Is it too much to say that snail stipulatiens aro inconsistent with the desire of his Imperial Majesty to preserve the indepeudence of the Turkish empire ? " His Majcsty'e GoVernment have always been persuaded "that "the power of imposing` a pecuniary burden upon the Ottoman Porte, as a compensation and an indemnity for the expenses of the war, would be exercil in the promised spirit of equity and of moderation. His inaperial Majesty cannot fail to reflect that, in judging of the clAracter of such a transaction, it is necessary to compare the sum exacted, not only with the expenses of the war, .but with the means of the Power upon which the payment is imposed. The Cabinet of St. Petersburg will undoubtedly acquiesce in the principle, that indemnities, whether pecuniary or territorial, ought not by their operation to crush the Power by whom they are given, or to expose by their consequences the military seen. rity of neighbouring and allied States. The Emperor is toer the - .noble lord the member for South Durham was the ar"e"a fie 1,- 'g'"e - "ye 'ett,e , e - t - oet eehe ,, i , et sir ! e -, ‘ee . elesirenan, th"t t'..e bill foe coustruetiug line from lir emle v , • . . • eset'' ; ...a t' leewislem should be proceeded ma ilde ,• • an, 1 upon eer.Li t asattrirleJ 'the committee rejected tee two -lines fromthe pi o Lo , -k. so pl'lllinrant aed so houeurtble a part; it West-end to the Crystal Palace, and f. om Syclenhatu, and is, therefore, with sincere satisfaction that his Majeety'vCo- passtid the. bill for constructing the : South-Eastern - bran c h: I verument Nava learnt froni the declaration Made by- cella': protest against the motion which has now been submitted tb Nesselrocle to your Excellency, for the purpose of being trans- "I the house, because think that it is a course which is neither mitteel to your Government, that it was in contemplation right nor truthful to the • committee, nor proteetive of the in-: not only to diminish the ainount of the sum stipulated, but terests of the company involved in it. I considered that the also to mate "a different arrangement with respect to its gua- billy course which was left for the directors of the South rautee.! It is by such conduct that hit Imperial Majesty , Eastern Coinpeny after the bill went through committee, was will really manifest his generosity, 'and his regard: fcir these to convene a Meeting of the company, to submit the circmu principles of just and. enlarged policy by which alone ran be: stances at 'such meeting to the shareholders, and to take secured the confidence of his allies and the respect of Europe. their pleasure and decision upon it. But that has never been Eyen if the Emperor was not thus to yield at once to -done ; -and in deference to the committee to whom - the - pledge the impulse - of his - own disposition, the same determination was given, to the proprietors of the South-Eastern Company, would still be recommended by considerations of prudence, whose interests are involved, and to the public in the vici as being essential to the success of objects which he has pro- nity of Bromley, whoare also interested, And who sought the fessed to have much at heart. His Imperial Majesty has advantage and' convenience of railway communication, I offer declared that a regard for the trxe interests of Russiainduced my protest against the motion which has been - subMitted to him to feel more desirous than any other s - European Power of the house. I ehall not trouhle the house by referring to for maintaining the independent existence and integrity of the finer periodsOttlifficnityandiembarra-eernent in railway affairs. Ottoman empire. He. has also repeatedly avowed that the This bill was promoted under -circumstances which s ore nap e couditieuOt thQChrietian subjects of the Porte denianded hisj liens to all the proprietors of .the company, many of *an Constant solicitude, and. the obligations teeth of his' own eon- approved of the measure -without its .being foymally put to the science and of, public treaties imposed.upon him the special vote; and .1 think that the 9111 y mode of preperly dealing day of consulting their welfare and providing for their pro- with the matter is by refaing the motion of the hon. member tection: These objects; at all times difficult to 'reconcile, for Berwick-upon-Tweed, and leaving it to the proprietors, would; under the strict execution of the treaty, become alto- who, through their managing body, promoted the bill before gether incompatible with each other. The real situation of the house which was sanctioned by the committee. • • '' the Takish Power is too'obvious to escape the most common Mr. Bouverie —I apprehend with regard to the present observation. The Sultan is surrounded by independent States motion that there 'can be no opposition to it, because .it formed out of his own. territories, and with the great mass of would lee altogether without precedent when the party who the Europern population of his empire anxiously waiting for promoted a private bill wished to withdraw it, that the the moment when they may profit by this example, and shake house should refuse to allow it to be withdrawn. If it were off his dominion altogether. Defeated and reduced to the not allowed to be 'withdrawn no object' would be gainel, lowest degree of humiliation, he has retained his throne and because, even assuming them to go. into another place and political existence by the mer c y of his conqueror. The dis- to get an act of Parliament, you cannot, under the present affection of his Mahomedan subjects -dealt ranks, whether law„ compel' the company to make the railway, for they produced by repeated disgrace or the effect of a gradual have the_pewer to hold their land or to use it any way they change long since in operation, has become general. In this please. _As regards, therefore, the motion of the hon. condition, with a broken authority and exhausted resources, member. for Bervirick, I apprehend that the house can have he is called upon to provide. for the indemnity which is• no objection or difficulty in acceding to it. But there is exacted from him. In what manner is the Sultan to relieve another question of very serious importance, which is, and ' himself from this burden, and by whom must the sacrifices Ido not use the words in an offensive sense, whether the principally be made ? If the Turkish Government be still committee who sat upon these - opposing bills have not been . permitted to act at all as an independent Power, it is clear misled ?. and whether they did not pass this bill in the ex that thenecessaey sums must be raised by fresh impositions pectatiou that it was really and bona fide to be proceeded upon the people, and 'by such means as are authorised by with, and in coUsequence throw out the two competing bills the laW and customs of the empire. It is equally certain which were offered to the committee in rivalry with it.. that the Christian subjects of the Porte must largely contri- (Hear, hear.) As I understand the circumstances of the case, bute to furnish these supplies. Compliance with the demands the whole of this has arisen from the change in the direction of the Government will be difficult, but the urgeney of the of the South-Eastern Railway Company. Just before this case will justify severity. Resistance may be attempted ; if bill went into committee there was a change in the direction successful, leading to general confusion and revolt ; if other-. of the company, and the new . directors were not prepared at wise, spoliation and oppression will follow: At all events,' that time to enter upon the consideration of this lino. Since new scenes of calamity will be opened calculated to frustrate then they have fully considered the circumstances, and they the admitted objects of his Imperial Majesty, and fatally de- have' resolved not to prosecute this line • and I hold in my structive both to the independence of the Porte and to the hand a resolution to that effect, which lam informed was happiness and prosperity of the Christian subjects of the carried by a majority in the direction of 6 to 2. This is a empire. question which is no doubt material to the public in the dis " There are other considerations which ought to have their trict ; and if these gentlemen promoting the other bills were due weight in the mind of his Imperial Majesty. ready to on, and were defeated because the committee un "lt cannot be doubted that the result of the war- has been derstood that the South-Eastern Company were really prose such as to change entirely the relative position of th e belli- eating this line with the intention of completing it, it may be gerents towards each other, as well as towards the neighbour- a serious question for the house to entertain, if a motion ing states and the rest of Europe. This change, it may be should be made for the recommittal of those bills, whether admitted, is to a certain extent the natural - consequence of an that recommittal might not under the circumstances be unequalecoutest ; for at the termination of hostilities, charac- granted.' I express no opinion upon it, but if such a motion terised on one side by the most signal success; and on the should be made I hope that the house will consider it. other by continued disaster, it would be unreasonable to sup- (Hear, hear.) pose that the parties could in every respect resume their former Mr: Wilkinson— I should like to hear from some member of relations. It is, therefore, not exclusivelyto the' conditions of the committee whether it is not a common practice for the the peace, but also to the events of the war, that we are to South-Eastern Company to promote bills in Parliament with ascribe the change which has taken place. In whatever man- out the slightest intention of carrying them out.? ner it may have been accomplished, the fact is sufficient to Lord Harry Vatie—l was not aware until I came into the justify some anxiety on the part. of these rowers who have house that this motion was to be made. I was not informed always felt a deep interest in the preservation of the system of it this morning, and I was rather taken by surprise, inas of the European balance established by the treaty of Paris much as . I have not had the means of communicating with all and at the Congress of Vienna. This anxiety must be greatly those gentlemen who served on the committee together with increased when, in addition to the unavoidable weakness and myself. I have had some communication, however, with one prostration of the Turkish. Power, it is found that fresh causes or two on the subject of whether these bills ought to be re are .brought- into action which are obviously calculated to committed. I. am unable to say what the opinion of others hasten and insure its utter dissolution. The evils attending may be, but so far as lam concerned, I have no objection upon uncertainty, expectation, and alarm must be universally, whatever that these bills should be recommitted. It is not felt throughout Europe. Encouragement will be afforded to, fol• me to - "state what were the precise grounds upon which projects the most adverse to the general tranquillity ; a n d the the committee came to the decision to pass this bill ; and it differentePowers, so far from disarming, will probably augment may be possible that the committee on considering the whole their warlike- preparations, already too eitensive for a state matter, should these bills be again referred to them, might of peace. find reasons for • not giving their sanction to one or other of "IL is only-by a frank and cordial desire on the part of his them. s There Were two other bills before the committee, and Imperial Majesty to remove all reasonable ground's of suspicion during the sittings a -proposal was made that one of those bills, and aPprehmesion it is only by a sincere endeavour in con- shouldbe - amalgamated with the other. When I say " amal junction with his allies to confirm and perpetuate the repose gamated," I should perhaps rather say that a portion of one which-has hitherto been enjoyed, and by making this the main .line was to be given up, and that the two parties were ready objectof - European policy, that we shall be enabled to avert to come to an'agreement upon that point. The hon. member the threatened dangers. In this salutary work his Imperial . for Lambeth has asked whether there were not instances Majesty - will assuredly call to mind the example of his illus- -before the - committee of extremely bad faith on the part of the trious predecessor; and he will recollect that, whatever may South-Eastern Company. It is true that I have heard charges have been the glories of his reign, the last ten years of his life, of that sort made, but I certainly cannot take upon myself devoted exclusively to the preservation of peace, eminently to make so grave a charge against the company, or to lend entitled him to the gratitude of Europe. my apparent sanction in this house to a charge thus made. " I am-to instruct your Excellency to read this despatch to: Allegations of that nature were certainly made, and it may Count Nesselrode, and, if desired, to give his Excellency a be perfectly true thatthey may be capable of substantiation ; copy. The sentiments of his Majesty are expressed without but lam not prepared to say that evidence was given that reserve, but with'cordial and friendly feelings. 'They Are et- that was the case. It is perfectly true that several schemes pressed, too, without previous concert or communication with have been promoted by the South-Eastern Company which any other Power whatsoever. — l am, &c., have not been eventually carried out. There were great " ABERDEEN." financial difficulties in the way .of carrying out some of them ; but whether or not there was a bona fide intention at the time of carrying them out it is utterly impossible for any member of the committee to say. At the same time the South-Eastern Company have had great difficulties to contend with, in consequence of the obligation originally forced upon them by the opposition which they met with from the land owners, to construct .a line which was, not the most direct one, and - which has thrown a great expense upon them. Several schemes since then of a more direct nature have been brought forward, both by the South-Eastern Company - and by independent parties, but up to this period I believe that sufficient capital has never been found to carry out any of those schemes. One of the lines submitted to the considera tion-of-the committee proposed to carry a line into the inte rior of Mid-Kent, with the intention no doubt-of carrying it further at some future period; but in the present state of the money-market it was not possible to find money to carry out a scheme of any groat magnitude. The bill, therefore, which was promoted by certain landowners, only proposed 'carrying the line to a certain point in Kent, with the possible intention at a future time, when money should be more plentiful, of Carrying it further- forward. The line as proposed is not a very long ono, and the committee thOught that the South-. Eastern Company had the first claim. There were other reasons, moreover, which induced the committee to sanc tion' the Soutli-Eastein line. It was considered very de sirable to relieve the great amount of traffic carried along the South-Eastern and Brighton lines,. which might be done by this propoeal; and the committee thought it right in the course of the investigation to throw out an opinion to this effect—that it would be desirable when the South-Eastern Company had carried out this scheme (which it appears has not met with' the sanction of the shareholders), that they should' construct a junction with the present main line of the South-Eastern Company. For myself I have no objection to the proposed recommittal of these bills. At the same time r must say that the members of the committee have come to no conclusion or opinion as to the respective merits of the two bills which it is proposed now ,to recommit. I see no other member Of the committee present, and I have no objec tion Whatever to offer to.the proposed recommittal. (Hear.) Mr. - John FOrster—The late board of directors of the South- Eastern COmpany promoted this bill against the permission `Of the proprietors, and it was principally the opposition of the proprietors of this scheme which led to a change of the direction in March last. Upon coming into office the new directors did se with the promise of the proprietors, given at a general meeting, that they would abide by the decision of the new - beard 'of directors upon this bill. In the meantime the new board were of course compelled to prosecute the measure pro forma until they could finally make up their minds upon the subject. They then determined that it would not be'expediefit to proceed with the bill in the present state of the'inoney Market. The accommodation of a certain dis fAin llXideKefitewas not thn;lnly e enatter ateissueerefor the dTitig r ef tlite4ou , se et-thee tulfertunge line of railway -which public Prejudice compelled the South-Eastern Company to adopt at the time of its first formation must long be the principal work of the board of directors. This -Bromley branch, it was considered, would be followed by other mea sures for a more direct course through Kent ; but the new board think that the Bromley branch would not be the most consonant with the formation of a new line through Kent. It is, therefore, in order that they may not be committed by the adoption of that branch to what may not prove to be the best line for Kent and for themselves that they wish to with -draw this bill: It is, of course, open to the hon. member for Coventry to apply for a recommittal of the other bills, and it will be open, I presume, to the South-Eastern Company to represent before the committee their objections to the new proposed line, the effect of constructing which would be, in fact, to create an entirely new and conflicting interest in 'Kent. The South-Eastern Company, therefore, can have no possible objection to the, proposed re-committal of these bills. Mr. James MacnTegor—l merely wish to explain, lest I should not have been understood, that I stated explicitly that the present directors of the South-Eastern Company have not taken the pleasure of the proprietors upon this question. The motion - for discharging the order for the third reading of. the bill was then agreed to. bill which was upon the table should be discharged, and so took it entirely oat of their power further to proceed. Un- , der these clrenmstancn,. I think that I am justified in asking the house to recommit the two other bills, in order that the committee may reconsider the question with the South-Eastern . proposit!on out of the way, for the landowners of Mid Kent are . still-desirous of having a railway. They are themselves able and willing to find the means' for making that railway, and they only want the sanction of the Legislature that they may do so. Whatever the state of the money market may be, it 1 does not affect.their means of doing what they ask the house to permit them to do ; and having the consent of the chair- Man, and.l believe of the other members of the committee, I make boll to ask the houSe that it will sanction the re-com mittal of those two bills. It will be but justice to those who promoted "these two bills to do so ; and more than that, I, think that the house on public 'grounds should not allow themselves, or any committee of the house, to have state ments of that sort made to them, which, I will not sayovere not intended to be carried out, but which certainly have not been carried out. It must be recollected that it, is no qUes tion now of a difference among the proprietors, for it' was the same directors who authorised Mr. , Hope Scott to make the pledgewho themselves su b seq U ently have come an d broken that l ode, I will not tronble"the - housd at greater length, 'believing - that the state men t w h ich 1 have 'made, which is evidently true, will indu ce th em to aceede-tO the motio n . Mr. Jackson seconded the motion. Mr. James Macgregor—l own, sir, that I rise with a great sense of -pain and some embarrassment, because upon this occasion I have to entreat the indulgence of the house while I make a statement in my own justification as one of its members. lam compelled to admit the truthfulness of the statement which has been made by the hon. member for Co ventry, that in the case of a bill promoted by the South- Eastern . Company for constructing a branch railway from Lewisham to Bromley, a pledge was given to the committee, who considered that and the other rival projects, that the company would proceed bona fide with that bill. Having 'been for many years one of the managers of that company, I hope the house will forgive me if I ask its attention for a moment while i acquit myself of being in any way a party to any breach of faith or offer of any pledge which has not been maintained. My period of office, as chairman of the South-Eastern Company, terminated on the 14th of March, and it then became my duty to hand over the concerns of the company to the new chairman and to a majority of the board who might be supposed to differ from me; and I called upon the counsel who were advising the company to place before my colleagues their view of the circumstances in which the company stood with regard to its position as applicants to this house for new powers. As the statement which was made by counsel is very short, I hope the house will allow me to read it, particularly as it is signed by gentlemen who must be well known almost to every member of this house—Mr. Hope Scott, Mr. noggins, Mr. Merewether, and Mr. Rodwell. " rewiiham and Bromley. " It appears to us of immense importance in the conduct of this case that counsel should know before the bill is submitted to the committee what course the board, as now constituted, is prepared to recommend to the shareholders respecting it. Should there be any evidence before the committee of a dis inclination to prosecute the bill, this circumstance will pro bably secure the success of one or both of the rival bills, and even the absence of a specific assurance that the bill will be bona fide prosecuted may have the same effect. Counsel for the Sydenham bill have already raised the question, and it must be answered. _ _ _ " HENRY ALWORTH MEREWETHER. "HUNTER RODWELL. " JAMES R. HOPE SCOTT. " C. HOGGINS. " March 16, 1854." That memorandum, on the part of the counsel, was sub mitted to the new board of directors of the South-Eastern Company, and various meetings and considerations took place upon it. A subsequent opinion was solicited from counsel, prior to the decision of the committee being taken, upon a statement laid before them, and drawn up at a meet ing of the rival party. This also being brief, I trust the house will indulge me by permitting me to read:it " With reference to the question submitted to us by Mr. Freeman this afternoon, respecting the terms of arrangement embodied in a naemorauClum of this forenoon, it appears to us to involve considerations which are beyond the ordinary pro vince of counsel. " This arrangement palpably tends to alter the position of the South-Eastern Company as the almost exclusive posses sor of Kent, but how far such a measure may be beneficial or otherwise to the general interests of that company is a mat ter of policy which belongs exclusively to the directors. " Passing over, therefore, this intermediate point, we must recur to the. considerations which we submitted to the direc tors in our last opinion, and request a definitive answer as to the amount of authority which we possess for . assuring the committee that the bill (which stands for to-morrow, at 12 o'clock) will be bona fide prosecuted, and its powers executed by the South-Eastern Company. " J. R. HOPE SCOTT, C. HOGOINS, H. A. MEREWETIIEC, HUNTER RODWELL "Monday afternoon, March 20, 1854." ThiS memorandum, like the preceding one, is signed by Mr. Hope Scott, Mr. oggins, Mr. Merewother, and Mr. Roclwell. Now, sir, my anxiety, as a member of this house—a very humble one certainly, I feel, but still one who wishes to ob tain the favour of those hon. members who constitute this great assembly —my anxiety is, that I shall not be condenined for any withdrawal from the pledge which was offered to the committee by Mr. Hope ScOtt in these words. I have the shorthand-writer's transcript here of his -statement made to the noble lord the member for South Durham and the other members of the committee. He said : " Now, my lord, it is not necessary for me either to anticipate the evidence which I shall. lay before you, or to go iu detail into that which has been given. The main features of the case, I think, I have already laid before you, and it remains only for me to allude to one matter SOUTH-EASTERN. RAILWAY COMPANY. The, West-end and Crystal Palace Railway Company's Bill, for extending that 'railway from the Crystal Palace to Brom ley and Farnborough, pass d the committee of the House of Connons, Lord Harry. Vane, chairman, on Monday, the 19th instant. • . We report verbatim the discussion in the House of Corn ,mous on the withdrawal of the South-Eastern Company's • Bill for the construction of a branch of six miles from Lewis ham to Bromley, which had previously been passed by th 9 smile committee; and which stood for third reading, and on the recommittal of the bill which has now passe, and of the Sydenham and Farnborough Bill, both of which had been thrown out. IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.—LEWISHAM TO BROMLEY, &C., BILL: Report of debate upon the motion, " That the order for the third reading be discharged," Juno 9, 1854 — Mr. John Forster moved "that the order for the third read ing of the South-Eastern Railway (Lewishani to Bromley, &c.) Bill be discharged—that the bill be withdrawn." The question having been put, • • Mr. (leach said, this motion having been made, it is right the hOuse should underitand the extraordinary circumstances connected with this proceeding, They are shortly these . :— The landowners of Mid-Kent, being desirous for a line of rail way from Farnborough to London, promoted - a line during this session from Farnborough to a junction with the Brigh ton Railway, at Sydenham. Another line was promoted with the same object by the Crystal Palace and West-end Railway Conipany, - so as to give to the line into Mid-Kent a West-end terminus. -- The South-Eastern Coidpany, after those lines were fort un a a ll ts, l i re appeared; promoted a line to go from their line at Lewisham l. r d e o d in o t d dug see course any t member the to Bromley, as an oppos iti on li no t o th e o th er t wo . They o sa f m th e e cor omin mitt i e tt e e . e Un now present, bilt I•may state generally that the question before thein was,'whether the district of Mid-Kent was likely to be • better served by the South-Eastern Company or by the land owners' line as I,romoted by themselves 7 The landowners were fearful that in this case, as in previous cases, the South-Eastern Company had no real intention to make the line; but the com mittee, having had that intimation given them, were assured by Mr - Hope Scott, the counsel, that he was authorised by the South-Eastern directors to say that they were bona fide in their intention to make the line, and that if the committee passed the bill it would be carried out to comple tion. That was t ie assurance which was given, whatever might be the divisions—and there were great divisions in the South Eastern board upon th4pestion 4,4p, • new board of directiPaaaptalitONe it;?- Bit ; tovhatevOr tho divrsro *V' Ife'stule seat t- afilihaticialY tbat'. • , nact' a g r eg - th antirlino - Mad be carried out ; and upon that 'question there could be no doubt. Upon the strength of - that undertaking, the committee, believing that the district might be better served, and.thiuking also of the vested interests of the South-Eastern Company, passed the bill, and reported against the two other opposing bills. With that decision I was perfectly content, because, having had a fair consideration before the committee, I believed that they had 'given their•best attention to the question, and that they, had come to a decision which they believed to be the right one, But they came to it upon the full faith that the South- Eastern Company really intended what they said, and that the line would be made as it had been given to the South- Eastern Company. That bill was passed upon the 22d of March. In May I heard it rumoured that there was no in tention to proceed with the bill; and if there had been such an intention; they must have gone to the shareholders, under the Wharncliffs resolution for their assent before going to the House of Lords, I thought it my duty then to write this letter to the new chairman of the South-Eastern Company. (The hon. Member read the letter, which was to the' following effect :---Although 'their bill for making a railway from Lewis ham to Bromley had been passed by a committee of the House of Commons, upon: the 22d of March, ha was informed that they had not held the necessary Wharneliffe meeting, and that which has been used by my opponents. It is, that the South-Eastern Company are divided among themselves on this line ; and you have expressions of opinion this way, and expressions of-opinion that way, and therefore there is no security at all that the bill will' be ptosecuted and the' line made. On that subject I have specific instructions from the board to press this line on your attention, and so beg you to pass this line ; and those instructions it is my duty to fulfil, and no insinuations whatever on the part of the other side can of course be equal to those which are given to me by the parties who are responsible for the instructions they do give me, and which I have received specific instructions to lay be fore you on this occasion. lam speaking now of a board de cision deliberately come to." Now, sir, it is perfectly true that after a specific vote on the part of a new board - of direc tors of the .company, and after that assurance given by Mr. Hope 'Scott to the noble lord and other members-of the com mittee, that same board of directors by a majority decided, after the noble lord and his colleagues had passed the South- Eastern (Lewisham and Bromley) Bill, not to proceed with it ; and I have to ask the favourable consideration of the house to the statement which I now make, that I was ono of the majority in promoting the prosecution of that bill, and that I was one of the minority in differing from my colleagues when they determined upon abandoning it. (Hear.) Even here I will venture to express my unqualified regret that a re solution so unjust and so impolitic should have been come to by those who are for the time in power at the South-Eastern Railway. (Hear.) I cannot oppose the motion of the hon. , member for Coventry, because I feel that if the South-Eastern Company had not promoted the Lewisham and Bromley branch before the committee, his bill would have stood in a very different position to that in which it was placed by the assurance which was given to the noble lord by Mr. Hope Scott. (Hear.) Lord Harry Vane—l feel, after the statement which h3s been made in this case by the hon. member for Coventry, and the confirmation which it has received from the hon. member who has just addressed us, that I need anticipate ho opposi tion to the motion before the house ; but perhaps it may be thought right that I, as chairman of the committee, should corroborate the statements which have been made both by the hon. member for Coventry and the hon. member for Sand wich. I think that it is of the utmost importance that good faith should be preserved before a committee—(cheers)—when a statement is alleged before a committee with the intention Of influencing their .votes —I will not say to what extent such a statement., might influence them—but when it is offered with that intention it is of- the highest importance that the house should visit with the utmost severity any disregard of a statement so made. - Is m sure that the house will acquit the hon. member who has just addressed us from any participa tion in such conduct; nothing could he more honourable, no thing more straightforward than the statement which he has just made iu his own exculpation, and I am sure the house will go along with me in saying that he at least is exempt from any share of blame,in this transaction. With regard to the motion itself, which "has been made by the hon. member for Coventry I think, after what we have heard, that no op position can be offered to the proposition for the recommit ment of these bills. It is quite fair that, inasmuch as another bill stood in the way of these two bills, which might have in fluenced the members of the committee in the finding at which they arrived, and which bill has not further been proceeded with—it is quite fair, I say, that an. opportunity should be afforded to those two other bills of again being subalitted to the reconsideration of the committee, on the ground that the other bill being now out of the way, they should be 'considered upon their own merits. Of course, it will be a matter for se rious consideration with the committee how far it will be their duty to sanction either one proposition or the other ; but however that may be, I hope-that the house will accede to the Lotion which has been made for the recommittal Of these SYDRNIIA.M AND FARNAOROUGII RAILWAY. - they had net even issued the.notices for such meeting. See- t Debate on Mr. Geach's Motions; June 15, 1854. ML _ ing that a bill in the same district, promoted by Sir John "That the Sydenham and Farnborough Railway Bill be re- bills. (Hear, hear.) Lubbock and others, and another by the Crystal Palace C om . . committed to the former committee with leave to sit and Mr. Rich—l rise with no intention at all of opposing the pang, had been set aside in favour of their bill, he had reason proceed on Monday next. motion which has been made, but being also connected with to believe that the House - of Commons would accede to a pro- " That the West London and Crystal Palace Railway •(Broin- the railway under discussion, I rise to give my general assent position to have those two bilis recommitted i n th e even t o f ley and Farnborough) Bill be re-committed to the former to the accuracy of the statement which has been made by the their not prosecuting their bill. If upon th e rece i p t o f thi s committee, with leave to sit and proceed on Monday next." hon. member for Sandwich ; and at the same time to state, letter they called their Wharricliffe meeting, he should wait Mr. ,Leach—l think it right, sir to offer a vary f e w that in all those decisions which took pl ace with re g ard to the decision of that meeting ; but he s h ou ld con sid er any b r i e f re a so ns - f o r the motions of which I have given notice. prosecuting the bill before Parliament I voted for carrying it further delay as conclusive evidence th a t th ey did -note in- - In th e be g i nn i n g of this session of Parliament the landowners on, both before the declaration was made to the committee tend to, proceed, and he should allow no , opportunity to of Mid-Kent, desiring to have railway accommodation, brought and subsequently. So far, therefore, as I myself am eon 'escape of obtaining the.sanetion of p ar li amen t .t o th e o th er b e f ore th e house a bill for making a railway from Sydenham caned, I endeavoured to fulfil the pledge which was given to bills). Upon the 18th of May I received this re . --0-parnbcrroneeheln Mid-Kent. At the - same time another line the committee. At the same time, I cannot let it be under h°D- Member read the reply, which was in substance as o f ,ra il wa y was projected, communicating with the West-end stood that those who differed froth the opinion which I enter follows :—With,refereneo to his letter of the, 11th i ns t an t, and crystal - Palle° Railway Coinpany, and also going to Farn- tamed have been guilty of what has been harshly termed, I he had the - honour to state that tho board had' resolved, in borough. The South-Eastern Railway Company, seeing those think, a breach of faith. There was a change of administra consideration of the position of the money mar k e t an d other t wo li n es projected, themselves proposed a line to go from tion in the affiuirs of the railway—as changes of administration reasons; not to Proceed further with the Bromley bill during Lewisham to Bromley, which was part of the way into Mid- take place elsewhere—those who are in the minority retiring. the present session)—the meaning of which of course is that Kent, and serving part of the Purposes which were intended That took place at the very moment when this bill was they do not intend to proceed with it at all. A s t o th e excuse by the two lines that I have spoken of. In due course those under discussion before the committee. I was present when of the money market, all I say is, that the mone y mar k e t three lines Were - referred to a committee upstairs ; but in the the decision was come to that we should prosecute the bill ; was in -a more difficult state when the bill pass e d or was so - . South-Eastern Railway Company there grew up divisions and the intention of myself and of others was that we should licited in committee than it was when that letter was w r itt e n. . among the proprietors as to the policy of their having any honestly and sincerely prosecute it to the last stage. Since I assure the house that if the other bills had been passed th ere further extensions, and it appeared that these who were op- then whatever a further insight in J to a t i h o. o h a t ffa . irs of the company would have been plenty of means to have made those lines. posed to additional extension obt a i ne d a m ajority, and re- may have impressed upon them I canuot say, but undoubtedly There would haVe been no excuse of the money mar k e t upon move d from office those directors w ho h a d promoted the they have changed their views. It may bo that npon subse their part, and the inhabitants of Mid-Kent w ould h ave got Lewish a m 'and Bromley line. It was then supposed by the quent consideration they may see other means of.promoting the advantage of a line of railway. I will not t rou bl e . the landowners - of Mid-Kent that the line. which had been pro- the general interests of the railway and of the county of Kent, house further alien the subject, but I beg that th e comm itt e e posed by the South-Eastern Company would be abandoned ;in having a ra ilway passed through that county in connection may ho again asked to reconsider the other bill s w hi c h were and when they 'came before the committee still to urge the with localinterests with the Brighton Company and thatwhi h submitted to them. • I believe that by the f orms o f t h e h ouse passing of th'at bill, the circumstances of the SOuth-Eastern the hon. member for Coventry represents. All this, or other bin, will take place before the I am entitled. to make such a motion„and 1- hope, after what . Company were stated, and a doubt. was expressed whether - considerations, may have.weighed with those hon. gentlemen, has occurred on-the part of the Sout h-Eastern Company, that they ' were bo em -pc in their intention to accept tlye bill, and and induced them to take a step to which lam opposed, th a t mo ti on w ill meet with the sanction of the house, so far to carry it out. . Upon that state of things the' counsel erne : Whilst I oppos ed it , however, I - am bou n d t o say that - I do as to; allow Committee to reconsider the bills. I hope that ployod by the South-Eastern Company, Mr.dlope Scott, stated. , not think that they were at all anim a t e d by a upon n.v!desireeco -thosO iiitehas that came here, and were willing at once to to the committee that he was authorised by the new directors from their words, or to cast any t o ti4deliberato decision of Parliament, will not be al- 'of the Soutr-Eastern Railway Company, to state that what- which was presided over by the noble lord tu o lowed to suffer by the South Eastern Company having come ever differerdes 'there might have been, they Tied now conic South Durham', [only trust in the future d ' the fur' lowed iseuss:one which forward 'at time when there was an. object to serve, and then te, the conchielort ' that it was right to prosecute that• • with . • • committee, that no i 1 -feeling' abandoning e r the ground immediately they found that that 010- and that if Wshoull be given by .the committee it would be , regard to the interests of the 'company at large will operate _lett was wirved. .. Upon that . : accepted„and the lin e w o u ld b e rustle. th e cony-1 upon that committee. lam sure indeeCl, that that will not Mr. J ames ma'egregor.—ln the last session of Parliament a Mittee, after -having heard the oVidenee upon all the ' be the case, for whateve r the acts' o f t h a t di rec tion may have bill for the same object as the one now referred t o wa s pe o _C. schemes,. determined that the right thing Was to give the line I been, it will be remembered. that some 8,060, 000 1. , °r rooted by the South-Eastern Company, with the as sen t an d to . the Soutii:Feestern CoMpany. With tehil did not quarrel ; 1 9,000,009/. of the property of the company are concurrence of the Brighton Company. That bill was pro- because, being interested in one of the other lines,l felt that je o p ar d,, , , met e d u p o n the unanimous vote of the then existing board o f we had had "a fair hearing, that the committee had come to a terests of th e s h are h o ld ers and no t to any single vote come directors of the Soutii-Eastepi Company. ' Subsequently the fair conclusion. , They believed that the South-EastOn teom- to, perhaps'' • ' body of directors at the Wile rather hastily, by a introduced , Brighton Company a bill into the house for an pany would best serve the . district, aul. 'therefore th,y gave i n office. amalgamation between that company and the Soutle•Western the line to the South-Eastern Company, and they took their . The first - motion was then put and agreed to. „ ..., .... J witieb. must be considered with reference to la t .' h e e d .in in - Company; and io order. to prevent strife with the Brighton bill. 'The bill pasied upon the 22d March . ; but finding upon Upon the second motion being put, Company, the South-Eastern withdrew their bill last session' the 11th May that they had not taken the necessary proceed- 1 Mr. Greene said —I me rely rise because sonic misapprehen for constructing a line from Lewisham to Bromley.' UPan the rug s for calling the meeting under the Wharncliffe order, be- 1 sion exists upon the subject out of doors. It is my own opi present . occasion, in preparing for this session of Parlia m ent, fore they could proceed with the bill in the House of Lo r d s , ! n i ou, and I b e li eve it is also yours, sir, that what a bill is a large majority of the b o a rd o f director s of the South - ' I thou g ht it my duty to write to the new chairman of the recommitted to a former committee, act of the house over- Eastern Company again promoted a bill for constructing a South-Eastern Railway Company the following letter. (First rules all the acts of the general committee upon railways, and branch line from Lewisham to Bromley ; and I may say that letter read by Mr. Goaeh in the House of Commons in the that the committee may be re-appointed as before, even that was done after the fullest consideration. A change t o ok debate on the 9th of June.) In reply to that I received the though so me of the members may have been struck off by the place in the board of direction, and in the chairman of the following from Sir John Campbell, the chairman of th e s o uth- i genera l comm ittee from further serving. . South:Eastern Company. The new board of directors consi - E astern Com p an y . (Second letter read by Mr. (leach on the 1 Mr. Rich—l beg to make one observation which, in the dered this question, and as has been stated by the hon. mem, same occasion.) In confirmation of that determination, the hurry of the moment, I omitted to make before. It is that her for Coventry, they instructed their counsel Mr. H. Scott, hon. member for Berwick-upon-Tweed on Friday last came to.' those directors whew conduct is under consideration of the ; formally to pledge themselves to the committee, of which the house, to move that the order for the third reading of the house entertain a Lona fide desire to carry a railway through the county of Kent, and that *measures - for that purpose are now matucingin connection with other interests in the county. Peach . lam puly called upon to say one word upon this new motion, in consequ ence Of the estraord i nary state intait which has b n made by 'Vie hou. member who has just sat down. The c.,anty of Bent have been endeavouring to get this railway accommodation for years. It has been a con test with the S.mtli-EaStern Company for some six or seven years, and upon each occasion there has been a counter pro. ject brought forward by that • company. The landowners in that neighbourhood do not want to he railway makers. They would only hare been too glad if the. South-Eastern Company would have given them the accommodation which they wanted, and it was utter despair that trey would never be able to get a line unless they themselves stirred in the business that in duced them to promote the bill they have. And now, for sooth, the directors of the South-Eastern Company, who pledged themselves by their counsel—solemnly pl e d ge d them selves-Ahat the bill before the committee was a bona fide bill, and that it was their intention 'to crrry it out, 'and who came immediately afterwards to a determination not to fulfil that pledge, come before you and tell you that all this while they are considering the interests of the county of Kent. As there is no opposition to this motion I will not go further into the question ; but I do feel that a statement of that sort ought not to weigh with the house, and I hope that it will not at all Weigh with the committee When the question is referred to them. (Hear, hear.) • _ Mr. James Macgregor—l have one request, and one only to make, in connection with this matter. It is, that if any doubt is entertained as to what the conduct of the South- Eastern Company has been in former years, with regard to its bona - fides, or the humble part which I have acted in it, the noble lord will do me the favour to call me before the commit tee, and to take my testimony with respect to it. (Cheers.) Mr. Laing—As the representative of a neighbouring rail way interest I trust that in the recommittal of these bills the public interests involved may not be at all prejudiced, and that there may be no feeling on the part of the committee because the South-Eastern Company may be supposed im properly to have withdrawn their bill, that therefore the other bills are to be passed as a matter of course, in order, as it were, to punish the South-Eastern Company. It may be remembered that one of the bills which was thrown out by the committee was strongly opposed by the Brighton Rail way Company on the ground of public safety. A great deal t o h f e evi ß d rig en h e t e on was em g m iven n u y pon that point, and I may state that gnhsitdienratboletha emc cession of revenue wpa hichrinefingshetdhtaoreacbeeeePntbarocuo by that line, because they conscientiously believed that the manner of junction proposed with the Brighton line would have been attended with great danger to the public. I caa only express what I think is due to a sense of justice, with out knowing anything more of the merits of the question, when I say that, after the statements which have been made, it would only be fair to the majority of the South-Eastern directors, who resolved not to proceed with the bill, that they should have the opportunity of being heard by counsel before the committee, in order that they may satisfy the committee how far the imputations of a breach of faith are or are not well founded. Lord Harry Vane—lt was not my intention to have said anything upon the present motion but for the observations which have been just made. I beg to assure the house and the hon. member that the circumstances to which he has alluded are perfectly within the knowledge of the committee. It is perfectly true that a good dell of opposition was made to the junction on account of the great traffic, and a consider. able amount of evidence was heard upon the subject. The committee went through all those matters, and they bear in mind perfectly all that passed upon the subject, I re. collect full well, and I have no doubt other members do also. the reasons which were stated by the Brighton Company why the committee should refuse their sanction to the proposi tion in question. Whether or not the committee may think it right to hear counsel upon the subject to which the hon. member has referred will be a matter for the consideration of the committee when they meet. I wish to guard myself, in the observations which I have made, from the supposition that the committee are going, as a matter of course, to pass these bills, which are again to be referred to them, or either of them. Full attention will be given to those points of op 'position which were urged by th e B r i g ht on C ompan y , an d the committee will decide upon the bills referred to them upon their respective and individual merits, and will be guided by no other consideration whatever. (Cheers.) The motion was then agreed to. THE LA TV OF PARTNERSHIP. The British law of partnership is so different from that of the world at large, so little in character with our gene• ral practice, and with so little to say for it, that it would seem to have originated in the interpretation of lawyers rather than in custom or legislation. The principal sting of that law may be soon described. You may, for various unexceptionable reasons, wish to lend a thousand pounds to a trader on the condition, not quite of sharing the pro• fits, but of receiving a small profit, or none, so long as the business is unproductive, and a larger profit, enough to make up for the previous shortcoming, if the business should prosper. If you do so, and if the trader should be come bankrupt either from misfortune, indiscretion, or fraud, you find yourself drawn in to the whole amount of your property, /and we might almost add, of your cha• meter, for you will see your name in the Gazettt. That hardly seems like English law, but English kw it cer tainly is, and many a man has lost all his property and ruined his family by the merest oversight in re spect of this law. You may do many things more foolish or more mischievous. You may first settle your property beyond the control of creditors, and lend your name, and nothing besides, to a concern the success of which depeads on the credit of its partners. You may give the prestige of your honesty and your talents to the management of a railway, which you may jab or neglect as much as you please, and be only accountable to the ex tent of your shares in it, if any. Under the protection of a charter, or an act, you may commit any folly or iniquity and come off comparatively scathless. You may carry on a flourishing business for many years, with the reputation of enormous capital, and it shall be found at your death, or disappearance, or detection, that yoUr huge wealth was never anything else than a huge insolvency; but if you should commit the little error of not defining exactly the interest you aro to receive for• your assistance to a concern, and have not stipulated for the same interest in good years as in bad, you are liable to utter ruin. Through that little flaw your whole substance mayfly away, and you are at the mercy of all the accidents that may happen to another per son not under your control. Let it be once proved in court that, from a charitable slackness of dealing, or from a conflict between prudence and kindness, you have taken more interest in one year than another upon a debt you have suffered to remain in the hands of the trader owing it, and your doom is forthwith sealed, and you pay the penalty of your whole estate. This trifling irregularity, or rather variation in your dealings, makes, for all pecu niary purposes, a much closer union and even identity between you and the trader than the law creates between husband and wife. The wife can have antenuptial settle ments to reserve a portion of her property from her hus band's extravagance or indiscretion. There can be no such reserve in your case ; you are ingulfed whole and entire to the last sixpence of your estate, if there can be found in the books of your trading friend 3 per cent. paid to you on the , money due to you in one year, and 5 per cent, in another. The presumed objects of this law, or rather the reasons alleged in its defence, are th e protection of those per sons who are supposed to be incapable of taking care of themselves from hollow credits and from bad investments. Under the present state of the law they have the secu rity that the persons they are called on to trust are liable to the whole amount of their property ' • 'and, on the other hand, they are indu ce d t o pause ere they commit themselves to a business or an undertaking that may cost them the whole of their fortune. Neither of these objects is actually attained in this country to an extent at all cor responding to our national character fur prudence and thrift. In no country in the world is there so vast an amount of commercial imposture, and so many great names that are nothing but names—mere bubbles, that will burst at the next crisis; and in no country are the savings of the industrious poor and the. striving middle classes more g enerally dissipated. It is evident the En g li s h l aw o f partnership has not the effect pretended, and there is even a fair presumption that it has the contrary effect. We believe that it has. Most people, especially those who have earned their money by labour or trade, are reluctant to give up all hope of profit, and to rest content with 3 per cent. Thpy desire some chance of improvement. They wish to invest in something more promising than the funds, but have little choice. We have often enumerated the various ways in which the small English capi talist too often Invests and loses his money, and need. not now repeat them. Whenever be lends his money, he must trust somebody; and that somebody is either a speculative individual, or a speculative society existing by charter or by act. In either, the ordinary inverter of his few hundreds has no control over the conduct of the person or society that he makes the depository of his money, and is very apt to lose his all. Thus, by charter and act he may be lured on to his ruin. What can he know, indeed, about the prospects or the management of a railway com pany or a canal, especially when the company has twenty or thirty different acts of Parliament, four or five hundred miles of line, and all sorts of complications with rival or auxiliary lines? Certainly, if people could invest a few hundred pounds in a smaller concern more within the scope of their experience, and not too large for examina tion, they would have at least as good a chance of seeing their money again as if they threw it into the capital of a railway or the pocket of a speculative attorney. Mr. Glyn, indeed, observe d with triumph la s t n i g h t, that neither the report of the commissioners nor yet Mr. Cobden bad noticed an important difficulty, —viz , how to prevent the frauds which would. be certain to occur under a system of registration and limited liabi lity ; but, while noticing this omission, h e mad e , himself, the still more serious omission of not inferming the house how a fraudulent management of railway and other joint stock companies is ever to be prevented. Whatever evils are apprehended from a relaxation of the present law of partnership, they already exist, and no one asks how they are to be prevented. Indeed, they are assumed to be part of the English character, and therefore vain to contend against. At the present period of the session, and in the face of two conflicting reports from the Parliamentary committee on the subject —one from . the m ajority of five, and the other from a not less respec table minority of three—it was hardly t o b e expecte& t h a t Mr. Collier would carry his resolution in such a form last night as to leadtoimm o ediats, action upon it. Bathe question is now se ttle d . N a itself t by the number indeed, can stand long that con demn s much to the and the mode of its e xceptions, th prejudice of one trade as compared _ o witra a e i s io s t o herand that ea places our merchants . at such disadvantage as compar ed with are the means of incorporation to with .foreignei s.. parliamentary conflict or a large sum of money, cost either a besides the precarious favour of a Ministerial officer? Why is one President of the Board of Trade to grant 'any appli cation for a charter, and the next to refuse every applica tion, just as his opinions may dictate? - Why should the trade of a carrier -that is of a railway company --be con• signed to a partnership with limited liability, and not any branch of manufacture? Why are foreign houses to in- I every day in the metropolis, and get possession of our trade, all of them supported by ea . pital advairced upon conditions forbidden iu this country? Why is our own trade to be fettered, and that of our competitors free ? We arc content to press for sonic relaxation of the law suffi- I cient to enable us to compete on even terms. At all events, we_shall not suffer more scandal and loss by spurious credits and treacherous investment than we do already wider the operation of it law intended to spare us the trouble of thinking fur ourselves. 111:5§11S. DAVIDSON AND GORDON'S SUSPENSION. — The recent suspension of Messrs. Davidson and Gordon, which is likely to prove very unfavourable as regards assets, has led to other difficulties, the bills of Messrs. Cole, Brothers, East I n di a merc h an t s and metal dealer s , with whom they had extensive transactions, having to. day been dishonoured. The liabilities of Cole, Brothers, have not transpired, but they ure believed to be heavy. The firm was partly formed from that of Johnson, Cole, and Co., who failed during the crisis of 1847 for 153,0001., with assets which yielded under bankruptcy only a fractional dividend. ithol the ,bIY, 1