The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

The St. Petersburg journals, of the 25th ult., announce ex-
treme activity in all Russian produce, with a constant rise in
prices.
The privilege hitherto enjoyed by the " Russian Company
for Marine, Fluvial, and Land Carriage Insurance," of its
shares being a legal tender as payments to or from the state,
has been withdrawn.
The Russian Government have advertised for bar iron for
overlaying the sides of floating batteries.

AUSTRIA.
At Vienna, on the 31st ult., the premium on precious metals
fell about one-half per cent. All stocks were lower.

ITALY.
The official gazette Vetoil states that recruits are stir
raided in Sardinia for the Anglo-Italian Legion.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY.

Their lordships assembled at 5 o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that he would introduce a bill.
to establish the right of appeal in insolvency cases in the
county courts. He also called attention to the excessive
amount of costs in the county courts.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that a bill had been prepared
by government for the improvement of the county courts as
regards the costs payable there, but whether the right of appeal
in insolvent cases was embraced in the bill he could not state.
He however promised that the remarks of his noble friend
should receive the attention of government.
Earl GREY gave notice that, on Friday next, he would ask
the Secretary of State for an explanation of a contradiction
between Colonel Rose's despatch of 25th March, 1853, and
Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's despatch of 27th May following,
in relation to a memorandum of Pisani as to the account given
to him by Rifaat Pasha and the Grand Vizier, with reference
to the substance of a note verbale presented by Prince Men-
schikoff to the Porte.
In reply to the Marquis of Clanricarde, Earl GRANVILLE
stated that the clock of the Houses of Parliament would be
put up immediately.
The Earl of ELLENEOROUGH asked when the papers rela-
tive to Kars would be laid on the table.
Earl GRANVILLE, in the absence of the Foreign Secretary,
could not state the exact day.
The Earl of DERBY hoped the papers would be presented in
a separate form..
Lord WODETIOUSE promised that Government would attend
to that suggestion.
Their lordships adjourned at 5 45 p.m.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY.

The House met at four o'clock.
Mr. McEvoy took the oaths and his seat for Meath.
A number of questions were put by hon. members on dif-
ferent subjects, but none of them were of particular interest.
Sir G. GREY stated, in answer to a question from Mr.
Keating, that a measure founded on the first report of the
County Commission was in preparation, and would shortly be
introduced by the Lord Chancellor.
PASSING TOLLS AND TOWN DUES.
The House then went into committee on the Acts relating
to Merchant Shipping, when
Mr. Lows moved for leave to bring in a bill for the Abolition
of Passing Tolls, and the Regulation of Local Dues upon
Shipping. He stated that the measure which he intended to
propose was the necessary consequence of the alterations
lately made in the laws relating to shipping He said, that in
some cases, the tolls and dues charged upon shipping consti-
tuted a heavy tax upon commerce, and were often applied to
purposes not connected with it, and cited the case of Liver-
pool as one in point. He stated that the bill would apply
to all ports in the United Kingdom except that of London.
Passing tolls were to be swept away altogether; and with re-
spect to the debts which had been contracted upon them, in
the case of Dover and some other places, they would be charged
upon the consolidated fund, the Admiralty taking the ports,
with all their responsibilities, into their own hands. In the case
of debts contracted upon the security of town dues, the rights
of the creditor would be respected and provided for by a con-
tinuation of the security, in a manner which he detailed at
some length. Special customs, as to the charities, would be
abolished altogether. Deferential dues charged upon foreign
shipping, for which compensation was paid to municipal cor-
porations and public bodies, out of the consolidated fund, to
the extent of £52,791 per annum, would also be abolished.
But, on the other hand, it would take upon it debts to the
amount of £60,000, by which trade and commerce would be
greatly benefited. All exemptions from local dues now
enjoyed by freemen of boroughs such as Liverpool were to be
repealed. After a few further observations, the right hon.
gentleman concluded by entering into some calculations, from
which it appeared that the changes which he proposed would
relieve the shipping trade of the country to the amount of
£263,000 per annum.
Mr. HSADLAM stated several objections to different points
in the proposed measure, which he said would affect the
interests of Newcastle, and he hoped that time would be given
for its consideration.

Mr. HoRsrALL warmly defended the Corporation of Liver-
pool in respect to the application of the Town Dues, and said
the legal question of their title to those dues should be settled
before the house proceeded to legislate. He hoped that time
would be given for full consideration of the bill before the
motion for the second reading,
After a few words from Mr. RICE,
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said the people of Manchester would
hear with satisfaction that government had determined that
they should no longer be taxed for the support of the muni-
cipal institutions of Liverpool. He approved of the bill.
Mr. LIDDELL dissented from the proposed measure alto-

gether.
Mr. LINDSAY, on the contrary, approved of it.