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

perhaps prudent brevity, to the subjects connected ,
with internal improvements which are recommended 1,
to the attentive consideration of the legislature. The
first named is the difference which exists in the
commercial laws of Scotland and those of other parts
of the kingdom, whereby great inconvenience has
been occasioned to those engaged in trade. The sub-
ject has attracted much of the attention of legal
authorities within the last few years, particularly with
reference to bankruptcy laws, and measures for a
remedy of the admitted evils are promised. Should
these be carried out in a liberal spirit, no doubt much
advantage will be gained, but they should be pressed
in an early part of the session, for, if left till near the
close, as is too often the case, they will either be
hurried through the Upper House without due
deliberation, or withdrawn for a succeeding session.
The promise of measures for improving the laws
relating to partnership has reference to the Bill
which was introduced last session in company with
the Limited Liability Act, and ultimately withdrawn.
Its principal object is to enable capital to be embarked
in mercantile speculation without placing the whole
of the property of the capitalist in jeopardy.
The succeeding allusion to the complaints of mer-
chant ships being liable to pay local dues and passing
tolls, has, no doubt, reference to the town dues levied
by our Corporation, and which constitute so material
an item of the revenue of Liverpool. We shall, of
course, rely on the vigilance of our representatives in
resisting any attack on our local resources, which will
most likely be attempted by a kind of side wind, or
legislating in general terms with the view of including
all particular cases. It ought not to be difficult to
convince independent members of Parliament that,
while the town dues of Liverpool are of great im-
portance to the Corporation, by enabling them to
effect many valuable improvements, they are no injury
or detriment to trade, as is abundantly proved by the
rapid and continuous increase of the commerce of the
port.
Other important measures are promised ; and the
speech concludes with a prayer for that blessing of
Divine Providence which can alone secure the welfare
and happiness of this or any people. Upon the whole,
therefore, this Ministerial manifesto, though meagre
in many respects, is successful in avoiding topics
likely to create any serious dissension, and we need
not consequently be surprised at the unanimity with
which the address in reply to it was agreed to in both
Houses. The great difficulty was, of course, that
portion concerning the peace negotiations, as it would
have been unadvisable to betray any anxiety for peace,
while, at the same time, it was necessary to speak of
the willingness to entertain the propositions which
Russia had accepted. This difficulty, it must be con-
fessed, the Ministers have very fairly overcome, and
we may therefore excuse the poverty of the speech in
other respects, keeping at the same time a watchful
attention on the progress of the negotiations.