The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-12 00:00:00

THE BANKRUPTCY BILL

The Grand Committee on Trade sat again "on Mon-
day, Mr. Goschen in the chair.
The consideration of Clause 25 of the Bankruptcy
Bill was resumed. The section deals with the condi-
tions under which bankrupts are to be discharged
Sir John Lubbock moved an amendment to coo,pel
the bankrupt to prepare an annual balance-sheet,
but, on N. Chamberlain pointing out that if they
unnecessarily multiplied corditions to be taken into
account it would have a tendency to make consider t-
ton by the courts perfunctory, the proposal wAs
withdrawn.

Mr. Cohen moved to give the court power to refuse
a bankrupt his discharge where he had unjustifiably
continued to trade after knowing himself to be in-
solvent; but this amendment, although approved of
by Mr. Chamberlain, was also withdrawn.
Mr. A. O'Connor proposed an alteration to enable
the court to punish a man, not for having continued to
trade, but for having increased his liabilities by carry-
ing on trade at a loss after knowing himself to be
insolvent. Mr. Norwood strongly supported the
amendment, which was opposed by Mr. Chamberlain,
and ultimately defeated on a division by 26 to 10.

Several unsuccessful attempts were made to amend
the clause, among the number being a proposal by Mr.
Rylands to the effect that the court might have power
to refuse a bankrupt's discharge where he had drawn
or accepted accommodation bills upon which the
words "for value received" were written when no
such vale had passed. This latter amendment on a
division was defeated by 30 to 14.
Mr. A. O'Connor moved a new sub-section, to the
effect that the provisions as to discharge should apply
to debtors whose estates wer3 in bankrurtcy or liquida-
tion on the Ist of January, 1884. Mr. Chamberlain
opposed the amendment, which was negatived without
a division.
Mr. O'Connor asked how it was proposed to deal
with the enormous number of bankruptcies which
lie before the court when the old law expired.
Mr. Chamberlain said that the old law would apply
to those cases.
Clause 25 was added to the bill.
On Mime 26, which has reference to the effect of
the order of discharge, Mr. Gregory moved,an amend-
ment, which was agreed to, to the effect that an order
of discharge should not release the bankrupt from any
debt or liability incurred by means of any fraud or
fraudulent breach of trust, nor from any ,debt or

liability whereof he had obtained forbearance by any
fraud.

The clause was added to the bill, as was also Clause
27, which provides that a bankrupt obtaining goods
on credit to the extent of £2O shall be guilty of mis-
demeanour.

On Clause 28, which disqualifies a barykrupt from
holding certain public offices, Sir H. Peek proposed
that a solicitor or auctioneer twice adjudged bankrupt
should be disqualified from renewing his annual certifi-
cate or license. The amendment was negatived and
the Clause agreed to, as also were clauses up to
Clause 35.

Clause 36 was under discussion at a quarter to four
o'clock, when the Committee adjourned over the
Whitsuntide holidays.

The PREPARATIONS for the CORONA-

TION of the CZAR.

Noticing the preparations for the coronation of the
Emperor of Russia the Globe in an article says :
According to common assertion the Coronation fetes
will not cost less than ten &Ilion roubles, or, at the
present low rate of exchange more than a million
sterling. If it be rememberea that the coronation of
George IV., one of the most magnificent on record,
coot only £240,000, and that the House of Parliament
voted only the relatively beggarly sum of £70,000 to
crown her Majesty the Queen, it will be seen that
Russia on this occasion means to outdo anything
that has ever occurred in this country. Moscow,
luckily, is famous for the number of its taverns,
lodging-houses, and hotels; otherwien it might
view with anxiety the prospect of having to provide
for a quarter of a million guests next month.
Still, all the same, in spite of its resources in the way
of accommodation, the pressure on its space is expected
to be so severe that everybody who possesses a room,
or a fraction of one, is preparing to let it for the
occasion. A printer, it is said, has sold 80,000 printed
notices of rooms to let during the coronation since
the beginning of the year, and, as a local writer in
the Nove Vremya put it the other day, it would seem
as though all the regular inhabitants intend to live
in their cellars and garrets during May and June
in order to make money out of the new comers.
Moscow has a considerable number of mammoth
hotels, but the unlucky foreigner who relies on
obtaining accommodation in any of them will be
grievously disappointed on his arrival there next
month. All the best have already been secured
by the State to lodge the officials, the deputations, and
the Russian guests of the Emperor; and the remainder
are being taken possession of by degrees by the com-
mission appointed to supervise the Mts. Thus the
splendid and favourite hotel Slaviansky Bazaar has
been taken for the generals and the personages of the
Czar's suite' 27 other hotels for officials of lower
degree, the Metropol Hotel—another favourite—has
been secured for the 115 persons composing the Im-
perial ballet, and the Hotel Dusaux—in which Sko-
beleff died—for the singers of the Imperial Chapel.
To lodge the 55,000 troops who are to march into
Moscow to represent the army at the ceremony,
the ordinary garrison will quit its quarters and
remain outside the city under canvas. Of the 55,000
troops, 30,000 will be Imperial Guards from St.
Petersburg, and the officers will comprise 121 generals
and 2,417 superior officers. This body of Imperial
Guards alone should impart a splendid effect to the
ceremony, without counting the more picturesque
portions of the army—the Caucasian Cossacks, in their
khalats and white busbies; the Lesgians, in their
chain armour, reminding one of the Crusaders, and
armed with bows and arrows; the swarthy Tartar
Bashkir cavalry ; the militia rais :d from Kirghiz;
Khivans, Turcomans, and various Siberian Tribes, all
in their national dress • and the pug-nosed Finns, still
wearing the tall grenadier hats of the European fashion
of last century.

The guests to be specially felted will exceed 6,000 in
a • For the tables at which they will be fed 7,000
table cloths have been ordered, and 40,000 napkins.
A. week ago a special train took to Moscow 100 tons
of China ware, cutlery, glass, arc., for the use of the
"higher "guests. The lower guests, or populace, are
to be equally well looked after. Sixteen reservoirs
are now being erected in the Khodinisky Square, to
hold 40,000 buckets of beer, which will be given away
in 800,000 earthern jugs, decorated with the portrait
of the Emperor. As solid food, 800,000 meat pies,
each weighing three-quarters of a pound, are to
be distributed among the people, together with
800,000 pound packets of nuts, cakes, and lolli-
pops. To amuse the mob theatres are being
erected, in which 400 actors will perform and bands
being advertised for which, in the aggregate, will
comprise 2,000 performers. The troops will be
specially feted in a village outside Moscow, where
booths for amusements of the Russian carnival
description are being prepared for them. On the
day of the coronation. 55,000 silver medals will be
distributed among the troops, and several thousand
gold ones among the officers, When the shades of
night gather about Moscow, a quarter of a million
lanterns will be lighted, and 3,500 Edison lights will
illuminate the stately tower of Ivan the Great, along-
side the Uspinsky Cathedral.
Of course the chosen representative of the 101
million people comprising the population of the
Russian Empire will bring with them gifts for the
Emperor. Many of them will be specimens of local
handiwork in silver or gold, but the majority will
probably be trays or salvers. . , • The procession
that will take place on the day of the coronation
will comprise twenty•three gold carriages, most of
which have figured in coronations since the
time of Peter the Great. The one conveying the
Emperor is a splendid work of art, and is
reckoned to have cost £lO,OOO to build. Of
course, the procession will be the principal sight
of the ceremony, so far as the general public is
cencerned, for only a favoured few thousand will be
allowed, or rather will be able, to be accommodated in
the immediate vicinity of the Uspinsky Cathedral.
Hence there is a great demand for windows and bal-
conies along the route of the procession, and in some
instances £lOO a balcony has been paid, the amount
including the use of the room behind and the attend-
ance of the servants of the household. In one case £350
has been given for a corner-room, commanding a view
of the procession along two thoroughfares. In the
Red-square a huge stand is being erected for the 1,000
musicians and 8,000 school children who will greet
the Emperor with the National Anthem. In the
Opera House a monster concert is to be given at
at which 5,000 military musicians will perform.
Eight balls will be given after the coronation, four of
which will be Embassy ones. For the British
Embassy, Malkiel House, in the Tverskaya-street,
has been hired for £4,000; the ball to be given by the
Duke of Edinburgh is expected to cost at least £2,000
more. The f4tes at Moscow will last ten days, and wil
be followed by a fortnight's festivities at St. Peters
burg. In all the administrative towns of the Empire
fgtes on a minor scale will prevail for a week, and a
Russian statesman has made the calculation that the
aggregate cost of these to the entire Russian Empire
will not be much under £15,000,000 sterling.