The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-26 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

As many u 50 charges of destroying clothes in work.
houses have been heard at this court during the last month.
Not a day has passed during the last few weeks but some
such charge has been ht from St. George's, St.
James's, and St. Martin's w and, notwithstanding
the magistrates have in all omen nut the offenders to prison
for terms of either 21 days or a month, the offence does not
appear to be on the decrease. Yesterday three men were
brought before Mr. Knox, charged with destroying their
clothing—two from St. Msrtio's and one from St. George's.
The prisoners made the usual defence in such raw—that
their clothing was dirty, and they destroyed it in order to
get other.
They were committed for 21 days each.

- - - - ---
ASSOCIATION OP CHAMBERS OP COMMERCE.

Yesterday the members of this association re-
assembled at the West:mitotic Palace Hotel ; Mr. &lir-
eotr S. LLOYD DI the chair.

Till ELPTAL Or THE 17TH armor or THE STATUTE or

FRAUDS.

Mr. Htsi, of Huddersfield, brought forward the follow.
log resolution :—•• That the los and inconvenience which
result from the operation of the 17th section of the' Statute
of Frauds' (29 Chiles 11., c. 3), and of the 7th section of
the statute 9 George IV., c. lt, rendering void all cataracts
for sale of goods exceeding 10/., unless reduced into writing,
or evidenced by delivery sod acceptance, or by payment on
account, render it expedient that those mikes
should be repealed, and that a petition for such
repeal be to her Majesty's government."
The proposer urged that the sections in question operated
very unjustly towards the fair and hoeourable trader, while
the unscrupulous and dishonest man obtained an advantage
it was Dever intended he should possess. He had commu-
nicated with the chambers of commerce in Scotland and in
Dublin, and from those quarters he bad ascertained that
people felt no difficulty in corning no their commercial
transactions without the influence of the objectionable
clauses in the statute. It was very difficult to induce a
merchant to give a written order fur goods when their value
was above 101., on account of the oicles that presseted
themselves, and customers had often taken offence at the
idea of being asked for an order under such circumstances.
Experience in Scotland for the last two hundred years
had proved that there was no Porosity for any such
• restrictive act. At the time when the Statute of
Fronds was framed, the commercial relations of men
were much more limited than they were at present.
In 999 transactions out of a thousand that took place at the
present time, there was no written agreement whatever. A
parliamentary committee bad sat upon the question. and
their opinion was that the act should be abolished. In the
avast of the act being repealed there would be nothing to
prevent pal ties from baying written agreements prepared in
any special transactions where they might be thought

Mr. Stars (Sheffield) seconded the resolution.
Mr. WRIGHT (Birmingham) was of opinion that no case
had heels made out for • repeal of the kw in question. In
small transactions there was no written agreement, but in
larger transactions a memorandum wee necessary to com-
plete the contract. That was the custom in hie locality.
Mr. Guars (Wolverhampton) said that in the report
which had been published. it appeared that the London
merchants were unanimously in favour of retaining the law.
In Wolverhampton the custom was to require an agreement
in writing. In the event of the kw being repealed, this dif-
ficulty
would arise :—at preempt • written agreement was re-
garded as • matter of course in large transactions, as it was
felt that no bargain could be complete without on. ;
whereas, if the statute were abolished, people would not
like to ask for anything of the kind.
Mr. LLTION (Leeds) said he was engaged in • manufac-
ture where the greet majority of the transactions were
small in amounts, and of course it would be impossible to
give a written agreement in each.
After a little further diectuaion the resolution was put,
and was carried by 8 to 4.
The CHAIRMAN observed that their rules required • Tmss
jority of two-thirds before the body could take collective
action upon it. This vote was exactly two-thirds, and
therefore the emaciation could act upon it.
Mr. GIBISS asked permission to bring helm the meeting
• question relating to county oourta. It was well known
that cases of great hardship existed where no legal remedy
could be applied—cases of fraudulent trustees for the fulfil-
ment of connects, intestacies, Irc. He felt stroogly on this
subject, and trusted that the association would adopt
measures with a view to future action upon it.
Mr. SMITH (Sheffield) mid the question was one of great
importance to the community ; and be thought it would be
a great advantage if county courts were armed with equity
jurisdiction to • limited extent.
The CHAIRMAN said that the matter bad been under con-
sideration, and a general opinion had been expressed in
j favour of equity urisdiction to a limited amount being
allowed to county courts.
A vote of thanks to the chairman was carried by asthma
tion, sod the proceedings of the association were brought to
• close.

EDGWARE, HIGHGATE, AND LONDON RAILWAY.
—The ordinary half-yearly mooting of this company was
held yesterday at the office, 19, Duke-strait,
Waatmio-
der, Mr. James Farquhar in the chair. The escretary reed
the report, which has already been published. The chair-
man, iu moving its adoption, maid the works of the liar
were now in a forward state, and he had every realm to
believe that before their sett meeting a peat portion of the
line would be complete. With respect to the bill now be-
fore whiniest, authorising the CONSialletioll of a breech
to Alexanths.park, the shareholders would be called to-
gether on a future °wagon to give ibeir emotion to that
bill. He moat also state that the Ilse would be • single
one, with the exception of the breach to Ahxamdr•-park.
He believed that the traffic to be derived from this branch
would prove highly remunerative. Mr. C. Maguey
ascoodsd the adoption of the report, which, ►fter some
remarks by Messrs Kimick aed Heald, was agreed to.
MORE THAN LYRE AND INITIII TIAN 'vim—This
applies to the largest and best stork of spring and summer
patterns ever submitted for public approval. The world-famed
lea. trousers at Alfred Webb Mlles', the ortglastafs este-
bbslueent. :3. Brooketreet, Hanover-square. Established 1841.
—l►dvertiseeteat.l