The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-08 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAT, JULY 7.
The LORD Ciaancati.ore took his seat at 5 o'clock.
PRIVATE FICSINEris.
SECOND READINGS.—Eari of Sheffield's Estate; Caledonian
Railie.y (branch *cross the Clyde and Disallow station) ; Londonderry
Immusensent;
'Minn READLNGS.—SoottIsh Midland Junction Railway (=send.
meat and branches to Biruam) ; North dtaffsirdabiro Railway (Ash.
bourne Ir seen); Usnduedermi and Enni.lallen Railway (uhaquleh.
meat of line betimes Omagh and Enniskillen); Glaegow, Pabh.y, end
Greenock Railway (amendment and bunches); Bins.
P'IIILIC
SECOND READlNG.—lianknipt Law Consolidation Oil.
COMM' ITEILS.—SaIc of Beer Regulation; POW Removal Bill.
TLIDD RFAlllN(L—lmprisorirnent for Debt (Ire Lind) MIL
BANK BUP LAW CONSOLIDATION BILL.
Lord LIWI.:01IAM moved the second reading of this
bill. There were now 12 lets regulating the ban
okru the .
sca•
rily of the law on this subject. Before 1821 there were
21 acts relatiug to the law of bankruptcy, and since that
time 21 other acts bad been palmed, making altogether
act.. lie chimed no credit for the compilation at the pre-
of• mentirely due to &moat excellent oftier
the Court of Bankruptcy. Mr. Miller wee the gentleman
he reterred to, and he had digested the whole law, and
brought it within the scope of 342 sections. The best test of
the operation of the measure which he hail sonic years since
proposed, was, that the work which used to he done by 70
commissioners woe now performed by six; and four com-
missioners it ould soon be found sufficient. The number ot
appeals had also been greatly diminislied,so that the average
number of ap,.cals within the last six years from London
and the country was ouly fi.urteen and a half. Last year
there were 1,700 bankruptcies, and in the year before 1,600 ;
and yet there were not more than 11 apponls in each year.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it was to le deplored
that a matter so important ies the law of bankruptcy should
be distributed ever so many acts of parliament; and it was
therefore most desirable that they should be conao:idatid.
also thought it ought to be seriously censidereil, whether
bankruptcy oil inso.vency should be administered by sepa-
rate jurisdictions.
The Lill was thee reed &second time.
PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.
Earl EITZIiAItIANGE and Lord STANLEY, on pre-
santiog the petitions from water-works wimpanies, urged the
neceinity ot the bill being reterred to a select committee.
Lord BROUGHAM hoped, if the bill was referred to a
select committee, thtt the committee would sit from don to
day, with the view ot passing the bill this session.
One Area: evil of the bill was, that one tenth of the
population of a place must present a memorial in Savour of
the application of tire bill to then town. This would render •
the bid nugatory, as in the case of Liverpool, for in-
stance, it would requiri: that such memorial should be signed
by 4,01t0 in earns.
Lard CAMPBELL woe surprised at the suggestion that
the bill should be rest trod to a select committee, and
moved that the house shooed go into committee on the bill.
Lord REDESDALIi thought it was utterly impossible to
consid:ir this bill finely in 'committee of the whole house
L. 4.1. BROUGHAM said they all agreed to the principle
of the bill, and it was virtually over. There bait been no
objecti in to the seccnd reading or to the report, and there
was but one stage lett ; he hoped, therefore, that hie noble
and learned friend w..m.d not object to its being carefully
considered in commiree
Duke of RIC lINIOND would answer for it that the
bill would not be more than five or six days before a select

committee.
Lord K. iNNA.IItD did not object to the hill being refined
to a select committee, after the assurance which had been
given by the noble lord opp_osite.
The Duke or it CCCLEUCII was sure that the bill could
be better dicusevil in a select committee.
The Bishop of LONDON recommended her majesty's
government to untie to the propcsal of sending the bill to
a select committee, with the understanding that no unseen-
easy delay would take place.
Lord PORTMAN said it was impossible that any measure
could be so well considered in the house as in a select com-
mittee. As he was most desirous the bill should pass in as
perfect a state as possible, he advised the government to
concede this point.
The Marerits of LANSDOWNE bad come down quite
prepared to support this bi'l against any opposition it might
meet with, on the ground of its extreme importance at all
times and its special importance at present when the c4cum.
static a of the time were circumstances of peculiar urgency.
He felt strongly also that the government had not been b irly
used respec lag this measure. A week bad been thrown
away without any notice being given that there was
any int.ntion to take the course now adopted by
the other eide. But he was bland to accept the declarations
which had been made, that the desire of the house was to
render this measure as perfect as poerible' and on that ground
he concurred in advising his noble and learned friend to
permit the bill to be referred, solely with the view that the
clauses might be carefully examined and reported on.
Lord STANLEY wished to declare that there had been no
intention to surprise the house or take any un,iir course
with regard to this measure. The real fact was, that certain
peers, w.. 0 took an inter,st in the subject, hal assembled
yesterday, and come to the conclusion that the bill ought to '
be referred, and the moment that resolution was passed, a
communication to that effect was made to the noble and
learned lord.
Lord CAMPBELL said he withdrew his motion, and he
did so readily, cordially, after the declarations whic'i had
been made or a desire to render the bill perfect, and to faci-
Lute its progress.
The motion was then withdrawn.
The Duke or BUCCLEUCIi wished to recommend that
this measure shout: be applied to Scotland, or that a similar
ruessureapplicable to that country should speedily be in.

undated. "
VISCOUNT ARBUTHNOT'S CASE.
The Uglier of the Black Rod appeared at toe bar and re-
ported that Mania made e very inquiry h r Lord Arbuthnot,
ordered to be arrested unt.Lr the warrant of the house, he
bad to state that the noble lord could not be found, and that
there was every reason to believe that he hul lett the

country.
Thu LORD CHANCELLOR moved that the Usher's re-
port be referred (as we understood) to the committee on the
proceedings in the case, which was agreed to.
The house adjourned at 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY, JULY 7.
he SPLLYa took the chair at 4 o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
REPORT CONSIDERED.—North Wales Railway (Diseantion of
Company) BBL
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
SECOND READUell—Truatees hailer (Ireland) 8111.
Real/BT.—County Coo (Ireland) BilL
LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
On the motion of Sir C. Brunem., leave of absence for two
months was given to Mr. Prime, on account of the death of
a near relivion.
NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

In reply to Mr. OSBORNE,
Mr. GItEENE stated that the committee for superintend.
eng the building of the new houses had authorised the pull-
toy down, at the close of the present SCatioll, of the te.ropo-
rary committee rooms in the cloisters, and also certain miner
alterations in the plan with reference to the vaults fronting
the river, in order to provide additional accommodation for
the journal cftl:e. The temporary buildings constructed in
the portion of the old budding called the Star Chamber
would also he removed at the close of the session, in order to
facilitate the progress of the workmen in that direction.
METROPOLITAN POLICE.
Sir B. HALL asked the Secretary of State far the Home
Department to state the reasons why the bill for limiting the
amount to be raised out of the rates for support of tit+ metro-
politan police was withdrawn;and whether it was intended to
act up to the understanding conveyed by Mr. Plaillipps, and
by the police CoMMibsiOntTP, in letters dated December and
January dist, that the ratepayers shall net be called upon to
pay more than they hove hitherto done for the support of the
pause ? In reference to the account which had appeared in
the newspaper of an interview between a deputation and
the right hon. baronet on this subject, he begged to state
that at that interview the right boa. baronet had refixed
towards the deputation and towards himself the utmost
courtesy and attenti,.n. (Hear, hear.)
Sir R. INGLIS said he wished to put two other questions
on this subject to the sight hon. baronet. The right hon.
baronet woe about to psetace his question with a statement,
when he was called to order by several hon. gentlemen.
Sir R. Inglis saserted his right to take the course he was
entering upon. If interrupted without cause be should
move the adjournment of the house.
The SPE.sKER intimated that the hon. baronet could
n-t make any statement unless he intended to conclude it
with a motion.
Sir G. GREY then, in answer to the hon. member for
Marylebone, recited ,he act 10 Geo. IV., c. 44, and the suc-
ceeditg statute. of Win. IV., and of Victoria, un.ler which
the present police rate was levied in the metropolitan
district+. The former rate of Bd. in the pound had been
reduced by the liver statutes to 6d , the total amount
of this 6d. rate having been, in 1847, 219,0001., in addition
to which a sum of 96,8691. in all, was added by the Treasury
to detray the charge of the mounted police, and other items.
In the course of 1847 there bad been a new valuation of the
rateable property in Middlesex, the iecreased assessment
falling up oi the richer districts, while the poorer districts
such as ltetbnalgreen, Spaalfields, &c., remained excluded
from the increase. Complaints having been made by many
districts of their burdens tu this respect the government had
expressed their readiness to accede to any arrangement for a
remedy which should nut increase the general burdens of the
metropolitan districts; and a bill was subsequently intro-
duced autinarising the imposition, in cues where the local
authorities sh•osid deem it requisite, of a smaller rate than
ed in the pee gel. Upon the introduction of this measure a
tired., bed hoe,: seat to the various districts iujorming them
of the eiee,._ and expressive of a hope, on the
*het this proceedind would meet the

part of the government,
complaint that had been .'"•••• The measure, however,
it wasa aaa announced, WB3 based upon the principle
that it was tooccasien no extra charge upon the public.
Since that time, circumstances, too well known for him
further to eft r to them, had oceurree:, which had occasioned
a material addition to the arduosta duties zsi the metropolitan
police, and he had received a statement front the commis-
sioners exhibiting in detail the increased labours that had
fallen upon the tore. There had been proposens made by
several districts to relieve the special cowtabke who had
hitherto exhibited such highly commendable zeal, fri,M the
liability of being strain called out in the Fame way so upon
recent occasione, by creating a special police force for e:ch
district, available on occasions such as those in question, and
paid by a voluntary and temporary rate upon the locality ;
but this did not suit the views of the government, Who
Considered that a police force to be thorough, and
permanently efficient mast be under the dUGPLuo
'd control of the police coousisioners. Tug=
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