The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-25 00:00:00

11UBUNALfS OF COMMERCE.

Yesterday, a public meeting took place at Willis's
Rome, n a;-street, St. James's, to promote the establish-
ment 1,1 •Vrittitnals of Commerce in Great Britain. Mr.
hlosecs.o Goat presided. A letter was read from Lord
Vihans 11(0 (who hal been announced to take the chair),
stating that severe indisposition had prevented him from ful-
filling hi. intention.
'lke CHAIRMAN, in opening the promedings, said
that A's'isoigh he was not himself (directly connected
with . 50...4cm, be could easily (set for the hardships
of the also suffered from the present state of the law, and
anyt • .r which might be proposed with a view to improve
the c • ut the commercial world, was entitled to the
mapper: o. all who valued the commercial welfare of this
mounts . to the course of the meeting the nature and ob.
jest. y. s shunals of eurnroerce would be explained, and it
would a ester that in France and Belgium institutions of
this l..ys 'sad already been established. In those countries
the> .. si 'y en Muni to work very well, and had produced
great i. • . tits to the public, and there could be no doubt
that s would lie atteutled in Great Britain with corres-
pond° Ts-sults. It was c. neatly toast important that they
*hauls.. ' lect all the information they could an other countries
V. spe, thy working of these tribunals, in order that they
might I. Jilt to none forward with some practical recommen-
dation • . and At the ...one time to show to the public the nature
and ad. wimps of such ioatitutions. As far as he was eon-
ecrn.- ;. ;,.. should be happy to give his time and services to
ths e s .•setg th..e objects into effect, and laying before the
puh‘i • ,y. information they may desire to enable them to
come t • . rust conclusion upon the subject. lie might °h-
ectic, • " t the olsjects of the tribunals now proposed were
not th • of hostility to the legal profession; their sole pur-
pose w • to ends scour, as far as commercial matters were
C 011.11.1 .1, to render the taw meetaible to the generality of
the t I-co lend world at the smallest possible expense..
Ils- site sure that in order to übtain increased support
it was oily necessary Eat the movement should be mom
general. y known. (Rear, hear )
Mr. r ItANCIS LYN E, the .teretary, then saldress4-d the
and observed that when he first introduced this
matge,t to the notice of the commercial world he received
• fur the merchants were so en-

•rrj
tirclv

otratit of the P:ening of such tribunals that they
staid .. pposition to the project. Ile alluded particularly
to tic • ,egor house:., fur the smaller ones seemed to feel
that sic change was necessary, but they dared not to
hope for it. The prow, however—that great guardian
of the 'cementite interest—had taken the matter up, and
bad wpm...cutest the benefits to he derived from tri.
Wads commerce that the large houses were now dis-
posed .1 support the design, upon the conviction that
such it etutions were calculated to place the strong and
the a. a on an equal footing as regarded the adminis-
tration ot justice. The mercantile world now so far un-
dead. , the principle of this movement that they were
eremitic t.,rwsrd with pecuniary means to assist in carrying
oat the undertaking. In order to explain to them more
fully VA: nature of these institutions, he would call
the ,otention of the meeting to some " Remarks
on Ifs Utility and Organisatitm of Tribunals of
Coins, Ter," by Mr. J. M. Fraser, who stated that
'no exists in Belgium a tribunal of commerce in every
city ao,: eouuty town. and in all towns of any commercial
or Maestri.' importance. They aro exclusively composed
of nom Rousts aud manufacturers chosen from the most emi-
nent sial particularly from among the principals of the
oldest • stahlidied houses having a reputation for order,
nt, and probity. The list of judges chosen in each
pros lie e or locality is submitted to the state authorities for
ammo. d. The judges hold office for two years. Emit
tribe,, .1 is composed according to the population or nom.
sales c the town or province. There is always • president
judo., end twelve., eight, sic, four, or two judges elected
sod a mdduMd, Maid.v an equal number of supplementary I
judges. Three judges ocespy the bench on each occasion,
vie .$1 whom presol• o, and they are attended by • consult-
ing lee: rist4 r, who is alone a paid functionary, the situation
of ento iiercial judge abroad ,being purely honorary." Ile
(Mr. Lyne) had not heard any one say that they ought to
adopt .other the French or the Belgian plan, but most people
ti g tit was wise to discover the workings of the tribu-
nals 1111 those countries and sec what they could learn from
them. They had .ilreaily received the offer of services of
talent. .1 men in this country and abroad, and it had been
prop*, d to petition the House of Lords upon the subject;
but if they mail, up their minds to go to the Lords they
must asp ear in groat strength, because the legal profession
were so ignorant of the nature of these tribunals that it
would he said that they were asking for a shadow, and not
a realty. They must therefore be prepared with • mass of
codeine to show that they were not working fur a shadow,
but fat a reality. Not lung ago Lord Denman had stated
that a 'dungy, something like that which they were now
lookiii.; for, would not only work for the good of the com-
munity at large, but for the benefit of the legal Profession
itself. The present meeting had been convened at this end
44 the town in order that they might see how far gentlemen
in Westminster were disposed to sympathise with them.
In 44.eiclusion, he observed that if these tribunals were
estahl shed, and merchants were made the judges, there
would be nu opportunity of evading liabilities by technical
ohjections, and every disputed contract, however small the
atuniit, would lie satisfactorily adjusted. The system, he
thoue'it, would not only tend to shorten disputes, but
would also bane the effect of making men more honest
toward. each other. (Hear, hear)
Mr ALEXANDER RAINY proposed • resolution, to
the cif rt that the establishment of tribunals of commerce
would tend to diminish unnecessary litigation, as well as
furnish the moans whereby differences among commercial
11001 sod others may he satisfactorily adjusted, at • small
cod and wills the least possible delay. Mr. Rainy said the'
real goodies was, whether they should be ahls to carry
out ao•operation that should succeed in accomplishing the
good which hail loco expected; whether the present system
of conducting legal proceedings was of such • nature
Ai to call fur a cure; and whether the principle
now suggested was calculated to remedy the evil.
Mr. Remy then detailed at considerable length various
CWICA in which large fortunes had been samitieed by the
delays so Chancery proceedings, and concluded by paating
out the neconaty of affording increased °neat:moment Sol
these tribunate.
Mr 11. 11. Lettastrit seconded the resolution, and Mr.
W. CAILIMICIEIL supported it. The latter gentlanan ad-
ducio t OCTefil ill-A.II4NA in which the law, as administered
according to the present system of Chancery proceeding,
had producad the most destructive consequences.
T 14.4 resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. J. U. Ult E, a barristor, then proposed a vote
of thanks to the pow tor their praiseworthy efforts is sup-
pun of the movement.
Mr. J. BULL seconded the resolution, and observed that
if it had not besm fOr the statements which bad appeared
la the public papers the present movement would have died.
The resolution was carried with acclamation, and was
followed by a vote of thanks to the chairman, which ter-
minate el the procoodiags.

SPORTING.
NEWCASTLE RACES-MONDAY.
TaIRMNIAL STAIR... of 10 goys. each, h.ft. Two law
M.. J. Ass. rtbionl -walked mer.
Tram Sraaan, of 10 son. each, for 2 yr-olds ; colts, Set.
; and Wirt, 84. 41b. hilt a side.
or. Waimea ... Mona)
lord ..........(ENURE) I
Ilettang.-2 to 1 cia the Sheltie.
Stinitagem made all %ha raaaing, and was wily by a
lead&
coast,/ tat. SIMMS of 10 eon. emelt, 6 ft. and 3 °sly if de-
etirod, with 100 .on. added. Pena the new pad, sad
one.. woad. 21 men., lof when declared.

N. R. Hareass'rattas liettay.t yrs., am.
ALZZ
Ms. lisissalnes Unity. 3 yrs.. SeL (
Mr Winsthee• SUM of 11•Ars.. yrs.. an. 711 s. (Moil i
11w following also started but wars not pined:—Mr.
Shepherd's Alp, 5 yrs, 7st nb, including Mb sutra (Osborne);
Sir C. Moorles Vanguard, 5 yrs Sot (Sillsm) ; Mr. Wd-
knees Langton, rrs, 6st 121 b (Arnold);; Mr. Merry's
Mrennus, 1 yrs, Got 3lb (Charlton) ; Mr. I arrisun's ro f by
Emilia*, 3 yrs, 4st 121 b, carried sst (Carroll) di..
Betting-6 to 2 apt Unity, 3to 1 apt Maid of Masham,
1 to I apt Tons Maltby, 1 to I apt Alp, and S to I apt any
other. Won by • length.
HVNTIIe Brait is, of 6 goes each, with 15 added. Con-
vivial Stakes course. Si: subs.
Beisise's Vern. 6 TPS 100 31b
Mr. Lamplop's the twiner, aged, tot Ito
Betting —3 to I on Foss. Wan
MAII.IIII 1.1.4711 1.1111 won in tame beats by Fern (Simp-
son), boating Mr. mars 'lndigo. II pro, Mr. Henderson's
lloloy, 1 fn. and Mr. Dinrisaa he Sutherland, 6 yrs.

I. Part)