The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 19, 1848.

those which occurred la the
true 1823, 1836, 1841, and 1847 • and
will ultimately effect the destruction of the middle and naluslriouti
drum Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your lordships,
without delay, to consolidate and amend the laws of lisokruptcy. In
conformity with the above suggemiona
Lord BROUGHAM supported the prayer of the petition
to some extent, as he thought it was on the whole well wor-
thy of serious consideration. He was not, however, disposed
to agree to all its recommendations, sa he more than doubted
the policy of many of them. It was no compensation to a
creditor to imprison his debtor, it sameth an addition to
his loss already incurred ; but at the time imprisonment
for fraudulent conduct, or for extravagance, or for making
away with or concealing property after insolvency, ough. to
be resorted to as a punishment for crime, and as such its
infliction was admitted as a principle in the administration
of justice. All these subjects were well worthy of the most
serious cmaideration on the part of the legislature, and would
no doubt receive it, when any comprehensive reform of the
bankruptcy laws came before the houses ot parliament.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it would be premature
at present to enter into any discussion on the laws of bank-
ruptcy. Theta was no doubt that the allegations of the
petition deserved the moat serious attention and inquiry.
The petiticui wan then receiv,d, and was ordered to be
referred to the committee on the bankruptcy laws.
The house adjourned at 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMNIONS.—TuraDAY, JULY 18.
The Braksza took the chair at 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE. BUSINESS.
THIRD READINGS.— Vadailes (Orphan Working School) Charity
Estate; New Grand Canal Company (Ireland) (No. 2); Bills.
lAMDS' AMENDMENTS CONSiDEßED.—BUrnliaand Harbour
Improvement; London and South Western Railway Company and
Southampton foul Dorchester Railway Cornpauy Amulgumation
Bills.
PUBLIC RUSINE.S.S.
COMMlTTEES.—Consulldated Fund (3,00,0001.) ; Highways;
AirrioNs.—riy Mr. CHRISTOPHER, from an extensive pro-
prietor of land in Lincolnshire, complinaing of the mode of unsosing
the land tax.—Mr. GREENE, from the Wakefield turnpike trust, on
the subject of the Turnpike 'lnuits Bill.—Sir J. Y. BULLER, from the
Stanton board of guardians, in favour of systematic emigration.--
Col. DENNE, from the Portarliagton board of guardians, against the

,:h Poor - laii.
hiNOTICE OF MOTION.—Svoax Arta' Dna- —Lord 0. Illil4-
Tlloieli, in committee on this bill, to more as a protection to British
against foreign sugar refiners, tho following amendments : —ln the
third schedule, viz., on zugar or mola-ves, the growth and product of
any foreign country, and on all sugar or Mular,Se.4 not otherwise
charged with duty, for the otescvnding scale of duties ttsmetively pro-
moted In the baton "tenor, brown. or white double-refined sugar, or
sugar soposi is quality to double-reined, for every ewe."—amt on
" other refined sugar, or sugar rendered by any proms, equal in qua.
lity thereto, for every cwt.' —to substitute a fixed duty of 0. 16s. on
the tirst claim and a flied duty of 11. 12s. id. too tha second class of

the above sugars.
EVICTED TENANTS (IRELAND) BILL.
Sir G. GREY brought up the report of the committee ap-
pointed to confer with the Lords relative to the alterations in
the Evicted Tenants Bill.
NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
In answer to a question from Mr. EWART,
Mr. GREENE stated that the new House of Commons
would contain on the ground tl or 318 sittings, and in the
'galleries 130, allowing 21 inches to each member, making
443 in all, while in the present house the entire accommoda-
tion amounted to only 380 sitting•. The division lobbies
would be larger than in the present house.
HIGHWAYS BILL.
On the order for the committee on the Highways Bill