The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-10 00:00:00

at the pianoforte.

The Judge Adroeate-General had an audience of
the Queen yeeterday, at Buckingham Palace, and submitted
to has Majesty the proceedings of ems conrts-martisl.
Viscount Poneonby was presented to the Queen
y, at an audios," by Viscount Pastrami, Ler
Ussrelse Principal Secretary of State for Pereira Affairs.
Lord John Russell had an audience of her Majesty

- -
yesterelif._
Her Majesty the Queen visited her Majesty the
Queen Dowager, yesterday at Marlborough-house.
A deputation had an interview with Lord John
Russell yesterday, at hie official residence in Downing street,
ea the part of the Royal Geographical Society, including
Mr. W. J. Hamilton (president), Sir Roderick Murchiem,
Sir C. Malcolm. mud Sir F. Beaufort.
Mr. West Nash had an interview with Earl Grey
yesterday. at the °climatal-Am
Mr. Hodges, M.P., had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official resi-
dence in Downina-otrset.
Sir George Grey, her Majesty's Principal Secretary
of State for the Huns Department., hie Muted invitations for
a full dress dinner party at the Clarendon Hotel, on Serif-
day, the 19th hut., to celebrate the Queen's birthday.
Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer,
has issued cards for a full dries dinner at his residence in
Downing-street, on Saturday, the 19th May, in honour of
her Majesty's birthday.

BANKRUPTCY LAW.

A public meeting was held 3 esterday at the London
Tavern, J. Masterman, Esq., M. in the chair, to receive
a revert of the committee appointed at a public meeting of
merchants and traders, held at the London Tavern, May 3,
1842, for the purpose of obtaining an amendment of the law
of bankruptcy and insolvency.
Mr. CCATIB, the solicitor to the au:elation, read the M-
P"-
It stated that after the expression of the opinion of the
meeting in 1847, that the bill for the amendment of the
law of bankruptcy introduced into the House of Lords
by the lard chancellor was not ealcalated to meet the want.
of the country, the committee hastened to place before
his lordship the views entertained by the meetleff. They
accordingly reprinted the bill, Inserting alterations and
clauses of their own in italics, and forwarded them to the
law lads On the introduction of a third bid, by Lord
Brengham, in 1848, a special committee was appointed, and
before that committee 66 witnes.ee, chosen from such classes
as were beet able to form a correct opinion of the worlds,
of the existing laws, were examined. Before this committee
the necessity of the points adopted by the meeting in 1847
was amply proved in evidence ; for 16 out of 23 witnesses
agreed in stating that the restoration of a power to arrest,
under certain restrictions, was absolutely necessary. The
committee of the mesticg accord:ugly recommended that
the debtor should be arrested by order of a commissioner 1
of bankruptcy, b.f.rrs whom the creditor should prove his
debt ; that the debtor, when taken, should be brought
before the court at the coat of the creditor, when the
commissioner might discharge the debtor absolutely or
conditionally on receiving bail for the debt ; that the
debtor should be discharged if taken into custody, or left
at liberty, notwithstanding the existence of the warrant,
' when, being subject to the bankrupt laws, he signed or
Med a declaration of insolvency. It had not been deemed
Mamba to press the question of arrest on mane pro-
se% brat the bill of the present session would meet many
Of OM views of the committee and the meeting, and would
he to • very great extent a benefit to the trading comma-
any and preventive of fraud. The committee regretted,
however, that the clause for allowing the Bankruptcy Comet
to administer the effects of a deceased trader instead of the
Court of Chancery, had been struck out, as the lad advo-
eate and the solicitor-general of Scotland agreed in stating
that the same clause had Betel very ben. &daily in that
peet ef die kingdom. The committee acted on the principle
lan a audit was absolutely necessary in commerce, it was
ebnialie te rend
protect those
ec who gave and to er
reependble those who reived it. It it,
was desirable to
podia punishment for fraud, but in every way to facilitate
the relief of the really honest debtor, and it sou certain that
a bill founds 1 upon these principles would greatly add to the
swardy of the commercial classes. In the statement of their
Imam the committee stated that their expenditure had un-
enetinhly exceeded their receipts by 3001., or that at least
11lad incurred liabilities to that amount. Their receipts
11:fie year wore 3881. 181. 10d.
Mims= HOOPER, in moving that the report now real
headlight' ead circulated under the direction of the com-
ma* aqwessed his gratification at the progress which had
limn made in removing the monitions and most mischievous
geleinsMes of the bankruptcy laws—laws orleulated solely for
the leads of the fraudulent. The measure now before the
Henn of Laois wee oat embodying much practical improve-
ment, asst he lisped that before it passed into law it would
be idwiswi still more beneficial to the honest trader and to
the BMW portion of the community at large. More cape
daily he was convinced that the protection to trade would
never be perfected until arrest under memo process was
, reamed.
MAW. HAWES, in seconding the resolutios, dwelt apes
miens portions of the committee's report, and of the
MUM* before parliament. Those clauses of the bill which
Nem& to arrangements between debtor and creditor were,
as at gitemst drawn up, of a very unsatisfactory nature,
MSS Ow
be-tiers like and simple settlements be-
...„, , , , i
Weft Ow , where such were otherwise practicable,
hat i7s fact, to a minor bankruptcy, subject to
all the and expensive machinery of the court.
He bad, bowWW, received a letter from Mr. Miller, on the
ct of lane Brougham, intimating his readiness to meet
Mr. Miller said, " I am directed by Lord
Dee=hire. my that, sender proper guards, his lord-
= Is- popend to assent to the proposition that a
W nine-tenths in number
the minority, and vain*, shall
he Id% at and I have his lord-
IlWa indedelliess to prepare the namely artistes."
As diWodes he. be understood, Um Mad at Manchester
le Ile claws of the bill; the committee, in
deek miatemplated a meson of relief more than a
pawl 111111M11; but still sous disunion in punishment,
wham pent was due, should be left to the court, and
he had le fear that, administered es the law would be by
lespendble men in open court, with the supervision of the
Pi% the penal powers entrusted to the commissioners would
be aimed. The statement in the report that ths lames eye-
Weed bytes& from the present system of bankruptcy and in-
solveney amounted so 50 millions sterling ayear wuratlier un-
dw that eve( the mark. The dividend paid upon the whole
=of property which peened through the Court of Bank-
ing not more than 3s. in the pound ; and that upon
:817 passing through the Court of Insolvency not
Man se. in the pound. A letter had been
from Mr. Sale, of Manchester, intimating
that the Manchester maniac,. had decided to call
se
a eedeg of the trade there, pass resolutions in support
up a deputation, and
of the lies on committee, sand
peddled.
The meelation was then adopted insanimously.
Mr. ELLIOTT moved the mooed resolution :
That whilst this meeting congratulate* the tionntry upon
the introduction into the Hones of Lords by Lord Brougham
of a BM for the Consolidation and Amendment of the Laws
of Bankruptcy, imamate* as it comprises many of the opi-
nions so long advocated by tha ooenniercial sat rills
dames of the community, sad will tend to some
results, yet this meeting, on behalf ef the mercantile end
leading dams of the metropolis, is unableXregrove of the
bill, became it contains no provisions for Onto effict
three of their most important provision
ladispensalile reoon
meedatkee, namely, thee[ restoration of arrest for debt upon
gams proem, ecconipened with ample precaotiosa against
BS taw abuse —a dmple and inexpensive mode of effectual;