The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
1

HOUSE OF LOItDS.—TiIeIISDAT, MAY 12.
Ile WHO CHANCELLOR took his seat at 5 cieleett..
PETI [IONS PRESENTED.
11ARITARLI THCATA BILL.—By the Bishop of LON-
DON, from a place is his diocese, against.

MERCHANT SEAMEN.
'I he Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH, on presenting a peti-
tion from Sunderland against the admission of foreign sea-
man into the coasting trade, said he would take that oppnr-
tut ity of galling the ottection of the Viet-President of the
44;srd of Trade to an imp•rtant return which had hero de•
livered yesterday, relative to the number of British ships
and men employed in the trade of the United Kingdom. It
presented an extraordinary result into which it was neces-
sary that souse inquiry should be made. lie had no doubt
the facts sta'ed in the return were perfectly correct, tor he
bat the greatest mall-term. in Lieutenant Brown, by whom ,
the return had been eon ilt d. It appeared that in the
coasting trade there h.d been in the last year 1 diminution
ter 1,118 seamen in tde sailing vessels, and a diminution of ,
2841 seamen in the steam venal. There had been an in-
Clease of WM,* tons in sadieg vessels, and a diminution of
12,0100 t..nia in steam vessels. Under the second head there
appeared a return of the WI seels;andusen employed partly in
the home trade and partly in the foreign trade, and the
aspeet of 'hat trade was peculiarly unsatisfactory. There
had been a felinp off in the tonnage of more than 94,000
tons in soiling limas, whilst in steam vessels there had been ;
an mere ae of rather more than 10,000 tons. Tha total fall-
mg off iu that trade was 341,000 tons, and the diminution in
men 1,03 J, the dirinutiou of men to the two trades being,
therefore, 2.412. There had been, however, en extraor-
'hoary increase in the number of seamen employed in the
ton mu trade. the increase, in the tonnage had been 78,000
tons, or 74 per cent. on the total tonnage in sailing vessel.;
and the increase in the number of men had been 17,917, or
IS, per cent. on the total number of seamen. As to steam
vessels, the increase in the number of tone had been above •
22,000, and the incre are in the number of men had been 2,521.
So that while the steam tonnage had increased to the coon
mous amount of 31 per cent. the number of men had
increased at the rate of t'is per cent. He had no doubt that i
all the zees stated in the seine to have been shipped on
the shores of this country were so employed; but
it was contrary to reason to suppose that tl.ey
could all have been semen. His impression was
that they were bandsmen working their passage to Ana
trade, and who bad left this country never to return. It
was upon this ',Abject that be wished the noble lord to
make an inquiry. It was moat desirable to have a return,
not oily of the number' of men who bad left the country,
but of *Nee who had come back again in the vessels.
Lord STANLEY had no doubt the interpretation of the
noble earl was correct; but be would take ears that an in-
pasty wm mode into the subject.
DOCKYARD APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE.
On the motion of Lord RV/UDALL permission was
granted to the Earl of Derby to attend the Dockyard Ap-
pein'isenta Committee.
-..—_---- -

RANK RI-PTCY BILLS.
Lord ST. LEONARD'S withdrew, for the present, the
hills which he had introduced for the amendment of the
law of bankruptcy and insolvency.
The LORD CHANCELLOR. thought that the whole
question should be inquired into; and it was hi• intention
to institute a moat searching inquire into the subject.
After a few words from Lord CAXTSIII.L,
_ _

L;r11/0U081Kmiligeog big satisfaction to Lad
that the govern seat Mw XlMlShili to isase a commission oa
the *abject.
The LORD _ _
Cet="732llollo HAM said that nothing could be more
Salida& /7 thane commission, and nothing IBM auntie.
feta, than coo her oarhamentary inquiry.
The LORD CHANCELLOR had little doubt that it
mould be a mearaission.

a did not pledge himself to •