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

contained. --
IMPORTATION OF DISEASED SHEEP.
The Duke of RICHMOND moved for a return of the
number of sheep and the quantity of wool imported into the
Unite d le in gdom in the year 1N 17 ; and inquired what precau-
tion ry meisures had been taken by her M ajesty 's governme to
nt
with respect to e contagious disease in cheep, supposrd
th
be of the nature of small pox? In cons, qucrece of the trio
which Sir It. Peel introduced, foreign sheep and cattle were
allowed to be introduced into this country. The free traders
had brought sheep iota the country by this measure, it was
true, but' they had alp° brought in diseaset sheep, and he
considered the government were hound to do their best to
Sad out the nature of this disease which hail long prevailed
in the north of Germany. He thought they should send
over a veterinary mown to inquire into the nreurc of the
disease and the beat remedy for it. He was told that it was
often dormant in the system, and was not exhibited until
some weeks after the animals had been introduced. The
government ought to prohibit the importation of these sheep
for some time, as it was a most serious evil, and one which
might affect the whole country. lie was told that in Holstein
it was tee custom to inoculate the sheep possessed et this
disease, and perhaps vaccination might be useful here. If one
she p ea the disease it ran through the whole flock ; and it
was an roil which he was sure their lordships would excuse
him fur calling tl sir attention to. (Hear, hear.)
The Merqui. of LANSDOWNE thought the measure of
Sir It. Peel had operated moat beneficially, but it might
have tended to the inconeenience wkich the noble duke,
&Huard to. lie was glad that the noble duke had called hat.ad
tention to the subject, not that any stain ne:d be created
with reference to it, hut that persons might be put on their
guard as to the existence of the disease. It hail been known
in Germany for a great mat.y years. Only one sheep, how-
ever, imported into this country, of all the num-
ber which Lid been subjected to inspection, had
bee u found to be bud; but the germ of the disease was
Isteet, and many sheep might now he in tne country
aft:etc.] with the disease without its being known. Instruct
ttm.s had been given to keep sheep thus imported in a state
of quarantine until it could be ascertained Ly veterinary
surreons whether they had the diserder in question or not.
He was not at all sure that an order in council might not be
necessary ; bat their lordships might be sure that the fullest
information would be given to parliament on the subject.
Lora BROUGHAM thought the statement of the noble
marquis was most satisfactory.
The return was then ordered.
BOARD OF TRADE.
Lora BROUGHAaI wished to ask how it happened that
a gentleman connected with the Road of Trade hail oh-
tamed possession of c document which no one else could get,
except this very fortunate editor?
Earl GRAN VILLE made a statement, which was all but
inaudible, but the object of which was to show that no un-
hie preference hail been given to the gentleman in question.
Lord BROUGHAM said the explanation was most sates.

factory.
THE LAW OF BANKRUPTCY.
L-rd WHARNCLIFFS, on presenting a petition from
Londein on this subject, said it was originally intended to
have born presented by the late lamented Lord Ashburton.
The subject was one of great importance to the trailing
community. The petition had been founded on the resolu-
tions of various meetings held on the subject in the City of
London, and which designated the bankruptcy and insol-
vency ;les as a disgrace to the country. Oat of 48 average
cost, taken from the Coate of Bankruptcy, only 41,0001. had
been collected, and after deducting the enormous charges of
the Court of Bankruptcy, but 21000/ remained for the
creditors, giving them a dt;idend of only do. is the pound.
It ass found that the average number of bankruptcies in five
years was 1,300; and the groat amount of bad debts yearly,
owing man ay to the defective state of the bankruptcy laws,
had been estimated to amount to no lets than 64,000,0001..
and the actual losses to 49,000.0001. The petitioners prayed
that Name greater :powers might he given to the creditor.
The noble lord proceeded to refer seriatim to the several
paragraphs in the following petition :
TO lilt shOu.T lIONOIDADL/ TUE LOMA ortarreax LTD TrMINIA3L or
rat t SD DINSDOX or liltr-AT astral!. AND lIIALAND Ix rIALIA.
lIANT AAOldlitED.
The humble petition of the undereigned merchants, bankers, and
trade. s of the metropolis, showeth,—That the wcltare of this i rest
country is dependent owns trek and commerce; and that credit, or
confidence between man and man, is au earential element of their
existence. Thu it is the especial duty of the state to maintain
credit in Ito integrity, ail effectually to discourage and punish its
thewhaent or wilful abuse. That come, °nal credit, so far from
being oustained by the hem is, on the contrary, almost wholly un-
supported by them ; and that dependence on the mercantile honour
of the oniony which has contrioutei so much to its greatness is,
from a defective system of legioation, Wilmot extinct. That et a
public meeting of merchant., bankers, and traders of the metropolis,
held in the month of February in the year 181;, It
was unanimously
rewasad, tun the existing bankruptcy ye
ar inoolveney
diegrace to this commercial age and country; that under their
shelter, deceit, reckless trading, extravagamo, de:Monody, and every
specks of fraud might be pr*Cnitel with impunity ; the debtor was
demer-lbed, and the creditor unprotected ; that this impunity
was steadily and merely undermining the commercial morality
of the country ; that it was unjust in reference to society
In general, and to the industrious clam-es in particular ; that
under this prutectMol a profligate dealer, after destroying the fair
trade of a d.striet, and ruining al in him mighbourboodonight, In
etfcc., recommence businera awl repeat his coterie thinno or even
In the mime dearict, with rearcelv a povibility of reckless career
beiaa Mopped by the arm if juatice, or of any punishment being in-
flicted upon hum fur the the be had entailed upon others. That the
upiaioa na A ciareseed how twin unhappily otrengtbunel be the
numerous awl detaatroul failures which have since occurred, and
which all moiidy attributable, us your mil:loner. canfidently se.ert
to the absence of adequate and certain ptinaffintent for reckless and
fraudulent traders. That the annual loos sustained by the country
feast bad dales has Wen under-estimated at flue milltooa electing;
that thb root amount is exclusive of the •crious injury to the Indus.
trimw thaws by the reduction of wages, molting tram the system of
selling at • lows, practised by dishoneat dealers, who truot to the pro.
tectian and exemption team punishment note ..fforded them. That
the preterit laws arpear to have been enacted for the pur-
pow of dealing with lIPUIVOICY aftrl nts takanof filarpd -
ce,
and not with the view to prevent that entree
lag which lends to it—a prindple of legislation which your
pwitinnent consider of vital imtortance to the safely of commerce.
that your petitioners have long entertained the opinion that when
inaolveney has Laken from wilful mioco.duct or extravagance, or
where debts have been contractel in fraud, dishonesty, or without the
reaouneLle Olin elation of ability to pay them, the debtor ohould be
subjected to punishment for the injury lie him inflicted upon society,
by unprisonalent in the common gaol: they therefore hailed with
!eh-futon the rethanition of this princiaie in the County Courts Act,
and are tail 11131111IUS of its retention to debt, of larger =mutt.
That notwitbatenaling certain acts of hotel committed by bankrupts
arc by law punishable no felonies or Mis/DIDIDI3Ors, yet the difficul-
ties and °banks in the way of convictio . are oath so aimed entirety
to deter treat:ow from their prarecuton. That your petitioner, are
of opinion that upon nonpayment of his demand the creditor ought
to have every paa.ble facility of obtaining an immediate di,tribution
of lib debtor's property, without the risk of further loss by
Ito being made away with. That the CriiN which the trailing
community have suffered by the raielition, in the year loos,
of arrest for debt noon mesne turves base emeincel them that pro-
ma, agars: the person in the rim. in-Los IS a remedy which ought
to be tut ir:COllit3l, but accompanied with precautions against mi.-
use, Wad WILD IiaIIICADICAP tO the debtor to surrender himself to the
Coutt of Baukrup cy. That it is the °aloha' of your petitioners that
all aeditors where debts shall have been proved, and oleo the as.
signers, for the whole amount of the tank, not's, debts, should have I
the right, of judgment creditor. ag-inot has pampa. That the aoutt
sla mar bar, disci utionary power to refu.,, -upend, or withdraw its
protection, now granted, aa of courae, t the bankrupt upon hat our-
render to the fiat ; and that such protectio, should be absolutely re.
Noel or withdrawn whenever the debtor shall fail to show tat his
bankruptcy has neaten otherwise than from fraud, gambling, wilful
miscotaluel or extraruganoe, or in C.Pe of einethlment of or making
away with his prop, rty or bdile, contracting rtaits without reasonable
expectation of ability to pay them, or of 1,, c mind...ton of any offence,
now punirlialie as felinies or matdemeanoro : that in the event of
th.• tauikrupt being token in execution alter having ben thus declared
me, orthy of protection he ohivial not be entitled to hi, release for
three }VAN (OP maximum period of remind pet-cased by the insol-
vent DeMor,` Court), except by °rare of the commisoinner by whom
hi- plat Stioll ,hail have been withdrawn. Taal tracing by unter-
tilicateslb mkruptie should be punished by revere penalties. That tae
fees now paid co the Court of itananitacy, and which press mast
heavily enoin set-ill rotates, should be red. eel. That the teat, which
your petitioners deem an dnltteeurary source or delay, trouble, and
expanse path which wan &stand to he so in tic report of the reirlb-
mentery commt ounces made in the yral III;, should be "Wished.
That the remuneration to the otiteNti aa'ig'.ea torxighout the
country -loneL he upon one Seale, to Dr by p .rhantent ; and,
as a rest prcverni, of fraud, that they should prepare
the ban ,rupt's Llano -sheet. a hat aeon the deaths of
trederen and in default of apto•intment of executon or
adinmistrutora, the Court of Hankrutecy should be empowema
after proper notice, to elharibute tl.e effect, of the decearein
'that where conga,-ithRIA and other arringenentabetween debt. co and
their creditorocannot bc otherwise cirri, d through, the conctirrence of
the wfourths in number and value of the creditors (above 1,1,) should
be binding upon the remainder, provided the arrangement be effected
With the enuietion of the Court of Bankruptcy • and that an efficient
. aegistration of all such dente, aa well so of bills of sale and mitt-
, sages to creditors should be kept. That full annual return should be
a cede to parliament under every bankruptcy, of the amount of the
d e .bas and Ibblities, the available maces and dividends, and other
pa sticulara. That a consolidation of the numerous statutes 'rioting
to bankruptcy is most desirable. That the above ouggeations of your
pen. • tionert have on several occaoions loam Fulunittet, to parliament in
the bore that the wanto of the trading chews upon this subject would
have met with redress, but without coccus'. That your petitioners
mule rased that the propriety of the union of the laws of bankruptcy
and ii 'solvency is now under oonoideration r they beg to submit their
0111 n(" 3 as fa‘ourable to such a measure, awl to the removal of the
distine 'arena which now prevail between the trader and the non-trader,
and bet were the protections respectively granted by these court., pro-
eioeil due stem certain punishment be insured to the fraudulent, dio-
Lomat, a nil e I,.ravagant ; at the 'same time, from the experience which
your pelitior.er, have had of the serious Inconveniences resulting from
the administration of came of insolvency, where the debts are of small
amount, in the Court of Bankruptcy, they deem it most desirable that
this chum of cams should be kept altogether Separate from thee of
greater impostance. That your petitioners, in a-king for these im-
provements, declare It to be their opine°n that the operation attic law
of bankruptcy ought to to such as to provide the greatest facilities, for
the early didribution of the bankrupt's property ; that while it offers,
on the one hand, a boon to the hinwt and unfortunate debtor
In releasing him horn the oblutatione he bee voluntarily
Wen rc I, it should, on the other hand, make it incum-
bent upon him to prove, :to a preliminary condition for
obtainina that discharge at the expense of Ws unfortunate creditoas,
that Ito aviou, conduct and course of dealing had been such us to
entitle him to it; !ailing which, lie •houbl be subjected to punish-
ment statabie ao the wrong he hao cominitted. Your petitioners con-
sider the above eraentiments in the law of debtor and creditor to he
absolutely necewctry in order to litre this country ogntmnt the recur-
rence of nieretunile panic% whir they believe mainly to anew from
the impunity attendant soon recletera trading and the consequent ham
of conliffimee amongst the trading chiases; and that this impunity will
render aboetive oh endeavours by the legislature to give stability to
or to protest wade Irma v intent fluctuations @Untie+ tq