The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-16 00:00:00

WAL ooioneszom BILL.

On the of iiir—iriruipia7tias'iiii vas read a
&it time and ordered to be printed, and the second reading
was ordered for this (Th y) day wash.
THE BERWICK-UPON-TWEED ELECTION
PETITION.
The members appointed to by the merits of this peldtion
were called to the table mad sworn. They were @b. John
Mr. agilvy, Mr. R. P. Long, Mr. F. Peel, Lent R. Cern, and
Hodglchmeos, eltwirmaa, and they were ordered to meet
to-morrow tibia day), at 12 o'clock.

THE BANKItijiTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL.
Sir E. BETHELL, after greeenting a huge bundle of
patinae', met mmearenely dosed by bankers, merchants,
nadirs, and dims,
_raiding In meant of the most import-
ant towns is tie Meeem, in favour of a refiner in the laws
of lankru and insolvency, proceeded to ask leave
to Wmditco a ummare for the amendment, reform,
and consolidation of the laws relating to bankruptcy and inept-
vency. He said meat unaffectedly, that he had had wander-
able hesitation in bringing forward's measure, not so much from
the inherent iliffieultice acct extent of the subject, although
they were sufficient to deter the most sanguine legal In-
former; but it arose from a recollection that the House of
Commons was now asked once again to listen to what pro-
mised to he • reform of those laws which they had front
time to time been led to believe were effectually reformist
by mammas which had been repeatedly introduced and
passed by the house with that intention. (Hear, hear,)
The hon. and learned gentleman, describing the pmvisioue
of his measure, premised that he thought it desirable for
the present net to abolish entirely imprisonment for debt.
The first evil which called for a remedy was the nionstrous
amorality of having two different modes of dealing with the
estates of bankrupts and insolvents, and he proposed fol-
lowing in the Mops of high authorities, to abolish entirely
the distinctian between the law of insolvency and of hank-
=ploy, and rmake one law applicable to both. He pro-
posed that eery insolvent ehoukt he entitled to present a
pennon to be adjudged a bankrupt ; that, if he should
be usable to bear the expense, he might be brought up
end petition in loreid pooperis, and that pommel refusiug
to serrender their property should, after remaining in prison
for 14 day., adjudged bankrupts, and be subject t& the
law. These three provisions would practically have the
effect of abohiliing a lengthened imprismunent for deli,
ineolvency being merged in bankruptcy. Then he had
thought it rigs, he said, in order to include non-traders,
instead of the technical act, which now constituted bank-
ruptcy, to oubstitute a few plain and simple but un-
inieatile tents of insolvency. The next great evil
was the nnumer in which _ the aihniniatration of

the law was provided for:— Ar present,— the
judges in the of Bankruptcy united the
judicial and the administrative functions. But there was
no no:emity whatever for five administrators, and he pro-
• to sweet away the commiarioners in London altogether
(their salaries • continued to them, on condition that they
should be pre to assist in owes of emergency), and to
substitute one judge, armed with the powers of a Court of
Equity and • Court of Common Law, with corresponding
emolument. He then explained the provisions for appeals
uz
from the county courts, the course of prooeddre, the taa '
of evidence, and the examination of accounts. He pro
that, in the London district, there should be an •
or maistant court for owes in which the nitrites did not
exceed 3001. With rspect to the country districts, he
' could not, he said, satisfactorily entrust this jurisdiction in
all man, at present, to the judges of the county courts, and
he promised to empower her Majesty, by order in council,
to parcel out and make a new arrangement and distribution
of is„.. so that there might be a gradual absorption of
this jurisdiction by the county courts. The Attorney-General
then entered misetely into the suboeilinate priwanons and
machinery of the bill. It would provide, be said, for cues in
•which creditors resorting to the Court of Bankruptcy for
any particular might desire to take the estate
out of its which a majority of three-fourths of the
creditors might do at any time, and make • private
arraagement. It would provide for compositions and
arrangements, by enabling a debtor to assign hie property to
trustees by a deed that should be registered in the Court of
Bankruptcy, the creditors being placed in the same position
as if the debtor hail been adjudged &bankrupt. After stating
the provisions made fur meeting the charges of the new
system, he explained the modes of procedure that
would be adopted for the administration of the assets
of a bankrupt, the relative functions of the official as-
signees and the creditors' ees, and the salaries of the
former, which he proposed to Ex at SOO/. a year, with power
to the judge to augment the amount according to the work
done, until it attained the maximum of 1,0001. The cri-
minal jurisdiction over bankrupts he proposed to leave to
the criminal courts, the Cuiumisaioner in Bankruptcy being
empowered to suspend the discharge of the debtor.
Sir F. Kelly, Mr. Jamie, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Matins, the
Solieitor.Cenend, Mr. Beaky, and other members made re-
marks upoi the iised measure, and offered suggestions.
The AITOBM.GICNIEBAL, in reply, mid that he was
much indebted to the home for the very kind manner in
which they had received this bill. In so great and intricate
Anil difficult a subject, he was perfectly oonscious there were
• number of provisions which, in point of expression, in
matter of fact, and in congruity, might receive omaiderable
irepuvemeot, but he could assure the house he should re-
oatw all suggestions with • most grateful naiad. He trusted
they would not object to the seeoud reading of the bIB being
taken that day fortnight, seeing that it was a measure
upon which much discussion must arise on its details in
committee.

wThe
iiillwas then read a first time, end ordered to be reed
a second time on that der fortnight.
COMMON LODOINO-110CM ) BILL.
Mr. DKAPY moved for leave to in a bill to re-
move doubts as to the application of the Commas Lodging.
hours Acts to Ireland, end to explain and amend the
provisions of the mane so far as they ?elided to Inland.
Leave was obtained, end the bill poised a first rending.
CUSTOMS ACTM 001 M —HOP&

The home then—west into committee on thee Customs
Acts.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged to
=lLainended neolotion, resimeing the duty on hope
an
Ist of January, 1861 (not under treaty), " That um
and after the let of January, 1861, in lieu of the duty of
customs now ehargesbimes the article underniestkued on
importation into Crest Britain and Ireland, the following
duty shall be oberged, via. :—Hops, until the let of Jan-
uary, 186 E the cwt., gfa ; hops, on and after the Ist Jan-
uar., 166, this awl., lea.
gr. lION sewed, as as sasonatimat, that it should
remain for the mutat on area question for the house to
deal 'till, whet. Nun &add be any sad whet duty
levied on hops tress sod afar the Let of Jemmy, leift
His modeutte proposition ones that the right has. gentle:mot
should take the duty he one year only, Irving% to a tater*
session __d probably a future parliament—to determine
in 1.161 whether any or what duties should he levied -en.
hope ; mid he hoped that by acouuray sad ratiduchanat,