The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-31 00:00:00

ASSOCIATION OF TRADE PROTECTION
, SOCIETIES.

Yesterday, the animal meeting of the members
of this association took place at the Westminster Palms
Hotel; Mr. Rom Wsu-s, of Hull, in the chair. Amongst
the other members present were—Mr. H. F. Pankhurst,
Manchester; Mr. Henry Whitworth, Manchester; Mr.
John Cripps, Liverpool ; Mr. A. Hardwick, Liverpool ;
Mr. George T. Bathgate, Edinburgh; Mr. Wm. Johnson,
Leeds ; Mr. W. H. Chamberlain, Leicester ; Mr. John D.
Paul, Leicester ; Mr. Edward Gripper, Nottingham ; Mr.
Joseph Roberts,un., Leicester ; Mr. John Parsons, Bris-
tol ; Mr. John Miller, Bristol ; Mr. Thomas Blakeman,
Mr. Henry Evanett, Mr. P. A. Taylor, M.P., Mr. J. D.
Harris, Mr. Macalister, Glasgow and West of Scotland ;
Mr. J. H. Dixon, Sheffield ; Mr. W. H. Barrow, Mr. J.
L. Longstaff, Lord Amberley, M.P. (Nottingham), Mr.
Thomas Angell, Mr. V. Pococke, Mr. Leivia Waterman,
Bristol ; Mr. Robert Mellon, Nottingham ; Sir F. Cross-
ley, Bast., M.P. (Halifax), Mr. E. Baines, M.P. (Leeds),
Br. Graves, M.P. (Liverpool), Mr. Beecroft, M.P. (Leeds),
Lord F. Cavendish (North-west Riding), Mr. Norwood,
M.P. (Hull), &c.
The CHAIRMAN said the first business before them was
the consideration of the Bankruptcy Bill. The committee
met on the previous eight, and drew up a short report of
the expression of opinion which they had elicited from the
various societies. Itwould be entirely impossible for the
meeting to go seriatim through all the clauses of the bill,
but there were certain great 'principles of a most important
nature to be submitted to their consideration.
Mr. Meldoas, the secretary, then read the report, which
recommended that the bill should receive the support
of the commercial community, subject to such mo-
difications as were named. The committee approved
of the realisation of the assets being left in the
hands of the creditors, who were to appoint inspec-
tors and trustees ; but such appointment should be made
by a majority, in number and value, of creditors, and not
by a majority in value only, as proposed by the bill. They
approved of the disqualification of relatives as trustees.
They thought the trustee should be paid either a sum in
gross or by commission on the sum realised, to be fixed by
the creditors at the time of the appointment of the
trustee, and not by the inspectors after the estate had been
realised. They regarded the distinction between trader
and non-trader as unnecessary, and desired non-traders
to be liable to a summons similar to trader-debtor
summons. No debtor should be made bankrupt in a
debt under 101. or 201. The present law as to imprison-
ment for debt, and the discharge of debtors from prison,
should remain unaltered. As to the adaptability of county
courts the committee were not agreed. No priority of full
payment of trust funds should be permitted, except in
Wadi under wills and settlements for widows and children.
The discharge of a bankrupt b &wit' be given upon pay-
ment of fps. 8,1. in the pound, or the adoption of the
Scottish system, viz., at any time, by the assent of all the
creditors who had proved ; after six months, a majority
in number, or four-fifths in value ; after 12 months, a ma-
jority and two-thirds in value ; after 8 months, a majority
in numbers and value ; in two years, by the court, after
due notice to the creditors and a hearing, and that without
the certificate of the trustee being necessary. The criminal
sections had not been amended. The addition of clauses
to include a deceased insolvent" estate the committee
considered desirable. _ _

The various recommeadations in the report were then
discussed, and the results were, that the meeting approved
of the proposition respecting the realisation of assets being
left in the hands of creditors, but rejected the suggestion
that the appointment of inspectors and trustees should be
made by a majority in numbers and value, and not
by *majority in value only, as proposed by the bill.
The suggestion that the trustees should be paid either
a sum iu gross or by commission was also rejected. The
proposal for the disqualification of relations as trustees
was agreed to. It was unanimously agreed that the dis-
tinction between traders and non-traders was unnecessary. '
The clause in the report to the effect that no debtor
should be made a bankrupt under RN. or 20/. was nega-
tived. In regard to the law as it affected imprisonment it
VMS thought that the present power of imprisonment for
debt in the superior courts on final process should be re-
tained. As to the adaptability of county courts as a
machinery for bankruptcy administration, the meeting
was not agreed, though several of the delegates were of
opinion that county courts might be so constituted
as to render them fit for the purpose. After
a long discussion, it was agreed That no
priority of payment, as proposed by sec. '249 of
the bill to be given to friendly societies, be allowed." As
to the clause relating to the discharge of a bankrupt, it
was agreed that the requisition of payment of a dividend
of is. tkl. in the pound as a condition precedent to the
right of a bankrupt to procure Lis discharge, be expunged,
and that in lieu of the mode of obtaining the discharge of •
bankrupt, the present Scottish system of assent of cre-
ditors be substituted. Upon the question as to the im-
prisonment for debt a variety of suggestions were made,
and at length a resolution was proposed—" That
in the opinion of this meeting some provision should
be made for the punishment of the several offences men-
tioned in division 3, sec. 159, of the act of 1861, and also
for the punishment of fraudulent preferences." It was felt
to be desirable that an allowance to the bankrupt should be
made as under the old act. Mr. Miller suggested that half-
a-dozen professional men, two from London and the others
from the country, should meet for the purpose of consider.
ing the " little details" of the bill, especially the forms ;
such gentlemen to be paid by government. Mr. Pankhurst
thought that this was a most uulawyer-like suggestion, and
one which the Attorney-General would not think worthy
of a moment's consideration.

The meeting then adjourned till this morning.
in the evening a deputation, consisting for the meet
part of the gentlemen who interested themselves in the
meeting, waited upon the Attorney-Genend in the Earl
Marshal's room, House of Lords, for the purpose of
acquainting him with the result of their deliberations.
Tho deputation was augmented by the following members
of parliament : Mr. Phillips, Mr. Baxley, Mr. E. James,
Q.C., Lord Milton, Mr. Barnes, Sir Morton Peto, Mr.
Hadfield, the Hon. Mr. Egerton, Mr. Hornell, Mr. C.
Turner, Mr. Graves, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hibberd, Mr. H.
Berkeley, Sir Francis Crossley, Bart., Mr. Harris, &c.
Tho deputation having been formally introduced by Mr.
Norwood, M.P.,
Mr. Wsbbs, the chairman of the meeting, read the above
resolutions to the Attorney-General, who, in reply, said
he could not then enter into a discussion upon the several
points which were contained in the resolutions; but he
might inform them that these points had not escaped con-
sideration. Some of them, indeed, had been very carefully
considered. There were two on which he might say that
his own personal and private opinions were very much in
accordance with those they had expressed—viz., the one
which related to the distinction between trader and non-
trader. He had no prejudice in favour of that
distinction. He could not say positively whether
it would be better to do what they wished or
not. With respect to the clause affecting friendly societies
there was ground for consideration in what they had sub-
mitted to him. It might be thought inconsistent with the
engagements of those societies that they should take away
from them the privileges which they now possessed by law.
It might, perhaps, be regarded as retrospective legislation
against them. Might • compromise be effected in this
way? That the privilege should be continued to the pre-
sent societies for • limited time, and not be extended
to those which might be formed hereafter. As to
imprisonment for debt, he saw no proepect
whatever of being induced to waive that portion of
the bill. He did not think the objections which had been
urged were sufficiently solid to remove the reasons which
had induced them to make the proposal. Respecting the
dividend, that was no doubt • very important and difficult
matter, as to the fixed dividend which would entitle to
discharge. He had no doubt that they had well weighed
their proposition. The object which they (the framers of
this bill) bad in view was, by having such rules, to dis-
courage that clam of trading commonly called " reckless
trading," and to make it not too easy for the
bankrupt to enter into business again. Whether
they or the government were right he would not
attempt to say. He should like to know what the views
of the association were, supposing a compromise of this
kind were entertained—to retain the present clause as to
the general sale, and giving such power as they suggested
to the creditors within a limited time, and then to the
court to dispense with the dividend, or the six years'
period, if it was thought that the conduct of the bankrupt
had been unexceptionable, or his losses due to unavoidable
circumstances. He should be very glad to hear their
opinion upon the question.
Mr. W.ws said that the association would meet again
in the morning, and would then take the matter into con-
sideration. He would beg to ask the right hon. gentle-
man if there was any particular reason why the amount
should be fixed at 6s. Bd.
The Arroairev-Gerienat. replied that it was one-third
of a pound—that was all. It was possible that some per-
sons might actually endeavour to increase their assets with
the view to getting that dividend—Ga. Bd.—if they con-
templated bankruptcy but he would be quite ready to
make the punishment clause more stringent.
Mr. Webbe said the difficulty was to ascertain whether
such was the intention or not.
The Arroluriv-Geoimmb--Certainly.
Mr. Wails further pointed out that, in certain cease,
the 6s. Bd. clause would bear very hard.
After some further conversation, Mr. Norwood, M.P.,
thanked the right hon. gentleman for his connesy, and
the deputation withdrew.

THE METROPOLITAN BOARD or WORKS AND THB
Bs.vit or Lo9Dott.—Theißank of London, at the time of
its suspension, had for the Metropolitan Board of Works
the general account of the board, the Covent-garden Ap-
proach, the Southwark and Westminster Communication,
the Victoria-park Approach, the Finsbury-park, Main
Drainage Rate Collection, Southwark-park, Metropolis
Ssiwage and Dee' Reclamation, Fire Brigade, White-
chapel Improvement, and Holborn (Middle-row) Improve-
ment accounts, amounting to 164,540 f. 19s. 6d., in the
hands of the bank belonging to the board, and 9291. 12s. 6d.
cheques issued but not paid, making altogether 165,4701.
12s. The board holds as security for these funds the deeds
of the bank premises, valued at 160,000/. A meeting of
the committee of the whole board has been held to consi-
der the position in which the hoard has been placed by
the suspension of the Bank of London and of the Conso-
lidated Bank ; and the course proposed to be adopted is
to be submitted to the full board to-morrow.

I
THE _ EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 11366.

up one against him. Generally in these came there are some
signs of an outrage. She gives a circumstantial amount
of the matter but there is not the slightest evidence
in support of it. When the outrage she speaks of
commenced why not have got out at Pinner I But,
no, she continues in the tram, and alleges it goes on
till they reach Sudbury. She still submits to it, and does
not call to the porter or guard. They reach Camden, anal
they must necessarily wait for the tickets to be col-
lected. Here she complains not. Only at Buxton-square
does she complain first. I must confess that the last an-
swer took me by surprise. She says be smoked all the
time he was committing this assault. lam certain if that
fact was put before a jury would stop the case at
once. The prisoners discharged

WESTMINSTER.
Mr. Ormerod Potts, of 57, Cumberland-street, Pimlieo,
money agent, a man about 45 years of age, was charged
with fraud, as under.
Lieutenant William Gore Brakspear, 31st Regiment of
Foot, said he saw an advertisement last year in
the papers of a person offering to lend money
to officers in the army or navy. He communicated
with prisoner at the address given, 57, Cumberland-
street, Pimlico, and having received a letter from
prisoner, which induced him to believe he was a re-
spectable man and a gentleman of means in a position to
advance money, be requested a loan of money. Prisoner
sent him a bill for 200/. at three months, which be ac-
cepted and returned to prisoner. (Bill produced.) He
should not have accepted it if he had not been
under the impression that he was dealing with
a gentleman. He bad never received a penny piece
for the bill, and was now being sued upon it. Three or
four days afterwards letters passed between them, and
priaoner at length said he could not advance money on so
large a bill, and sent two bills of 100/. each, which he
asked him to accept. (Looking at one of the bills)—That
was in the prisoner's handwriting, all of it, and signed
" Ormerod Potts." Accepted the bill, and another for a
similar amount, and sent them back. It did not strike
him as strange that the prisoner should sign himself Potts
to the bills and Ormerod to the letters, because money
lenders went under different names. One 400/. bill had been
paid at Cox's, his agents. Was induced to accept the two
bills believing him to be a man of position and funds.
Before he received the second bill of 100/. to accept,
prisoner had sent 50/. to him to Aldershott. Witness did
not object to his holding the large bill as a security. In
January or February saw prisoner at his own house, and
asked him the reason why be refused or neglected to ad-
vance more than 501. on all the bills he held, and he said
he should advance no more, as he had heard witness had
other bills out. That was so. He said the 2001. bill was
safe in his hands. When he advanced the 50/. he said hs
would give witness back one 1001. bill, and when three
months had elapsed witness gave him a bill for 601.—for
50/. lent and 101. interest. Believed it was for 60/. Under-
stood it to be so, but it might have been for 6001. Witness
afterwards accepted two more bills for 1001. each ; one
prisoner negotiated, and he (witness) only got 501. out of
the 1001., and the other bill prisoner retained as acollateral
security. Gave bills amounting to 6601., and received
100/. Was being also sued on a 1001. bill now.
The deputy keeper of the records at the Bankruptcy
Court produced prisoner's schedules of 1850,1852, and 1857.
In one his debts were 2,24171., assets 233/. ; in the next
1091., assets nothing ; in the third, 4491., assets nothing.
His description on the schedule showed that be had been
an ensign and lieutenant in the 2nd Royal Foot, a lieute-
nant in the 66th Foot ; au omnibus proprietor, a gentle-
man without employment, a part omnibus proprietor, and
he had several aliases.
Mr. Charles Valiance Lewis, solicitor, proved that he
got judgment against prisoner nine years ago for 351. and
had never been paid.
Mr. Henry London Bock, clerk to Baxter, Rose, and
Norton, th solicitors, proved that in 1863 prisoner was
petitioner in a suit in the Divorce Court, lost the suit and
costa, 487/. He had since endeavoured, but in vain, to
get a sixpence of the money.
The prisoner was remanded till Wednesday on bail.

THE ROBBERY OF STAMPS AT Mazicazarsx.—
MANCHESTER, WEITSEIMAY.—The excitement caused by
the discovery of the burearT at the office of the Hon.
Mr. Howard, the stamp distributor at Manchester, con-
tinues to increase. Upon the discovery of the robbery
a great hindrance to business ensued, and a telegraphic
message was at once sent to the Stamp-office in London for
instructions. The chairman of the Board of Inland Reve-
nue applied at Scotland-yard for the services of an efficient
officer, and Mr. Inspector Thompson, of the detective police
force in London, arrived here yesterday (Tuesday) morning,
to prosecute his inquiries. Assisted by Captain W. H.
Palin, the chief constable, and Superintendent Maybury,
Mr. Thompson has, it is understood, thoroughly examined
the premises, and expresses his opinion that the burglars
entered the premises by the door in Cross-street shortly
before noon on Saturday, and going to the firet floor ob-
tained access to Messrs. Garnett's storeroom by means of •
skeleton key. They then probably went down the other
stairs, and cutting through the back door forced open the
door of the Stamp-office. The means deadening the
sound while they forced the safe by procuring the
rolls of calico has been already reported. It is sup-
posed that the thieves left by the door in Newmar-
ket-street, and, so that there should be as slight an
appearance of bulkiness about either of those con-
cerned (for there must have been three at least), they
left a complete set of burglars' implements in the room.
Of course all the persona connected with the office have
been rigidly examined. Mr. John Alton. the chief clerk,
has been there for upwards of 20 years, and bears the most
irreproachable character. It was his duty to see that the
premises were safely closed, and he did so on leaving at
half-past 12. Mr. Floyd, another gentleman in the de-
partment, and of unblemished reputation, left at the same
time as his senior
; and so did the porter, John Carter, who
has been 20 years in that capacity. Mr. Inspector Thomp-
son at first was led to believe that the burglary was
committed by some of the remnant of the gang
who were engaged in the Cornhill robbery, and it has tran-
spired from the way in which the Stamp-office safe has
been forced that the same means were employed as those
by which " Mr. Caaeley" and his crew broke open the safe
at Mr. Walker's, and it may be as well to state that the
sensational narrative that " Mr. Caseley" made in the
Court of Queen's Bench was, as said at the time by those
who knew how such burglarious openings of safes were
done, a pure fiction. It is well known that all the gang
were not apprehended, but circumstances have sines yes-
terday evening come to light, which throw suspicion, and
very strongly, in quite a different quarter, hopes being
now entertained that the burglars will soon be in custody.
FEROCIOUS ATTACK BY A BULLEOOO.-011 Tuesday
night, about 10 o'clock, a young man named Boatland, a
carpenter, of 4, Bloomfield-street, Dalaten, entered the
Fox public-house, in the Ripsaw:id-road, and was in the
act of calling for some refreshment, when • bulldog, that
one of the customers in front of the bar held by • chain,
suddenly sprung upon him and seizing him by the hand
between the thumb and forefinger fastened on the flesh,
and tore out one of the leaders of the arm nearly a yard in
length ; the man who had charge of the dog disengaged the
brute's fangs, and some of the spectators ran with the
sufferer to Dr. Town, of Kingsland-road, who immediately
ordered him to be conveyed to the German Hospital,
where it was found necessary, after some time of acute and
terrible suffering, to chloroform the patient and amputate
the whole of his left arm, which was successfully per-
formed, and the victim now lien in a very precarious con-
dition. The dog, it appears, belongs to • tradesman in
Kingsland, and is under training for a 201. prize fight.
The excitement in the Fox and neighbourhood was very
great, and all condemned the great want of caution dis-
played in allowing such a ferocious animal to go about
uninualled.

PRoerwrs or THE APPLE CROPB.—The apple
orchards, which bloomed early this spring, and showed a
profusion of blossom, gave every appearance of maturing
to a good crop ; but the continuance of east winds and cold
nights during the middle of this month has had a damaging
effect on apple trees in nearly all counties, and the trees
which bloomed with so much promise ere full of blight and
mildew, and half the crop is irretrievably lost this season
in large orchards. The dwarf apple trees and pears have
escaped, and there is • moderate show of fruit set. In the
cyder making counties (Devonshire and Herefordshire) the
unfavourable prospecte of a crop has caused an advance of
last year's apple brewing of from lOs. to the. per hogshead.
THE REPORT OP THE JAMAICA COMMISSION.—
The Report of the Royal Commission is anxiously looked
for. The colonists seem now to be divided into two great
parties—those who justify the maroons of October, and
those who, whilst condemning and deploring the outrages
committed by the rioters at Moroni Bay, maintain that as
martial law and its summary modes of punishment are
warranted only by the necessity to resist force b force,
and as after the first two or three days of the •
sates there was no such force to be resisted,
there was no justification whatever for the cruelties com-
mitted and the destruction of life occoaloned. Things
have come to such an unfortunate low that the former
party hate the latter most thoroughly, and we very much
fear that it will be a long time before this hatred will sub-
side.—Kingston Morning Journal, May 9.
ME. PEABODY AT Hons.—A correspondent of
the lieto York Herald, writing from Georgetown, Moro,
ohnoetto, on May 9, says :—" Hardly a fortnight ago Mr.
George Peabody landed in the United States, and avoid-
ing all display, and, indeed, almost rejecting the offers of
common courtesy from his old acquaintances, he sought
the uremia of his childhood to recuperate from the f
of a toilsome journey, and enliven his mind by sorrow
himself with the associations of the past. Mr. Peabody
since last Thursday has been living with hie sister,
Mrs. Daniels, who resides in this village. George-
town I, situated north-east of Boston, • distance of
twenty-eight miles, and on the Boston and Maine
Railroad. The village is small, probably containing not
over a thousand inhabitants, Mrs. Daniels' residence is a
medium sized double frame house, painted white, with
green shutters, and stands back about twelve feet from
the main street, on which it fronts. Here Mr. Peabody
proposes to make hie home during the summer. Every-
thing about the place is plain, but neat and clean, and in
making this his choice, aside from the claims of affection,
we have a fine instance of the simplicity of the taste of the
man. He closely abstains from all society for the
present, skeptic the numerous requests to get up a formal
reception. He says he wishes several weeks' rest. The
people of the village, much to their praise, have not pressed
the subject further."