The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-14 00:00:00

Deduct—Amount which it is ex-
pected the mortgagees xlll claim
in respect of bills in their hdulf .. tOO 0 0

Surplaut to contra.

IN 6 6

To liabilities on bills receivable .... 11,015 6 S
16spected to be met at maturity . 9,061 010

Leaving to rank on lids estate.. 6.644 4 6
Leee—
&Wpm held by the
Royal Bank of Ireland,
about 6O 0 0
lOW not expected to be
met at maturity held
by City and County
Bank, but acalnat which
they hold eextuity 706
3 I
••••••—••••-• Lin 16 3

Liabilities /AM 11 0
Cr.
By (lepton (supposed 110. d)
By Lulls reset% • Lie ule loud supposed good)
By stock of leather, phut, Ac., at pressut prices 8,231 6 8
By goods in ths bands of customers
By surplus from securities hold by creditors, per
contra
.. .

By leasehold ot lanyard and premises at Bredley.
IVureestershlre. valueless

0 0 0

11,009 ld 0
Daduct—Rent and creditor,' to be paid in hill .... 4-4,1 10 3

Amid .

£'13,{7413 9

The estate exhibits about 4a. in the pound.
Messrs. Streatfeild and Co. are creditors for
51,7001., mostly for goods supplied ; the sum owing
to them in 1860 was 28,0001. With the exception
of a few hundred pounds, no transactions in &cecina-
niudation bills have taken place. The stock has
been put down at the full prime of the present day.
The books have been imperfectly kept, and no
balance has been struck from the time when the
firm commenced business, about 25 year. ago. On
the Ist of January, 18541, a deficieucy of 18,1191
was shown ; and from that data up to the day of
the stoppage the nominal profits were 16,4431.
Within the same period 21,676/. has been paid for
iuterest, commission, stamps, discount on bills,
dc. ; the trade expenses were 13,7861. ; the losses in
bad debts, 7,4441.; and the drawings of the two
partners, 5,0501. The active partner, Mr. R.
Clarke, died in June, 1859, and since that date the
busineas has been conducted by his brother, Mr. J.
Clarke. In reply to questions Mr. J. Clarke ad-
mitted, with some hesitation, that he believed MAW
years back that the estate showed a deficiency,
owing to the dealings with Streatfeild and Co. It was
contended that the petition under the private ar-
rangemeut clauses ought not to have been filed in
the Birmingham Court of Bankruptcy without the
knowledge of the creditors. A composition of 3s,
iu the pound was offered, payable in instalments
extending over twelve mouths, with security for
the payment of the two last. In the event
of this not being agreed to, the creditors, it was
suggested, could wind up the estate under in-
spection. During the discussion that followed,
however, the advisability of placing it in
the Court of Bankruptcy was strongly urged, and
Mr. Clarke was invited to sign a formal declaration
of insolvency in the usual course. This he de-
clined to do, being apparently under an impression
that the petition under the private arrangement
clauses bars all other proceedings until September.
It was understood, nevertheless, at the clue° of the
westing, that proceedings in open bankruptcy will
he instituted as soon as pract:cable.

SIR CHAIM WOOD AND ?HZ BINOLL CHAMEIR
or Coirmuma—Tle C,alratta Price Carrera, of the 3nd of
July, published by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, con-
tains the following paragraph :—" The committee of the
Chamber of Commerce hes noticed with surprise the state-
moot of Sir Charles Wood, in the House of Commons, on
the 24th May, that the new Customs tariff bra been entered
into with the general cononrrenoe of the Chamber, it being
w,.1 known to the load government that its course has
one of protest and remomtrance from the commence.
ment,"