The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-15 00:00:00

GENERAL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION.

The maul meeting of this society was held lee,
evening at the Linden Terra ; Dr. Lrrrts teak the ebsir,
and after sengratalating the aisetJas that the assuciatieo 11,41
new extend spot the srd year et Its masteries, sad urn
what bed been dose by the essadthee is earrylas oat the
beseystest objects of the subscribers dari the put yes:,
called as the secretary to reed the report, which stated that
duns bad hese a ossuiderable inentas• during the year, bosh
in the souther of sobseribers, sad in the number ot area re-
lieved. There hid been 21 applications fur relief. the merits
of all of which had hose strictly examined (as was
the principle ef the association ) before my relief wee
✓usted, sad two only had been found undeeerving.
The molt of the iavestigatios, and the relief which had
followed, was, that thireee d.sereing bet unfortunate fa.
midst had been rescued Irma a state of paoperina end
rotund to industrious independence. This had been
effected by ea association whose Waimea subscription was
fixed at only 61. The receipts during the year had been
611. lie 6.1., of which 301. had been devoted to this relief of
applicants—U. 4.. cool.- to incileetal expanses. (Hear,l
hear.) The balance is baud, including the Waves of the
overi.tas year, was 411 16e 6d..-4411. of whicY had been
lodged with MUM Bawd, Hoare, and Co., with whom
the committee had opened an account. The nuntlvr of new
subscribers added to the Ilst daring the year wee 112, heed's
two life governors. The report derailed soms of tic
cases relieved—one of duns being that of a p..yrician of
claim at attaininanu, and sormerly of coosl s ruble practice,
whose entries-. had been alleviated in i.is last moments by
means of U. which tto e..semith • had advanced to him.

Mr. J. H. JOSEPH, Is moving that the report b-
adopted, observed that is the many of our charitable isetim-
ions the grist bulk of the contributions went in tie p.y-
nt of collectors, secretaries, printing, and other yap-uses,
instead of to the purposes fur whkh the money had been
given by the donors. Here there were nu paid officers, but
, every farthing of the money subscribed went into the
po kets of those for whose benefit it wee intende,l.
The resolution having been seconded by Mr. G. HENRY,
wee cirri. d unanimously.
Mr. C. WARWICK moved a vote of thanks to the un-
seeing committee, end is doing so remsreed that it was
mainly owirg to their exertions that the number of sub-
scribers had doubled during the last year. (Hear.)
This resolution was also passed unanimously, sad is ite
knowledsing it
Mr. SIDNEY A. 8111TH (the treasurer) observed that
whilst they bed doubled their fase.s tory had only added
IV to their sip 'Water-.
The president (Dr. Little), the honorary seer.ttai7 (Mr.
A. Hoary), the members of the committee, audi el), and
other otileen, were then reelected f.r the (mining year.
after Which a joint •Jte of tbahks WY passed in isvour
the president sad et cestery, belt of whom spoke in acknow.
ledgenent. The proceedings then toronnated.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING TILE ANIEND-

MEN r OF THE LAW.

The usual monthly meeting of the above society
was held yesterday evening at the srci- ty's ram,, 21,
Waaerloosplace.
The chair having ben taken by Mr. Comitssioven
FANS, the usual prelniasary business., r:scher minuses
na.losing for member., &:., was dd.*. I of. T. M. Or-er,
E.q , was duly elee.et
Mr. T. T. ATECKETT read • rep's, trots the equity
committee, rehoinmehe'ing certain al. rooms the law of
equity as regarded dec. nest person'. mates. The committee
having in their report eller'', to th.• pre eat most dt4. wive
state of the law, which is founded in the grodiest
ju.tice, while the pr elidg is en tedious and expensive
as often to involve the t..t.sl conlimati m of p•-• p rty, ree on
mend the ictroduction into patient nt sf two hue—the not
establohing new prisses,•ln es to the ridh• of p.,rt'es 'o d—
enied persons' estates ; the woad en,eting , new course of
procedure before the court The new principles reeom-
mended by the comotivire am—richt to continue actions,
W:dch now abate on th • deaqt of either tae the parley; tea-
minable time for toll nines of dehLs; kh,ii!Ha of prferectial
claims, with one or tn.) minor 'lactation's. Under the sec, no
head ,he committee I iv. prepared a vel.sui none fill of 100
climes, the main Wade of welch, how• v.r, sots to 'trim
-
Rate the proceedings f the entree of eq aiay in the twitter
of deceased persons eel its to the pt. tice of the C-art
of Bankruptcy, as rstsbli.hod by the late Ilerkrupi
Act. The committee rv,amnissid the establishat, at or a
new court, to he called the Comet for the st.liaisistrelon
of estates to be pr• else. nv,r by the- commesimien in has k•
niptey. The commil'e, in conclusion, express their sus-
' game hope that their islms, if carried oat, will have the of
sect of remedying 'hi le now so lou,ly complained of in
the proceedings of C urn cf Equity. They expect that
suits now costieg 3001. in.y be corned t.) a c•mcluei .0 fur
151, and that a moo' is or •ws• will be sufficient to decide a
snit which now hop rs vrr a series of 3 enah
Mr. A'BECRRT f, to moving she add,dion of the reuore,
aleuded m string terms to the rune Inds to as families ht
the primal state of the law, and expressed hi• be:iel that the
anomalies is the Ise, chink produced each a etwe of thine.,
lay on the mesa aid might be easily removed. Outset the
greateat of these anomalies was the di :tactile: mule ley the
law between specialay and contract nehe.. H knew aces. au
which a property was charged with 30.0001 ep Welty delr.,
and I.sool.eon'rut debts. Tee sp. ci.ity erooitore were paid
15.. in the pound, elide the con'reet cashiers got 110 hiug
(Hen ) The snarl. remedy for this wee that rennin ode
by the committee—'oe abolition of ell preterentiel
art whatever deseription. (Hear, htar,) Th.• speak r hay
ing cited same outs, iostances of the mischievous working
of the law, putponed more lengtnen-el dimumi n on
the merits of the proposed reform until there should be a
more numerous attendance 1.1 snow members of the
eaci-ty who took arroag ,'tweet in this insmetary question.
The CHAIRMAN of 94 rved net the doctrine of preference
had been abolished in bankruptcy for 200 y an, and more
recently in chancery, in so far as regarded what were • sled
equitable tenets—a 1 stincti sa being absurdly tali• a between
equitable and legal asset,. He would suggeet that Id .
fella/tett might effect his object el abolishing preferences by
a simple enactment declaring all assets to be tquitatne

Mr. SPENCII,Q.C., said that the Court of Chancery, even
ender the clerical chancellors, never had, nor over would
reeognise any preferential claims. The doe•ries of the Equity
Carte was purest equality to all claimants. He gave, how•
ever, his general eancurrence to the recommendati us of the
report, especially to that part which sugge-ted the handing
over the administration of dscuesd persons' estates to the
commissioners in bankruptcy.
Mr. STUART begged to remind the meeting that if thee
adopted this report, and obtained a concurrenos of view
from the legislature, they would be peachy dly superseding
the Court of Chancery is one of its most important (one
Hoes. (Hear, hear.) The Court of Chancery in Ireland
had already been abrogated in so far as a most important
part of its business was concerned, and this report proposed
• similar princip:s for the English court. This was a
most important step, and he entreated the meeting to
plus ere it committal itself. Could not Mr. A'Betekstt's
object be effected by a reformation of the master's of ?
He had reason to believe that a bill on that subject would
be istroduad early in the ensuing session. He begged to
give notice of soma resolutions acknowledging the evils of
the present system of Chancery procedure, but suggesting a
remedy to which the present equity machinery would b •
applicable.
The CHAIRMAN said that the best course, seeing that
Mr. Stuart had resolutions to propose, would be to have the
report received and printed for distribution, and on the
motion for its adoption at a future meeting, Mr. Stuart !mid
propose his resolutions.
This coarse was assented to by the meeting, and the pro-
eeedinp ternslasted.

GORHAM v. THE BISHOP OF EXETER.—The judi-
cial committee of the privy council will hold a private meet-
ing this day, at half-peat tare., to confer upon their decision
la the case of " Gorham against the Bishop of Hamer," but
no day has yet been appotated for delivering the judgment.
THE ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.—I asked Mr. Spen-
low what he considered the best sort of professional busi-
ness. He replied, that a good case of a disputed will, where
there was a neat little estate of 30,0001. or 40,0001., was per
haps the best of all. In such a cam, he said, not only were
there very pretty pickings in the way of arguments at every
stags of the proceedings, and mountains upon moantai ,s of
evidence on interrogatory and mrouter-interrogatory (to
say nothing of an appeal lying, first to the Delegates, and
then to the Lords), bat the costs being pretty sure to
COlllO out of the estate at last, both sides went at It in a
lively and spirited manner, and expense was no
consideration. Then he launched into a general
eulogium ea the Commons. What was to be par-
ticularly admired (he said) in the Commons was its cm-
pactness. It was the most conveniently organised place in
the world. It was the complete Idea of senates', it lay in a
nutshell. For example :—You brought a divorce ease, or a
restitution cue, into the Consistory. Very good. Ton
tried it in the Consistany. Toss made a quiet little
round game of it, am mg a family gimp, and you played
it out at leisure. Bupoose yuu were not satisfied with
the Counter!, what did you then ? Why, you went
into the Arches. What was the Arches ? The same
court, is the some room, with the same liar, and the same
Jractitioners, but another judge, for there the Consistory
udas could plead any court day se an advocate. Well,
you played your round game out again. Still you were
not satisfied. Very good. What did you do then ?
Why, you went to the Delegates. Who were the Delegate.?
Why, the ecclesiastical delegates were the advocates with
as, business, who had looked on at the round game when it
was playing in both court., soil had sees the cards shaffi d,
sad cut, and pined, sad had talked to all the players about
it, and now came fresh, se judges, to settle the matter to the
satisfeetion of everybott ! Dimostented people might talk
of eery epties is the closeness in the Commons,
sad Ohs sonemity of reforming the Commons, said Mr. Span-
lew enaelanien ; bat when the pries of wheat per
bushel had hest, the Commons had been busiest; sad
a man might lay is hand upon his heart and say this to
the whole werid—" Touch the Cosmos., sad down comes
the country 1 "—(From the last ameba of Dom Copper-
fideL)