The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-26 00:00:00

THE DAMAGE TO THE ISTIAM-Hilir ZEBRA AND TO THE EARL

A question which has boss attended with a great deal
of difficulty came before the board. Oa the 29th
of December the Zebra dasio•ship, Woo with goods,
wee going down the Thames, bat, from the state
of the weather, it was considered by the
master that the ship should be for a time brought up
Titur the shore. Accordingly she was brought up near St.
i:eorge's•wharf, Deptfonl, but abreast of the outlet of the
Earl main sewer, whereby the ship became damaged from
some piles driven into the rim for aeczme works, and in
tusking her way off she very embly damaged
the outlet of the sewer. Cross claim. were 'mine.
irately sent M for the damage sustained to the
ship to the Board of Works on the one side, and
by the Metropolitan Baud of Works on the other,
to have made good the defects of the outlet of the
sewer. The owners of the ship altogether repudiate any
liability, and bare made a large clan on the Metropolitan
Hoard of Works for the injury done to their vessel through
the piles in the river ; while the boon!, denying any liability
whatever, have made a deemed upon their contractor at
once to reinstate the sewerage works. The contractor then
raised the question as to who was to pay him for doing a.,
hut hayinj agreed to Nabs poi the outlet, it seems highly
probable that the whole Imam ems wily be determined by
a court of law.

After tome Maar landnumi al ma unimportant nature had
been disputed of the b. senoras&

• -- -
BANKRUPT LAW AMINDMIUIT .

A meeting of the Mercantile Legislation Com-
mittee or the Social Seines Association, cosseting of repre-
sentatives of Chambers of Commerce and Trade Protection
Societies, was held on Thursday, in the Council-room,
Moue-street, Birmingham. The chief object of the meeting
was to ca rsick'. the present position of the question of
Bankrupt Law Amendment, and to resolve on the
coupe which the committee should follow to obtain a
recoguition of their principles by the legislature in the
emits( MIAMOR of parliament. The chair was taken at
twelve o'clock by Gituaus W. H.torrnics, Eel. (of the Wor-
cester Omenber of o:immores, and the representatives
pre-
_at trim the Birmingham ohmmeter were A rthur
I Ryland, Req.
ra:L of Birmingham), Mr. Sampson S. Lloyd, and Mr.
Letters and communications were read from the
ChaenhersciCommerce el Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield,
Wolverhampton, and Coventry.
The CHAIRMAN stated that Mr. Scholedeld, M.P., Mr.
RylamL as secretary to the opaimittee, mud himself had
been for some time pant in communication with the Atter-
ney.Geuend, uto his promised bill on the law of bank-
ruptcy ; but they had not received from Sir Richard Bethel!
any answer that the measure would effectually carry out
those principles which the committee had on several occa-
sions affirmed, and which were embodied in the bill intro-
duced by Lord John Russell and Mr. Headlam in
Under these circumstance. it had been thought necessary to
convene the committee to consider for themselves what
course they should adopt,
After some considerable &tension, the following resolu-
tion was moved by Mr. RYLAND. Stloo6,loril by lir. BIISSINU.
TON, of Leeds, and carried: _ _

;"7iiatit is tles iralieiiiat the Bankruptcy Amendment
Bill introduced by Lord John Bumped and Mr. limollam,
at the immure of the Chambers of Commerce and Trade
Protection Societies, in 1559 (with such amendments in
minor detail@ as may be deemed neeemary by a sub-corn.
mitten to be appointed for the purpose), should be brought
into the Reese of Commons early in next session ; and that
the members of parliament who may have the conduct of
the bill be requested to inform the Attorney-General that
is taking this step the committee is actuated, not by any
&sire to embarrass the government, but by the wish to
plate the views of the bodies whom it represents before
parliament, and thereby to aid in obtaining the beet
poemble hill."
The chairman was requested to communicate this resole-
lion to all the Chambers of Commerce, and other similar
bodies, in the kingdom; and a sub-committee was Appointed
to make any necessary verbal amendments in the bill be-
fore its introduction, and to place it in the hands of a compe-
tent member. Mr. Murray, M.P. for Nowcastle-u-
Lyme, Mr. Batley, M.P. for Manchester, and our esteemed
representative, lir. Bcitidefiekl, were spoken of as likely to
give their genes to the marine.