Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-10-08 00:00:00

TITE INSPECTOR OF BANKRUPTCY.

There has ben a new and valuable officer appointed
under the re cent Scottish Bankrupt S:atute. lie his styled
the Accountant i❑ Bankruptcy ; but he is more than that—
he is an Inspector-General of B tnkruptcies, and the official
keeper cf a useful reg'ster of bankruptcy statistics.
It is the duty of this officer to take co4niz ince of the
conduct of all trustees in bankruptcies ; and in case of their
not faithfully performing their duties, and properly ob•
serving all rules and regulations imposed on them by statutes
relati,e to the performance of those duties, he is required
to report their conduct t) the Court of Session at Edin-
burgh ; and the court, after he ring both parties, deals with
such trustees by censure or removal as the justice of the
case may require.
If the inspeeor of bankruptcies shall possess information
that shall lead him, on reasonable grounds, to sweet,
fraudu', nt conduct by the bankrupt, or misconduct cn the
part of the trustee, it is bis duty to give information to the
Lord Advocate, woo is required by the statute to make
inquiry, and to adopt slob criminal proceeding as he shall
think proper.
In order that the inspector may be enabled the more
efficiently to perform his duties, each trustee is required
annually, on 31st October, to deliver a return of every
bankrupt csta.e under his charge. In this retur❑ the
trustee must show inter alias the amount of assets given up
by the bankrupt ; the amount of funds rea ed ; the allow
anee to the bankrupt ; the amount of divide Id paid or
unpaid ; the c )mmi:slon allowed to the trustee ; and the
solieitot's costs. And any trustee who fails to make such
returns, is removable from his office at the instance of any
creditor, or of the inspector-generel, or be liable to such
censure as the judge ordinary may think suitable, and be
found liable in costs.

From these re urns the inspector frames an arnual
report, showing the state of each &pen, log bankruptcy.
returned to him ;—,nd that report is published in th
Edinburgh Gazed, or otherwise, as the Court of Session
sh direct.

This ofit!er, wh,se salary is only £BOO a year, is paid out
of the consolilated fund ; and through hiJ agency a stric,,
sys'etn of surveillaLe3 is k' pt up over every bankrupt estate
in Sc

There is no corroponding officer in England. The
accountant-general in bankruptcy is nothing more than a
treasurer, without any active duties. It has been proposed
to abolish that office, and t p-ovide same more convenient
arrangement for the custody of the funds; but it may be
worthy of consideration whether it would not ba expedient
to establish a similar department in the accountant•gener-
al's office to that which works so well in Scotland. At any
rate, the s aisfactory manner in which this new office works
in Scotland, pvese to a valuable sugges ion far imp ovinz,
r►ther than abolishing, the office of accountant-general in
bankruptcy in England.

PRIVATB ARRANGEMENTS MIT WEEN CREDITORS AND
DEBTORS.

Whilst the law of bankruptcy in Scotland was recently
urder consideration, it was saggested by many mercantile
bodies that provision should be made for interposing the
sane.i-n of the law to all private arrangements between
creditors and debtors, without involving the estate in
bankruptcy. But this has not bet n done.
Ia an important paper fram the Scottish Trade Protec-
tion Society at Edinburgh—prepared by their able secretary,
Mr. Thomas Steven L'n Isay—it was suzgested that without
waiting for a general revis'on cf the bankruptcy laws, a
special Act of Parliamen., applicable to England, Ireland,
and SeotlanO, should be passed, declaring that where a
napjarity in number aid value of the creditors on ary estate
should accede to a deed of wrangeitpnt with their debtors,
the minority should be barred from tak'ng seperate pro.
ceeeliun againt the debtors in his estate ; and that the
majority should bird the minority. The limited time of
the last conference did not admit of this valuable sugges-
tion being considered, but it seems highly worthy the
attenion of the ensu'n; meeting at Birmingham.
The first thing any meeting of creditors think or, is to
avoid a bankruptoy; the second, to obtain a composition by
private settlemen ; and failing that, they try for an
assignm.nt for the benefit of the general body of the c eli
tors. Yet there is no adequtte means provided ie any
system of bankruptcy now in operation in the United King-
dom f.,r the regulation of this daily transaction between
creditors and their debtors.

It seems unnecessary to wait for a general revision of
bankruptcy administration to make a law for the te,gulition
of a transaction, the very essence of which is to avoid bank-
ruptcy. A. bill of two pages would eff2ct the object so
much desired by every mercantile roan. No one would
odpole it. And if the!e ever was ame isure which, with )ut
trchnical diffi, ulty. could be made a- plicable to the United
Kingdom, it is a bill to interpose the sanction of the law
to private settlements between credi'ors and debtors with-
out b ruo'cv. whe: eby a majarity shall bind the minority.
—Mercantile Test.

REWARDS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW
ZEALAND FLAX.

With respect to the rewards offered by the government
of Nev Zealand for the invention of machinery capable of
rendering the native fix an article cf export, which, as we
announced in our last number, had been somewhat rnodi-
fie, the following are tha condi ions which must be
complied with by persons desirous of competing for them :
—the merchandise must be saleable as an article of export
from the colony of New Zealand, and have been produced
at a cost not exceeding 75 per cent. of i s value at the port
of entry from which it is exported ; and the process used
must be fully made known, with a view to the discovery
being at once made available to the public. His Excel-
lency the Govenor of New Zeal Ind will, from time to time,
appekt canemissions, to consist of not less than three
persons, te act at such places as circumstances may require.
and each claim for reward will he referred to such commis-
sion as may he considered the most convenient for its
proper investigation. The act of the majority will be
deemed the t.ct of the co nmissien. Each commission shall
be at liberty to adopt such means as it may deem most fit
for deterreining the value and cost of production of the
rnerchand;v, for ascertaining the process emp'oyed, and for
fully investigating, in all respects, and reporting upon the
validity of any claim. Every claim for reward must he
preferred in writing before the Lt tin lary, 1859, to the
principal officer of customs at the port of entry nearest to
the place where it is desired that the Examination of the
merchandise shall take place, who will at once proceed to
al,ce.tain whether the full quanti y in respect of which the
eward is claimed is ready for examination ; and if snch
quantity is ready, he will give a certificate to Viet eff,et,
dated on the day on which he shall h,ve ascertained the
fact, a ad such day shall be deemed t) be the day on whirl
the merchandise was produced. Wheneva r any officer of
customs is req ircd to go more than ,tree mi'es from his
residence his travelling expenses must be paid beforehand
by the person recoiriag his at'endance, and he cannot be
r, qtured to attend a second time if the quantity was found
delicierat on the first occasion. On -half of any reward
will be paid at once to any person whom a calnmis,ion
shall report, and the govenor shall have determined, to be
entitled to the same, after which no other claim to the same
reward will be entertained, and the other half upon satis-
factory proof being given to the govenor of the bona fide
sale of the merchandise is Europe, at an advance of no less
than 20 per cent. upon the bona fide actual cost of t'oe
article landed in Europe.—Australian and NEW Zealand
Gazette.

A Facr.—An exchange says, " the Chicigo Ledger, a
full-blooded Black Republican paper, is ou" in favour of
torninating some negro for the Presidency in 1860."
SOYE t AND RAGILAV.-But the purest specimen of
garlruity is this Monsieur Soyer.' (Lord Raglan, as
he said this, was standing ire the doorway, leaning on his
right shoulder, with his legs cr ssed, and surrounded by
several gentlemen, forming a group which I shall not
forget as long as I live,) you must have known my old
friend Ude ?" I did, my lord.' '11)w many years w, re
you at the Rel,rm Club?' Above twelve. It was old
Mr. Ude who gave the late Madame Siyer away when we
were married ;so we often visited him.' Lord Avanley,
who had apartments at Mr. Ude's, lived there for years,
and I frequently sisited him,' said Lord Raglan. If so,
no doubt your lordship will recollect a very iu'eresting
picture of a c, untry girl going to market, with a basket o
poultry under her arm ?" I do very well indeed, and
I know it was painted by your wife. It was very cleverly
done. But you had all the best pictures at the Reform
Club. You showed them to me yourself." I recollect
doing so perfectly well." She was a very talented woman,
indeed observed several of the gentlemen present who
had seen her pictures. She was an Englishwoman, was
she not, Monsieur Boyer ?' said his lordship. my
lord ; her maiden name was Emma Jones.' Of courae,'
rejoined one of the group, her paintings were well known
by that name.' So they were, captain, and fetched high
prices, too. I do not sell any now ; on the contrary,
I still have my gallery complete, and have bouel't in
several since her death. I offered old Ude fifty guineas
for the painting in his possession called Jelin:.
Fermiere;' but he would no' part with it, as it was
eresented to him by her. Previous to my d parttire from
England for the East, I was advised by the chaplain of
the cemetery to insert .on the monument the country f
her birth, as many believed her to be a foreigre-. The
inscription was simply "I'. Her.' I then composed the
fellowieg laconic epitaph :—To the Memory of Madame
Soyer—Ecgland gave her birth, Genius immortality.'
' Very good, indeed,' said his lordship. I myself have
seen the monument, which is considered one of the fi
in Xeesat Green Cemetery' —M. Soyer.

MONTHLY PRICE CURRENT.

The arrivals this month fro n the River Plate comprise
the Leopard, Express, Criterion, and Trent, from Buenos
Ayres, the Eblana, Camilla and Maria, from Monte Video,
the Maid of Athens, from Uruguay, bringing 34,855 salted
and 2,100 dry ox and cow, and 16.356 salted, and 238 dry
horse hides. The Ann Best has also arrived wilt bones
and bone ash. We have also received 24,874 salted ox and
cow hides from Melbourne, 5,752 dry salted hides from the
Brazils, and 73,000 East India kips.
The market for salted hides during the month has not
been very active, and has shown considerable signs of weak-
ness, having a tendency to lower prices; the sales during
the month amount to 18 180 hides, which include 11,500
sold to arrive in August, the transactions on the spot are
Buenos Ayres ox, average 641 lbs at 94d per lb, tare 5 Ibs,
cows, average 481 lbs at 101 per lb, tare 4 lbs, bulls,
average 851 lbs, at 93 per lb, tare 7 lbs, ox fair quality,
average 60 lbs at 94d to 91i per lb, tare 5 lb., light ox,
average 47 to 49 lbs at 9,0 per lb, tare 4 lbs, cows, average
49 lb, at 9Zd per lb. tare 4 tbs, Monte Video ox, average
47i lbs at 91d per lb, tare 1 lbs. The present stock is
57,208 hides.

Rto GROTDR HIDES.—We have no import ; the sales are
confined to 1,263 cows received via New York, average 47
lbs at 91 per lb, tars 4 lbs. We are without stock.
DRY HUMS —lmport 2,100, which comprise the stock.
Hoasa Iltras —lmport 16,35 G. These hides have been
neglected during the month, our stock which has largely
accumulated has induced holders in some in.tances to ac-
cept rather lower rates ; the sales during the month amount
to 4,400 hides, wh"ch include Buenos Ayres, average 32
lbs at 14s 61, do average 261; lbs at 12s 61, do out of con-
dition, average 28 lbs at 11s ld, slipped at 8s 21, colts,
average 18/ lbs at 84 2.1, slinks, average 5 4-5 lbs at 2s
each. Tha stock amounts to 60,370 salted, and 1,370 dry
horse hides.

NbSf SOUTH WALES 11(DES Import 24,874 hides. At
the public sale to day, the mijority of our stock was offered
without meeting any c)mpetition, and were withdrawn for
higher rates than buyers were inclined to give, only 150
badly damag-d were sold at 31 per lb ; the market may be
considered fully ld per lb lower than at the date of the last
circular. Stock 24,500 hides.

BriAziL Hrozs.—lmport 5,752. We hava had a fair de-
mand during the month for the home trade ; the sales
amount 3,006 hides, about two-thirds of which were sold
to arrive far export last month ; the sales on the spot
include Caara's average 32 1 5 to 331 lbs at 1 lid to 11d per
lb, heavy, average 52 lbs at Hid. light, average 174 lbs at
llid, lst damp and country damag-id at 101 d, 2nd at 91d
per lb. Stock 2,646 hides. At the public sale a small
parcel of fair Ceara', ware offered, for which only 101 prr
lb was bid.

WEsr COAST HlDES.—import 246. No sales.
WEST INDIA ILD'ES.—lmport 213. Sales about 700 dry,
average 16 4 5 lbs at 13y, kips, average 9 1.3 lbs.
at 131 d, country damaged at 111 d, brined, average 18a
lbs at 120, kips 111 lbs at 121, dry salted, average 203
lbs at country damaged at lid, calf skins at 9d per
lb, salted, Ist damaged, average 33 to 35 lbs at 61 to 8d
per lb, tare 2 lbs.
NORM AMERICAN HIDES.—No import this month. The
sales amount to 3,020 hides. New York, average 71 to
72 lbs at 7d per lb, tare 5 add 6 Ibs, cows, average 49 to
514 lbs at 64(1 to 71 par lb, tare 4 lbs Stock 5,184 hides.
East. INDIA Ktes.—lmport 73,000 kips, and 2,760 buffa-
loes. At the public sale there was no disposition to
purchase, and nearly all were withdrawn, those sold being
at a decline of id per lb on Calcutta's, and id to 21 per lb
on Madras ; the Mowing are the prices realized
Cal-
cn:ta, fair dry salted, average 74 lbs at 141, brined, aver age
6 .43, 7 lbs at 143, Madras, common, washed and brined, Ist
class, average 63 to 73- lbs at 91 to 90, 2nl class at Gd to
631, light, average 33 to 5 1-10 lbs at 91 to 91, 2 id at 70,
wormed at 5.1 to 5;,;(1, damaged at 31 to 511, covers a+ 61d
to 81d per lb. In Buffalo hides we have had no transac-
tions, the bulk of our stock being of very inferior quality.
Stock of East India kips ab.mt 80,000.
HAlR.—lmport 31 bales, 11 bags; sales 35 bales. We
hare had no public ade this moutn ; the stock c insisting
of 250 bales 51 bags is advertised for the 14th instant.
The sales comprise stump tails, Ist at 211 d, mixed, blight
to fair, at lld to 121, short at 101 to 101 d, cow off skin at
13d per lb.
HORNS.—lmport 114,000; sales 46,000 River Plate,
336 Australian, 335 West Coast, and 4,500 North Ameri-
can ox and cow horns. At the public sale on the 10th ult
we had bat a small attendance of buyers, and on the whole
there was little disposition to purchase ox horns, a great
many remaining unsold ; the following ars the prices
realised : —River Plate heavy ox average 203 to 213 oz at
63i 61 to 72s 63, medium do average 151, cz at 49s 6.1, light
do average to 113 oz at 30s to 33s 63, rough do, average
19 to 40 oz at 44s 61 to 56s 61, small do, average 71 to 84
oz at IGs Gd to 18s 61, c Avs, average 11 to 113 oz at 30s 6,1
to 324, do without tips, average 10 2-5 to 11 oz at 20s to
20s 6 1, perished ox and cow, average 5,1 to 7 cz at 8s Gd
to 12s, Australian ox, average 183 oz at 66s 61, West
Coast ox and cow, average 29 oz at 625, North A-nerican
ox, average 283- oz at 245, cows, average 71 oz at 11s do,
average 13 oz at is 61 per 123. 50 tons North American
horn waste brought £8 per ton. The stock, consisting of
203 000 horns, will be brought to auc,ion on Thursday
the Bth instant.

CATTLE BoNEe.—lmport about 600 tons, which have been
disposed of, ex quay, from £6 103 to £6 17s 6.1 for South
American grinders, and £7 for Au'tralian. The demand
at this period of the year is generally active, and as the
season advances they will be more in request. Bone Ash.
—lmport 415 tons. Sales on spot have been made at £7
5s for prime, and £6 15s for g )01, fair at £5 15s per ton
We have had a very extensive demand to arrive, and
several ca-goes have been placed during the month at £7
per ton on a basis of 75 per cent, for which quality £7 7s
6d can now ba obtained for cargoes for an outport.
0 tit BlRlC.—lmport 19 tons. Our market for this arti-
cle remains ve,y cull, and sales d.fficult to effect. About
59 tons Mimosa balk has been placzd at .CS 10s in bag?,
and 17 103 loose.

VALONIA —lmport 1,050 tons Sales 600 tons, which
includes a parcel sold to arrive We have had but little
demand f>r this article this mmth; the sales on the spit
comprise good in bags at £l5 153 to £l6. fair at £l5 to
£l5 103, Dragromestro at £l2 par tin. Stock 3,509 tons.
D:vt DaVI —lmp in 15 tons, sees 15 tors, at the fol-
lowing price : aat£9 53 per ton. The stock is
still large.
BUENOS AYrtrs SHEEP AND L4.31E SK(NS.—lmport (30
bales. Sales 12 bales sheep and 5,500 lamb ..k,ns, at the
following prices : —Average 26 lbs per d z3n at 1:1S
average 56A- lb per dozen a: 8.1-d per lb, average 4;4 lbs
per dozen at 74,d per lb, Buenns Ayres lamb skins, country
Eking, average 18 lbs per dczsn at 12s 6.1, average 12Z- lbs
per dozen at 10i 61 per dozen. The public sale is a rarer-
tised for Friday the 9.h instant. Stock 35,000 sheep, and
23,000 lambs.

IiEwrJuNDLAND Snit, SKINS —lmport 2,200 skins ; total
imp lrt fir ttie season 14:,00) skins. Safes 60.000 skins,
at the Mowing prices : —Large at 83 31 to 104 93, sad-
dlers at 7s 91, bedlamers at 71, blue backs at 54 6J, white
coats and hairs at 43 to 43 33 each. Stock 82,009 skins.

SOUTH AMERICAN TALLOW.—lmports 726 pipes; sales
300 pipes. The market has been quiet, with a decluaing
tendency all month, the demand for the trade being mode-
rate, and prices chiefly influenced by speculative operations
in Russian ; the present quotations for fair to good Sala-
dero is 59e per cwt, being a decline during the month of
4e 6d per cwt. Mares' Grease —lmports 270 pipes;
sales 63 pipes. The transactions during the month are
mostly at 4ls for liquid, 40e being the present quotation.
Stock 578 pipes tal ow, and 167 casks, 500 cases Mares'
grease. P. Y. C. is quoted at 59s per cwt.

G. F. MARTIN.

Annngst the subscribers to the Indit the Bath
list is the Rev. W. A., who gives. as the " ons moiety of
the wincing-up of a law-suit," the magnificent donation
of £3S2.

COMMITTAL OF A POST-OFFICE CLERK AT BOLTON —For
a considerable time past, complaints have been numerous
of missing letters coital, itie jewellery, coin., &c., in their
t .ansit thr ugh the B ,Itoe Rost-office, and it has led to the
apprehension of Mr. G. Whaley, the senior clerk in the
office, on a charge of steal n 4 a letter containing a half
sovereign and two postage stamps. Mr. Whalley, has bees
upwards of teu years clerk i t the Bolton Post-office, and
is fifty years of age. 01 Monday 'he prisoner was brought
lselore a fill bench of tn,gistratt s, at the borough court,
charged with stealing the tier above referred to, aed was
fully comin'tted for trial. The detection was made in the
usual way, by tn officer of the ' missing lever offiee," in
St. Martin le Grand, who enclosed a half sovereign and
two post go stamps ma.ked in a letter, addressed from
Malchester to Bnten '1 he letter was not delivered, and
on searchieg Whalley the coin and s amps were found
upon him. The above ei,curnstances has ciused consider-
able consternation, and many persons in the town have
communicated losses they have sustained. The followirg
is a list ef some of tae proporty which has b:en tossed in
the last two years :-01 the 22nd February, a £5 Dote,
nurnte,ed 27,215; on the 30th March, a draft for £24
149 ; on the 6AI February, a marriage license ; on the 1511
April, the half of a £2O note; on the 26th the half of a
£5 note, No. 83.567 ; on the 30th, a £5 note, No. 15,598 ;
on May 9 h, a cheque for £5 7e; on the let May, a pawn
ticket ; on the 27th Aegust, the half of a £lO note; on the
19 h, a pho'ograph ; on the Ist September, the halves of a
£2O and XII') notes. In 1856, a gold necklace lost, 19th
March ; April Ist, a .E. 5 note ; June 2nd, a portrait ; on
the 4th June, a £lO note; on the 14th, a£s roe; on the
11th August, three gold studs; on the 10th October, the
half a £5 note; .on th, 15th October, the half a £lO note,
and on the 18th ehoe half of a £lO note, &c, Similar
depredations were alsotemmitted in 1855.