The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-24 00:00:00

Ciiird that tin person sl,ould he heard unless he got
the sunctirer of Couishel—a her which he conceited
ripposeil to tyro!, legal and every constitutional
pl itreiple.
The lort9 RollocATE explained.
Mr. Bustlev.t.t. spoke in favour of the 'motion.
Ile said, as the law was at present, no iiidivithial
iu
the country e0111(1 May what Acts or Rillianterit were
in Cif Cl'. The Learned Lord had mentiouril Acts
which he coleorlerrd 111 ed.:titled to the present
times—if illev %erre so, why, lie bt-keit. Mere they
not repealed ? If .icis were foinirl wjuri,ut. or ab-
surd, where was the difficulty is mire:ding them ?
To r.vi-c the entire system. hr ..;13 aware v.... dif-
ficult and arduou.; but let a beginning toe matte,
and whether it take ten sears or 100 3ears, it
should be commenced. Ile agreed with Gentle-
men that it was au arduous task, but he denied
that it was impossible.
Mr. VALENTINE BLAKE %Uri a few words against
the motion. Wv understood him to say, that a
statute was virtually abrogated, when its provisions
could no longer apply to the circuurstarices of the
tunes.
Lord BINNING spoke against the motion.
Lord A. HAMILTON coorriiilril, that it was right
to have the law clearly explained us it shout. He
would vote fur the motion of the Right Ilon.
Baronet.
After a few words from Mr. Founts, Mr. BUR-
RELL, arid Mr. KENNEDY,
Sir JOHN NEWPORT replied, and the House di.
vided—
For the motion l5
Agsiust it

Majority lB

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER, the Report of the Committee of Supply
was received and agreed to, and a Bill was ordered
accordingly.
On the motion of Mr. BROGDEN. au account
was ordered of the Victuallers' Licenses fur the last
three years.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex..
CHEQURR, leave was given to bring in a Bill re-
specting the Subsistence of Soldiers quartered on
lumkeepers.
The Bill was then brought in, and read a first
time.

The Houle adjourned at TEN O'C LOCK.

PET/TVIN
AGAINST TIIE REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONERS OF
BANKRUPT FROM GUILDHALL.

Yesterday a numerous and respectable Meeting
of the Merchants, Blinkers, and Traders of the
City of London, was held at the Egyptian Hall,
Mansion House, to consider the propriety of pe-
tionitig Parliament eguinst the removal of the
Meetings of the Commissioners of Bankrupt from
Guildhall, or its immediate vicinity. At one
o'clock the Lord Mayor entered the room. accom-
panied by Mr. Sheriff Roberts, Mr. Alderman
Wood, Mr. Alderman ith Mr. Alderman
Thorp, and Mr. %%Filson (the four City Members),
Mr. A !durmast Ileygme, M.P. Mr. William
Williams, M.P. Mr. D. W. Harvey, M.P. Mr.
Falwell, Mr. Samuel Dixon. and a number of gen-
tlemen connected with the mercantile and trading
interests of the City of London.
The LORD Mairoa, in taking the Chair, briefly
addressed the Meeting on the business for which
they were convened. He said that he Wit been ap-
plied to by several of the most respectable Gentle-
men connected with the mercantile cud trading in-
terests of the City of London, to give the we of the
Egyptian Hall for the present Meeting, the ()Meet
of which lie would beg leave shortly to state. They
would recollect, that this Meeting was to have been
held last Monday, but as it was the opinion of
many competent persons that sufficient notice had
not been given, it was postponed until this day. It
was originally intended to have submitted to the
Meeting a measure of a more extended mid com-
prehensive kind than was now contemplated. It
was at first intended to have entered at sonic length
into the operation of the Bankrupt Laws, and to
have suggested such alterations as their practice
spewed to be desirable. This intention war, how.
ever, subsequently abandoned, and the considera-
tion of the present Meeting would be confined to a
narrower compass. They knew that the Bankrupt
Laws had bean for a considerable period under the
consideration of a Committee of the House of Com-
mons, and that that Committee were about to make
a Report, which it was understood would suggest
many important alterations in the operation of the
existing Bankrupt Laws, 1111(1 a variety of regula-
tions, such as the nature of the subject dictated.
The Gentlemen, therefore, who had been instru-
mental in calling the present Meeting, had wisely
abstained from embarking iu topics which were on
the eve of being discussed and considered by the
Legislature, and had determined upon simply con-
fitting themselves to the rumour of the removal of
the sittings of the Commissioners front
where they had been so long established, to Hol-
born. All, he trusted, would agree in the inconve-
nience which a removal so unnecessary would im-
pose upon the trading interests of the City of Lon-
don, and he hoped the unequivocal expression of
their sentiments upon the subject would put an end
to the projected removal.—(llear.)
Mr. HICKS then rose and proposed a series of
Resolutions expressive of the incoovenience of this
removal, and the reathness of the Corporation to
grant a lot of ground oil reasmaible terms oil the
site of Blackwell I lad, if the arrangements in (:odd-
hall were insdequate to the purpose,-(For Ilesolu-
lions see Adverlisexuent.)--The worthy Mover
stated, that ill health prevented him from address-
ing them as he should otherwise have wished on
the subject of these Resolutions. Ile still thought,
however, that on the bubjrct of the Resolutions
there could he but one opinion, and that it would
be idle to descant upon a topic which crested no
difference of opinion whatever among them. He
thought it would be quite a waste of time to point
out to men iii business the inconveniences to which
they must be exposed by going to prove debts to
a distance from the create of their business ;
would be, no fact, to add losa of time so loss of pin-
perty.—(flerar.)—lle had no climb; that otinult
of the difficulties complinned of at prestist by the
Commissioners in might be removed, if
they (the Connuissioneil uduiptLd better

-..~,r--

folio for lice mole of discluirgilig 01.4 o n dfditieN
At all events, any Is cal complaints ..f malt ~f w.
commode' iii Guildhall were ulisiated by the
broil' offer of the Corporation of gromid near BLit k-
Well il4ll, ado re both ilia Commits.' 1111 l ra at.,l din
creditors could have ever) facility for their are rP.,llly
purpose*. lie conciuded by puitteg ihe fort Ile.
Mr. TADVY Seentided the wirtion, and 4;1.01,
Ibat
he had fur souse llMe f hoot the
public loonier,' of the Coy, yet he could hot son• r
a Meeting of this kiwi to pa.. by without as lora-.
WI; Ins full conviction t.l t• r ;;teat mum emeht 4
which the traducg ihterroiv would the
event of a r..ni0v,.1 of tier Met tii•l4l of ti.e Com-
missioners front their present stir. lie hail ti.,
doubt that their applicaiirm, mute as it Will at
present in proper time, and on is proper miliret,
would receive the attention it deserved, and that
their worthy Represimtatives would secure to it
all the weight to which it was entitled, nod which
they were so well calculated to give.—(4pplattse.)
Mr. SAMUEL DIXON said, lie could cut allow
this Resolution to be put itt its Ismael,' shape,
without expressing his sentiments upon it. It set
out with an admission whacii was soot fun ailed ti,
fact--that was, that Guildhall did nut atti.ril
suffi-
cient accommodations. Ur averred from his own
experience, that it coutaisord all that wit 4 desired,
if the Cointnisstiotiers would only make better re-
gulations respecting the time, the day* anti illou r 4
of their several sittings. lie stig4tated, therefore,
the propriety of shaping the Resolution so at to es-
clude the admission it now contained. 'rite alier-
ation might be made without iouchiaig the sense.
The verbal ulterstion was made which .I r. Dixon
suggested, and the Resolution carried (a, were aLf
the successive ones) unanimously.
Mr. Alderman Walizstaiats then came forward.
He observed that there was not much to lie sniti
where they were all agreed upon the main fillet
which was to prevent, if possible, the removal of tlie
sittings of die Commissioners front (iuildhall or-
Madre Inn. Suoli a itorii•Ure
preposterous, that he woudi•re4l 1..1* a C.,1111/11it St C
of
the Douse of CoMintins conlii hate b.ru mein.-r.i.
to take the step they had done respecting it. Tile
place where those sittings had iiivariabh Leeit 1104
was long know, to every body —lit:0401AI was in
the centre of the city, well adapted to tl.e constr..
nience of the mercantile and trading ititetests, and
indeed equally convenient both to every class of
the metropolis situated out of the strict hounds of
the city, and of the country ; for the course of busi.
nest invariably brought those persons ludo the city,
and then it was no inconvenience to them, when
their avocations required it, to attend at
—(genii./—He should not have quarrelled with
the admission in the Resolution that us Isumis-s was
nom truosacted, there were nut sufficient ..ccouttuo-
hone in Guildhall. The allusion was evidemly tis
the manner in which the business was at pia toot
arranged and conducted. There were at 'gest-lit
seventy Commissioners of Bankrupt, forming four-
teen dilferent courts, and )et the couiplatut was,
they had not room or time to get through their
busitiess-when all the other debtora iu the king.
slum could tied time (getierully speaking) to haves
their hinsiness done in one Com t, and by one C 0411%
missioner (alluding to the insolvent Debtuii.' Comm).
The average 'lumber of bankruptcies were 1,700
each year, and the business wile to be dune by 7CI
Commissioners. In the insolvent Debtor.' Court
the applicants stere 3,OtYJ in the saute time, and
the business to be done by our Cu 11111 l stationer. lit
the one place it appeared the business could go on,
end soot with equal facility iii the other—their must
he something wrong either its one or both systems.
lie wished particularly to apprize thein, that a Bill
was now before (or immediately ready to be before)
Parliament respecting an alteration in the Bankrupt
LOWS. The question lied undergoite various labo-
rious considerations in a Committee of the House
of Commons, nod the Bill he knew contained several
very necessary and salutory provisions—but lie hail
one insurutouotable objection to this Bill, and
he trusted they would concur with him ►u the
opinion lie hail formed —it was the givoig 500/.
a year as a fixed salary to the Cominissiosiers, that
Was to SeVelity cuttatituting lourteen
different Courts, with, of course, the addittuoal
expense of fourteen rep ,rAte chambers, and for
which the trading iiiteiests, out of their resources,
dilapidated as they must be by bankrupts, would
have to pity no less a blllll ilia,, 36,u0u1. per annum.
Whether in this general manner the losinoess wouhl
be better done when the Cominissimiet a had sat
potent impetus traction than it was inlure, when
they might be supposed to have, he dial nut miscall
to inquire. lie wa4 ready to admit that the pi rSelit
eine' 1111 l eta of u Commissioner of Brod:told. vise
not enough fur the full uutl utithvided discharge of
Ina duty. If a selection were made and adequate
emolument given, he could have no objection, lint
he could never consent to ail AUglllYiitatouum to
present numerical scale, for he dootglit that il.ts
plant proposed would open an immeitse mid per-
nicious source of influence tool jobbing. The
yunog men of high families, too proud for trade,
and too poor to live without it, would find occupa-
tions in places of this kind, and the supeitmou.stril
part of. sunder connexions would thrive au rtiu.si
benefit from the system. The ;twat inconvcineitee
is the preseumi arrangement of business was, tout
fourteen different sets of Continissiititers all wet a
the sane hour, 31111 then the liustlitig together 1.,
ail pattiea was so great, that A till 111.17,1 might lush
distinguish the CUllllllllo.lollers ft I the rest of 11,t1
crowd, by seeing two or three Gentlemen sittiog
with their hate on, whose business was, of course,
augmented by the 'loather of forgeries, which int.
posed upon them the labour of examining time
pound notes they received. The great object
would, he thought, be the selecliou of any given
number of the presetst Counnissioners, who should
receive a competeut remuneration fur the discharge
of their duties, and who should keep up 4:111161/114C
bittillge. lie disclaimed meaning to cast any pet-
mniol reflection upon the present Commissioners.
It was With the 'mew, ond nut the used he quad-
found • lake this

. I r
metwo* ;
oppoisitatirut
-•r Imeok-
la 41a1•1,11,
Pow 1.1
.1' -,I
tkiug ulttr.

relied. He in getters! found legal turn I
Couiniissioners very deficient (es might
pected) ins ktiowledge of the details
he should. therefore, recommend ilia rhpu
of a tuerceutile perms,. rho Laid Hever been
raw. or compounded with his coeditors.
the Coinuitssiatiers. and give up Ins whole
the examination of such 'natters. Ile felt
justified ou this result occasion in unktu

.~~
_.. _ --
r~