The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-09 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL GAS COMPANY.

Yesterday a most numerous and respectable meeting
of the proprietors of shares in the Commercial Gas
Light and Coke Company, took place at the London
Tavern, in Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of con-
sidering the propriety of altering, amending, or repeal-
ing certain clauses in the deed of settlement constitut-
ing the Company.
Shortly before three o'clock, Mr. Goldie was called
to the Chair, when the Report of the Directors and
Committee was read by the Solicitor to the Company.
That Report stated that by the deed of settlement it was
provided that the Directors should have power to make
calls every three months, upon giving one month's
notice. That, in order to carry out the object of the
Company, and enable them to light the district before
the winter, it was desirable that a much shorter notice
should be given, and that calls should be made
oftener, and for that purpose it was recommended
that powers should be given to the Directors to make
all future calls at intervals of one month,
giving to the proprietors fourteen days' notice. The
Report also recommended the immediate payment of
the calls that had been already made ; and also that
the Directors should have the power to add, if neces-
sary, three more members to their body.
Upon this Report being agreed to, a resolution was
proposed and carried, for the purpose of adopting the
first recommendation of the Report, that of shorten-
ing, the time for making calls.
Upon the next resolution being put, calling upon
the proprietorsito give power to the Directors to add to
their number,
Mr. GOWAaD opposed the resolution, on the ground
that the greater the number of Directors, the greater
the amount required to remunerate them for their ser-
vices. _ _

The CMAIRMAN could assure the Honourable Pro-
prietor that the Directors had no selfish end or object
in view in proposing the addition of three gentlemen into
the Direction, their only desire was, to let in, if possible,
men of influence and capital into the Direction.—
(Cheers.) So far from the Directors benefiting them-
selves in a pecuniary view, by adding to the number,
they would decrease any amount that might be voted
to them, when the Company became a flourishing one,
because the sum would have to be divided among ten
instead of seven.
Mr. BINGLEY said, that he stood alone in
the Committee, in opposing the addition
to the Directors, believing the present Board to be quite
numerous enough to carry out all the objects of the
Company.
Mr. PILGRIM agreed in the necessity for an addition
to the body of Directors, believing that if the number
of that body had heen increased more effective mea-
sures would have been adopted than had been at pre-
sent. He did not say this in disparagement of the
present Directors, because he felt certain they had
done all in their power for the interests of the Com-
pany. He thought it was most desirable that every
thing should be done which would enable them to have
the district lighted before the winter set in, and thereby
lead. to the destruction of a Company that had behaved
so ill to the inhabitants of that part of the metropolis.
Mr. RooEas was sure if the proprietors gave the Di-
rectors the power to add to their numbers they would not
exercise it unnecessarily. If even that addition to the
direction increased the expense, which he denied that
it would, that would be nothing compared with the
good that would result to the proprietors. He trusted
that every proprietor who had left that room would
put his shoulder to the wheel, not only by paying their
calls into the Bank, but by persuading their neighbours
to becoMe shareholders and consumers of the gas of the
Company.--(Cheers.) The more consumers they
could get the sooner the light would be procured. He
would not say a word against other Companies, but he
.vould remind proprietors that the chimney was up, the
;:navy pot was at the top, and they only wanted the flue
to hang round it.—(Great laughter.)
Mr. BARRON thought the Directors ought to be
strengthened.
Mr. BINGLEY still retained the opinion he had for-
merly entertained that the number of Directors was
sufficient.

A show of hands was then taken by the Chairman,
56 were held up for giving power to the Directors to in-
crease their numbers, and 26 against it. The motion was
consequently carried, and the resolution agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN said that the decision to which the
meeting had come was of so much importance that it
requ'red the confirmation of two other meetings. It
was riot necessary for shareholders to be absolutely
present, but all they had to do was to authorise other
parties to act for them. His advice to the sharholders
was to pay their calls promptly, and then there could
he no doubt of their being able to light up that district
before the winter set in. He trusted that the Share-
!..rolders would do that voluntarily which the Directors
had now power given them to enforce at the expiration
of 30 days. (Hear, hear.)
- A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman,
and the meeting separated.

eolonel Wyndham has made a donation of one
Landred guineas towards the formation of the " Petworth
Agricultural Association."

THE LATE FATAL GIC
ACCIDENT.-A re-
trned inquiry took place on Wednesday
. aged 20 months,
.Thursday
Wakley, M. P., on the body of a chil morning before Mr.
named, R. W. Belton, who was killed on
udnven by Mr. C.
square, The prin-
ing last by being run over by a even-
Tilbury, of Mount-street, Grosvenor-'8;:s
No. 3,
cipal witnesses examined were Mrs.
Upper Harley-street ; Miss Christiana Leslie ekorfdat!gb..
ter; and Lord W. Butler, brother of the'
parsing
rge et.
()monde. They all deposed that they were Marquis of
Thursday evening last through Great CumberlZl
They did not see the child knocked down or run over, but
a cry of alarm made them turn round, when they saw the
child lying in the middle of the street. They all said that
the gig was driven at a moderate pace until the accident
bad occurred ; and Mrs. Leslie, in answer to the Coroner,
said, " I think the driver of the gig was not to blame with
referehee to causing the accident, but I do not think he
acted riglit. in driving off without waiting to see what had
happened." Miss Ann Weeden, and a soldier, of the
Grenadier Guards, proved that the horse knocked
down the child with its off foreleg, and that the
?ffwheel of the vehicle passed over the child's body, killing
it en the spot. After a long consultation the Jury returned
the following verdict :—"Accidental death, wjth a deodand
of 201. on the horse and gig." The foreman, at the re-
quest of the Jury, wished the Coroner to censure Mr.
Tilbury for having driven away after the accident. Mr.
Tiihury was censured accordingly.

METROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Globe of last evening bears testimony in the follow-
ing terms to the general good conduct of the Irish Catholic
priesthood, and their endeavours to maintain the tran-
quillity cf the country r—" The Roman Catholic clergy
have evinced their zealous anxiety to bring to justice the
authors and instigators of those dark combinations,
which they are so flippantly accused of fomenting. The
witnesses who were brought forward to enlighten tte Com-
mittee of the House of Lords on that subject, differed in
many important respects as to the objects and resources of the
Ribbonmen ; but they were unanimous and decided in bearing
witness to the ardour with which the Roman Catholic priest-
hood have employed the power and influence of their office
to extinguish all secret societies whatever. Some parti-
cular instances are stated of their having rendered most
important assistance to magistrates and police officers in
securing the peace of the country against those mysterious
associations. One remarkable case is mentioned by Mr.
Drummond of a successful search for arms in one of the
western counties, which had the effect of putting a stop to
the progress of Ribbonism in that direction ; and the sue-
cess of that search was chiefly owing to information fur.
nished by the Roman Catholic clergyman.' "
The Standard comments as follows on the Shannon
Navigation Bill —" The whole history of modern politi-
cal intrigue will scarcely be found to supply an instance of
more unblushing corruption than has been exhibited in
the prosecution of this dexterously managed job. The
attempt, however, to smuggle through the House
a Bill destined to employ no less than half a mil-
lion of the public money in improving a river,
which, by an extraordinary confluence of good luck, runs
through some two miles of the property of the •Chancellor
of the Exchequer, did not altogether succeed ; since, not-
withstanding Mr. Spring Rice's political affectation of dig-
nified indifference, and in spite of the late hour (two o'clock
in the morning, if we recollect aright) at which it was
brought before the House, the thing has not escaped quite
so well as its authors appear to have expected."
The Courier speaking on the subject of the Corn-laws,
makes the I,llowing cursory allusion to the Bank of Eng-
land :—" Humiliating as it may have been to the Bank of
England to apply for a temporary accommodation to fo-
reign capitalists, the Directors are entitled to the thanks
of the country for having taken the course; without it,
a commercial panic would have been unavoidable. Be-
sides, the Bank is not responsible fer the suicidal policy
of the English Aristocracy, who, to gratify their own
avarice, subject the country periodically to a financial crisis.
The Bank, owing to the mischievous operation of our
Corn-laws, is obliged, for years together, to keep a mass
of bullion idle in its coffers, and then, in the course of a
few months, to let itself be stripped nearly of its last
sovereign. It will be several years before this country
will completely recover from the drain of specie, caused
by the large importations of corn during this year and the
last."

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Auousr 8.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Three o'Clock.

The Sheriffs of London presented a petition against the
Birmingham Police Bill, and praying that the Corporation
of Birmingham might be permitted to have the superin-
tendence of their own Police.
DEPOSITS ON RAILROAD BILLS.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he rose for
the purpose of directing the attention of the House to a
subject of great importance—he meant the unjust manner
in which the Standing Orders of the House relative to the
deposits to be made before Railroad Bills could be intro-
duced into that House operated to the prevention of
many undertakings, which were not mere speculations,
but were of the greatest possible public importance
He need not say one word as to the advantage of railroads,
but he would just mention a circumstance to show the ad-
vantage he himself had derived from them. On Tuesday
morning he was at the Warwick Assizes conducting a State
prosecution of the greatest public importance, and on
Tuesday evening he was in his place in that
House, ready to have brought forward this mo-
tion if the House had not been most unfairly
counted out by those who, afraid of meeting the
question on its merits, sought to get rid of it in this man-
ner by a side wind. He did not, however, regret this
occurrence, because, in consequence, he was now enabled
to bring forward this question when there was a greater
attendance, and when, therefore, it would be carried by a
greater majority. He could not tell what his Right Hon.
Friend ( Mr. P. Thomson)could find amusing in his conduct,
but however he might be inclined to defer to him on other
subjects, he certainly should not do so on this, because his
Hon. Friend had shown that he did not understand the
motion which he (the Attorney-General) was about to
make. The question was as to the amount of deposit that
should be paid before Railway Bills were introduced into
that House, or rather in what manner that deposit should
be paid. He felt as much aversion to bubble speculations
as any man, and was as little inclined to support them, bet
he knew that the present plan bad operated most
injuriously in putting a stop to many bona fide undertakings.
The other House, on reviewing this subject, bad thought
that a deposit of five per cent. was sufficient, and accord-
ingly, by their Standing Order, a deposit to that amount
only was required ; but while ten per cent. was required
by that House, this determination on the part of the other
House was unavailing. No doubt, this regulation prevented
many bona fide undertakings being acted upon. What he
proposed was, that instead of a deposit of ten per cent.
in the first instance, there should be a deposit of five per cent.
before the Bill was brought in, and a second deposit of
five per cent, before any of the compulsory clauses in the
Bill could be acted upon, so that in fact a deposit of 10
per cent. would still be required before any of the works
could he undertaken] He would state, from his own
knowledge, an instance in which the Standing Order had
acted injuriously. There had long existed a bona fide in-
tention of making a railroad from Newcastle to Edinburgh.
There were men of substance and of character willing to un-
dertake the speculation, but it was a serious thing to have
make an advance of 10 per cent. The Bill might not be
carried through in one Session, and thus they would have
this amount locked up for two years, and during the whole
of that time they would be deprived of the use of that por-
tion of their capital. By this proposition of requiring a
deposit of five per cent. before the introduction of
the Bill, and a further deposit of five per cent.
before the works could be commenced, they would
still require a deposit of ten per cent., only it
would be paid in two deposits instead of one. He should
not say anything further, but would conclude by moving—
to revise the Standing Order of last Session, requiring a
deposit of 101. per cent. to be paid before Bills of the
second class for the construction of railways are brought
in, with a view to substitute a Standing Order that a de-
posit of 5/. per cent. before the Bill is brought in, shall be
sufficient; the Bill containing a clause that the Act
shall not come into operation till an additional sum
of Sl. per cent. upon the capital shall have been paid.
Mr. POULETT THOMSON thought there was an
utter absence of any ground for calling on the House to
rescind the Standing Order, which had been considered in
the Committee which had sat on the subject two years
ago, been long deliberated on, and been agreed to almost
unanimously. No grounds whatever had been brought
forward for rescinding this Standing Order. Nothing
definitive had been brought forward as to any inconvenience
resulting from this Standing Order, although many
general allusions had been made, except what had crept
out as to the Railroad proposed to be undertaken between
Newcastle and Edinburgh. Of course his Hon. Friend
was better acquainted than he could be with the circum-
-1 stances of his constituents ; but it certainly was not very
complimentary to represent to the House that the inhabi-
tants of the important city of Edinburgh, the capital of
Scotland, were so poor, so miserable, and so badly off, as
to be utterly unable to pay up ten per cent. of the subscrip-
tion required, in order to secure the public the benefit of a
railroad between their own city and the town of Newcastle.
If Edinburgh was so poor it would have been better for his
Learned Friend to have moved the rescinding of the
Standing Order with respect to that city alone—such a
motion would not have done so much mishief. The
Standing Order was agreed to for the purpose of
preventing speculations from being got up merely
foi the benefit of the agents and engineers, as
had been the case in too many. The 10 per cent.
deposit was a security of the bona fides of the parties.
He was strongly opposed to the motion; and as his
Learned Friend had discharged his duty to his consti-
tuents, he hoped the House would discharge theirs to their
1 Committee, and discharge the motion.
Mr. O'CONNELL said, the motion, if agreed to,
would be of essential benefit to Ireland, and therefore it
met with his warm approbation. It was no calumny to ssy,
that Ireland was poor, she could not afford to lay out of the
deposit of 10 per cent for so many years, but if it were reduced
to 5 per cent., which was a :substantial security, many
lines would be commenced which would be most beneficial
to the whole country. He would cordially support the
motion.
Mr. H. HINDE would also support the motion of the
Honourable and Learned Gentleman. Ever since the
rule bad been laid down, there had been a stop put
to all applications for Railroad Bills the deposit
was so high. He was much pleased that the motion had
come before the House with the high sanction of the At-
torney-General, and he trusted it would be agreed to.
Mr. WARBURTON begged to remind the House that
the Standing Orders arose out of the proceedings of a
Committee, of which he had the honour of being chairman,
and that it was proved that on one railroad 33 persons re-
ceived ss. a piece for subscribing their name for 234,0001.
of shares, and on the other 20 persons received 10s. a
piece for signing for shares to the amount of 33,0001., and
that upon shares where there was a payment required of
2to 21 per cent. When such frauds took place after
sucii a payment, a deposit of 5/. would be no security.
He would decidedly oppose the motion of the Learned

Gentleman.
Mr. W. O. STANLEY was understood to support the

motion.
Mr. FR ESHF I E L D decidedly opposed the motion.
The Standing Order had been very useful, and ought to be
supported.
Mr. R. STUART felt that this measure was one of
great importance, not only to Scotland but to Ireland, and
on that ground he should give it his support. His Hon.
and Learned Friend did not propose to reduce the deposit
to the old amount, but to fix it 50 per cent. higher than
was paid under the old system, and also that in addition to
that, before a stone of the work could be laid, 5 per cent.
additional must be paid up, so that before the land of any
proprietor could be taken, the whole sum must be paid for
which the House had stioul4ted,
Lord G. SOMERSET objected to such a proceeding
being taken at this late period of the Session, when three-
fourthssaviotde that to the plan which the
7as now
of the Members had left town. He thought the
present rule had not produced any practical inconvenience,
and he should therefore
igp. MACAULAY
in contemplation many againstproposition. _
Pe
wenres odf. substance, integrity, an 4
the highest respectability
plan. This was a fact which lib% e;
the present Standing Order pr eisnptosdeto contribute, and
W. 195., was too low, 101. wthe execution of the
as
tootiT if tie old amount,
therefore vote for the intermediate IgphrOpaonstihoen till:96111
Hon. and Learned Fria*

Sir R. INGL IS said the whole question here was about
one railroad between Edinburgh and Newcastle.—(No,
no.) It was said that the alteration would benefit
Ireland, but the Honourable and Learned Gentleman
would not have brought the measure forward, except in
his zeal for the interests of Scotland, and the city of
Edinburgh in particular..—(A laugh.) It was said that
the notices had already been given. If so, they would be
legislating ex post facto.--( Hear, hear.) On general
principles, as well as in reference to this particular case,
he should oppose the proposition of the Attorney-General.
Mr. E A STHOPE understood from what had been
stated that the progress of the railroad was retarded by
the deposit of 10 per cent., which could not be paid in
consequence of thepoverty of Scotland. If that was true, how
did it happen that the railroads in England derived so large
a portion of their capital from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aber-
deen, andother great towns in Scotland? The fact was that
this railroad must, if forwarded at present, be forwarded by
gamblers who had no ultimate interest in the concern.
The Scotch people were very rich and very chary ; they
did not embark their money without the probability
•f a good return ; and if they could get other
persons to take the first steps, although a railroad might
not be worth 100 per cent. it might be worth 70. If
the House sanctioned this proposition it would again throw
railroads into the hands of gamblers. Individuals who
engaged in these concerns, looked to the practical result.
There was no want of capital, if there was a good prospect
of income, and if not, it was not consonant to the character
of the House to allow persons to engage in such matters.
Mr. T HORNELY was cognizant of many frauds
with respect to lists submitted to the Committees of the
House ; but he had always doubted whether it was neces-
sary to inflict the penalty of 10 per cent. on parties coming
to Parliament for Railway Bills.—(Hear.)
Mr. BARNARD was convinced that if the present
system was continued, many important Railways would be
smothered, and he should support the proposition of the
Attorney- General.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—As to the argu-
ment, that it was too late in the Session—this was the
very time for revising the Standing Orders, that those likely
to engage in such projects next Session might know the
intention of Parliament, and not be subjected to regula-
tions made at the commencement of a Session, and which
must necessarily have an ex post facto operation.—( Hear.)
It could not be said that the orders of the Standing Orders
Committee were as irrevocable as the laws of the
Modes and Persians, and that they could not be altered
on consideration.—(Hear, hear, hear.) How had the
regulations of the other House of Parliament been im-
pugned, which fixed 5/. as the sum ? He did not dis-
pute that when it was fixed at 21. 10s. abuses existed.
But the onus lay on those who wished it to be 10/. to
prove that necessary. And for that he had heard no argu-
ment. Let it be recollected that he did not object to de-
posits of 10/. ; he only asked that modification which
should enable parties to divide this sum into two parts--
one to be paid before the Bill was introduced, and
another before it came into operation. He believed this
would be ample security against abuses, and that no interest
in the community need be under any apprehension on
account of it.

The House then divided and the numbers were—
For the resolution •••
Against it 62
Majority against it l7

On our return to the gallery, we found
Mr. FIELDEN presenting petitions against the New
Poor-law—at least that was all we could collect—from the
low, indeed almost inaudible tone in which the Hon. Mem-
ber as usual spoke, and the noise prevailing in the House.
NOVEL MODE OF PREVENTING SHIP-