The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-01 00:00:00

BLRMINGAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The half-yearly meeting of the members of the
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce was held in the
Committee-room of the Town-hall on Thursday
afternoon. There was a large attendance—Mr. R.
Spooner, M.P., president, in the chair.
The report of the committee stated that in refer-
ence to the bankrupt law they could not congra-
tulate the chamber upon having obtained all that
was desired in the way of bankruptcy reform, but
it is a matter of much satisfaction to observe that
although the act is inferior in many respects to the
bill introduced by Lord John Russell and Mr.
Headlam, at the instance of this and other chambers
of commerce, yet the act does not recognise some of
the most important principles which this chamber
has always insisted upon as essential to bankruptcy
reform—namely, the abolition of the distinction
between bankruptcy and insolvency, and between.
trader and non-trader, increased facilities for volun-
tary settlements between insolvent debtors and
their creditors, the registration of deeds of arrange-
ment with power to enforce their provisions in the
Court of Bankruptcy, the relief of the creditors'
fund from the compensation annuities for abolished
offices, and more stringent provisions for the punish-
ment of fraudulent debtors. The principles which
this and other chambers advocated, but which have
not been adopted in the act, are :—The consolida-
tion of the statutes relating to bankruptcy and in-
solvency ; the transfer of the salaries of the com-
missioners and judical staff from the creditors
funds to the consolidated fund ; the administration
of the estates of deceased insolvents; the pay-
ment of the official assignees partly by fees and
partly by salary ; and the abolition of the
office of messenger. It is very probable
that it will be found necessary to bring in a bill
to amend the act. The accidental omission of
one clause in reference to the discharge of
the creditors' assignee, renders such a bill essential
to the working of that set of clauses. Should
such an amended bill be introduced, it will be for
the council to consider whether advantage should
not be taken of the opportunity to remedy such
deficiencies of the act as may be found to interfere
with its satisfactory working. As to the commer-
cial and agricultural capabilities of British India,
your council lost no time in complying with the in-
structions of the last half-yearly meeting, but the
committee appointed at its first meeting found it
impossible to proceed with an inquiry of so varied
and general a character, until some definite and re-
liable data were before them, on which to
base their conclusion. This the member who intro-
duced the subject has kindly undertaken to supply.
The recent complications between this country and
America, and the questions of international Mari-
time Law involved therein;have suggested to your
council the propriety of inquiring into this impor-
tant subject; a committee for this purpose has teen
appointed. The subject of partnership law amend-
ment and extension of the principle of limited lia-
bility to private partnerships was one of the first
that engaged the attention of this Chamber, and it
will be remembered that during the progress of the
Joint Stock Companies Act of 1856 this Chamber
urged upon the Government, both by deputation and
petition, the importance of making several modifi-
cationsur eicouinntl pphaeperniry to this reportiplesandde a series
tailsofthe
Your of
rea-
sons for an amendment of these laws, which they
submit for discussion at the present meeting, and
are prepared (under the authority of the Chamber)
to bring the subject under the notice of the House
of Commons early next session.

Mr. G. DIXON introduced the subject of Partner
ship Law Amendment, and moved, "That the coon_
cil be requested to take such steps as they may deem
proper for carrying into effect the modifications in
the laws regulating partnerships proposed by the
c ouncil.

Mr. A. RYLAND seconded the motion.
Mr. H. SMITH said the proposition involved two
matters which he thought would be well separated.
It was one thing to limit the liability of a partner
in a certain firm to a certain amount of money, but
it was quite another thing to give to a partner a
share of the profits, without any share
in the liabilities ; and whilst he saw so many
reasons for limiting the liability of a partner to the
amount ho subscribed, he must certainly demur to
the propriety of abandoning that principle of com-
mon law and common sense which said that every
one participtating in the profits of a partnership
should also participate in its burdens.
Mr. GEORGE SMITH seconded the amendment.
After some conversation, Mr. Dixon and Mr.
Ryland consented to meet the amendment, by mov-
ing each of the three propositions involved in the
original motion separately.

Mr. DIXON then moved " that the council be
instructed to urge upon the Government the pro-
priety of introducing a bill during the next session
of Parliament, to effect the extension of the prin-
ciple of limited liability to all private partnerships,
so as to permit either a portion or the whole of the
partners of a firm to be liable only for the amount
subscribed by them."

Mr. J. Lowe considered the principle of limited.
liability dishonest in principle, and unsatisfactory
in its operation. He trusted they would still ad-
here to the good old English practice of making
every partner engaged in contracting debts re.
sponsible to his last shilling. (Hear.)
The motion was carried by 20 to 5.

Mr. DIXON then moved, "That the Council should
be instructed to urge upon the Government the
necessity of passing an act containing provisions for
the compulsory registration of the names of all the
partners of a firm and of the amounts contributed
by the limited partners if any such there be." In
doing so he said the resolution arose as a necessity
out of the last one.

Mr. RYLAND seconded the motion.
The PRESIDENT suggested that the word" actual"
should be inserted before the word " amounts" in
the resolution, so that limited partners should Lot
be
intTe ahr
ebesl
ter
eotsfoo
ud2tooi
oona, s
awtnhades
oyna dlmyi depniadnye cduo mpanies—take an
pasi2s4ge(sliteedar.a)na
carried unanimously.
Mr. DIXON then moved—" That the act do pro-
vide for the power to grant participation in profits
to clerks, egents,managers, or workpeople, without
the privileges or liabilities of partners." He entered.
at some length into his reasons for supporting the
resolution, and replied to the objections of Mr. H.
Smith.
Mr. SMITH, however, stated that he adhered
to everything he had previously said.
A vote of thanks to the President brought Om
proceedings to a close.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT. Nonni SHIELDS,
FRIDAY, 7.30 P.M.—A messenger has arrived in this town.
and passed on to Sunderland with the appalling account of
another frightful accident that has occurred but a few
miles from Hartley. Messrs. Mounsey and Dixon have
recently recommenced the extensive ironworks at Bedling-
ton. This afternoon, about 10 minutes to 4, Mr. Mounsey,
Mr. Dixon, and Mrs. Mounsey, who belongs to Sunderland,
and several ladies, had gone to the new mills to see the
workmen saw iron. While viewing the process Mrs.
Mounsey got her dress entangled among the machinery,
was in a moment drawn in among it, and, according to the
messenger, she was literally torn to pieces. The spectacle
is described as most frightful. I have been down to theft
railway-station, and the guard who has brought the half-
past 6 train from Bedlington describes the excitement there
as frightful.

L o a NEI,PW JAN.RE3CIK, 3 .02
5N p
.THE3I .
.....
P.M.—The
I te EHNuCg
uH e n
ot COAST., cri
p t
Su
.—Foßrbetrs:
from Colombo to London, laden with coffee and oil, went
ashore last night near Etaple. Crew of 18 men saved.
LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.—Sir Bulwer Lytton.'
" Strange Story" is announced for publication next week
It will break through the old form of three vols., 31s. 6d
although comprising more than the average quantity of
novels, and is to appear in two thick volumes. The de-
ferred appearance of this work, we are informed, has arisen
from some curious scientific developments in the course of
the tale, which will add materially to the zest for its perusal.
SUICIDES AT HOMBURG.—A letter from the above
place states that another suicide has just taken place there,
a young
man, a Prussian, having shot himself after having
lost all his money at a gaming-house. This makes the third
occurrence of the kind since the commencement of the new
year, A rich Russian, who had ruined himself by gambling,
left Homburg soon afterwards for Berlin to procure more
and put an end to his existence •
money,
mthe latter place.
The third sacrifice was that of a traveller, who hanged
himself at a neighbouring town after
having beggared him.
self at iipraburg.