The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-17 00:00:00

THE SUP*, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 17, 1865.

the body of his debtor. It was also proposed that the-credi-
tom should have the freest access to the property of the
debtor, which from the time of the insolvency should be
vested in their own management. They proposed to abo-
lish the present system of bankruptcy, and in lieu thereof
that creditors should have the power of choosing their own
officers and managing their own affairs themselves. But
there was this difficulty, that it was practically impossible
to get individual creditors to look after their own affairs
and those of other creditors.,. It was proposed to abolish
altogether as soon as practicable the whole system of bank-
ruptcy as it now existed, than which it was not possible to
devise a worse system. The change suggested had the
most careful consideration of the committee, and they were
encouraged in the bold course they had taken by a com-
munication which had been made to them by the Lord
Chancellor, the plan of whose bill, in fact, they had
almost entirely adopted. The committee, however, did
did not concur with the noble and learned lord with re-
spect to making the discharge of the debtor depend en-
tirely upon the acquiescence of the creditor. It the re-
commendations of the committee as now laid on the table,
and which were the result of great care, deliberation,
and thought, were passed into law, he believed they would ,
produce the greatest possible benefit to the commerce of
the country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. AYRTON seconded the motion, and said he thought
it had been sufficiently shown that the present bankruptcy
law had entirely failed ; but if that was the only result at
which Parliament had arrived after devoting itself for
nearly 300 years to the subject, he could not help, as a
member of the committee, feeling some distrust in the deci-
sion at which they had arrived, and so great was his own
diffidence that he would have abandoned the question, only
that he believed there was underlying the whole system of
legislation some great radical errors, which it was the ob-
ject of the resolutions of the committee to remove. One
evil of the present system was the relying on the impri-
sonment of the debtor at the instance of the creditor as the
best means of getting satisfaction for the debt. It was not
a little remarkable that in this country, which set so great
a value on liberty, there was so little respect for the liberty
•of debtors. Perhaps this neglect about the personal liberty
of tho debtor was a relic of an ago of violence. Unfortu-
nately, the law as it now existed only took cognisance of
that description of property which could be disposed of by
the officer of the court, and hence full satisfaction for the

judgment could not be obtained. Imprisonment for debt
seemed to defeat the very object of the creditor, for if the
debtor was possessed of no property, nothing was gained
by putting him in prison. By imprisoning a debtor having
any trade or profession, ho was thereby deprived of the
means of paying off any claims upon him. There was
another evil connected with the system, namely, that of
losing sight of the line of demarcation between civil and
criminal proceedings—proceedings to obtain satisfac-
tion for a debt, and those resorted to for the
purpose of punishment. The committee came to

the conclusion that it was absolutely necessary
to sweep away those underlying fallacies, and
insist upon the total abolition of imprisonment for debt.
When, however, a debtor sought to abscond it was neces-
sary to take precautionary measures, and the committee
therefore resolved that the power of detaining an abscond-
ing debtor should be retained. Tho committee next re-
solved that the power of issuing a summons requiring a
debtor to appear which had been restricted to debts above
£5O, should be extended to all descriptions of claims which
could be preferred. So that if the view of the committee
were adopted, and imprisonment ceased, there would be the
amplest opportunity given to the creditor to enforce his
claim to the full extent of the property of the debtor. This
would reduce bankruptcy in practice to the simple condi-
tion of a man being unable to meet the demands of his cre-
ditors, retaining only that portion of the previous law
which declared that acts in anticipation of insolvency
should itself constitute bankruptcy. It would then no

longer be necessary to have courts of justice established all
over the country for the mere purpose of making a man a
bankrupt. The process would be reduced to a simple act
of record or authentication of the status of the bankrupt
by an officer. That function the committee thought could
be performed by the county courts all over the country,
and to meet the special case of the metropolis by the
foundation of a new court. A consideration of the position
of secured creditors, and of the fact that they exercised an
influence over the bankrupt's estate, which generally led to
the appointment of assignees favourable to their claims, in-
duced the committee to resolve that, after the adjudication
of bankruptcy, the bankrupt should be left exactly as ho
was before, without any change being made in the custody
of his property, he being responsible to his creditors for its
safe custody ; and that only the unsecured creditors should
be allowed to direct the administration of the estate.
An RON. MEMBER here moved that the house be
counted. As thirty-six members only wore present, the
house adjourned at a quarter-past eight o'clock.

The Irish International Exhibition,

DUBLIN, MAY 16.

The British department of the International Ex-
hibition, which has been set apart for the display of
our home manufactures, deserves our first attention,
when we come to examine the contents, as indica-
tive of the progress of the industrial and ornamental
arts. Turning to the right when we enter the
building, and proceeding towards the annex for
the exhibition of carriages, we find the whole tran-
sept devoted to this department. Its contents aro
so diversified, and there is such an intermingling of
heterogeneous articles in every variety, that any
attempt at classification would be utterly vain, and
would only weary the reader who wants but a gene-
ral view of the whole collection, pausing here and
there to contemplate objects that are specially in-
teresting for their singular beauty, novelty, or
utility. As this International Exhibition has been
got up in Dublin, and has been enriched by an
immense number of costly foreign contributions, it
is right to observe that Dublin itself is not behind
the most advanced countries in some branches of
industrial arts, and that in several branches of man-
ufacture requiring the highest order of cultivated
taste and artistic skill the Irish exhibitors take the
first rank, and need not be afraid to court compari-
son with those of England and France. Let us take,
for example, the collection of lace and embroidery
in the stand of Messrs. Forrest and Sons, in this
city. They employ a large number of hands in the
production of these delicate and costly fabrics, and
the perfection to which they are brought is a proof
of what can be done by Irish workers in the finest
departments of skilled industry. The beauty of
conception, the elaborate decoration, and the ex-
quisite finish of the robes and shawls of Irish point
have excited general admiration. The embroidery
in these specimens has never been surpassed for
artistic beauty in any former exhibition. Mrs.
Allen is also an exhibitor of lace, and her stand con-
tains charmingly graceful patterns. The Countess
of Erne exhibits some fine specimens of Valenci-
ennes, made by the girls at Lisnaskea School, in
the county of Fermanagh, and a cushion with lace
bobbin, showing the process of manufacture. There
is another fine collection of Irish point from
the Industrial Depository in Grafton-street. The
Commissioners of National Education show fine
specimens of needlework from the Monahan-Re-
formatory, St. Clare's Convent School, county
Kerry, St. Vincent's Female Orphanage in Dublin,
and the convent school at Middleton, county Cork.
Among the most conspicuous of the Dublin exhi-
bitors are the Messrs. Pim, of South Great George-
street, and the Messrs. Fry and Co., Westmorland-
street. The Messrs. Pim, where poplins are cele-
brated all over the world, began the manufacture of
this beautiful fabric in 1847, when they had but
four looms. Now they have 150 looms constantly
at work, and they have mills for throwing silk at
Stratford-on-Slaney, in the county of Wicklow.
Their stand contains about 50 pieces of poplin, of
every colour and pattern—watered poplins in pure
white, delicate lilac, and rich mauve ; tartans of
every colour and for every clan, and undecorated
fabrics of all sorts. Next in the extent of their
operations, as well as in enterprise and taste, are the
Messrs. Fry and Co., who occupy a large space in
the Exhibition. They have fitted up a drawing-
room in the Gothic style, with the ceiling framed in
25 panels, blue, cinnamon, and gold. The walls are
decorated with fleur:de-lis and trefoils, powdered on
a ground of pale rose colour etched with gold. The
furniture consists of a gilt sofa and chairs of novel
and quaint designs, covered in blue silk figured
terry, manufactured by William Fry and Co. A
splendid mirror, 14 feet high, fills the centre panel
of one side, the framing of which is carved wood
gilt ; the design embraces slender Gothic columns
with bold and elaborately carved capitals, varying
in design, and surmounted by tracery, spandrils,
enriched mouldings, and cresting. On the opposite
wall are curtain hangings of blue silk figured
terry of a similar design to the mural decorations,
but enriched with a broad satin and terry border
of original and suitable design ; the cornice and
supports being similar in effect to the glass
frame, but different in details. The whole of the
work has been designed by William Fry and Co.,
and executed by Irish artists and workmen, They
have also a large case displaying the produce of their
silk looms for curtain hangings and upholstery pur-
poses, nearly all of which has been made for the

I find the following picture of it in Saunders' News-
letter this inorning :
" The varying costumes on which the eye then rested
presented a strange sight to us Irish dwelling in the far
west—penitus tote divisos orbe Britannos.. On the dais the
royal pageant was brilliant in the extreme ; the dark blue
riband of 'the noblest of the orders of chivalry appeared
to' much advantage on the uniform of the Prince of
Wales. By his royal highness sat the Duke of Cambridge,
contrasting with it the light blue riband of St. Patrick.
Gorgeous was the full official attire of the Lord Lieutenant
set off by the diamond star and badge of the national order;
and most graceful and becoming the unique dress of Lady
Wodehouse, who wore an embroidered cloak of our own
emerald green, of the most exquisite workmanship and
taste. On the right stood the Knights of St. Patrick in
their gay blue ribbons and stars, and the prelates, who are
officers of the order, in more sombre but not less picturesque
garb. On the left were ranged the great officers of State,
the Lord Mayor, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Justice of
Appeal, the Master of the Rolls, the three Chief Judges,
the Chief Secretary, tohe Commander of the Forces, the
Admiral Commanding-in-Chief, the Queen's Physicians,
the Provost, and the Privy Councillors, all in their full
robes or official dress. Beside the Lord-Lieutenant was
Ulster King-of-Arms :in' all the magnificence of mediaeval
heraldry, and behind the State chairs the Viceregal House-
hold and Staff, the Prince's suite (including Earl Spencer,
General Knollys, &c.), and the officers of the Royal yacht
formed a glittering background. The front circle below,
where the peeresses of Ireland were placed, presented an
unrivalled array of beauty and fashion. In the seats behind
them, among corporate gowns and military coats, and naval
uniforms, and knightly stars, and warlike clasps and medals
might be seen Parsees from Bombay and visitors from
China, Russia, and Franoo, and from Sweden, Italy, and
Germany—many in the dresses of their respective countries,
and, as a grotesque but picturesque framing of the whole,
in long lines were drawn up the 78th Highlanders. Dublin
never before witnessed such a scene."

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—Each new discussion of the principle of
Competitive Examination for the public service
shows that there is less and less desire among any
section of the public to overthrow the system that
has been deliberately adopted by the country. The
debate which took place yesterday in the House of
Commons gave an opportunity for the reiteration
of all the most plausible arguments against exami-
nation, and yet we are surprised at the moderation
of its opponents. Attacks on the principle of choos-
ing public servants from the great body of the edu-
cated class by a free examination have almost
ceased. We are no longer told that the system is
Chinese, Prussian, pedantic, fitted only to turn out
bookworms without strength or courage, :or suc-
cessful crammers with no other endowments than
plodding industry and a fair share of memory. Even
the most inveterate opponents of the system seem
now to direct their criticisms rather to the details
than the principle of the examinations, and to de-
mand that greater care shall be taken to attain the
proper end of such trials—the encouragement of
good men to present themselves, and the selection
of the best men who do so present themselves. The
Civil Service of India is the great battle-ground of
the examination system. This service offers the
largest prizes, and requires the highest order of men.
The well-being of more than a hundred millions of
human beings depends directly on the talents,
temper, and moral qualities of the young men who
present themselves yearly to the examiners. The
native rulers of eighty millions more have to learn
the true principles of law and administration from
the same band of all-powerful Europeans. No rea-
sonable reward will be grudged to a service which
requires such men ; no pains will be spared to ob-
tain men worthy of it. Are the new school of Indian
Civil Servants, then,worthy of their position ? Does
examination produce fruits in accordance with the
eulogies of its defenders, or is it shown by expe-
rience that practically an inferior class of men has
been introduced into India since the establishment
of the new system ? This is the question to be
answered, and undoubtedly if it could be shown
that the new Civil Servants were less fitted for their
posts than their predecessors, and that this dege-
neracy arose from the examination system, there
would be no alternative but to return to nomina-
tion. But certainly such a result of practical ex-
perience would be most astonishing, for it would
contradict all that might be deduced from theo-
retical considerations and from the history of
education in England. That a fair field and no
favour should produce worse results than the sys-
tem by which men put into the public service their
relatives, their dependents\ their friends, or their
friends' friends, and by which these nominees were
transferred to India after tuition admitted to be in-
complete,would be something so monstrous that we
have a right to demand the strongest proof before
we can admit its truth. The proposition, in fact,
is this --that the whole of the Three Kingdoms can-
not produce as many able public servants as the
personal connexions of the old Directors, even
though the persons Who would have been nominees
under the old system have an equal chance with the
rest of the world in the examinations. As there is
nothing to prevent the young men who would have
been sent to Haileybury in the old times from com-
peting in the present day, we must suppose that
there is something in the nature of an examination
in classics, mathematics, science, and modern lan-
guages which inevitably places narrow-minded,
vulgar, low-born, puny, short-sighted persons, who
cannot ride nor shoot, above spirited, gentlemanly
men of the world, who are just the people to admi-
nister justice in Eastern countries and extort the re-
spect of the natives. If it be not so, and there
really exists this much superior class from which the old
nominees came, why do not the young men who
belong to it offer themselves for examination, and
keep their old position in the government of India ?
Looking at the matter thus in the light of common
sense, we may almost conclude a priori that the
charges against the modern competitionists must be
unfounded. They win their appointments by exactly
the same means as fellowships are won at the Univer -
sities—by the display of acquired knowledge; and they
may be expected to come from the same class as the
most eminent of the clergy and of the bar, who have
attained their position by their talents. As there is
nothing to complain of in the manners of these pro-
fessions, or any reason to suppose that their mem-
bers would be superior in any way if they were the
nominees of a certain number of men, so it is impos-
sible to believe that Indian Civil Servants who have
obtained their position by force of their talents, and
have shown themselves the best of all those who in
the whole country have thought fit to offer then'i-
selves, can be so conspicuous by their general in-
feriority as some of the opponents of the new system
declare. • We believe the fact to be that they are no
way inferior. Sir John Lawrence and several
others among the most able and impartial of the
administrators of India have expressed themselves
highly satisfied with the order of men sent out ; and
in the great changes which have been made in India
—first by revolution, and then by the rapid pro-
gress of the country—their services have been ex-
tremely valuable. As to their inferiority in stature
and bodily strength, it is, we believe, a mere un-
founded assertion. In the last report of the Civil
Service Commissioners it was stated that the average
height of the candidates selected in 1861 was five
feet eight inches and a half, andthat of those selected
in 1862 was a quarter of an inch more. Indeed the
experience of the Ilniversities is quite against the
theory that a proficiency in knowledge is incompa-
tible with bodily strength ; the probability rather is
that the energy required for success in Competitive
Examination actually demands a fair amount of
physical power. As to the parentage of the suc-
cessful candidates, it is ascertained out of 323 sent
out since 1857 nearly one-third were the sons of
clergymen ; 70 were the sons of officers, barristers,
or medical men ; between 40 and 50 were sons of
landed proprietors or other gentlemen with indepen-
dent means; eight were sons of Indian Civilians ; 31
were sons of persons in the highest branches of trade;
and 36 sons in the lower branches of trade. There
is nothing in this that should make us believe that
the good administration of India is endangered
by the inferiority of the new Civil Servants. The
cause of the accusations against them may probably
be found in that very esprit de corps which is said to
distinguish the older servants. The new men are of
a different connexion. They come out with no
recommendation from Indian families, and have
none of the traditions of India as it was con,
stituted before the mutiny. But their duti.
wo believe to be excellently performed, and
the native, who is said to be so acute
in his perception of their want of refinement,
will probably be consoled if he finds that the
talents and assiduity which makes them gain the
first places in an examination at home enables them
to do their duty by him and the country committed
to their charge. As to the subjects of examination
we must write with diffidence, as such various opi-
nions prevail, and such plausible arguments are ad-
vanced on either side. But we confess to a belief
that the fault of all examinations hitherto has been
that they encourage the candidate to pick up a
rudimentary knowledge of a number of subjects,
and that the tendency should be not only to con-
fine each candidate to a few subjects, but also to
make success depend more on proficiency in those
which form the staple of the best education of the
country. It is true that candidates may come from
all parts of the empire, and from schools of all sorts,
and that it would be unfair to exclude physiology
or chemistry, German or Sanscrit. But the vast
majority of our best educated men, the fittest to
administer India, have been taught classics and
mathematics, and, as a general rule, these subjects
will form the best tests of comparative mental power,
both becalm they have been learnt 40 thoroughly