The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-11 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

The market opens with a good demand, at
,mproving prices. Sales, probably about 7,000

bales.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

LONDON, Jan. 11.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly ; moderate breeze, and fine weather, but rather
cloudy. . .

Hum, Jan. 10.—Wind W.N.W.—Arrived—Swallow,
from Callao.

BRISTOL, Jan. 10.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Yolana,
from Cuba.

SWANSEA, Jan. 9.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Hampshire,
from Cuba. •

PLYMOUTH, Jan. 10.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—Cambria,
steamer, for the Cape of Good Hope.
LOUGH FOYLE, Jan. 11.—Arrived—North American
screw steamer, from Portland, U.S., and proceeded for
Liverpool.

FORTSMOUTH, Jan. 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Lady.
Maxwell, from London for St. Michael's ; Echo, from Lon-
don for Columbo.

FALMOUTH, Jan. 11.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Celestina,
from Sulina.

QUEENSTOWN, Jan. 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Alma,
from Liverpool for Demerara, with loss of boat and other
damage.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEG►RAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning.

Arrived, Jan. 10—Rival, from Guernsey ; Hannah Park,
from Marseilles; Kron Prindieese Loese, from Taganrog;
Nient Galling, from Porto Rico.

Wednesday Morning.
Anchored—Souve, steamer, for Malta; Rose, steamer,
for San Marturis—both from London.

A VALUABLE CARGO IN AN " OLD BOTTOM."
Yesterday the old Liverpool and New York packet ship
Dacotab arrived in the Mersey from Nassau, with a (-Argo
consisting of 4,000 bales of blockade-run rum. At the
present rates for fine American staple in Liverpool this
cargo is valued at £280,000.
A WOMAN DROWNED IN A WELL.—Last week'. a
poor woman, the wife of a respectable shoemaker named
Sharp, residing at the corner of Church-lane, Leatherhead,
who had been for some time in indifferent health, when
drawing a bucket of water from the well in her husband's
garden, was taken either with a fit or became giddy, and
fell headlong into the well, and was of course drowned be-
fore any assistance could reach her.—Surrey Advertiser.
CONVICTS AND THEIR WARDERS.—At the Ports-
mouth Epiphany Sessions, held on Saturday before
Mr. John Duke Coleridge, Q.C., recorder of the borough,
Henry Sutton, instructing assistant-warder in the Portsea
Convict Prison, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment
with hard labour for obtaining money from the friends of
convicts. The evidence proved that Sutton, by the aid of
one of the convicts immediately under his superintendence,,
obtained the addresses of the friends of convicts in the
prison, and would then write to them asking for money,
which was to be forwarded to Sutton's residence, and not
to the prison. The letters were written by the convict
alluded to, as under Sutton's immediate superintendence,
but the letter was posted in the envelope by the prisoner
himself. The convict assistant or dupe at length became
alarmed, and gave information to the governor of the.

prison.
SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIFE.—Early on Satur-
day morning (reports the officer of Customs at
the
between t oc Stockton), n )it i thed dl e smalleho tradingtothe
The
latter place, was wrecked ne.nar
tow b
and the tug
e,
eed vesselNe
Newcastle, and
stJi_i,rtonorocl,.g
a mw- thuegn,
vessel was entering the Tees
unfortunatelyl
gf fast
drivenc considered :7d asrhase
when the towanrdop
steam-tug.
thesybe i hnassistance'
Nationalbroke, t lo of
s vessel,ttitetion was
some time, has
her crew of two men drowned. The
but not a
beinglastN
or seen North
uunable
Garr Sand,
to
nteh d
,er etnuoedgpe,orn:f vaan v h i e
been wrecked,
to the bar by a Middlesboro' lifeboat 0
the bar
sunk,
ic,s forbtl
he
etheaxat
csthespocotulbdeinhgavaes
immediately
of the little vessel was visible. The •
vestige . .
quite . .
coxswain,
however,
got away, being without sails and always navigated in
yet unknown.
CHARLES DICKENS AND HIS DREAM-CHILDREN.
tSo hwe, :::i ttcdao
that
ststiltdewle reemsdeuintsddtohaveo
—I love to picture him far from
the din of th
critical Babel, surrounded by those delicate and beautiful
creations of his fancy, that ideal family,
the children of his
pen. There, in the twilightof his study,l •
see him sitting
with his arro. round Nell .
the favourite child. Her face
seems worn and sad, but when she looks up in his eyes, it
becomes suffused with heavenly light. At his feet rest
little Dombey and his sister hand-in-hand, and nestling to
the father who has called them into birth. Poor Joe is
there, the fungus of the streets, crouching like a dog beside
tho fire, grateful for food, and warmth, and shelter. I hear
the clumping of a little crutch upon the stairs, and in hops
Tiny Tim, the crippled child. Above them hover the
shadowy forms of other children, children who on earth
were poor and suffering drudges, workhouse outcasts that
the world had turned adrift, but which are now on high,
a blessed band of angels. And yet this man, great critics
is only a mere buffoon, and nothing more ? Truly, a fit
companion for that low player of the olden time,who wrote
"King Lear," and acted at the Globe.—To-day by John
Hollinyshead.
MR. Jomq GIBSON, R.A., THE CELEBRATED
ScvLrTon, has intimated his intention to bequeath 82,00
and casts of all his works to the Royal Acadeniy.

1

.1

The Lord Chancellor and the Bankruptcy

Laws.

The annual meeting of the Nottingham Chamber
of Commerce was held on Monday—Mr. Thurland
Vickers, president. The secretary read the follow-
ing report on the Bankruptcy Laws
The laws relating to bankruptcy have again
engrossed much of the attention of the council, who
length resolved,—That the present law as to
assignments or the benefit of creditors being found
in practice to throw great difficulties in the way of
the best realisation of estates, this council deputes
Mr. Thomas Ball and Mr. Gripper to attend to
the select committee of the House of Commons to
submit the following suggestions :-Ist, That as to
estates wound up under assignments or compositions
it is desirable to separate the judicial from the ad-
ministrative functions of the Court of Bankruptcy.
The judicial functions of the court would be-Ist,
The decision of all disputed questions as to the
proof of debts. 2d, As to the conduct of the debtor
and his right to a discharge if refused by assignees.
3d, As to any other matters submitted by the as-
signees, creditor, or debtor. 4th, As to certificate
to signees of having fulfilled their trust. The
administrative functions would be—Taking an as-
signment from debtor to official assignee. Taking
possession of the property by official assignee until
first meeting of creditors, with list of creditors and
statement of assets. Sending statement to assignees
when chosen of estate of bankrupt to be rea-
lised. Auditing of accounts of trustees. The assign-
ment to be made to official assignee of court of
bankruptcy upon which protection shall be granted
to person and property of debtor. Possession to be
taken by official assignee, and held by him until
first meeting of creditors, to be then fixed for choice
or trustees within 21 days. Debtor to file within
seven days a list of creditors with affidavit of cor-
rectness and statement of assets with like affidavit.
Copies to be sent by official assignees to every
creditor. At first meeting of creditors official as-
signee to submit report of affairs. List of creditors
and amount of debts to be called over, and if any
debt is objected to, the vote to be taken subject to
appeal by the registrar. Creditors present to appoint
trustees or receive any offer debtors may have to
make ; or, creditors may resolve that estates shall be
wound up by official assignee under committee of
creditors as inspectors. If trustees are appointed
particulars of assets to be furnished in a book by
official assignee within days for guidance of
trustees. Trustees to realise estate, and when suffi-
cient for first dividend realised to submit a state-
ment to creditors to be audited by official assignees
and filed in court and dividend declared. Copy of
amount with notice of dividend to be sent by official
assignee to every creditor. Amount required for
dividend to be transferred to special account at
bank, and paid by cheques of trustees. Debtor to
ask for certificate from assignees of having complied
with statute, and if assented to by them order of
discharge to be granted as a matter of course by
court unless creditors give notice of objection, in
which case, or refusal by assignees, the court to
decide upon the order of discharge. When final di-
vidend declared assignees may apply to court for
certificates of release from trust. Statements filed by
debtor may be amended by consent of assignees or
court. If found to satisfaction of court that debtor
has put down fictitious debts as due to creditors or
wilfully omitted property, order of discharge to be
void. Dividends not applied for within 12 months
after second notice to be carried to credit of estate
and divided amongst creditors at final dividend.
Bill for Extending the Provision of The Bleaching,
and Dying Works Act, 1860,' was taken into con-
sideration, but the council did not deem it desirable
for the chamber to take any steps either in favour
of it or in opposition thereto."
Mr. C. PAGET, M.P., observed—l will now come
to the question with regard to bankruptcy. There
was a very able committee sat upon the subject
during the last year, and I hope the result will be
an improvement inthe administration of bankruptcy,
but there are many considerable difficulties in the
question. I cannot, however, better lay the matter
before you than in the words of the Lord Chancel-
lor in a letter which he wrote to me. I had, per-
haps, better fist say that a resolution was carried
by the merchants and traders of the Midland So-
ciety, which I had the honour to submit to the Lord

Chancellor. The resolution was 'one of thanks to
the Lord Chancellor for the great care and trouble
he had taken to improve and simplify the adminis-
tration of the Court of Bankruptcy. The following
is a portion of his letter to me :—" There has been no
thorough superintendence of the administration of
the bankruptcy laws. It was the object I had in
view when I desired to have a chief judge ap-

pointed, but which the House of Commons refused.
I have endeavoured but imperfectly to do the duty
myself. In doing so it is most painful to see the
amount of dishonesty, neglect, and abandonment of
duty which has been brought to light. But there
is one evil in bankruptcy which I cannot reach. It
is this : As soon as the trader has made a bad debt
and the debtor becomes bankrupt in 19 cases out of
20 he reasons thus—" The first loss is the best. If
I look after this bankrupt's estate I shall have much

trouble and may incur great expense ; I cannot
leave my business to attend myself, and it will not
do to employ an attorney. If I do, perhaps I should
not get more than an extra shilling in the pound of
dividend ; therefore, let it take care of itself." And
thus every estate is abandoned to attorneys, brokers,
auctioneers, and other unnecessary official persons,
and it is eaten up by their costs and charges. Then
come statements like these :—Assets, 2,1001. ; costs
of solicitors and otherwise in bankruptcy, 1,2001.—
more than half the property. Then there is a great
outcry, and people say it is the fault of the law
and of the Lord Chancellor. I could establish a
board of official administration which should be
bound to collect and distribute every estate at a
maximum charge of 10 or 12 per cent., but if
I propose it I should have the opposition of
every solicitor. How is this evil to be
met ? Will you talk to your friends who
opposed the resolution, and tell me how I
can secure an honest, efficient, speedy, and
economical collection and distribution of a bank-
ruptcy estate. I should say, continued Mr. Paget,
that this letter is entirely in accordance with every-
thing I have ever seen of the Lord Chancellor upon
the present subject. At the time when I had as my
colleague in Parliament Mr. Mellor, he and I had
frequent conferences with the Lord Chancellor,
and I was
perfectly impressed with his earnest de-
sire to carry out what was a fair object of ambition
—a great improvement in the bankruptcy laws.
The attempt which he made I think has been cer-
tainly a great disappointment to him, and I wish it
had been different. What is wanted in cases like
these is some one person who is respdnsible for the
good management of the whole, and who has power
and influence sufficient to ask in a voice of autho-
rity
for such chanues as are necessary to make the
institution work well. (Hear, hear.) The respon-
sibility for change now rests upon a number of com-
missioners who set themselves against it with the
object of making the thing a failure. That was the
impression which I
received
of some of th while reading the pro-
ceedingsßankruptcy Courts, and
from these reasons it has in
The question as to what gel a great measure failed.
for it is a very
oneimportant
shall be substituted
blt has been said
that the administration of the
kruptcy laws
in Scotland gave general satisfactioan I applied to
many Scotch friends as to how thenth.
one
and
dcauchange
work, and they answered in effect tha7theanY did
was made in '54 or '56, and they
of opinion that it is worked with great gatidae7ere
(Hear, hear.) In speaking with other parties Zon.
it—with men conversant with the bankruptcy law
ilt
in London, they said that " the thing win work
well in Scotland, and not in England, because there
is a difference between a Scotchman and an Eng-
lishman," to which the Lord Chancellor alludes
when he speaks of the feeling of a trader to let by-
gones be bygones, and not look after the last penny
of an estate, as it is the habit of our most frugal
neighbours to do. (Laughter.) There seems to be
a unanimous feeling on the part of the Scotch that
the thing is working well. You will all notice the
paragraph at the end of the letter, where the Lord
Chancellor asks, " How is the evil to be met ?" I
_ lmmunicated this part to the Merchants' and

Traders' Society, and I have received a memorial to
the Lord Chancellor from them, containing their
views on the matter. It seems to me that it is
quite possible that the same system might not be
the best for small estates, such as traders would
mainly have to do with, although it might suit those
with which the merchants and manufacturers have
to deal. Therefore I would ask whether it would
be better to make any representation to the Lord
Chancellor of your views, as he is intently looking
out for the views of the trading classes, and if so,
whether it would be convenient for the council to
furnish me with those views, in order that I might
—if you were to honour me by making me your
channel of communication—and at the same time
the views of the Chamber of Commerce, together
with those of the trading community.

Mr. Ayrton and his Constituents,

Last night a public meeting of the inhabitants of

;he Tower Hamlets was held at the Beaumont Insti-

tution, Beaumont-square, Mile-end, for the purpose
of hearing an address from Mr. Ayrton, M.P., one
of the members for the borough. The meeting was
very numerously attended, and Mr. IV. Newton
presided.
After a few introductory observations from the
Chairman,
Mr. AYETON, who was well received, said that he
appeared before them in consequence of a pledge
which he had given some years ago, that he would
meet his constituents at the end of each session of
Parliament. He was not able to redeem that pledge
last year, but the reason was that he happened to be in
India. He appeared before them now not so much
to pass comments .on what had been done during
the session of Parliament as to obtain information
from them as to the future. And first, with
regard to the duties of members of Parliament, and
especially of metropolitan members, he thought that
one of the chief was to support local action, and to
give it adequate scope and freedom. But it was by
electing members to the Metropolitan Board and
bringing the influence of the whole of the metro-
polis to bear on the Government that they could
best protect their local interests; and not by. calling
on him as an individual to advocate them in the
House of Commons. But perhaps it might be said
that the Metropolitan Board had not done their
duty. (Hear, hear.) If that was their opinion it was
their fault, for they were the electors of the mem-

bers of the board. (Hear, hear.) The Metropolitan
Board, as it seemed to him, had shown great good
sense in their management of the sewage question.
The sewage of London was at first proposed to be
got rid of at a cost of 11,000,0001., but the
'Metropolitan Board executed the works for
4,000,0001. He thought they were right, if
the land did not absorb the sewage, in carrying it
out to sea, where at least it would cease to be a
nuisance. (Hear.) When he advocated local rights
in the House of Commons his great opponents were
the Corporation of London. He thought it a
national disgrace that there should be 1,012,000
chargeable poor in England alone. The cost of
their maintenance was 6,500,0001. This was a
deplorable state of things, and required to be
seriously and deeply considered. (Hear, hear.) One
of the deep-seated causes of this extensive charge-
ability was to be found in the practice of infant
labour. (Hear, hear.) It appeared from the report
of the commission on infant labour just made, that
mere infants were kept at work ten and twelve and
even fourteen hours a day. (Hear, hear.) Children
of five years of age were thus obliged to work when
what called the necessities of industry required
it. If he were not speaking to an assembly
of Englishmen he should say that this was
nothing better than a system of infant slaVery,
(Hear, hear.) ;And slavery, whether of adults or of
children, was a moral pest, which brought in its
train, ignorance, poverty, and crime. (Cheers.)

The children who were thus treated, when grown
up, would be sure to rear a generation like them-
selves ; but the-evil did not stop there, for the ex-
ample would spread. Children were asked if they
knew who Christ was, and they replied by asking if
it was a newly-invented machine, for they had never
heard of it. (Shame.) They must not blame the
poor, for they acted perhaps from ignorance. 'They
must bring home the blame and shame of this to the
really guilty parties—those employers of labour and
capitalists who used up infants in this way for the
creation of wealth for themselves. Another source
of this vast chargeability was to be found in the
misappropriation of the education grant. (Hear,
hear.) He thought Mr. Lowe had been badly treated
by the Government. The people of this country
were indebted to Mr. Lowe for resisting the increase
of taxation for the purpose of education when the
money was not properly distributed, and when the
education did not reach those for whose benefit the
tax was levied. He should protest against one

farthing being taken from the pockets of the people
to be spent in ministering to the vice and dissipation
of soldiers and sailors. (Hear.) Another cause of
what he must call their national disgrace was the
improvidence of the people. He very much approved
of the bill of last session for shutting up public-
houses after a certain hour of the night. (Shut them
up altogether.) During the last session Mr. Lawson
brought in what he called a permissive bill, but it
was not a permissive bill, and he felt that he could
not support it. (Hear, hear.) The present law had
more of the character of a permisssive measure, but
the people ought to share with the magistrates in
the power to grant licences. He had supported the
extension of savings banks and of friendly societies.
He had no doubt Mr. Gladstone meant well when
he introduced his bill on friendly societies, but he had
as little doubt the time would come when the people
of this country would laugh to scorn the idea
that the Governments were to take care of them, and to
manage their affairs for them. (Hear, hear.) He believed
that the casual poor-law bill of last session introduced a
sound principle which would ultimately lead to a reform of
the poor law. (A voice—" What about the army ?") Some-
body seemed anxious to enlist. (Laughter.) It was said
that armies were required in consequence of the state of
foreign affairs. The state of America was referred to as a
proof that free institutions had failed. But he did not think
that anything had occurred in America of which the friends
of free institutions need be afraid or ashamed. (Hear.) No
doubt there was great loss of life and property. But it
was impossible that a contest on which the existence of the
United States as a nation depended, could be carried on
without great sacrifice of life and property. During the
Crimean war there was as great a sacrifice of life and pro-
perty on the part of this country, considering the number
of the armies fighting on both sides. (Hear, hear, and cries
of "No, no," and " 'Tis a lie.") The wisdom of the inter-
ruption might be judged by the propriety of the terms in
which it was made. (Cheers.) He maintained that when
England engaged in her great wars she had to carry them
on at a great sacrifice of life and with an enormous increase
of taxation, and in former times the constitution was sus-
pended, and the people were deprived of their liberty.
(Hear.) He was sorry the Government did not accept the.
proposal for arbitration which had been made to it respect-
ing the Alabama, as it would show that the people of this
country were desirous of acting fairly towards the United
States. The American war had the effect of all wars,
that of turning the attention of the people from ques-
tions of internal reform. (Hear, hear.) They had seen
this in the case of Prussia, the people of which had been
turned from reform at home by the war in Sleswig-
Holstein, and he believed there were other countries that
acted on the same principle. The attention of the English
people had been too much directed to foreign affairs, and
the effect was lamentable on their expenditure and on their
taxation. Their expenditure was 4,000,0001. more than
it was in 1859, after the Crimean war, and although per-
sons boasted of the remission of taxation, he thought it
was pretty clear that it was nothing but a shifting of
burdens. (Hear, hear.) He therefore deprecated any inter-
ference in the affairs of foreign nations. (Hear.) Of course
they must keep up such a force in this country as would
prevent invasion and keep the soil intact from foreign foes
zuerally speaking
as it had been kept intact for 800 years. (Hear, hear.) He
thought the greatest credit was due to Mr. Cobden for his
efforti, in bringing about the French treaty. (Hear.) But
interest and imtphoertaanttecentt:otnh eomf
moiken:ewchauyrefbro.m_ those internal questions which Peeple
wboarde ofbe been
to
be
mcornatry. There was the ques-
, ttioeunnoc: techleanchduicnh.ollelnch ha dbeen said of Tate on the subject
er:tatarbeldishmte
benhut in himselfteLdby
to the mysteries of the inefficiency of the great church
he declared that he was as-
who would purchase (Cheers.) The church ap-
, only be given to faith. (Cheers.) s!unreoly a political institution, dedicated
with
the saint, but the sorcerer,
trayed the Liberal party on
the
The Government had be-
trayed the power that should
Lord Palmerston sneered at theE3Cil'irch
ballot, and pa
rliamentary
reform had been placed in the background
rate Abolition Bill
arliamentar;
suhapdpobeseedn
taoctcltlhyembeadset
friends
eGuodsveronf Government by those who
because they were
ever, of vigor-
There was one man among the Minisetrovrin. (Hear, hear.)
how

ous intellect and honest intentions, and he believed that
when Mr. Gladstone made his celebrated declaration in the
house, he had in his own mind the outline of a new reform
bill. (Hear, hear.) Such a measure was absolutely neces-
sary if this country was to hold its position among the na-
tions of the world. He could not look back with satisfac-

tion to the conduct of the Government during the last ses-
sion of Parliament. He thought that Parliaments were of
too long duration,
Sand that Governments would be morq
disposed to carry out the wishes of the people if they had
the opportunity of more frequently expressing an opinion
on the policy of Governments. (Hear, hear.) The people
would, however, soon have an opportunity of expressing
their opinion, and they should make it known that they
would support no Government that was not prepared to
stand or fall by reform. (Hear, hear.) It was the duty of
a Government to lead, and not to lag behind. But what
had been the conduct of the Government ? The church
rate question had been evaded, the ballot sneered at, reform
abandoned ; and was this state of things to be perpetuated
with the cry of Palmerston for ever ? (Hear, hear.) He
should respond to no such cry. (Cheers.) He should not
give his support to any Ministry that was not prepared to
give to the people of this country those measures of reform
to which they were entitled, and which had been promised
to them. (Cheers.)
A vote of confidence was then passtel on the hon. mem-
ber, and the meeting separated.

THE FRENCH BUDGET.