The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-08 00:00:00

STANNARIES COURT.

Mr. COLLIER moved for leave to bring in a bill to'
extend the jnrisdiction of the Stannaries Court to De-
.vonshire, and to define and regulate the cost-book sys-
tem of mining, and to limit, is some degree, the liability
of partners in cost-book imnes.
----M-r:ThIOFFATT seconded. the motion. - .
The.ATToRISTEY-GENERAL said hP should offer
no,opposition to the introduction of the bill, hut, at the
same time, he could not go the length which the bill
proppsed with: regard to the vast and important question
of limited liability. - . . . ..
Mr. HUME hoped the Government would lose no
time in making their -views known upon the subject of
limited liability.: He confessed himself that lie ;Noas a
convert to those who advocated its adoption.
After a few words from Mr. MOFFATT,
Mr. WILKINSON mentioned several instances
where-the principle of limited liability had worked ex-
ceedingly well, and said he had no doubt that, if it were .
universally adopted, .many .of the strikes which were -
now harassing the-north would he prevented.
Mr. W. BROWN was opposed to the extension of
the principle, and dechlred it to be his opinion that this
country owed Itssreatness to the high character which
its merchants 'enjoyed for Meeting their liabilitiepywith
promptitude and, dispatch. There were except' ain
the case of railways and mines where the principle' iiilir
be safely applied ; bufbefore the application took r ace',
it ought always to be. specially sanctioned by the ! egi4-.,
except"
latu re. . ; • 2-2 ~ , '

Mr. VIVIAN was 'opposed to the universal adOption
of the limited liability, but in. the case of mines he
thought it could be safely and usefully aclopqed:.
Viscount GO DEBTOR. objected to the' pOwerl which
the Board of Tiade• possessed of granting ,clpartens
of limited liability, because it conferred upol -that
hoard the privilege of virtually granting. monqpolies.
It would he
.thought be much better to anatil that
power, and make :the application of liinll4d
universal instead of partial. This subject,
however, must shortly enforce itself upon the'attention of
the house, and then,he should be prepared to show that
what he advocated would benefit alike the commerce and
the labour of the country.
Mr. CARDWELL' reminded the house th4t two
committees had already sat upon the subject of
limited liability,. and in accordance with the recommen-
dation of the joint committee a commission bad been
appointed to investigate .the matter, who were now
promoting their enquiries.
Leave was then-given to bring in the bill.
DOWNING STREET.
Mr. OLIVEIRA-moved for a return of the expenses
that have been incnried in alterations, repaits,' alid; ini-
provements to the various public buildings in'Thviiiing-
street, from the year 1830 to the end of 1853, sPeiciroying
what amount has been expended each year.
Agreed to.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
Sir J. PAKINGTON moved the appointment gf ia
Select Committee to consider, Whelier, by any al ri-
tions in the, forms and proceedings of this house, the
despatch of public business could be snore effectually
promoted :—Sir John Pa,lcington, Lord John Russell,
Mr. Disraeli. Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Evelyn Denison, Mr.
Sotheron, Mr. Greene, Mr. John Ball, Mr. Wilson.
Patten, Mr. Drotherton, Sir George Grey, Mr. Wal-
pole, Lord Stanley, Mr. Hume and Mr. Bright.
The lion. bart. said an impression prevailed out of doors
that the greater part of their time was to talk, but that
was a mistake. Occasionally, however, there was too
much talk-- (a- laugh)--as, for instance, last session, when
his right hon. friend the member for Buckinghamshire,
the present Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Pre-
sident of the Board of Control made speeches, each of
which occupied a whole evening. Now he had no
hesitation in saying that those speeches would have
been better in-themselves, and more satisfactory to the
public, if they had been considerably curtailed. (Hear.)
Sir G. GREY would not oppose the appointment of
the committee, but he cautioned the house, against ex-
pecting that any great public advantage would result
from it.

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY had no objection to the ap-
pointment of the committee, but the shortening of de-
bates must be left to the good sense and forbearance of
the house.