The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY. )

COURT OF COMMON LAW (PLEADING) BILL.
The house then went committee on this bill.

Clauses up to 10 were agreed to.
Mr. FITZGERALD moved the omission of clause 10,
which provides that the cause of action shall be stated
in the writ of summons issued in the first instance, and
dispenses with the necessity of a declaration ; but after
a protracted discussion, of a technical character, the
amendment was withdrawn, and the clause was
agreed to.
Clause 11, which provides that a plaintiff shall be
compelled to deliver a bill of the particulars of his claim,
with the writ, was objected to by Mr. GROGAN, on the
ground that it would lead to unnecessary expense. He
wished, therefore, to move the omission of the
clause, and to insert in its place the following :
" And in all cases where the plaintiff's demand shall be
a liquidated or money demand, the balance claimed by
the plaintiff, after deducting all credits to which the de-
fendant may be entitled, shall be endorsed on the sum-
mons and plaint, and on the copies thereof for service ;
and the plaintiff shall before the said summons and plaint
shall be filed, as hereinafter provided. cause the particu-
lars of his demand, and of all credits to which the defen-
dant may be entitled, and of the balance claimed, to be
ingrossed on parchment, and to be annexed to the said
summons and plaint, and such endorsement annexed
shall be considered as particulars of demand, and no
further or other particulars need be delivered,
unless ordered by the court or a judge." Ulti-
mately, however, the hon. member consented not to
press the amendment, upon the understanding that an
alteration in the original clause should be proposed to
meet his views on the bringing up of the report.
The clause was then agreed to, as were also the suc-
ceeding clauses up to 37.
On clause 38, which provides that a plaintiff or a de-
fendant should be required to verify upon oath the truth
of his plea or declaration,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL objected to the clause,
because it would press unjustly upon sensitive minds,
and tend to defeat the ends of justice.
Mr. WHITESIDE defended the clause. Formerly a
man was liable to imprisonment who put in a false plea
or filed a false declaration • but in the course of time,
with the abuses of special Pleading, crept in the practice
of putting false pleas upon the record, for the sake of
securing time as it was called. Now, the object of this
clause was to amend that state of things, and he hoped
the committee would experience no difficulty in adopt-
ing it.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for IRELAND was
very much disposed to concur in the view of his hon.
and learned friend the Attorney-General for England,
but his colleagues in Ireland were anxious to give this
change in the law a trial, and he should not, therefore,
object to the clause.
Mr. FITZGERALD moved an amendment in the
clause, for the purpose of substituting a declaration for
an oath. _ _ _ _

Mr. WHITESIDE said he had no objection to make
that amendment in the clause, but it was hardly
necessary.
Mr. EIUME highly approved of the proposed altera-
tions in the law of Ireland, and he hoped these reforms
would ultimately be extended to Scotland. He could
remember the day when it would have been a perfect
curiosity to see a reforming lawyer in the house, but
with the progress of time a change had come over the
spirit of the scene, and he was glad to see now many
honourable and learned members vieing with each other
to promote legal reforms.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said if they were to
try the experiment which the clause proposed, he cer-
tainly must insist upon them adhering to the oath.
After a few words from Mr. V. SCULLY, the amend-
ment was withdrawn and the clause was agreed to ; as
was also clauses 39 up to 49 inclusive.
On clause 50, which provides that there shall be no
replication in a case, except with leave of a judge,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL objected to the clause,
as uncalled for.
Mr. WHITESIDE defended the clause.
After some further discussion, it was agreed that the
clause should be postponed.
Clauses up to 62 were agreed to.
Mr. FITZGERALD moved the omission of clause 63,
which provides that where an action is brought against
a justice of the peace for an act done in his official capa-
city, the defendent should have the protection of having
the caused tried in his own country.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for Ireland supported
the amendment, as he believed great injustice was done
under the law as it now stood.

After some further discussion, the committee divided,
when there appeared—

For the clause
Against it

. 31
~ 70

Majority
The clause was accordingly struck out

. 39

EXPENSES OF ELECTION BILL.
This bill passed through committee pro forma, and
was ordered to be printed.

GLANDERS PREVENTION BILL.
This bill was read a, second time and ordered to be
reported.

_
COMMON LODGING HOUSES BILL.
This bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.

SAVINGS' BANKS.

The report on the savings' banks resolutions was
brought up and agreed to.
The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned at ten minutes to six o'clock.

STATE OF TRADE.

(Front the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.)

MANCHESTER, JUNE 7.--From the American ac-
counts (which are detailed elsewhere) we learn that,
although the advices hence to the 6th May, had occa-
sioned a decline of tc. to gc. per lb. in the New York
cotton market, they had not impaired the firmness of
prices at New Orleans or Mobile. At Liver-
pool the tone of the market has suffered from
the state of foreign politics ; yet buyers have
scarcely been able to seoure an appreciable advantage.
At the latter end of last week, our own market was
pretty nearly brought to a stand by the untoward aspect
of affairs abroad. To-day, however, a diminished ap-
prehension of war has abated the depression under
which we then laboured. The transactions of the day,
though still restricted, show some return of demand,
In yarns, there is, for the most part, no conces-
sion from the attainable prices of this day week ;
but it is found that those spinners who were then
too high are now willing to yield the excess. Any slight
giving way beyond this is only partial. In goods,
there is a moderate call for domestics, printers, and
shirting's adapted to the home trade ; and, as to prices,
the same remark applies to cloth as we hare just made
in reference to yarn. Besides foreign politics a cause of
disturbance to business is found in the unsettled state
of the relations between employers and operatives. On
this subject, we have received the following informa-
tion respecting the dispute at Stockport :—ln reply to
the demand of spinners and weavers for an advance
of wages to the amount of ten per cent., the mill-
owners said— "We will procure lists of wages from
all parts of the district, and whatever they average, we
will conform our payments to that average." From
32 towns and districts within a circumference of thirty
miles around Manchester, such lists have been obtained ;
and from these it results that, in the spinning depart-
ment, the employers at Stockport are paying three to
five per cent. too little upon mules both hand and self-
acting, and five per cent. too little upon throstles ;
while in the weaving department, they are giving one
per cent. too much for fine work, in 56 reeds and up-
wards, with yarns above 24's,—and two per cent. too
much for coarse work in reeds below 56's, with yarns
from 24's downwards. It is understood that this result
will be announced by the employers' association, which
is to meet on Wednesday.
HUDDERSFIELD, JUNE 7.—The market has again been
a quiet one, and for at least a month to come we may
expect a stillness in the woollen trade. Merchants only
buy for immediate demand, to complete or fit up orders
on hand. Manufacturers continue to be well employed
throughout the district. If anything, rather more has
been done to-day in fancies, manufacturers of which are
generally busy, especially in plush vestings, for which
there is a good demand.
ROCHDALE, JUNE 6.—The flannel market has not
been quite so good to-day, but those who have sold have
obtained rather better prices. Wool remains firm, with
a more limited amount of business transacted. The
manufacturers show no desire to buy only for immediate
use, and many wish to wait until the new clip comes in.
HALIFAX, JUNE 4.—The attendance in our piece hall
to-day has been but slender, and scarcely any goods of
any description have changed hands. In yarns there
is no alteration, either as to demand or price ; and the
lull in the wool trade continues, without any change in
the quotations.