The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-05 00:00:00

PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.

The house having gone into committee on this bill.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH, in reply to Mr. A. Pellatt,
stated that the General Board of Health was constituted
as all other second-class departments ware. It would con-
sist of a president, who was to be responsible for the ad-
ministration of the board. Besides the president, there
was a certain number of ex-officio members. They were
not to share in the responsibility. Their use was this,
that in case of the indisposition or absence of the presi-
dent from London, they might do any Ministerial acts that
might be required. With regard to the question of public
drains, he could only say that they would not be under the
General Board of Health. As to the gentleman who
might be appointed president, he could not express any
opinion as to who he might be, but ho hoped he would be
such a person as his hon. friend would approve.
Mr. EVELYN said that the last Public Health Act
consisted of 152 clauses, which were so contradictory that
it was difficult to understand them. All local acts ought
to be so plain that all persons could understand them.
Although there was a shadow of self-government the local
boards wore really under the control of the general board.
The schemes of the old board were in many cases prepos-
terous. Nothing could be snore absurd than the proposal
to supply water to London from the sand hills of Surrey.
Mr. MICHELL said that the bill gave the board too
much power over the local officers. Another objection was
that it did not give power over the City of London. The
deaths from cholera had increased from 26 to 133 last week.
He had no doubt the increase took place from this cause.
The mud and filth which was caused after rain was swept
up in heaps, where it was left to evaporate. When dry it
became pulverised, and was again spread over the metro-
polis. Now, evaporation could not take place from those
heaps without carrying with it malarious filth. Some peo-
ple thought a dirty state of the streets was healthy.
(Laughter.) He was told by a lady that fogs were godd
for health, but he did not believe it. (Laughter.) In no
other city or metropolis except London were the streets
swept by beggars, not even in Dublin, which was the land
of beggars. (Laughter.) Then, again, the graveyards in
the metropolis were most pn4udicial to health. Westmin-
ster Hall and that house Fepaived such a swell from the
opposite graveyard of St. Margaret's that there was some-
times no bearing it. The state of thing was worst at night
and the untrapped gratings added to the evil. Anyone
who walked over St. Margaret's might setaholes for the rats
and does. He put his umbrella into some of them.
(Laughter.) He measured the size of some and found
them to be eight inches by 16. (Laughter.) This might
be a laughing matter now, but they would not laugh when
the cholera came home to them. On this very day there
were 19 deaths from cholera. The greatest number of
deaths occurred in the filthiest part of the town. He
felt it to be his duty to state these things to the house.
Sir G. PECHELL was glad the hon. doctor for Bodmin
—(laughter)—the hon. member for Bodmin, had drawn the
attention of the new board to the facts he had stated, for
notwithstanding the seeming ignorance of the right hon.
gentleman as to the person who was to bo appointed ps4esi-
dent of the new board, he hoped he was now in theihoitse,
and that he would benefit from the observations about! to
be made. He hoped he would discontinue the•prlice,
which was followed by the old board, of sencling-dow an
inspector to the towns to get up petitions in favour of :the
application of the act. Ho hoped the new Board of Etealth
would not allow their officers to fill their reports with finch
rubbish as appeared in the reports of the cold board.
There was, he believed, an universal feeling in favotir of
the passing of some such bill as that under conidortition ;
but he, for one, supported this measure in the, expecta-
tion that an inquiry would shortly take place with a view
to the avoidance of the evils incurred by the late board.
Mr. PHILLIPS said a petition signed by one-tedtb of
the inhabitants could be got up in almost any town in the
country, and in his opinion nano-tenths ought not to be
subject to such a minority.
Mr. CO B
tB E Tc
conduct
saiddu ct i no
of
the
teh e petitions
Board
o fh. e
Health, b
a seen t
ere
waso m -
plaining of
he
a pray
into
tfoo rtihneq
luoicrL,tsyt. to theon
amtlo
occasion
coafs
igoent getting thegw h actwhich
h
e,p intro-
ducedre
sented a rnemorialtohims,tidhoh right
wasght againsthon. b
going into a
eronet the Chief
Co mmissioner of Works said
place in opposition to a bona fide petition from a majority
of the rate-payers. He hoped there would be no invasion
of that principle during the next year. There should, he
thought, be an understanding also that any new bill which
might be introduced in the next session with respect to the
constitution of the Board of HeatlhbhtheielinEslthuoooasutraalmdreoebinfneidHnrtdeehfateelhrtpreheuhdbolnltio
a select committee.
Public
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said
g
t
eaHensat notltehm Aadnce tstihraa buttl
et thfoios rr
e'evhoainsms tnit
tool taeat tpeamor
of not
nct
uot
ltoarpledge the s'
himselfden of thehad futureacted
principlet o
sanctioningg baPrtperhe
ol
; u
visional order if the majority of the inhabitants were op-
posed to it, and ho had no reason to csuppose that that
general principle would be very much .departed from. Any
bill which might be introduced next session would no
doubt be referred to a committee up-stairs.
Lord D. STUART said he believed that very unhealthy
exhalations arose from the water in some of the parks. In
particular huen wp
laesa
sinformedl tl
h froma t otnh ve eNrvya
tsetri 101
of
nightse
rt ph
ee
nr
tine; that the sentries on duty often-complained on the
subject, and that the inhabitants of the houses in the im-
mediate vicinity, in Bayswater and Westminster, were
frequently obliged to close their windows. He was further
told that this smell was caused by a great quantity of nasty
mud which lay at the bottom of the water, and that the
evil might be removed by cleansing out the mud and in-
troducing fresh supplies of water in the form of a continu-
ous running stream.
Sir G. PECHELL was happy to be able to corroborate
who had been stated by the right hon. baronet (Sir Wm.
Molesworth) on the subject of the provisional order, so far
as Brighton was concerned.
Clauses 1 and 2 were then agreed to.
On clause 3, which assigns a salary of 2,0001. a
year to
; the president of the new board,
Are. -HENLEY complained that the amount watdisPr?:
~.f;OrlfiOnetety large, considering the duties to be pirrorine",
okSjigtVetaOLESWORTH said the president's
tenure of
office would not extend beyond that of the existiog Govern-

CUSTOMS ACTS.
The report of the committee on the Customs Acts was
brought up.
BILLS OF EXCHANGE BILL (2).
The house went into committee on this bill, and progress
was resumed at clause 4.
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR hoped the bill Auld not be
advanced further, for looking to its principle and the man-
ner in which it was drawn, it did not reflect any credit
on legislation. (Hear, hear.) II was besides unnecessary,
as it professed to give a more summary process for recovery
of sums due on bills of exchange when the process under
the existing law was sufficiently rapid. Many of its:details
were also objectionable. He objected to the proposed regis-
try, and also to the provision which took away the conduct
of process under the hill from attdrneys and vested it en-
tirely in notaries. It also created this anomaly, that
whereas the provisions of the bill-affected Ireland and Scot-
land as well as England, a person in Scotland or Ireland
defending a suit must come to this country for the pur-
pose
of doing so. lie found that there were G 2 amend-
ments by learned friends of his, which alone was a proof
of the i tu4erfection of the bill, and was an additional rea-
sun why attempt should be made to pass it this session.
There w another reason for delaying this bill. It pro-
posed to ive a more summary process for execution on
bills th4t now existed, and it was the opinion of severs'
geutlemsen whose opinions were of weight that it should
be accompanied' by some measure which dealt with frau-
dulent transactions in bills of exchange. Such a bill ho
had introduced in May last, and after long delays it had
received a third reading that evening; but, in consequence
of the resolution passed by the other house, it had no
chance of becoming law this session. He thought that the
two bills ought to go together, and if one of them was to
be cast into the limbo of next session the other ought to
accompany it. He moved that the chairman do leave the
chair.
Mr. GEACH urged that there ought to be no legislation
on this subject without inquiry. He argued that the
facilities for recovering money due on bills of exchange
were sufficiently great at present ; while he showed that
this measure efaorsubreearwanouceldoforenragtreanveteryd itnojurpieorsusolnys reference to the
had transactions in bills. He opposed the bill in the
in-
juredin-
terestioxvariousi :
and by
quarters,itths e operation.reo
ebegging
he
e implored
lee:
of the small shopkeepers, who would be deeply
rmhe
dia:thhte received
Government
continue
his
onotPPo opposi-
tion,
back it with that majority which a Government had gene-
rally at its command. He for one should offer to the bill
every opposition in his power, even although he should
incur the imputation of being factions. He begged to
support the amendment.
Mr. MASSEY also supported the amendment, consider-
ing that the bill gave undue force to a particular species
of pecuniary obligation.
Mr. MUNTZ said that the bill was one of the most un-
just measures he had ever seen introduced. The fact was
that it was a job, and the object was to appoint some one
to the office of register. He repeated that the bill was
one of the grossest jobs ever offered to Parliament.
Sir E. PERRY said that the bill had emanated from
several public meetings at the principal seats of commerce
in the country, held for the purpose of ascertaining
whether a more summary process could be devised for
recovering on bills of exchange. The result had been
the introduction of this bill, which had passed the
ordeal of a select committee of the House of Lords.
At present a debtor, without any defence, could inter-
pose weeks of delay in case of a bill of exchange, and the
object of the bill was to prevent debtors so situated from
imposing any unfair delay between himself and his credi-
tor. He asked the committee whether it was not a desir-
able object, in cases where an appeal to law was necessary,
that that appeal should be rendered as simple and summary
as possible. The plan now proposed had, been in force for
150 years in Scotland, and was generally followed by the
principal commercial nations of the continent.
Mr. MACGREGOR denied that the case of Scotland
could be taken as a precedent. In consequence of the pe-
culiarities of the Scottish banking system, bills of exchange
did not circulate, but were absorbed byi the banks, and
replaced by the small note circulation. Had this bill been
law when the American difficulties existed the effect would
have been universal ruin. His recommendation was that
the bill should be sent to a committee.
Mr. GLYN said that the subject to which this bill re-
ferred had occupied the attention of the City of London
for the last three years, and the general opinion was in
favour of some change in the law. However, he thought
the best course would be to postpone legislation for the
present, and leave the matter to be dealt with by the Go-
vernment next session.
Mr. CAIRNS was also in favour of leaving the question
to be dealt with next session by the Government.
Sir E. PERRY said after what had occurred he should
be sorry to take up the time of the committee by proceed-
ing further with the bill, and therefore with the permis-
sion of the committee he would assent to the chairman
reporting progress, with a view of withdrawing it for the
present.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY,
Lord J. RUSSELL observed that the majority of the
mercantile community of the City of London were in fav-
our of this bill, but looking at the opposition which it was
likely to meet with it was hopeless to think of passing it
this session; he therefore thought his hon. and learned
friend had come to a wise conclusion in determining to
withdraw it. At the same time he should be sorry to see
a principle which had been so highly approved of altogether
negatived, and he would suggest that before they reported
progress the chairman should be directed to ask leave to
sit again this day three mouths.
Mr. V. SCULLY expressed a hope that next session a
similar bill would be introduced, not only for England, but
for Ireland also. Bills of exchange should in their very
essence be made as negotiable and recoverable as possible.
Mr. MURROUGH said the delay and expense of reco-
vering bills of exchange under the existing system were
very much exaggerated, because a judgment on a bill of
exchange for 20,0001. could be obtained within sixteen days,
at an expense of 31. 165., in a town case, and 41. 25., in a
country case.
Mr. MALINS concurred in the opinion just expressed,
that there were abundant means under the existing law for
recovering on bills of exchange, and as he had never heard
any well-founded complaints of the existing remedies,
which were ample, he must protest against the revival of
this bill, which was objectionable, both in its details and in
its principle.
The house then resumed, and the chairman obtained
leave to sit again this day month.
BANKRUPTCY BILL.

The house then went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,
Mr. WILLIAMS said he approved of the object of this
bill, but it did not go far enough. It proposed to abolish
the two commissioners of Bristol and one of those in Liver-
pool and Birmingham, whenever these should fall vacant ;
but he could not help thinking that it would be greatly for
the benefit of the country if all the Bankruptcy Commis-
sioners were abolished, and the business of those courts
transferred to the county courts, a transfer which would
produce a saving of no less than 59,0001. a-year. It was mon-
strous to think of the enormous sums that were annually paid
to the Bankruptcy Commissioners. In the provinces there
were no less than 12 receiving 1,5031. a-year each, and 12
registrars in the receipt of 800 i., while in the metropolis
there were no less than five commissioners in the receipt of
2,0001. each, and five registrars receiving 1,0001. a year each.
Mr. G. C. GLYN, as ono of the commissioners who had
been appointed to inquire into the subject of bankruptcy
reform, stated that the suggestion which the hon. gentle-
n,an had just thrown out with regard to the County Courts
, was considered by the commission, but upon inquiry it was •
found to be impracticable. ITe admitted that the complaint
of the hon. gentleman on the subject of the expense attend-
ing the administration of the bankruptcy law was well
founded ; but this bill together with others which no doubt
would be brought in next session, founded upon the report
of the commission, would go far to remove the cause of that
complaint.
'
thought,bllPlwina was only
00snaLltyilsCef
aolenTtseoi
crißye
r-
eGt
colEbtNhy E Re
teho..elLiGn said
re
13.tmieteknwnt
eowau b
that
ah
atse
n 2, h t
hail esl
111 bankruptcy
law. Indeed there was no doubt but that
tejurisdiction of which related to matters of insolvency,
portion of the rerorms which were requiredali
ought to be consolidated.
He
whyeou there
noter e
• • • required for the country is-
only one commissioner was
Mr. WILLIAMS remarked that the bill admited thatd
duties.
of time on
Judge should not be a com-
twreicrtes,teanbed
fivehe seheomunildistshieenreerfsorfeerfike
see why every County Court to
London. k n
o w
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL reminded the hon. rnem-
mhieisriohnaenrd isnto at bankruptcy.attend to the Ta(bideyitiebnaadl dpuletni
in London was not now in question. When a vacancy
her that the question of remodelling the Bankruptcy Court
occurred in that court, it would be quite competent to the
house to take into consideration the amount of business
before the commissioners, with a view to determine whe-
ther that vacancy should be filled up or not.
Mr. MUR,ROUGII said that it would be a very great
mistake to throw bankruptcy matters on the County Court
judges. The great body of creditors in all bankruptcies
resided in London, and if they lead to go down to the
County Courts enormous and totally unnecessary expenses
would be incurred.
"andM r.
i3nlUoltrcßieOr UtnGlifaciiuliotvnetde at
that
ethvereonodf
The clauses of the bill were then agreed to.
ofof cdleabutsse, 8
thete
La do
Ida
rup appoint
in oneondeour more of the
ushers of the Court of Bankusher
Chancellor may, by order,
of any District Court of Bankruptcy, a cow' omriasislyoner or
Commissioners
oforfors the
the purpose
oof oo debts
ff
administering
in s such cho act ho
ns r tosr
respectively."
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL could not but feel that
it would be very injudicious to allow so inferior an officer
as the Usher of the Court to administer an oath. The
very effect of that ceremony depended upon its being gone
through with befitting solemnity. The hon. member (Mr.
Murrough) should bear in mind that under a late actnearly
every respectable solicitor had been appointed a commis-
sioner for administering „oaths, and by that means every
reasonable facility was given to parties wishing to prove
debts.

Mr. MURROUGH did not think the commissioners for
taking oaths really afforded any facility in bankruptcy
matters, for it was the constant practice of creditors to
go down in a body to the Court at Basinghall-street to be
sworn.
Mr. GLYN said it was certainly competent to parties
to prove their debts before a commissioner if they chose.
The motion was negatived without a division.
Mr. MIT.RROI7GII then moved the addition of a clause
for discontinuing the practice of nominating brokers by the
court to make inventories of bankrupts' effects; the duties of
these officers to be discharged in future by the messengers.
This clause, he stated, was in the bill as originally intro-
duced, and he suspected thatits removal had been obtained
by intrigue. lie attributed this to the fact that one of the
registrars, who had been appointed on the recommendation
of '
Lord Brougham, and had gi eat influence
with that noble
lord, had a brother-in-law, who was a broker ; and he be-
lievcd that neither the registrar nor the noble lord was
theregistrars' salaries raised, and a retiring pension
above such a job as that. The same individual had sue-
proposed this clause, and should these
View,ana presss a
iidt
ceerled, through his influence with the noble lord, in
ggi'‘t-etiungthem. To put an end to the jobbery with
sceascahreycktoon the messenger.
tb°rAf.iris‘:Bl:io°pLin.EowLLATT advocated the tameeemploy an inde-
penmdre.nGt EpaAretylia
st thought it
broker,ittneae
expense incurred. If the mes-
senger hadno additional tmi oankael
valuation, being ignorant of
he would have to call in a broker to
tstrheegrveearlat-ialeos 0 f goods,
assist him.
_Mr. GLYN doubted whether such influence as that
rcelafteirsree.dTthoe commissioners Mr. Murrough bad led to the removal of the
oilers of inquiry were of opinion that

the brokers might generally be dispensed with, but as they
must be employed in some cases, it was better to leave a
discretion with the court.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the supposition of
Mr. Murrough respecting the removal of the clause was so
monstrous that it carried its own refutation with it. This
question had been thoroughly considered in the House of
Lot(le, and they thought it a security to t'^ e creditors, in a
great variety of cases, that the employment of a broker
/should be continued where it was thought necessary by
the court.

Mr. MUREOUGH said the messenger could do every-
thing for the purpose of an inventory; to make a valuation
it had alwa3s been necessary to call in a third party.
The clause was negatived without a division, and the
house the% resumed.
MAYO COUNTY ADVANCES BILL.
On the motion for going into committe on this bill,
Mr. MAC ARTNEY hoped the bill ffould not be pressed
this session. The county of Mayo had had advances to
the amount of 163,000/., and had never repaid a farthing.
Mr. WILSON said the bill, had been framed on the re-
commendation of the grand jury of Mayo for the sake of
recovering these advances. It would enable the grand
Jury, in an honest manner, to discharge the debts they
owed the Government, there being at present a doubt whe-
ther they could do so legally. All parties were agreed as
to the propriety of the measure.
Colonel DUNNE saw no reason why there should be
such a bill for Mayo any more than for any other county.
The bill had been smuggled in at the end of the session,
when it was thought its provisions would not see the light.
If the bill was required by the county he would not object
to it.
Sir J. YOUNG did not see the ground of the complaint.
He could not gather whether it was that undue advantage
was about to be taken of Mayo, or that they were dealing
too leniently with it. Advances had been made to a large
amount, part of which were repaid ; but the repayments had
been interrupted by the inability of the county to meet
them. The grand jury, the representatives of the county,
admitted the sum that was due, and surely the hon. gen-
tleman opposite could not object to that. The sum of
9,000/. odd was the sam agreed on by the grand jury in
open court; they merely asked that the payment should
be spread over ten years, and this was what the bill pro-
vided.

The Speaker then left the chair, and the bill pass• ad
through committee.
CUSTOMS BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
BURIALS BEYOND THE METROPOLIS BILL.
The Lords' amendments were agreed to.
VALUATION OF LAND (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The Lords' amendments were agreed to.
YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS BILL.
The Lords' amendments were agreed to.
SPIRITS (IRELAND) BILL.
The Lords' amendments were agreed to.
The house rose at twenty minutes after 12.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION.

--.~ -..

HOUSE OF LORDS.-AIIG. 3.

Minority against the resolution of the Duke of New•
castle, setting aside the order of the Howe of Lords not to
read bills for the second thus after the 25th of July :
DUKES. EARLS. VISCOUNTS.
Cleveland Hardwicke Strangford
Northumberland Huntingdon.
Lonsdale BARONS.
MARQUISES. Malmesbnry Alvanley
Bath Mansfield Abinger
Clanricarde Mornington Colville of Culross
Salisbury Nelson Colchester
Powis Congleton
EARLS. Romney Godolphin
Bathurst Verulam Redesdale
Beauchamp Waldegrave Sondes
Chesterfield Tenterden.
Derby VISCOUNTS. Wynford
Galloway Hawarden
PAIRS.

Glengall
Buckingham
Hopetoun
Cadogan
Blantyre

Donegall
Fitzhardinge
Manvers
Poltimore
London, Bishop of

cumstances, it is no longer matter of uncertainty
that the Allies are now immediately on the eve
of an invasion of the Crimea, with a view, by aid
of their fleets and armies, and under the protec-
tion of GOD, there, and as quickly as possible, to
strike a heavy blow at the Colossus of Russian
Despotism, if not at its brazen head or at its
iron heart—at its feet of clay and granite at
Sebastopol.

Acquainted with the fact that such is really the in-
tention of the Allied Commanders 7 in- Chief, we must
now await—though neither with craven anxiety
nor presumptuous over-confidence, with eager curi-
osity, and some degree also of national solicitude
—the intelligence which must ,be brought to us
within two or three weeks, possibly within a compara-
tively few days—intelligence as to how this gigan-
tic enterprise has been conducted, both by sea
and land, and as to the manner in which it may
have been carried out to the period of the final
catzstrophe.

During the interval which must now elapse before I
we can possibly know the end of this mighty ex-
ploit, of which we may now be said to be witness-
ing the, portentous commencement—it cannot but
be 'natter of profound interest here at home, in the
quaetude of our insular remoteness from the scene
'of battle, to study, with minute attention, the maps
of the Crimea and the plans of Sebastopol. A
masterly little pamphlet,* recently published,
comes in happily enough at the present moment
Ito supply the student of those maps and plans
with a store of rare, and, under the circumstances,
almost inestimable information. It proceeds, we
cannot but conjecture, from the same hand which,
a very few days since, addressed a timely com-
munication to the chief of our morning con-
temporaries—allusion being here made to a clever
letter, signed " M.," transmitted to the Times
by an evidently well-informed correspondent. It
was there distinctly and forcibly stated, that if
50,000 or 60,000 men could be landed in the bay
south of the harbour of Sebastopol [namely,
towards the extreme seathern point of the
Crimea,] and to the north of the arm
where there is a fort, they would, if merely
opposed by the garrison, very soon com-
mand the whole of those redoubtable for-
tifications. Whoever may need information as to
I the nature of the locality about to be assailed,
not by 50,000 or 60,000, but by as many as
80,000 or 100,000 of the best-disciplined troops
in the world, so as to recognise as clearly as' pos-
sible the feasibility of this stupendous undertak-
ing, we would commend at once to the lucid " De-
scription" recently compiled by Mr. MONTAGU E
GORE, from the authoritative writings of DEMLDOET
and Manmoiser, and from the sailing directions
for the Euxine, published from the surveys made
by the order of various European Governments.
It may then be more readily perceived how far it
will be reasonable to expect any speedy and im-
portant advantage to be gained by the Allies over
thy, threatened defenders of Sebastopol. Whether,
f'jr example, the invading army, having, we will
suppose, effected a successful landing under cover
of the vast allied maritime armaments, may,
by seizing the heights above the monastery of St.
George, command the whole plain below as far as
Sebastopol--ewhether from the eastern extremity
of that range of heights behind St. George, Ba-
laklara will be so readily assailable—whether,
in fine, it may be preferable to starve out the
garrison by resolutely beleaguering the whole of
this enormous system of fortifications, or by some
Gore daring and desperate scheme of attack, the
Russian glory of the Crimea may be more quickly
and more effectually overthrown. Eager for
news as to what is actually doing. in the Black
Sea, we can only repose the destinies of our fleets
and armies in the hands of a benignant PROVI-
DENCE-remembering that the aim of England,
and France, and Turkey in the present struggle is
not the gratification of pride, or of ambition, or of
a lawless appetite for conquest and territorial
aggrandisement. Strong in their cause, powerful
in themselves, mighty in their alliance—they
I ad-
I vance, with terrible odds in their favour, against
the violater of the rights of nations, and the de-
, stroyer of the world's tranquillity. Upon his
head, upon his heart, upon his conscience, must
devolve the responsibility of. whatever may hap-
pen under the walls of Sebastopol.