The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-07 00:00:00

GENERAL SCREW STEAM OOMPANY.

A special meeting of the General Screw Steam Company
took place yesterday to bring before the shareholders the
question of abandoning the contract for the conveyance of
mails to India, and also for obtaining their assent to an
arrangement with the Postmaster-General for the trans-
mission of future mails to Australia. The chairman (Mr.
J. 11. Ellis) stated that the reasons for recommending a
surrender of the Indian contract arose from the general
alteration in affairs since the commencement of that service.
The advanced prices of fuel, provisions, and labour had so
seriously interfered with their prospects that it had been
deemed prudent to suggest the proposed alternative. The
revenue derived from the trade exceeded the. original
estimates, and, if the expenditure could have been regu-
lated in proportion, the shareholders, instead of being ad-
vised to relinquish the service, would now have been
receiving a dividend. The terms of the contract, however,
had always been considered onerous. It was evident the
members of the Government were opposed to the principle
of subsidising companies for the conveyance of mails, and,
as they had declined to adopt any suggestion offeredin this
case for the amelioration of the pressure experienced, the
course recommended appeared to be the safest. With re-
gard to the negotiation carried on with the Postmaster- .
General in relation to the Australian mails, the board
had at length obtained an arrangement which, it was
thought, would be, received as satisfactory. Tho proposed
service is to be every alternate month from Southampton
to Melbourne via the Cape of Good Hope, the company to
go direct, if they please, and to employ whatever vessels in
their fleet they choose. The only restriction is with
reference to time, 65 days being stipulated for the
voyage out to Melbourne, with an additional five days
for despatching the mails to Adelaide and Sydney. For
every day in excess of these 70 days a penalty is to
be paid of 301. The port of departure for the colonies
is to be Melbourne, the homeward route being via
Cape Horn, and 67 days being allowed for it. Ac-
cording to the present postal route, the company are
to receive 6d. for every ordinary letter not exceeding half an
ounce, and so on in proportion, and for every book pack-
age not exceeding half a poune3d. ; but no charge is to be
made for newspapers. If the Australian rate of postage
shall hereafter be reduced, then the company are to re-
ceive 3d. per letter, and a halfpenny on newspapers.
Should the result of the arrangement be favourable, a
monthly service may then be entered upon. The contract
is not for a fixed period, but the postmaster may give 12
months' notice for its termination, If determined
in the first year, the company are to be paid a
penalty of 30,0001., in the second year 25,000/., in
the third 20,0001., in the fourth 15,0001., and in the
fifth 10,0001. The final clause stipulates that
all the mails by the two Capes shall be conveyed by the
boats of the company. In concluding his address the
chairman mentioned that the Golden Fleece is in the em-
ployment of the Government, and that some of the other
ships will in all probability be taken up. The vessels re-
turning from India could be put upon the Australian line.
A great number of the proprietors, while agreeing with the
views of'the chairman with regard to the Indian contract,
urged that the route itself should not be abandoned. With
respect to the Australian contract there was little discussion,
but it seemed to be considered that the shareholders should
be put in possession of their real financial situation before
adopting any conclusion. The chairman explained that
when the next accounts are presented they will not be
found so discouraging as has been apprehended. Asser-
tions have been circulated of a loss on the Indian service
of 100,0001., but, despite the difficulties they had been
compelled to encounter, it had not reached that amount.
An amendment was then moved for a committee of
investigation ; but, as it was announced on behalf
of the board that they should receive it as a vote of
censure, it was ultimately withdrawn. Finally, the
following resolutions were passed unanimously. In
connection with the last the chairman, in answer to a ques-
tion, said that a negotiation was pending for the sale of six
of their ships, but he was not in a position at present to
enter in,to the particulars. He intimated, however, that
the flees of the company is properly appreciated, and that,
if the proposal in question is arranged, the shareholders
will obtain a high price for their vessels :
- -

" That the surrender to her Majesty's Government of the
contract for the conveyance of -the mails -to and from India
via the Cape of Good Hope, is sanctioned by this meeting.
" That this meeting approves of the negotiation for a con-
tract with the Postmaster-General for the conveyance of the
mails to and from the Australian colonies hilt the Cape of
Good Hope and Cape Horn in every alternate month; and
authorises the commencement of that service, and such exten-
sions of it as the board may think advisable.
" That the board are requested to take such other measures
as have or may become necessary in consequence of the
changes now to be made in the employment of the fleet ; so
that the company's property may be either realised or
employed beneficially."

[ADVERTISEMENT.]--SIGHT AND HEARING. —39,
Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York
Hotel. = The Royal Exhibition. -- A valuable, newly-
invented, very small powerful waistcoat-pocket glass,
the size of a walnut, by which a person can be
seen and known one mile wad a half distant ; they
answer every purpose on the race-course, at the opera
houses, country scenery, and ships are clearly seen
at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer-
stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers,
and tourists. Telescopes—A new and most important
invention in telescopes, possessing such extraordinary
powers that some, 3} inches, with an extra eye-piece, will
show distinctly Jupiter's moons, Saturn's ring, and the
double stars ; with the same telescope, weighing only 3
ounces, can be seen a person's countenance three miles
and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles.
They supersede every other kind for the waistcoat-pocket.
and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers
accordingly. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful
power; an object can be clearly seen, from 14 to 16 miles
distant. Deafness—New Discovery—The Organic Vi-
brator, an extraordinary powerful and newly-invented
instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all
others, to surpass anything- of the kind that has been,
or probably ever can be, produced. Being of the
same colour as the skin, it is not perceptible ; it enables
deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at public as-
semblies ;. the unpleasant sensation of singing noises in
the -ears entirely removed ; and.it affords all the assist•
wee that posSibly could be desired.--39,.,Albemarle-street,
11.000417: Observe, opposite the Ye* Uotel.

The Earl of HARROWBY gave notice of his inten-
tion on an early day to call attention to tha.proceediugs
of the Sanitary Commission, particularly, regarded
the metropolis.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY

gave notice that on
Friday he would move for the continuation of the papers
in reference to the religious disabilities of the Christian
subjects of the Sultan.
The Earl of HARDWICKE drew attention to the
imperfect ventilation of the house, and expressed a hope
that some steps would be taken to remedy the detect.
(At this time the house was so completely filled with
fog that it was difficult to distinguish many of the peers
present.)
The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented several
petitions from Scotland against the endowment of the
Coliege of Maynooth.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE CRIMINAL LAW.
Lord ST. LEOTARDS, in rising to ask what were
the intentions of the Governnient with respect to the
bills for the consolidation of the criminal law, took occa-
sion to trace the history of the various efforts which had
been made to deal with this important subject. He said
that the first commission which was issued for this pur-
pose originated in 1831, with instructions to the com-
missioners to inquire and. report whether it was ex-
pedient that the statute and the common unwritten
law relating to criminal offences should be consoli-
dated. The commissioners reported that such a consoli-
dation would be extremely beneficial. Lord Melbourne,
then Secretary of State, authorised the commission-
ers to proceed with their labours. And, in pursuance
of the duty imposed upon them, the commissioners
did digest the statutes and the unwritten -law, and
in 1835 they fornoikkwo digests, which might be readily
turned into acts Of Parliament, one relating to criminal
offences and their punishinent, and th% other relating, to
procedure. In the same year another iiel-of commissioners
was appointed, and the result of their labours was that
about the year 1847 a bill was prepared for consolidating
the statutes relating to offences against the person. Mat-
ters thus rested until Lord Brougham again brought the
subject before the house in the shape of a couple of bills,
which were ultimately withdrawn in order to have the
opinion of the judges upon the desirability of the
changes proposed„ He (Lord St. Leonards) being of
opinion that it was quite possible to codify the law
without issuing another commission, had introduced a bill
with that object. The bill was read a second time and
referred to a select committee, where, after long and
patient investigation, it was agreed to. As chairman of
the committee he enclosed the bill to the judges, asking
them to read and favour him with their opinion upon it ;
and it would be in the iecollection of the house that in
the commencement of the present session he had com-
municated to them that the result of those answers was
that it would not be desirable to make a formal code of
the written and unwritten law relating to criminal
offences. He wished, therefore, to know what her Ma-
jesty's Government proposed to do with regard to the
Criminal Law Amendment and Consolidation Bill.

The LORD CHANCELLOR admitted the difficulties
which beset the subject, but he considered that before
the bill was abandoned they should have a select com-
mittee to reconsider it, with the judges' opinions and
their report upon it to the house. If it was the opinion
of such a committee that it was idle to proceed, he could
only say that they had done the best they could, and
that they had abandoned it only because it was found
that it would turn out impracticable. He feared that
such would be the result, but he did not like to abandon
the attempt to legislate upon a subject which had occu-
pied the attention of the public for more than twenty
years, without making a final inquiry as to whether the
circumstances would justify such a course. His inten-
tion, therefore, with respect to the bill, was to move
that the bill with the judges' opinions should be referred
to a select committee, who should report upon the sub-
ject to the house.
Lord BROUGHAM could not but express regret at
the course which he saw was likely to be adopted
upon this question. He pointed out the several
decisions in favour of a codification of the criminal
law at which the house had already arrived, and
contended that the mere opinions of the judges
ought not to nullify all the testimony which had been
collected on the other side. Upon most subjects
touching the administration of the law in any given
case and to any given facts, and touching the rights
of parties according to that law, he should bow to
the decision of the judges with implicit deference,
but it was a very different thing when they went
out of their province, and when they entered upon
that of legislation, and gave their opinions as to what
the law ought to be, and what changes would make it
better, and what changes would make it worse, he had
not the same respect for these learned persons. When
he looked back to not a very short life of legislation, and
when he reflected on the various measures that be had,
at different times promoted in both Houses of Parlia-
ment, and many of which were now, as he thought hap-
pily, passed into law, he did not recollect any bill for the
amendment of the law which he had at various times
introduced into Parliament that had received the coun-
tenance of the' heads of the profession of the law, and
that had not rather met with their very decided, though
not always very loud, disapproval. He saw, with feel-
ings of regret, that the people of this country were likely
to have taken from them, just as they fancied they held
them in their grasp, the inestimable advantages which
would arise from a codification of the criminal law. He
could not agree with the opinion of the judges,
and he did not think, after the repeated testimony of
commission after commission, that they should give up
the idea of a consolidation of the law. He believed that
every one of the judges disapproved of the changes which
he effected in the bankrupt law in 1831. He believed
that only two of them could bear to hear mentioned his
Evidence Bill, for allowing parties to cases to be exa-
mined. All the judges, with the exception of one, were
against that measure, and only two treated it with any
degree of toleration. With reference to the objections
which had been raised as to the difficulty of defining
offences, one noble and learned lord said he preferred the
common law definition of larceny to the statute one.
He (Lord Brougham) should like to know what the
fifteen common-law judges would say the common-law
definition of that offence was. He was sure, if they had
no communication together before the answer was given,
twhiedyelsyhoduifferldhingorn
have from
theth fifteenotemhersof h
definitions,
theition iaw meantseachone
by larceny.
The LORD CHANCELLOR announced his inten-
tion this session to introduce a procedure act, and the
house adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
SECOND READINGS.
The Great North of Scotland Railway Bill, and the
Stamford and Kettering Road Bill, were read a second
time.

On the motion that the Kensington Improvement
Bill be read a second time,
Mr. RICARDO moved that the bill be read a second
time that day six months.
Mr. BOUVERIE thought it would be very dangerous
to accede to the second reading of the bill.
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR said the objections stated
against the bill had no real foundation, and he thought,
as the inhabitants of Brompton were in favour of the
bill, it ought to be now read a second time and sent to
a committee.

Lord R. GROSVENOR thought, as no principle of
public law was infringed by this bill, the house ought
not to refuse the bill going through a second reading.
The house then divided ou the question, whea there
appeared—
For the second reading ....... 53
vor the amendment ................... 158-
Majority against second reading... --105
So the bill was lost.
Mr. FORTESCUE, the new member for Louth, took
the oaths and his seat.

Mr. OLIVEIRA presented a petition from Inverness,
very numerously signed, in favour of a reduction of the
duties ou foreign wines.
Sir J. SHELLEY presented a petition from West-
minster, praying for a reduction of the duties on post
carriages and horses.
Lord D. STUART presented petitions with a similar
prayer from the inhabitants of St. Pancras and Oxford-
street.
General BUCKLEY presented petitions from differ-
ent places in Wales, praying lor the closing of beer-
shops on the Lord's-day.
Sir B. HALL presented a petition from Marylebone
against the Poor Removal Bill.
SUSPENDED WRITS.

Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that, on Thursday
first, he should move a further suspension of the writs
where commissions had been issued.

PETITIONS.

The following petitions were presented by Mr. H. W.
WICKHAM :—From the guardians of the poor of the
Bradford Union, West Riding of Yorkshire, praying
for an amendment in the Vaccination Act, making it
compulsory on the vaccinator to make a due return of
successful vaccination to the registrar of the district ;
also three petitions from the inhabitants of Buttershaw,
West Riding of Yorkshire—one praying for an alteration
in the distribution of the revenues of the Church, so that
all incomes of from 4,5001. to 15,0001. per annum be
done away with, and the capitular sylitern entirely
abolished ; one praying that the Oaths Bill may not
pass into a law ; and one that inns and beer-shops be
entirely closed on the Sunday, except to bona fide
travellers and lodgers.