The Sun.
London, England, 1825-06-23 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Speaker entered the House to-day at half-past three
- lock, and soon after Arma summoned by the Deputy Usher
-of the Black Rod, to hear the Royal Assent given by Commis-
to several Public and Private Bills, the tides of which
wdl be found in our. Lords' Report.
APOTHECARIES COMPANY.

A person from the• Apothecaries Company presented some
papers, in pursuance to the orders of. the House.
fin the motion of Mr. HUMS they were ordered to be
printed,

LINEN HAM. (DUBLIN.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presented a
pAition from certain Linen Factors and Drapers of Dublin,
yang that the Linen Hall of that City may not be appro.
..*aeated to any other purpose.—. Laid on the table.
COUNTRY BANKS.
HUME presented a petition from Mr. Frederick Jones,
oessaplaissiag that he had demanded payment in gold for certain
sostes-of the Castle Bank of Bristol, and was told by the clerk,
--thstioswas trot-convenient to get at the gold then, and must call
-mother day, at the same time tendering Bank of England notes
-Oa payment. . The petitioner complained of this refusal to pay
se gal, and -said that, upon consulting his legal adviser, he
found he bad no-remedy but an action at law, on which he
~.snight not obtain judgment for nine months, and then be put
esestill further by a writ of error, or some such dilatory course.
',lle Hum 'Member observed, that the House must be aware of
Ahe operation of the currency upon the price of every article in
the market, and that political economists attributed the fluctua-
,tion of general prices to same alteration which was effected by
working -of the currency. He was aware that the late Mr.
=Ricardo was of opinion that every thing which could be expect-
ed would be accomplished in the system of the currency, when
the country banks were paying in Bank of England notes which
wen convertible into gold upon demand. His (Mr. Hume's)
ash was, however, that even before the close of the present
Anion of Parliament, a Bill should be brought in to place
country banks upon the smile fuoting as the Beek of England,
:tamely, that they should pay in gold on demand. This would
have a twofold effect ; it would tend to check the evil of an
-over-currency,-and at the same time prevent the tedious delay
of a law process for the recovery of a debt which ought to be
paid on demand. -
Mr. .10 H N SMITH never heard a more singular petition
• than that just offered by his Hon. Friend ; for surely he ought
to have known, that instead of there being a difference between
the country banks anti the Bank of Fngland as to the payment
of their notes, - the law was the same for both ; and the country
htialca were not only liable to pay in gold on demand, but he
never knew an instance in which they were not ready to do so.
Indeed, it would ruin the credit of any country banker to re-
fine such cash payments, and he was at a loss to understand
the object of the petitioter.
bit. BROUGH A was equally astonished at the petitioner's
-oanrplaint, for he knew that the country banks were liable to
pir2.y in gold as well as. the Bank of England since the passing
of the laat•Act. What necessity was there, therefore,for a new
taw ? The petitioners complained that in default of payment
- hotted no remedynow but an action at law. Why, what other
remedy would-he have if .a new law were-passed? Indeed, a
'new taw would be an evil, for it would raise a doubt-upon that
'which was, he thought, perfectly clear at present ; for beyond
nil doubt a country banker was bound to pay in specie on de-
mand without. moment's delay.—( Hear !)
After a few words from Mr. HART DAVIS and Mr. Hiram,
the petition was brought up.
Mr. HUME replied. He was informed that the interpre-
tation of the new Act was such as to deprive the claimant of
a right to that ,prompt arrest which existed at common law
before.
-Pafr. HUSICISSON said, that there was no doubt of the im-
mediate responsibility of every banker in issuing a 20s. note.
filr J. WROTTESLEY hoped that the Hon. Member for
Aberdeen had inquired well into the character of the petitioner
• from whom he received the petition__otherwise, as the contents
of the petition had a tendency to affect the credit of a mercan-
tile establishment in a very important point, by'a recent deci.
akin in a court of law, the parties injured would have a claim
.for damages upon all who assisted-in circulating the obnoxious
matter. So'that the flon. Member might not be aware of the
risk which he caused others to run, supposing, for the sake of
this argument, that he-was not sufficiently warranted of the.
facts and of the character of his-informant.
41r. T. WILSON said that there should be great caution.
Ord in a case of this nature, which was likely to affect die'
credit of a respectable house.
Mr. HUME consented to withdraw the petition till he had