The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-10 00:00:00

THE SUN

question not before him, and therefore he could give no
opinion upon it ; but it appeared to bim that both parties
were injuring themselves by these proceedings. No doubt,
if the parties could frame a proper question tor the decision
of a jury, no objection might arise as to the adoption of such
a course, but he could not recommend it.

PETITIONS ON PRIVATE BILLS.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS DAY).
(Room 22, before Mr. Examiner SMITH.)
MANCHESTER, LONDON, AND BIRMINGHAM
RAILWAY.
In this case the Examiner decided that the standing orders
had not been complied with.
There was no other case on the list to-day.

REGISTRY of BIRTHS and DEATHS
DURING THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 6.
Deaths registered in the week. Births registered in the week.
Males ... ... ... 526 Males ... ... ... 714
Females ... ... 482 Females ... ... 676

Total ... 1,008

Total ... 1,390

BRITISH COLONIAL BANK AND
LOAN COMPANY.—(THIS DAY.)
The annual general meeting of the proprietors of this
company was held this day at their offices, 50, Moor-
gate street.
After the usual preliminaries,
The Secretary read the Report, which commenced
by stating that the directors had much pleasure in inform-
ing the shareholders that the prospects of the company
had kept p ,ce with the reviving prosperity of the colony
of New South Wales. The report then stated that the
directors had succeeded in making terms fart urable to
the company with other shareholders to whom deben-
tures had been granted, under which shares to the ex-
tent of 18,2001. had been cancelled, as the result of
which transaction they had been able to write
off 3,5001. in part liquidation of the preliminary ex-
penses. A further amount of shares, to the extent of
12,3501 had also been surrendered to the company aed
cancelled. On the other hand, loans to the extent of
14,101/. ss. 11d. had been paid off. From the money
arising from the loans on the seventh call the liabilities
had been reduced in the last year to the extent of
10,3001., of which 5,0001. had been paid since the last
general meeting. The remaining liabilities of the com-
pany were in a train of liquidation. The report con-
cluded by stating, that in the opinion of the directors,
the profits of the company would justify the declaration
of a small dividend. From the financial statement it
appeared that the profits of the past year were 8.000/.
The CHAIRMAN said he did not think it would be ne-
cessary for him to occupy much of their time on the
present occasion. He thought on the whole that
they must admit that they were in a much
more pleasant position than when they had met before.
A reference to the accounts would prove this, and he
would take the liberty of drawing the attention of the
shareholders to some of the items of these ac
counts. The capital stock of the company last
year was 190,4651. Is. Bd. The present year it
amounted to 165,210 L The difference had been
caused by their having been able to cancel stock
to the amount of 30,5501. The liabilities last year
amounted to 8,9001., and they were now reduced
to 8,6001. The loans had been reduced. They
had a debt for preliminary expenses to the extent
of 4,8001., of which 3,5501. had been written
off. As to the immediate profit of the past year, it was
much the same as that of preceding years,_ or rather less.
One great item in the expenditure was the law expenses
in Sydney. When he had met the shareholders last year,
he told them that these expenses would be great, but there
was some comfort to be derived from the fact, that the
great expense which had been incurred was for fore-
closure of the property, and if they were able to sell that
property for more than they had lent on it, they
would get back a portion of those expenses. The
estimate which had been submitted to the
shareholders had turned out to be as nearly as possible
true. He then stated that their receipts would be about
8,000/. It had been calculated at 7,5001. With
respect to their position, it was one with which
he thought the shareholders could not be dissatis-
fied, taking into consideration the circumstances
under which they were placed. The interest on their
loans was more easily obtained than before in the
colony, and their rents were collected with less diffi-
culty than at former periods. There was every disposi-
tion to advance. He could not say the accounts
were the most agreeable ; but when they con-
eidered the difficulties with which the colony was
beset, it would be evident that they were in a safe posi-
tion. He did not wish to say a word more about the mat-
ter, but he could net refrain from expressing his belief that
no shareholder would ultimately sustain any loss. He did
not mean to say that all they might wish could be done
immediately. He would read a few extracts from
the dispatches which had been received from the
colony, to show that if they only waited the proper
time, they would be able to dispose of their
property profitably. The Chairman here read the docu-
'rsets io to. stion, from which it appeared that several
of he properties belonging to the company had been
s•eld, and realised a consideraole profit The last dispatch
was dated the 7;h August, 1846 ; since then they had
received further dispatches, from which it appears that
the same results had been obtained, and that the com-
pany would not be losers. He was not enabled to say
that they would be able to sell all their pro-
perties so favourably, but he had no hesitation
in stating that in the course of time they would be able
to get hack all their property. With respect to the
14,0001., the difference between their loans of the
present and the past year, from the statement
made by the dirt ctors it appeared that, although
the loans had been reduced to that amount, they
had in fact given up property to the extent
of only 9,403/7 The directors were desirous
that the shareholders should not think they
were going on better than they really were.
8,080/. had been purchased for only 1,860/. These
shares were not taken ovc r to the profit account
but were appropriated to those particular debts which
they did not think would realise the same sums that had
been advanced. On the whole he had to congratulate
the shareholders on the position of their affairs.
Lord DEVON said that he was there as the repre-
sentative of his brother, who had always warmly parti-
cipated in the good opinion that existed as to the con-
duct of their affairs. He would move that the
report then read should be adopted, printed,
and circulated among the shareholders. He made that
motion, because he thought it was a report which re-
flected great credit upon those who had brought it for-
ward, and which, together with the speech of his friend
in the chair, presented " a plain, unvarnished tale."
Mr. Cum:uric said he felt great pleasure in seconding
the resoluti.m. The report they had heard was a satis-
factory and bond fide statement of their affairs.

After some slight discussion, the resolution was
carried unariimon,ly.

The Chairman, sir Joseph De Courcey Laffan, Bart.,
and the Rw. John Howard Hintcn, were re elected
directors.

J. PERCIVAL, Esq., moved, and J. D. SMITH, Esq.,
seconded, the following resolution, which was unanimously
carried—viz , " That a dividend of two per cent. per
ennum, Colonial shares, free of income-tax, he declared
on all the shares, and on the six calls paid up on the
British shares, and upon the seven ca'ls from the date
of payment."
The Earl of DEVON moved a vote of thanks to the
Chairman and the directors, upon whom he passed a
high eulogium.
The r•1-solution was unanimously agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN having returned thanks, the meeting
separated.

house. He was hotly pursued, however, by Inspector An-
ders and officer 621, who apprehended and conveyed him to
Bridewell, where he awaits the verdict of the Coroner's
jury. The inquest on the body will be held to-day. The
prisoner is only about 17 years of age, and the deceased 45.
Liverpool Courier of this day.
GLASGOW STOCK EXCHANGE, MARCH B.—The sales
to-day were—Caledonian, New, 49s.—Caledonian and Dum-
bartonshire, 47s.—Dunblane, Doune, and Callender, 31s.—
East Indian, Bs. 9d.—East Lothian Central, 475. Edinburgh
and Glasgow, Halves, 211.—Edinburgh and Perth (New), 595.
—Ditto, Halves, 23s.6d.—Glasgow,Kiltnarnock, and Ayr,3B%
—Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, 61.—Glasgow, Airdrie, and
Monkland Junction, 55/A—Manchester and Southampton, 16s.
6d.—North British, Halves, 17/. —Wishaw and Coltness, 49/.
—York and Newcastle, Preference, 8%.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
ARREST FOR DEBT (IRELAND) BILL.
(Continued from our Afternoon y.ditiono

After a few words from Mr. MORE O'FERRAEL,

Mr. M. ➢l I LNES said he would not have troubled the House,
after the able explanation of the Learned Solicitor-General
of Ireland, were it not that his name appeared on the back of
the Bill introduced by his Hon. Friend. There were mon•
strous evils committed with the present law of arrest in Ire-
land, which the country would not longer tolerate. The
Hon. and Learned Recorder for Dublin said that the modifi-
cations in the law of arrest had not acted well in England; he
(Mr. M.) could assure the Hon. and Learned Member that one
principle the people of England had determined on was not
to return to the incarceration of debtors for small sums. It
was almost impossible to believe the enormous numbers who
were incarcerated in the gaols of Ireland for sums so ridicu-
lously small, that it was, in fact, an amusement for English
travellers to liberate them. Some of these persons had re-
mained in gaol for upwards of two or three years for
sums not exceeding ten shillings, and many were
for amounts beneath that.—(Hear.) There was another
circumstance so truly disgusting that it would not be longer
tolerated, and as he was not aware that the attention of the
Learned Solicitor-General had been directed towards it, he
would beg leave to mention it to the House. Owing to the
ease with which suits were carried out in the civil courts,
many.persons who wished to get rid of the expense of main-
taining their parents were in the habit of instituting ficti-
tious suits against them for small amounts alleged to be due
for diet and lodging, and having obtained decrees, they
procured their ;incarceration, thus throwing the burden of
supporting the last years of the parents' lives upon the
country.—(Cries of "Name an instance.") Why, they
would find that parents were confined in Cork gaol under
similar circumstances. The subject had been represented to
the Irish Government, but there sere no means of remedying
the evil while the present system of arrest was in force. The
effect of the law of arrest for small amounts was, that the gaols
of Ireland were crowded with debtors. The Bill brought for
ward by his Friend was distinguished for a brevity which
was exceediugly painful to legal minds—(Laughter)
—and he (Mr. Monckton Milnes) had expressed
his fears that it would in consequence meet with
much opposition from the Learned Members in that
House. lie supposed. therefore, that they, the introducers
of the Bill, must rest contented with leaving the subject in
the hands of the Learned Soliciter•General for Ireland, and
he did hope that the Government and the Irish bar would no
longer allow this abominable state of things to continue.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD gave his unqualified approbation to
the Bill brought in by the Hon. Baronet the Member 'for
Waterford. He thought that the present system of small
debt arrestments gave the power of inflicting immense
cruelty on the poorer debtors of Ireland, and for that reason
he should wish to see it to a considerable degree modified.
They had heard from a very high authority that the fear of
arrest had actually depopulated one county in Ireland, and
atter what had occurred to-day he trusted the matter would
have the serious and immediate consideration of her Majesty's
Government.

Mr. GROGAN said that the first announcement of this
Bill spread the greatest alarm throughout Ireland, because,
white it proposed at one " fell swoop" to abolish imprison-
ment for debt, it did not provide any substitute for that
mode of recovering just and bona fide debts. Still he was
glad the subject had been taken up by Government, and he
trusted, after the pledge of the Hon. Gentleman, the Solici-
tor-General for Ireland, the Bill would be withdrawn.
Mr. P. SCROPE said in many parts of Ireland the popula-
tion was being driven off the land through the medium of the
civil bill process, which had been alluded to by an
Honourable Member opposite, and he considered it
was high time a stop was put to these proceedings.
Under the law of distraint the landlord could not obtain pos-
session of his tenant's goods till some time after the rent bad
become due, and the consequence was, that the civil bill pro-
cess system had been extensively resorted to for getting small
holders off the land, and throwing them into prison. The result
of all this had been, that the tenantry, from fear of arrest, were
finding their way to the quays of Liverpool and other ports
in England, and in this way many parts of Ireland were
becoming depopulated. In one instance a clergyman had
stated to him, that where a mor.th or two ago he had a
population of upwards of 1,000 souls under his care, he now,
in consequence of this hunting and driving from the land
system, had only 500, and the clergy of Ireland, witnessing
the sad effects of the system, were unanimous in calling
upon the Government of Ireland to take steps to put a stop
to it.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN suggested that power might be
given to the assistant-barrister to stay execution in the cases
alluded to by the Han. Gentleman who had just sat down,
and then Government would have ample time to consider the
subject of this Bill.
Sir R. FERGUSON hoped the Holme would be cautious
how it proceeded in this matter, for in their desire
to benefit the poor of Ireland they might inflict the most
serious injury upon the country. If the suggestion of the
Hon. Gentleman opposite were adopted it might lead to the
concealment of property and the defrauding of creditors of
their just and legal claims.
Sir G. GREY hoped the lion. Member would withdraw
his motion for the second reading of the Bill, the subject
being under the consideration of the law officers of the
Crown. If the Hon. Member did not consent to withdraw
it, it would be his duty to propose that the Bill be read a
second time that day six months.
Mr. B. ESCOTT hoped that his Hon. Friend would not
press forward his Bill on the 'present occasion. The prin-
ciple contained in the Bill was one which he was sure would
eventually be adopted by the Legislature.
After a few words from Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN,

Sir 11. W. BARRON consented to withdraw his motion ;
in doing so, however, he wished to obtain a pledge from the
Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland, that the
Government would themselves bring in a Bill upon the
subject.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said, that in consequence of the
great amount, and the pressing nature, of other Irish busi-
ness, he was not prepared to pledge himself to bring forward
a measure on the subjeet dur►ng the present session; he
would, however, pledge himself that the measure should re-
ceive the consideration of the Government.
Sir 11. W. BARRON wished to know if the Government
would have any objection to refer the Bill to a Committee
up stairs.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that he did not see any neces•
sity for such a course of proceeding.
Sir W. H. BARRON then wished to obtain leave to in-
introduce the Bill at some future period of the session. The
subject was too important a one to be summarily disposed
of, and wanted to know whether, if the Government were
unprepared with any measure on the subject, they would
give their support to the present Bill.
Mr. LABOUCHERE declined to make any pledges upon
the subject.—(Cries of " Divide, divide.")
After a short consultation between Mr. LAnoucnzßl and
Sir IL W. I3AnnoN, the Bill was withdrawn.