The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-07 00:00:00

P OUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few minutes past
Twelve o'clock.

Captain HARRIS said, if the House or the
country wanted any additional proof of the
int fficiency of the Government, it would be found in.
the fact that they neglected to introduce a Bill on
this important subject. In many respects he approved
of the present Bill, but he would rather see it in the hands
of the Government, than a private Member.
Mr. LABOUC LIBRE said, upon various occasions he
had ventured to introduce a measure upon this subject,
u ablethe
m to
motion
carry
rs such a
going
but he was always opposed, as well by his own friends
as by Hon. Gentl, m. n opposite; and however efficient in
s r,ogth a Government might be, he should ever de-
s Pli rof e
ash e Board
oof s
should
de
supportbeing
into Committis . He meas rtt
h.

(LEP"' SITI'IMQ )

COFFEE AND EATING HOUSE E.EEPERS' ASSOCIA-
TION.—The annual festival of this society took place yester-
day evening at the Freemasons' Tavern ; Donald Nicoll, Esq.,
late sheriff,of London, in the chair. About one hundred
members of the association sat down to dinner.
chairman, w
The c ustomary
in p loyal toasts were proposed • by the
ho, ropo-in the rincip of the evening, referred to the opinion exppressedal by atoast celebrated
statesman, who had been compelled to seek an asylum in this
country, that while charities on the Continent were sup-
ported by the Government, in this country they were self-
supporting. Among these the present association was one of
those of its body who,
the most important and influential, since it provided for
for its assistance, b
of deceased' members,
enablei to ciecome industriousandcompelledthroughreverseresortto
might,
nmdeermbitesrsfoosftersionegietc.ay.re,FNrvoeurle
the report submitted to him he was enabled to congratulate
them on an increase of their funds, and an improvement ge-
nerally in their income : and he trusted that his unskilled
advocacy would not tend to the prejudice of the institution,
(whose welfare and prosperity he was anxious to promote.—
Cheers.) The health of the chairman was afterwards pro-
posedre by Mr. Leeson. The Chairman, in acknowledgingn his
compliment, said he had always felt it his duty during
relieve
erwuleaael
stvi geidwruteiblisltit shrievalty, andhe did so still, to evince his sympathy
wantsthose boern et:fp:ye
inatt
einstitutions
sufferings
whosengs
of object
their wfea.
and " The ~ were cordially rTehspeo'n'
dlledearlottyof3tpre.
APrlieesnic,lent and Vicelrreeassi
Trus-
tees," " The Committee and Auditors,
of 10. guineas,ame
who read a long list of subscrip-
tions Humphreys, the treasurer,
portion of the
in the Course of the evening,
re-
ceived, and appropriately acknowledged
WbhyichAf
tr
i. 1
eJn. B.
various pieces, and there
band of the Coldstream played__es ,
llent singing by m
aonfdthemcahnayirmorahniswarrsieinnedlsufdoerdsmt ,aitihere
saummos.untA
was some exce srs. Perren, Banks, and
was an efficient toastmaster.
Becket in the course of the evening. Mr. Harker, as usual,

BIRTHS.
OF A 801 f,
tih?,se(l3.,di‘i.pst.., at Wilton-place, the lady
of R. B. She-
the 2d inst., at Tunbridge-wen,,
the wif© of Joseph
Stevenson
nvnenson, Esq.

ltdRiZH
At St. Mary's, Bathwick, on thea ,9th. ult. the Rev. Thomas
Cos, M.A., curate of Timberscombe, Somerset, to Laura,
Eleanor, second daughter of \\r 11. Jones, Esq., of Bawdry,
Pembrokeshire.

On the 3d inst., Ur DIED
arcade. Haymarket. . James Concannon, of the Opera-
On the 4th inst., at Staines, R. Horne, Esq., aged 63.
On the 4th inst., at Islington, R. Oldershaw, Esq., aged 55.
On the 3d inst., at Tunbridge-wells, Caroline Weolmer,
the wife of the Rev. D. Winhaw, aged 34.
On the 3d inst., aged 88, Charlotte, relict of the late Mr.
J. Gurney, of West-end, Northolt, Middlesex.

London Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of
No. 112, Strand, Pt ter, at The Sun Office, No. 112,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, izt the county of
Kiddleo; Wedge Jaye Kay 7, 1401,

PERIAL PARLIAMENT.
(THIS DA Y.)

NAVY ESTIMATES.
S the House
irE.BARgIo into Committee
NG gav e
mates on Monday next, and said he would propose first
the vote respecting allowances to retired captains.
e notice
o n heth
Navywould
that e
first
PETITIONS.
Several petitions were presented against Papal ag-
gression.
for
liircuebright in favour of the Education Bill
Mr. F. MACKENZIE presented a petition.
Scotland.
from Lan.'
Mr. W. PATTEN presented a petition , ,e,
cashire against any system of national education which
did not combine religious instruction.
a place
Mr. LOCKHART presented a petition from
in Scotlsnd against the admission of Jews into
Parliament.
Carling
Mr. FORBES presented a petition from - from
against Lord Meleund's Education Bill.
Mr. OSWALD presented a petition to the samo
from Stirling.
Mr. SCOTT presented a petition in favour of the ell'
tire cessation of Pest-office labour on Sunday.
AYLF,SI3URy ELECTION.
On the motion of Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER' 1
teg..
Select Committee was appointed to inquire into the...!lunl
gations contained in the petitions of Thomas bt
Bradford and John Strutt.
AUDI I.' OF RAILWAY ACCOUNTS
On the motion 'or going into Committee on this Bill,
Mr. LABOUCIJERE said that the object of the pr
o,
sent Bill was to provide an efficient audit of railway °e;
couias for the benefit of railway shareholders, but e! we
careful consideration of it, he had come to the conclusroai
that the present Bill would not be efficient for that puts.
pose, and he thoueht, had it been law a few yes" agn;
it would not have prevented the great excitelfe et
which then existed on this subject. Yet he could w
deny that there were many provisions in the Bill wnulei
lbi
would be of groat use, but the principle of it he sh°,4e
entirely object to. His opinion was that DO PT°rree
railway audit could be established except by first else:. re
the auditors in a situation entirely independent and ui
fluenced by any parties whatever; but he felt quite eel
vinced that if he himself attempted to bring in aßillelhii
t
he should consider efficient, he would never be able
prevail upon the House to sanction it, so great was !he
1.,
influence of railway directors in the House, and so la..
different were those who were not connected with rail'
ways, to everything connected with the subject.
Mr. B. DENISON quite agreed with the Right MoD
Gentleman that this Bill would do no good whatever, :4,
in fact would create more difficulty than now exist' ee,
In his opinion the Government ought to take up tr.,
question, for none others could carry any Bill that soul
be efficient. He should oppose the Bill in all its stagf, 11;
Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., said that it would only u
consistent, if the, House adopted the principle of this Bi•
with regard to railways, they must extend it to all COip
panies, banking, assurance, and of all kinds whatever.
Mr. LOCKE thought it was a little hard that Sere
Gentlemen, who had tried their hands unsuccessfully or``
Railway Audit Bills, should now come forward and dc)"
all they could to thwart those who took the trouble to.
prepare the present Bill. He hoped the House, after'
affirming its principle, would not now, on the eve
going into Committee, allow these gentlemen to delay
the Bill.
Mr. HUME was averse to anything like Government
interference in the affairs of companies. There was net:
the slightest reason for it; and for his own part he would-
advise Government to have nothing to do with the core"'
mercial affairs of private companies, beyond given thee;
every facility of managing their own affairs in a legal'
marner.
Mr. STANFORD said many persons who originally
purchased their shares at par had been forced, by the
pressure of the times to sell out at a large sacrifice:
and the majority of the present holders having got in
at great discounts were now receiving very respectable
dividends. They therefore did not care much about
this question; but nevertheless, although they were si-
lent upon the subject, they were still opposed to this'
Bill, because it involved the whole question of railway
management, whereas it ought to have been confined to
the simple matter of rendering accounts. But what W9*
there in the spirit of this Bill which could protect the
great body of the shareholders any more than th
existing system? Depend upon it, that no independent
audit would ever be ebtained until they insisted upon
having auditors who were bond fide share or bondholders,
and who were thoroughly beyond the control of the di-
rectors or the managers of the company. That was
the policy which railway shareholders should
adopt, and then they might hope to receive
a sure and continuous audit. With regard
to railway debentures, he would suggest that
every bond should be registered, and then there would
be a check against any company exceeding ite borrow-
ing powers.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS regretted that this question had
not been taken up by the Government, for no railway audit
could be efficient or satisfactory, unless it was placed in
totally independent hands to those of the directors. The
frauds which the existing system had given rise to were
truly alarming, and the consequence had been that
masses of people who had inv, seed their money in rail-
ways had well nigh been brought to the brink
of ruin. The capital invested in railways was
now equal to one. third of the national debt, and
the public had not the remotest protection against the
malversation of the directors. How was it that railway
stock was at so large a discount? Why, simply because
the public had no confidence in the management of the
accounts, and he therefore called upon the Government
to take the matter up at once.
Mr. CHAPLIN said, had this been simply an audit
Bill he should not have said a single word on this occa-
sion; but it embraced a variety of other topics, and if it
passed railways would be placed under an entirely
irresponsible management. Legislative meddling in
railway affairs had seriously injured the public;
for, had the Legislature abstained from forcing its er-
roneous views upon railway companies, all classes of
passengers would be travelling far more comfortably
and far more cheaply than they were at the present
time. He, therefore, entreated the House to leave railway
directors alone, and allow them to do what experience
taught them was beet for securing the interest of their
shareholders, as well as the interest of the travelling -
public. He moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be
committed this day six months.
E WART supported the Bill, and protested against
the notion of handing over the auditing of private ac-
counts to the tender mercies of any Government official.
The Bill bad this advantage at least, that it went upon the
representative principle, and it would therefore place the
audit directly in the hands of the shareholders themselves.
Mr. HEALD was at a loss to understand what right
anybody had to tell him, as a railway proprietor, he was
incompetent to manage his own affairs. It was imperti-
nent to take up such a tone, and he hoped the House would
think so too; for the future prosperity of railway com-
panies depended upon being let alone,- and left to the
care of their own immediate managers; who were elected
by the shareholders.