The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-28 00:00:00

Mr. PRESTON said the powers possessed by the Board
of Customs, though partially restrained by the Treasury,
were too often oppressively exercised. He held in his
hand a Customs writ for the enormous sum of 5,0001.,
upon an old bond given in 1839 for an amount of 41.125.,
which was in dispute with the poard of Customs; and
he was threatened with two other writs for very small
sums; so that there might be three separate suits on the
part of the Customs for a total sum of less than 101.
Every merchant knew that they were sometimes
obliged to reduce their packages, and any incidental loss
that might be thereby occasioned they might be called
upon after the lapse of years to make good. It was in
this way that the origin of the present dispute arose:—
A cask had been left in bond by a person who had
since become bankrupt; and though the application
had been met by a full explanation as to the subject
of dispute, which was only 16 gallons of refuse wine,
the Board of Customs had not condescended
to make any other reply than by a writ—a. process
to which every merchant in the kingdom washable, as
the law might be enforced with the same capriciousness
they now exercised ; for they gave no reasons, and it
there were any grounds for proceedings, those grounds
were known only to themselves. The delay, also, occa-
sioned by appeals to the board in London was a great
grievance. Cases were submitted, so trifling that no
person of common sense could entertain a second
opinion on them ; and of thirteen submitted, where
not above a gallon of spirit was involved in each case,
the delay had been more than a week, and eleven of the
thirteen cases were allowed as the local officer would
himself have decided. The memorials from the Customs
in Liverpool to the board in London, for the past year,
exceeded 3,000. On the article of brandy alone there
were, to his own knowledge, upwards of 220. Sir
Thomas Fremantle had stated that the committee who de-
cided these appeals consisted sometimes of one and some-
times of two. If that were so, how was it that an
officer was not allowed to act upon a rule of common
sense, but must cause a delay of a week by his vexatious
report? It was time there should be an alteration, and
if the shoe did not now pinch the whole of the merchants
of the kingdom, they might depend upon it every one of
them were liable at any moment to be pounced npon with
a writ for 5,000/., and perhaps the knowledge of that
fact would arouse some of them from their supineness.
Mr. Bu it supported Mr. Preston, observing that the
board in London seemed anxious to have as many me-
morials as possible, in order to have the appearance of
doing a great deal of business, and to keep up the im
portance of the board.

Mr. HEATH submitted a resolution to the effect that
it was incumbent on the chamber to endeavour to pro-
mote the establishment of local tribunals having
power to adjudicate upon commercial matters. The
delay, expense, and liability to be cheated out of
justice by the present constitution of the Customs
were fully entered upon, and an instance was adduced
of a case at the last assizes for 411., in which no quib-
bles or technicalities were introduced, and where the
taxed costs amounted to upwards of 1001. on one side
and above 804 on the other. Lord Wharncliffe had
stated that of 177,000 cases submitted to special com-
mercial tribunals in 16 foreign countries only 31 per
cent. were undecided, while 26 per cent, were undecided
out of only 30,000 tried by the ordinary civil tribunals.
Messrs. Clint, Shell, Forwood, and Wylie then ad-
verted to the forwarding trade; and, after much discus.
sion, the proceedings were terminated by the usual vote
of thanks to the chairman.

ATLANTIC STEAM NAVIGATION.
We are enabled to announce, that the British and
North American Royal Mail Steam-ship Company have
decided upon a most important extension of the opera-
tions of their magnificent squadron of steam-ships from
this port to the United States and Halifax. Heretofore,
the weekly departures of the fleet from either side of the
Atlantic were confined to the summer months; while
during December, January, February, and March, the
dispatches were restricted to once a fortnight. Under the
new arrangement decided upon, however, steam-ships
will sail regularly once a week throughout the year with-
out interruption, calling, as at present, at Halifax, en
route, each alternate voyage. We are happy to chroni-
cle this spirited scheme of extension, calculated, as it is,
largely to promote the interests of the commercial
community during an important division of the year ;
and we trust the enterprise exhibited will be re-
warded by a degree of support adequate to the
spirit evinced. Our communications with the United
States have long been maintained by the steam-ships of
this service with distinguished regularity, safety, and
speed ; but under the proposed plan those communica-
tions will be carried to a still higher degree of effi-
ciency; and, probably, when reinforced by the Persia
and Arabia, now being constructed on the Clyde, no
mail squadron will exist in the world capable of contrast-
ing with the Royal Mail Company. We trust the new
step in advance will meet that degree of support which
will insure success. We are also enabled to announce
from direct official sources that our statements regarding
the selection of Holyhead as the mail station for the New
York and Boston Royal Mail steam-ships were entirely
correct. We are further enabled to add, that the Lords
of the Admiralty entertain hopes that the harbour works
at Holyhead will be sufficiently advanced to afford shelter
to the steam-ships towards January, 1852, and we believe
that so soon as those hopes are realized orders for the
alteration proposed will be issued.—Liverpool Albion.

THE SUICIDE AT THE SARACEN'S HEAD.—On
Monday Mr. Payne held an inquest at the Saracen's Head Inn,
Snow -hill, on the body of Mr. J. James Bristow, a gentle-
man well known on the turf as an owner of race-horses.
Deceased arrived at the above-mentioned hotel on Wednes-
day evening from Epsom. On Friday night he retired to
his bed-room as usual. About four o'clock on Saturday
morning the landlord was informed by his ostler that he
had seen blood running from under the door of deceased's
bed-room. On entering the body of the unfortunate gentle-
man was found undressed, and on the floor. His left hand
lay over a six-barrel revolver, and from the general position
of the body it appeared as though deceased had shot him-
self in bed, and then fell to the floor. A policeman was
called in by the landlord, and an inspection of the room was
made. Deceased's room was flanked by two other rooms,
the doors of both of which were fastened. On the table lay
a powder flask, a small quantity of bullets, and some percus-
sion caps. From papers found it appeared that deceased
was a gentleman of independent property, lived at Hendon,
tiTddlesex, and had been a breeder of horses, but within
rbanese last nine months he had sold off his stock. A memo-
t,7l.
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. ehmasorandum was as follows :—« The
Friday."
to do many rash things. Wto
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dwereuri n
~ Temporary insanity." Verdic—
t considerable number of herrings
the fishermen's lines on the Banffshire coast during
found
the
e lasta t
two weeks. So early an appearance predicts an abundant
tijjaing Di the APPr9OlO4iAg seautnew.lisvcnicsi On . .

THE LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.

On Monday the quarterly meeting of the Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce was held in the large Council
Chamber, Exchange-buildings; Mr. T. H. Horsfall, pre-
sident, in the chair. The attendance of members was
♦ery numerous.
The CHAIRMAN adverted to the fact of a committee
having been conceded by the House of Commons to
inquire into the conflicting statements of the London
Docks Board and the Commissioners of Customs.
The chamber, he added, had availed themselves
of the appointment of that committee to consider
what local improvements might be effected by its
instrumentality. They had no fault to find with the
local officers, for, so far as they could consistently with
their duty, they afforded every facility to the trade of
the port, nor did they complain personally of the Com-
missioners of Customs in London—they found fault
with the system. The council had adopted a series of
resolutions, in which their wants and grievances were
set forth; and the first two of those resolutions were in-
timately connected with the change absolutely required
by the mercantile community in the reform of the Board
of Customs. He would read them, and a copy would
be forwarded to every member of the chamber:—
" 1. That the Head Board of Customs in London
should consist of not exceeding five commissioners, in
the appointment of whom regard should be had solely to
their fitness for the duties of their office; that a por-
tion of the board should be selected from persons of
large practical commercial experience, and that one mem-
ber of the board should sit in Parliament, in order to
give answers and explanations to questions relating to
this important department of public business.
" 2. That the collector, comptroller, and head inspec-
tor at each of the chief ports should form a board, with
power to dispose of all cases of infraction of Customs
regulations or of disputed duties, arising within its juris-
diction, where the penalty or difference of duty may not
exceed 1001.; but with the reserve of a right of appeal,
on the part of the public, to the commissioners in Lon-
don, and, if desired, from them to the Lords of the
Treasury; and that increased discretionary powers
should be committed to the local boards, for expediting
and facilitating the Customs business of the port."
If those resolutions were brought before the Committee
of the House of Commons, the council entertained no
doubt that the mercantile community would ob-
tain the redress they sought. Was it not a
remarkable fact that, although there was now
❑o export duty, the same system remained in torte as
when it was necessary to collect that duty? Thus, a
person who had to take perfectly free goods on board
cad co submit them to fourteen or fifteen individuals,
each of whom had to pass them before they could be
shipped. There was another grievance, and that was in
the central authority allowing trifling accounts to re-
main open for many years, and when the merchant was
unable, from the changes in his establishment, or any
other cause, to account for the most minute deficiency
during a long period cf time, a vexatious demand
was made, arising out of some obsolete bond,
and litigation ensued, which it seemed impos-
sible, under the present system, for the most cir-
cumspect to avoid. The report would now be laid be-
fore them, and he would conclude by calling their atten-
tion to the handsome present made to the council by
Mr. Graham Gibbert, of an excellent likeness of the late
Mr. Canning, which was now suspended in the council
chamber. This announcement was received with great
applause, and the chairman resumed his seat amid
general acclamation.
Mr. It. laoxsoN, the secretary, then read the report
for the past quarter, which adverted to the abuses of
the bonding system and its proposed reform, the forma-
tion of tribunals of commerce, the defects in postal
communications, the abolition of the Russia Company,
the inequalities of the charges for forwarding goods, and
other matters.
Mr. STILL moved, and Mr. ARNOTT seconded the
adoption of the report, which was unanimously ac
ceded to.