The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-16 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Sir J. Y. BULLER presented a petition from War-
tor the continuance of the Crystal
rington, praying
Palace
Mr. MULLINGS presented a petition fr m the attor-
neys and solic4tors of Yorkshire against the Rt gistratioe
of Assurances Bill.
Mr. CROWDER and several ether Hon. Members
presented petitions in favour ot the plan for converting
the Crystal Palace into a winter garden.
METROPOLI I'AN POLICE.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE wished to a 4 the Secretary of
State on that authority the Police Commissioners allow
to any metroplitau parish twenty five per cent. discount
for prompt payment of the li
warrant.
Mr. BOUVEHIE said it was a mistake to suppose
that it wrr a discount. There was no such tbitg as a
di,count at all, but under an old police Act the Com-
missioners were allowed to reduce the rates in those
parishes where payment was
,promptly made, and to
make up the difference by obtaining a grant from the
Treasury.
METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE wished to ask a question of Lord
John Russell, as to the intentions of the Government
with respe-ct to legislation on water supply this session.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, at this late eerie d of the ses.
Ilion, it was not intended to legislate upon this important
subject, but it was exceedingly desirable that the Select
Committee now investigating the matter should report
the evidence and their opinion upon it, before the proro-
gation of Parliament.
DES lITUTION IN THE HIGHLANDS.
Mr. COWAN wished to ask the Noble Lord at the
bead of the Government when the House might expect
the report of Sir John M.'Neil on the subject of the des-
titution prevailing in the Highlands, and, secondly,
whether it was fhe intention ot Government to take
steps to remove or mitigate the distress.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said Government were not ill
possession of the report,
!aid therefore they could not lay
it on the table. He had not heard of any loss of life
from starvation in the Highlands, but there could be no
doubt that great distress did prevail there, and it was
not improbable that measures would be taken to remove
It, by assisting the poor to emigrate.
QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.

Mr. BANREi had a motion o❑ the paper relating to
a question of privilege, and he wished to take the epinion
of the Speaker whether he was not entitled to proceed
with it. before ►he order of the day ?
The. SPEAKER replied in the affirmative.
Mr. BANKES said, then he wished to move the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee to consider the peti-
tion of the electors of Harwich, which he presented the
other day. He was quite ready that the Committee of
Selection should have power to nominate the Committee,
and he was as ready to submit to any other mode of
appointing the Committee which the Government might
suggest. He might mention that the petitioners com-
plained that undue influence had been used by the
Government cfficials to prevent them from exer-
cising the franchise at the last election. He
had now simply to move that the petition be referred
to the consideration of a Select Committee.
Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to the motion,
and after a few words from Mr. G. BICRXELZY, it was
agreed to.
Mr. BANKES said he understood there was some ob-
jection to leaving it for the Committee of Selection to
nominate the Committee, and he would therefore give
notice that to-morro a, he would name the Members to
serve on the inquiry.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS NOTICES BILL.

This Bill went througliComtniktee and wee ordered to
be reported to-morrow.
CUARI CABLE PURCHASE DEEDS BILL.
On the motion for going into the Committee,
The SOLICI I'OR-GENERAL said he meant to op-
pose the further progress of this Bill, as it proposed to
alter the law or mortmain. Now there was a Committee
of the House sitting at this m..ment investigating that
very subj, ct, and it was of importance to the public that
the quebtion should not be dealt with piecemeal but in
its entirety.

Mr. MULLINGS said the cases of purchase which
this B►IL contemplated were never into nded to come
within the meaning el the statute of Mortmain by those
who tram&d that Act.

Mr. HEADL Mkt saw no urr,rnt necessity for the
Bill being pa.sed in the present session, and he thought
it much better that the whole subject should be taken
into consithrstion at once. He should therefore oppose
its goir g into Co'i.rnittee.
Mr. U ANS-FEY th.)ught that if the Hon. Member
for Cirencester persisted in this Bill he would place !he
members of tt e mail i Ofromittte now slang. in a
very embarrassing positio.. lie t,.r one snould decidedly
ohjfct to shy coi,c,ssions whatever until the Howe ban
hao an opportunity tit coro4d-ring whether any c,,bees
sion sh, tyti the tve..rnpa by restricted power,
Lord HARRY VANE r ctna,uendrd the withdrawal
of the Bul, at 1- tiq for the present session, in ord. r that
it might be re-introduced next session with the advsu
tape of the report of the Committee.
Da,r. MULLINGS, seeing the feeling of the House,
consented to withdraw the Bill.

The order for the commitment of the Bill was then
di.chargtcl.

CORONERS' BILL.

This Bill, which stood fur a second reading, was also
withdrawn.
ARREST OF ABSCONDING DEBTORS' BILL.
This Bin pas‘ed through Committee.
LAW,OF EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL.
The House then went low Committee on this Bid.
On clause 1 being diacuse- el.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained that the
alteradon in the law of evicteeee, proposed by the first
and second clauses of the Bill, was to allow parties in a
suit, for the future, to ow its in their own
favour. The adven ages to be attained by this
change appealed to him suffici,nrly valuable to over•
weigh any obj. ction which could be urged against it.
The principle was by no means a new one; it was the
usual course for the Court of Chancery. and in the com-
mon law courts sitting in harm.; and, he might say,
the whole of the county court judges, who had bad ex-
perience of the practice in their own courts, with one
exception, were in favour of the alteration.
Clauses 1 and 2 were then agreed to.
On clause 3,
Mr. HENLEY noticed the anomaly proposed by this
clause
not
permitting a husband or wife to give evi-
dence favour of or against each other. Husband and
wife were conaidered one by the law, and he did not see
any reason that in an alteration of this nature such an
exception should be made.
The ATIORNEY-GENERAL admitted that be
could not defend the exception, although he understood
that the majority of the Learned Lords in another place
were in favour of it.
Mr. CROWDER agreed with the Hon. Member for
Oxfordshire in part, and he should therefore propose an
amendment to the (Met that hu.band and with should
be allowed to give evidence in favour of, but not against
each other.
Mr. J. EVANS objected to any such amendment, as
it would diminish the force of the Bill.
The AT fORNEY-GENERAL also objected to the
. middle course proposed by the Ron. and Learned Mem-
ber for Liskeard.
Mr. WAR:LEY suggested that the whole clause should
be omitted tr .m the Bill.
Mr. HENLEY suggested that the restriction, at all
events, should be confined to criminal cases.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL concurred entirely
with the Hon. Member for Oxfordshire that this exc
tion would meet ail he iequirements of the ease.
After a short discueeion the clause, as amended, was
agYeetllo, as was also clause 4.
On clause 5, which eumeted that four days' notice must
be •
defendant a witness,
itlvea. where it was intendedur
to call the plaintiff
and
ix.
ouvvotiL
JOHN EVANS. ANS o bj; entirethe : thistt)ia
cnues.
After some discus,ion, principle,
and e i
the omission o
there.al3l),aiea iscussion, the Committee divided, when
F0r.t14.-plemie
Apine.tt.
111tilori$;*
The clause was
etilleanseatg;ed.
••• •••
The remaining t...
sum d, and the report veaswere ,61 agreed to, the House re-
into
cEILL.
. PHARMACY to be received.
On the motion for goin4
Mr. WAKLEY slot thia aiiiehtnittee on this Bill,
had
proceed so far upon the understanding been allowed to
that the Ball waa
not to pass this isession.—(ilear, gear.)n Subsequently,
however, the Right Honourable
of State for the Herne Ders",:mr°,,,nett the Sec:etary
P
allow the Bill to proceed if all opposition was
to
drawn to it; but the Hon. Member fur Oxfordivs:irs with"
had acted very fairly throughout saw some
who
io the Way of legislation this session, 8"2"
difficulty, anti it
was, therefore, not the lute non of the promoters to
They trusted that next eession thesub.
press it inw.
P, that after it
jecc would he vigowouely taken up, and
bad been censidereel by a Select Committee, something
should be cleric itt the way of legislation. He would
move, simply for the sake of form, that the Bill be cum-
witted this day three months.
Mr. HENLEY thought the House would not be in
with this subject until s position to tool< effectively
fur-
ther inquiry had been in-...de.
Mr. JELL, who had charge of the Bill, had no oh-
jectiono ingliry, but be hoped the Bill would not be
mixed up with the interminable question of medical re-
form:
The motion of Mr. Wskley was then agreed to, and
the Bill was theretore lost.
TiItiLOCAL ACTS (PRELIMINARY INQUIRIES)
This Bill BILL.
wee
403444 teneorro-w.
coati • second time, and ordered to be

37
29
-8

THE SUN,

COPYHOLD ND INCLOSURE COMMISSIONS
This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered
to be iteparttn-morroar.

STOCK IN TRADE BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
VICTORIA-PARK BILL.

This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered to
be reported to-morrow.
COUNTY COUR I'S FURTHER ErrENSION BILL.
The House then went into Committee on this Bill,
and the remaieine clauses were agreed to.
Mr. CROWDER moved the introduction of a clause
to give power to the superior courts or any two judges
to hear appals in term as well as out of term.
Mr. J. EvANs and the ATTORNEY GENERAL opposed
the clause.

Sir J. GRAHAM thought it was desirable to effect
the change which the clause proposed, but, of course, he
should be bound by the law officers of the Crown, and
if they considered the change unnecessary there would
be an end of his support. It occurred to him that the
present system of appeal was too slow and expensive in
its operation.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL did not think so, nor
could be bring himself to believe that this clause would
either facilitate or economise appeals.
After a short discussion, the cl.use was agreed to.
Mr. CROWDER moved the insertion of the following
clause:—" And be it enacted, that when an order shall
be made in any of the said county courts in the nature of
an interpieader order, where the amount in di.pute shall
exceed twenty pounds, any party dissatisfied with the
determination or the said county court in point of law,
may appeal against such order to any of the said superior
courts."
Mr. MULLINGS said, as no inconvenience arose
from the present law, he did not see auy utility in pro-
posing such a clause.
After a few observations from some other Hon. Mem-
bers, the clause was withdrawn.
Mr. CROWDER then moved the following clause:—
vexatious expeeses and delay in pro-
eels, be it enacted, that the judges
"And 1;:e-tptireevsav-nviianpgp
to-cutine
of the said superi,ir courts, or any five of them, of whom a
chief of one of the said superior courts shall be
one. may from time to time, if they shall
think
fic, make general orders far regulating the
gs on appeals, which orders shalt be as valid
included in this Act : provided al-
Panre:ffdettual as it'
ways, that such orders shall not be in force until the
end of the session of Parliament next after the promul-
gation thereof."
The clause was agreed to after a brief discussion.
The Howe then resumed, the Chairman reported pro-
gress, and obtsintd le eve to sit again.
TITHE RENT CHARGE BILL.

This Bill went through Committee.
Th other orders of the day basing been disposed cf,
the House adjourned. •

LONDON AND WESTMINSTER
BANK.—(THIS DAY.)
A special general meeting of the proprietors in this
bank was held this afternoon, at the head office, in
Lothbury, fin' the purpose of receiving the half-yearly
report of the directors and declaring a dividend.
Mr. Alderman Salomons, M.P., presided.
The following is a copy of the directors' report:—
LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BINS, JUNE 30, 1851.
Tne net profit► of the bank during the last half-year
amount to 42,0514 Is. 3d. Out of these profits the di-
rectors now d. clare a dividend at the rate of six per cent.
per annum. Auer the payment of this dividend there
will remain 12,0511. Is. 3d. to be added to the surplus
fund, which will then amount to 112,1581. 13s. 4d.
Dr. .C. s. d.
To proprietors for paid-up capital 1,000,000 0 0
To amount due by the bank tur depo-
sits, circular notes, &c.
To rest, or surplus fund 100.107 12 1
To net profits of the past half-year 42.051 1 3

£5,556,338 11 2

Cr.
By Government Stock, Exchequer-
Bills,And India Bonds
By other Securities, iucludiug bills
discounted, loans to customers, &e 3,810,600 4 1
By caaph in hand 691,719 17 1

.C 5,556,338 11 2
PROFIT AND Loss, JUNE 30, 1851.

Dr. £ s. d
To total expenditure of ',the six esta-
blishments, including rent, taxes,
salaries, stationery, &c 18,682 5 0
To payment of the cl,videud, now de-
clared at the rare of 61. p,-r cent. per _ _

annum tor the !sit halt-year •• 30,000 0 0
To balance of uuappropriattd profits 112,158 13 0

£160,840 18 4

Cr.
By balance of unappropriated profits on

the 31st December, 1850
By gross pr fits of the last half-year
after paying the income•tax, and
making provision for all bad and
cluubtt ul debts 60,733 6 3