The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-17 00:00:00

bankruptcy laN(.? If an alteration were made in these re-

speets it would remove a great objection to the present bill.
By the 173 d section creditors might file an affidavit in the
district court against a debtor, and the court might issue a
summons to show cause why he should not be adjudged a
bankrupt, which summons was to be returnable in four days
from the issuing thereof, so that as the bill stood a non-
trader might be summoned for £2O, to appear in four days,

and, if he failed to do so,, might be adjudged a bankrupt.
Nothing could be more convenient as an engine of oppres-
sion than this. At present a summons in )he case of traders
was returnable in 14 days ; and even this had been regarded
in mercantile circles as productive of great hardship ; but
to extend it to non-traders, and to reduce the time from 14
to four days, was a proceeding unnecessarily harsh. (Hear,
hear

Unless the Attorney-General limited this provision

should be postponed, in order that it might be discussed at
an evening sitting.
Mr. HENLEY thought the proposal of the noble lord a
fair one, and should offerno opposition to it. If this clause
was postponed safeguards might be provided which would
remove many of the objections to it.
Lord J. MANNERS was afraid that if this clause was
postponed to the end of the bill it might come to be dis-
cussed in a very thin house.
Lord PALMERSTON thought that if the clause was
postponed its opponents and his hon. and learned friend
might come to an understanding as to the safeguards to be
) provided, and it might be aseertdined whether or not the
clause would be agreed to.
Mr. CAYLEY asked why they should not go on with the
clause on Thursday evening.
Sir G. LEWIS explained that when a clause was post-
poned it could only be discussed after all others were agreed
' to.

Mr. E. JAMES objected to any private arrangement as
to this clause.
Mr. MALINS said that the clause now under considera-
tion was of the very essence of the bill, and he wished to
know whether, if it was rejected, the Attorney-General
would withdraw the bill. If he was disposed to do so, it
would be useless to ask. the house to spend several mornings
in consideration of other clauses.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought the proposal of
his noble friend the best that could be adopted. The clauses
of the bill might be so altered as to remove many of the
objections to the principle in dispute, and many opportuni-
ties would arise in the consideration of the subsequent pro-
visions of the bill for discussing whether or not non-traders
should be included within its operation. Although he
thought it was most important that they should be included,
he should not be disposed to abandon the measure if the
house decided that they should not. The greater part of
the remaining clauses were merely a repetition of the exist-
ing law, inserted in order that the whole of the law might
be comprehended in one Act. He therefore thought there
was a reasonable prospect of arriving at the end of the bill
in time for it to go to the other house, so as to be passed into
law during the present session.
Lord PALMERSTON.—I think the best way will be to
fix the bill for Thursday evening. (Hear, hear.)
Sir H. CAIRNS was glad the noble lord had fixed the
further consideration of the bill for Thursday evening, as it
would be impossible to proceed with one clause before the
committee had arrived at a decision upon the principle of
excluding non-traders.
Mr. BOUVERIE suggested to the Attorney-General
the propriety of so amending the subsequent clauses of the
bill as to obviate the objections entertained to the clause re-
lating to non-traders.
Mr. AYRTON thought that if the Attorney-General
wished to pass his bill he should limit its application to
traders, leaving the question as to non-traders to be dealt
with in a separate measure in a future session.
The further consideration of the bill in committee was
then fixed for Thursday evening.
REFRESHMENT HOUSES AND WINE LICENSES
(IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion for the committal of this bill,
Mr. HENNESSY moved as an amendment that it be
committed that day three months. The hon. gentleman
complained that the Secretary to the Treasury had stated,
in reply to the hon. member for Montrose, that there was
no intention to extend- the measure to Scotland and Ire-
land; that the resolutions had, in the first instance, been
incorrectly printed; but the error bad been corrected.
During the whole debate on the English bill there was a
distinct understanding to the same effect. It was on that
ground alone that several Irish members had afforded their
support ; and the Lord Mayor of Dublin had given up a
great meeting which he was going to hold in conformity
with a requisition presented to him, and signed by 2,000
persons, There were many reasons why the English law
should not be extended to Ireland. In the first place, the
licensing system was different. The consumption of wine,
too, did not in Ireland tend to diminish the consumption of
ardent spirits. It was a remarkable fact, that while, during
a series of years, the consumption of spirits had decreased
in Ireland, the consumption of tea had increased. Fur-
thermore, it was the opinion of every authority in Ireland
that an extension of the licensing system tended to promote
intemperance. He should move that the bill be committed
that day three months.
Colonel DUNNE seconded the motion, in the hope of
calling the attention of the Government to the position in
which they placed the police of Ireland by the bill. It gave
to the excise the power of giving licenses to refreshment
houses, and not the magistrates. The Government ought to
take measures to restrain the sale of these spirituous liquors
under proper authority.
Lord J. MANNERS complained of this important bill
being brought on at such a late hour. It had stood for some
time on the paper, and the amendment had also been known
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the same length of
time. He should therefore move that the debate be now ad-
journed. It was an opposed bill, which must lead to a good
deal of discussion.
The CHAN,2ELLOII. of the EXCHEQUER. said there
were some matters which must bo brought on after twelve
o'clock, even if they were opposed, and he thought the pre-
sent a very fair case. The hon. member for the King's
County had stated his case against the bill, but it was quite
obvious the time and place for his motion was on the second
reading, which had been taken so early as eight o'clock in
the evening, with a great number of Irish members present
in the house. There had been no breach of faith in the
bringing in of this bill ; the resolutions had been originalli
passed for the three countries. The bill had been printed
for a month, and there had been few or no petitions
against it.
After a conversation, in which Colonel Dunne, Mr.
O'Brien, Mr. Blake, Mr. M'Mahon, Mr. Hennessy, Mr.
Laing, Mr. Butt, and Colonel Dickson, took part, the house
divided on Mr. Hennessy's amendment—
For the amendment
Against it 136-98
' The bill passed through committee pro forma.
• PRISONS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
TLis bill passed through committee.
REFRESHMENT HOUSES AND WINE LICENSES
(SCOTLAND) BILL.
The order for the second reading of this bill was dis'
charged.
The other orders were disposed of, and the house VA'
journed at 3 o'clock.
he

LOUNTRY IIIARK.B. 7S.

COLCHESTER -Jur y 14.

The fine weather has its influence on the trade. Thera
was a rather small supply of wheat, and business was Blasco
at barely late rates. Spring (Inn quiet.
Wheat, white 6os to 649: Beans, Mazagan. 378 to 403
red 56s to 608 ! Middle & small to 440
Barley 36s to 50s 1 White peas 3Bs to 411
Oats 2os to 28s 1 Grey 38s to 403