The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-10 00:00:00

GREAT LUXEMBOURG.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the London Tavern ; the lion. F. Scott
in the chair.

The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN", in moving the adoption of the
report, regretted the fulling off in the receipts,
which he attributed to the fact that since 1863 the
rates of the company had been gradually reduced
to an unremunerative point. They were carrying
the main portion of their traffic at rather less than
id. per ton per mile. This was owing to the Go-
verment having reduced its rates on the State lines,
and, while professing to leave all the conceded com-
panies free, taking care to give the traffic to those
lines only having rates uniform with those of the
State lines, so that to save their legitimate traffic
from being diverted to other companies, they bad to
reduce their rates. Strong representations had been
made, and would still be made, to the Minister of
Finance upon the subject, which he hoped the share-
holders would support.

Mr. FENTON seconded the motion for the adop-
tion of the report.

Mr. FILDES, M.P., said the directors might rely
upon the shareholders supporting them in any mea-
sure, however strong, for putting the line right with
the Government. His only wonder was that the
board had not taken the strongest possible course
and raised the fares without at all consulting the
shareholders. At the same time he thought that
some notice should have been taken both in the
report and iu the chairman's speech of the com-
mittee of consultation mooted at the last meeting,
and the causes of the retirement of one of the most
active members of the board, Mr. Holland, of
Liverpool. He thought the letter addressed to the
Minister ought to have been followed by prompt
action on the part of the board.
Mr. NIELD, as one of the committee of consulta-
tion, could say the only question to be considered
was whether the railway could be better managed
by a resident manager sent over from England, and
at the conference the committee found that the
management of affairs i❑ Brussels was as satisfac-
tory as could be wished, and that it would be next
to impossible to improve it to any great extent.
After some further discassiou the report was
adopted.

The CIIAIRM.A.N, in moving that the dividend of
12f. 15c. on the preference shares be recommended
for adoption at the meeting in Brussels, replied to
the observations of Mr. Fildes, remarking that it
was impossible that the deductions from revenue
could keep pace with renewals. They were
doubling the line and making more station accom-
modation, but not more than they were obliged to.
The only thing the board could do was to make the
renewals and additions as cheaply as possible and
work the line as economically as possible.
Mr. FENTON seconded the motion, which was
adopted, and a vote of thanks to the chairman
concluded the proceedings.

7IIE ME7ROPOLITAN AND PROVINCIAL
LATV A.SSOCIA7ION.

4-

The annual provincial meeting of the members
and friends of this association was held yesterday
at the Manchester Towu-hall. Mr. H. S. Wash-
brough, of Bristol, the chairman of the association,
presided. There was a numerous attendance.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said
it was now ten years since the association held a
meeting in this city. Their last meeting was per-
haps the most successful on the list of the annual
gatherings, and it was impossible to recur to it
without feelings of gratification and pleasure. Meet-
ing again iu the birthplace of the association, after
20 years' existence, the question naturally arose
whether the association had wiswered the expecta-
tion of its promoters, and whether its aims and ob-
jects Lad been realised. lie was happy to believe
that, although the association might not have ac-
complished all that it aimed at, yet those questions
might be in the main unhesitatingly answered in the
affirmative. The measures taken by the society
with respect to legal education had been highly bene-
ficial, and it was gratifying to observe the increas-
ing number of graduates of Oxford and Cambridge
who entered the profession. While the interests of
the profession had been carefully watched and pro-
moted by the society, the public had in an equal
degree been considered by the profession. This
was particularly the case with respect to the transfer
of land, and that the public had not been aggrieved
by the present system of conveyancing was shown
by the increasing value of land and the avidity
with which it was bought up. A gradual reform,
however, had been for years making its vay, for
which the public were indebted solely to the profes-
sion ; he referred to the practice of commencing
titles at the most recent period consistent with safety,
and of framing conditions of sale and contract with
such restrictions and guards as to throw the least
possible expense on both vendors and purchasers.
The Bankruptcy Bill which was brought before
Parliament last session was highly approved by the
committee, who, after mature consideration, and
after communication with the various provincial
law societies, prepared a petition to Parliament
praying for certain amendments. The all-engross-
ing claims of the Reform Bill caused the withdrawal
of the Bankruptcy Bill ; but he believed that that
would not prove disadvantageous, as it was impor-
tant that the utmost consideration should be given
to the whole subject; and he trusted that the result
would be a measure of a more permanent character
than the existing law, and more acceptable to the
public. Whilst the really unfortunate bankrupt
should be relieved and protected, the fraudulent and
unscrupulous trader should be prevented from get-
ting rid of his responsibilities as easily as the present
state of the law enabled him to do, It was hoped
that in future legislation on this subject that prin-
ciple would be kept in view. The subject of the
proposed new law courts in London had been care-
fully considered by the committee. Up to the pre-
sent time none of the plans of the competing archi-
tects had been adopted, although it had been stated
that the ground plans of one architect and the ele-
vation of another had been selected by the Commis-
sion, and that the authors of those designs were to
be employed in the erection of the buildings. Com-
promises were seldom satisfactory ; and he trusted,
in a work of such magnitude and national import-
ance, no compromise of that kind would be allowed.
Although Mr. Barry's design might afford the best
ground plan,it was understood to be by no means per-
fect; and it was to be hoped that no design would be
adopted until a general ground plan showing all the
requirements of the building, and perfect in all its
details as far as it was possible to make it, was
settled and approved. A convenient and well-
considered arrangement was of the first import-
ance ; and when that w as effected the rest
would be comparatively easy ; for no one who
had seen the masterly production of sonic of the
competing architects could doubt their ability to de-
sign a structure worthy of the dignity of the nation
and of the objects to which it would be devoted.
An important change relative to the appellate Court
of Chancery demanded the attention of the profes-
sion, viz., the act which gave the Lords Justices the
power to sit singly as appellate judges. He ventured
to express a doubt as to the advantage of this change.
The whole subject of appellate jurisdiction must
soon force itself on the attention of Parliament, and
it was to be hoped that the subject of this Appeal
Court would be re-considered. Having regard to
the vast MASS of property involved in the decisions
of the Courts, no greater mistake could be made
than an attempt to save money by keeping down
the number of judges required to transact the busi-
ness of the country efficiently. There was little
doubt that by keeping pace with the increased in-
telligence of the age, and the gradual introduction
into the examinations of a still higher standard of
education, the branch of the profession to which
they belonged would take equal rank with the other
learned professional bodies of England.
In the course of the discussion which followed,
Mr. SIIAEN (London) said that the time was com-
ing when, amidst the inquiries into trade unions,

the law Would have to stand inquiry ; for Ile thought
that the public would not long remain satisfied with
a system which was enforced by rules which, although
not of so rough a nature as those which had re-
cently been brought to light in this city, had ex-
actly the same object, viz., to increase the pay given
for a certain amount of work, quite irrespective
either of the laws of supply and demand, or the
value of the work itself. They would do no good
by avoiding going fully and frankly into the subject.
If the public called for a radical reform in the
organisation of the profession, his conviction wo4o,
that the result must be something more like a re-
volution than any other thing which could be looked
forward to in this country. They would find that
the artificial division of the profession to the two
branches of advocate and solicitor was unnecessary,
and mischievous both to the pocket of the client
and the administration of justice. The question as
to division of labour which was the only ground ou
which the distinction could be at all justified, was
best left to itself to find its own level. He believed
that questions of law would be argued as well by an
attorney who had seen his brief grow up in his own
office, as by a barrister who had spent only one or
two nights in reading it.

Mr. J. BULMER (Leeds) said that the opinions
which he had expressed to the Society fifteen years
ago had undergone no change. He looked upon
the division as having a very bad effect. It was
most desirable that in their branch of the profes-
sion they should have men of a high cast of cha•
racter and conduct, and they could not expect such
men to enter a profession which was deprived of all
honours.

Mr. C. A. SMITH (Greeuwich) said he could not
concur in the remarks which had just been made.
(Hear, hear.) He looked upon the functions of the
barrister as totally distinct from those of the attor-
ney; they had been so for time out of mind, and
there were many reasons why they should continue
to be so. The barrister ought not to be implicated
in getting up the facts of a case. It was highly
important that the status of the bench should b 3
pre3erved, and he did not think it would be im-
proved by the infusion of men of a minor character
of mind and position. As to matters of etiquette/
they naturally followed from the division which
existed. One could not bo abolished without the
other.

Mr. S. lIEELIS read a paper on the best mode of
investing funds for the endowment of charities. Ho
recommended that such money should be invested
in land.

Mr. WADIIAM (Bristol) opposed Mr. Ileelis'S
suggestion, which he said he thought would give
strength to the Radical proposition for a subdivision
of land, on the continental system.
Mr. BUNTING (Manchester) said this was a pet
subject with the Social Science Association, and
both at the Manchester meeting and former ones
discussions took place on it. The opinions of the
people who talked most in this age were against
investments in land.

Mr. MARSHALL (Leeds) protested against the
consideration of a pure matter of law being mixed
up with politics.
Mr. RYLAND (Birmingham) said that a striking
instance of the result of investments was afforded
by the Grammar Schools at Birmingham and King s
Norton, to each of which was given an equal slat
of money in the reign of King Edward VI. Tile
money which was invested in land was now yield-
ing more than £20,000 per annum, owing t°
the increased value of land. The money invest'
ment was still producing a miserable income, not
sufficient to keep together anything more than
a village school, whereas the other was growing to
the proportions of a college. This matter should he
considered in regard to its effect upon the produe'
tiveness of the land, and it was found that when
landlords were unfettered by settlements there were
greater facilities for getting improvements.
Mr. SANKEY (Leeds) said they could not help con:
sidering the political view, as otherwise they woule
not be able to take both sides of the question into
consideration. His opinion was that by the con'
tinual tying-up of land they prevented it becoming
a marketable commodity, and therefore prevented
its increase in value and affected the general profs'
perity of the country.

Mr. S. lIEELis said he was not prepared to dis•
cuss the general policy of the country as to 1513°
under the text which he had given them. Lookil4
to the interest which they were asked to advise upon'
he submitted that land was the best investment.
The discussion then adjourned.