The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-31 00:00:00

bankers and merchants of the city of London desired to
give the commissioners power to punish fraudulent
ankrupts or insolvents by sending them to the House
,t Correction. Now, he must say that he never would
onsent to invest any man with the arbitrary power of
ending a person to prison without the intervention of a
iry ; and therefore he could not consent to that propo-
itiou, although he might observe in passing that his hon.
and learned friend who prepared the bill originally seemed
have given his adhesion to it. The offences pecu-
tar to bankrupts, such as the falsification of accounts,
;he concealment of property, and the like, would re-
inire a great deal of consideration, because the languaee
.f the bill as originally framed was not sufficiently pre-
ise to exclude from the operation of the punishment
lenses various dealings which he believed were con-
idered to be perfectly legi'imate in the city of London
—among others, the accepting of accommodation bills.
he mentioned this in the hope that during the recess
heir lordships would direct their particular attention to
his portion of the bill. He himself should devote all
he time in his power to it, and should endeavour, as
,eutiously and guardedly as he could, to frame those
!Wises so as to meet cases of real delinquency. He
loped that he bad kept his word with their lordships,
end that he should not be considered to have entered too
ninutely into details. He had endeavoured to make his
remarks serve rather as an index to the bill, pointing
ut the more important provisions which it contained.
fie trusted that those who took an interest in the sub-
ject would give him the benefit of their assistance and
~deice in considering most carefully the clauses of the
ill, in order that at the commencement of next session
the Government might be enabled to introduce a
neasure which would prove beneficial to the public, and
would receive the ready acceptance of the whole com-
mercial c)mrnunity. (Hear, hear.)
Lord CAMPBELL would cont -nt himself with express-
ing his entire approbation of the Course which had been
aken in this matter by his noble and learned friend on
the woolsack, in having deliberately considered the sub-
ject, and having favoured their lordships with an ou -
line of the measure which he proposed. This certainly
question,
and all must be anxious to as-
sist learned friend in framing his measure
sothat asnios
noble
toasbrhtley andould be generally acceptable to the public.
He trusted that his noble and learned friend would con-
eider whether means could not be adopted for abolishing
the distinction between traders and non-traders, and he
euegested Vat a p6rusal of the Scottish bankruptcy laws
,eight enable him to arrive at a solution of that ques-
tion. The Scotch laws upon the subject generally were
worthy of consideration ; for he believed that under
there the expense of working the commission and dis-
tributing the effects of a bankrupt did not exceed a
charge of 7 per cent. upon the estate, IP contrasted with
about 3t ver cent. under the Eoglieh law.
Lord CRANWORTH expressed his satisfaction at
the lucid statement of his noble and learned friend on

the woolsack. In most of the propositions of his noble
and learned friend he entirely concurred, though, of
course, he could not be expected to give in his assent
to all the details without further consideration. He

was glad that the noble lord proposed to amend be-
fore consolidating, for of coarse until it was settled

what the law on the subject was to be it was impos-
sible to propeed to consolidate it. He sincerely hoped
that in the course of the next session a comprehensive

measure of amendment and consolidation on this subject
should pass into law.
The bill •S then rPad a first time.
CONSOLIDATED FUND APPROPRIATION BILL.
This bid was read a third t me and passed.
The CLERK at the table reported that the Commons

agreed to the Lords' amendments in the Local Govern-
ment Bill ; that the C ,mmons did not persevere in their
~bjections to the amendments in the Government of India
Bi 1 on which their lordships insisted ; that the C ,rnmons
disagreed from the Lords' amendments in the Divorce
and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Bill.
Their lordships then res 1 ved not to insist on their
ainPridments in the last measure.

The honqe aajlu;ned shortly before 9 o'clock till a
quarter to 2 on Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
THE OPIUM TRADE.

Numerous petiti.n4 were presented condemning the
opiu .. trade in China.
ELECTIONS BY VOTING PAPERS.

Mr. ROEBUCK pre.ented a petition from a gentle
man who advocates elections by voting paper&
TRUSTEES AND EXECUTORS.

Mr. ROEBUCK asked the Attorney-General if it was
the intenti n of Government to bring in a bill next
session of Parliament to relieve trustees and executors
from the present severe laws affecting them, and to en.
large their powers for the better administration of trust
estates.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, after referring to the
question, and what had been done in respect to it, said it
would be somewhat presumptuous in him after the difficul-
ties felt in so many quarters to make any promise
on the subject. He should be prepared, if it lay in his
power, to remove the objections felt, and if he succeeded
e should be ready to submit a bill to the attention of
the house next session, but only on the supposition that
be thought the difficulty could be overcome.

RETURNS.
Numerous unoppised returns were ordered.
SERGEANT BRODIE.

In reply to Mr. CONINGHAM,
General PEEL said it was impossible for him to say
what private communications had passed between his
predecessors and Sergeant Brodie, but no official docu-
ment or remonstrance from Sergeant Brodie was in the
office of the department over which he (General Peel)
presided. Sergeant Brodie was appointed fireman
the saddlery department, subject to the same terms
of dismissal as others, and it was not customary
to make allowance for anything that was done privately
before quitting office. Sergeant Brodie was dismissed
on the 18th of September, and so far from refusing the
gratuity offered to him, he (General Peel) had seen a
receipt from Sergeant Brodie, dated September 19th,
acknowledging its receipt. The alterations suggested by
Sergeant Brodie in the saddlery had been submitted
to the Inspector-General of Cavalry, who had
decided against their adoption, and it was not customary
to give remuneration in cases where the suggestions were
not adopted. With regard to the last question, he had
to state that Captain Smith received 103. a day as
salary in addition to his half-pay.
' SIJBALTERNS OF THE ARMY.

Colonel FREESTUN gave notice that early next
session he should call the attention of the house to the
condition of the subalterns of the army.
In reply to a question from Mr. CRAWFORD,
Mr. HAMILTON said the answer from the Austrian
Government with reference to the telegraph from Corfu
to Alexandria had not yet been r,-ceive,i.
BANKRUP ICY AND INSOLVENT LAWS.
Mr. NICOLL asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
if it was the intenti ,n of her Majesty's Government to
lay upon the tahle of either house the long-promised bill
to amend the law relating to bankruptcya: d insolvency,
so that members might have an opportunity to consider
the same dlring the recess.
Toe CITA NCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
understood the Lord Chanealor int,nded to introduce a
bill of this kind that night in the House o! Lords.