The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-05 00:00:00

BANKRUPTCY COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

'(Before Mr. Coromi,sioner EVANS.)
SIR GEORGE DUCKETT AND CO.'S BANKRUPITY•

A meeting of cl-editors took place this day at Basinghall-
street, under the fiat issued against the above banking firm,
for the purpose of proving debts and choosing assignees.
Mr. MotiTaGn appeared as Counsel for the petitioning
creditor, and having, we believe, applied in vain to Mr.
Evans foe:permission to act without his wig, appeared both
in wig and gown, but observed, on taking his seat, that it
was the wish of the Court of Review, that Counsel ap-
pearing before the Commissioners should be without either
wig or gown.

Mr. Commissioner Evaws slid that he knew nothing
about that, and certainly no Counsel should appear before
him without both.

Mr. Mowntuu answered that he had only tkought it
right to tn.,ntinn what was the wish of the highereJurt,
but the public could yet be appealed to on that point.
Mr. Commissioner EvA —I cannot have such languag •
addressed to me.

Mr. MONT AG shall use whatever language[ t
think myself justified in using.
Mr. Commissioner EvANs—You had better take care.
Mr. MONTAGU—Ay, ay, Sir, I shall take care.
Thus ended the discussion upon the subject of the wig ;
one which, perhaps, to the unlearned wort I, may appear
very unworthy of exciting the ire of two learned and
wigged personages, but which perhaps we can a little en-
lighten the public upon by stating, that putting on the
wig among lawyers, is as great a mark of respect as put-
ting off the hat among civilians, and vice versa.
The Treasurer of the Naval and Military Library and
Museum, but not drawing the cheques, appeared to prove
for the debt of that institution; but as it was nut incor-
porated, the Commissioner decided that he could not prove
for it as its agent.

A creditor wished to ask the advice of the Commissioners
under these circumstances :—He had paid into the bank.
rupts' han is two cheqeus : they had not presented
them for p tyment till alter the bankruptcy, and he there-
fore submitted that they were not entitled to consider them
as cash, but they had done so, and he now wished to know
whether he ought not to prove for his debt short the
amount of these cheques.

The Commissioner said, that if the creditor was certain
of his right to the cheques, he had better only prove for the
YI mailer amount.

The gentleman accordingly did so.
Various other creditors proved their debts : many were
~f a large amount, but the lar,est was that of the Rev.
l'hotnas Blker, which was fur 4,990. 1
The principal question, however, was as to the ability of
Mr. Barber Beaumont to prove a debt on behalf of the
County Fire-office, he being Managing Director of the
Company, and two of the bankrupts being partners of the
Company.

After a long argument, in which Mr. MoNTauti ap-
pear, d for the petitioning creditor and Mr. BA RRA N, soli-
citor to the County Fire-office, for the Company, the
Cotumissioner decided that according to the authorities,
which were certainly conflicting, the proof could not be
a imitted.

After some discussion, Henry Ellis, of Welheck-street,
Esq., Charles Baldwin, of Parliament-street, , Lewis
I,„weil, of John-street, Berkeley-square, Esq., and Mr.
Pugh, coil-merchant, were chosen assignees.
Further pro 4 were then tendered to the amount of
60,000/. or 70,000/.

THE MARKETS.—(THIS DAY.)
GENERAL AVE:tAG E PRICE 01. BRITISH CORN,
For the Week enilen March:lo,l,l32, made up from the Returns
of the Inspectors in the different Cities and 'l'owns in England
and Wales, pei Imperial Quarter.
Wheat-- 59s 9d.1 Oats 295. 11d.1 Beans...._.. 345. 3d.
Barley I'd I Rye 36,5. 0(1.1 Pease.-- 34s lid.
51PKRIAL AGGREGATE AVERAUER OF THE SIX WEEKS PRECEDING.
Wheat--.....59.. at Oats 21s. Id.ißeans.- 345. sd.
: 345. 3d. Rye 34e. 6(1.1 Pease 35s 10d.
ut/rims UN I•UkIIGN CORN.
Wheat-- 275. Sd.l Oats 15s, 3d. 18s. 3d.
10d.l Rye ISs. 3.1 16s. 9d.

-
HAY MARKETS.--(At per Load of 36 Trusses.)
CU MBERLIND 1.. ATE ST. JAMES'S.)
Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay £2 lu to .£2 15
,:ew Meadow Hay 0 0 0 0
Jseful Old Ditto .. ......................... ............ 3 0 315
Fine Upland Meadow and 11:ye-graas flay 4 5 415 t,
:lover flay ............................. .. ......... .
Oat Straw .......£1 12 to £1 14 1 Wheat .!,t,aw 1 1 2Of
Meadow Hay Si. per load higher than last quoted; prim o
Straw stationary. A moderate supply, and a steady trade.

f

't.

WEST INDIA TRADE.

ME.ETING.-(TEIIS DAY.)

In pursuance of an invitation, signed by s great number
of individuals connected with the West India Colonies, in-
cluding several of the nobility, and nearly all the principal
merchants, ship-owners, &c., interested in the preservation
of the trade to the West Indies, a public meeting was held
this day at the City of London Tavern. The following is a
list of the signatures to the requesition

Sligo,
Chandos,
Harevrood,
St. Vincent,
Saltoun,
Reay,
Pitt Rivers,
E. a East, Bart.
William Fraser,
W. H. Cooper, Bart.
Shaw Stewart, Bart. M.P.
Alexander Cray Grant, Bart.
W. Windham Dalling, Bart.
It W. Martin, Bart.
John Irving, M.P,
G. Watson Taylor, M.P.
R. Gordon, M.P.
P. M. Stewart, M.P.
W. Burge, M.P.
Duncan Davidson, M.P.
J. P. Mayers,
A. Browne,

J. Colquhoun,
N. Malcolm,
George Ilibbert,

A. Colvile,
Henry Bright,

W. and J. Barton,
James Urquhart
I'. Urquhart,
Vardon and Sons,
Ward, Brettle, and Ward,
John Dixon.
Shepherd and Smith.
William Morrice,
James Thompson,
Thomas Hall and Co.
Francis Henry Mitchell,
John and Thomas Dawson
Judah Cohen,
John Shedden,
l)omett, Young, and England,
Thomas Benson,
George Miller,
A. Stewart and Westmoreland
Alves and Steele,
John Bannatyne,
John A. Meaburn,
Thomas Fowles,

A. G. Milne,
Henry Cheape,
Alexander Seton,

Henry Davidson,
W. Maxwell Alexaider,
Samuel Hibbert,

Robert Young,
John Piric and Co,

David Harvie,
Joseph H. Ritchie,
Brown, Danson, and Co.

Charles Edward Long,

Francis Rivaz,

Oswald Smith,
Thompson and Forman,
Alexander Grant,
George Shedden,
Hyde G. Williams,
Hugh Hyndman,
Henry Powell,
G. A. Browne,
John Saunders, jun.
Thomas Elliot,
George Robertson,
Bond, Nicholson, and Co,
Borradaile and Co.
Brandrams and Co.
W. and J. Barker,
Brown and Lenox,
W. and J. Brownings,
R. and W. Bond,
Thomas Todd,
J. Chippendale and Sons,
James Davidson, jun.
Hoggart and Fulbrook,
W. S. Ilale,
Thomas and John Letts,
Mortimer and Co.
John Mackenzie and Co.
Pontifex, Sons, and Wood,
John Robertson,
John Saunders,
W. and J. Sharpe,
Turnley Brothers,
The meeting was exceedingly crowded by gentlemen of
the first respectability, who took a great interest in the re-
sult of the day's proceedings. Indeed we never witnessed a
more crowded or more respectable assemblage. More
gentlemen went away for want of accommodation that the
room contained. The stairs presented two streams of
people continually going up and going down.
The Earl of HAREWOOD was unanimously called to
the Chair, and after the confusion created by the e•rovveled
state of the room had in some degree subsided, the Noble
Earl addressed the Meeting as follows :—Gentlemen, be-
fare I proceed to the business of the day, I must
beg in the first place, to mention that a Noble Lord
(the Marquis of Chandos), who has been in the
habit of representing here the interests of the West
India body, is unavoidably prevented from attending
to-day, which alone is the cause of my having the honour
of being appointed to the chair. That Noble Lord his
been unremittingly attentive to the interests of the West
India planters, and I would much rather have seen him in
the chair upon this occasion than myself. I, therefore,
beg leave to offer on his b.-half his apology for not attend.
ing, being pree•sed by other matter. I feel that standing
before so numerous and respectable a body as that now
present, that a most arduous and melancholy duty is im-
posed upon me in endeavouring to draw your attention,
which I not do by any thing from myse.f, to
the situation in which all the West India pro-
prietors are involved. I do not desire to attribute
that distress to any particular circumstances connected
with party or political persons, but I desire that that dis-
tress may be considered, as it operates not only on indivi-
dual, but on the national interest of this country.
I am the more anxious now than upon ordinary occasions
to present myself before you, the West India pro-
prietors, and in the heart of this metropolis, be-
cause I feel that there are aspersions gone forth
concerning West India property which deserve
to be met fairly and honestly, which we can do before our
nountey.—(Cheers.) I, among otbere, am a sufferer ; but
I am not a sufferer equal to those who may have nothing
but their West India property,—(Hear, hear.) It is on
• their behalf that lam anxious to plead their cause, if I
can, indifferent, I may say, as to the fate of my own.—
(Hear, hear.) There have been strong feelings cre-
ated in this country of prejudice against all proprietors
of West India property, as possessors of a slave popula-
tion. Nut only has that been made a topic of charge
against us, as it we were thereby wickedly and improperly
deriving profits from the labour of those individuals. I
will speak not only for myself, but for all other proprie-
tors of West India property, that we would anxiously, if
We could, do without that description of labour.—(Hear.)
But we may say that being proprietors, we are not justly
dealt with ; and I am appealing to a part of my country-
men who are endeavouring to sink that interest by misre-
presentations, which, when coricJeted, were known by
those who concoctel them to be false, or to possess a
colour which they could not bear. Will it be said that in
a slave population, where some acts may be done,
which always will be done, arising out of the
wickedness of human nature, where a solitary instance,
or even more than a solitary instance, might occur, that
it was to be magnified so as to sink the proprietors of
that property in public estimation, and to hold them up
to odium ? How does the matter stand ? We are
unfortunately circumstanced. If our returns are bad—it
they amount to nothing, or if they amount to little
more than nothing, what course are we to adopt?
Why to hold on and support those persons from
whose labour we derive nothing.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Is that the case with any other description of property ?
It persons are engaged in manufacture; if public works
are erected, the moment those works cease to be pro-
fitable, that moment the hands employed on them are
dismissed. Can we do that ? I mention that to shew that
it is not the wish of the proprietors to hold a population in
that state of society if they could do otherwise. But let
all those who are finding fault with us show us the way
out of it. It will not do to say that because an indivi-
vidual holds property in the West Indies that he is a loser,
and that he is not to have a due consideration for his
own interests as well as for the peace, the happiness
(notwithstanding the slavery), the safety and security
of those islands.—(Chetra.) In that state of society are
we now living in. I mention these things to remove
that unwarrantable blame which has been cast on us as
pertops who were wilfully and wilingly resisting an eman-
cipation, The charge is not true; anti when I consider
more closely some ,if the circumsances of distress, under
which we are now suffering, I beg to declare that
I am not dispeee,i to say that every description of distress
suffered by the proprietors, was occasioned solely by a
mismanagement of the slaves, or by our interference with
the slave population ; there are other circumstances ope-
rating on the
property of the old colonies. The ceded
colonies produced a great quantity of sugar to this king-
detro,.."(ii That certainly has its effect, but because it had its
colonies, it
the policy of this country to leave our own
carried on by British enterprise and British ca-
pital, to ruin.t
Since that policy has crept in, the this-
hrzsreil )
state of circumstances has existed.—(Hear,
whichl ' would wish to mention a subject
SW
(it, "OW to be of rather a delicate nature ; and as I
I"ed in this meeting, both with respect to the parties
assembled d thing be. qr.,. from my own feelings, to ex, lode any
(1;4., . aring a complezioo of political or party views, I
'airn it I would not appear here to• day if I were to
. entertain the subject in that point of view. But I
ctoanthneot(.l)ls
.m, 1p adverting to th ,t act of Government, relating
.
In ads., refers
Council of November last.—( Hear, hear.)
a resolution g ttieee Orders in Council, I sin led to
"t 1 of Pirliatrient in the year 1823, and I must
say that tho,e w 1
the decision of tlO were parties to tha• resolution, and to
the alive mana
g e r.
House Coinnions in 1823 respecting
he
in Council of 1831ent ought not to be parties to the Order
colonial distress,_we We were living in times of great
lonial agitation was :ere living in times when great co-
policy and wisd n foot_when it would hive been
out to .
€ conciliated rather than to have in-
-11 flamed. But what has been the effect of the Order in Conn-
-61011831 ? bearing on the face of it irritation towards the

D. and A. Wilkinson,
Thomas Wilson,
Alexander Grant
Dando and Co.
John George and John Lindsay
A. T. Nash and Co.
Barclay and Daniell,
W. H. and J. Oakey.
George Frederick Young,
James Innes,
Fraser, Hullah, and Co.
W. R. Rennalls,
A. R. Dottin,
John Baillie,
Henry G. FranckVll,
Charles M'Garel,
James Cavan,
Alexander Hill,
George Carrington,
Rowland Mitchell,
A. B. Cumberbatch,
John Henry Deffell,
Robert Hawthorn,
Warner Ottley,
Samuel Cunningham,
Spencer Mackay,
Q. Shiell,
T. I). Hall,
J. H. Massy Dawson,
Henry Shirley.