The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-12 00:00:00

Acting Manager—fir. Wm. Smith.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.-
Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Wm. BA'rrir.
Immense success of " Turpin's Ride to York."
A Grand Morning Performance will take place on Friday,
Feb. 15, commencing at two o'clock with the Pantomime.
THIS EVENING. will 'be reproduced TTJR PIN'S RIDE
TO YORK, AND THE DEATH OF BLACK BESS, in
which the Brothers Edwin will appear with their celebrated
Steed Black Bess.
To be succeeded by Scenes in the Arena, supported by
talented Parisian and British Artistes.
Concluding, with Batty's Prize Equestian Comic Panto-
mime, for Good Little Boys and Girls, by T. L. Greenwood,
entitled HARLEQUIN AND THE WONDERFUL
HORSE or. Percinet and Grociosa, the Ugly Duchess and
the Greedy King, produced with Gorgeous Scenery, by Mr.
Cuthbert, new Costumes and Appointments, and introducing
in the comic scenes 13atty's Prize Equestrian Harlequinade,
and the celebrated Old Bob Ridley.
Box-office open daily from 11 till 4
Stage Manager—Mr. W. WEST.
Director of the Arena—Mr. Pearson.
Commence at 7.

CANTERBURY-HALL CONCERTS
A Grand Selection from Verdi's Opera,

IL CORSARO,
consisting of the following Morceauz:—
Preludio.
Coro Scena ed Aria. " Tntto y arca Sorridere"
Corn di Odalische. " Oh qual perenne"
Cavatina " Vola talor dal Carcere"
Corn ed inno
Scena ed Aria. " Cent() leggiadre Vergini"
Terzetto Finale "Vol tacete io non"
will shortly be produced, in the orignal key and Italian
lancruage—the first time of yerformance in this country—in
addition to the usual attractions.
Mr. F. JONGHMANS, Musical Director.
Also, in preparation, Selections from Verdi's New Operas,
tin Ballo in Maschera," "Simon Boccane;ra ;" and Flo-
w's celebrated Opera of "Stradella."

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
MIA DAY.—Morning, 3h. 39m.—Afternoon, 3h. 54m.
To-monn.ow.-Morning, 4h. Sm.—Afternoon, "4h. 26m.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, FEB. 12, 1361.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
37—highest since noon yesterday.
25—iowest this morning and during the night.
34—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-29.70.
WlND—South-Westerly ; light with tine weather.

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THE SUN.
LONDON, TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 1661.1

The ablest practical lawyer of his age; her
MAJESTY'S Attorney-General, has already grappled
in veritable earnest with the multifarious abuses
resulting from the present state of the law relating
to Bankruptcy and Insolvency. Sir RICHARD
BETHELL has, in regard to this, perhaps the most
essential, certainly the most clamorously demanded
of all the great law reforms, undertaken to accom-
plish that which we would fain have seen at last
attempted to be accomplished by Lord JOHN Rus-
SELL in regard to the reform of our whole system
of popular representation. Instead of regulating his
course by a selection obdurately made between the
horns of that intolerable dilemma, an extreme and
extravagant alternative—instead of resolving obsti-
nately either to do All, or to do Nothing, the Chief
Law Adviser of the Crown has wisely taken his
immediate course intermediately, and has thus most
effectively and effectually removed every obstacle
that lay in the way of instant legislation with a
view to the amendment of the laws relating to
Bankruptcy and Insolvency.

How ingeniously, promptly, and judiciously all
this ',has been accomplished, may be readily un-
derstood by instituting here a merely momentary
comparison between the scope of Sir RICHARD
BETHELVS Bill of last year and that of the revised
and restricted, but still sufficiently com-
prehensive measure introduced by him last
evening to the consideration of the House of Com-
mons, and explained in all its more essential parts
through the medium of the Attorney-General's
singularly clear and masterly exposition. It is
observable, then, in the first instance, that the
Bankruptcy Bill ineffectually introduced during
the course of last session by the same eminent, Iwo
might say of him without fear of being deemed
invidious in regard even to the most illustrious of
his professional contemporaries, by the same pre-
eminent lawyer.—Sir R. BETHELL'S Bankruptcy
Bill of last year aspired to accomplish the complete
revision and re-arrangement of the whole body of
English law relating to Debtor and Creditor. It
aimed, in fact, in regard to that particular depart-
ment of the commercial code of this great mer-
cantile community, at a root and branch reform of
it that would result at its close, in one word, in its
total and absolute "consolidation." The adventure,
worthier though it may still be deemed of Sir
RienanD BETIIELL'S distinguished reputation,
Preyed, as we all of us very well remember, en-
tirely futile—the bill never passing, even in a
modified forte, into an enactment, because altogether
too huge, too unwieldy, and in every way too
ambitious. Instead of attempting now to accom-
plish in this manner and forthwith a clearance
so absolutely Herculean, the Attorney-General
undertakes simply during, the present session to
sweep away the most Crying grievances of all, and
thereby to prepare the Way by these partial and
most judicious reforms, reforms made bit by bit
or pieeemeal,for the ultimate realisation, later on,
of his original design—namely, that of the entire
revision and complete consolidation of the whole
body of laws relating to Debtor and Creditor. As ,
affording instantaneous evidence of the manner in'
which this most urgently-required law reform has
been simplified for the Legislature—let it be espe.

cially observed that, Whereas the Bankruptcy Bill
of last year numbered as many as 554 separate
clauses, the Bankruptcy Bill for the pre-
sent year consists of actually less than
one-half of that alarming aggregate, com-
prising within it, in point of fact, no more than
240 altogether! These abbreviations, in every re-
spect so remarkable, are attributable of course upon
the very surface of the reform now submitted to
immediately
traceable consideration of the Legislature, are
traceable to the Bill (instead of assuming, like its
predecessor, to embrace ALL within its compass),
wisely coming before the country as merely an in-
stalment. While however the Bill which was last
night laid upon the table of the House of Commons
by the Attorney-General is nothing more than an
instalment, it is also certainly nothing less than an
instalment, in this way, of the utmost conceivable
importance, If it disclaims at once in its very
preamble the design of accomplishing the absolute
consolidation of the laws relating to bankruptcy
and insolvency, it, at any rate, ensures to the
country, upon the Bill being ripened into
an enactment, a series of the most in-
estimable amendments. The improvements it will
r effect in this way are of two kinds, or categories,
and these perfectly distinct in themselves, appre-
ciable as law reforms by the whole mass of the
general community. They will secure them in the
administration henceforth of the laws relating to
Bankruptcy and Insolvency—the Diminution of
Expense and Simplification of Procedure. It is
obvious, therefore, that if bhe country can secure
those two great and permanent improvements in
this vital part of the commercial laws of England,
we may rest perfectly contented for the time being,
waiting in patience for the eventual completion
of this branch of law reform, for its oompletion that
is by the crowning labour of its consolidation.
So triumphantly successful has been the
Attorney-General's later effort in regard
to the reform of the laws relating to Bankruptcy
and Insolvency, that his revised measure, intro-
duced last evening into Parliament, may be de-
clared without extravagance to have at once won
for itself " golden opinions from all sorts of men"—
from ultra-liberal independents like the hon. and
learned gentleman the member for Marylebone, and
from sound and practical lawyers like Mr. WAL-
POLE and Mr. MALINS, lawyers uttering their ap-
proval of the Attorney-General's scheme from the
side of the Conservative Opposition. So success-
ful has been the measure in thus disarming " op-
position" that, in an almost unprecedented manner,
the evening fixed for the second reading is no later
than three days from the date of the
bill's original introduction ! Of one legis-
lative boos, therefore, we may reasonably
rest secure—that of a vigorously and effectively
reformed law of Bankruptcy and Insolvency.
Anticipations like these are hardly reprehensible—
as among the proverbial evidence in this way
of anything like rash precipitation. It is not in this
instance, at least, that the chicken is counted while
yet unhatched. Although but yesterday was the
date of its chipping the shell—it is already far
more than a merely callow fledgling, being even
now strong upon the wing, and right onward in
its course for the second reading on Thursday.
According to the scheme of Sir RICHARD
BETHELL, as embodied in this new measure
of amendment, one central Court will be
established as the heart or core of the whole revised
system of judicial administration in cases of bank-
ruptcy and insolvency. Presiding over this central
court will be a judge having rank equivalent to
that appertaining to the superior common law-
judges of the land. Under the jurisdiction
of the superior officers of the Court will
stand next in order the Bankruptcy Com-
missioners of the Metropolis, Commissioners
who are gradually to be reduced to a triumvirate.
Associated with these in the provincial adminis-
tration of the revised law of bankruptcy will to
the district commissioners—provision being made
by the Attorney General's Bill for the County
Court judges exercising jurisdiction in every
case in which the assets are under £3OO
sterling. Another provision, again, is very
remarkable, namely, that, no matter whether it be
in regular bankruptcy, or in mere private arrange-
ment or compromise, the creditors are, practically
speaking, to possess entire authority over property
—property being regarded, justly enough, as be-
longing, not to the debtors, but to the
creditors themselves. According to the new
bill, again, the old distinction between trader and
non-trader is to appear, in a modified form, if it be
not eventually swept away, in a great measure as
valueless. How far the cruel, and heinous, and multi-
farious frauds which have been perpetrated in this
country of late years to the shame and infamy of the
chief offenders, and to the ruin and all the conse-
quent suffering of so many innocent members of the
community—how far those lamentable crimes and
catastrophes have influenced the Attorney-General
in sketching out his masterly scheme of improve

ment in the English laws relating to Bankruptcy
and Insolvency, may be understood upon the most

casual glance as one of the most important and
estimable provisions of the proposed enactment !

That significant provision, namely, empowering
the Chief Judge and the several Commissioners to
inflict the punishment of incarceration for mer-

cantile frauds quite irrespectiyely or indepen.

dently of the creditors who have been defrauded

As to the extent to which the expense iavolved
in this department of the commercial law will be

lessened, enough for the present when we have said

.hat the new Bill provides forits diminution by one-

half, through the abolition, among other abuses

of fees and percentages hitherto paid to officials
fees and percentages long deemed by the com•

munity, and now pronounced by the First
Law adviser of the Crown, to be so far wholly
superfluous and unnecessary ! It is needless to
add more at this stage in regard to a measure of
law reform already shown clearly enough by the
foregoing remarks to combine within it so very
effectually the reduction of expense and the sim-
plification of procedure. The measure altogether
appears to be as creditable to Sir RICHARD
BETHELL's better judgment as his statement last
night when introducing it was to his perspicuity.

The Church Rate abolitionists, stimulated rather
than daunted by their partial reverses of last ses-
sion, are girding themselves to the conflict with
promptness and zeal ; already Sir lonx TRELAwNy
is in the field, and his bill has been read as a matter
of course, the first time, and an early day, the 27th,
fixed for its second reading—when Lord ROBERT
MONTAGU will lead the Sacramental Host of the

" Church and King" elect, to holy war for religious
coercion. To prepare for this conflict the " Dis-
.senters, Papists, and Infidels "—for to some of those
classes all, we are told, must belong who question
the right of the Mother Church to sell up a man
who will not pay for worship he cares not for or dis-
likes—are holding a great meeting, not concluded
while we are going to press, in Freemasons' Hall.
Its design is to demonstrate to Ministers,
members of Parliament, and the public, that the
Abolitionists are a party who mean to succeed at
last, or
to make things very uncomfortable for
those Who stand in their way. Not only the in.