The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-21 00:00:00

LONDON,

per for courts are the portions of the law of " debtor
and creditor" which most urgently require amend-
ment. Sed dies alder visum.
The " London Committee for the amendment of
the Law of Debtor and Creditor," " The Chamber
of Commerce of Manchester," the "Manchester
Guardian Society," and the "Manchester Society
for the Frotection of Trade" think otherwise, and on
Friday a numerous deputation from these several
associations waited on the Premier for the purpose of
explaining " the injurious effect which would be pro-
duced on trade if the Bill for extending the jurisdic-
tion of the County Courts, as introduced by Mr.
FITZRoY, were allowed to pass the Legislature."
The deputation bad a willing auditor in the First
Lord of the Treasury. It cannot be forgotten that
all the power of the Government was exerted
to oppose the progress of the measure,
that no less than thirty-two place-holders
voted against the second reading, and that (we admit
the assertion to be a bold one) Ministers on that occa-
sion received the most signal and disgraceful defeat
which they sustained during the entire session. All
the sympathies of the Noble Lord were, therefore, in
favour of the objections that were urged against the
Bill. He readily listened to arguments which he
would be delighted to find well-founded. He bad
incurred considerable censure from many of his most
strenuous supporters for the course he had adopted,
and his own conduct and that of his col•
leagues would be best justified by adopting the
views put forward by the deputation. No wonder
then that the gentlemen were most courteously
and graciously received, and that they were highly
gratified by the earnest attention bestowed upon their
statements.

The great object which the deputation appeared
desirous of attaining was the establishment of a con-
current jurisdiction of the superior courts ; that the
creditor should in every instance be at liberty to
adopt more tedious and expensive proceedings, if dis-
posed to act harshly towards the unfortunate debtor.
They endeavoured, indeed, to impress upon his
Lordship that they did not wish to lessen the secu-
rity of debtors against vindictive proceedings by
creditors, but still all their efforts were
directed towards placing the one at the mercy
of the other, who could crush him by exorbitant
costs, if any difference of opinion should arise as to
the quality of goods, or course of dealing. They
come forward, in fact, as the representatives of plain-
tiffs, and looking solely to the advantage of the one
class, without any reference to the interests of the
other.

There are, however, fraudulent creditors as well as
fraudulent debtors—there are persons anxious to en-
force unreasonable and unconscientious demands as
well as to resist well-founded claims. To
such persons the tedious delays and enor-
mous costs of the superior courts afford additional

opportunities of carrying out their nefarious projects.
One class would set their creditors, whose goods they
had received, at defiance, calculating that the ag-
grieved party would rather relinquish a small amount
than go to the heavy expense necessary for its reco-
very, while another would refuse every reasonable
offer while " a farthing" damages would carry costs,
and solvent parties might be frightened into a com-
promise rather than incur the exorbitant and ruinous
expense of defending their just rights. Al-
though we gladly admit that many members
of the legal profession are men of high
honour and integrity, who would be incapable
of taking unfair advantages of friends or enemies,
there are many DODSONS and FOGGS still to be
found, whose only objects appear to be to ruin and
oppress the unfortunate victims who fall into their
clutches. Many will join with Foca in thinking
that they are teaching " a steady man, with a large
family, and a salary of five-and-twenty shillings a
week, a useful lesson against getting into debt," if
they are enabled to quadruple the original claim by
the costs to he added for the recovery.
The old and hacknied argument was resorted to
that " credit would no longer be given," if the change
was sanctioned. Never has there been any ameliora-

tion of the law that the same assertion has not been

freely put forward. When the Bill for the abolition
of arrest on means process was in contemplation, it
was said that " credit houses" would forthwith close
every account, and enter into no transactions save for
"ready money." But these gloomy vaticinations were
completely disproved. No legitimate transaction was
interfered with by the abolition of that which was
only used as an instrument of oppression. There
were persons who tried to get foolish youths into
their books on the speculation of wringing the
amount so heedlessly contracted out of friends or
relatives. An infamous trade was, perhaps, in some
degree (although we fear not much) lessened, but
there was no diminution in the dealings that it was
desirable to have maintained, which were rather in-
creased than otherwise. And such will be the result
of the present Bill. Every fair and conscientious
man, whether debtor or creditor, will be benefited by
the change, and will be more willing to enter into
credit transactions than heretofore. The only parties
that will be injured are the " Doos," who endeavour
to take undue advantage of their opponents, either in
enforcing exorbitant claims or in resistingj ust demands.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received such of the Paris journals as
were published yesterday, but the day being observed
as a file, the greater number of the journals did not
make their appearance. Among those which were
published are the Ministerial Constitutionnel and the
National. The Ministerial journal has somewhat
abated of its tone of bitterness against Lord PAL-
MERSTON, and the following passage would seem to
indicate that General LAIIITTE begins to suspect that
he may have acted with too great precipitation ; in
commenting on the answer given to Lord BROUGHAM
by the Marquis of LANSDOWNE on Friday , the Con-
stitutionnel says—
" Let us make a remark which is not without import-
ance. Lord Lansdowne states, that in the last conversa-
tion with M. Drouyn de l'Huys, the latter received from
Lord Palmerston some documents of which the French
Government could not have had cognizance. He adds,
that these documents appear to him of a nature calcu-
lated to produce a happy effect on the two countries.
May not this circumstance serve to explain the meaning
of the words pronounced by Lord Palmerston, to the
effect, that he had reason to hope that M. Drouyn de
l'Huys eould be more serviceable to the cause of good
relationship between the two Governments by going to
Paris, than by his stay in London."
The National says—
" There is one thing for which we shall not be par-
doned, though, to speak truth, we care little for pardon,
and that is, nut to have consented to allow ourselves to
be duped by the comedy of national honour played by
the Cabinet for the advantage of the Orleaniete and Le-
gitimists. To take vengeance on Lord Palmerston, and
to draw nearer to Nicholas, was to kill two birds with
one stone. How much it becomes, in fact, men who
voted the Pritchard indemnity to show themselves sus-
ceptible in matters of national dignity! It they desired
at every cost to satisfy the malice which the affair of the
Spanish marriages left in their hearts, they ought at
least to have better chosen their pretext. If France must
draw the sword, let it not be for cutting down the price
of M. Pacifico's warming-pan. There are other com-
plaints, unfortunately more serious, which she might in-
voke against the English Government; but those inte-
rest our dignity abroad, concern our influence towards
nations, and therefore nothing is said of them; it is con-
sidered better to get up the semblance of a quarrel on
delays of couriers, a quarrel without serious issue, and
which cannot in any case be advantageous to the honour
of the country. But, perhaps, the alliance of Russia
will be gained thereby, and, with it, that of Austria,
henceforth drawn into its orbit. The alliance with Bus.
sia, that is to say, the negation of all our interests in the
world, the abdication of our own principle, the shame
and death of democracy; and that is the object of all
this intrigue, for there are men in our country, who,
from hatred of the Republic, extend the hand to the
foreigner—a Cossack party—to call it by:its name. And
these are men who dare to speak of national honour, and
to throw insults on those who are not ready, like them,
to welcome invasion with open arms? This policy is
entirely summed up in these words of the Emperor
Nicholas, pronounced some days after the election of the
loth of December.—' As,' he said, the Prince Napc-
leon Boimparte is the master, let him hasten to over.
throw the Constitution, and to promulgate another, thus
conceived:—Considering that France is mad, the state
of siege is decreed over all the territory for twenty
years!' And that is the filly who is promised to us."
An attempt was made on Saturday by the Agens
Provocateurs of the Cossack party to get up an
emeute, in order to afford CHANGARNIER an excuse
for massacreing the people, but the admirable good
sense and discipline of the people rendered it abortive.
The Republique thus describes the affair :
fereorty
ai
us td
ivdcunai el
sg
itnh a
bt
stehse
ac
sosuerms eb theloefd in
day " thirty
or
one of the squares of the Faubourg St. Marceau, carry-
ing a red flag, and crying Viva la Republipue demo-
cratique et sociale !' Several workmen, who were going
to their meals, assembled around the band, and or-
dered them to take themselves off without delay. On
their refusal, the democrats put them to flight."
The National publishes •the following, headed