The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-18 00:00:00

have them returned by the Sheriff of Middlesex ;
but that was such an uncertain fruitless and expen-
sive proceedings that it hardly be considered a remedy
at all. There could be no doubt in fact that great
abuses at present existed, that fraudulent debtors were
encouraged, and creditors grossly defrauded. What he
proposed by this Bill was, that with the concurrence
of the Courts of Westminster, when a cause of action
existed against a debtor wile was abroad, process
might be served upon him in a foreign country,
ample time being given to him to make his appear-
ance, and his defence, if he had any to make;
and that after it had been proved to the satis-
faction of the Court that he had been served
with process • abroad the action should
proceed against him as if he had been
served within its own jurisdiction. The Noble Lord
then read a statistical statement as to the number of
English subjects resident in France on the Ist of
January, 1844, making a total of 66,000. In addi-
tion to the number of residents in that country, it
was calculated that there 50,000 persons who
were there merely for some temporary pur-
pose. The expenditure of English residents in
France exceeded it appeared the annual sum of
5,000,0001. sterling. Now he did not contend that
all those persons were fraudulent debtors, but he
believed that a considerable proportion of English
subjects resident in France were there to set their
creditors at defiance, and if there were only one hun-
dred who had left this country with such an object
in view, he thought the Bill which he proposed to
introduce would be a salutary measure, and under
these circumstances, he begged to move that
the Bill be read a first time, and printed.
The Noble and Learned Lord gave notice that on
Friday se'nnight he should move the second reading
of the Bill which he had introduced respecting writs
of error.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.

The Birkenhead Improvement Bill was read a third

time and passed. -
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY BILL.
On the motion for bringing up the report on this
Bill,

Mr. LOCKHART moved that it should be post-
poned until that day six months. This Bill could
not possibly be of any service to Scotland. Al-

though fifty-six miles long it only came sixteen
miles southward. As a local measure it pos.:

sessed hardly any recommendations. The railroad
would go along the sea-side the whole distance.
Another objection to it was, that it would pass close
under Holyrood Palace, and would therefore intrude
upon the privacy of her Majesty. It would have to
pass a strong arm of the sea, and could not therefore
be continued with benefit to Scotland. Aline had lately
obtained the sanction of the House, running from
Lancaster to Carlisle ; and there would, therefore, be
a direct line of railway from Euston square to Aber-
deen. A number of lines were projected, which
would ultimately turn out to be competing lines.
Under these circumstances he hoped the House would
not sanction this measure.

Mr. P. M. STEWART said it would require strong
nerves in any Hon. Member to stop__ the Bill before
the House in its present stage.—(Hear, hear.) A
few years ago a Commissioner was appointed by Go-
vernment to report on the best line of communication

with Scotland, and that Commissioner reported strongly
in favour of a central line and objecting ;to the
one now before the House. As the Caledonian line
had not only the sanction of the Government, but the
support of an overflowing body of subscribers, and
therefore might be considered as a competing line,
he wished to express a hope that that
line, whenever it came before the House,
should not be prejudiced by allowing the Bill now
before them to pass through its present stage. He
claimed for Scotland a fair consideration for every

line of railway that might come before the House;
and that should one or two lines be brought forward
next session they should be opposed (if opposed at
all) on other grounds than that this line had been
already sanctioned by Parliament.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. H. HINDE hoped the House would accede to
the present motion, but must say that nothing would
give him greater pleasure than to. see other lines in
connexion with Scotland brought before the House.
Mr. GLADSTONE was not quite confident he
should be acting right in saying anything on the matter
before the House, but as he had been appealed to, as a
Government Commissioner had reported upon the

subject, and as he perhaps might save the. Howe the
trouble of a division, he would venture to express an
opinion. He thought there was no doubt if there were
to be only one line to Scotland, the House considered
that line should be a north-western one. Whatever

was done now, or whatever had been reported by the
Commissioners, ought not to prejudice the considera-
tion of any future line. He quite agreed
with the Honourable Member for Lancaster (Mr.
Stewart), that any line that might hereafter
he brought forward ought not to be resisted by those
who now promoted the one then under consideration.
—(Hear, hear.) Any opposition that should be at-
tempted would not, he was sure, receive the counte-
nance of the House.—(Loud cries of "Hear, hear.")
The amendment was then withdrawn by consent,
and the report was received.
On the motion of Mr. HARDY, the Northern
Coal-mining Bill was read a third time.
Mr. WATSON presented a petition against the
Shoreham and Christchurch Railway.
CHARITABLE PAWN SOCIETIES BILL.

Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from the pawn-
brokers of Birmingham against this Bill.
Mr. DIVETT presented a
_petition to the same
effect from the pawnbrokers at Exeter.
Lord J. MANNERS also presented a petition
against this Bill.
MASTERS AND SERVANTS' BILL.

Viscount DUNCANNON presented a petition
from Bath against the Masters and Servants' Bill.
Mr. BERKELEY presented a petition from the
Staffordshire Potteries against the Masters and Ser-
vants' Bill.
PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES.

Lord J. RUSSELL presented a petition from
Dublin on the question of Presbyterian marriages in
Ireland. The Noble Lord also presented a petition in
favour of the.ten hours' clause of the Factories Bill.
NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. F. FRENCH gave notice that he should, to-
morrow, put a question to the Home Secretary, as to
the course the Government intended to pursue with
respect to the medical charities in Ireland.