The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
• -HOUSE OF LORDS, feb.ll.-
The LOAD CHANCELLOR took his • seat on the Wool-
sack shortly after. Five o'clock.
PRIVATE BILLS.
On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY it
was ordered that the House should not receive any peti-
lions for private Bills after Tuesday, the Bth of April,
and the House should not rec lye any report of the judges
on such Bills after Thursday, the sth of June.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS.
The Lord CHANCELLOR said, that in consequence
of a question that had been put to him last night by a
Noble Marquis (Normanby), he thought it right to
state that it was his intention in a few days to introduce
-a-Bill making some alterations with respect to Charitable
Trusts.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said that the other
Bills that had been referred to by the Noble Marquis
must originate in the House of Commons.'
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
The Marquis of -NORMANBY said ,that, with refe-
rence to the Bills which must originate in the House of
Commons, he only hoped that the two Houses would come
to some arrangement that would prevent much of the
loss of their ardships' time, by the crowded state of
business which came before them, after a great majo-
rity of their Lordships had left town—(Hear, hear)—
when there *as no proper time to give the measures
their due consideration. Ho found that, in the month
of February, only two Bills had been brought up ; in
March, three • in April, one ; in May, five ; in June,
nine ; in July, fifty-two ; and during four days in
August there hadibeen no less than twelve; so that in
point of fact, in the four last days there had been Bills
brought up to which their Lordships could give no at-
tention, as their attendance was given elsewhere. The
Noble Duke would recollect that his suggestion most re-
spectfully tendered was, that he (the Duke of Welling-
ton) should call the attention of the Government to the
subject, with a view to mitigate the evils to which he had
alluded. In the House of Commons they were aware that
during the latter part of the session Bills were brought in
one by one, read a first time, then thrown upon the table.
there to remain till the month of July. It was a matter
of the utmost inconvenience to themselves; it inflicted the
greatest injury on the credit of the House, and threw
Impediments of no common character in the way of the
efficient discharge of the business before their Lordships.
The Duke of WELLINGTON assured the Noble
Marquis that he had no doubt but the most satisfactory
explanation would be given by her Majesty's GOvern-
ment for the course they had pursued on this subject.
-LONDON COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
Lord BROUGHAM, in rising to present a petition on
the subject of the proceedings that had taken place before
the Commissionrs of the Court of Bankruptcy of the City of
London, said there had been very serious complaints made
by many persons of the mode in which the public busi-
ness had been conducted in that court. He did not by
any means intend to convey, that he had any charge of
malversation or incompetency against those gentlemen ;
quite the contrary. He believed that more able men
could not be found in the legal profession, or men better
qualified in any way to fill the situation to which they
had been appoint. d. II s petition was entirely confined to
complaints as to the delay and inconvenience to which
suitors had been put by the non-attendance of the Com-
missioners in their court. It would appear by the in-
formation he had received that none of the Commis
sinners attended in the court oftener than three days in
the week ; that some of them did not attend so often;
and that one of them attended only one day in the week;
and for this di-charge of their duties they received
about 2,000/. a-year. Ile begged to assure their Lord-
ships that he would not only not present this petition
to day, but he would not present it at any
time, if his Noble and Learn AI Friend the
Lord Chancellor would give him reason to hope that
this mode of doing the public business by those Com-
missioners would be altered, and that they would attend
in their respective courts at times in proportion to the
amount of business to he done.
The LORD CHANCELLOR regretted that his
Noble and Learned Friend had thought proper to pre-
sent this petition without a: first having given him notice
of his intention, in order that Le (the Lord Chancellor)
might air ,rd.the Commissioners of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy an opportunity of giving such an explana-
tion of the eharg. s it contained as they might be
in a condition to offer. The charges contained in the
petition were of a very grave and serious character, and
therefore it would be only fair to give the Commis-
sioners an opportunity of explaining ; and, for this
purpose, if his Noble Friend would let him see the peti-
tion, he (the Lord Chancellor) would put himself in
communication 'w;th those gentlemen on the subject.
He believed that those gentlemen had been appointed by
the Noble and Learned Lord himielf.
Lord BROUGHAM said he had it from under the
hands of the parties themselves that their attendance in
court was not more frequent than he had stated.
The LORI) CHANCELLOR—It was true the
Commissioners did not sit in court very often during
the week ; but then it should -not be forgotten that a
great deal of their tabour was gone through out of the
court, in the same, way as he (the Lord Chancellor) did
his own business, and he could say, with great truth,
that he had much more labour out of his court than in it.
Lord BROUGHAM had been told that as many as
thirty or forty cases were upon the paper every day,
and it was therefore impossible to get through that
amount of business unless there was more punctual at-
tendance in the court.
The LORD CHANCELLOR believed the cases could
not be so numerous, though he understood they did
amount to fifteen or sixteen.
Lord BROUGHAM—Oh, more, much more.
The LORD CHANCELLOR had no doubt but the
explanation of the Commissioners would be perfectly
satisfactory.
Lord BROUGHAM hoped it would be most satis-
factory; but hitherto their attendance had been most
unsatisfactory.—(Laughter) lle had heard of many
persons who had to come and go a long distance
each day for several days, owing to the Com-
missioners not having sat, and the consequence was a
very great increase of costs upon a very small estate.
Lord CAMPBELL (addressing himself to Lord
Brougham) said he was very glad that his Noble and
Learned Friend had postponed his petition on the sub-
ject, for it did contain a very serious charge—(" No,
no." from Lord I3rougham). Well, it at least contained
charges of delinqu• miss. (Here Lord Brougham looked
sip at Lord Campbell, and !scanted at the same time to
the Lord Chancellor, amid some laughter.) Those
gentlemen had been appointed by the Noble Lord him
self, and they certainly had shown themselves most able
and learned men in their profession.
Lord Brougham then handed the petition to the
Lord Chancellor ; and their Lordships adjourned till
Thursda•-.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 11.
The SPEAKER took his seat shortly before Four o'clock.
NE IV MEMBER.
Sir T. FaEmANTLE took the oaths and his seat for
the borough of Buckingham.
RAILWAYS.
An HoN. lliotnEn, whose name we could not catch,
presented a petition in favour of the Newcastle and Ber-
wick Railway Bill.
MEDICAL REFORM BILL.
Mr. -GODSON presented a petition from the medical
practitioners an I others, inhabitants of the borough of
Kidderminster, expressive of their approval of some of
the provisions of the Ministerial Medical Reform Bill,
and of their disappreval of other clauses of the same
measure.

BANKING SYSTEM OF SCOTLAND.
Mr.. MAiAULAY presented a petition from the
Chimber of Commerce of Edinburgh, declaring them-
selves in favour of the present Scntch system of banking.
which had existed for the last century and'a half, and
had been found to work so well and satisfactorily, that
the petitioners prayed that no alteration be made in'the
Aystcm.