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

not think well founded. Prints had been distributed
by the Society in quarters where prints had never
before been seen : the taste thus inculcated would make
buyers; when one print was hung up another was
speedily required. That the printsellers themselves
were favourable to the Art-Union was proved by the
fact that they attended the Committee of that Associa-
tion before transmitting the memorial, and stated that
they had specially excepted it in their prayer. The
question then was, are the efforts now making by the
Committees of Art-Unions throughout the kingdom
to be stopped. If the Government think that specu-
lators avail themselves of the existence of Art-Unions
to injure legitimate trade, will her Majesty's Minis-
ters bring in a short Bill to place them on a more
assured and permanent footing ? The immediate
point, however, continued Mr. Godwin, is, can the
Committee of the London Art• Union complete their
arrangements on Tuesday, as announced, or must
the artists of the • United Kingdom suffer the
sudden deprivation of the means of remuneration
which had been offered them, and for which
they had been at work all the past year ? The
question was one of great importance, and he
trusted they might receive such an assurance, as
should enable them satisfactorily to leep faith with
the public, and avoid the threatened injury to a large
body of meritorious men.

Dr. DICKSON, Mr. HAYWARD, and others, followed
in confirmation of Mr. Godwin's statement.

Sir G. CLERK, who had received the Deputation
with great courtesy, said that the attention of the Com-
missioners of the Treasury having been directed to
the subject, they had submitted a case to the
Attorney and Solicitor-General, and that, in their
opinion, the whole of the associations referred to were

illegal, and that it was thought due to the Committee
to give them early intimation of the fact. Sir Ro-
bert Peel could not interfere in the matter—all he
could do was to inform them of the law. He (Sir
George Clerk) was himself a subscriber, and so were
many others connected with the Government ;
still, for the Treasufy to give any sanction to
further proceedings, although he fully admitted the
difficulty of the position in which the Com-
mittee found themselves, and the loss which
would result to artists if the proceedings were stopped,
was quite out of the question. If the opinions of the
gentlemen were such as was stated, they could of
course act on them if they pleased. The most pru-
dent course, he thought, would be to postpone the
meeting, giving the subscribers notice to. that effect,
and suspend proceedings until. it:cduld be ascertained
whether or not the Legislature would protect that
and similar societies.

The Deputation then withdrew.
The Committee have determined to postpone the
meeting for the present, and it remains to be seen
what steps will be taken by the artiste out of doors, to
strengthen the hands of the Committee. Whatever
may be the result, the rise and progress of this Asso-
ciation will form a most extraordinary page in the
history of the arts.

BAIL COURT.—(THIS DAY.)
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

THE QUEEN ANI) THE COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS OF

THE TOWER HAMLETS.
Mr. Michael Scales, addressing Mr. Justice Wight-
man, said that, during the last term, the Court had
granted him a rule nisi against the Commissioners of
Sewers for the' Tower Hamlets, which was made return-
able on the first day of the present term. Since that
rule had been granted, the Commissioners had allowed
him to examine their accounts, and he had done so most
carefully. He now sought permission from the Court
to file an additional affidavit, containing some further
most important information, and, with it a copy
of the accounts. No part of this information, or of
the accounts was in his (Mr. Scales's) possession when
he was last before the Court. He also applied to have
the rule enlaiged for such reasonable time as, under the
circumstances he had stated, the Court might think

proper. , -
Mr. Justice WIGHTNAN—The Court, Mr. Scales, can-
not alloW an affidavit to be filed after a rule has been
dated. The.rule.of Court is not to allow supplemental
affidavits. •
Mr. Scales—But, my Lord, I was not in possession of
this information when I obtained the rule, and it is most
desirable that it should be brought under the cognisance
of the Court. It consists of the accounts I have exa-
mined, and of which I have now the copy in my hand.
Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN—If you choose to abandon
the 'rule, and make a fresh application for a new rale
founded upon your new information and your old in-
formation combined, you can do so. Discharge your old
rule, and try, under the new and old matter, for another
rule ; there can be no objection t ) that.
Mr. Scales—With all deference to the Court I think

it would be better to allow this additional affidavit to be
filed. It is very necessary these accounts should be
brought into the consideration of the matter, for a
greater fraud never was practised upon the public.
Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN—The rule is inflexible, Mr.
Scales. I can only help you in the way I have pointed out.
Mr. Scales (in a very insinuating tone)—Could the
other full Court help me, my Lord, if I applied there ?
Mr. Justice WIGHT MAN—No. The rule is the same
there as here.

Mr. Scales—Any of the other Courts, my Lord—do
you think I could.—(Laughter.)
The Learned Judge, shook his head, and Mr. Scales
retired. In a few minutes, however, he returned, and it
was then arranged that the rule nisi already obtained
should be discharged on payment of costs by Mr. Scales,
and that on a future day he should apply for another
rule, founded on the old affidavit and the new one com-
bined.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Their Lordships assembled at the usual hour.
Messengers from the Commons brought up several
Bills, which were read a first time.
The Duke of WELLINGTON and Lord KENYON pre-
sented petitions from Dover and Bolton-le-Moors,
against the Dissenters Chapels Bill.
The Earl of MORLEY presented a petition from
Devon, against any alteration in the corn-laws.
Earl CAWDOR, presented petitions, praying for
an alteration in the new poor-law.
The Marquis of NORMANBY presented petitions
for and against the Dissenters Chapels Bill from va-
rious places in the north of England, and in doing; so,
the Noble Marquis stated that on the whole his opi-
nion was favourable to the Bill ; at the same time he
thought there were great difficulties to contend with
in legislating upon this subject.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition from
the minister and elders of a Presbyterian congrega-
tion in Ireland against the Dissenters Chapels Bill.
Lord CAMPBELL, presented a petition from the
North of Ireland, praying that Presbyterian mar-
riages might be legalised; also, from an Episcopal
congregation who concurred in the prayer. The No-
ble Lord also presented a number of petitions against
the Dissenters Chapels Bill.
Lord LYTTELTON presented a petition from a
congregation of Protestant Dissenters in Dublin, in
favour of the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. The Noble
Lord said that the petitioners represented themselves
as the lineal successors of the original founders of the
ohapel, and said that they had been buried in the
burial ground of the chapel all their time.—(Great
laughter, in which all their Lordships joined.)
DEBTORS AND CREDITORS.
Lord CAMPBELL said he begged to lay on the
table a Bill for the purpose of allowing proceed-
ings to be brought against British subjects resident
abroad, where cause of action had arisen within this
country. lie hoped that he should not be supected
of any party purposes in introducing this Bill. But
notwithstanding the many imputations which might
be groundlessly brought .forward against him, he
should continue to use his humble efforts for the pur-
pose of improving the institutions of his country.
Some years ago, when a Member of the House of
Commons, he had brought forward a Bill to
abolish imprisonment for debt,
...both upon mesne
process and. upon execution. A part of that
Bille
throughmempty
t wyaas
upon mesne process, an at the same time giving a
more speedy and effectual remedy t o the creditor
as regarded
dopthPßteerude: while the rest was dismissed in
But
great improvement took place
enting of imprisonment for debt
property of the debtor. He must
the fraudulent
debtor to leave this country, and reside abroad,
town,hat
gr however,
eat
facility
itlhi
tay w
t onea
s g
ithingwasve overlooked, viz.,
n t
o
where ne could set his creditors at defiance.
It had been found by experience that this
facility bad been taken advantage of to a
very great degree. Power, indeed, was given in
the Bill to arrest a person who was in medi-
tatione fuge; but if a man had a fraudu-
lent inteation he would keep it to himself,
he would not suffer his creditor to learn his secret.
He crossed the channel to Boulogne, lived there very
luxuriously, and set his creditors at defiance. Their
Lordships are aware that, as the law now stood, no action
broughtbe England, unless process
were
jurisdiction of the Court, and
if a debtor e
risdiction of the Court, there
servwentd i n
aon out
within
t of Court oht uhe re t
jn in
was no means whatsover of obtaining judgment against
him. If a man had landed property, or property in
the funds, or personal property to a large amount,
and he owed 100/. in England, he could go across
the channel, and there he could not he reached
by any means whatsoever, except through the
precarious process of outlawry. Even if the outlaw
were regular, the personal property being forfeited to
the Crown, the creditors derived no direct advantage
from it. The only course which he could pursue
was to petition the Treasury, as representing the
Crown; that a sufficient part of the property for,
feited might be allotted for the payment of his
debt. But this mode of proceeding was found in
practice to be wholly. unavailing. There was an-
other most grievous inconvenience—viz , that the
statute of limitations was in the mean time running.
If a debtor went abroad and remained there for six
years, the debt was satisfied ; there was no remedy
to recover it. The-creditor mut, oue out writs and