The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-21 00:00:00

TRIBUNALS OF COMMERCE.

A MEETING of the• supporters of the Association for the
Establishment ,of Tribunals of Coumserce was
.held.
Wednesday, at the 'London Tavern; Lord Beaumont,
president of the society, in. the chair.
The chairman said :that for a long tune past the want
of some means by ,velii6 commercial disputes :might be
speedily .and justly decided was felt this , country.
Though great improvements had of late years- been effected
in the law of the land, and though theseimprovements
had worked exceedingly ',well, still the wart ,of some in-
stitution for the more e?peedy and cheap decision of dis-
pntes-betweeu merchants -remained to be supplied. In
• most other countries this Avant had been supplied. It was
felt that commercial dispu44es could be better decided by
persons who were Deg:nail-it-Ed with commercial subjects
than they could be by lawyers. In this country, where
:.very large transactions of a,eommercial nature took Place,
-Tribunals of Commerce Might not be the best for deciding
on such large transactions, bnt for the number.of small
mercantile disputes which rand be occurring from day to
day in this country, and where a delay of justiee was
almost as had as a refusal of justice, they afforded the best
remedy. It was, to meet such cases that Tribunals of
Commerce were considered to be,extremely desirable. At
tho present time, the Court of Chancery and other courts
were-cibliged to refer such matters to be decided on by
persons who were acquainted with. them, and it seemed
to him that it would be much snore desirable that such
cases slusild be begun, instead of ending, by a reference
to those parties who best understood th nature of the
transactions, and whose decision should be final. MerT
eantile men would have more confidence in the opinion of '
. mercantile men than in. that of the greatest lawyers, who
were totally unacquainted with Trade and Commerce.
But it seemed to him that, if. they really wished to carry
out their object, they-must put some elearend intelligible
plan before Oe_ public, as the real remedy for the grievances
which existed. If such a plan was drawn up, having the
support of the commercial classes, the public would also
support it ; and in the present reforming mood of the
legislature, it would, aided by such support, soon receive
the sanction of both houses of the legislature.
Mr. Lyne, the chairman of the executive committee,
then read a lengthy report. -It stated that the association
had to contend against the interested hostility of some of
the larger merchants of the City kif London and the lawyers,
but notwithstanding that hostility it received the support
of the traders and merchants generally, especially of the
foreign merchants, who were best acquainted with the
benefits to be derived from the establishment of Tribunals
of Commerce. The society had also encountered the
hostility of the Law Amendment Society ; but they hoped,
by the support -of the general public,
_finallyto establish
the principles for which they contended.—The adoption of
the report was carried unanimously. •
Mr. Lyne moved a resolution, to the effect that the
present system of administering Justice in commercial
matters was too artificial and dilatory, and that the estab-
lishment of Tribunals of Commerce would afford-a cheap,
speedy, easy, and intelligible mode of settling such dis-
putes.—The motion was carried unanimously.
Mr. Montague Gore moved the next resolution, to the
effect that the executive committee be requested to continue
their valuable labours, and to communicate with the
different Chambers of Commerce in the country as to the
best mode of carrying the objects of the society into effect.
—The motion was carried unanimously.
The chairman said, with regard to the Law Amendment
Society, of which he was a member, he knew that that
society was .desirous of having some court for the more
speedy and effectual settlement of commercial disputes,
although it might not exactly concur in the precise views
of this society.—After a vote of thanks to the chairman
the meeting separated.

Tan ARCTIC Ruaxoxs letters for the officers, seamen,
and marines serving in the undermentioned ships, will be
in time to be forwarded to Reechy Island, by Her Majesty's
ship Phcenix, if sent to the Admiralty on or before the
12th of Anril next :—H.M.S. Assistance, Resolute, Intre-
Tid, Pioneer, North Star, Enterprise, and Investigator,

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, and DEATHS.

BIRTHS.
On the Nth inst., Mrs. William C. litll, of a son.
On the nth inst., at,Hill-terrace, Taunton, the wife of
Mr. T. H. Bodley, of a sou.
On the 13th inst., at Litherland-park, -the wife of Capt.
Richard Green, late of the Swordfish, of-twins.
On the 13th inst., at Victoria-plaee, Biekenhead, Mrs.
Chris. Bell, of a daughter, still born.
On the 14th last, Mrs. William Morrison, haw-street,
of a son.
On the 14th inst., the wife of Mr. Peter Miller, Scotland-
road, of a son.
On the 18th inst., the wife of Mr. J. P., Mawdsley,
Peel-terracel of a son,
On the 15th inst., the wife of the Rev. E. G. Wellaras,
late curate of St. Pser's Church, Everton, of a son.