The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY, APRIL 19.

CASE OF MR. KIRWAN.---The Earl of EGLINTON
called attention to the case of Mr. Kirwan, whom he had
removed from the magistracy, but who had been reinstated
by the Earl of St. Germans.—The Earl of ABERDEEN
said that the Earl of St. Germans had no intention to
cast any slur upon the Earl of Eglinton. After some
further discussion the matter dropped.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS.—The Lord CHANCELLOR
brought in a Bill for the better regulation of charitable
trusts.

THURSDAY, APRIL 21.
Some conversation took place on the convention with
France respecting the surrender of refugees.
The Earl of SHAPTESUCRY presented a petition from
St. Matthew's, Liverpool, against the opening of the
Crystal Palace on Sundays.
Hum, ELECTION.—Their lordships agreed to an address
to the crown for a commission to inquire into corrupt
practices in this borough.
THE JEW BILL.--,The Earl of ABERDEEN gave notice
for the second reading of this bill on Friday.
AMERICAN COLONIAL FISHERIES.—In reply to a ques-
tion, the Earl of CLARENDON said that Mr. Crampton,
British minister at Washington, in obedience to instruc-
tions from Lord Malmesbury when in office, had entered
into negotiations on the subject of the fisheries, which
were still pending. With respect to the protection to he
afforded to British fishermen, the present Government
had adopted precisely the same instructions as those sent
out by their predecessors.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented a petition
from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts against the Canada Clergy Reserves Bill ;
and one from the Bishop of Toronto to the same effect.
CANADA CLERGY RESERVES.—The Duke of NEW-
CASTLE, in moving the second reading a? the Clergy Re-
serves '(Canada) Bill, enlarged upon the necessity of, as
far as possible, meeting the views and feelings of the
Canadian people, and said it was no part of the principle
of the bill to give a preference to any one church over
another.—The Bishop of EXETER moved that the bill be
read a second time that day eix months, and contended
that it was only right' that the British Parliament should
possess a power of control over the colonies in all such
important matters.—The Earl or DERBY said, if the se-
cond reading of the bill should be agreed to, he would
propose some amendments in committee which would
make the bill more consonant to his own views, and he
trusted more satisfactory to-their lordships ; as the ob-ect
of those amendments world be to rartder all appropri-
ations e land, whether to the Church of England or
Church of Scotland, as inviolable as if it were the pro-
perty of private individuals.---Earl GREY-said, if the bill
should be rejected, a controversy would be opened with
the parliament of Canada, which would never be adjusted-
except by concession on our part, or by the separation of
Canada from Great Britain. a his opinion the parlia-
ment of Canada should insist upon its densands.—The
Earl of DERBY appealed to the Bishop of Exeter to with-
draw his amendment, to which the latter aesented.—
The bill was then read a second time, and their lordships
soon after adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TURSDAY, APPin. 19.
Mr. CHAS. TURXER presented a petition from the in-
habitants of the district of St. Bar:l4osas, Livnpool,
against opening the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
Mr.- DUNLOP presented a petition from the working
classes in the district of St. Saviour's Church, Liverpool,
to the same effect.

COCKERMOUTH ELECTION.—Mr. HAMILTON reported
from the Select Committee that Mr. Aglionby and
General Wyndham had been duly elected.
Lem of PARTNERSMTP7--IR answer to a question,
Mr. CARDWELL said that a commission of inquiry on rite
subject-was about to be issued, but the report would not
be ready for legislation during this session.
THE LATE ADMIRMITT.BOARD.—Sir Be HALL, in at
long speech, called attention to a charge against the late-
Secretary., and the late Lords of the Admiralty, for
alleged interference with the patronage of the dockyards
for electioneering purposes, and he concluded by moving
for a committee of inquiry.--Mr. STAFFORD entered into
a long explanation, but made no opposition to-the mo-
tion, and after some further discussion it was agreed to.
MALDON ELECTION.—A- motion for an address to the
Crown, for a commission to enquire into the existence of
corrupt practices at Maldon,.was carried by a majority of
71 to 50... WEDNESDAX, APRIL 20.
Mr. DlAcKeoizte presented a petition from the Wesleyans
of Liverpool, and also from the working men of Deerton,
against the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA..—Mr. FIELDEN presented a
petition from the members of the Blackburu Commercial
Association, suggestive of divers reforms in the legislation
of India, irrespective of the form that Government may
assume, and praying that the same have statutory effect in
any legislation for the future government of that country.
SCOTCH. Penetc-HOUSES.—The Public-houses (Scot-
land) Bill passed through committee, and several amend-
ments moved by Mr. MACKENZIE were agreed to.
MA.Ya ELECTION.—Lord IL VANX reported from the
Select Committee that Messrs.. Moore and Higgins had
been declared to be duly elected...
JVOCES' EXCLUSION BILL.—In committee on this Bill
Mr. Hums moved that the Recorder of London should
be disqualified from a seat in Parliament, but after: some
discussion the amendment was withdrawn.

COUNTY. Rams.—The County Rates and Expenditure
'Bill was deferred until ❑ext Wednesday.

THURSDAY:, Aram.. M.

BARNS-VAS/WI ELECTION.,--Mr. W. 0. STANLTIVi. re_
ported from the Select Committee that Sir Wm. Fraser
arid Mr. Bremridge had not been duly elected.

CUSTOMS REFORM.

Mr. J. WILSON stated the views of the Government in
relatiouto the recommendations of the select committee
respecting the department of the customs, and the altera-
tions and amendments they, proposed to make therein.
Upder the head of costs and penalties the government had
thought the time had come when the crown should be put
upon the same footing as the subject ; and, further, that
it should be imperative on-the crown, in ail cases-where
the amount to be recovered shall not exceed £lOO, instead
of an exchequer trial, to resort to a county court,,,or such
local tribunal as the treasury should direct. Other
ameliorations of the law under this head were detailed by
Mr. Wilson. With respect to the transit trade, it was
proposed to allow all goods in tranaitu to be conveyed by
railway, under the superintendence of Custom-house
officers,, from one port to another, and re-exported with-
out opening the packages, and without requiring bonds,
except from the railway,companies. Other relaxations of
the law would be likewise adopted in order to give
'facilities to this trade. On the important subject of
bonding and warehousing, he stated that, in order to
obviate a complaint of the committee of the hardship of
the present system, of charging duties upoudefieiencies,
it was proposed that. the importer of bonded goods shalt
be liable to the crown until he parts with possession, when
the goods shall be re-entered in the name of the pur-
ehaser, who shall be responsible to the crown ; that stock
shall be taken every five years, the duties. then paid on
the ascertained, deficiencies, and the goods re-entered.
The government proposed to introduce another important
modification which was not recommended by the com-
mittee. At present, in the case of large transactions
between London and Liverpool, when goods were removed
in bond, the, merchants so removing them had again to
give separate bonds for every transaction,, and until very
lately they. had to give bonds for double the amount of
duty. He. thought it would very much facilitate these
transactions if one single bond was given, to run from
time to time, and covering a certain amount of trans-
actions.. With regard to the codification of the laws, the
government had given instructionslor reducing the exist-
ing Customs. Acts into one (to be expressed in plain and
simple terms), which would be. shortly laid before the
house,, and had given directions. to the commissioners of
the ()totems to publish monthly,all new regulations, which
would from year to year be incorporated in a new act.
He now came to the subject of the outports, which was
one of very great importance. When the present consti-
tution of the Board of Customs. was framed, and the pre-
sent regulations were laid down, a very different state of
things with regard to the outports existed to what was.
now the ease. In 1817 the amount of shipping in the port
of Liverpool was only 100,464 tons, whereas in the year
1850 it amounted to 3,786,000 tons. In 1817 the tonnage
of shipping in the port of London was 1,226,855 tons ; in
1850 it was 3,289,000 tons, being 500,000 tons less than

in the port of Liverpool. The total exports in 1850
amounted to £71,300,000. The value of exports from
Liverpool was £34,891,000; from London, £11,137,000;
from Hull, £10,366,000 ; from Glasgow and the Clyde,
£4,150,000, making together £63,544,000, leaving the
balance of £7,756,000 exported from the various other
ports of the kingdom. These facts showed that the time
had come when there must be a change in the organization
of the Custom-house establishment. Circumstances had
totally altered since the time when London was almost
the only place of export, and seat of Custom-house au-
thority. In the early part of his speech he stated that it
was not the intention of the Government at the present
time to make any statement with regard to the recon-
struction of the Board of Customs, but that the subject
was under consideration. But this he might say, that
whatever reconstruction might take place in regard to
that board, he had stated enough to show that Liverpool
must be placed in such a position as that it should be able
for its merchants to have decided day by day all impor-
tant questions that might arise under the Customs,
whether by means of a board or by any other form which
it might be considered necessary to establish. That was
the decision to which the Government had arrived ; and.
considering that Liverpool was rapidly increasing in im-
portance, they felt they should not be justified in post-
poning such an arrangement even for a day. The
Commissioners of Customs had therefore been autho-
rized to extend the existing authority at Liverpool to ad-
judicate upon all cases not exceeding £lOO value, without
requiring the parties to wait, as they were now obliged to
do, till the Board of Customs in London could be ap-
pealed to. The inquiries were to be conducted in open
court, and a report of all decisions was directed to be
made weekly to the board in London, for the purpose of
preserving uniformity in practice. The county court of
Liverpool would also be open to those who wished to go
to it in all cases limited to the sum he had mentioned.
The government were more induced to extend this advan-
tage to Liverpool because it could not be denied that that
town was becoming the great commercial emporium of
this country. All these proposals he laid before the
House in order that they might be well considered, with
the distinct understanding that the government were not
bound to them.

Mr. CHAS. TURNER would leave the details of the
plan to the judgment of the various commercial associa-
tions of the empire, but could not refrain from thanking
the hon. gentleman and the government for the great
boon they had conferred on Liverpool by giving it a local
board, and thus saving the merchants the delay and an-
noyance of references to London. He also thanked them
for giving jurisdiction to the county court in cases up to
£lOO, but thought the penalty should not be included in
that amount. The judge of the Liverpool County Court
was a gentleman of great ability, and was able to give
i
satisfaction in cases of far larger amount, f left to his
decision.
MR. W. BROWN said his constituents would be exceed-
ingly gratified by the plan his hon. friend had propounded
to-night, though there might be some points of detail on