The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-13 00:00:00

PUBLIC BUSINESS.

Lord J. RUSSELL, wished to inform the house, that, after the
recess he should move, that orders of the day, after the 14th of
May, should take precedence of motions. He should also move,
on the first day after the holidays, for leave to bring in a bill
relating to the punishment of juvenile offenders. On Thursday,
the. 3.! of May, 'he should move for the appointment.of a com-
mittee to inquire into church leases; and on the 14th of May
he should proceed with the bill relating to tithes in Ireland.—
( Hear. hear.)
Sir T. FIIENIANTLI: said, he was requested by his right hon.
friend for Tamwortb, to give notice„that, on the 22d May, he
should move for the appointment of a select committee to in-
quire into the mode of taking recognisances on election peti-
tions.—( Hear.)
Mr. Hymn gave notice that, on the second Thursday after
the recess, he should bring under the consideration of the house
the pension granted to the King of Hanover; and on the Thurs-
day following he should call the attention of the house to the
present state of the law relating to Savings Banks.

THE REVENUE.-SUPPLY

On the report of the Committee of Supply being brought up.
Mr. HUME asked, as there had been such a deficiency in the
revenue during the last year, from what fund the quarter's pen-
sion's were to be paid?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, although there
had been a decrease in the revenue during the past year of up-
wards of 2,000,0001., yet he did not believe that the resources of
the country were at all impaired, and there was no cause for
discouragement. With respect to pensions now payable, they
formed no item in the quarter's account—they came into 'the
account of a former quarter.
• The motion for adjournment until Wednesday, the 25th of
April, was then put and agreed to.
The report of the committee of supply was brought up, and,
after a short discussion, agreed to.
Lord J. RUSSELL brought in the county courts bill, which
was read a first time.

Mr. .kACKINNON postponed the second reading of the patterns
and inventions bill until the 16th of May.
The house then went into committee on the oaths to witnesses
(Ireland) bill. The several clauses were agreed to.
The high sheriffs' bill was referred to a select committee.
The report on the clergy residences bill was brought up, and
the bill ordered to be read a third titre.

The custody of insane persons (Ireland) bill was read a third
time and passed.
Mr. F. NI A ULE brought in bills to provide for the better regu-
lation of municipal corporations in Scotland.—Read a third
time.

The other dropped notices were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned.

REGINA v. KINNEAR.

TO THE EDITOR OE THE LIVERPOOL STAND4RD

Snr,"-i see that in the north this trial has made some"noise,
on account, perhaps, of the notoriety of the prisoner. Here,
too. it has attracted much notice, but more on account of the
very important matter it has disclosed than because of the loan.
The charge was forging a bill of erchange, Of-Which the -fol-
lowing is a copy :--
" Flintshire District Banking Company,
" £7O. " Flint, 27th Sept., 1235.

" Twenty-one days after date, (without aeceptance,) pay
to the order of Mr. J. Henderson, the sum of twenty pounds—
value received.

" For the COmiiany,
" J. WATKINS, Manager.
" To the London and Westminster Bank,
" 'Uhrogmorton-street, London."
The defence set up by the prisoner was, that the instrument
was wrongly described,•and was not a bill of exchange; nor is it.
It neither is a bill of exchange, nor could it legally, or accord-
ing to the custom and usage of merchants, he made a bill of
exchange. To constitute a bill of exchange, there must be a
drawer, and there must be an acceptor. This was confidently
and correctly stated by the prisoner. The judge overruled the
objection ; first, by saying, this instrument, although on the
face of it, stating it. was to he without acceptance, might, by the
London and Westminster Bank have been accepted, if they
were covered in cash for the amount, and• inclined to accept it.
There the Judge was wrong; for, the London and Westminster
Bank cannot legally accept bills, it haying been decided that
their so doing would he an infringement of the charter of the
Bank of England. Next, the Judge stated, that if the docu-
ment in question was not a hilt of exchange, that then a hill
drawn at sight was_not a bill of exchange, because such a bill at
sight could not be accepted. There, too, the Judge was in error;
for it is every day's practice for merchants and others who have
bills drawn on them at sight, to accept them, payable at their
banker's, or at the Bank of England, if there they keep cash ;
and to where they are accepted payable, it is that they, the
hearers, carry them for payment. And, furthermore, it is a
rule amongst London bankers, not to take a check as-puyinent
of a hill drawn at sight, in order that they may hold The original
document, with the security of drawers and endorsers, until it
is by cash discharged at the counter of a hanking-house. Sup-
posing the London and Westminster hank to have had cash he-
longing to them in the Bank of England, even then they could
not have accepted this dricutnent when due, and made payable
at the Bank of England to be paid by their own money.
There is another legal point in this trial worth notice. The
name said to he forged is J. Watkins, who signs, " For the
Company, J. Watkins, manager." Now this does not engage
J. Watkins for any sum of money; how then can it be a forgery ?
But it'is the third point in which the public are most materi-
ally interested, because there is a great mass of paper so,shaped
as the foresail document in circulation in your northern coun-
try.
This is the question. Does the document above alluded to re.
lain the responsibility of its indorsers, if it is not presented as
soon as it reaches London, and if not paid, noted, and notice
given to all those who are endorsers? [say it does NOT. It is
a clumsy evasion of the art of Parliament, protecting the char-
ter of the Bank of Erwland. If it was a_promissory note, all
the purposes of a circulating medium would be answered, and it
would be a legal instrument.
• These are topics of great interest to bankers, merchants, and
manufactnrers end others, and ought to be discussed and settled
by them, and by their lawyers, befiwe the evil, day arrires, for
the introduction into our system of such a bastard bill as the
above, might, in an hour of difficulty, create loss and engender
great alarm.
I feel sure that your popular journal will give this the neces-
sary currency, and call public attention to this subject, which is
of almost universal interest.

I am, with much respect, vouroherlient servant,
AN OLD OLD BAILEY AT'T'ORNEY,
London, April 10, 1833.

Passengers by the Dryope, R. Hamilton, master, from Per-
nambuco, arrived here on Tuesday last :—Mrs. Brocklehurst
and two children. Mrs: Messett, Watt, Miss Cox, Miss
Hadfield, Mr. Jones, and Mr. H. P. Goodlad.
The panorama will be a rich treat to the holiday folks.
LIVERPOOL. SESS.IONS.—ARSON.—NichoIas Evans, who was
tried at the January Sessions, for setting fire to his house, with
intent to defraud the " County Fire Office," in which office he
had effected an insurance. was yesterday broug,ht into coprt,
and told by the recorder, that the objections taken to the in-
dictnrient are, his trial hail been taken into consideration, and
that he was of opinion, that the indictment could not be sus-
tained. He was discharged from custody immediately.
THE GREAT WESTERN.—The Great Western steam-ship left
King Road at a little before 11 A.M.. on Sunday, with 650 tons
coals on board, dragging slowly along while "securing her very
heavy anchor. She met the flood tide at the Holmes, and went
amainst it, the wind blowing, strong from W.N.W. with a heavy
sea. From the following letter, it appears that she accomplish--
nearly 70 miles in eight hours, a much greater feat,,under the
circumstances, than her rapid passage from London
" Ilfracombe, Bth April, Sunday, 7 P.Nt.-1 have the pleasure
to inform you, that the Great Western is now abreast the bar-
bourolistant about four miles, the wind stiff and westerly."
THE NEW YORK STEA NI-PACKET. —T h e Dumfriesshire. Capt.
Gowan, arrived here on ,Wednesday in thirty-six days from
Mobile, and brings the following account of the Sirius :—" On
the 7th instant, in lat. 49 rleg. 25 mm. long. 1.6 deg. exchanged
numbers with the Sirius steamer She was steering about west,
blowing very strong from N.N.W., and appeared to he making
good weather of it. Captain Gowan infortns us that the gallant
behaviour of the Sirius excited the admiration of all on board
his ship. Ile passed close- by the steamer and cheered, which
Was loudly and heartily returned by a crowd on the quarter
deck of the latter.
LIVER THEATRE,—Mr. Raymond's benefit on Monday even:
ing, will he, no doubt, a hamper. Ilis bill is very attractive,
the dramas of Paul Clifford,—the Irishman in London, and
Kate Kearney, are announced for representation. In the first,
Mr. Collins makes his nppearance as Paul Clifford: he is fa-
vourably known to the Liverpool public, not only, as a talented
singer, hut es'a clever actor. In the two latter dramas. Mr.
sort M rs. Raymond will appear. The songs interspersed through
Kate Kearney are of a delightfutcharacter, being all Irish to
the back bone.