New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-19
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE
PROMOTION or SOCIAL SCIENCE.

Russe y delivered on the first and second days a
the session. The next three days were devoted -
the reading Of papers before the FIVE departments
of the Association, viz: /. Jurisprudence and
Anne uent Of the Law; .. Education; 5. Pua-
ishmeat and Refor ns,ion: 4. Public Health; S.
Social Economy department. meeting BY itseh.
snd some Of them in two sections, the whoso
going on simultaneously, the busines in each d.
partnent being opened by an address from the
President, after which papers were read and made
the subject Of discussion. The Liverpool papers
which report these proceedings give abstracts mosc
or less full Of the papers read before the various
departments during the first two days, and in some
few cases the papers themselves at length. We
proceed to notice some Of the more remarkable:
/. Department Of Jurisprnfeace and Amendmsst
Of the Lac, presided over BY Lord Br"aghau. in
the sbseuce Of the regular President the Les4
Chancellor Of Ireland who just as he WAS starting.
had received an iItimstion froa, the Maistry that
be ought not to leave ireland without q sp ciA
permission from the Queen. The chief sabject
discussed was the Bankruptcy and lnsolvcasy
Laws, on which special committee had besa
appointed st the last SESSION. The report Of this
committee enumerated, as among the evils 70
be remedied, the great expenses Of the presest
system. which expenses, being paid out Of the g.
sets, pressed very hard upon small estates. A
Court cf Bankruptcy. above all others, should net
be au expensive Court. because il existed for tho
the division among creditors Of estates already
short of the ella ms against them. Many state
n,en,s existed as 10 expenses in bankruptcy, built
was impossible to give an accurate account Of
them as. unfortunately, no actual ana me-
thodcsf record was kept Another evil In tho
present state of the law the small cootrel thas
creditors were allowed to have over the mercantile
ad ninistration of bankrupt estates. II was not
proposed that the creditors should have anything
to do with the Judicial proceedings, which were
better kept distinct in the hands OF competent
Judge. But it seemed desirable that the mercan-
tile administration of the bankruptcy should be. -
much as possible in the hands OF those Interested.
| TO Wit, the creditors. They we're the most Likely
10 look after the estate efficiently, to divide It
among the creditors chcaply rapidly and honestly;
and If they did not, is would BE- their own fsulf,
and they would have nobody to blame but them-
selves. 1t was also proposed TO abolish the dis
tnction between Insolvency and bankruptcy. The
distinction between traders and non traders was
feudal prejudice As to the certificate @ DIS
charge. il WAS proposed to leave that in the haods
of the Judge though upon this poift some differ
ence Of opinion had existed in the Committee
Additional facilities were also needed for tho pros
ecution Of fraudulent and dishonest hankrupts.
Voluntary settlements out of court ought alse 10
be favored, and by registration in court to acquire
all the authority and force Of legal adjustment.
A bill had been drawn up in accordance with these
ideas. which Lord John Russell had promised to
bring forward st the next session Of Parliament.
IA substitute for the bill introduced at Che last
session by the Lord Chancellor, and which was
pronounced wholly unsatisfactory. This bill Wa
highly approved by all the meubers OF the De-
partment, and if any member of our Congress has
the idea Of introducing bankruptcy bill at the
next session, we should advise him to procure
copy Of it.
III. Department cf Education, presided over by
the Right Hon. W. +. Cowper. The session
opened with paper BY Horace Mann-ths En-
elish, it seems have their Horace Mann AZ well ~
we ours-on the system tf competitive examio"'
tons recently resorted to in Ec gland, and was fol-
lowed by other papers on the same subject This
o. stem has been introduced into tho East India
service, into the military service, and into tho
civil service. In the military service it includes
six points: !. The test for ordinary commissions.
=. The test or regimental promotion. 3.
The competition for entrance into the scientific
corps at Wotlwicb. 4. The lower competition for
entrance into the military college st Sandhurst 9.
The competing examinations in come ,tion with
the staff school, and q. The appointment Ut cosn-
Gil of military education embracing an experienced
civilian as well as officers Of engineers, artillery
and the line. The chief subject discussed Wa,
however, the competition for civil service appoint
meDts. The civil service commission was ap-
pointed BY an order in Council in 1885, 1t grew
out of conviction long entertained by few, and
which at last found public expression, that tho
work Of subordinate posts in public ofaces, was
very often inadequatey performed: that no dus
provision was made that those sho fiji such posts
should be reasonably we'll educated; ard that pns-
ronage, in which these appointments had h1thert>
originated, often resulted in the appointment d
incompetent persons The number Of persocs
composing the British civil service appointed by
the central authority is about $1,000. These
might be divided into six classes, of whom tho
third-the principal subjest Of present cOtIsdsra-
tion-was composed Of sslaried officers below ths
rank of clerks, such al tdewaiers letter-ssrr, ,rs
messengers, &c. Tie average number of Varsn-
cies in this class was, in every year, l50 in the
customs, $50 in the post-ofiee, and 80 Of nes-
sengers, &c. Mr.. Mann suggested that 10 h-gs
towns all vacancies might be provided for before
haud by . periodical competition, and IN suaa