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of a jury, or by reference to arbitration, as herein | nies unable to meet their pecuniary engagements,' provided in other cases of disputed compensation; in the case of any of the acts of bankruptcy and all corporations and persons to or with whom therein mentioned, being committed by the comsuch debts, liabilities, or agreements shall have panies therein referred to: provided that notice been contracted, or entered into, or who shall be shall be given by the directors, or such committee entitled to any such compensation as aforesaid, as aforesaid, if appointed, of the determination of shall, notwithstanding the determination of such such meeting of shareholders, to be called as aforemeeting, have such and the same rights and reme- said, with reference to the proceeding in the exedies against the said company for the recovery and cution of the powers of this Act, or the dissoluenforcement thereof respectively, as they would tion of the company, in the London Gazette, and have had if no such meeting had taken place, and in one or more newspapers of each county in as if the company had continued to exist: And be which the lands proposed to be affected by this it further enacted, that if the directors shall not Act shall lie, within fourteen days from the holdwithin four months from the passing of this Acting of such meeting: and at any such meeting to cause due notice of such extraordinary meeting to be held as aforesaid, the voting shall take place in be given, it shall be lawful for any six or more of the manner prescribed in the Companies Clauses the persons entitled to shares in the said under- Consolidation Act, 1845,' with reference to meettaking, holding in the whole shares or stock to the ings of shareholders therein referred to." amount of at least 5,000l. to call such meeting by In moving the adoption of that clause, the notice, signed by such shareholders, and published hon. Gentleman said that at the time he in the manner required by this Act with regard to extraordinary meetings of the company; and the had first given notice of it, he was not proceedings of the meeting so called by such aware of the intentions of the Government shareholders, at which three-fifths at least of the with regard to the steps that had since shareholders shall be present either personally or been adopted by them in reference to the by proxy, shall be as valid, and shall have the seme force and effect, as if such meeting had been winding up of railway companies; but duly called by the directors; and for the purpose upon a careful consideration of the Resoluof winding up the affairs of the said company, in tions adopted by the House, he was still case such meeting shall determine on the dissolu- of opinion that the clause he then proposed tion thereof, it shall be lawful for such meeting to appoint a committee, consisting of such number of was wanting. He must observe that bepersons as they shall think fit, being shareholders fore the deed could have effect, it should in the company; and the directors shall forthwith be signed by shareholders for the full transfer to such committee all documents, books, amount of the estimated capital, so that it papers, and accounts of or belonging to the comof any company to avoid putting the Act was even still in the power of the directors in force after it should have been obtained, by not allowing it to be completed. But the effect of his clause would be to compel the completion of the registration of share

pany, and shall also transfer to such committee all moneys, securities for moneys, and other effects and property of, or belonging to the company; and such committee, or the survivors or survivor thereof, shall forthwith proceed to wind up the affairs of the company, and shall, in the first place, convert into money such of the effects as shall not consist of money, and pay and dis-holders, and thereby give to those parties charge all the debts, contracts, and liabilities of the company, and subject thereto, and to the necessary expenses of such committee in the execution of their powers, the surplus of the said moneys shall be forthwith divided by such committee rateably amongst the shareholders in the company in proportion to their respective interests therein; and in the event of the directors refusing or neglecting to transfer to any such committee the documents, books, papers, and accounts, moneys, and other property and effects of the company, within ten days after demand, in writing, signed by such committee, or the survivors or survivor of them, and delivered to any one of such directors, or left at his last or usual place of

abode, it shall be lawful for such committee, or the survivors or survivor of them, to pass a resolution that such company is desirous to wind up its affairs; and upon a copy of such resolution, signed by any one or more of such committee, being filed in the office of the Lord Chancellor's Secretary of Bankrupts, every such company shall be deemed to have committed an act of bankruptcy at the time of filing the copy of such resolution, and thereupon such proceedings shall be had and taken for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the said company as are directed in and by an Act passed in the eighth year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled, An Act for facilitating the winding up the affairs of Joint Stock Compa

who had signed the deed an opportunity of getting rid, if they should so think fit, of the liabilities to which they had thereby subjected themselves. The Resolutions passed by the House already had not provided for the class to which he referred. They had merely provided power for the scripholders to meet and decide whether they would or would not proceed with the undertaking. But the House should recollect that the scripholders might pass resolutions empowering the directors to proceed, whilst, as the law stood, the purchasers of scrip were not compelled to register it; and the original subscribers to the deed, however unwilling they might have been to go on with the undertaking, would remain liable, and might be called on to raise the money to complete the work when it would have been found to be an utterly unprofitable speculation. Some such clause as that he then proposed was absolutely wanting, no remedy whatsoever having been otherwise provided for the signers of the deed; and his object was to give to the

bona fide subscribers an opportunity of re- | sented yesterday, and also to two other considering their condition, and not only of cases of extreme hardship upon individuals. reviewing their position, but of winding up The petitioner, Mary Ann Tyler, was the concern if they should think fit. A strong case in point, showing the necessity for such a power, occurred in the year 1836, when a great number of Bills for the formation of joint-stock companies were passed. The subscribers to the deeds sold their scrip; and after a lapse of two or three years, and long after they had thought themselves quite rid of their liabilities, they were called upon in the year 1839 to pay up demands of 301. and 401. a share, by which numbers were totally ruined.

SIR G. CLERK would confine his objections to the point of form. The hon. Member called this a clause; but in point of fact it was a new system of railway legislation, and it was quite impossible that this clause could be inserted in every Bill. He thought that the better course for the hon. Member would be to wait until the Bill which had been introduced into the other House by Lord Dalhousie should come down to the Commons; and he could then propose such amendments as he thought fit, or introduce another Bill, if he thought it necessary.

charged at the Loughborough petty sessions, on the 16th of April, with using violent language towards another woman, of the name of Crooks, who applied to have Tyler bound in sureties to keep the peace. The magistrates, the Rev. John Dudley and Mr. Danvers, decided that there was no need to require sureties, and told the complainant that her remedy was by action; but they told Tyler to stand admonished, and adjudged that she should pay 17. 18s. costs. They afterwards sent her to prison for fourteen days, with hard labour, for non-payment. The warrant of commitment states that she had "grievously annoyed and abused" the husband of the woman who made the complaint, "against the peace of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, her crown, and dignity." The Act of Parliament under which the costs were adjudged, the 18th George III., c. 19, was an Act "for the payment of costs to parties on complaints determined before justices of the peace out of sessions." Here there was no determination. The magistrates said it was not a case for them to decide. The second case to which he

MR. LABOUCHERE thought the pro-wished to call the right hon. Baronet's atceedings of the hon. Member altogether unprecedented. It was attempting to do that by a clause which ought to be done by a Bill, if it were to be done at all. He would recommend the hon. Member to withdraw the Motion.

MR. HUDSON thanked the right hon. Baronet (Sir G. Clerk), and the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Labouchere) for their suggestions, and withdrew his Motion accordingly. His sole object was to relieve the subscribers to the contract deed from their liabilities, and to prevent a recurrence of the calamities and distress which he had seen in the years 1836, 1838, and 1839, consequent upon the want of some such provision. However, he was glad that Her Majesty's Government appeared to feel the importance of the matter, and he should be happy to hand the further proceedings in it over to Her Majesty's Solicitor General, whom he rejoiced to see in his place.

Motion by leave withdrawn.

LOUGHBOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS. MR. CHRISTIE wished to call the atte tion of the right hon. Home Secretary to the representations contained in the petition of Mary Anne Tyler, which he pre

tention was that of Catherine Stubbs, who was charged on the 5th of March, before the Rev. John Dudley, the Rev. W. Acworth, and Mr. Danvers, with attempting to leave her master's service. She had not left her master's house, but had on her bonnet and shawl, when her master sent for a constable, and gave her into custody. Mr. Dudley told her that attempting to leave her master's service was a misdemeanour, and she was committed to prison, with hard labour, for two months. The Act of 4 George IV., c. 34, provided that

"If any servant in husbandry, or any artificer, calio-printer, handicraftman, miner, collier, keelman, pitinan, glassman, potter, labourer, or other person, shall absent himself or herself from his or her service before the term of his or her consame, or be guilty of any other misconduct or tract shall be completed, or neglect to fulfil the misdemeanour in the execution thereof, the magistrates might commit to prison, with hard labour, for three months, or in lieu thereof abate the whole or a part of the wages due to the offender." There had, however, been a decision that the words in the Act did not apply to household servants. The girl, on being told that she was to go to prison, burst into tears, and said she had never been to prison and never would go there; whereupon

the Rev. Mr. Dudley proposed to send her for three months, but the other magistrates would not concur in that suggestion. The next case to which he would direct the Home Secretary's attention was that of James Jarvis, a pauper, aged seventy-five, who was brought before the bench for refusing to work at the pump in the Barrowon-Soar union workhouse, and was committed to prison, with hard labour, for twenty-one days. He had previously been on the refractory diet in the workhouse. The warrant of commitment had the signature of the Rev. W. Acworth. who acted as chairman of the board of guardians at the meeting at which this pauper was sent before the magistrate. On Jarvis's committal to prison, the surgeon ordered him not to be put to the wheel on account of his age. He was soon after taken ill, and died before the term of his imprisonment expired. He wished to ask the right hon. Baronet whether his attention had been directed to the first two cases, and whether it was his intention to institute any inquiry into the conduct of the magistrates? And also whether the last case had been brought under the notice of the Poor Law Commissioners, and if so, whether they intended to investigate the circumstances?

SIR J. GRAHAM: The first case referrod to by the hon. Member for Weymouth, that of Ann Tyler, was brought under my notice before the hon. Gentleman presented a petition on the subject. I made strict inquiry into the circumstances, and I was satisfied that the conviction was illegal, and I immediately despatched an order for the prisoner's liberation. I have since informed the magistrate that the conviction was illegal; I have stated to him strongly that his conduct appeared to me highly reprehensible, and that, if such conduct were repeated, it would be my duty to bring it under the special notice of the Lord Chancellor, with a view to his dismissal. The second case-that of a female servant committed for a breach of the laws relating to masters and servants -was not brought under my notice till yesterday, when I received a communication on the subject from the hon. Gentleman. I immediately made inquiries into the case, but I have not yet received an explanation. With regard to the last case, I have called the attention of the Poor Law Commissioners specially to it, and they will institute an inquiry into the cir

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CORN IMPORTATION BILL.

The Corn Importation Bill was reported. On the Question that the Amendments made by the Committee be now read a Second Time,

SIR C. BURRELL said, that as he had, by severe indisposition, been prevented from expressing his opinion on the Corn Law Bill in its earlier stages, he trusted the House would bear with him whilst he briefly stated his objections to it, and his reasons for moving that the Report be taken into further consideration that day six months. He opposed the measure, because he believed its adoption would interfere with the profits of labourers of all classes, whether agricultural or manufacturing. It had been said by the right hon. Baronet at the head of Her Majesty's Government, during the progress of the debate, that the prices of labour would not be affected by the admission of foreign corn; but long experience and observation as a landholder proved to him that this was erroneous, for whenever the price of wheat and other farm produce was low, the want of fair profit for capital, industry, and skill to the farmer, created a necessity for not only reducing the wages of his labourers, but, what was a more serious evil, reducing their number, and this particularly in the winter months. There was an old saying, that "it is wise to let well alone;" and he asked whether the condition of the country had not been prosperous, before this unexpected change in the opinions and conduct of Her Majesty's Ministers with respect to that protection to agriculture which had been deemed necessary by the wisdom of preceding statesmen, from the time of Edward III. up to the present period? He denied that the partial loss of the potato crop in Ireland offered any sound ground for applying as the remedy, a general and permanent alteration of the Corn Laws to meet a partial and by no means a general evil; and much less was there any justification for the cry of famine, when it was well known that Ireland never had so prosperous a harvest of every description, with the exception of a partial failure of the potatoes in some parts of that country; while in a great proportion good crops of sound potatoes had been grown, as he had been well assured by correspondents and persons well acquainted with the facts. He must say, that if just grounds existed for the fear of a scarcity of food from the partial failure alluded to, the opening of the ports of that

I

of the farm himself, and in cultivating and | It had been his good fortune in early life improving his land, upon the faith that to have seen much of the right hon. Baprotection would not be withdrawn? Most ronet. At the time that the right hon. assuredly not the disabled proprietor. These Gentleman filled the office of Chief Secrewere some of the grounds upon which he tary for Ireland, he was serving on the strongly objected to the passing of the staff of the then Lord Lieutenant of that measure. Its effects on the country, in country, the late Duke of Richmond-a common with those who had so ably ex-nobleman universally beloved and deservposed them to the House, he dreaded; but, for himself personally, he was disposed to bear them without complaint. He felt, as every person must feel, what he believed to be a national calamity; and he felt for the effect it must produce upon the fortunes of men who had, until now, a profitable interest in their holdings-who enjoyed some of the comforts and partook of the feelings of the proprietors, and who were enabled to share with their farm labourers some of the comforts they enjoyed themselves. The measure before the House, if it passed into a law, must create a new order of things. It would not merely deprive the great of affluence, but it would abridge the comforts of the poor: it would take away from a substantial yeomanry all feeling of independence; it would place the whole tenantry of Ireland on the comfortless level of the rackrent system; and it would reduce the condition of the agricultural labourer, who must sink as the classes immediately above him descended. If for these reasons alone, he should feel it to be his duty to oppose the measure; but if the right hon. Baronet was disposed to obtain the consent of the farmers, he would recommend his allowing them to dispose of the produce of the land upon the true principle of free trade. Give permission to the farmer to malt his oats and his barley, which would enable him to compete with the manufacturer, and in this way the right hon. Baronet ought, perhaps, to a certain extent, to reconcile them to the Bill. He could not sit down without joining with those hon. Members who had expressed their regret that the measure had not come from the opposite side of the House-that it had not been brought forward by the noble Lord the Member for London or indeed by any hon. Member except the right hon. Baronet, because he could not divest himself of the feeling that the right hon. Baronet had betrayed those friends who had stood true to him for so many years. He could not avoid expressing his very great disappointment at the course the right hon. Baronet had taken. He ought, perhaps, to feel it more sensibly than many others, but he would state the reason why.

edly esteemed-whose kindness to him had
made an impression which could never be
effaced from his recollection but with his
life. It was at that period he had frequent
opportunities of meeting with, and hearing
the opinions delivered by the right hon.
Baronet, and always with increased delight.
He had been brought up a soldier: the
greater part of his early life had been
passed in the service of his country, at
home and abroad. He did not pretend to
any extensive acquaintance with public
matters, and he felt much satisfaction to
think that he should find, when he entered
Parliament, a person to whom he could,
with confidence, look for guidance and di-
rection. In 1832 he obtained a seat in
Parliament-two years afterwards the right
hon. Baronet made this declaration, that,
"he would not accept power on the condi-
tion of declaring himself an apostate from
the principles upon which he had hitherto
acted." He considered this conclusive.
He had often heard the right hon. Baronet
express those principles from which he had
declared he would never become an apos-
tate, and he at once enlisted under the
right hon. Baronet's banner. For thirteen
years he served the right hon. Baronet
faithfully; and was it not too much to ex-
pect at the end of that period, when the
right hon. Baronet had hoisted the standard
of the enemy, that he should join him in
fighting under it? He could not.
As well
might the right hon. Baronet expect him,
to desert the colours he fought under at
the battle of Waterloo. The right hon.
Baronet had told the House, that it re-
quired three years before he could make
up his mind to advocate this measure; and
yet the right hon. Baronet called upon his
supporters to change their opinions in as
many weeks. He admitted that generally
every person had a right to change his
opinions; but even to this rule there were
exceptions, and in his judgment, the right
hon. Baronet was one of these exceptions.
The right hon. Baronet was, or had been
the leader of a great party for many years,
and he thought it was due to that party
to be informed by the right hon. Baronet
when the change had taken place in his

and barley, more abundant, by far, than the farmers have ever before been known to have on hand at this advanced period of the season. Moreover, we assert, and can prove from indisputable data, that, considering the effect the panic might naturally be expected to have on the markets, for all descriptions of food, the present cost of provisions, as compared with the prices this time last year, does not at all warrant the assumption upon which those proceed who cry out that famine is impending. Here are positive facts:-First, as to bread:-In the Newry Telegraph of Saturday, the 19th of April, 1845, the market-note for the week have then been 3 lbs. 12 oz. The market-note for shows the average weight of the sixpenny loaf to the week ending Saturday last, the 18th of April, 1846, shows the present average weight of the sixpenny loaf to be 3 lbs. 4 oz.. Next, as regards oatmeal-From the same source we find, that in 12s. 6d. per cwt.; and its present price at the the Newry Mills, this time last year, oatmeal was mills is 16s. per cwt. Then, with respect to flour

sentiments. In the observations which he had felt it his duty to make, he begged to say, that he was not presuming to pass a censure upon the right hon. Baronet's conduct. He had no doubt the right hon. Baronet felt that he was fully justified in the course he had taken; but he felt called upon to stand up in his own defence in these times, when so many and so great changes had taken place. He wished to take the opportunity of showing that he had neither abandoned his principles nor forfeited his character for consistency. So much had been said upon the subject of the state of Ireland with regard to the alleged failure of the potato crop, that he felt himself called upon to say a few words upon that subject, although he had, upon a former occasion, stated to the House-We quote, from our file, the market-note for the what he, from his own knowledge, felt he was justified in stating. He then told the House, that although he had no doubt distress prevailed in many parts, yet that there was in the country abundance of provisions to supply the wants of all-that the potato crop, divested of the diseased portion, was still an average crop; and that there was more grain of every description in the country at that season of the year, the month of March, than had been for several years previous. In confirmation of this assertion, he would ask leave of the House to read an extract from a letter he had received from a gentleman in the county of Armagh a few days after he had made his statement to the House. The letter was to this effect :

"You are perfectly correct in your statement to the House relative to the large stock of provisions in this country at present; and what may appear rather strange is, that potatoes are now cheaper in this neighbourhood than they have been for the last four months."

This letter was dated 26th of April. He would now ask the permission of the House to read a portion of a paragraph from a highly respectable and widely circulated provincial paper, the Newry Telegraph, which reiterated his words, although the paper was published before the sentiments could be known in Ireland which he had expressed in the House:

date already mentioned, April 19, 1845 :— Prices
of flour at Newry Mills-First flour, 15s. 6d. ;
second, 14s. 6d.; third, 12s. 6d. ; fourth, 8s. 6d.
From our market-note of last Saturday, April 18,
1846, we find that the present selling-price of the
same articles of food are as follows:-Prices of
flour at Newry Mills-First flour, 18s.; second,
16s.; third, 13s. 6d.; fourth, 11s.'"
He would merely observe, that there could
not have been any very great distress in
Ireland, when flour was only 1s. 6d. higher
in price on the 18th of April, 1846, than
at the same period in 1845. He would
only trouble the House with one quotation
more; it was from a letter he had received
yesterday from a gentleman in Dublin, and
was as follows:-

"The Indian meal is nearly as dear as our own
in Dublin. It is bought chiefly as a curiosity to
taste what sort of thing it is. . . . . One friend of
mine, resident in Kerry, informs me, that the price
of potatoes have fallen nearly one-third, and that
the chief cause of the hitherto high prices in his
quarter (Dingle) was, that persons who had them
were holding them over for the highest price."
He had only now to say, that he was hap-
Py to be able to produce authority to bear
the correctness of which he was fully as-
sured when he made it, as he had never
asserted anything before the House that
he did not know to be perfectly true.

him out in the statement he had made-of

SIR W. JOLLIFFE would willingly have listened to any Member of the opposite opinions; but the matter under debate was "No doubt there is, to a certain extent, a defi- of such importance (perhaps, indeed, the cient stock of potatoes; and the price of the eseulent is higher than has been the case, of late, at most important of any on which he should the same period of the year. But we assert that ever speak), that he was induced to offer it is a fact which cannot be controverted, that some observations upon it, although there there are at this moment in the pits of the farmers, generally, large quantities of potatoes of ex-able than he was to speak on this occawere many present who were much better cellent quality. We assert further, that, as compensatory for the deficiency of potatoes, there is in the surrounding country a stock of wheat, oats,

sion. It was painful for him to have to reflect on the conduct of Ministers in whom

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