HOUSE OF LORDS, Thursday, 22nd June, 1876. * # to increase that capital by £2,000,000 -one-half in share capital and one-half in the form of loan or mortgage. The standard rate of dividend under this Bill was fixed at 10 per cent. That was provided by Clause 10. By Clause 19 it was provided that the initial standard price of the gas should be 38. 9d. per 1,000 cubic feet. Regard being had to the price charged for the gas, the Com MINUTES.]-PUBLIC BILLS-First ReadingLocal Light Dues (Reduction) * (132); Waterford, New Ross, and Wexford Junction Railway (Sale) (133), and referred to the Examiners; Wild Fowl Preservation* (134); Slave Trade (135); Local Govern-pany would be enabled to pay a dividend ment Board's Provisional Orders Confirma- beyond the standard of 10 per cent; for tion (Bingley, &c.) * (136), and referred to it had been shown by competent authority the Examiners; Local Government Board's that 3s. 9d. per 1,000 cubic feet would Provisional Orders Confirmation (Bilbrough, give a dividend of 10 per cent; and it &c.) (137), and referred to the Examiners. Second Reading - Bankruptcy (106); Metro- night be that by lowering the price politan Commons (Barnes)* (119); Metro- below the initial standard of 38. 9d. polis (Whitechapel and Limehouse) Improve- there would be a consumption which ment Scheme Confirmation (120); Local would enable the Company to pay much Government Provisional Orders, Aberavon, more than 10 per cent-perhaps 15 or &c. (No. 7)* (108); Public Health (Scotland) Provisional Order (Wemyss) (109); Coroeven 20. Therefore, the effect of raising ners (Dublin) * (102); Admiralty Jurisdiction so much of the additional capital by the (Ireland) issue of new shares instead of by loan Second Reading. Committee negatived Army would be to raise the amount on which Corps Training * (128). Committee-Burghs (Division into Wards) (Scot- compensation must be paid by any public land) Amendment* (116); Smithfield Prison body which at a future time and in the (Dublin) * (117); Kingstown Harbour* (103). interest of the public might purchase up Committee Report-Trade Marks Registration the Gas and Water Companies. It was Amendment (121). true there was a provision in the Bill Third Reading-Ecclesiastical Offices and Fees* that the new shares must be put up to (123), and passed. public auction, and that would afford some protection to the public, but it was not a sufficient safeguard. If, as was very possible, the new shares should be sold at a premium, he could not see why the amount required by the Company * PRIVATE BILLS-GAS LIGHT AND SECOND READING. Order of the Day for the Second Read- should not be raised by loan. The Board ing, read. Moved, THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN complained that there was not sufficient Notice of the second reading of Private Bills. It was only by accident that he found this Bill in the list of those set down for second reading on Monday last. It stood on the Paper as practically an unopposed Bill, but it was one which deserved their Lordships serious attention. The Companies to be amalgamated under the Bill as the Gas Light and Coke Company had attained very large dimensions; in the course of a few years it had contrived to absorb almost all its neighbours, and would now extend its operations over three-fourths of the metropolis. Its capital was at present very considerably over £8,000,000 sterling; and in the Bill power was taken "That the Bill be now read 2a." of Trade addressed a letter to Mr. Forster, the Chairman of the Committee that was inquiring into this subject, recommending that the borrowed capital should not exceed one-third of the share capital of a Company. It was not for their Lordships to say how the Company should raise additional capital, but he thought that what they now did would be used as a precedent for the future; but why should they in this Bill guarantee a fixed dividend? The Board of Trade pointed out that it was as much to the interest of Companies to increase their capital as it was the interest of the public that they should not increase it. But if a dividend was to be guaranteed, why should it be at so high an initial rate? It might be said that 3s. 9d. was the sum sanctioned by Mr. Forster's Committee; but he maintained that their Lordships' House was in no way precluded from expressing an opinion on the point, and that as posed under the Bill to raise the additional capital of the Company. To limit the issue of further shares for this purpose would in no way damage existing shareholders. On the contrary, it would be much to their advantage that additional shares should not be issued, as they would sooner be able to get the larger dividend, whereby the public were to gain by a reduction in price. Bills such as this formed precedents it | object to the mode in which it was prowould be advisable for the House to do so. On looking through the Gas Bills from various parts of the country which had come before their Lordships' House recently, he observed that where the supply of gas was in the hands of private Companies the tendency was to raise additional capital by the issue of shares; but when it was in the hands of public corporations the tendency was to raise additional capital by way of loan. The Board of Trade recommended that where additional capital was required it should be raised by loan and not by the issue of new shares; and he (the Earl of Camperdown) was of opinion that articles of the first necessity, like gas and water, should be supplied in as pure a form and as cheaply as possible, and that this end could best be attained by their being supplied by bodies that had no interest in making a profit out of them. In any case they had a right to demand that these articles should not be supplied at a rate of profit which appeared to be ex-tracted and expensive litigation. travagant. Having brought the matter before the House, he would suggest that a Committee of their Lordships' House ought to draw up resolutions expressing the views of the House as to the way additional capital should be raised by Gas and Water Companies and as to minimum or maximum rates of dividend. LORD REDESDALE said, he did not concur with the noble Earl in the opinion that there was not sufficient Notice of the second reading of Private Bills, but he did concur with him in most of the observations he had made on the Bill now before their Lordships. When it first came before him he made a note on the clause providing for the raising of further capital, that the Company should not be allowed to raise money otherwise than by borrowing. If raised by shares a much larger sum might have to be paid in the way of dividends-which by the Bill were allowed to exceed 10 per cent-than would be paid upon it if it were borrowed :-money could be obtained by this company readily at 4 or 4 per cent. He thought the arrangement by which the metropolitan Companies were allowed to have a guaranteed dividend very objectionable. That, however, could not be helped now, because the precedent was laid down years ago; but it was quite open to their Lordships to THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON thought the noble Earl (the Earl of Camperdown) had done good service in calling attention to this question; but, at the same time, he hoped he would not interpose any further obstacle to the progress of the Bill. The object of the Bill, which had come up to their Lordships as an unopposed Bill, was to enable the Chartered Gas Company to purchase additional land. When the project was brought forward the President of the Board of Trade saw that it was likely to give rise to pro He accordingly invited the Companies concerned-the Imperial Gas Company, the Independent Gas Company, and the Chartered Gas Company-to meet and discuss the question. He also invited the Metropolitan Board of Works and the Corporation of London, as the representatives of the public and the consumers, to join in the deliberations, and the result of the negotiation and discussion was the compromise embodied in the Bill then before their Lordships. He thought, therefore, that it would be unwise, and he might say unjust, to now stop the further progress of the Bill. The passage of this Bill would secure one point of considerable importance. It was very inconvenient and a great disadvantage to consumers that gas should be supplied in one district by several different Companies: the premises of one firm in the West-end of London were at present lighted by three different Companies. Now this Bill would place three-fourths of the metropolis under one Company. Moreover, purity, uniform pressure, and illuminating power were all promoted by the amalgamation of Gas Companies. He could not go the length to which his noble Friend (the Earl of Camperdown) went in the advocacy of raising additional capital by loan rather than by the issue of additional shares. He was - not sure that it was in all cases advis- I think that the Board of Works need have able to encourage the execution of un- acquiesced in the creation of this very dertakings by borrowed money the large number of new shares, but that principle might be carried too far, they should have insisted on the Combecause Companies, like individuals, pany borrowing the money required, lowered their credit by going into the which they could have easily done at market to borrow money. Hitherto it 5 per cent. The creation of new shares had been the practice to limit the bor- would impose a great liability upon the rowing powers to one-fourth of the consumers, and on the ratepayers when capital, and with regard to Railway the time came for the purchase of these Companies to one-third. He was far Companies. He preferred having one from saying that in cases of this kind large Gas Company to a number of the money should not be borrowed; but smaller ones, who could break up the they ought not to adopt such a resolu- streets at any time they might please to tion in the present state of things with- do so. out great care and caution. Again, it must be remembered that if in this Bill the limit of a 10 per cent dividend fixed by the Act of 1847 would be done away with as far as this Company was concerned, the Company could only raise its dividend beyond that sum when it lowered the initial standard of price, and therefore the consumer would benefit by the provisions in the Bill. He doubted whether it would be for the benefit of the consumers that the Gaslarly on the question as to the best mode and Water Companies should be bought up by public corporations. Under all the circumstances, he trusted their Lordships would read the Bill a second time. THE EARL OF AIRLIE thought that a case had been made out for the postponement of the Bill. The arrest of the Bill at this stage of it would not interfere with the vested interest of the Company, as they now came only for new powers; but he would suggest to his noble Friend that he should move for a Committee to draw up regulations which should be followed when any of these Bills came before the House; and that this Bill should be either postponed or referred to a Select Committee to consider it more fully; and that any other Bills of the same nature should be treated in the same manner. EARL FORTESCUE said, that for a long time Parliament considered that the public were sufficiently protected by the principle of competition; but that idea had been exploded, and now Private Bills were, to a certain extent, watched by the Government, acting on behalf of the public. Still, from the case brought forward by his noble Friend it appeared that the interests of the public in the metropolis were not sufficiently watched by any public authority. He did not The Duke of Richmond and Gordon LORD CARLINGFORD said, from what he had heard he could not believe that the Board of Trade and the Metropolitan authorities had so completely failed to protect the consumers as that it should be necessary to take the unusual course either of postponing or rejecting this Bill at this stage of it. At the same time, as considerable doubts had been expressed with regard to some of the provisions of the Bill, and particu in which authority should be given for raising this large amount of capital, he submitted that was a question which could be considered in Committee. He hoped that his noble Friend would not press his opposition further, but that he would allow the Bill to be referred to a Select Committee. LORD REDESDALE said, that he understood that the Bill was unopposed. LORD CARLINGFORD: No, there were two Petitions against it. LORD REDESDALE said, that these Petitions related to the taking of land only, and not to the principle of the Bill, and it would be perfectly competent to their Lordships to deal with the Bill when it came back from the Select Committee. The Company had already borrowed all the money allowed under their Act in proportion to their capital, and he thought that the Bill required to be narrowly watched whether it came before himself or not. The House should declare how the Company was to raise the money required. LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY said, that the analogy which had been drawn between Companies lowering their credit by borrowing like individuals did not seem quite correct, since the Gas Companies would borrow in order to increase the area from which they would raise dividends. BANKRUPTCY BILL.-(No. 106.) (The Lord Chancellor.) SECOND READING. Order of the day for the Second Reading, read. Moved,' "That the Bill be now read 2a." -The Lord Chancellor.) THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN said, in reference to the statement of the noble Duke that this Bill was a compromise between the Metropolitan Board of Works and the Company in the presence of the Board of Trade, he would remind their Lordships that they were not a party to that compromise, and that LORD HATHERLEY said, that there they had power to say whether the terms were two grievances connected with the of that compromise were objectionable former law on bankruptcy-one was that or not. It was also said that the divi- a bankrupt was allowed to be discharged dends would not be at a fixed rate; but upon payment of a very moderate divihe would observe that they were not to dend, or no dividend at all, through the be less than 10 per cent unless the gas influence of some favourable creditors; should be supplied at a figure higher and the other was that a bankrupt's than 38. 9d. per 1,000 feet-therefore, property was entrusted to hands unpractically, they were sanctioning mini-worthy of that trust, and who took care mum dividends at the rate of 10 per cent, and those dividends might be very much enhanced. He contended that the consumers were not sufficiently protected, and believed that gas could be produced at a much cheaper rate. Their Lordships could now sanction a scheme which would enable the Company to raise the money which they wanted at 5 per cent, and that would be far better than sanctioning a scheme which would give the Company power to create shares and pay dividends upon them at the rate of 10 per cent. The Company asked to be allowed to raise their capital by the sum of £2,000,000 sterling He was willing to withdraw his opposition to the second reading provided it were distinctly understood that their Lordships were to have an opportunity of considering this Bill at a future stage. In that understanding he would also include the South Metropolitan Companies Bill, which was almost as objectionable as the present one-or perhaps more so. To refer this Bill to a Select Committee would be almost useless; and the question was one which would be more properly dealt with by their Lordships than by a Select Committee. It really raised the whole question of gas legislation. He thought that the question of raising capital by these Companies might be raised by submitting Resolutions to the House, where they might be discussed and settled. Motion agreed to:-Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed; The Committee to be proposed by the Committee of Selec tion. to retain for their own benefit a large proportion of the bankrupt's property. There was also the grievance that bankrupts could take the initiative, and by good management and the influence of friends easily become "whitewashed." As he mentioned on the last occasion, of 8,000 or 9,000 only 200 or 300 had paid any dividend at all. The Act of 1869, therefore, left every initiatory step in bankruptcy to the creditors, and no man could be discharged from his debts until he paid 108. in the pound, unless the majority in number and three-fourths in value of his creditors passed a resolution at a properly convened meeting to the effect that his inability to pay his debts was the result, not of his own fault, but of unavoidable misfortune. He wished to point out that one clause in his noble and learned Friend's Bill proposed to restore to the bankrupt the power of initiating bankruptcy proceedings in his own behalf for the purpose of putting his affairs in liquidation--a proceeding which he was afraid would revive all the old evils that were so rife before the Act of 1869 was passed. He thought, therefore, that the noble and learned Lord would do well to omit that clause from his Bill. With regard to the administration of the assets of the bankrupt, that duty before the Act of 1869 was entrusted to the officers of the Court with very unsatisfactory results; by that Act it was handed over to the official trustee, who was to be chosen by the creditors at a public meeting called for the purpose. Under such circumstances the creditors had no right to complain if the trustee whom they themselves had chosen acted improperly. The Act of 1869 contained some very severe provisions regulating the conduct of the trustee, under which he was required to account to the officer of the Court for his administration of the assets, and was bound to pay all sums over £50 in the aggregate he received in his capacity as trustee into such bank as the creditors should select within a very short time of his receiving them. Under the Bill it was proposed that the provisional Committee of Inspection should consist of the five creditors resident in England by whom the largest amounts appeared by the debtor's list of creditors to be provable. The objection to that proposal was that the creditors of a bankrupt who had lost largely by his failure were seldom desirous of coming forward, and thus proclaiming that they had incurred bad debts to a considerable amount in the course of their business. Great complaints had arisen that the dividends paid under the Act of 1869 on bankrupts' estates were very small; but the fact was that compositions were much favoured by the existing law. The clause which directed that unclaimed or undistributed dividends should vest in the Crown at the expiration of five years, would afford a very efficient check upon those empowered to administer bankrupt estates. He was, on the whole, anxious that the measure should pass, believing that it would prove a very useful amendment of the present law; but whilst it seemed a large measure, it was, in truth, with the exception of four or five clauses, a mere re-enactment of the Act of 1869, and he doubted whether his noble and learned Friend would be able to pass it during the present year in that shape. THE LORD CHANCELLOR said, he would not repeat the observations he had previously made in introducing this measure, and expressed his obligation to the noble and learned Lord (Lord Hatherley) for the criticisms he had made upon the Bill, and the suggestions of amendment that he had offered. He might point out that although the present Bill looked rather formidable in its dimensions, it was in reality mainly a reenactment of the Act of 1869, with some new clauses and amendments. He admitted that by proposing to repeal the Act of 1869 and to re-enact the greater part of its provisions in the present mea Lord Hatherley sure he ran the risk of extending the surface of opposition; but at the same time, having always advocated the principle of repeal and re-enactment, instead of patchwork legislation, he should not like to shrink from carrying out that principle in the present instance. The noble and learned Lord had correctly stated that the object of the Act of 1869 was to transfer the power of initiating proceedings in bankruptcy against himself from the debtor to his creditors; but, unfortunately, that Act allowed the debtor to initiate proceedings in liquidation and composition, and the consequence was that bankruptcy proper as compared with liquidation and composition had become a mere trifle. He had thought it preferable, therefore, to abolish the distinction between those methods of procedure, and to place all proceedings in bankruptcy under proper control, and under a uniform system. It was true that under the Act of 1869 a bankrupt was not entitled to his discharge without the assent of the majority in number and three-fourths in value of his creditors unless he had paid 108. in the pound; but that provision only applied to bankruptcy proper, and not to liquidation or composition. He quite agreed in the views stated by his noble and learned Friend who had recently addressed the House in reference to the appointment of trustees in bankruptcy, and the period within which estates should be wound up when liquidation had been resorted to. Motion agreed to:-Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next. INDIA-SLAVE TRADING OF SUBJECTS OF NATIVE PRINCES IN INDIA. OBSERVATIONS. FIRST READING. THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, in calling attention to the expediency of making provision for the more effectual punishment of the subjects of Native Princes in India who are guilty of the offence of slave trading, and presenting a Bill upon the subject, said: My Lords, the Bill of which I have given Notice is one of considerable importance, and its object may be shortly explained; but I must apologize for not bringing it for |