MASTER AND SERVANT.

Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the State of the Law as regards Contracts of Service between Master and Servant, and as to the Expediency of amending the same. (15th June, 1865.)

THE Committee was appointed on the 19th May, and it consisted of Lord Elcho, Mr. Cobbett, Mr. Solicitor-General, Sir James Ferguson, Mr. Dalglish, Mr. Gathorne Hardy, Mr. Edmund Potter, Lord Stanley, Mr. William Edward Forster, Mr. Hennessy, Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Lowe, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Algernon Egerton, Mr. Alderman Salomons, Mr. Clive, and Mr. Cox. The committee only examined two witnesses, and on the 15th June, 1865, reported as follows:

"That inasmuch as the state of the law of contracts between masters and servants is subject of the highest importance, affecting as it does the relations of employers and employed throughout the kingdom, and any inquiry as to the operation of the law should be full, searching, and complete; and inasmuch as there is no probability of your committee being able to complete such inquiry in the present session, it is desirable that the evidence, so far as it has been already taken, should be reported to the house, accompanied by a recommendation that a committee should be appointed in the next session of Parliament to consider this subject."

were killed and 1 injured whilst crossing at level crossings; and 54 killed and 8 injured were trespassers; 6 killed and 2 injured miscellaneous; making in all, 222 killed and 795 injured, of whom 168 killed and 684 injured were in England and Wales; 34 killed and 65 injured in Scotland; and 20 killed and 46 injured in Ireland. The length of railway open was 8,890 miles in England and Wales, 2105 miles in Scotland, and 1794 miles in Ireland; total, 12,789 miles. There were in all 88 accidents, 78 of which were to passenger trains and 10 to goods and mineral trains. The general traffic consisted of 229,272,168 passengers and 76,490 holders of season tickets, 66,702 carriages, 283,112 horses, 459,594 dogs, 2,993,357 cattle, 8,445,681 sheep, 2,224,748 pigs, 75,445,781 tons coal, coke, and minerals, and 34,914,913 tons of general merchandise. There were 4,969,968 trains run, which travelled over 129,130,943 miles. The receipts from passenger traffic were 15,684,000l., from goods traffic 18,331,5241., total, 84,015,5641. The working expenditure amounted to 16,000,3081., and the net receipts being 33,911,5477., the net income was 17,911,2391., or 47 per cent. of the whole. The capital The capital authorized was, by shares, 390,413,133l., by loan, 130,109,1977., total 520,522,3341. The capital paid up was, 332,452,6461. The debenture loans outstanding were 93,030,7921. The total paid up in shares on 31st December on debenture loans, 425,488,4381.

RAILWAYS.

Return by the Board of Trade of the Number and Nature of the Accidents and the Injuries to Life and Limb which have been reported to the Board of Trade; Returns by the several Railway Companies, showing the Traffic upon their respective Railways in Passengers and Goods, as well as their working Expenditure and Capital during the Year ended 31st March, 1864. (The Lord President.) (4th July, 1865.) (250.)

THE number of passengers killed or injured from causes beyond their own control was, 15 killed and 698 injured; from their own misconduct or want of caution, 21 killed and 8 injured. Besides there were killed, 103 servants of companies, 78 injured; 28 persons

BANKS.

Returns of the Names of all Banks carrying on Business in England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, on the 1st June, 1864, with the Number of Branch Banks belonging to each; distinguishing Banks of Issue from Banks not of Issue, and Private Banks from Joint-Stock Banks. (Sir Colman O'Loghlen.) (13th February, 1865.) (15.)

ON the 1st June, 1864, there were in England and Wales, of banks of issue, 208 private banks with their branches, 441 joint stock banks with their branches, and the Bank of England with 10 branches, making in all 660

banks of issue. Of banks not of issue there were 64 private banks, and 303 joint stock banks, total, 367. In Ireland there were of banks of issue, 197 joint stock banks, with their branches; and not of issue, 10 banks, with their branches, and 4 private banks. In Scotland there were 13 banks, all of issue, with 394 branches.

1861, bronze, 273,5781.; 1862, 352,800l. ; 1863, 151,6481.; and 1864, 18,0691.: total, 915,2687. The yearly average price per ounce for silver bullion purchased in the market for coinage in the years 1855 to 1864 was, 1855, 613; 1856, 61; 1857, 61; 1858, 611; 1859, 617; 1861, 61; 1862, 614; 1863, 61; 1864, 611.

AUGMENTATION OF BENEFICES.

Return of Proceedings under the Lord Chancellor's Augmentation Act from the 15th day of February, 1864, to the 13th February, 1865. (7 L.)

THE total amount of purchase' money of advowsons sold was 113,1297. The amount

paid into the Bank of England, 107,6791.; and the amount secured by rent-charges, and for which land, &c., was accepted, 5,450l.

COINAGE.

Account of all Gold, Silver, and Copper Monies of the Realm coined at the Mint for each Year from the 1st day of January, 1855, to the 31st December, 1864, (Mr. Peel.) (26th June, 1865.) (417.)

1859,

1861, 1863,

OF gold coins there were coined in 1855, 9,008,6631.; 1856, 6,002,114l. ; 1857, 4,859,8601.; 1858, 1,231,0237.; 2,649,5097.; 1860, 8,121,7087.; 8,190,170l,; 1862, 7,806,4137.; 6,607,4561.; and 1864, 9,535,5971.: total, 59,042,5187. Of silver coins the amount coined was in 1855, 192,0037.; 1856, 445,4547.; 1857, 363,6801.; 1858, 432,6787.; 1859, 620,031.; 1860, 222,9817.; 1861, 215,0297.; 1862, 159,9487.; 1863, 171,8557.; 1864, 521,0037.: total, 3,344,6631. Of copper coinage in 1855, 41,0917.; 1856, 11,4187.; 1857, 6,220.; 1858, 13,440.; 1859, 8,512l.; 1860, copper, 134l., bronze, 37,8561.;

CHARITIES OF THE CITIES OF LONDON AND WESTMINSTER.

Digest of the Parochial Charities of the Cities of London and Westminster referred to in the Eleventh and Twelfth Reports of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales. (The Lord Bishop of London.) (26th June, 1865.) (243 L.)

This income was

THE charities of London had a total gross income of 64,560l. 18s. 11d. The gross former income was 34,862l. 7s. 5d. applicable as follows:-11,674l. 5s. 9d. to education; 1,554. 88. 7d. to apprenticing and advancement of children; 3,998l. 14s. 9d. for endowment of clergy; 26,480l. Os. 8d. for purposes of church-rate; 571. 8s. 5d. for maintenance of dissenting places of worship; 3821. 11s. 8d. for public parochial uses; 6,0691. 10s. 7d. for the support of almshouses and pensioners; 2,8651. 7s. 9d. for the distribution of articles in kind; 5,324l. 15s. 1d. for distribution of money; and 8,010l. 13s. 4d. for general use of the poor. In Westminster the total gross income was 26,555l. 17s. 1d.: of which 7,0971. Os. 10d. for education; 2,299l. 16s. 8d. for apprenticing and advancement of children; 1,2321. 17s. 8d. for endowment of clergy; 265l. 19s. for purposes of church-rate; 11,7621. 4s. 3d. for the support of almshouses and pensioners; 1841. 9s. 7d. for distribution of articles in kind; 1,436l. 3s. 6d. for distribution of money; 467. 11s. 5d. for general use of the poor; 1,200l. 16s. 7d. for medical, and 7811. 1s. 1d. for loan charity.

VOL. II.

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Cap. xxx.-Customs and Inland Revenue.-An Act to grant certain Duties of Customs and Inland Revenue. (26th May, 1865.) The duty on tea to be 6d. per lb. The income-tax to be 4d. in the pound for all property, profits, and gains; and 2d. in England and 1d. in Scotland in respect of the occupation of lands, subject to the exemption of persons having an income under 1001., and relief of those whose income is under 2001. a year. The stamp-duty on fire insurance to be 1d. for every policy, and 1s. 6d. for every

1007. insured.

Cap. Ixi.-Fortifications.-An Act for providing a further sum towards defraying the Expenses of constructing Fortifications for the Protection of the Royal Arsenals and Dockyards, and the Ports of Dover and Portland, and of creating a Central Arsenal. (29th June, 1865.)

The sum of 650,000l. to be issued out of the consolidated fund towards expenses for fortifications. The Treasury to raise 650,000l. by creating annuities for a term not exceeding thirty years.

Cap. lxiii.-Colonial Laws Validity.-An Act to remove Doubts as to the Validity of Colonial Laws. (29th June, 1865.)

"The term colony shall in this Act include all of her Majesty's possessions abroad in which there shall exist a legislature, as hereinafter defined, except the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and such territories as may for the time being be vested in her Majesty under or by virtue of any Act of Parliament for the government of India: the terms legislature and colonial legislature shall severally signify the authority, other than the Imperial Parliament or her Majesty in council, competent to make laws for any colony:

"The term representative legislature shall signify any colonial legislature which shall comprise a legislative body of which one half are elected by inhabitants of the colony :

"The term colonial law shall include laws made for any Colony either by such legislature as aforesaid or by her Majesty in council:

"An Act of Parliament, or any provision thereof, shall, in construing this Act, be said to extend to any colony when it is made applicable to such colony by the express words or necessary intendment of any Act of Parliament:

"The term governor shall mean the officer lawfully administering the government of any colony :

"The term letters patent shall mean letters patent under the great seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

"Any colonial law which is or shall be in any respect repugnant to the provisions of any Act of Parliament extending to the colony to which such law may relate, or repugnant to any order or regulation made under authority of such Act of Parliament, or having in the colony the force and effect of such Act, shall be read subject to such Act, order, or regulation, and shall, to the extent of such repugnancy, but not otherwise, be and remain absolutely void and inoperative.

"No colonial law shall be or be deemed to have been void or inoperative on the ground of repugnancy to the law of England, unless the same shall be repugnant to the provisions of some such Act of Parliament, order or regulation as aforesaid.

"No colonial law, passed with the concurrence of or assented to by the governor of any colony, or to be hereafter so passed or assented to, shall be or be deemed to have been void or inoperative by reason only of any instructions with reference to such law or the subject thereof which may have been given to such governor by or on behalf of her Majesty, by any instrument other than the letters patent or instrument authorizing such governor to concur in passing or to assent to laws for the peace, order, and good government of such colony, even though such instructions may be referred to in such letters patent or last-mentioned instrument.

"Every colonial legislature shall have, and be

deemed at all times to have had, full power within its jurisdiction to establish courts of judicature, and to abolish and reconstitute the same, and to alter the constitution thereof, and to make provision for the administration of justice therein; and every representative legislature shall, in respect to the colony under its jurisdiction, have, and be deemed at all times to have had, full power to make laws respecting the constitution, powers, and procedure of such legislature; provided that such laws shall have been passed in such manner and form as may from time to time be required by any Act of Parliament, letters patent, order in council, or colonial law for the time being in force in the said colony.

"The certificate of the clerk or other proper officer of a legislative body in any colony to the effect that the document to which it is attached is a true copy of any colonial law assented to by the governor of such colony, or of any bill reserved for the signification of her Majesty's pleasure by the said governor, shall be prima facie evidence that the document so certified is a true copy of such law or bill, and, as the case may be, that such law has been duly and properly passed and assented to, or that such bill has been duly and properly passed and presented to the governor; and any proclamation purporting to be published by authority of the governor in any newspaper in the colony to which such law or bill shall relate, and signifying her Majesty's disallowance of any such colonial law, or her Majesty's assent to any such reserved bill as aforesaid, shall be primâ facie evidence of such disallowance or assent.

"And whereas doubts are entertained respecting the validity of certain Acts enacted or reputed to be enacted by the legislature of South Australia: Be it further enacted as follows:

"All laws or reputed laws enacted or purporting to have been enacted by the said legislature, or by persons or bodies of persons for the time being acting as such legislature, which have received the assent of her Majesty in council, or which have received the assent of the governor of the said colony in the name and on behalf of her Majesty, shall be and be deemed to have been valid and effectual from the date of such assent for all purposes what

ever; provided that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to give effect to any law or reputed law which has been disallowed by her Majesty, or has expired, or has been lawfully repealed, or to prevent the lawful disallowance or repeal of any law.

Cap. Ixiv.-Colonial Marriages Validity.—An Act to remove Doubts respecting the Validity of certain Marriages contracted in her Majesty's Possessions abroad. (29th June, 1865.)

Colonial laws establishing the validity of marriages to have effect throughout her Majesty's dominions.

Cap. lxxii.-Navy and Marines' Wills.—An Act to make better Provisions respecting Wills of Seamen and Marines of the Royal Navy. (29th June, 1865.)

A will made before entering into service as a seaman or marine is to be valid to pass any wages, &c. The same to be invalid also, if it be combined with a power of attorney. To be valid

"(1.) Every such will shall be in writing, and be executed with the formalities required by the law of England in the case of persons not being soldiers in actual military service or mariners or seamen at sea.

"(2.) Where the will is made on board one of her Majesty's ships, one of the two requisite attesting witnesses shall be a commissioned officer, chaplain, or warrant or subordinate officer belonging to her Majesty's naval or marine or military force.

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(3.) Where the will is made elsewhere than on board one of her Majesty's ships, one of the two requisite attesting witnesses shall be such a commissioned officer or chaplain or warrant or subordinate officer as aforesaid, or the governor, agent, physician, surgeon, assistant surgeon, or chaplain of a naval hospital at home or abroad, or a justice of the peace, or the incumbent, curate, or minister of a church or place of worship in the parish where the will is executed, or a British consular officer, or an officer of customs, or a notary public.

"A will made in conformity with the foregoing provisions shall, as regards such wages, money, or effects, be deemed to be well made