The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce has appointed a Com- mittee
to consider the laws bearing upon commercial credit and morality, of which the Chamber entertains no very cheering view. At a meeting on Wednesday several speakers contended that the Bankruptcy laws weakened morality, and the practice of executing post-nuptial settlements in order to enter into riskful speculations was strongly condemned. Mr. W. Rathbone (jun.), in an able speech, expressed an opinion that the causes which have produced the extraordinary prosperity of recent times would, in about twenty years, have expended themselves, and strongly advised all merchants to take advantage of the remaining time of grace to lay the foundations of credit deep and strong. He wanted to see frugal living, strict honour, and laws intended to repress instead of encouraging laxity. In short, he wants to see the Eighth Com- mandment obeyed, and we would wish he might live till he does, —only by that time he would be such a weary man.
