The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-04-29 00:00:00

WILIIDHAWAL OF TUE JIATCHE3 BILL.

The Caancellor of the Eschsq ser said: Mr. Speaker, I fun
anxious to make an imp 'Hint anuounoement to the
Mows.o. Notwithstanding the divielons ahich hare tiskin
place upon the subject, her Majesty's (; ivertiment
havo observed with regent that the prmodiloos made
by the Gsverni..ent for planting a tax up m matches
hos excised considerable diaiattafaction and disapproba-
tion in many quarters of MIL House. They are at glom at
Ali times, as far a. they can, without materially damaging or
depnth g Irons their pc Ley to conform to the wishes of
this 11 nse, and, therefore, I have to announce that
tho measure with rem:vet to match.es will not be proc.seded
with further. (Cheers ) Tile other resolutions will he pm-
needed with on Thursday evening,
_

Mr. I)ornctt h quf red whether Mr. 1.3110 would at the
same time state how he meant to all up the lacuna thus
created, and whether the House would have time to consider
the Budget as a whole ; sat to thin the Chancellor of the
Exchequer replied that on going Into Committee on Thursday
he would state what he i ',poen to substitute for the Match
Tax, and ahou'd certainly press the ll,diso to proceed with
the Inc .me Tax and other resolutions.
Mr. t,ladntona sts'ed that In the event of the (Hamel .n on
Ways and Means going cif at an early lime on Thumil.iy the
Government would proeeed with the Navy Estimates.
•• • - - -

Mr. Wren Unarm, called attention to the Injurious effect
of the present law of land settlement, and numed a resoiu-
n declaring that it is opposed to public policy, by
diminishing the Investment of capital in the soil and pre-
venting the freedom of sale and purchase. Ile attribnted
the evils of our land system to our practice of long settle-
ments and entails for Li
persons. Where this prevailed the C .urta required
evidence of a title for a long time bock ; hence the difficul-
ties cud conopllcatlons of sale and Smolder. The obstacles
to the distribution of !and. and its natural tendency to ag-
gregation, were thereby Increased. He maintained that
there MN no reason in the nature of things why men of
meil aa well as of large means abould not invest In land,
and he at.lisipated considerable improvements in agriculture
from a change ih our practice.
Mr. W. Fester, in seconding the motion, made an elaborate
speech against our land elects, maintaining that the inter-
ference of the law with the natural devolution of laud rs-
atricted its elequate cultivation and the productive powers
Of the pdople.
Alter remarks from Mr. Beresford Hope, Mr. Jessie', Mr.
mg-try, and Mr. Dent,
filr Roundel Palmer admitted that such subjects as the
eimplitlcatian of tiller, the length of eettlement, and the
"horrible Incubus of coriveymiciog" well de erred con-
sideration, and he should la lia.d to see them embodied in a
bill. But these were not the elms', considering the strange
doctrines about property In land which bad found favour in
high riwattre, to deal with midi questions by vague resolu-
tions. Touching cursorily on the malt' of the case, Mr
Roundtil pointed tut that Ale tenants could borrow mffacy
for permanent Improvement, and dwelt on the advantages of
family estates to all c:astes.

2Jr. Pell maintained that land. Including suburban free-
hold,, was divided Into a larger number of parcels than ever,
and referred to the services of younger sons in colonization.
The Attorney-General, in urging the withdrawal of the
motion, mouth nen that the Lord Chancellor had prepared a
bill to facilitate the transfer of land (which would be br.utht
In next !Session), and a hill for administering the real ettate
of lobe-tate& hut the matter nes not cue to be dente with
In an abstract motion, which, by the way, did not include
sett led zersonaltr.

-. •
Mr. lira. ilesityne declined to withdraw the mot( ; and,
alter bowe obecivationa groin Mr. Gladstone and Me. Aelaud,
It w., negatived on a divielon by 79 to D.

Some ihne was occuple.l by a dlscussi.•n on the Otneral
Vsin mof Ireland, starta.d by the O'C•nor Do, who de-
sired to byre a S •clect C •mmitiee on Le sunpet. This WWI
in :co ssfully reested hy Mr. Sauter on the part of tke Treasury.
Colonel French and Sir F. Ileygate also spoke. During this
discussion an Ineffeetual sttompt was Irate to bring it to a
elora by a "count out." bit shortly niter, while Mr. C
Dentinck was calling attention to the recent Hackney Car-
riage Itegulatt.ms, a second motion we, ra ode more success-
fully, anA, there not being 40 members present, the House
adjourned. •

In the II outs of Comma, April 26, Mr. T. Hughes and
Mr. J. CI Ta.h.3 presente4 nunner of Wilma front
ear, as poets of the mettopolla In latur of the Sunday
TrAding HI

Mr. T. Hughes unved, for the fifth time, the second readin
of the measure. The state of the question had beco.ne such
that t wa, high thee some remedy should he applied to it.
A rocte:y h-ol been formed for the supares.loa of Sunday
traairg, and several hundred o.uvictions bad been obtained
during the past twelve months, but whilst in liernmemnolth
the ran's:rate had carried out the Act of Charles 11, the
magistrate In a neigh') urlog borough had per,latently
cltend to do so. It Won high time that tuch a stare of
things at this should cease to nest, for it war bringing
the administration of the law In tte metropolis Into dis-
repute. The chief of police was In favour of this bill, and
the eh ole of the tnetrapolitan members and magistrates ad-
mitted the nezeraity of such Itgialatioc. lie believed a very
iieriour elite of Ili' us was becoming prevalent In the moor.
pglis, mad utiles.; the How& should take the raat,er in hand
the proper organisation nod government of the metropolis
would soeu be bey owl any cgotreL
Mr, P. A Taylor morel th it the bill be road a sac Aid Urns
that .lay six mottos. He held the measure In pref gaud
de:es:mi',r, soil cecina:pi, for it was designed to rob the poor
trader mid consumer. He should opp se it ly every
possible means, as hring needless, harrarslog, tyrannical,
and uncalled-for.

Sir Dominic Corrigan seconded the amendment, on the
ground that he did not believe that people coil b 3 made
unites mural or religious by Act of Partlament.
Mr. J. G. Talbot contended that the bill was calculated to
regulate the obsnrvance of the Sunday so as not to be °upset-
sloe, and yet at the same time to protect those classes of se-
&lntents and she pmeu who, holes, they were given some rest
en Sunday, would be deprived altcgd.her of that period of
repAo which was so necessary for all.

-
-Mr. M'Slohoo opposel the bill, and Mr. Munk. urged Ili
wishdrawal.

Mr. Bruce said that so far as the bill went It gave facilities
to poor persons to provide for their wants up to a certain
hour on Sunday mot nines. The Government had never gone
thoroughly into this matter, but person fly as thought there
was very much In this but to recommend it. tie did not view
err& favour an extension of the measure beyond the metro-
• but in the metropolis he believed it would confer a
great benefit and remove a great deal of scandal that wan
now canoed, It was necessary that BoMething should be
done to give facilities to the poorer CLAIM to provide &hono-
urees wile necessaries on Sondays, and alto to ensure good
order and the decent °Mery snce of the Lord's Day, and Lr
these reasons he should support the bill.
Mr. Julian Goldsmith and Mr. Dlliwyn opposesl the bill,
whilst It was supported by Mr. T. Collins.
After a few remarks in reply from Mr. Hughes, who pro-
liaised to make an amendment, allowing tobacconists oh .ps
to remain open during the hours ep:clB3d,
The ii cuss) divided :—Far the eecond reading, 47; against,
80; nisi only egainst, 33.
The bill was accordingly loot, and the announcement of
the number/1 was received with cheers.

Mr. Russell Harney moved the second reading of the
Public Prosecutors' Bill. He stated that the subject had
repeatedly been before the Ihuee, and had been favourably
reported upon by a select committee. The weight of
authority on Vee part of those most Intimately asso-
ciated with the administration of the law was strongly
in favour of the appointruebt of public prosecutors. Tile hill
provided that the country should be divided by the Home
Secretary Into districts. for each of which an attorney should
be apprAtited tsp.'s the recommendation of the magistrates to
conduct prosecutions, and that three oonsulting counsel '
shou'd also be appointed, to whom difficult cases might be
referred. Private individuals would still have liberty to in-
stitute prosecutions in cases to which they were pasmally
concerned.

Mr. West moved as an amerdment that the bid be read •
second time mem that day six months. Ile oriented to
the measure because it would place in the heads of the
Jwii an ...milt of le,ral patronage, and be
cense it would entail a large ani,mat of additional ex-
pense upon the county rates. A further objection was
that if the bill passcd, a policeman would in almost
every instance virtually become the pu-lic prosecutor.
lie pointrd out that in former time, the practice of giving
all legal patronage to the Crown had produced • doper.-
dent and corrupt bar, and he aasertei that the County Court
judges were appointed invariably for perscnsi or political

kir. J. Fakir gtou sp:ircved of the principle of the bill, but
thought tbol the question should be token up by the itevern-
ment.
Mr. nothbone eupported the bill.

Mr. Straight admitted that the prltclple of a public prose-
cutor was good, but he strongly opposed the present bill.
Every obj.ct which its supp srters bat In view Might be se-
cured by utilising maglatrates' clacks, and enabling them to
act as public prosecutors.
The Attorney-general was favourable to the general pi-10g.1,M
g.1,M of the bill, end had always been in favour of It aince he
had possessed a seat In Parliament. lie believed this was
(ho only clyilleed country in which public prosecutors were not
appointed. With regard to the patrous,ge which the bill
would confer upon the Crown. Le said It was not covet. d, as
It would only entail additional labour, but he denied
that It would involve the forfeiture of the Independence
of the English b Sr. Its Scotland and Ireland the system of
put Bo prosecutors existed ; but he was not aware that the
bar in those countries we* less Indepentent than Ind bar of
England. lie entermincd a strong opinion that it would be
a great Improvement in the adminisization of justce In
this country If putllc prosecutors were appointoc, and he
therefore gave a hearty support to the main provlsiens of
tbe bill.
- - —•••-• ^ • •

---
After remorks from Mr. S. Hill, Mr. Dawning, Mr. Brie-
tone, Mr. Ilcnley, and Mr. Lerman,
Mr. Secretory Bruce spoke he support of the bill, and
pointed out that its ueccolity in the country was manifested
by the fact that several large towns had already appointed
public prosecutors for themselves. lie recommended that
the bill should be read a second time, and then be felt In the
hands of the Government.
The House then divided—Kr the secmd reading, Ltd .
against, 99 ; ruaJoillY, 40.
The bill was then rm.d a second time.
mo othor measures were advanced a stags, and the
House adjourned.