The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-19 00:00:00

1848.

question in which ikarevement was most undoubtedly ..
waded—vie , the turn • roods end the particular stew of
the insolvent tenet,. B. appealed to the recollection of boa.
gentlemen present,. whether those ye r aim den not ade it
the end of last winos. (Hear.) Darin the recess the atten-
tion of his right hoc. friend and himself was given to the
subject, and after mentally reviewing the whole question,
it was thought desirable, in deference to the opinion 'u-
praised by many whose opinion was entitled to great weight, '
and without implying the alights% disrespect to the commit-
tee. to engraft upon that measure a bill 'shrine to turnpike
reeds. One reason which led to that conclusion was,
that by separating them, the expense of • double
was incurred, although there was no
vimearldawea and intelligible distinction between the two.
'Upon the whole they thought that the most economical and
elat easearment of the two classes of roads would be at-
ado* 1p their consolidation, end, under those einem-
' elleasse, the government determined to lay before the house
• ammare fa which both classes should be combined. The '
' tenpin reeds were nothing more than a set of reeds that
hi* km Mai arbitrarily by persons locally intetested, for
Ali nine" acts had been obtained, and which hid bum '
under the management of trustees. But those roads
WWI Moan to be highways,
us
and when the funds derived ,
Meth tolls were found to be insufficient for their mints- *,
same tease sees was had to the highway rata for that pur-
pose. The pans who selected the roads to be included in
Israelis trees selected • them in the coons of the
last and beginning of the present century according
to (what they conceived to be the exigencies of
the Wane ; they took what might then be re-
garded as the main arterial road,. Bence the introduction
of railways; however, those roads which were before the
task liees of communication had sunk into secondary or
tads* importance, and wen now become mere
man of communication between neiehhouring pa-
thless. Neverthelem, those roads still retained their character
Ingspilie roods. On the other hand, many highways
am railway station had barns some of the most
inn of communication in the country. Therefore.
tconsiderationthe great revolution in our system
atiliaseutsl communication which railways had occasion
Ise theitglet the house would non with him that the line '
'width was formerly drawn between highways and turn-
pike Leads bad to a great extent been effand and had
rendered it inexpedient that the legislature, looking to the
hive, and laying the foundation of a permanent end pen-
nons system of road legislation, should stereotype and
rareamanesader est the existing very arbitrary and capricious
betimes highways and Parente reads—a dim- '
thanks founded upon previously (siring circumatenese
ao longer prevailed. A great many remarks had
made with regard to the measure before the house
sk
pont. whisk he thought night have been very pro: ,
Only eee'sd In committee, had the means met with a
non ihnurable reesption than he feared it had yet anemia-
tend. New he would state what he uudeestood the pre-
sout amens to dn. He understood that its principle was
On theabined management of all the roads in the country. ,
He understood that every gentleman who voted in its favour
assented to the principle that the present distinction between ,
tEnpike roads end highways should, if not now, at all • r
events prospeethely. be abolished.
Ilk R. PERL.—In what sense do you mean prospectively ? .
ILr. LBWIB (continued).—He understood that by the
present measure turnpike trues would be retained to a con-
@iambi* extent. It did not repeal local sets immediately,
easel* so far as related to the trustees, and notes related to
the rates of toll and other provisions. He also understood
that by the present bill the management should be by the
insane, and not either by turnpike trusts ar parishes— ,`
that dine should be a general beard for a county, and that
Se county should be divided into districts, in nob of whin ,
agan than should be a kcal board ,• but of the coasritutioa .
of than boards at present he should say nothing. He fur-
ther oodeestood that the measure involved some plea for the
sad ultimate discharge of the existing turnpike
titre
..s...9„11:1111114t it should
nse had " been reed t ohs nets.
t:Selea ultimatelyw to
as uld '
well se to provide for the payentr: a..;
lithe lattrisr7irtke existing debt of the turnpike awes.
(Bear, hear.) He also understood that the house
armlet agree intim to the principle that the sys-
is el lewd legialatioa for turnpike trusts should be
aka/domed. and that the founded= of a permanent ennui .
elf legidadea hr ell classes of roads should be laid. Beyond
then penes which he had now enumerated, he did set
that any hoc. gentleman who voted for the r
Ong of tisk bill would be pledged. All the rad • f
Wag Sigma tiefurther consideration, and he should be r
es listen to any modilleadona that might be t
Hemourablis gentleman had inquired why he did sot deal . ,
with the two elates of roads separably, and introduce eme ,
hill he toropilme trusts and another for high-aye ? His first t
mamas to that was, that that mode of proceeding bad already
been tried and had not given more satisfaction than the plan
new before the house. Again, if they took the turnpike
trusts as the foundation of a new messare, and attempted to
await thereon the management of the highways, they
would be at once met with this difficulty. Turnpike trots had
no boundary. They were merely serirregetesof lines of roads
placed nader the management of trustees ; they wen not
territorial divisions, and one could not say that any parish
was within the boundary of • tamp** trust. Th• re would •
be, therefore, no means of awning any eneeifis parish
roade to • particular tent—it could only be done
arbitrarily, either by saying what Wilkes were
to be included by anuneration' or by giving to arms-
body the power of defining the boundary. (Hear.)
Another difficulty, which was quite insurmountable, was
the extremely small sin of some of the turnpike trusts;
end oe the whole he must say that it had appeared to bin
impossible to frame any unman by which the management
of the highways and turnpike trans should be iceorpsrated,
the latter as the foundation of the measure. Ho,
therefore, proposed hr the present bill, that the county,
which was the beet known territorial division, should be
takes as the basis of the arrangement. We believed in p-
ane, if they asked any person which expenditure be be- .
lined to be the greatest, that of the highways or that of the
turnpike than that he would answer, in an off-hand man-
ner, that he believed the expenditure of the turnpike trusts
was considerably greater than that of the highways. A re-
turn which had been lately presented, however, showed that
the expenditure of highways in England, thelsrive of Wales,
munnoted is 1846 to 1,666,1841. ; sad in Wales, moording to
an animate (the returns not being perfect), to 49,2001.;
making. altogether for the kingdom nearly 1,716,000/, for
the highways. The total turnpike expenditure for 1846, the
last year up to which the returns extended, was 1,344.0001. :
making • total for both of 3,061,0001. He believed
it was seemly necessary for him to state that the
management of the highways was on the whole much less
economical and much less efficient than that of turnpike
roads had been. (Hear, hear.) He was perfectly willing to
pa that tribute to the tensest.' of the turnpike roads whom
this measure was amused of setting made in se unceremonious
a meaner. (Hear, beer.) The great defect, es he conceived
it, Join pease* system was that more than half of the whole
of the expenditure fa the maintenance of roads we/ for high-
ways, and that at the same time the security for good ma-
noonsent was mat imperfect. The boa. gentleman, the
mamba for the Welt Riding (Mr. R. B. Donna) had made
some remarks as to the time of introducing the present mea-
sure. In newer to that, be would state that the bill was
promised at the end of last session, and that the government
considered itself bound, partly in deference to wishes ex-
pressed, sad pertly by promises made, to introduce • general
mesa* at se early a period as possible. He was ready to
admit that the present was not a very favourable opportunity
foe amens** any measure which was likely to affect the
ratepayers in rural parishes, for this was not a moment when
they were likely to give a very calm and temperate con-
sideration to menus@ involving such large charges as
the present ; and he could easily understand that they would
prefer adenine to perms who might task to mislead them
into the belief that new burdens would be imposed nom
them, although he fully believed himself that it would In-
pose no new burdens upon the agricultural interest, but
would tend both immediately and prospectively to the gra-
dual 'Unimak' of *OP, burdens. (Hear, hear) The hon.
gentleman then asked why were the present generation to be
called 'woe :to snake sty, moriflees for the payment of the
Wanks debt, and why should they not be contented with
=the interest, leaving the principal uncared for ?
ly it might be a very pleasant and consolatory doe-
wise wish regard to public, as ao doubt it would be with re-
palm private, debts, if we could always dispense with the
=t of the prisapal of • debt. On a former own=
shown, however, that, with regard to workhouses, to •
nasty pole, to shire haw, to prisons, to lunatic asylum.
wherever the legislature had given powers to local bodies • •
to charge the rates with a debt, they had invariably
fixed a term for the extinction of that debt—that they
had Invariably required the creation of a oinking had
with a view to the repayment of the capital. He must say .
that he looked upon such a principle as a wend one; though it
implied %present sacrifice, it was a writhe due *posterity, and
bengretted that it had not bee• haroduced into the general
Tarapiter,Aet some years ago. (Hear, hear.) He looked
upon that mix sad a half manes of debt and one and • half
satins of unpaid intend as • legacy which their peed*.
*soon had bequeathed to them by sot having made pearl-
*Mt which they should have mad*. (Hear, hew-) The
host. gentlemen argeed moreover, that the effect of the
present bill would be toimpose additional burdens upon the
tromusties. Ho pprroadeed, however, to that remark rather a
essamsaboagellured thstandof
tholitrasttedcmtehwbte'belyb.Slßetheuserteeinifthernicsoe 7tuortil:de tfusints diminishingtnis wets returnsawlh solventtthe
Ca(er Lewis). fully admitted them to be, solvent aosee6s,
and they had an excess of mesas beyond the payment of the
interest of the debt, he was at a lose to see bow the arrange-
maimmbummtenesprozompossdin
otztorcoubetoweillmideetna. keeadidhas thorromuzic
rey:r.esditisho:ll:
pm interest paid la the year 1844 was 271,1361., end the
prischel pesd was 168,8761. altogether 440,0001. The
as which he celled upon the trusts to pay by the pen i
seat bill was 7 per out. upon 6,609,0001, the whole bonded
debt, which would give 462,6391. as compared witb44o,oool. :
beim ae addition of only 22,0001. He would still farther •
lanthate the operatics of the bill by retereace to artisan, •
sounties, and he would first take Lancashire, erbith bail one
of the largest debts. The inbred paid by Lancashire' is - •
we was KUM.. sad the. pessend paid wee 98L0/71. In
wither 42.0901.- Asomdleg to eke bilileshrethehrena aria o —,
Jansen would be 50,6041 hpwant, being 12.000 L
ki. sir asial6e than it sow pdi oehiatarily. Under
ens Oisentellthees he did not en thatidneentin had mush
thelemilarineglakt, he dii net me that may bemassiier would
.hp. . at isie asenrity, or that say gatepayer
le nellsd upen to pay mow towards the
. * rate theca he pad at propent. (Hear, bear.)
, • the interest oeid was 9,6411., the principal 4,1a114
,v .13,7621.In•Oxisettlte interest was 4,8071. ; it would
_,. this 101 l haws-nylpin IhiliM. • 'Skis scold be at*. • •.,.
' .''"' 0t.1.1331, bat Ibsen& cot be attended with any
leigheent le earlien. date Ens:, that wee onset . •
..." UlSiillllll whisk elte debt was the smallest. it only
bid to pay 1,1861., mad woad. under this bill, pay 1.6181. .
Si lad been leaked by several gentlemen what the effect of
the valuation of the debt and ef the other similar measures
of the plan contemplated In this bill was in six counties of