The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-22 00:00:00

PILOTAGE BILL.

On the motion that the house should go into committee
on this bill,
Mr. TURNER said the subject was one requiring •
more strict investigation than could be given it by a com-
mittee of the whole house. He would therefore move as
an amendment, that the bill should bo referred to a select
committee. Tho 10th clause of the bill removed the power
of liceiising pilots from the ancient boards of pilots to the
Board ef 1 rade, which he thought very objectionable. A
petition had been just presented from the me•chants and
others of Liverpool in favour of this bill ; but he had pre-
sented several petitions from Liverpool against it, and he
was confident that the great majority of the shipoweers,
merchant', and underwriters were opposed to it, and in
favour of the powers being exercised by • local board.
Sir E. DERING seconded the amendment,
Upon which a discussion mimed, in which Colonel Har-
court, Lord A. Paget, Mr. George, Mr. Hildyard, Mr. La-
bouchere, and Lord Chelsea, took part.
Mr. CAUDWELL defended the hill, upon the ground
that it allowed mo bodies of men to inflict compulsory taxa-
tion upon the people without being responsible to parlia-
ment ; and that it would in reality benefit the eery interests
which it was aecused of injuring.
Upon a division tho amendment was negatived by 83
to 219.
The house went into committee pro forma, and resumed.
The Sheriffs Court (Scotland) Bill was also committed
pro fonts.
Ibe committee on the Courts of Common Law (Irelana)
Bill was postponed.
HACKNEY CARRIAGES BILL.

Mr. FITZROY, in rising to introduce a bill for the bet-
ter regulation of hackney carriage. in the metropolis, said
that notwithstanding the vest increase in size of the metro-
polis, and the omiseqeset increase of intramural travelling,
the immense number et hackney carriages by which that
travelling :was accommodated was almost entirely beyond
legal control. This arose All a great measure from the mode
in which these vehicles were licensed. There was no re-
striction on the number of licenses, nor any investigation as
to the fitness of the carriage. Some disqualifications ex-
isted as in the case of thieves or minors, but these restric-
tions were merely nominal, and the consequence was that
the stands were crowded by wretched vehicles drawn
by horses which were merely kept ;standing by the shafts.
To remedy this state of things, he proposed to introduce
provisions to the following effect. In the first place, he
proposed that everyone desirous of obtaining a license for a
metropolitan hackney carriage should apply to the Commis-
sioners of Police, who, on such application, would order an
inspection of the carriage sought to be licensed, and on a
certificate of its fitness the party applying would obtain a
license from the Board of Inland Revenue. lle proposed
to give power from time to time for fresh inspection, and
of suspeneon or infliction of penalty in case of infraction of
regulations. The fares were confessed!y exorbitant, and
had not been arranged since 1831. He thought the time
had come for a reduction of 25 per cent., and
therefore proposed that the fares for the future
should be 6d. a mile. One justification for this
was the altered price of forage. In 1831 oats were 234. 10d.
• quarter, is the present year 19s. 84., being a difference of
25 per cent., or exactly the diminution which be was about
to preppie. A great objection to the present fare was the
broken money, in consequence of which an eightpennyjare
invariably became the payment of • shilling. (lieu, hear.)
Very few had courage to face a cabman with the exact fare,
and even if they had, it was almost impossible to ascer-
tain the distance. To meet this ease, he proposed that the
commissioners should place at every stand boards specifying
the fares to the different probable points of depar-
ture, and also that a man should be placed at
each stand furnished with an authenticated list, and able
to inform the hirer of the true amount of fare. This would
be a great accommodation to ladies or timid travellers, and
could not be looked on as an extraordinary hardship on the
cab proprietor, seeing that the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer proposed to reduce the license from 10s. a-week to 75.,
being &saving of 7!. 16s. per annum. They would also save
15,0001. a year which they now paid to watermen, which,
as there were three thousand cabs, would be an additional
saving to each of 5!. a year. Perhaps the house would
Iseareely believe that the citizens of London paid in cab hire
SIS,OOOI. a year, and that consequently the reduction from
id. IDOL a mile would be • saving of no less than 720,0001.
In addition he propesed to make it compulsory on cabmen
le engage by the hoar, at a fair of 2s. The present fare
was Is. 6d., but as he made the charge compulsory he
bad thought it only fair to raise the fare to 2s.
The other provisions of the bill related to matters of minor
importance. He proposed that there should be an altera-
tion made with regard to the property that was left in cabs.
Permission was now given to the cab driver to retain in his
possession for four days, any property found is his cab ;
taking it at the end of that time to the stamp-oaes whine
it remained for a year, and if it was not then
claimed it was sold for the benefit of the cab-
driver. The latter proposition was untenable. He proposed
that the tab-driver should be required to take the property
the nearest police station, that it should there remain a
year, and that it should then be sold to defray the duties
iManeeted with the provisions of this act. He also proposed
that in the event of a dispute between the hirer and the
driver, the hirer should have the option of being driven to
the nearest police court, and of having his complaint
investigated forthwith by the magistrate; and if there
were no magistrate sitting to the next pollee
station, where be could have the complaint entered
in order that it might be heard the next morn-
ing. These were the principal provisions of
tho bill, which he believed would produce some salutary
effects, and would bring London, as far as its public vehicles
were concerned, on a level with other capitals. The hors.
gentleman concluded by asking for leave to bring in the
bill.
Leave was given accordingly, and the bill war brought in.
COMMITTEES.
On thetitotion of Kr. Munn, Sir G. Grey and Mr. La-
headsets were discharged from further attendees, es the
strangers and divisions comminse; and Lord D. liteartial
Lord G Paget added to the committee.
INCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND).
Mr. WHITESIDE moved for a retort of the names sal
dates of the petitions lodged in. the Court foe Sale of Incomes
bered Estates in Ireland, and the respective dates of the
allowance of the posting for sale in each of said petitions.
The hon. and learned gentleman took the opportunity et
asking what were the inteatiens of the government with
regard to the Inematssred Estates Court, which was over-
loaded with business.
Sir J. YOUNG said there could be no question that the
Innambered Estate. Court was overloaded with business.
It was quite true that about seven millions worth of pro-
perty had bees sold in the court, of which four millions
only had been distributed. There remained very nearly
twice as much to be sold as had been sold, and the time
of the commissioners bad been taken up with the adjust-
meet of claims. The bill had only been postponed till he
could get some information from Ireland. He believed the
Lord Chancellor had some plan by which he would relieve
the commissioners from the onerous duty of adjusting the
claims, and 'nailing the commissioners to proceed with
the sales. He believed that while this court was over-
loaded, the Court of Chancery was almost void of bailees',
and there was a question whether the Court of Chancery
was in a state to undertake the busies entirely, but it was
desirable to maintain the principles of the Encumbered Es-
tates Court—an easy sale and a valid title.
Mr. WHITESIDE said the question was under the con-
sideration of the late government, and a bill was prepared
which he gave notice he would move to introduce to-
morrow.
The house then adjourned at 10 minutes to 1 o'clock.

PAIRZO FOR TIIR NIGHT.—Sit E. B. Lytton with Mr.
Granville Vernon; Mr. Whitmore with Colonel Ferguson.

A MYSTERIOUS FOUNDLING. —A female child,
wrapped up in the finest linen, and covered with a hand-
some velvet cloak, was found a few days ago in a passage
leading to a vestry in the church of St. Roch, Paris. On
unfolding the clothea the following letter was found
" Imperious reasons compel me momentarily to desert my
child. I shall not cease to watch over her. I entreat the
person who shall take charge of her to pay hti the greatest I
attention. Some day, and that, perhaps, not very diet ant,
she will be generously rewarded for her trouble ar,d her
maternal care. I wish the child to be called Marie, ond that
the necklace which she has on may be carefully preserved."
The wife of the beadle took charge of the child, sood, accord-
ing to the wish of the mother, it was christer.ed Marie.—
Goltgnattes Messenger.
Wed at the last Liverpool assisPo.
•
1
Liverpool. As the ciltr,e and sentenced to death,
-- .e for which the unhappy man has
bees respited offers many extenuating circumstances, there
in Dawson-street,
is every
CthHaatatiEeS
cal%i'lLselltel.c—e iii:ceno the
w
announcement of the reprieve of Willis'', Tyrrell, Mr.
Oibb, the governor of Kirkdale Gaol,
Home Secretary a communication, io, which the clemency
ha'. received from the
of the royal prerogative is furtb.er exteeded to the unhappy
man Charles Williams, who, it wiP be remembered, 51111
for the wilful murder of Joa“. pda,,ken.
, be carried into effect,