The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-21 00:00:00

SHERIFFS' COURTS (SCOTLAND) HILL.

This bill passed through committee.
EDINBURGH AND. CANONGATE ANNUITY TAX
ABOLITION...
..

The house west Into eawasitteeO;this subject.
The LORD LW/00AV' said that the bsil which he in•

tended to introduce was to abolish a tax at present paid for
the support of clergy, the collection of which led to great
strife and implement/gas. It was not intended to pay any-
thing out of the Consolidated Food, but that the city of
Edinburgh should pay a eertain sum into the Tfeeuryi
and that it should be repaid from thence to the clergy.
Mr. COWAN complained that no communication had
been made to him on the subject of the bill.
The LORD ADVOCATE said a few words of explana-
tion. The bill was partly of the nature of a private bill,
and would have to go to a select committee.
Mr. HADFIELD protested against bringing on such a
subject at such a late hour.
The LORD ADVOCATE said it would be early enough
to discuss the subject when the bill was actually
brought in.
Mr. PELLATT wanted to know whether this was not a
church rate transferred to the Imperial Treasury P
The LORD ADVOCATE said that it was proposed even-
tually to pay the money out of the funds arising from cer-
tain ecclesiastical sinecure offices, but in the m,•antime the
City would have to pay about one per cent. The object of
the present committee was merely to enable the bill to be
,brought in.
The resolution was then agreed to.
RESIDENT MAGISTRATES (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a second time, after a few oburvations
from Colonel Dung, and other Irish members.

PUBLIC WORKS LOAN BILL.
This bill was read a third tine and paned.
SOAP DUTIES BILL.

On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair,
Mr. PELLATT briefly defended the soap trade from im-
putations of a fraudulent intention which had been cast
upon them.
The Speaker then left the chair.
Mr. WILSON said it was first proposed that the duties
should cease en the 6th of July ; but it had since come to
the knowledge of the government that extensive arrange.
mints had been made by the dealers to export largely
under drawback, for the purpose of re-importation. To
defeat this attempt the government proposed that tho bill,
both as regarded foreign and Irish soap, should not take
effect till the 6th of July, 1854. It could, however, be
amended if the government found that then had been
no large exports under drawback. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. PELLATT said the soap trade complained that they
had not been allowed a drawback upon their stocks as had
been done in previous remissions of duties, but as the
government had decided against that, he thought the
coupe mentioned by the hon. gentlemen was the best that
could be taken.

—Tee bill then passed through committee, and the house
resumed.

_____.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACT, 18,50.
Hr. FORTESCUE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
extend this act to Ireland.

REGISTRATION (DUBLIN) BILL.
Sir J. YOUNG obtained leave to bring in a bill to
authorise the apnointment of barristers, for the purpose of
effecting a complete annual revision of lists and registry of
voters for the city of Dublin.
The home adjourned at two o'clock till Ave this day.

PAIR/I.—Mr. Heywood paired yesterday (Monday) with
Mr. Walter Long.

Whe en3reoo•

TO CORRESPONDENT'S.
A issonti Edition if " The Eamon" containing the wow evening's
for pot.Ganotte," in published every Tuesday and Yriclay night. in time
a inettinswontsintanAa4 for "The Eamon," Lotion Evening paper,
son be at the Mon 10, BOUVlllihiltillet. by Two Vain& on the
lay of psbibation.

NIGH WATER ♦T LONDON BRIDGE.
Tat Dai—llendag. Ib. So .........Alternaos. I L Us.
T mio/uov—Xotalag. 214 Ha. ..........Aftemea. SC taw

LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 21.

LAST night the Lords' amendments to the Hack-
ney Carriages Bill were agreed to. We may
expect, therefore, that the streets of London will
soon be crowded with new cabs and carriages of
novel kinds, called into being by the increased de-
mand arising from reduced fares. Formerly, when
a traveller could not ride any distance through the
streets of London for a less sum than eighteenpence,
the high price of the luxury kept down the number
of the carriages, and our streets were pass-
able. When, after a time, the minimum
of disbursement was nominally eightpence, but
practically one shilling, the number of vehicles
was augmented, and the pressure became more felt.
The omnibuses—which commencing with sixpenny
fares have gradually lowered their charges to three,
pence, and in some cases to a penny—have called
into existence the newest and largest class of riders,
and the thoroughfares are now for ever subject to the
unpleasant symptom of being choked up. The con-
sequence of all this has been, that although the charge
for locomotion has been very much diminished, it
may be doubted whether the rapidity of locomotion
along the chief thoroughfares of London has not di-
minished in almost an equal ratio. Every person
whose memory reaches back a quarter of a century
must confess that the increased traffic in the streets,
caused by the greater number of hackney carriages

. ..,
alone—without noting the effect of other causes—is
enormous, and is in many cases a complete hindrance
to progression in such streets as Cheapaide. A quar-
ter of a century ago, even in London, " the race"—
in a carriage—was almost always "to the swift." At
present this cannot be said always to be the cue.
" The swift " are but too often obliged to cool their
heels a quarter of an hour at a time behind the slow.

Mr. Fivzßov's Bill introduces so many admirable
changes in the present system of Hackney Carriage
Administration that it is but reasonable to suppose
there will be an enormous increase in the num-
ber of travellers by these vehicles. This Bill pro-
vides that no license shall be granted without a eerti-
Beate from the Commissioners of Police that the car-
riage to be employed is tit for its purpose. It =-
powers the Comminioners to inspect carriages when-

ever they deem it necessary, and enacts that penal-
ties shall be inflicted for using carriages unfit
for public use. It regulates and lowers fares
in general, and abolishes back fazes. It in-
stitutes a simple and easy method of ascertaining
the proper fare in most cases, and provides for the
settlement of disputes as to distances. It establishes
a check on the driver by requiring him to deliver
(after the fashion in Paris) a ticket to the hirer con-
taining the number of the Stamp-office plate affixed
on his carriage. It contains regulations as to the
number of persons, the quantity of luggage, the dis-
position of property left in carriages, and the en-
forcement of good order at the stands. It orders that
lamps shall be placed in stage carriages after dark,
and that no bills or notices shall be placed outside
such carriages in such a manner as to obstruct light
or ventilation. It affixes penalties to the separate
offences of taking more than the due fare, refusing to
admit a specified number of persons or quantity of
luggage, refusing to drive to any place within the
limits of the act, refusing to drive at a reasonable
and proper speed if required, and refusing or ne-
glecting to give a ticket with the number of the
Stamp•office plate on the carriage. It gives the
hirer the power of compelling the driver to
drive to the nearest metropolitan police-office
in case of dispute, where the moot point is to be
settled. There can be no doubt that after a little
time the effect of these alterations will be visible in
an addition of multitudes to the numbers of those
who at present ride. Mr. Firzaor's bill will in all
probability fill our streets with a swarm of new
carriages, all tending to render the pressure of
traffic in our crowded thoroughfares still more
acutely felt. It is unnecessary to allude to other
causes which have contributed to choke up many of
our more densely-filled streets. The thorough-
fares in the City were laid out when the
exigencies of its commerce wore trifling, and
when none but the few who kept carriages of
their own thought of riding. Now, when the com-
merce
is multiplied to an incalculable extent, and
every person above the rank of a pauper may some-
times ride,—when for every vehicle that once passed
through the City there aro now at least a hundred,—
the number of ,streets in the crowded portion of the
metropolis is about the same, acid the breadth of a few
only have been increased. The consequence of this is