The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-09 00:00:00

THE EX!

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gloat Instruction of the altll ; die, that the etdui...
would be mwated from their te..
ViseountRBRINGTON Rio expense likely to be in-
curred under this bill appeared to excite peat alarm; but
were hon. gentlemen opposite aware of the great expense in-
=mod at present in elsuification, and is the constant theis-
tical required in workhouses for this purpose? Every week
plans were sent up from the country for the approval of the
poor law board, relating to alterations which might he dis-
pensed with if the children were removed from the work-
houses. The expense of providing fever wards wss also
gnat. It was obvious that, by a combination of unions, the
necessary accommodation for the children might
be provided more cheaply. He denied that schools was
better managed where the number of children was small ;
their different ages offered obstacles to classification, which
was much easier in large schools like those of Norwood,
Licashouse, or those connected with the hospital at Green-
wich. As to there being no provision in the proposed schools
for religious instruction, it would be observed that, the
former act, whose provisions this bill extended, gave power
to appoint a chaplain, and also made special provision for the
children of dissenters.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY moved, as an amendment, that
the committee should be postponed for three months.
Mr. BULLER hoped the house would be allowed to go
into committee, with the view of agreeing to some of the
provisions of the bill, without removing the restrictions he
had alleded to.
Alter a conversation the committee was postponed till
Thursday.
TURNPIKE ROADS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the order for the third reading of this bill,
Mr. C. E LAW said it was perfectly hopeless to paw this
bid this session, and considering its importance he propelled-
it should be postponed until anoth,e year.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said he would bring the bill on
the first thing upon Thursday next.
The SPEAKER vacated the chair at a quarter after 3.
The house r..surned at 5 o'clock.
bIONTIILY REPORTS 01, TRADE AND
NAVIGATION.
Mr. LABOUCHERE in presenting the monthly accounts
of trade and navigation, stated that in order to prevent un-
due preference being shown in obtaining these documents,
he had endeavoured to arrange fortbeir being printed by the
printer of the house, but there being some difficulties in this
respect, he had arranged that Mr. Hansard should print
them and distribute them with the parliamentary papers,
which would remove ill grounds for complaint in future.
CRIMINAL LAW.
Mr. ANSTEY begged to ask the First Lord of the Trea•
awry when her Mmesty's ministers intend to move for
leave to bring in the bill for consolidating and
amending the criminal law of England, prepared
by the present criminal law commissioners, and
Fisted at p. 70 of 'heir fourth report, recently laid on
the table of this house ; or whether her Majesty's ministers
intend to take any other and what measures for carrying
, into effect the suggestions of that report. as
! Sir G. GREY said that the hon. and learned member
seemed to think that the draft hills contained in the report
of the law commis/limier; were sanctioned and approved of by
the government, which was not the case. All he could say
was, that the government would pursue the saute course it
had done in respect to the former recommendations of the
law commissiont re, and adopt such of them as they thought
themselves justified in doing.
SCOTCH MARRIAGES.
The LORD ADVOCATE said that it was not his inten-
tion to proceed with this bill, buthe would,st an early.period
of next session, introduce a similar one.
COPYHOLD ENFRANCHISEMENTS.
Sir G. GREY, in answer to Mr. THORNELT, said
th.e the Lord Chancellor did not think the bill for compul-
sorily enfranchising copyholds row in progress in the upper
house would be in time to come dews to that house
to be passed during the present session, but next year his
noble and learned friend proposed to bring in a unedited bill,
which he hoped would become law.
WEST INDIES.

Lord J. RUSSELL, inllll;44t,obir. H. BAILLIR, stated
that the government had received some despatches from
Governors Grey and Lord Harris, respecting the state of
Jamaica and Trintdsd, but u he had not bad time to read
them, be was notable to say whether he was prepared to lay
them before parliament.
CHANCERY BUSINESS (IRELAND).
.

Sir W. SOMERVILLE stated that nest aruion he hoped
to be able to introduce a hill establishing a permanent body
of receivers of
Bthe Court of Chancery in Ireland.
USINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved that the standing order re-
specting Wednesday sittings, pawed on the 24th of No-
vember last, be suspended during the remainder of the ses-
sion, M order to enab'e the government to go on with com-
mittees of supply after five o'clock.
Lord G. BENTINCK asked the noble lord when he pro-
posed to move the third reading of the Sugar Duties Bill 7
Lord J. RUSSELL said that on Thursday neat his right
hon. friend ( Mr. Labouchere) proposed to take the sense of
the committee of the whole house on the resolutions fur
altering the navigation laws, after which he should proceed
with the Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill, and then he
proposed to take the third reading of the Sugar Duties Bill.
' Col. SUITHORP protested against any alteration in the
'1 standing orders affecting the Wednesday sittings.

COLONIAL REFORM.
Mr. V. SMITH asked the noble lord what course the
government intended to pursue with respect to the adjourned
debate on the resolution propos, d by the hon. baronet the
member for Southwark who bad leg town, though his mo-
tion stood op the paper for that evening ?
Mr. BROTHERTON hoped that the arrangement by.
which Wednesday evenings were secured to members for
their private engagements would not be disturbed, and that
the present motion would not be drawn into a precedent for
so doing.
Mr. COBDF.N, in answer to Mr. V. SMITH, said that his
bon friend the member for Southwark had asked him to take
charge of the resolution which he had moved, and, there-
fore, the observation lespecting his havirg left town was un-
called for. His hon. friend considered that by the manner
, In which the eovernment had answered his observations the
limotion was disposed of. But he was prepared, if necessary,
to move that resolution when it came on.
NAVIGATION BILL.
Mr. LABOUCHER N., in answer to Mr. Thornily, stated
that his intention in takicg the sense of the committee on
the navigation laws was expressly to have the oppor'unity
of printing the bill that hod been prepared, fur members to
study during the recess.
Mr. F. SCOTT was of opinion that the motion of the hon.
baronet the member for Southwark ought to be resumed,
and he would be proud to do so if no other hon, member did.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that when the: resolution of the
hen. baronet the member for Southwark was moved he
should not oppose it.
Mr. HUME opposed the suspension of the standing order
for Wednesday's sittings.
The question was put from the chair that the standing
order of November 24, 1847, be eusp which was

agreed to.
LEGACY DUTIES ON CHARITABLE BEQUESTS.
Mr. RAPHAEL ruse, puntuent to his notice, to move for
leave to bring in a bill to exempt trent the legacy duties all
charitable bequests, not to private individuals, but to public
bodies. The hon. member said when he last tat in parlia-
ment he hail the honour to in•roduce a similar measure, in
the preparation of which he had been assisted by two mem-
bers of the legal provesion—Mr. Pryme, then member for
Cambridge, and period Lynch, one of the Masters in Chan-
cery ; but at that pe he was met by the thee Chancellor
at the Becht quer, now Lord Monteagle, who stated that be
could not afford to lase the amount which those
duties charged upon charitable bequests produced to
the TtV(lll.O.. The bill lie now sought leavo to
IntrOdllee was identical with the former measure, and hr
hoped he should not meet any objection to it from his right
hon.iriend the present Chancellor of the. Exchequer. The
question embraced four points: first, with reference to the
granters of tee boon; next, the boon itself; third. its objects;
and lastly, its results. The granters of the boon must he the
governor-at—at premed a liberal Whig administration—to
which he looked with confidence for tbis c.:neession. The
boon itself was a mire surrender tf from 12,000/. to 15,0)01.
per annum, a turn too insignificant to be cunitidered iii this
great and wealthy commercial country. The objects of toe
boon were the members ul all creeds, atilt sexes, of all na-
tions, and of all elates, from the intent in its
swaddling clothes to the greyheaded tract-an. The
result of the concession would be to increase the
funds applicable to gelieve the dieeme, the destitution,
the want, and the distresses of all clauses, and with these
considerations he implored the government (and, if to censer, ,
he would do so on his befitted knees) t yield the boon—an
act which would immortalise them.
Lord R. GROSVENOR seconded the motion, and ea-
peewit his hope that it would be acceded to by the government,
and that thereby they ww..111 thew, before the house ser-
rated, that they were anxious to do something to raitm the
tax payers ot the cowry,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER saio, if he
could take the advice of his noble friend and 01 other hon.
members who sought from him a tenth:4 n of various taxes, he
had no doubt he should be much more popular. With regard to
the proposal now before the house, while he appreciated
highly the motives which had induced the hon. member for
St. Alban's to bring it leeward. he feared he must billow the
example of his predecessor, and say to the hon. member he
could not afford to part with the revenue arising from that
source. The amount had been much under-rated at 15,0001 ;
it was considerably above that sum ; but, whether it was
large or small, he asked, when it was notorious that the
eeneediture this year exceeded the revenue, if he
should bo justified in yielding this source ? Indeed,
he doubted whether the concession would be of such un-
mixed benefit as the hen. member seemed to suppose, for it
was well known that many charitable bequests of the most
absurd and ridiculous character were made to institutions,
and many of which were prejudbial to the public interests.
Hence the value of the duty as a check upon such bequests.
However, if the hon. member only wished to lay his bill on
the table, he (the Chancellor of the Exchrquer I would not
object, provided it was with the understandiug tt at be did
not thereby assent in any way to the surrender of this branch
of the public revenue.
Mr. DUNCAN supported the motion for the introduction
of the bill, and mentioned a circumstance which had occurred
to himself a few weeks ago. A merchant lately died at
Dundee and had left the whole of his property, to the value
of 10,0001. to the Dundee Infirmary. The duty claimed was
between 8001. and 1,0001 , and though a memorial had been
addressed to the Treasury for a remission in favour of the
infirmary no answer Lad yet been remit( d from the Trea-
sury, and this sum had been taken out of the resources of a
rt ost valuable institution, which some time since, but fur the
assistance oh a noble lord nearly cotutected with the right
hen. gentleman the Secretary at War. would have had to
close its doors. He trusted that the government would hold
out some hope that this tax would at some future period be
abolished.
Lord G. BENTINCIi entirely concurred with the Chan-

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