The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-27 00:00:00

Mr. NAPIBR theaked the hon. member for Oldham for
bringing in the bill, as it would give the house an opporte„
nity of diaewaing the *piton of national education ; and he
trusts/ whenever the question amt before the house it
would be treated in a spirit similar to that in which it hid
been introduced on that evening. (Hoar, hear.) In ranch
of the massacre be concurred, but in other parts of it, per.
haps the most important, he should join issue with the hon.
member who latrodueed it.
Mr. COCKBURN said they were all agreed that st the
promo, stage of the bill they should not enter into a discus.
aka of its details. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Cockburn) felt
WWI opus es a went 'opposer? of the bill to enter his
soled the view that had been taken a it by the =ember for the Univenity of Oa'orel. That hon.
gentlemsanpraintedthemeasure as one having for its
ohjest the ednoattoa of youth as regarded secular mitten.
without rellereatte to the ell•importont considerations °fee
hereafter Mote. Now he (Mr. Cockburn) did not el,'
the googlies at all in that light; and it struck him that his
hos. friend Mr. Fox was as deeply impress, d with the *sues.
sky of religious education es any hon. member in that house.
(Hear, hear.) Bat why did he separate religious from tem.
bar education ? For this mason, that in the present state of
religious opinion, with the number and variety of religions
seems that prevailed, it would he totally impossible to coin.
bile religious and secular education, or, In other words,
church and state education in one measure. (hear, hear)
Mr. MILES said that nothing could do more rood thee
general discussion ea the whole system of education, sad
that it would be wise to settle the matter finally by see a
whammed.

Ms. LAW said that it seemed on all hand, to be admitted
that the bill which was asked to be introduced would have a
beneficial effect. He would not oppose the hood action of
site bill, bat he would reserve his opinion as regartltd its
principles until a future period.
Mr. NEWDEOATH wished to have some ttplanttioa
front the hose. gentleman who wished to introduce the hL
u to how the deficiency was to be supplied.
- _

, r
Mr. W. J. FOX said that his plan was frunded on a
general view of the deficiency of euucation in the different
licalities in this country. The materials for auppl, ing me
deficiency had been fully exhibited by the commutes. and it
was no difficult matter to ascertain what degree nt defiiesey
it would be necessary to supply. lie would allow esti
county to establist. its own plan. As fur the eiptrie
which was spoken so much about, be could rot Re
why they who spared not spensa in keeping up uo anti, at
monarchy and an extravagant fleet should not be ,b.e to
teach their own children. (Hear, bear.)
Leave was then grauted to brine in the bill.
COUNTY COURTS BILL.

Mr. FITZROY mured for fears to bring ;n a bib ext'n.
ding to 501. the jurisdiction of county mars. The hon.
member argued that the results of the smith! shtntnt
county courts had been eminently succtsuu!, sml tEt9rce,l
the propriety of rendering justice cheep whenever ir.c-
tieable.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he should offer to
opposition to the introduction of the bill, although he ea-
tertaintd many objections to enteuding the powen of the
county courts; serious objections attended the working of
those courts, and it was a dangertus expericLeut to give
theca jurisdiction ever large sums.

Sir J. PECHELL believed the mevure watt much culled
for.

Mr. HENLEY considered that by extending the principle
to 601. they would endanger the sachets of the experiment
now in progreu In regard to debts up to 201.
Sir G. GREY agreed with the Attorney-General that it
was doubtful whether the principle of the county carts
could be extended to SOL ; but they would be much better
able to discus that guistiin at the second readb.g. Very
much would depend upon the nature of the appeal to lit
provided. If it were an appeal to the super.or courts, the
whole value of the measure as regarded economy and speedy
adjudieati,n would be sacrificed.

Lord D. STUART supported the measure; but Isehered
that even in the county courts justice was cot made sat.
Meetly cheap and accesuble.
lir. H. BERKELEY opposed the bill.
MULLINGS, as a retired legal practitioner, s.;,

ported the bill, explaining the inerMons items of ebuiri
which at present swelled the attorneys' bills of costs in t
tried in the superior courts. _ _

Mr. WILLIAMS also approved of the motial, on wt.
leave was green, and the bill brought in.

BRICK AND TIMBER DUTY.

Mr. Hrlai,nnlinding the house of the notice he rim
at the commencement of the session, so soon as he hear:
that there was a surplus in the Exchequer, paid he r •••
pursuance of that notice to move "that this house, -
into consideration the condi:ion of the cottages of ire
labourers of this kingdom, and the want of adequ..te accom-
modation for their families, is of opinion that a ilraaLati
should in future be allowed ea the brick. and titer, r
employed in the construction of cottages, the reut
of which shall be nude r 41. per aue.uni, as a
meats of lessening the expense of their ericlion
Reports from every portion of the county showed bow very
nosh the working population stood in need of assatnec in
We respect ; how much they bad been neglected by the
government, to the injury of their health and comfort. The
expense of building cottage!, owing to the duty on timber
and bricks, was suck as to make it impossible :or the labour--
fug man to enjoy those physical comforts which on sl: hands
it wu admitted tended greatly to elevate his moral slid tow'
state. Every gentleman acquainted with manatacturinz
towns, or with the habitations of the rwal labourer, must
Ilael satisfied that that class on which depended the tr..s.
parity of the nation had been grossly neglected, and :hot
now, when the government were expending large sums 't
unitary messures, some step ought to be taken to procure
for them decant and comfortable homes, at a rate within
their mesas. Looking to the inducements which the la-
bourer had to take him from home when that home wu not
comfortable—looking to the quantity of spiritutu. liquors
consumed in England, amc unties to between 2,1.0.0,000
and 30,000,000 gallons, and the use of which no doubt en-
gendered habits of idleness and worse—he did say it th•
honed the government and the legislature to lighten these
hardens which acted as a direct preventive to the building
of comfortable abodes for the working classes in which
they might enjoy their own fireside, instead of
abandoning their families for the public house.
Cottages such as he wished to see occupied by the labouring
classes could not be built now for less than 301. or 601. The
duty on foreign timber he should wish to see taken elf alto-
gether, not only for the take of the very poor, but also for
the farmer anti agricultural labourer, that they might be
the better able to compete with the foreigaer. In fact
timber and bricks ought to nil in the same
boat. (A laugh.) He might be asked what secu•
rity he could give that a cottage would not he
' let for 31, in order to get the drawback, and raised to -I*-,
or 51. the year after. His reply was, that the only way to
get rid of the difficulty was to take the duty off bricks as
well altogether. (Laughter.) lie, therefore, wished the
' house to express an opinion on that subject. The follow.
iag was the amount of net receipts for the last ten yens :
Years. England. Scotland, Ireland.
1910
1601 431,236
1812
1843 30%177
1344
1843
11149
1947
1148
180.. 444,352 ...... 11.900

44,1111,190 £,134,423 Nil
The average amount of the brick duty dump that pfri,.l.
according to the Excise return, was, fur England, 481, t. A
year, and for Scotland 13.4421., while the expense of collie.:
log it was2o per cent. Take that 20 per cent. off the f nee.
and they conferred at once a boon upon the poor mac.
The removal of those duties was necessary to r 'try out the
principle which had dictred the removal, in 1,42. of other
taxes which pressed upon the industry and cum!, cr. ot the
labouring classes. He would, for the reasons he had mind.
omit from the notion the words " the rent of whist sha:, be

under 41. a year."
Mr. LABOUCRERE observed that the hen. gectlemin
bad explained in his speech, though not in the terms of his
motion, that his object was to obtain an expression of °pitman
on the part of the louse that it was desirable to remit the
duty en bricks, and also the duty on timber. Doting the
first diseassith of the evening a feeling had, however, bees
szpremed and acquiesced in that until the financial sehone
thegovernment for the year was brought forward. wh,th
Would lbo in a few days, they could no' properly er.-ertn•
any proposal for the remission of duties. 13. v.
it
OM lignife wen prepared to sonde to the motion, sod say
that the best mode of dealiWg with any surplus revenue
there might be, was to appropriate it to the remiss:on of the
duties on timber and bricks, be should !till demur to the
mode in which that remission was proposed to be caned
out, as calculated to open the door to fraud. Far, benits
the objection that many houses might be included in the
term cottages, which were fitted for the naintation of com-
paratively wealthy families. how was it possible to snarl
against bricks upon which the drawback nal he. a claimed
sad obtained, as being intended for the buildieg et c mash s,
being employed for the auction et building' et en rowels
different nature ? As, however, it would be ineor,stent
with his i'.uty to offer any opinion on the seblect
until the financial statement was beim the house
be would not argue the expediency or inexpediency of
remitting those duties, or how far their claims Inv."n-
derated over others. (lieu.)
Mr. DRUMMOND could not admit that the riserve
which might be proper in a minister previous to the esp.,-
sition of the budget was binding on members general:, s
:K-
-eense when the financial statement was once made up, it
hopeless to urge the remission of any tax. lie behest,' the
house generally was not aware of the iajarioas wanner of
which this tax operated in diminishing the comforts lit the lh-
boort rs. lie was aware that the beef &oldie remission set.'
be small in many parts of the tonally, but in those dv.o ifstri
to which he alluded it would be very great lit rt.
therefore, for the motion, he did so believing that
the it wend
confer a considerable, though a partial, benefit, on
culturiate. (Rear.)
imprint, d the motion, believiog f.eow
portent* that the duty on bricks operated most tejunoi...i
not only on the comports, but on the health and morays
the agricultural labourer.
Lord C. HAMILTON gave credit to the hen. =alibi!
(or Montrose for the great public services lie had rendtreo.
but regretted tkitt he had taken up this subject in sopr.i.
• manner. lie was as anxious all an i
condition of the working clause in all respects, 1111( A. .e
proposition before the house would lead to evasions ,sadopen the door to numerous frauds, he must oppose it.
Mr. MITCHELL entirely differed from the Tattoos I,
signed by the right hon. gentleman the President et she
Board of Trade, for desiring to postpone the present ale.
Lien, beanie if then was no repeal of Mass effected 14to"