The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-19 00:00:00

WAYS AND MEANS.

Upon the motion that the house go into committee on
ways sad mesas,
lir. CONINGHAM wished to impress upon the govern-
ment the importance of sending a special vessel after Sir
Baldwin Walker. . .

Lord PALIKERI3TON thought that was a question which
should be discussed in committee. (Hear, hear.)
The house then went into committee.

The CHANCELLOR atheitelllQUEß mowed the
following resolution—" That, towards making good the
supply granted to her Majesty, the sum of 3,000,000/. be
granted out of the Consolidated Fond of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland:" _

The motion ;;;;;Ire7cit;;;;Fa. bows resumed.
POST-OFFICE SAVINGS BANKS BILL.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the
second reeding of this bill.
Mr. S. MTCOURT thought the bill ought not to
be hurried on in this way. The new establishments would, in
fact, be banks of deposit, and it was for the house to con.
eider whether it would give its consent to such an arrange-
ment. If they intended thus to extend the saving bank
principle, they should also consider whether the risks at.
Wading such institutions would not also be iiiereaaed. He
also objected to the power taken in the bill for increasing
the interest. He should in committee see whether means
might nut be found for avoiding the risks to which he had
alluded, and for rendei iug the principle, which he
admitted to be • good one, of safe application.
The question was, whether the existing savings banks
should be entirely superseded or not! The house would
judge whether that would be • good or • bad result. To
him it appeared that there were three courses open to the
house. In the first place they might limit the amount of
deposits in the new bank, so as to prevent their coming into
direct competition with the preset savings banks. Then
again they might, so to speak, dovetail the proposed system
into the existing savings honks, and in this way, instead of
making all communications direct to London, they
might make the now offices auxiliary and sub-
sidiary to the savings banks in their neighbourhood.
The house should say which system ought to be
carried out. He was favourable to the existing
system of savings batiks, though be knew there was not the
security in all that there ought to be. He would direct the
attention of the house shortly to the resolutions of the
committee which sat two years ago. (Hear, bear.) The
beet thing would be to have some central body, having the
confidence of the government and also of the local ma-
nagers, through which advice and instruction could be gives
to the latter, without exciting their jealousy. He washed
to see the system of the savings banks improved, but
what would be their position if this bill passed!
He believed that their resources would be drawn
away from them, that the local mauagerefhould not be able
to r on, and the government would have the whole risk,
which would be greater than ever. The cows. he should
suggest would be to investigate the whole subject by a select
committee, but he did not object now to the second reading
of this bill.

FORSTER believed this bill would afford a
great boon to the people by providing good and safe savings
beaks in many disttleta, but he 'zooid the right hon. gentle-
s= visa aware that he wag undertaking a tremendous risk,
for the government would really be taking the busload
whirl was done by the rime savinp banks. It might be
requisite to provide a different sort of persons to work this
system lien the present this of postmasters, especially In
eons
Itrt.villaffif EY could not understand the objections of
the right boa. gentleman opposite to the proposed syst
which offered such evident advaotageL He hoped
that the pruposed scheme. if found practicable, having
the dtmi responsibility of the government as a es.