The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-23 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

as it regarded the renting of tenements and poor rate assessments,
was, even in the opinion of some cif the Judges, exceedingly defec-
tive. About thirty years ago a clause was introduced limiting the
privileges of persons paying parochial taxes. It was provided by
that clause in the 35th of the late King, that no person paying
parochial rates should be entitled to a settlement it the value of the
tenement did not amount to 101. per annum. To give Meet to the
frPth of Geo. 111. it would be necessary to alter that law. His (Mr.
Bourne's) measure would go to make the rate, and not therent, the
criterion to be considered in the case of settlement. It was accord-
ingly his intention to propose in the Bill which he was to ask leave
to introduce, that it shonlil not be necessary for the rent of any tone-
'llene to amount to 10!., but only that it should be assessed to that
amount, and pay a proportionate rate, in order to its owner becom-
ing entitled to a settlement. The Hon. Member accordingly con-
cluded by asking for leave to bring in a Bill for the alteration of the
Law of Settlement as related to the renting of tenements, and being
assessed for poor rates.
Mr. CURT EIS supported the motion.
Colonel %VOGL) said, he approved of the intention of the Right
lion. Member for Christchurch. Ile wished the distinction between
rate and rent to be clearly established, as many individuals were
deprived of then claim for senlement by not being rated to the full
amount of the value of their holdings.
Mr. SYKES agreed in the propriety of substituting the amount
of rates paid for the value of the tenement, when the question of
' settlement came to b.: considered. Ile thought the former mode
ought to be made the criterion, as, in addition to other reasons, sur-
veyors could always be found to undervalue the amount of a pro-
perty when the occasion required it.
Colonel DAVIES would prefer doing away with the present
Law of gniteMent altogether, and substituting birth instead of the
requisite qualifications now in force.
Mr. BENETT preferred the system of rates to that of mtg. if for
no other reason, on account of the superior facility afforded for
proving the amount of tenements by means of a reference to the
parish books.
31r. LOCKHART was not inclined to approve Odle system of
regulating settlements by the scale of rates. If it were to be made.
the criterion of settlement, it would go to effect a great alteration in
the law as it at present existed upon that subject.
Mr. S. BOURNE said, it was very difficult in a system so in-
tricate as the Poor Laws to du fair and efficient justice to the seve-
ral parties interested. It was generally found that the most indus-
trious inhabitants of any particular parish were those who did not
belong to the parish, and hail no claim upon it for support. lie
had brought forward the measure because he thought an alteration
necessary in the existing laws. However he would, on obtaining
leave, agree to let further proceedings on the Bill stand over till
after the Recess, fur the purpose of giving Gentlemen an opportu-
nity of consulting with their colleagues at the Quarter Sessions, and
taking their opinions on the expediency of the measure.
Mr. 9JONCK recommended the system of rates in qualifications
for settlements.

.....
The question was then put and leave given.
IRISH TITHE RETURNS.
Mr. HU3IE hod brought forward a proposition on the subject
of tithes four years ago. It was unnecessary to remind the House
of the fate that had attended that motion. Since that period two
Bills for the commutation of tithes in Ireland had been introduced
and passed. Ile was not without doubts of the effects likely to re-
sult from those Bills at the time. He had since been told much
good had arisen front the measure, and as he was desirous of as-
certaining the extent of its utility, he begged leave to move for a
return of the names and number of parishes in Ireland where com-
position for tithes has uken place under the late Acts, and whe-
ther those compositions have been made with clergymen or lay.l
impropriatom—Ordered.
Mr. 11U3IE moved for a return of the number of tithe causes
tried in the years 1822 and 1823, in the corsistorial courts, and the
decision upon each of those cases, whether for or against the pro.
secutor ; also the number of cases which had been withdrawn by
the prosecutor. Also, for re:urns of the number of civil bills toe
tithes tried before the Assistant Barristers within the agate period,
and the decisions upon them severally.
Mr. GOULBURN had no objection to the production of the
papers required, as far as it was practicable to comply with the
terms of the Hon. Member's motion. But he thought, mixed
up as tithe cases were with other civil processes in the Courts of the
Assistant Barristers, that it would be extremely difficult to furnish
the returns in a form sufficiently distinct.
Mr. V. FITZGERALD said the removal of the stamp duty of
fifteen pence from the civil process had encouraged litigation to an
unprecedented extent. In consequence tithe prosecutions had
greatly increased. He thought there would be no means of distin-
guishing tithe Muses from other civil processes tried in the Bar-
rister and other Cowie.
The Returns were then ordered.
UNPAID MILITARY ACCOUNTS.
Mr. HUME rose to more for **Return of arrears of Military
Accounts in the hands of Paymasters and others. lie understood
the number of Accounts unpaid and in armee was 11,270;
and the great object he had in view was to ascertain what the
nature of these accounts was, and the cause of their accumulation.
There was then in progress through the House a Bill—the Caledo-
nian Canal Bill. In it was inserted a clause limiting the period
during which parties may sne the Government fix compensation
for any injury done to their property whilst carrying into effect the
provisions of the Bill. In that ease, the Government took care to
protect itself; and as far as be was a judge of fairness and equity,
the same protection ought to be granted to individuals against
claims on the part of Government. It was also notorious, that in
many cases, the delay in settling accounts arose solely from the
negligence of the public officers to whose department these affairs
immediately belonged. It appeared from returns laid on the table
of the House. that no less a sum than eighty thousand pounds bad
ben expended in the recovery of unsettled balances on these ac-
counts. After some further remarks, the Honourable Gentleman
said it was highly proper that some period be fixed to limit
claims against individuals. It also appeared that a greater sum
was expended in the recovery of the balances than the amount of
the balances received, and, indeed, more than could ever be
reslised. Thus the public were not only subjected to the annoyance
of having the claims hanging ova their heads, but they had also to
defray the expenses incurred by proceedings, which, but for the re.
missness of Government itself, would not have occurred. In con-
tinuation, the Honourable Gentleman said, lie was very well
aware of the great difficulty to be encountered in making out the
returns for which he intended moving; I:ut as lie had no other
mode of getting the information required, there was no discretion
left him. The Honourable Gentleman then moved for a return of
the 11.270 accounts previous to the year 1810, that remained
unsettled, up to 1823, distinguishing the corps and the names
of the individuals ; and also tar a return of the accounts settled,
distinguishing the cases in which the balance isatilor or against
Government.
. . . . . .

On the question being put from the Chair,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that how.
ever voluminous the required returns might be. or however diffi-
cult might be the task of making them out, still he would not op.
pose the motion. Ile would not have said a word on the subject,
but he could not sit silent and allow the House to run away with
the notion that nothing had been done to remedy the evils cotn-
pl tined of. In many of the cases in which accounts lay over, the
delay was owing entirely to the fraud of the parties themselves, who
put off the examination; that delay which was bottomed in honesty
precluded the possibility of settling the accounts of which complaint
was made; he thought it too much to require that a spurge be drawn
over &he accounts ; but this he could promise, that for the future no
delay could occur, from the arrangements that had lately taken place.
This too he could 1.1111,11 Te the House. that his Noble Friend always
looked with a most lenient eye on those who were not themselves
the cause of the delay. The Right Honourable Gentleman pro-
ceeded to say, that if' the Honourable ,Muver wanted the Returns
for the purpose of building up a new system on them, his motion
was useless, for the system was already established ; and further,
lie saw no reason why such great expense should be incurred, un.
less the Honourable Member was about to introduce wine specific
measure on the subject.
Mr. T. WILSON was not at all satisfied with the promise of
the Chancellor of the Exclicqaer, that none of the evils then com-
plained of should ever occur again, because it was Impossible to
calculate the great extent of mischief that may follow from the
attenipt to recover the balances then due. He was sure these ex.
isted on the part of Government a disposition w meet escry case
that came before it on its proper grounds; but still the delay was
a fruitful source of anxiety and annoyance to the parties interested.
A reason why the Douse should du something to remedy the evil
was, that Right Honourable Gentlemen were disinclined, by
any conduct of theirs, to throw as it were a slur on their predeces-
sors in office. The House should therefore take the business into
their own hands; tlicy should adopt such measures as would take
the responsibility off the present officer', and enable them at once
to get on in their own improved way. In conclusion, he hoped the
Chancellor of the Exchequer would not object in any way to the
adoption of some measure on the present question, but rather call
on the Honourable Member for Aberdeen (Mr. Hume) to postpone
his motion, with a view that something might be done to afford
relief, and make the motion altogether unnecessary.
Mr. LOCKHART was surprised to hear that in all the cases of
unsettled accounts the Governmcnt was the claimant. The fact
I was, that in many instances the claims were set up by the
individuals - -

Mr. Ht. ME said a few words in reply: The lion. Gentleman
mentioned sothe cases in which ruin had followed the exaction of
these long-standing demands.

The R-eturns acre then ordered.

Mr. HL'M E nest moved foe a Return from the Arrears Depart.
anent of the War Office of the balances due on accounts, damn.
truishing whether the balance was for or against Government. The
Honourable Member moved for other similar returns. all of which
were ordered. (We were unable to collect the period to which the
Returns referred.)