The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-05-26 00:00:00

LEAD MINES ASRESSIITENT BILL.

Sir W. CURTit presented Petitions from Sr
Thomas Alderson, against the Lead Mines Bill ;
and groin the Plumbers and Gloaters residing iii
and near Loudon, to the same ettect.—These Pe-
titions were kid on the table.

Sir C. MONO( presented a similar Petition from
the Proprietors or Lead Mines in Cumberland
send Northumberland ; and one irons Mr. ‘Villium
Fuller. praying to be heard by himself, or by
Counsel, against the MlL—Laid on the table.
Mr. &Inmosr moved the Order of the Day for
the second reading of the Lead Mines Assessment
Bill.

Mr. Mot:Ginn objected to the principle of this
Bill. Ile thought it was snaking in legislation
• step the wrong way—it ass, in fact, extend-
ing the liability to pay poor's rates, where, in fact,
the principle ought to be rather narrowed. Ile
would not move that the Bill be read a second time
this day three months, because that would be • di.-
lanai of the merits of the meiemre ; but he ear-
nestly besought the flonourable Gentleman to post-
pone ally further proceeding with the Bill until
next Session, when there would be fair and ample
time for snaking the necessary investigation into the
subject.— ( Hear, hear.)
Mr. MORRET denied that this Bill went to ex-
tend the principle of the Poor Laws; it merely
atilt to peseta the evasion of them by • quibble

.

of the law. The non. Me i^joher then explained the
mode in which the mines were issesied, and al-
Weil to the interest which one of the l'elitioners,
Sir T. Alder-um, had in • mine, which he held
from Lord Pomfret. As the law Stood, where the
proprietor 'Oersted his quota of dues to be timid Lr ,
money and not in kilo-, lie evaded the payment of
his share of the poor rates. and the object of the
Bill was merely to rate the occupier, ...a give hint
• lien for the amount on the proprietor, whether
paid in kme or iu money. The whole object was
to prevent a partiel rxemption. Either the misses
thus exempted should he Made to, contribute, or
the others not be called oven to pg.—Wear.)
Mr. D. GILBERT hoped for the attention of the
House, for a few minutes, on two grounds: one
was his extensive acqueititance with the whole na-
ture of these mines ; and the second was, his having
made up his mind to give on this occasion a vote
which directly clashed wills his own personal inte-
rest.— f Hear, hear.)—llis full opinion was, that
the proprietors ought not to get rid of this assess-
ment through a legal quibble. On the general
principle of the Poor's Hates. Ise had twelve years
ago pronounced his oi tttt ion, and then hail almost
stood alone in his view of their consequences. The
experience of the years that hail since intervened
fortified him in his ti,st impressions, and maimed
his belief that unless the Poor's Hates could be
arrested, they would absorb the whole surplus pro-
perty of the country, and 'dotage both the payers
rod the objects of them into one general despot.-
tion.—( Hear, hear.J—The view taken on this
subject Isy the Hon. Gentleman oppo-ite (Nlr.
Sturges Bourne), had done a great deal of good,
and would, he ousted, in the ensuing Session. be
followed up by more dec:sive steps than were
thought at the outset advisable. —(Nem , hear,)—
Hut the c sse in the present cptesti of the mines
was simply this—it was the custom of the proprie-
tor! to reserve a 12th. or a given etwwist of the
(Ines front the occupier. and to take it gentrelly
its ore—they were fur the last forty years sowers-el
for the poor'. rates accordingly, and on the princi-
ple thest they brought into the parishes e Loge
number of labourer-, who, a hen the mines ceased to
wjrk, were uniforshly thrown as a burden oil the
parish. Now in soots late instances, certain pro-
Prittors had contrived to make the reserved dots
payable in money, and it was decided by the
Judges that a tent of this kind was not ble as
the law stood. The object of the present Bill was
to put all the proprietors. whether they received
their does in money or kiste, alike rateable.--
Ikar.)—The ocettpier *as to pay, with power
of dedsictissg from his proprietor—(Uear)-.6sitsd
where the proprietor was all advenitirer io working
the mines, he was to be rated in the usual propor-
tion of the reserved does. So long as the one class
of mines were called upon to pay, be could see no
equitable reason fur etempting the other.
Sir C. MONCK professed hidiself hostile to the
principle of the Ilill.
Lord LASCELLES hoped the IfoUse would agree
to the measure. No objection had been urged
agaisist its principle. but only against certain clauses
of its which might be got sid of. if deemed expe-
-1 dient, in a Committee. _

Mr. S. Botrufts suppotted the Bill. It did not
go to extend the oreration of the Poor Laws, to
which he was not friendly. But he could not ap-
prove of contracting it, which, unless the Bill were
passed, would take place.
Lard MOS PETFI expressed his sentiments on the
question, lint was inaudible in the gallery.
Alter a few words (roust Mr. C. LON

Sir 3. Gas IS A m propamea, as an aineadinetit, that
the Bill should be read a second time this day six
month,.

The [lowa then divided on the original motion.
and the number. were
For the pecomi reading
Against it

Mujority
Oil the motion that the Bill be committed on
Wednemliov—

Mr. BROUGHAM said Wednesday was too early.
ft had been made an argument fur the second
Mg, that persons interested, if hostile to it, might
petition at a subsequent stage: but the notes vat
proposed was too short to allow thesis to do so.
A conversation then ensued between Mr. Morret,
Gem Thornton, Lord Loserlles, Alderman IVood,
Mr. S. Sumo,. mid Mr. D. Gilbert, when the com-
mitment was fixed fur ‘Veditesdisy.