The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-17 00:00:00

THE

the question was:that it been stated in a work recently pub-
lished that the dispatches previously laid on the table
had been earbled.
Mr. FOX MAULE said it was never pretended
that the dispatches as laid before the House were
entire ; only such extracts from them ere given
as the Government thought would inform the House
with reference to the policy pursued at Cabul.
Already two discussions had taken place on the sub-
ject in the House, and it was not his intention to
lay the dispatches in extenso before the public, and
again raise up a question which, with all its imputed
faults and realised misfortunes, was now a matter
of history, and ought not to be revived.
EXTENSION OF THE CAPE TERRITORY.
Mr. ADDERLEY asked the Under Secretary of
State for the Colonies whether the Government had in
preparation the Bill for the extension of British juris-
diction in South Africa to the Equator, which Earl Grey
stated his intention to introduce this session, in a dis-
patch to Sir Harry Smith, given in the papers on the
assumption of the Orange Sovereignty, presented to this
House on the 19th day of May lust?
Mr. FREDERICK PEEL said Earl Grey did an-
nounce to Sir H. Smith that it was his intention to pro-
pose an Act for extending the British jurisdiction to the
Equator, but he had not thought it advisable to procet d
with the measure while war continued at the Eastern
frontiers. As the war was net yet terminated no step
had been taken for the preparation of the measure.
THE MEGARA.

Admiral BOWLES moved—for copies of all reports
received by the Board of Admiralty or the Commander
in Chief, stating the condition of her Majesty's ship
Megara, after having embarked troops at Dover for the
Cape of Good Hope.
Sir F. BARING said he should have no objection to
the return, but he thought after the attacks which had
been made on the Admiralty on the subject, that he
ought to have an early opportunity of making some
answer to them.

Mr. ROEBUCK said that having had some communi-
cations with a Gallant Admiral, the colleague of the
Hon. Bart., ho wished to put certain questions on
this same matter, and if the Hon Bart. had no objection,
he would put them now.
. .

Sir F. BARING said that he should shortly have to
make some statements on the subject, and would rather
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman waited until then.

The return was then agreed to.
THE METROPOLITAN CENSUS RETURNS.
Sir G. GREY said that he wished to state, in answer
to question wr•ich had been put to him the other night,
that having m.de inquiries from the Registrar-General,
he had ascertim•d that the returns of the Metropolitan
Census laid upon the table of the House were incorrect
as regarded London. The copying clerk who prepared
them had inserted the• male population only, instead of
the gross amount of male and female. An amended re-
turn would very shortly be laid on the table.
MILITIA SUBSTITUTES.

In answer to a question from Mr. M. GIBSON,
Mr. FOX MAULE said that by the provisions of the
Bill introduced last night substitutes would be per-
mitted under certain modified circumstances.

SAVINGS BANKS.
Mr. HENRY HERBERT rose to move the follow-
ing resolution, of which he had given notice:—
" That this House has observed with regret the con-
tinued neglect of her Majesty's Government to
full! their promise of introducing a Bill for
the regulation of the Savings Banks, by which those
important institutions may be enabled to preserve their
hold on the confidence of the country, and a due encou-
ragement be thus given to the industry and providence
of the working classes. He said that, considering the
important nature of the anbject to which he wished to
call the attention of the House, it might be thought
that it would have been more expedient had it been in-
troduced by some Member of greater experience who had
stronger claims upon their attention. The peculiar cir-
cumstance in which the subject stood must, however, be
his apology. In 1848 a Select Committee was appointed
to inquire into the subject, and at the end of the session
reported that it bad not had time to pursue their inquiries,
as far as was necessary, but recommended that the in-
quiry should be continued in the ensuing session; re-
commended, also, that some measure should be
intrcduced into the House on the subject. In
1849 propositions were brought forward to
renew the Committee, which the Government opposed,
but on two occasions they were left in a minority. In
1850 the Government did bring in a Bill which certainly
did not encounter any opposition in that House, but,
from some cause cr other, was never proceeded
with; and since that time no steps had been
taken by the Government to legislate on the subject.
The first establishment of savings' banks dated 40 years
ago, but it was not until 1817 that the Legislature inter-
fered with them, at which time there were 70 in England
fair in Wales', and four in Ireland. On their first
establishment the trustees were responsible for the whole
depositors, so that as long as they were solvent there
could be no loss. The enactment of 1844, however, com-
pleted an entire change and destroyed their responsibility.
Mr. raid Pratt stated before a Committee of the House
in 1848, that the Government had no more control over
the trustees and actuaries of savings banks than they had
over a private gentleman in the management of his
own private affairs. Thus these bodies of men who, on
the admission of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
habitually neglected their duty, were entrusted
with enormous amounts of the savings of the
poor, and yet an Act of Parliament had
been passed to absolve them from all responsibility.
These few facts, he thought, were sufficient to show that
some amendment was necessary in the law. The
Hon. Member next complained of the conduct of Mr.
Tidd Pratt, who, he said, had been the means of leading
parties to great expense and litigation, to the seri-
ous injury and loss of depositors. He had been
guilty of something like a breach of privilege
in regard to several banks. He had in the first
instance, opposed an inquiry. into the Cuffe-street
Bank, though the balance sheets sent to the National
Debt Office showed a gradual decreasing de-
ficiency, and though when it failed in
1848, the defalca.tiona amounted to no less a
sum than 64,6891. There had been similar failures at
Rochdale, Brighton, Hull, Aylesbury, and other towns.
In some cases the trustees had generously and nobly
made good the losses; but in others the depositors
had been the sufferers, and he had himself been a wit-
ness of the misery and wretchedness which these bank
failures had occasioned among the unfortunate depositors.
It was, therefore, perfectly obvious that the interests of
the public called for some protection against the mis-
management and insecurity of savings banks throughout
the kingdom.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated,
in reply to the Hon. Member's observations respecting
the personal character and responsibility of Mr.
Tidd Pratt, 'that he was not a Government offickr,
but was simply named in the Act of Parliament as a
person whom the trustees or depositors might call in to
examine into the affairs of a bank, or to arbitrate
between them, and without he was so called on,
he had neither power to visit a bank, nor had the
Government power to send him. As regarded
the Cuffe-street Bank, when he was called in by the de-
positors in 1831 he was utterly deceived as to the state
of its affairs, but on that occasion he gave certain
advice which, if followed, would have prevented the
catastrophe which ensued. The Honourable Member
blamed him for not altering the law, but he
introduced a Bill last session which would have reme-
died many of the defects now complained of, but
it was opposed by a great portion of the House.
What was asked fur was, that the entire management
of their Banks should be in the hands of the trustees
and managers, and that Government should be res-
ponsible, and to that be could not consent, and
on that account no agreement could be
come to with those who were anxious
to have some enactments on this subject. It would be re-
membered that in 1850 Government was obliged to aban-
don many of the Bills which it had introduced, in con-
sequece of the press of business at the end of the session,
and he thought it was scarcely possible to have
passed a Bill of this nature. Since that time
additional information had been obtained of great
importance relating to this subject, which he
was convinced would tend to improve any
measure submitted to the House. He could assure the
House that he was quite as anxious as any one could be
to see some beneficial measure passed, and he hoped
before the end to introduce and pass one
which would give full satisfaction unto all parties.
Mr. REYNOLDS thought that the House and the
country had some right to blame the Government for
the delay which had occurred in the introduction of some
measure on the subject of savings-banks. Ho was
glad, however, to hear that the Right Hon. Gentleman
the Chancellor of the Exchequer had pledged himself to
bring in a Bill this session, for so he had understood
the Right Hon. Gentlemen's speech.
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