The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-13 00:00:00

SUN,

FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1852

a satisfaction to those who were ebliged to expatriate
tb-mselves, that he trusted her Majesty% Government
would phee cur celonif.s no the same position as Ireland
on the Channel Id.teds.—(Bear, hear.) It might bo
done without increase of charge for the service, though
be anticipa,ed a reduction of receipts; hut when the
House saw how inconsiderable those receipts were, ho
was sure there would be no objection to placing our co-
lonies within the range and facility of penny postage.
Mr. FRENCH would be very happy to take the re-
turn in any way the Admiralty might wish; but surely
the Hon. Member for Montrose had net been in the
House when he (Mr. French) made the statement that
270,000/. a year was being paid for a service tendered at
80,0001 or the Hon. Member would not have expressed
himself perfectly content with the explanation of the
Admiralty, which left the statement unanswered. If the
Hon. Member was content, he was the only parson that
was content.
The return was then agreed to.
REGULATION OF TOWNS (IRELAND) BILL.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE moved for leave to bring in a
Bill to make better provisions for the paving, lighting,
cleansing supplying with water, and regulation of towns
in Ireland.
Mr. MONSELL called for an assurancefrom the Chief
Secretary fur Ireland that the same course would not be
pursued with this Bill us was pursued last session, when
within three days of the prorogation it was abandoned,
and all their labour was found to have been in vain.
Mr. ROCHE hoped the Right Hoe. Gentleman would
also give some information of the mode in which he pro-
posed to carry other important Bills relating to Ireland
through the House. He suggested setting aside some
partien of tbe week for Irish business.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said it did so happen that
at the end of last session it was found impossible to
carry a great number of Irish Bill seccessfully through
the House. That very important Bill, for the bette4 ad-
ministration of justice, was carried, but the Bill now
bee:re the House was abandoned. For himself, he could
only say it was his full determination to emit no effort
which should bring this Bill to a successful issue during
the present session. He had fixed the second reading
for this day week, and should name an early day for
going into Committee. In the last session many clauses
were inserted in Committee, which occupied a great dee.
of time; but many of those amendments were now in.
chided in the Bill.
The motion was agreed to.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PHARMACEUTICAL
CHEMISTS.

Mr. JACOB BELL said the Bill for regulating the
qualifications of pharmaceutical chemists, which he
asked leave to bring in, was the same he introduced in
the last session, with amendments, to meet objections
then raised against it. To comply with the forms of the
House he would move that the House resolve itself
into Committee for the purpose of giving leave for the
introduction of the Bill.
The motion being agreed to, the House went into
Committee; and a resolution was proposed for giving
leave, upon which
Mr. HUME asked whether anything had been added
to render the Bill more acceptable, and whether it had
received the approbation of her Majesty's Ministers?
Mr. BELL said ho had been in communication with
the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home
Department; he had no objection to bringing in the
Bill, and as soon as he had seen it he would state
whether he would support it or not The objections last
year were, that the Bill gave too much power to the body
which it created, and it had since been altered to meet
those objections. He hoped the Hon. Member would
allow the Bill to be printed.
The resolution was then agreed to, and, on the House
resuming. was reported to the Speaker.
Mr. FREWEN moved for leave to bring in a Bill to
extend the powers of justices of the peace regarding
dangerous animals.
Mr. SOTHERON asked whether the dangerous ani-
mals went on two legs or four? For his own part, he
would support the Bill, either for the one class or the
other.—(Laughter.)
CUSTOMS INQUIRY.
Mr. MITCHELL moved the Select Committee on
Custome to consist of Mr. Mitchell, Mr. C. Lewis, Mr.
Goulburn, Mr. Gladstone, Sir J. Yarde Buller, Sir G.
Clerk, Mr. W. Brown, Mr. Alderman Thompson, Mr.
Forster, Mr. Macgregor, Mr. Archibald Hastie, Mr,
Alderman Humphery, Mr. Moody, Mr. Anderson, and
Mr. Tennent.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought there was already suffi-
cient evidence to satisfy the Government that there
ought to be. some change in this department. Three
years ago a commission was appointed, including officials
and Lords of the Treasury, and they reported that the
Commissioners and officers of Customs bad been guilty
of neglect of duty, and had shown their incompetency in
the issue of orders which it was impossible for officers
under them to carry out. The Customs presented such
a scene of mismanagement that frauds had to au un-
known extent taken place, in which officers of the Cus-
toms -of high rank had been concerned. There was
overwhelming and, it possible, stronger evidence before
the Committee appointed last session of the total incom-
petency of the Board. The blame rested, he believed,
more with the mode in which the Board was constituted
than with the individuals of which it was composed;
though when they looked at the appointments
to that Board—not in reference to the present Board
more than to any former Board—it did appear the
Commissioners—of ahich there were nine—were not
appointed for their competency to discharge the duties
of the office, but merely to fill places, and he had heard
it often described as a sort of refuge for the destitute.—
(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The cases of tho St Katharine
end London Docks further showed that the Board of
Customs ought not any longer to be entrusted with the
management of that important department, and he was
surprised that the Noble Lord at the head of her Ma-
jesty's Government, having seen the report of that case
—baying seen the report of the Commission, and having
heard the statements which had been made before him
by the leading merchants of the city of London and Li-
verpool, al}- the total inefficiency of the present
syaem for the collection of revenue, did not propose
any change. With regard to the proceedings against the
dock to which ho (Mr. Williams) had alluded, the
Customs—without tiny justification, without any evi-
dence save. that picked up, in the first instance, from
discarded servants, and afterwards obtained from up-
wards of sixty of the dock servants, who were paid
for giving evidence against their employers—sent a
body of their offieers through all the warehouses, con-
taining twelve or fourteen millions of property, threw
everything into cenfusion, made seizures of packages
to the value of, 20,0001, without duty, and issued
120 informations against these docks for defrauding the
revenue. Every means were taken by the dock compa-
nies to bring on a speedy trial. The Customs threw
impediments iu the way. At last the case was brought
to trial, and after occupying eleven days, and costing the
dock company 10.000/.—he supposed the costs to the
public on the other aide would be as much—the jury
found there had been only irregularity, without any in-
tention to commit fraud, on two packages of the value
of 61. Every means were then taken by the dock com-
panies to go to trial on the other heformetions; but after
numerous delays the Custom-house Board came forward
and offered to compromise these charees of fraud to the
amount of 20,0001. for Si., and which, owing to other
iefleence, eves eventually compromised for 100/. in each
of the cage:. Having charged the docks with having
committed those gross frauds, and having offered to
compromise them for 5/., the Customs had been
guilty either of great calumny and oppression, or of
participating in compounding for frauds on the public
of a most serious amount. In either case they were
unfit to manage a department through which 22 mil-
lions sterling of duties, 65 millions sterling of imports,
and 71 millions sterling of exports passed through
lest year. But if such was their conduct to the prin-
cipaln their conduct to the servants of the dock was
much worse. He learnt iron a petition which he had
presented, that servants of the company, who had for
36. years, 23 years, 20 years, and other periods respec-
tively occupied situations of trust, and borne irreproach-
able characters, were arrested like common felons, and
taken, not before a magistrate, to ascertain whether their
detention was just or not, but to the Central Criminal
Court, and some were absolutely committed to goal, be-
cause they were not prepared with bail on the instant.
These men demanded a trial. The trial was first put
off, and when the time fixed arrived, was removed to an-
other court, to the incurring a great expense for their
defence, and et last these men were set at liberty, the
whole charge was abandoned, and the amount of robbery
charged turned out to be the sweepings of the warehouses,
of the value of 41., and supposing duty to be payable,
only of the value of 275. For a year and a half these
men were kept with the charge hanging over them, and
put to the expense of sonic hundreds of pounds.
After these circumstances were known could her Ma-
sty'a Government hesitate is making an instant
change in the Customs, or did they really think these
men were fit to hove the Ineragement of the most im-
portant department in a commercial country ? During
the last year the publio newspapers were teeming with
complaints of the unjustifiable conduct of the Custom-
house officers in the examination of passengers' luggage.
He himself came from Ostend, and had to wait two
hours and a half to get his portmanteau, and his was the
first'examined from amongst the baggage of 170 passen-
gers, who were detained he knew not how long in the
dirty, filthy room. He wrote to the Lords of the Trea-
sury, and it became perfectly evident that those most
important gentlemen thought him guilty of great pre
sumption in complaining, for he bad to send four letters
before be could get an answer to the most ordinary
question, and the whole tone of conduct was such as
would not be expected towards any Member of that
House. He knew not why those gentlemen
were so important, unless it be that they were re-
ceiving a vast deal of money, more than they had
either the ability or industry to deserve. He did
eTh
aen
tNs oobf lLe
oLnoarodna,
hope this Committee would not be granted by her Ma-
sant hae
thheeayd h odf t
rheep
rGesoevnetr
Govornm, at for the purpo o of delay.—(Hear.)
ceived a very large number of the most important mer-
perfect inefficiency, the endless endm et
on t'
hhi amd tr he e-
s inconveniences, and the
harassing impediments to the commerce of the country
inflicted by the present systera
hoped the Noble Lord wouldh.ave After such evidence he
taken and effected a thorough reform,
andup the question
the head of that department a __e
nibe unless he placed at
Member
and e,
member
of
the
Cabinet,
itweelder
ev of this House
satisfactory to the merchants or efficient in
tebraollection
be found
of.reeenue. He did not object to the Committee,
certainly thought overwhelming evidenceair but he
l'acl
isted of the necessity of an entire change in
theye present
system of management,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Government 'had
assented to the appointment of the Committee with the
view that it would be enabled to point out such changes
in the laws, and such alteration m the management, as
would be useful to the commerce of the country and
conducive to the public service. Having heard the de-
putation to which the Hon. Gentleman had alluded, and
ayiug read a very long wad elaborate report txom Pio

Board of Customs on the subject, he (Lord J. Russell)
was ready to appoint a Committee, and to take the
matter into the hands of the Government; aed because
he had assented to the appointment of the Committee lie
was told by the lion. Gentleman it was only for the pur-
pose of delay--
Mr. WILLIAMS—I said I hoped it was not for the
purpose of delay.
Lard J. RUSSELL-IVith regard to the narrative
which the Hon. Gentleman had given, it would be un-
necessary for him to enter into any detail, though ho
might mention that the Board of Customs had allega-
tions to make at variance with the narrative given by
the lion. Gentleman, He would not, however, enter
upon that now—(Beer, hear)—but he agreed to the
re-appointment of the Committee, in the hope that they
would apply themselves to discover some useful reforms
which might be made in the administration of the law.
Ho had no doubt that the very able gentlemen whom
the Honourable Gentleman had named as members of
the country at large. Ho might the Committee would apply themselves to that quoatiou,
and would produce a report that would be useful to
oCfabthineetp.
atrHoenaligaedannoddtoousbtrt
etnhgatthiefnhteheh
could not agree to the plan suggested by the Hon.
Gentleman, teat the chairman of the board should
be a Member of this House, and have a seat in the
,thhee wii:susne.o—p(olll:iueralan
state, however, that he
proposition he would be told it wits merely for the sake
Ifliureenmeaenitnle
re-
gard to the present chairman of the board, Sir Thomas
atenthtiereslaymoepptiomseedatmo
ahnimo(fLgorredaJteorhhnoßnouusr-
when that gentleman was a Member of the House, he
swealls). generally
But d
friend a ia
t I o. g Government
dhhl made
sa, dWe
because,i such
tuhchi
n a
end of more indefatigable industry he believed did not
exist.—(Hear, hear.) He was placed by the late Sir
Robert Peel in that high and responsible situation, and
with regard to certain legal questions which occurred
between the board and the dock companies, he consi-
dered he was bound to take legal opinions, which did not
turn out to be well founded; but there was nothing
which ought to induce this House or the Government to
injure a meritorious public servant, and a man of unsul-
lied honour.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUME did not believe there was a man con-
nected with the trade of this country, whether in
England, Scotland, or Ireland, who had not fully
made up his mind that the Board of Customs ought
long ago to have been remodelled. This was not a
question of politics ; every class of the mercantile
community had already expressed their condemna-
tion of the present se stem, and be could only regret that
her Majesty's Government, with Such a mass of evidence
before theme should still hesitate upon the subject. He
also had long kndwn Sir Thomas Fremantle, and had
been opposed to him for years. lie could also bear his
testimony that he had always considered him to act like
a gentleman.—(Hear, hear.) But his observations were
directed against Sir Thomas, not in his personal charac-
ter, but as the head of a board which had made itself
notorious for causing delays in the transmission of all
sorts of goods, whether exports or imports. Indeed, he
had lived long enough to say that he now began to doubt
all boards—(Hear, hear)-110 was for one or more re-
sponsible individuals in every department. Since, how-
ever, her Majesty's Government wished to have the
opinion of the Committee, he trusted that the Committee
would go into the whole question, and particularly that
they would review the whole proceedings respecting the
compromise, which be considered discreditable to both
parties, and which he believed had boencome to in order
to prevent this Committee from offering any opinion upon
the conduct of'the board. But he trusted the Committee
would go into the whole question and see who was in fault,
whether the companies had been guilty of fraud, or
whether the Board of Customs bad acted ignorantly or
malicionely in bringing against them a criminal charge.
The Noble Lord had given the Committee a fair chal-
lenge, and he trusted the Committee would accept it,
and inquire not only into what was fact but with regard
to the future remodelling of the Board, and whether
any redactions could be made in its staff, for he re-
gretted to say, that though Sir Robert Peel had reduced
or abolished between 600 and 700 articles of Customs,
yet no reduction whatever had taken place in the number
of officers.
Mr. C. LEWIS said ho Was unwilling, after the
severe censure which bad been passed upon the Board
of Customs, to remain altogether silent. He entirely
questioned the statement that the Board of Customs
had thrown any impediment in the way of the trade
of this country. lie believed the present administra-
tion of the Board was at least as liberal as any other
that had gone before them.—(lronical cheers.) But
it must be remembered that they were responsible
to tho Crown and to the public for the collection
of twenty-two millions of revenue; so that a heavy
responsibility was thrown upon them to see that the law
was punctually and faithfully exercised. In the course of
their administration they had come in contact with two
powerful bodies, the London and the St. Katharine Dock
Companies, and representations were made to them that
certain irregularities and breaches of the law had been
committed by these companies. On that question they
tock legal advice, and they were told that they would not
discharge their duty if they did not take legal proceed-
ings, and legal proceedings were consequently instituted.
With reference to the compromise to which his Hon.
Friend had applied such strong epithets, and which was
intended, he said, to prevent inquiry, and to screen the
conduct of the Commissioners, be (Mr. Lewis) could
state in answer that the proposal of a compromise came
not from the Cbairmau of Customs, but from the Lon-
don Dock Company. How, then, could it be said, with
any appearance of truth, that this compromise was
effected to screen the Commissioners from inquiry ? This
compromise was by no means unprecedented—a similar
course had been taken about twenty years ago with the
London Dock Company, and he was not aware that any
censure was at that time pronounced upon the proceed-
ing. The re-appointment of the Committee would give
full opportunity for an inquiry into all grievances, and
for suggestions as to an improvement of the law; and,
as his name was on the Committee, he could only say
that, so far as he was concerned, he would do his utmost
to promote these objects.
Mr. MITCHELL would net have taken part in this
conversation but for Certain inaccuracies into which both
the Noble Lord and his Honourable Friend who had
last spoken had fallen. It had been stated that if any
mistake had been committed, the chairman of the Cus-
toms was led int) it by legal advice. Now,the evidence
of Sir abundantly proved, by the admission • Thomas Fre-
mantle himself, that h t ough an opinion was taken as to
the mere law of the case, yet he was left to exercise leis
own discretion as to the application
of the law; and
that every step that Wall taken was done on his own
responsibility. He must therefore protest against
its being now said that the
lawyers were to blame.
There was another statement re by the Honourable
Member for Herefordshire (Mr. C-orene wall Lewis) which,
though it might be technical!right,wasyet substan-
tially wrong, when he said y
for
that the proposal a com-
promise originated with the dock It might be
company.
true that the first letter which proposed
ed the compromise
propos
was written Irons the dock but if his Hon.
Friend would inquire, he wouldcomP'any; tht when Sir
Thomas Frementlo went to find
visit the docksa in company
with the French Minister ofcondescended
to ask Mr. Chandler the Commerce,
hewhombet bad pre-
viously arrested on a charge i- .0 accom-
pany him; and in the course
of.. smuggling—:o !
-tt)gs—itiel to him,
" Oh, we shall be as goad friends
fot the visit
ever, when this
matter has blown over;" and, asstime,
other
parties connected with the _ at the same.
dock companies were con-
h
stantly hinting the propeiet
repromise.—(hear,
no opinion, butear.) With regard to they of a co -
matter itself, he expressed
in Committee. he ea) Id .
u faithfully discharge his duty
The Committee was then
appointed.
PASSENa
RS ACT. . . Mr. PEEL, in moving fo
amend and consolidate the I. bring in a Bill to
leave to
the
Ws relating to carriage
of passengers by sea, stated
in
the law
certain defects having
some time ago been felt law as it at present stood,
a Committee had been
appointed to ascertain whether
any improvements could be big made. That Committee was
presided over by
for South Wiltshire (non. Honourable Friend the Member
Sidney Herbert), and had
made a report containing a variety of suggestions of
great value. Most of these suggestions, so far at least
as they referred to the prote
etion of passengers during
the voyage, had been incoep ated into the present mea-
sure; and he anticipated thator
they would tend greatly
to promote the safety and
comfort of the hundreds of
thousands of passengers that were going every year
from this country to Austral
Mr. HUME was glad this and the United States.
doted. At the same timehouicaeure had
'wished the Honourable
Gentleman would lay upon th
number of emigrant ships that heaelable a return of the
been lost during the
past year.
Mr. ANSTEY asked whether the
provisions of this
Bill were confined to steerage passengers,
tended to cabin and intermediate or were ex-
Mr. PEEL said it included thep r
Caen of tho interme-
diate passengers.
Mr. GOOLD thanked the Honourable
the introduction of this measure, which" Gentleman for
eminent service to many thou hick would would prove of
The Bill was then brought in and read countrymen.
On the motion of Sir GEORGE rze, a first time.
lowing returns were agreed to:-- k's
RetorHELL the fol-
number of cities and towns, with the 0 n showing the
same, which are goyerned by the- mtli3uPttletion of the
England and Wales, Scotland, and leelanled3Pal Acts for
ing those for each country which have had distinguish-
charters of
incorporation granted to them since the
Act 5 and 6 William IV., cap. 76. Retorpassing of the
sal sums of freight money received h
-3, th(r)l of the seve-
Greenwich Hospital since the 13th day of jreasurer of
March, 1851,
with the date of such payments, and whet
or private account; also, the name of the .., yon public
p or vessel
in which the treasure was conveyed, arid of the
the captain
or officer commanding the same.
On the motion of Mr. GROGAN copies of
an
rant entered into between the Commissioners Jligireed-
Revenue and Messrs. Bacon and Patch for engranvianna,
printing, and gumming the postage labels subsequent le;
the lst day of May, 1851; and of any report _
made by
the Postmaster- General, or Rowland Hiii, Es
in
December, 1851, as to utility and advantage to theq"ub -
lie of the perforated postage label!, were ordered. P
Mr. SOTHERON obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to ameties, whic end and h
was read a fi a consolidate the t
tai lme.w relating to friendly
soci
The House adjourned at a Qierter pest Nino .
elte() o'clock.

THE CENSOmnir OF THE PRESS.—There is estab-
ecnsorsofhit Englisii news-
papers, of the press a
Iparticularishedin t he
bureaudepa frotrmtehnet
of
examination
h
papers, and expert lawyers are employed to read the London
journals, with the object of discovering calutnnious news,
upon which a trial for libel may be instituted before the
British courts of law. The same may be said of' the Belg
ian
t
Piedrnontese, Swiss, and Portuguese papers. But the dif-
ference between the treatment of the latter and the English
papers is, that in the Belgian and others the leading article
will furnish subjects of, the re representation to
.spective•Go-
s
vernments, and procure, if they attack 1.01113 Napoleon,- the
suPPressicin of o 9 paper.—Observer,