The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-23 00:00:00

C
Trade ,t.vhis place, wished to put question to the Right
Hoti Gentleman, respecting a matter which was of very great
interest to all who were connected with the shipping of .the
country. When the Bill for a harbour at Scarborough was
iOnht in, the Government opposed it-, and it was thrown
out on-account of the opposition to the principle of passing
tolls. But here was a Bill which had passed both Houses of
Parliament, and was now in force, for the collection of
passing tolls to ten times the amount, and in a
manner one hundred times more objectionable.—( Hear.)
And the parties had, had the effrontery to put forth in the pub.
lic newspapers, advertisements inviting people to invest their
capital in the speculation, holding out a prospect of dividends
of fifteen per cent., in consequence of the extraordinary ad-
vantages the Legislature had conferred on them—( Hear, hear)
—the advantage of taxing her Majesty's subjects to an enor-
mous amount for their own private interests. What he wished
to ask was, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Go-
vernment to introduce any measure for the repeal of that most
obnoxious impost, and thereby relieve the shipping interests
from the most unjust and impolitic tax that ever had been
imposed ?
Mr. P. THOMSON was obliged to the Hon. Gentleman
for affording him an opportunity not only of stating sr hat tlre
facts were with respect to the Bill in question, but with the
view also to state the course he was about to follow, in order
that it should go forth to the public, and in order that no claim
might be set up by these parties for compensation, on the ground
that they had not had sufficient warning. The present was
one of the cases of which he had complained not only last
Session but dui ing the previous Session, es arising from the
absence of any check in that House on the intro-
duction of Private Bills. He trusted that the re-
commendation of the Select Committee, of which he (Mr. P.)
Thompson) had the honour to be Chairman would be carried
into effect, and thereby protect the public interests, and pre-
vent the recurrence of similar cases. He hoped the House
would introduce such measures as would not only protect the
public interests but inflict punishment upon the parties intro-
ducing such Bills. The facts were as stated by the Hon.
Member for Teignmouth—a Private Bill had been introduced
for making an harbour at Fishguard. It was evident, from
everything that had occurred in that House, and as it had
been reported in the public papers, thet the strongest feeling
was entertained on both sides of the House against the levy-
ing of passing tolls, and that no Bill containing a clause of that
nature would be permitted to pass. The Fishguard Harbour
Bill was brought in, and he night observe that it wss im- •
possible for any Hon. Member to follow Private Bills through
their various stages ; they were read at such an hour, and in
such a way, that their titles were scarcely heard. And what
was the clause which that Bill contained? Would
the House believe that in setting forth the limits of
Fishguard Harbour on the Welsh coast, the limit was
fixed at the bay of Wexford on the one hand and the
Welsh coast on the other—( A laugh )—and these passing tolls
were inflicted on all the shipping of the country passing up the
Irish Channel, and going between Wexford and the Welsh coast.
That was the most monstrous clause that he had ever heard of.
If the effect of this clause could be done away with by a
Public Bill, he should introduce it—(Cheers)--if it
could not, he thought that the Government would be jus-
tified in stepping out of its way with respect to a Private
Bid, and he should be prepared to introduce on the behalf
of the Government, and at its expense, a Private Bill repealing
the clause, repealing all passing-tolls, and leaving the parties,
if they wished for passing-tolls, to come again to Parliament.
Sir F. TRENCH begged to return the Right Hon. Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade his thanks for the candour sr ith
which he had acknowledged the oversight, and his determi-
nation to set it right.
Mr. G. F. YO UNG also returned thanks to the Right
Hon. Gentleman. The case was even stronger than had been
stated by the Right Hon. Gentleman, for the town of Wa-
terford, was pronounced to be within the harbour of Fisbguard.
An HON. MEMBER thought the Right lion. Gentleman, the
President of the Board of Trade, was entitled to the thanks of
the ship owners generally for the statement that he had made.
Mr. C. FE RG USSON thought that the greatest injury
had been inflicted upon the shipping trade by the slovenly
manner in which Private Bills passed that House. He
thought that all Public and Private Bills ought to be printed
before they were read a second time.
Sir E. COD RING TON was an advocate ler the erection
of harbours only where they were necessary.
Mr. HA WE S wished to know whether any steps would be
taken to furnish the House with abstracts of Private Bills ?

Mr. P. THOMSON thought that furnishing abstracts of
Private Bills would be productive of but very little good:

If it was the recommendation of the Committee that in all
cases of Private Bills, an abbreviated Bill should be laid on
the table previous to being read a second Vine. When the ar-
rangements were made by the Chair, he should propose a re-
solution in conformity with the recommendation of the Com-
mittee.