The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-28 00:00:00

to no less than 1,700 poor people of the city he had the
honour to represent, who were artisans for the most
part, or aged and infirm servants. Relying on the
stability of this nation—confiding in the honour of
England, and trusting to the solvency of the public Ex-
chequer, they denied themselvo the comforts—nay, in
many instances, the common necessaries of life, in order
that they might make a provision for their declining
years (as they fondly imagined) by lodging 50,000/. in
the savings bank of St. Peter's parish.—(hear, hear.)
And now the Right Honourable Gentleman the Member
for the University of Cawbrir!ge had the hardihood to
stand up in his place and assert that those poor creatures
—those plundered, rubbed, swindled artisans---(Cries of
" Oh," and cheers)—yes, the robbed, plundered, swindled
artisans of Dublin (he would not retract the words) had
no claim to reimbursement. The Right lion. Gentle-
man was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1841 to
1844. During that period the person who acted as the
agent of the Government in this matter of the savings'
banks, was a gentleman a ho still appeared to be " a pot"
in that House—a gentleman with the euphonious ap-
pellation of Tidd Pratt—Mr. Tidd Pratt. Mr. Tidd
Pratt and Mr. Hightail might be regard, d as Commis-
sioners for the Iteduetion of the National Debt, so far
at least as the savings' banks were concerned.—
(Laughter.) The prop .r name to be given to these Corn
miesioners was, " The Commissioners for the reduoien
of the savings of the unfortunate people of Ireland."
Mr. Tidcl Pratt had manufactured an Act of Parliament
in 1844, which enacted that no manager should be liable
for any loss that might happen to deposits made in
these banks ; Mr. Tidd Pratt completely released the
directors from every species of responsibility, and the
result was, that, on the trial of an action at
the last Tralee assiz is for the recovery of money
lost in the savings' bank of that district, in a hick
the plaintiff was a pauper and the defendant was
a solvent manager, the judge declared that, under
the Act of Mr. Tidd Pratt, the plaintiff had no legal
claim against the bank directors, and a verdict was
therefore entered for the defendant.—(Bear.) Now he
(Mr. Reynolds) wanted to have Mr. Tidd Pratt, the
author of this Act of Parliament, put upon his trial, but
not before the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Committee
of last session, which consisted of twelve Englishmen and
three Irishmen. What did the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer mean by opposing the appointment of the Com-
mittee which he (Mr. Reynolds) proposed, consisting, as
it did, of eight Englishmen and seven Irishmen? He
never ee as more surprised at anything in his life than the
Chancellor of the Exchequer's wholesale motion to sub-
stitute the Committee of last year for that now proposed.
He hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman was not serious,
and that he would not think of going to a division.—
(Laughter.) If the Right Hon. Gentleman's proposi-
tion was carried by the House of Commons the people
of Ireland would consider that a fair tribunal had not
been appointed by the Legislature. Ho demanded on
behalf of the depositors a just inquiry into their
grievances.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER denied
that he resented the appointment of an impartial tri-
bunal. He would let the four first names on the Hon.
Gentleman's Committee stand, but if press,d to a divi-
sion he would vote against the fifth name. He was quite
prepared then to consider the other names, and to have
appointed as fair a Committee as pos3ible.
The names of Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Her-
bert, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer were then
agreed to. _

—On the SPEAKER putting the question that Mr.
Napier be one of the Committee,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
objected, not from any personal feeling with regard to
that Hon. and Learned Gentleman, but because he was
not on the Committee appointed last session. He would
divide the House against the motion.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and a divi-
sion took place, when there appeared—
For retaining Mr. Napier's name 74
Against it
Majority against — 37
Mr. Napier's name was then struck out, and the fur-
ther consideration of the appointment of the Committee
was deferred, in order to enablo the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to consider the course he would adopt with
regard to the other names proposed by Mr. Reynolds,
Mr. Herbert, and himself.

Mr. MACKINNON moved that Mr. William Miles
be discharged from further attendance on the Select
Committee on Smithfield market, and that Mr. Ormsby
Gore be added.

Mr. PEARSON objected. He desired a full and fair
inquiry, but he pre!erred to have metropolitan Munk rs,
as the question was one purely metropolitan. He moved,
as an amendment, that the name of Sir 1)e Lacy Evans
be substituted for that of Mr. Miles.
Mr. GORE suggested that some plan should be
advted by the Ilouse for selecting the members of Com-
mittees, instead of leaving the matter in the hands of
individual Members.

After a brief discussion, Mr. Pearson withdrew his
amendment, and the name of Mr. Gore was added.
The Poor-law (Ireland) Amendment Bill was brought
in by Sir W. Somerville, and read a first time.
The second reading was moved for Tuesday next.
The House adjourned at Half•past One o'clock.