The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-05 00:00:00

TENANTS AT RACK RENT BILL

The House then went into Committee on this Bill.
Mr. SOTHERON said, that though he had for many
years been a Member of that House he had never until
lately known that it was competent for him to move two
Bills on the same day ; the matter to which that now
before the House referred was of so much
consequence, that he was induced to proceed with it.
He thought by the present measure a greater degree of
uniformity in the management of gaols would be at-
tained than at present existed. Then the items that
would remain would be the salary of the treasurer of the
county, the cleik of the peace, and the coroner, and one
or two minor items. He thought it would be desirable
that all parties nho feel interested in this matter
should meet together during the holidays, and endeavour
to agree upon some plain and intelligible plan for appor-
tioning those burdens fairly and equitably upon the rate-
payers. He hoped, however, that the House would agree
to the Bill in its present shape, after adopting certain
verbal amendments which seemed to be necessary.
Mr. E. DENISON said his Hon. Friend found
his principle carried him a great deal farther
than the details of his Bill indicated. If the system
of local taxation and the management of the
county cess was in a satisfactory state, partial
legislation, such as the Hon. Member proposed in
this case, might be desirable; but was the local
taxation and the management of the county cess in that
satisfactory state? He (Mr. E. Denison) thought not.
lie did not wish to throw any impediment in the way of
the measure, but he would put it to his Honourable
Friend whether, with his own views and proposals,
it would be hardly possible for the House to adopt
this small modicum of legislation. As the subject was
about to be taken up and considered in a beau fide
manner, be trusted that his Hon. Friend would consent
to put the present measure off until the Committee on
the subject had made their report.
Mr. SPOONER would moment to a Committee up
stairs on the Bill, but there was a practical evil existing
which called for a remedy, and he trusted, therefore,
that his Hon. Friend would persevere with his Bill,
and the passing of it would remedy a great evil, and
would not interfere with the regulations that had been
proposed.
Mr. HUME said that the landowners and farmers were
very properly complaining of the increase of the county
rate, which, when the Commission was appointed,
amounted to 600,0002, but had now increased to
1,000,000/. He agreed with the principle of the Bill,
but it would only be partial in its operation,
and be thought that the better course would
be to let it go to the Committee up stairs, in order
to see if it could not be made more perfect, and also
more acceptable to the landowners, ratepayers, and to
the country generally.
Sir WILLIAM JOLLIFFE said it was simply pro-
posed that tenants at rack rents should be exempted
from certain burdens which were cast upon them, and
although he agreed that much more ought to be done,
he thought that there could not be any great objection
to grant those tenants a moiety of relief, for which they
would be extremely grateful.
Mr. SEYMER supported the Bill.
Mr. C. LEWIS said that if this Bill were referred to
the Committee up stairs many subjects connected with
it could be maturely discussed which could not well
be determined upon in the House, but he should be sorry
to see it postponed, as it involved a great practical im-
provement. The question could hardly be considerd as
one of county expenditure, because it simply related to
a matter of taxation between landlord and tenant. •
Mr. W. PATTEN said that the principle of the Bill
was agreed upon several years ago, and, therefore, he
thought it would be unfair to refer it to a Committee up
stairs. He should give the Bill his warmest support.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY conceived that some mea-
sure was necessary, for a universal spirit of dissatisfac-
tion existed throughout the country.
Mr. E. DENISON said that the lion. Member for
Montrose (Mr. Hume) did not object to the progress
of this Bill, except in so far as it was only the ground-
work, and not the proposal, of a larger measure. What
was the principle of this Bill? Why it was this,
so far as he could understand: it contained a
proposition that half the expense should fall upon the
landlord and half upon the tenant, yet every Member
who had yet spoken had been in decided opposition to
any such principle. The Hon. Member for Montrose
had suggested that the Bill should be referred to a ge-
neral Committee, and his own feeling was quite in ac-
cordance with that notion. He believed that the usual
course of the House was to pass the Bill through its pre-
sent stage, and then upon its recommittal to refer it to a
Select Committee, and he would suggest that it should
be referred to the same Committee as that which was
instituted for the larger measure. If such a course were
pursued he should withdraw his opposition.
Mr. C. LEWIS explained that the nature of the Bill
now before the House was altogether different from that
which was introduced yesterday, and if the same Com•
mittee dealt with both Bills, the probability was that
the right principle would be altogether overlooked.
Mr. SOTHERON said that the object of the Bill
would, he conceived, be altogether lost sight of if it were
to be referred to the same Committee as that which was
sitting on the larger measure. The effect of such a
proceeding would be to verge the small measure into
the principle of the larger one. But the objects of the
two Bills were altogether different, and that point
which he desired to gain of an equitable -ad-
justment of the rates would be totally lost. He
would suggest that this Bill should pass through this
stage, and then be referred to a Select Committee; they
would then have to wait a whole year for the benefit
which he intended to obtain.
Mr. E. DENISON, in explanation, said that he had
no desire whatever to press his opposition. He could not
see any obstacle to the reference of the two Bills to the
same Committee, and was ready to withdraw his opposi-
tion on the understanding that the principle shoal be
fully considered in Committee.
After a few words from Mr. WILSON PATTEN,
Mr. lIUME said the object of his Bill was for the
entire management of the expenditure of the county-
rates, and had no reference whatever to any different
apportionment.
Mr. P. SCROPE hoped that the Government, having
taken this subject under its consideration, would take
into consideration the whole subject of local taxation.
It was desirable to have a better system of audit of the
accounts, and of the collection of local taxation, than has
hitherto obtained. He did trust the whole subject would
be taken into consideration.
Here the discussion dropped.
The verbal amendments were then agreed to, the
House resumed, and the report was ordered to be
brought up on Wednesday, the 25th.
SEQUESTRATORS' REMEDIES BILL.
The House then went into Committee on this Bill.
Mr. MULLINGS proposed the following amend-
ments :—Clause 1, line 7, to strike out " whenever a se-
questrator is," and insert "every sequestrator who shall
then have been or shall thereafter be." Line 9, to strike
out after "duty" the word " °Vend insert" duo or owing
from." Line 10, to strike out "it shall be lawful for
such sequestrator," and insert "may and is hereby au-
thorised and empowered." Line 16, after "nature" to
add "or in lieu;' and after "tithe," to add "or other
rent or annual sum." Page 2, line 6, to strike out
"Levari facies," and insert " Fieri facies de bonis
Ecclesiasticis, or Levari facies de bonis Ecclesiasticis or
se questrari facies."
Mr. S. WORTLEY proposed the following clause:—
And be it enacted, that out of the moneys to be
received by any sequestrator of any benefice, the said
sequestrator shall, in the first instance, pay and die-
charge any instalment or instalments due or to become
due on such benefice in respect of any charge made
thereon, or on the tithe rent charge thereof, to secure
the repayment of the moneys expended in the commnta
tion of the tithes of such benefice.
Both amendments were agreed to without any dis-
cussion,

T Committee then twhehnich re
w
clauses of
resumed, and the seport was ordered to ba brought up
after the Easter recess. were
tthargorngeehd
to,t he
trheem Houseaining
PARTITION OR SALE OF CHATTELS PER-
SONAL, HELD IN JOINT TENANCY.
The House having resumed,
Mr. R. PALMER rose to ask leave to bring in a Bill
to authorise, in certain cases, the partition or sale of
chattels personal, held in joint tenancy, or tenancy in
common. He said there were in many cases great in-
convenience felt is dividing or disposing of property of
that tenure, especially with regard to shipping. Hs
himself had had many representations of their inconve-
nience from shipowners in Liverpool. The evil they
complained of was this, that if there were a number of
part-owners of a ship, the majority of the owners
had the power to dispose of the ship, in cases
of disagreement, against the will of the minority,
who had no remedy in such cases.—(.Hear, hear.)
He said he had consulted persons both in Liverpool and
London who were well conversant with the operations
of the law on this subject, and he proposed simply this
Bill to enable parties by petition to the Court of Chan-
cery to have the partition or sale of chattels personal held
in joint tenancy.
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill.
The Hon. Member subsequently brought in the Bill.
POLICE IN POPULOUS TOWNS.
Mr. GIBSON CRAIG, in the absence of the Lord
Advocate, obtained leave to bring in a Bill to make
more effectual provision for regulating the police of
towns and populous places in Scotland, and ft,r paving,
draining, cleansing, lighting, and improving the same.
SAVINGS BANES.
Mr. REYNOLDS postponed his motion until this day
three weeks relative to the appo:ntmeat of a Select
Committee on savings banks.

REV. JAMES SHORE.
After the presentation of a few petitions relative to
;he liberation of the Rev. Mr. Shore,
The House adjourned, at Fi►•e o'click, until Monday,
,he 16th of April.

METALLIC PRODUCE OF RusstA.—The following
is a statement of the aggregate of the metallic produce of
the Russian empire fur the year 1848, from the official
documents :—Gold amounted to 1,826 Foods; platina, If
poods; silver, 1,192 pood3; copper, 254,569 poods;
wrought iron, 8,513,673 poods; 'and salt, 24,733,208
poods. Taking the pood at 361 b. avoirdupois, and mea-
suring the gold by the English standard of fineness, the
production of the year would amount to 3.944,83 U, or,
allowing for the fraction which the pood is more than
361 b. avoirdupois, to rather upwards of 4,000,000 Z star-
ling. The production of silver is comparatively insigni-
ficant, but taking it at ss. 6(1. per ounce, it would amount
Chtottaiallibitoooru.ndtiaal:B.
have n
8,000/. The production of the Russian min e a
possesses the more interest at present, inasmuch as a pa-
rallel may soon be drawn between them and that of the
"El Dorado."—!dining
onting Journal , 7
HUDDERSFIELD APRIL 3.—The sales in the Cloth-
be ascribed to the scarcity
been equal
scarcity (..f stolcaksts week,
foutirt may
season. The business in the warehouses has been good
during the week. In vesting* rather more is doing. i