The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-06 00:00:00

SOCIALISM.

Mr. HUTT presented a petition from certain So-
cialists of Hull, praying for inquiry into the principles
of their Association.
CASE OF JOHN THOROGOOD.

The HON. MEMBER also presented a petition from
a Society of Friends of Religious Freedom, praying for
inquiry into the case of John Thorogood.
Mr. BAINES presented several petitions from places
in Yorkshire to the same effect, and also one against
the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical Courts.
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (IRELAND.)
Colonel BUTLER presented several petitions from
places in the county of Londonderry, praying for an
extension of the elective franchise, and for the Reform
of Municipal Corporations in Ireland.
Mr. Serjeant JACKSON presented a petition, which
he said was signed by persons holding three-fourths of
the property of the town of Clonmell against the pro-
posed measure of Municipal Reform in Ireland.
SHORT-HAND WRITERS' DEPARTMENT.

Mr. MACLEAN presented a petition from Edward
Morton, of 25, Craven-street, and Francis N. Walsh,
of 8, Duke-street, Westminster, complaining of the
monopoly of the Parliamentary and other business en-
joyed b) Mr. Gurney, from the double appointment of
shorthand writer to the Houses of Lords and Com-
mons, which he had held ever since the year
1803 ; and pointing out the injury arising
from it to the profession, and to the public
business, by excluding competition, and thus keep-
ing down efficiency and keeping up a high scale of
charges. The petition stated that in 1803 the busi-
ness of Parliament was very small—that it had now
increased to such an extent that two-thirds of it were
done by short-hand writers, not in Mr. Gurney's own
establishment, those persons receiving only such share
of the business, and such proportion of the fees,
as Mr. Gurney thought proper to give them—that the
number of persons skilled in the art of writing short-
hand had also very much increased of late years, and
that many attic gentlemen employed as Mr. Gurney's
deputies were as competent in all respects as the mem-
bers of his own establishment, but that Mr. Gurney
had, ever since his appointment, exercised the exclusive
right of attending by himself or deputy all Select and
other Committees, all examinations at the Bar of the
House, &c., so that for a period of thirty-seven years no
ether short-hand writer had been allowed to attend any
Committee, except as Mr. Gurney's Deputy, the par-
ties to private Bills not being allowed to employ their
own short-hand writer, even to take the speeches of
counsel. It also stated that Mr. Gurney was short-
hand writer to the House of Lords, where he exercised
the same exclusive privileges ; and to the Privy Coun-
cil, where he claimed the right to take minutes of the
evidence in patent cases at the expense of the parties.
The petitioners went on to state that the effect of this
monopoly was to lower the character of the profession ;
and that under the present system the public business
could not be well done. Mr. Gurney had always
acted upon the right to keep his own establishment
fully occupied at all times, the consequences of which
were, that the gentlemen employed as his deputies were
not called upon till the last moment, when it was found
that their services could not be done without, and that
they were constantly, and as a matter of course, displaced
from Committees, on which they had performed their du-
ties satisfactorily, to make way for one of Mr. Gurney's
own establishment. The petition further stated, that
previous to the Session of 1837 Mr. Gurney had allowed
to his deputies about three-fifths of the lees received
by him ; that since that time- they had received three-
fourths, Mr. Gurney retaining one-fourth of the tees
paid for business done by others as a remuneration
for his superintendence of the department. The
petitioners concluded by stating that they were pre-
pared to point out a mode by which the public bu-
siness alight be much better done, and at a cheaper
rate, and that they confidently believed that the result
would be not only to raise the character of the profes-
sion, which was acknowledged to be one of public uti-
lity, but to facilitate and give an increased value to the
labours of Committees, at the same time that it would
effect a considerable saving in point of expense. They
therefore prayed that the House would appoint a Select
Committee to inquire into the subject.