The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-30 00:00:00

PRIVATE BILLS.

Mr. HUME rose to call the attention of the House to
the report of the Committee on Private Bills, and to
submit the following resolutions for the consideration
and adoption of the House:—l. That public general
Acts should be prepared for each of the several subjects
of police and watching, of waterworks and sewage, of
paving, of improvement of towns and regulation of build-
ings, streets, and roads, of markets and fairs, of cemete-
ries, of bridges and ferries, of harbours, docks, ports, piers,
and quays, of canals, rivers. and navigation, as recom-
mended in the report of the Select Committee on Private
Bills, embodying, as far as possible, the suggestions there-
of. 2. That the recommendation in the said report, as to
the taxation of the costs of parties promoting or op-
posing private Bills, be also adopted; and that a
proper taxing-officer should be appointed, and a
scale of fees, costs, and charges be authorised and
published by Mr. Speaker. 3. That the taxing-
officer shall present to the House, at the commencement
of each session, an account of the total amount of ex-
penses for promoting or opposing each Bill taxed and
sanctioned by him during the preceding session, dis-
tinguishing the amount paid as fees on each Bill,
to each of the Houses of Parliament, the amount for
witnesses and other expenses, sled fur professional
services. He said the Committee from which these
recommendations emanated, was composed of the chair-
men of the principal Committees of the House, who,
from their experience, were well qualified to deal with
the matter. He believed it was the intention of the
roposßiliilolsn shoo the
be
Ca
pi Chairman of the Ways and Means to submit
House,
nilo wteod theto pr
effect
ocee d from
that
no
private
them, until the Bills recommended by this Committee
should have been introduced,
in order to save the House
unnecessary trouble, and to
measures which the 'louse lead to more uniformity in the
He was bound to state were in the habit of passing.
thatcro every disposition had
been shown by the late
views on this subject, and to to meet his
when the R,
Honourable Gentleman the Secretaryigh
of State for the

Home Department heard of this matter, ho concurred
fully with him (Mr. Hume) in principle, and he believed, 1
from what he stated, that a Bill of this description would I
be agreed to by the House. One great object to be
effected by what he proposed would be unanimity ; the
next would be a saving of time. As great a reduction
in the expense in the proceedings in reference to Bills
as two-thhirds would be effected. These were matters
of great importance. It would be found in many parts
where lighting, draining, &c., were required, that the
inhabitants were prevented from coming to Parliament
by the attendant expenses. He was acquainted with one
case the expense of which would be scarcely believed by
the House. It was for the renewal of a Bill, and the
cost was considerably over 1,900/. He had asked the
solicitor, and he candidly admitted that the charge
was three times more than he was accustomed
to demand, but justified his conduct by the prac-
tice that prevailed generally. The Committee
had also considered what change should be
introduced into the legislation on private Bills. He
thought that it might be interesting to the House to
know that the town of Liverpool alone had laid out no
less;a sum than 87,0001. in applications for private Bills
since the period of the Reform Act. The town
of Glasgow had expended a sum of 67,0001. He could
multiply examples, but it was not necessary. He had
every reason to believe that the measures recommended
by the Committee would have the most beneficial
effects, and would also save a great portion of the time
of the House.
Sir GEORGE GREY did not wish that the House
should pledge itself to any distinct resolution on the
subject, as he considered that before they should do so
it would be advisable to have the Bills which had been
in preparation in reference to this subject laid before the
House. Through an unforeseen pressure of business, a
very great delay had occurred, but they would shortly
have them laid upon the table. The House would then
see what Bills were still wanting.
Mr. HUDSON had no objection to the three reso-
lutions proposed by the Hon. Member for Montrose, be-
lieving, as he did, that their adoption would tend very
much to the efficiency of public business. There was
one other point, however, to which he wished to call
the attention of the Hon. Member, and which was very de-
serving of his attention, namely, the fees of the House.
Now, in many cases, these amounted to the whole
charges besides. He trusted, therefore, to draw the
attention of the Hon. Gentleman to this subject, and
hoped he would move for a Committee to inquire into it,
with a view to reduce the scale of fees. It was a subject
of great public importance, and ought not to be lost
sight of. He had found, that year by year, the fees of
the House increased enormously.
Mr. HUM 2 would be satisfied to leave the matter in
the Speaker's hands. The fees paid to the House were
only fractional, compared with the expenses of a Bill out
of doors, and he thought a Bill ought to be drawn up to
regulate the expense of passing a private Bill. He was
willing, however, to leave that to the Speaker, and it
only remained for him to withdraw the motion. lie
was glad to have the concurrence of the
Honourable Member for Sunderland, because it was
well known the Hon. Member had had a good deal of
experience in these matters.
Mr. HUDSON said he could produce an account of
the expense of the Bills he had had anything to do with
in the last two or three years.
Mr. GREENE said, after what had fallen from the
Hon. Member for Sunderland, be must be allowed to
say a few words. The lion. Member had stated
that the fees of the House had latterly increased,
I year by year, to an enormous extent. Now the Hon.
Gentleman omitted to state that the increase had not
taken place in the fees paid to the House, but in the
fees paid to Parliamentary agents and barristers, over
whom the House had no control.—(Hear, hear.)

Lord HARRY VANE trusted that the Hon. Mem-
ber who had stated to the House that he could produce
an account of all the expenses incurred by the different
companies with which he had been connected in the
passing of Bills through that House, would do so; and
ho hoped he would distinguish between those expenses
payable to the officers of the House and those payable to
attorneys and solicitors.
Mr. HUDSON said that the Hon. Member misunder-
stood him if he inferred that he wished to persuade the
House that the expenses were the principal items in the
Bills. He only said the fees to the House were a most
important item in the expenses.
Dr. BOWRING said it should not be forgotten that
the officers of the House were paid out of those fees.
But he wished that some check should be established on
the enormous infractions practised by the legal profes-
sion on railway companies. He greatly regretted that
no means existed for checking it, and also that no in-
fluential Member of that House took up the question.
The resolution was then withdrawn.

Mr. WRIGIITSON gave notice that, on going into
Committee on the Poor-laws in Ireland, he should move
that it be an instruction to that Committee to fix a cer-
tain amount in the pound, leviable on the rates collected
there, and that that rate should not be exceeded except
by an express provision of Parliament.
TOBACCO, SPIRITS, TEA, SILK, &c.

On the motion of Dr. BO1;VRINO, returns
nn ere ordered of the number of pounds weight of
leaf tobacco, manufactured tobacco, cigars, and snuff
paid duty upon quarterly, in the years 1844, 1845,
and 1846, and up to the sth day of January, 1847;
also, the gross amount of duty received thereon, dis-
tinguishing England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the
respective ports of importation therein, and the totals of
each quarter and year. The several seizures made, and
of the prosecutions for breaches of the laws relating to
tobacco, in the year ending the sth day of January,
1847, distinguishing Great Britain from those in
Ireland, specifying the places where and names of

the persons prosecuted, or from whom the seizures were
made; the quantities and kinds of goods seized; whether
fine or imprisonment imposed ; whether fine paid, or
party suffered imprisonment ; for what time impri-
soned. The number of persons convicted for smuggling
tobacco, spirits, tea, silk, and for any other articles,
and the total number convicted, in the year ending
the sth day of January, 1847: also, the number of
persons who paid the penalties imposed; the number of
compromises made; the number of persona committed
to prison ; the number of persons in prison for offences
against the revenue laws, on the sth day of January,
1847. Accounts of the quantity of foreign manufac-
tured tobacco and snuff imported into the United King-
dom in each of the three years 1844, 1845, and 1846 ;
stating the quantity exported from the bonded ware-
houses as merchandise to the British colonies, and to
what colonies ; also the quantity exported as ship stores
in each of these three years. Of the quantity of British
manufactured tobacco exported as merehandise under
drawback to the British colonies, in each of the three
years 1844, 1845, and 1846; and also an account of the
quantity exported as ships stores in each of these three
years; of the quantity of British manufactured snuff
exported in each of the three years 1844, 1845, and
1846. Of the several seizures made, and of the prosecu-
tions for breach of the lawsrelative to tobacco, &c.

'ROA THE UNION

WORKHOUSES.
On the motion of the HoN. MEMBER, the following
return was also ordered :—The number of boys who
have been received into the army as drummers, from
parish union workhouses in the United Kingdom, year
by year, from 1840, specifying the unions respectively,
down to the end of 1846.

LABOURING POOR (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. GOULBOURN hoped that this Bill would be
in the hands of Members to-morrow morning.—(Hear,
hear.) If it was not delivered until Monday morning
it would be impossible for them to give it that attention
which it deserved.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
the Government had been very anxious to carry down
the information to the latest possible period, and there-
fore some delay had taken place. He trusted, however,
that copies of the Bill would be delivered to morrow
morning.

IRELAND.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN wished to know what course the
Government intended to pursue on Monday. He be-
lieved it was generally understood that a debate would
take place on the Irish Poor-law Amendment Bill on
Monday.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, it was not in his power
to say what course the debate would take on Monday
evening. It was possible that the debate might occupy
the whole night. It might, however, be necessary to
state what course the Government intended to pursue
with regard to the measures which they had stated their
intention of bringing forward. He should first proceed
with the Bill for remedying the temporary distress in
Ireland, or to render valid Mr. Labouchere's letter ; and
secondly, the permanent Irish Poor-law Amendment Act.

MONTPENSIER MARRIAGE.
Mr. FINCH wished to ask the Seeretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, whether he had received any com-
munication from M. Guizot on the subject of the
Montpensier marriage, or whether he had received any
communication from the Marquis of Normanby ; if
so, whether it was his intention to lay the same before
the House?

Lord PALMERSTON—The French Ambassador
had called upon him, and ho had received the communi-
cations in question, copies of which would be laid before
the House.

RthSe 110PouselAdRo QadtTjoEu.rn being put,
On the motLioEnTthTaßt
Mr. BARCLAY begged to call the attention of the
Right Hon. the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to
an advertisement which appeared in the Times of the Bth
inst. from the Mexican Consul, who stated that he would
issue letters of marque to those who might engage for
the Mexican Government against the United States.
It was forty years since letters of marque had been
issued, and he thought it was opposed to the present
civilisation of Europe to countenance such a prac
tice. He begged to ask the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs whether his attention had been
directed to such, and what means he had taken to pre-
vent the same being carried into practice. He begged
to call the attention of the House to a passage which
appeared in the Courrier Francais on the subject, which,
after stating that these letters of marque were being
issued by the Mexican Government, said that any na-
tive of France accepting them would be considered as
having forfeited their rights as Frenchmen, and would
be treated as pirates.
Lord PALMERSTON said that when the same ques-

tion had been I;.Q him some days back he thought he
had given a satisfactory answer. He explained at the
time that the ad vertisement in question was merely an ad-
vertisement from a well -known gun-maker on Tower-hill'
He had communicated v, ith General Mendoza, and he
stated that nobody was at present authorised in these
countries to issue letters of marque. His Hon. Friend
had just shown to him the regulations under which those
letters were issued, and he referred them to the law
advisers of the Crown to consider how far they were
consistent with the laws of the realm; for it certainly
was not legal to equip vessels in these countries destined
for any hostile purpose:againsti another nation without
the express permission of the Crown, and in conformity