The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-05 00:00:00

and expenses of the department of her Majesty's Secre-
tary for the Colonies.
On the question that 20,300/. be granted for the ex-
pense of her Majesty's Privy Council,
Mr. HUME objected to the payment of fees to the
C:erks and °dicers of the Privy Council, on public bu-
siness, or any other than benefical proceedines.
After a few words from S:r E. KN ATCHBU LL,
Mr. LAIOUCHERE said he would enquire why
the recommendation of the Commissioners had not been
acted upon in respect to those fees.
The vote was then agreed to.
The sum of 2,-123/. was then voted fur the salaries
and expenses of the Office of the Lord Privy Seal.
The sum of 34,000/. was next voted for the salaries
and expenses of the Office of her Majesty's Paymaster-
general.
17,789/. was voted for the salaries and expenses of
the Office of the Comptroller of the Exchequer, and for
secret service in that department.
On the question that a sum not exceeding 2,010/.
be granted for the salaries of the professors of the Uni-
versities of Oxford and Cambridge,
Mr. HUME asked if those gentlemen did anything
for their salaries ?—(A laugh.)
Mr. GOULBURN begged to suggest to the Hon.
Member for Kilkenny to look over the syllabus of the
lectures of the professor of modern history in the Uni-
vcraity of Cambridge, and to that gentleman's work
upon the subject.
Mr. HUME was willing to concede that the pro-
fessor alluded to did something for his salary. But
what did the other six do ?
Mr. GOULBURN begged to remind the Hon.
Gentleman that the Universities paid much more in
stamp duties upon degrees and diplomas than they re-
ceived from the country.
Mr. HUME said he would be very ready to support
any motion for the abolition of those duties.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said that the duties could not be abolished without at
the same time abolishing the tax upon attorneys' certi-
ficates and other stamped papers.
The vote was agreed to.
13,3581. was voted for the salaries of the Commis-
sioners of the Insolvent Debtors' Court, and for the ex-
penses of that Court.
Mr. HUME observed that it was perfectly ridiculous
to expend so large a sum upon a system which every
body agreed was perfectly useless.
On the question that the sum of 15,0001. be granted
for the expenses of the Penitentiary at Milbank,
Lord G. SOMERSET inquired why the experiment
of a model prison had not been tried in that Peniten-
tiary ?
Mr. FOX MAULE said the separate system had
been tried in the Penitentiary and found to succeed ;
but it would not have, been practicable to have tried
the principle of a model prison there-.
After a few observations from Lord G.. SoMerset,
Lord John Russell, Mr. Hawes, and Mr. Hume, the
vote was agreed to.
. A vote.of 5,8071. was agreed to, to defray the ex-
penses of the prison for juvenile offenders in the Isle of
Wight._ • • •
A vote of 2,3511. Was also agreed to for the purpose
Of defraying the expenses and 'salaries of the State
Paper Offiee.
3,000/. wee voted to defray the expenses of Eccle-
siastical Commissioners for England.
On the sum of 67,000/. being proposed for defraying
the charge of salaries and expenses of the Commission-
ers for carrying into execution the amended law relat-
ing to the poor of England and Wales, and the deititute
poor of Ireland.
Mr. WILLIAMS (Coventry) thought the charge
was most enormous. He should be glad to know what
necessity there was for seventeen assistant commis-
sionors, three secretaries, and thirty-three clerks. Trey
were not necessary for the proper working of the P.,or-
law Act, and he would not allow the vote to pass with-
out dividing the House upon it, unless he had some
satisfactory explanation given him.
Colonel SIBTHORP would second the motion of
the Hon. Member for Coventry. The Poor-law Com-
mission was next to the Record Commission in being
the most expensive and unsatisfactory that had ever
been appointed.
Mr. F. FRENCH would be glad to be informed
whether it was the intention of Government to send
over to Ireland commissioners, or to leave her entirely
to the dictation of Mr. Nichols.
Mr. GODSON made an observation that was in-
audible.
Lord G. SOMERSET thought the vote was rather
an extraordinary one to call upon the Committee to
pass at this particular moment., It had not yet been
determined by Parliament that the Commission should
be continued, and he, therefore, moved that the sum
be reduced by 12,741/. 10s.
Mr. HODGES was entirely of opinion that many of
the Commissioners might be dispensed with, and would
vote with the Noble Lord.
Mr. G. KNIGHT said, in considering the expenses
of the Board, the House ought to take into considera-
tion the great saving which had taken place under the
new law—( Hear)—and, what was more important, it
had raised the character of the peasantry of the country.
Mr. DARBY did not believe that they could do
away with the Commissioners if they would carry out
the law ; but after the unions were formed, he thought
the number of Assistant Commissioners ought to be
very much reduced. That feeling was very general in
the country.
Lord J. RUSSELL had already advised the reduc-
tion of the number of Assistant Commissioners from
21 •to 17 but aa;the :Commissioner,* reported that a
great reduction in their number at the present time
would be very prejudicial to the working of the law, he
was not prepared to.. recommend their further re-
duction. Undoubtedly, from time to time, the num-
ber would be reduced as the guardians became
more acquainted with the working of the new isst.
It was said that the whole expense of the Commission-
ers was 250,0001., including the present grant ; but he
would put against that the fact, which he believed would
not be denied, that they had effected a saving of nearly
eight millions to f% country.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord G. SOMERSET said the saving to which the
Noble Lord alluded had never been estimated by the
friends of the measure themselves beyond four or five
millions. All he required was, that before they acceded
to the present vote, they should ascertain whether the
number of Assistant Commissioners for whom salaries
were about to be voted were necessary. He should
certainly divide the House upon the question.
Mr. B. WOOD agreed with the observations that
had been made as to the inutility of keeping up a large
number of Assistant Commissioners. He believed
they were not required, and ought not to exist. In the
parish of St. George, Southwark, with which he was
connected,- he understood that there had been no
Assistant Commissioner for the last eighteen months.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
Committee divided, when there appeared—
For the motion 57
For the amendment 2l
Majority
The vote was then agreed to.
It was then moved that a sum, not exceeding
15,000/., should be paid to the Commissioners for the
suppression of the traffic in slaves, which was agreed to.
It was then moved that 105,8311. should be paid for
the salaries of her Majesty's Consuls and Vics-Consuls
abroad.
Mr. HUTT said he had heard several complaints
from mercantile men that there was no Consul at
Cologne.
Lord PALMERSTON said the subject tad been
brought before him, and he had made inquiries, tt o
result of which was, that at present a Cansul at Co-
logne was not neeessary.
Colonel SALWEY said that in the analysis of the
vote, he saw a sum of 17,0001. for building new cha-
pels, and churches, He wished some explanation on
this subject.
Lord PALMERSTON said that frevently British
residents abroad, having raised a sum for the building
a church, applied under the Consular Act for assist-
ance to the Government.
The vote was then agreed to.
A vote of 9,0001, was then proposed for the salaries
of inspectors of factories, which was agreed to with-
out discussion.
A vote of 5,900/. was then proposed for the salaries
of inspectors of prisons, which, after some slight dis-
cussion, was agreed to.

A vote for 43,817 1. was then preposed for defraying
the expellees of the Mint.
Mr. WILLIAMS asked for some explanation with
regard to the expenses of Mint prosecutions.
Mr. LABOUC HERE said that those prosecutions
were conducted with the greatest possib!u economy, and
that the number of convictions bore a great proportion
to the number of prosecutions.
Mr. HUi.,IE suggested that an account of the Mint
prosecutions should be annually laid before the House.
M. L ABOUCHERE would have no objection to
the return required by the Hon. Gentleman it' it were
moved for.
The vote was agreed to.
The House then resumed, and the CHAIRMAN re-
ported progress.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL sa he rose for the pur-
pose of bringing in a Bill for the Registration of Par-
' liatnentary Electors. It would, therefore, be necessary
that he should explain to the House the general prin-
ciples on which he proposed to proceed, leavinz
matters of detail to be afterwards discussed in the dif-
ferent stages of the Bill, if' the House should consent
to its introduction. Endeavours had been made before
to frame a measure with regard to the rights of voting,
in which many abuses
but bad n
taken place, and amendments
might be proposed ; in one of those Bills had
they been successful, it either having been objected to
them that they contained matter irrelevant to the sub-
ject of registration, or it having happened that all the
pains that had been taken to obtain the agreement of
Parliament with re' peet to them had failed. He thought
that the best course to pursue on the present occasion
would be to state. generally, after the experience they
Lad had, what anprovenieuta our plan of registra-