The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-26 00:00:00

one else except the Noble Lord, he should have been
justified in applying the terms "juggler" and " trick- '
ster" to him, but he respected his character, and could not
suppose but that he had done so under a miscon
ception. He did not wish to enter into a discussion
whether the adoption of the clauses was advisable or
not, but he took his stand upon the way in which they
were omitted. For two years the parties in question
had been endeavouring to convince the Noble Lord
of the truth of the principles they contended for;
and after they had convinced him of their value, it
was too bad for him to turn round, after the pledges
he had made, and destroy all he had done.
The Noble Lord had made pledge upon pledge upon
this subject, and upon no grourul ought the Noble
Lord to depart from it. He should, therefore,
move as an amendment, that this Bill be committed
this day fortnight.
Mr. MUNTZ seconded the motion. This Bill as
it stood would act most unjustly towards the public;
and as he was present when the Noble Lord gave
the pledge he now called upon him to fulfil it.
Lord MORPETH said, nothing was more painful
to his feelings than that the Honourable Member
should fancy that he had been wanting in
firmness and good faith, and if the House
were of opinion that such an imputation could be
cast upon him he was prepared to ask the House to
put him in a position to remove it. Be could not, how-
ever, bring himself to believe that the course the Com-
mittee had pursued was open to the charge which the
Hon. Member had preferred against it, for he appre-
hended that the Bill in no way gave power to inter-
fere with the affairs of private persons without the
intervention of Parliament; but he was quite prepared
to introduce an express proviso into the 66th clause
precluding every local board of health from supply-
ing water, with the consent in writing of any com-
pany, should such exist within the jurisdiction of the
board, if that would remove the objections of the
Hon. Member.
Mr. 1N EWDEGATE thought if there was any
blame to be attached to any one for the suppression
of these clauses it was the Noble Lord. He thought
the clauses necessary, and he believed that the
country generally was in total ignorance of the real
provisions of the Bill.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD trusted the Com-
mittee would agree to the proposition of the Noble
Lord, which he considered to be a perfectly fair one.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN objected to the with-
drawal of the clauses, believing that if they had been
discussed they might have been rendered totally un-
cbjectiunable.
After some observations from Mr. Henley, Mr.
Slaney, and Mr. Hudson,
Sir W. CLAY suggested to the Honourable Mem•
ber for Warwickshire to withdraw his motion, be-
lieving that the couse pursued by the Noble Lori was
calculated to promote the interests of the parties con-

cerned.
Mr. W. P. WOOD thought the clauses ought to have
been retained, if only for the sake of settling the princi-
ple on which compensation should be paid. To the ex-
isting water companies the Bill was a sentence of anni-
hilation; for all householders would be compelled to
receive the water supplied under this Act. In the case
of Reading, 8,0001. had-been spent-2,00e/. by the water
company and 6,000/. by the corporation; both which
sums might have been spared had the principle on which
compensation should be assessed been recognised by
Parliament. The substituted clause was certainly bene-
ficial to the companies; and he hoped the amendment
would be withdrawn.
Mr. SPOONER asked when the proposed alterations
would be printed.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said they would be
in the hands of the Members before " the further con-
sideration of the report."
Mr. SPOONER then withdrew his amendment (leave
being given), and the House went into Committee.
On clause 105. empowering local boards to borrow
money, the ATTORNEY-GENERAL gave some expla-
nations, and introduced some verbal amendments, which
were adopted, and the clause was agreed to.
Clauses 106 to 110 were agreed to with some amend-
ments.
On clause 111, providing for the repayment of money
borrowed on mortgage,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed to fix the
term for repayment at 30 years, without requiring one-
thirtieth part of the sum to be paid off each year.
After a conversation, the clause as amended was
agreed to.
Clause 112, empowering mortgagees, in case of non-
payment of interest, to have a receiver appointed to col-
lect the rates, gave rise to some little discussion, Mr.
HENLEY expressing doubts as to the sufficiency of the
security, as the local boards could not be compelled to
make a rate, and the ATTORNEY-GENERAL observing that
they had a remedy by mandamus, but the clause was
agreed to unaltered.
On clause 113, giving local boards power to make by-
laws, and inflict penalties subject to the confirmation of
the general board,
Mr. BAINES suggested that these by-laws should not
be confirmed, until public notice of them had been given
to all the inhabitants.
Viscount MORPETH consented to adopt the preli-
minaries suggested.
Mr. HENLEY suggested that the confirmation of the
by-laws should rest with the Secretary of State instead of
the central board, in order that there should be greater
security that they would not be repugnant to the laws of
England.
After a short discussion Lord MORPETII assented
to the suggestion.
The clause as amended was then agreed to.
Clauses 114, 115, and 116 were agreed to with some
verbal alterations.
Clauses 117 and 118 were struck out.
Clause: 119 was agreed to.
Clause 120 was struck out.
On clause 121, relating to the audit of accounts, being
proposed,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved amendments,
which provided that ten days' notice should be given of
the time and place when the audit was to be made; that
a copy of the accounts should be deposited at the office
of the Board of Health, and that all persons should be
allowed to take copies or extracts of them without fee.
The clause, with the amendment, was agreed to.
Clauses 122 to 145 were agreed to without any alte-
ration.
On clause 142 being read, by which it was proposed
that the dwelling of any individual might be entered by
the inspectors of nuisances at any period between the
hours of ten and four o'clock, for the purpose of making
surveys of sewers, levelling and opening drains, &c.
Mr. TURNER submitted that some cheek should be
imposed upon the powers thus intended to be vested in
the inspectors under the Act, and he proposed an amend-
ment to the effect that such surveys should not be made
without the consent of two justices in writing, pro-
vided any objection were made on the part of the owner
or occupier.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL having signified his
assent to this amendment, it was added to the clause,
which Ns as then adopted.
The remaining clauses of the Bill having passed,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was intended
that the Bill should be reported and reprinted at once,
and that the report, with the various amendments,
should be brought forward for further consideration on
Thursday next, or such other day as the House might
deem convenient.
On postponed clause 67 being read,
Lord MORPETH said that by this clause it was
made imperative on the proprietors of water-works to
supply houses with water at the rate of ld. per week,
provided
that the local board of health on the report of
the surveyors had declared the supply of water to be
insufficient in such houses. In Nottingham td. a week
had been found sufficient for this purpose ; but as it had
been represented that loss might accrue to owners of
watere'vvorks by being compelled to supply water at that
low rate, he had to propose an alteration in the clause to
the effect that 2d. a week should be allowed.
The alteration having been adopted, the clause as
amended was agreed to.
Colonel THOMPSON proposed that after clause
80, which had been postponed, the following pro-
viso should be added :—" Provided always, and be it
enacted, that upon the petition of a majority
of the inhabitant householders of any such district,
it shall he lawful for the local board of health
to provide suitable premises, in or near such district, for
the purpose of being used as a burial ground for such
district and neighbourhood, and to make by-laws for
and with respect to the management and use of the pre-
mises so provided, and to charge for the use and occupa-
tion thereof."
After a discussion, in the course of which several dif-
ficulties to the adoption of the proviso were started, Lord
Liecotaf suggesting that the application should origi-
nate in a public meeting of the inhabitants, and Mr.
TURNER proposing that the power should be compul-
sory instead of permissive, it was decided that it should
stand over for consideration on the report, and that it
should:be taken in conjunction with the 80th clause.
In reply to a question from Mr. HUDSON,
Lord MORPETH said that with reference to the
smoke clause, several Hon. Members had suggested to
him that the best way of dealing with that subject was
by the Bill which had already made considerable pro-
gress in the House of Lords. He therefore proposed to
omit the clause in question altogether.
Mr. WYLD moved a clause to the effect that the
assessed tax on funeral carriages and the post-horse duty
on horses let for hire for funeral purposes, be abolished,
on the ground that these imposts prevented the poor
from availing themselves of the cemeteries for burying
their dead. The sacrifice to the revenue would be un-
important, as the whole amount raised from this source
was considerably under 6,000/.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL opposed the clause
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had informed
him was unnecessary, as, whenever the hire of the vehicle
tend horses used for funeral purposes was not charged,
the duty might be recovered back.
Mr. WYLD doubted if any case could be shown in
which the duty had been returned.
The clause was withdrawn.
The preamble was then agreed to, and the House
having resumed, the Bill was reported and ordered to be
reprinted with the amendments; the report to be further
considered on Thursday next.
JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL.
This Bill having been read a third time,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved a clause, em-
powering the Lord Chancellor to appoint district com-
missioners of the Court of Bankruptcy, or judges of
county or local courts having jurisdiction :n civil matters,
(xt be masters extraordinary for the purposes of this Act;
which was agreed to.
Dir,,ELEADLAM moved the following glance: -," That