The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-11 00:00:00

LOCAL DUES ON SHIPPING.

On the motion for bringing up the report on supply,
Mr. M. GIBSON called the attention of the house to an
arrangement which he understood had been made at an
early part of the evening between the Government and the
hon. and learned member for Stamford (Sir F. Thesigor).
He was informed that the report of the Royal Commis-
sioners on local dues OH shipping was to be superseded, and
that the matter was to be disposed of as though no such in-
qniry had taken place. He was also informed that the
whole subject was to pass off without discussion.
Lord PALMERSTON said that what passed in the early
part of the evening was this. Ho stated to the hon. and
learned gentleman the member for Stamford that in com-
paring the motion of his right hon. friend the Vice-Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade with the amendment of the hen.
and learned gentleman, he found the difference between
them involved so few things that were essential, that he
should have no difficulty in agreeing with the amendment,
namely, that a committee should be appointed to inquire
into the matters which the commissioners were appointed
to examine into, and that to the committee so appointed
should be referred the report of the commission. As to any
discussion, the house must judge for itself when the sub-
ject was brought forward. (Laughter.)
Mr. DISRA.ELI said that as the question was one which
would probably excite great interest, perhaps the house
would allow him to give his version of the course he under-
stood it was the intention of the Government to pursue.
After the debate on the ministerial proposition to take
away the property of the corporations the noble lord at
the head of the Government proposed that a committee of
inquiry should be nominated. The tone .he seemed to
take led him (Mr. Disraeli) to conclude that it was the
intention of the Government to attempt to 'get that indi-
rectly which they failed to obtain directly. When the
proposition of the Vice-President of the Board of Trade
was first made, it appeared of such an alarming and dan-
gerous character that he opposed it, for he imagined that
it was his intention to induce the house partially at all
events to agree with the report of the commissioners.
(Hear, hear.) He thought be did not misrepresent the
object of the right honourable gentleman when he said
that his intention was to propose to the house a committee
who should decide that the recommendations of the reps'
commissioners should be carried out. To that proposition
of the Ministry he (Mr. Disraeli) entertained very strong
objections. Upon this the honourable and learned mem-
ber for Stamford moved an amendment, a moderate and
wise amendment, and one which at the same time main-
tained the principles anti policy which had been asserted
and defended on the Opposition side of the house. They
(the Opposition) dia [not shrink from inquiry, and they,
therefore, assented to the appointment of a committee to
inquire into the general question, repudiating the opinion
that the committee were to be at all guided by the Opinions
of the commissioners, which opinions they believed were
founded on principles injurious to the country and inde-
fensible on the principles upon which property was based.
All the honourable and learned member for Stamford
wanted was a committee on passing dues and tolls. He
understood that in the early part of the evening Govern-
ment withdrew their motion, agreeing with the honour-
able and learned member for Stamford that the subject
should he investigated by a committee of the house, not
in any way sanctioning the recommendations of the cone.
inissionete. _

A lengthened discussion on the subject of barrack ass
modation took place, in which Mr. Monsoll, Colonel Lind
say, Colonel Buck, and other hon. members took part. It
led, however, to no practical result.
Mr. BARING asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether it was the intention of the Government, in the
Appropriation Act, to provide that what was voted for one
department should not be applied to another— that which
was voted for the army, for instance, should not be ap-
plied to the Ordnance. Unless some provision of this sort
wai made the house would really have no control over the
stuns voted.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there
were no heads in the Ordnance department which directly
reproduced the Ordnance estimates. It would no doubt be
desirable to have different heads, and to make them the
subjects of specific propositions.
The report of the committee of supply was then agreed
to.

TRIAL OF OFFENCES BILL.
The house went into committee on this bill.
Clauses 1 to 30 were, with a few verbal amendments,
agree(' to.
The house then resumed.