The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-08 00:00:00

DRAFTS ON BANKERS BILL.

' The house went into committee on this bill.
Clause 1 was agreed to.
On clause 2,
Mr. PELLATT proposed to introduce certain amend
moots.

Mr. J. WILSON' thought it better that the amendments
should be printed, and in the meantime the committee
could be taken pro forma.
The committee accordingly reportei to the house, with-
out proceeding further with the clauses.

- FACTORIES BILL.
This bill went through committee pro forma.
amendments to b 3 printed.
PUBLIC WORKS BILL.

--
The house went into committee on this bill.
Mr. BLACKBURN objected] to the.continuance of the
system provided for by this bill. Fifteen years since a
public board had been established, with power to advance
money for various purposes, and they had now in hand a
fund of 360,0001. for those purposes. He thought the house
should have time to consider whether it was expedient that
Goveinment should become -a la/Luker, lending money and
giving no account of the way in which the money was lent.
There were four millions now out which had been lent by
the commission, of which a million and a half they them-
selves looked upon as a bad debt. He objected also that
the commissioners had furnished no accounts of the ex-
penses of. working the commission. He would move, as an
amendment, that the bill be committed pro forma.
Mr. J. WILSON defended the bill, which he said was
merely a continuation bill. Its pribciple had been debated
over and over again, and it was generally admitted that the
commission bad done an immensity of good. The working
expenses of the commission appeared annually.in the votes.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY was inclined to support the
amendment.

Mr. GLYN did not see any reason for postponing the
consideration of the bill.
The committee then divided—
Ayes
Noes

16
107
. , ••• •• • - -91

Majority.

On elnnse 2,

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY objected to the composition of
the corninission. The Commissioners for the Reduction of
the National Debt were a body which for all practical pur-
poses had no real existence. Yet this body who never met,
excsp►, on four formal occasions every year, and who had
no means of exercising a proper control over the funds com-
mitted to them, the bill proposed to make trustees for the
execution of the act.

Mr. WILSON denied that the commission was a sham
one. The chairman was Sir Alexander Spearman, and the
other members were all persons of the highest character as
practic ►l men. No losses had ever been incurred where the
discretion of the commissioner had not been interfered with.
It was true there had been losses in connection with the
Thames Tunnel and another undertaking, but those schemes
had been pressed upon the commission by the house itself.
Mr. LIDDELL then moved that the chairman report
progress.

Ayes
Noes

-51 Majori
Mr. BLACKBURN would not attempt any further to ob-
struct the progres^. of the bill through comrnitee, but he
hoped the Government would insert a clause requiring an
annual account to be laid on the table.
Mr. WILSON would take care that such a clause, if ne-
cessary, should be inserted on the third reading.
Mr. MOWBR AY renewed the motion for reporting pre.
grew.
Viscount PALMERSTON appealed to the consideration
of the house to go on with the bill, which was a short one,
and the hour (one o'clock) was not late. (A laugh.)
After a conversation, chiefly carried on between Sir