The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-21 00:00:00

THE SALMON FISHERY.

Lord PROBY appeared at the bar with the following answer
of her Majesty to the address of the House of Commons
praying that a commission might be appointed on this sub-
ject—" I have received your address, praying that I will
issue a commission of inquiry into the salmon fisheries of
England and Wales, with a view of increasing the supply
of a valuable article of food for the benefit of the public, and
I have directed that a commission should be issued for the
purpose which you have requested."
SIR CHARLES WOOD AND MR. HORSMAN.

Mr. LAING having moved that the house at its rising
adjourn till Monday next,
Sir C. WOOD rose and said he hoped he might be per-
mitted to avail himself of that opportunity to ask the atten-
tion of the house with reference to an attack made on him

convenience of many thousands of the inhabitants of the
metropolis, and the house would probably allow him shortly
to direct their attention to the subject. He referred to the
encroachment which, under the direction of the First Com-
missioner of Works, had been made upon the tranquillity
and privacy of Kensington-gardens. (Hear.) Some few
days since the inhabitants of that portion of the metropolis
were very much surprised to find a road staked out in those
gardens with a large number of iron hurdles. At first they
thought it was the contemplated road between Tyburnia
and Belgravia, so much desired for the accommodation of
the public ; but it turned out that the right hon. gentle-
man had merely apportioned that strip of ground for the
convenience of equestrians, male and female, more espe-
cially lawyers and doctors. (A laugh.). The right hon.
gentleman said it would enliven the neighbourhood if they
had an opportunity of seeing lawyers and doctors riding
there for exercise ; and he added that those persons, when
they did ride, were obliged, their time being limited, to ride
as fast as they could. Now, if there was one thing calcu-
lated to make a man feel the reverse of lively, it was the
sight of a lawyer on horseback. (A laugh.) Sedentary
people, it had been observed, seldom had a good seat, and,
to employ a legal phrase, he might say that a lawyer had
never entered into a covenant for quiet enjoyment with the
animal on whose backhe was mounted. (Laughter.) To such
persons mischievous boys were in the habit of saying, " Don't
you think, sir, you would be more comfortable if you were to
get inside ?" (A laugh.) Equestlian lawyers, therefore,
were the last persons in the world calculated to excite ad-
miration, which was one of the grounds mentioned by the
right hon. gentleman for the formation of this new ride. As
to doctors, he believed they very seldom rode, but he was
guile sure that they would henceforth frequent this spot on
the chance of the accidents which would certainly occur
there. (Laughter.) •An important memorial against the
road had already seen presented by the inhabitants, and a
deputation had waited on the right hon. gentleman. Their
remonstrance against the innovation was based on no vul-
gar feeling, as between pedestrians and equestrians, the lower
orders and the upper ten thousand. The memorial was
signed by 1,500 of some of the wealthiest inhabitants of the
neighbourhood ; and the deputation was attended by mer-
chants and gentlemen of position, headed by the Recorder
of London. They stated that they remonstrated on account
of the threatened interference with the tranquillity of these
gardens ; and as an instance, it was mentioned that the
very day before two large dogs were noticed which were fol-
lowing some persons on horseback, and which having got
through the hurdles, frightened almost into convulsions
some of the small children who were there at the time.
(Hear, hear.) The reply of the right hon. gentleman was,
"I will take care it is put a stop to; and I will put a green
man," was the right hon. gentleman's expression, " to see
that no dogs shall be running about." It would be a very
green man indeed who would attempt to interfere with a
large St. Bernard, or a deer hound, which-might be follow-
ing his master at full speed up the ride. (Hear.) Another
argument used by the right hon. gentleman was that per-
sons en foot like to see the riders. (Hear, hear.) But what
was the answer of those who desired to retain the privacy of
the gardens ? They said, " Let those who like to see the
riders go to that part where thousands of persons with such
tastes do go, Rotten-row." There they could see doctors,
lawyers, and the more accomplished equestrian, who—
" With one heel insidiously aside,
" Provokes the caper he pretends to chide."
But those who wanted to send their children to the gar-
dens in safety were not those who., wanted to see riders..
(Hear.), He had given notice that he should ask the right
hon. gentleman whether her Majesty had given her sane-
; tion to a ride being formed in Kensington-gardens, and as
he was extremely unwilling to bring that illustrious name
. unnecessarily into any subject of debate, he would state his
1 reason for putting the question. Those gardens had always
, been considered as the property of the Crown, and they had
always been devoted to the use of pedestrians. (Hear, hear.)
As far back as 1705 they read of the fact that Sir I. Newton
wandered there and died in the neighbourhood ; Crabbe
wrote many of his poems there ; Mill, the Indianhistorian,
availed himself of their privacy ; her Majesty drew her first
breath in Kensington Palace; she there held her first
council, which had been described in the gorgeous language
of the author of " Sybil." (Hear.) No monarch had ever
been more solicitous for the comfort and convenience of her
subjects than her gracious Majesty; but he thought the
right hon. gentleman was bound to state to the house whe-
ther before taking any step he had obtained the sanction of
the Sovereign. The noble lord the member for Middlesex,
in introducing a deputation, put a question to the right
hon gentleman, who gave an answer that was perfectly
astonishing. The noble lord asked whether the right hon.
gentleman had received any applications from anybody be-
fore he made this encroachment, and the answer was there
had been no applications. (Hear.) Then at whose sugges-
tion bad it been done? (Hear.) Applications for similar
encroachments had been made to former Commissioners of
Works, and they had uniformly refused them. In 1851, a ride
was made for equestrians out of Kensington-gardens, but
that was only
.because a large portion of the space which
had been long appropriated to equestrians was occupied by
the Exhibition building. Upon that occasion a great move-
ment took place, and a deputation waited upon Lord Sey-
mour, who gave a pledge that when the Crystal Palace was
removed the new ride should be discontinued. In the present
instance he thought the public had some right to complain
that the right hon. gentleman, from some motives of am-
bition, perhaps that he might do something in his aadile-
ship which former First Commissioners had not ven-
tured to do, that was, take away from pedestrians a large
portion of Kensington-gardens, upon the plea that eques-
trians had not already a sufficient space for exercise. (Hear,
hear.) A more fallacious plea could not be urged. At
present an equestrian could start from the bottom of Great
George-street, along Birdcage-walk, up Constitution-hill,
gallop up and down Rotten-row as much as he pleased, and
then could make the circuit of the park, which would afford
an amount of exercise amply sufficient for any doctor or
lawyer, or more than most of them could endure. The right
hon. gentleman had done an act which was much to be re-
gretted, and which it was to be hoped upon reconsideration
he would undo. It was unpleasant to suggest anything
that could wound the amour propre of any official, but the
right hon. gentleman had so many brilliant examples among
his colleagues in the Government, of how easy it was to
withdraw measures, that he might now feel inclined to
withdraw the iron hurdles in Kensington .gardens. (Hear.)
He hoped the right hon. gentleman would seriously recon-
sider the question, and having had the discomfort and in-
convenience which his plan would create explained to him,
would not persist in a scheme which was so objectionable.
(Hear.) The hon. and learned gentleman concluded by
asking whether the First Commissioner of Works had ob-
tained the sanction of the Crown to take a portion of Ken-
sington-gardens before setting out the road for equestrians,
which had been done under his direction.
Mr. HUBBARD said he should have imagined, from the
energy displayed by the hon. and learned member, that the
subject he brought under the notice of the house was some
grave constitutional question, instead of an attack upon an
arrangement which duringthe last 10 dayshad been a source
of enjoyment to himself (Mr. Hubbard), and his family.
(Hear, hear.) He had inquired of the police and park-.
keepers, who ridiculed the idea of danger to any one from the
ride being made there, and stated that not a single child had
been run over. (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) The only
difficulty that was created was, he was told, that some of
the ladies' crinolines would not pass through the openings
between the hurdles. The police and keepers also told him
that before the rails were put up they never saw any persons
crossing in that direction. It was a great convenience for
equestrians, but he could not support it if he believed that
it would cause any inconvenience or danger to pedestrians.
Lord ENFIELD, with all due respect to the hon. mem-
ber who spoke last, did not think that the "green men"
were the best judges upon this question. (Hear.) There
was not the slightest wish to encroach upon that portion of
the park which had for very many years been enjoyed by
equestrians, but those whom he represented thought the
rights of pedestrians should be equally sacred. (Hear.) The
deputation that waited upon the right hon. gentleman the
day before was composed of most respectable gentlemen who
lived in the neighbourhood, some for many years. It was
not a cry against the "upper ten thousand," but it was a
question whether the inhabitants of that most respectable
neighbourhood, who had for years enjoyed the comfort, the
safety, and the privacy of Kensington-gardens, were now
to be deprived of that enjoyment. The right hon. gentle

last night in his absence. (Hear, and cries of " Speak
out.") He was quite sure that the house would not refuse
him that indulgence. He had learned, partly from what
he had heard when he came into the house and partly from
what he had seen that morning that the right hon. gentle-
man the member for Stroud (Mr. Horsman) came down to
the house with papers in his pocket, and certainly made
upon him a most bitter and personal attack. (Hear.) He
thought the right hon. gentleman might have given notice
that he meant to make that attack. (Hear.) He did not
think he could have obtained it from the right hon. gentle-
man's courtesy, but he thought he might have claimed,
from that sense of justice and fair dealing which distin-
guished every gentleman and every Englishman, that he
would have told him the nature of the intended attack, in
order that he might have been present to hear it. He
should not refer further to that part of the conduct of the
right hon. gentleman. The house would judge how far it
was fitting that the right hon. gentleman should have
taken such a course. He mentioned it only to this extent,
that it might be his apology for thus obtruding himself on
the house. The right hon. gentleman referred again to a
charge which he made against him some time back of sup-
pressing papers and wilfully keeping them back from the
house. He conceived that he had on a former occasion
shown how groundless that statement was. In the course
of the debate on the second reading of the bill for the
amalgamation of the Indian forces, the right hon. gentle-
man quoted a telegram from Lord Clyde, dated November,
1858. So little was he aware of what the right hon. gentle-
man was referring to, that he mentioned to his hon. friend
the member for Falmouth (Mr. T. G. Baring) that he
thought it was a mistake, and that it must be a misprint for
1859. The right hon. gentleman said it was not so, and sug-
gested that it was from a paper which he (Sir C. Wood)
had suppressed. Now the papers in question were moved
for by his hon. friend the member for Perth (Mr. Kin-
naird), who moved for them without the slightest reference
to the amalgamation of the two armies. He asked him to-
wards the close of last session whether he had any objec-
tion to produce those papers. He objected to the produc-
tion of them at the time, because the inquiry was not com-
pleted. He had not seen the papers, and it seemed to him
under those circumstances improper to produce them. At
She beginning of this session the hon. gentleman renewed
the request. He at once acceded to it, and they were granted
as an unopposed return. Now he might fairly say, and he
did not think he was wrong in saying, that his personal
duty was concluded at that time. He could not hold him-
self responsible, and he did not think the house would re-
gard him as responsible, for correcting the proofs or super-
intending the details of the work which was done in the
office. He knew nothing of the progress of the papers,
either in the printing or the correcting. It was not till
he inquired the next day that he discovered how the mat-
ter stood. He understood that a communication had passed
between the printer and the secretary of the military de-
partment of which he was personally ignorant. The right
hon. gentleman stated that the delay had been brought to
his (Sir C. Wood's) knowledge three days before, and that
with that knowledge he stated his ignorance. His hon.
friend the member for Falmouth (Mr. T. G. Baring) stated
last night quite truly that he (Sir C. Wood) had no know-
ledge whatever of the matter, and he could only repeat his
utter denial of any knowledge of the kind. He had found
since that there was certainly a delay in the clerk's de-
partment of the military secretary in the India House.
He sent fur some extra copies of that paper, and they
were placed in the hauls of some of the members of
the military committee of his council, but neither his hon.
friend nor himself saw those papers. He knew •not, and
cared not to know, how the right hon. gentleman obtained
his information of the contents of those papers ; but he was
quite certain that the members of his council, as men of
honour, never would have said or insinuated that which
hey knew to be untrue, that he had wilfully kept back or
suppressed papers. He now came to another charge which
the right hon. gentleman had embellished in the same sort
of manner. The right hon.
,gentlernan stated that he had
moved for some papers on the 28th June. That statement
was incorrect; for it was on that evening that the notice
of motion appeared on the paper. (Mr. Horsman—
" Hear.") It was a notice of a motion for three papers—
the first being a correspondence which had taken place
before his (Sir C. Wood's) time, namely, in 1848, between
the Secretary for War and the Secretary for India. The
second was for an opinion of the law officers of the Crown ;
and the third was for some despatches. It happened that
the 28th was the day for holding his council, and it was
also that appointed for the second reading of his bill on
the subject of the European forces. The house would,
therefore, see that it was a very busy one for him, and it
was not in fact till he came down to the house, and . took
up the paper that he saw the notice. Now the first no-
tice referred to papers which must have been both in
the department of his right hon. friend the Secretary
for War as well as in the department of the
Secretary for India; and he had .therefore asked his
right ton. friend who was sitting near him—the hon. mem-

ber for Falmouth being in fact between them—if his atten •
tion had been called to the notice, and if he knew anything
of the papers. The right hon. gentleman (Mr. S. Her-
bert) said in reply that the papers were not in exist-
ence. In the course of the evening the right hon. gentle-
man (Mr. Horsman) came to the Treasury bench, and
sitting down on the other side of his honourable friend,
the member for Falmouth (Mr. T. G. Baring), he asked if
there was any objection to produce the papers. He (Sir C.
Wood) replied that the Secretary of War had told him that
the first named papers were not in existence; that as re-
garded the second, he (Mr. Horsman) must know that it
had never been the practice to produce opinions of the law
officers; and that as regarded the third (which was the
only one which belonged exclusively to the department of
India), he might have them as an unopposed return. That
was the whole that happened. Yesterday the right hon.
gentleman made the following statement :—" On the 28th
Jane, he (Mr. Horsman) placed a notice on the paper cal-
ling for that correspondence. The right hon baronet told
him it did not exist. He (Mr. Horsman) replied that
it did exist, and that it was in his own office. Assertion
and denial were made over and over again. At last he (Mr.
Horsman) obtained the dates of the correspondence, and it
proved that the correspondence was in the right hon. baro-
net's own office." Now he (Sir C. Wood) begged to tell
the house that that was a totally imaginary conversation ;
for nothing of the kind had occurred. He did not, and he
could not, have said that which had been attributed to him
by the right hon. gentleman. He had not made any in-
quiry in his office on the subject, and therefore it was im-
possible for him to have denied the existence of the corre-
spondence. Fortunately, he had a witness, for his hon.
friend (Mr. Baring) was present, and he would, if neces-
sary, confirm his (Sir C. Wood's) assertion of what took
place. After that occasion he never heard a syllable from
the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Horsman) until he received
the letter which the right hon. gentleman read to the house
last night. The right hon. baronet went on to state in de-
tail Mr. Horsman's statements, and gave them all in the
main an emphatic denial. In reference to the relations be-
tween himself and the Indian Council, he stated that they
had been entirely satisfactory, except his difference with "
them on the subject of the Indian army.
Mr. HORSMAN, in regard to the charge that he at-
tacked Sir C. Wood in his absence, inquired why he left
the house just before he (Mr. Horsman) rose to address the
house, which he did without expecting to have been able to
do so, looking to the business before the house, of the
change in which Sir C. Wood was aware ; and as supply
was the next order, he ought to have expected questions to
be put to him. It was because he (Mr. Horsman) heard
that the Indian Army Bill would be brought in on the
following evening that he read the correspondence in ques-
tion. He accused Sir C. Wood of concealing from his col-
leagues in the Cabinet, when, they were discussing what
bills were to be thrown over, that his India Bills would be
strongly opposed, and also of doing his best to push the
Indian Army Bill before the papers essential to its consi-
deration
could be in the hands of members.

Sir C. WOOD said he left the house because he had been
sent for by Sir Richard Airey, who wanted to speak to him.
Lord PALMERSTON said ho never heard a more lame
excuse for the most discourteous course of conduct ho ever
remembered in that house, and he hoped that Mr. Harman
was the only man in the house who could have pursued such
a course. Having in his head and pocket the materials for
an unhandsome attack, any man of feeling or delicacy
would have ascertained if the person to be attacked was in
the house; and if he did not give him notice at least have
mentioned that be was about to make the attack. That
was the usual course of courtesy between members of that
house.

After a few words of explanation from Mr. HORSMAN,
the subject dropped.

KENSINGTON GARDENS.

Mr. JAMES wished to divert the house to more harmo-
nious topics. (A laugh.) Hon. members would probably
not be sorry to stop a discussion of a most unfortunate cha-
racter, and which he thought was not calculated to increase
the public respect for this house. (Hear, hear.) He had
given notice of a question which involved the comfort and

man had shown in many metropolitan improvements so
much desire to meet the wishes of the public, that it was to
be hoped he would reconsider his decision on the present
occasion, and not persist in a scheme which no one appeared
to have asked for. If the right hon. gentleman could show
that representations had been made to him that the safety
and convenience of equestrians demanded the formation of
of a new ride, he (Lord Enfield), although he might deplore
the conclusion arrived at, would not say anything against

it, but if no such representations had been made, he hoped
the right hon. gentleman would reconsider the matter, and,
frankly admitting that he had committed an error of judg-
ment, would in a short time restore Kensington-gardens to
the same condition in which they were a few weeks since.
(Hear, hear, and no.)

.. ..:r

learned gentleman talks of the privacy of the gardens, and
certainly there is privacy, for when I have been there I
havescarcely seen any one. (A laugh.) But, practically the
result of this innovation is that where there was one pedes-
trian before you will now find 10 drawn thither to enjoy the
increased liveliness of the gardens caused by this ride.
(Hear.) I think it is a most rational and acceptable addi-
tion to the enjoyment of that portion cf the public who take
horse exercise, without detracting one iota from pedestrians
—(hear)---and I earnestly hope that the right hon. gentle-
man will not be deterred by what appears a most unreason-
able outcry from allowing those who take exercise on horse-
back to continue it. (Hear.)
Col. DICKSON did not think this subject worthy the
consideration of the house. It had originated with a few
locally interested parties, who forgot that the First Com-
missioner of Woods and Forests possessed his authority not
for the benefit of any particular section of the inhabitants
of the metropolis alone, but for those also from distant
parts of the country who were obliged to spend a certain
number of months every year in London. He wished to
impress on the right hon. gentleman that he was acting
for the benefit of the whole community, and in the height
of the London season this ride was the only place where
equestrians could take exercise. There was not sufficient
room anywhere else, for equestrians had now increased
three or fourfold within the last six or seven years.
Mr. COWPER Lad no hesitation in saying he had not
made this opening in Kensington-gardens in consequence of
anyrepresentations that were made to him byany person what•
ever ; and he therefore took on himself the responsibility of
originating it. How it originated was thus :—He thought in
the management of the parks intrusted to him it was his
duty to follow the maxim of seeking the greatest happiness
of the greatest number—(hear)—and observing the great
number of persons who took enjoyment on week days in
Hyde-park, sitting in chairs, watching the horses in Rot-
ten-row, while others who were in carriages appeared also
to be exceedingly amused in the same way, it occurred to him
that the best mode of promoting their enjoyment and recrea-
tion he could take at either end of Rotten-row would be to
give similar facilities for conjunctions of ciders and walkers
in some of those very beautiful portions of that magnificent
area of Kensington-gardens, which were very little fre-
quented, and to a very small extent subserved the recrea-
tion and amusement of the public. Oa a careful examina-
tion of the gardens it appeared to him that if riders when
they reached the end of Rotten-row were enabled to pass
through one of those angles, which confessedly were
not much frequented, although near the great broad walk,
he should enable a larger number of persons to receive en-
joyment and recreation from the western end of Kensing-
ton-gardens than anywhere else. Then by carrying the ride
along the northern end of the Kensington-gardens in a
place which was not the least used, I e would enable persons
who lived on the northern side of Kensington-gardens and
Bayswater to have the very great advantage of a commu-
nication north and south. Lie fixed the hurdles in a tem-
porary manner, he made no new gates, he incurred no ex-
pense. What had been done was manifestly in its nature
temporary. This ride could only be open during the summer
months. As it now stands it would hardly be safe for horses
in winter. Well, when the time came for closing the ride at
the end of the season he thought he should be able to ascer-
tain what was really the preponderance of public opinion on
the subject—(hear, hear)—and that would be a guide as to
whether in future the person who occupied the office he now
filled should think it right again to give the public the ad-
vantage and enjoyment of that ride in summer. (Hear,
hear.) Now, as far as he had been able to observe, he
thought the preponderance, certainly of reason, was very
much in favour of the ride. (Hear, hear.) The argument
against it was that it interfered with the quiet and retire-
ment of persons who had hitherto frequented that portion
of the gardens. He could only say that if some few
solitary persons who desired to be alone were prevented
from pursuing their quiet meditations in that particular
avenue, on account of the admittance of horses, there was
ample space in the 300 acres of Kensington-gardens where
they could still find themselves perfectly alone, so
far as any horses could interfere with their quiet and
retirement ; but he thought it very doubtful whether the
passage of persons on horseback did so materially interfere
with the quiet of the gardens. He felt strongly that there
ought to be great objection and opposition to bringing
the traffic of the town through such a place as Kensington-
gardens. (Hear, hear.) He certainly should not desire to
see any portion of Kensington-gardens or Hyde Park, in
its present condition, used for business purposes. (Hear,
hear.) He thought the uses of the park were mainly for
the enjoyment and recreation of the public, and such should
be the primary object ; but the opposition that was mainly
made in regard to the privacy and quiet of the gardens pro-
ceeded from the inhabitants living in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of the western end of Kensington-gardens ; it was
from them he had what he thought a strange remonstrance.
They spoke of this ride as an invasion of their tights. They
were not content to regard it as a simple affair of public
convenience end enjoyment; there were persons who were
trying to swell the matter into a great social and political
question. But when he asked what rights had been in-
vaded, it was difficult to get any very precise answer.. The
residents in Notting-hill and Kensington assumed that they
had some privileged rights of excluding other persons from
the gardens ; and any desire to exclude all but pedestrians
practically excluded as frequenters of Kensington-gardens
all but those who lived in the neighbourhood. The exclu-
sion of all but pedestrians, excluded the general public. Now,
he asked by what right did they seek to exclude those who
took exercise on horseback ? The grounds were maintained
by grants from the public money. The inhabitants of Ken-
sington had no more right to them, either by payment or in
any other way, than any other portion of the public. The
soil was In the Queen, and the money spent in maintaining
them was public money. It was difficult, therefore, to make
out that by admitting the general public on horseback there
could be an invasion of anybody's rights. (Hear.) He was
told there had been three indignation meetings, at which it
was insisted that this was a great invasion of the liberty
of the subject. There were, as they all knew, in most
parishes politicians and orators, whose desire was to obtain
vestry honours, and they were always on the outlook for
some grievance against the bloated, pampered, heartless
aristocracy. (Hear, and a laugh.) Now, he did not know
that when a man was 7 ich enough to have a horse he nece-
sarily became a bit less regardful of the wants of the poor
(hear, bear)—and to endeavour to raise class against class
in connexion with this affair was manifestly preposterous.
All classes were interested in it alike. We read in ancient
history of an equestrian order being opposed to the plebian
(
order; but happily in England any person with 10s. in his
pocket and a little leisure might belong to the equestrian
order and enjoy this ride. (Hear, hear.) The opposition,
suck as it was, was between the riders and the walkers, but
he entirely denied that there was any real antagonism be-
t fveen them. He maintained that they mutually promoted
and assisted each other's amusement. Since riders had
been admitted to Kensington-gardens a large number of
persons had gone there to look at them. It was urged
that this was a matter of exclusion, but surely that exclu-
sion would be on the part of those who would refuse ad-
mission to the riders. (Hear, hear.) These gro.unds ought
to be open to the enjoyment of the public in the best and
most agreeable way ; and the burden of proof lay with those
who wished to exclude the riding public. Again, it was
was said the picturesque character of the gardens was in-
jured ; but he appealed to any judge of picturesque effect
1 whether, on the contrary, the presence of equestrians
did not add considerably to the beauty of the scene.
But the objection that was most pressed was the dan-
ger occasioned to children, nursery-maids, and ladies
on foot. He would be the last person to wish to gratify
the riders if there were any ground for this apprehen-
sion, but the danger seemed to be rather imaginary, inas-
much as the children and nurses who were to be exposed
to the risk of crossing this ride had at present to cross the
omnibus and carriage roads before they could enter the gar-
dens. Rotten-row was crossed by thousands of children
daily in passing from Belgravia to Hyde-park, and yet as far
as he knew not a single accident had occurred in Rotten .row.
If, however, the residents in the neighbourhood really be-
lieved in the existence of this danger, it might easily be ob-
viated by erecting some light bridge by which children might
cross the space devoted to riders. (Oh 1) He would rather
like to see such a bridge, because he knew that no child or
nurse would ever go over it, and it would stand as a monu-
ment o f the visionary character of these apprehensions. There
had been a memorial against this ride signed by 1,500 per-

sons, and he expected to receive a memorial, numerously
signed, in its favour. He knew from casual intercourse and
other means of information that large numbers of people who
went into the gardens on foot were very thankful to have a
dull portion of the grounds converted into an amusing scene,
and he had heard persons say they used to take the trouble
of going a mile and a half to see the riders, whereas they now
had been brought close to them. (A. laugh.) It could not be
denied that Englishmen and Englishwomen took pleasure

in seeing equestrians, even though they did not ride them-
selves, and when the hon. and learned gentleman disclaimed
any desire on the part of the legal profession to share in this
exercise, he, was only sorry that that profession should have
so degenerated. (A. laugh.) The judges and the bar also
used to ride on circuit as well as to Westminster-hall, and

Sir J. PAK INGTON, having visited the spot to ascertain he knew that when the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief
Justice, 'and other dignitaries of the bench in our day made
what grounds there were for complaint, was bound to say
that he believed there was no reasonable foundation for their appearance on horseback in Rotten-row, thoir eques.
objection—(hear)--and, in fact, he felt extremely obliged trianism did no discredit to the profession of which
to the right hon. gentleman. The noble lord asked whether they were distinguished ornaments, (Hear, and a
the ride had been made in consequence of any petitions for laugh.) He bad spoken of the lawyer and the medical
it. But however that might be, he was quite sure that man only
as types of that large body of hardworking
numerously-signed petitions could be soon obtained aga'nst mon whose health and general welfare were of the utmost
the removal of the ride. (Hear,) Looking dispassionately importance to the community, and who were obliged to
take their horse elercise either early in the morning or late
at the arrangements that had been made, he was bound to
say they were such as to leave not the slightest ground of at night in Hyde Park. He did not allude only to mem-
hers of that house, but to' the mercantile and professional
reasonable complaint. There was no obstruction, for every
classes of the metropolis generally ; and if they could .have
20 yards there were openings in the hurdles, through which
persons could pass, and to say that the number of horses the pleasure of seeing the beauty of Kensington-gardens,
that would be found there would cause any obstruction was without injury to apy other class, he thought it was his
pure nonsense. The hon. and learned gentleman tells us duty, if passible, to extend to them that advantage.
that in 1851 Kensington-gardens were opened temporarily THE PAPER DITTIES.
for equestrians, but the arrangement then was totally dif- Mr. PULLER said it might have escaped the attention of
ferent. The ride then was across the very centre of the hon, members that the notice which for some time past had
gardens—(hear) —and when he speaks of the large space been standing on the paper on this subject had yesterday
taken away from pedeatrian2, I beg to say, as the result of been altered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer so as to
my o! nervation, that no space at all has been taken from propose a diminution of the Customs' duty on paper after
them. The ride, such as it is, is very narrow ; it is round the 16th of August, instead of their total abolition. For
the external margin of the gardens,, and there still remains some years past the Customs' duty cn4a,per had been 2id per
a very large space entirely unencroached upon for those lb., the object of its imposition.bni
-:-,-Pg IP) CoMpensate the home
who frequbnt the §1109?Is cm: foot. cgep,r4 The hon, and manufacturer for the 170.T944 I'PY 'of 11d, per lb, au a th,
k • ••