The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-04 00:00:00

SUPPLY.-COMMITTEE.

The house then went into committee of supply. The
first vote was
46,8711., for solicitor, treasury, and law charges, in-
cluding Mint presecutione.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS wilted for some explanation in
reference to the Briti-h Bank prosecution.
Mr. HAMILTON said that the expense of 10,060/.
had been taken hypothetically, the bills of cost not hav-
ing been sent in.
The vote was then agreed to.
150,0001. for prosecutions at assizes and quarter ses-
sions.
Mr. WILSON said this was a reduction of 100,0001.
on the vote for last year, and he was glad that so large
an economy had been effected. He wished to know whe-
ther the sum now asked for was to cover the whole ex•
penditure of the year !
Mr. HAMILTON said that in all probability it would
not cover the year's expenses.
Sir G. C. LEWIS hoped that the practice of taking
votes by guess would not be persisted in.
Mr. WILSON said that it had been the practice of
the late Government, and all former Governments, to
estimate the amount required under each bead for the
year, and take a vote for that sum. The present Govern-
ment had professed to save 400,0001. on the civil con-
tingencies, but he knew they would not be able to do
anything of the kind. They were asking for lio,ooo/.
under this head, whereas the expenditure would be
200,000/. at least.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished for more precise in-
formation as to the balance in hand and the estimate for
the year.
After a few words from Mr. WILLIAUS,
Mr. HAMILTON said that the balance in the exche-
quer which was more than 50,0001., mould suffice, with
the 160,0001. now asked for, to cover the expenditure of
the year.
Mr. WILSON insisted tbat,on this system of carrying
over a balance from one year to another, no comparison
c ,uld be made between years. This could not occur
with regard to the army and navy, for the surplus of one
year could not by law be applied to another.
The CHANCELLOR of the lEICHEqUER said
that measures were in course of preparation, founded ou
the report of the committee on public monies, which
would render it impossible for the estimates in future to
be prepared in this manner, which he agreed was objec-
tionable. The estimates for the civil service would then
be placed on the same footing as those for the army and
navy.
After an uninteresting conversation,
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that the statement in the first
page of the estimate, showing a decrease on the vote
co i.pared with last year, was inaccurate. He would
suggest that when the report was brought up, a state-
ment of the actual balance in hand under each head
should he laid before the house.
Mr. HAMILTON promised that something of the
kind should he done.
Mr. PULLER referred to the fact that the expenses
of apprehension of prisoners were now disallowed, and
felt on the prosecutors- This was a very mischievous
state of things, and be hoped that a remedy would be
applied.
Mr. WALPOLE said that the matter, with others,
was under the consideration of a commission now sitting,
which would probably report in the course of the winter.
Till then they had better suspend their judgment.
Mr. WILSON expressed his readiness to do so.
After a few words from Sir J. P
- AKINGTON and Sir G.
Grey on an incidental matter,
Mr. HAMILTON said that the object of the Treasury
was to confine the allowance as nearly as possible to the
costs of the prosecution.
The vote was then agreed to.
214,200/. police, counties aed boroughs (Great Britain), •
Mr. BAXrER asked if any estimate had been formed
of the ultimate expense which thi, system would entail
on the ceentryl He feared that it would be very serious.
Sir G. GREY said the cause of the increase was that
the vote fir the present year was for the whole year,
whereas last year it was for a portion of the year only.
This was not a gradually increasing vote, because when
the police of any county or borough had reached a cer-
tain point of efficiency there would be no further increase.
The vote was then agreed to,
1
votes were agreed to:—
21.01302i.floiri°twh'l4 e Chancery Crown-office expenses.
,el,s'cv.,. 'for the Queen s Bench Crown-office.
"a the v;ote of 14 419/. for the Queen's Bench, Coin-
won Pleas, tx,.a
,-Txchequer deficiency fee fund,
Mr. GRIFFtl'a complained that sheriffs had been
fined fur not sendie,g proper equipages to convey the
judges. In the pr''sueit state of railway traveling it
was quite abased to require sheriff to meet the judge,
at the railway station +a;th a carriage and four. 110
thought the country shouts{ pay for such equipages if
they were o ,nsidt red necesely.
Mr. WALPOLE observe that the office of sherlff
was an honorary office.
The vote vas then agreed to, ^s was the followirg :-
5,940/. for the Registrar of the .os„,thraity.
On the vote of 6,8261, for the .1-
neolveut Debtors'
Court,
Mr. WALPOLE said, in reply to M-r. Williams, that
he thought it would injure the efficiency_
of the county
courts to amalgamate them with the
y °Mitts.
With regard to the amalgamation of the in. e,veney and
► ankruptcy courts that was a different thine,, and he
night say the subject was under the consideration f the
government.

Mr. WILSON said that in the country the busin...,„ cf
the insolvency courts had been transferred to the t I,,ty