The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-08 00:00:00

LABOURERS' COTTAGES BILL.'

Sir L. PALK, in moving the second reading of this bill,
drew attention to the crowded state of the cottages of the
humbler classes in the rural and agricultural districts of
this country, from which immorality, indecency, and even
fearful criminality arose, and remarked that while in towns
and cities efforts have been successfully made to remedy
these great evils, still the plague was permitted to run riot
without check in the districts to which this bill was intended
to apply. To show the necessity for such a measure, the
hon. baronet cited a recent prosecution of a labourer for a
criminal assault on his own daughter in his cottage, almost
under the shadow of the towers of Windsor Castle, and
to another case whore an hitherto virtuous young girl lead
become pregnant by her own brother ; all of these and simi-
lar cases owed their drigin to the present crowded condition
of the cottages of the labouring classes. The whole object
of the bill was to extend tl those rural and agricultural
districts the provisions of the act for the improving the
dwellings of the labouring classes in the metropolis, and
also of some of the provisions of the Sewers and Drainage
Acts. He did not mean to say that the bill was perfect or
that its details were not capable of improvement, but he
believed all their details could be improved when the bill
got into committee. (Hear.) He was ready and should
be happy to adopt any alterations that might be suggested,
but he called upon the house to take this step in order to
secure those sanitary regulations and provisions for moral
improvement which had been secured to the inhabitants of
large towns. He concluded by moving the second reading
of the bill.

Sir G. C. LEWIS admitted that the cottages of labourers
were quite open to improvement, but he believed there
existed among solvent landowners a desiro to improve
this class of dwellings, and to put them in as good a
condition as the means of the landlord enabled
him to do. Such was the case in the county in which he
himself resided, though in other counties it was probable
that good and wholesome accommodation was provided,
excepting the sleeping apartments. To the object of the
bill he was not opposed, but he feared the provisions by
which those objects were proposed to be carried out would
be found impracticable. For instance, the bill proposed to
enable any landlord to raise by mortgage a sum not ex-
ceeding £l4O for the erection of each cottage, under
the sanction of the Chairman of Quarter Sessions. This
would be an entirely new function to be imposed upon
the chairman of Quarter Sessions, and was objectionable,
and equally so was the proposal to fix upon the Home
Secretary the duty of deciding what should be considered
a proper cottage accommodation. To the principles of the
bill he was not opposed ; and, therefore, should vote for
the second reading, but to the machinery he must reserve
to himself the right to object on a future day.
Mr. R. DUTTON supported the bill as much called for
in the agricultural districts, and he trusted it would be
allowed to go into committee, where it would be so modi-
fied as to meet the evils which it was designed to cure.
Mr. B. COCIIItANE also supported the bill, and

0.- -- • ---3 n,.."
effected by the Government making the necessary advances
in the same way as undor the Drainage of Lands Act, as by
this the objection raised by the right hon. baronet the
Home Secretary would be got rid of. After the speech of
the noble lord at the heal of the Government recently at
Romsey, he thought the subject might well be left in the
hands of the present Administration.
Sir W. JOLLIF FE remarked that recently great im •
provements had been made in various districts by landlords,
who found it to be greatly to their own advantage to amend
the habitations of their cottager tenants. While he gave
every credit to the originators of the bill, he thought the
evils now existing arose from the operation of the present
law of settlement which prevented the erection of proper
residences for the poorer classes in agricultural parishes,
lest the demand on:the parochial funds should be increased.
He feared that the bill would not be productive of the re-
sults which the hon. baronet (Sir L. Palk) anticipated, and
looking at the impracticabilityof the details of the measure,
he therefore must hesitate before he gave it his support.
Sir BALDWIN LEIGHTON defended the county he
represented from the imputation th at thelandlords refused to
improve the cottages of their tenants, lest the parochial
rates might be increased. He concurred in the opinion
which had been expressed as to objectionable and impeach-
' able details by which the object of the measure was sought
to be achieved. He held it to be impossible for non-resi-
dent landlords to prevent the overcrowding of the cottages
of labourers, for though a resident landlord himself he
found a great difficulty of effecting that great desideratum.
Mr. COLLINS admitted the desirability of such a mea-
sure as the present, but suggested that it should be sent to
a select committee.

Sir J. TROLLOPE objected to the reference of the bill

:0 a select committee which wonld destroy its prospect of

further proceeding during the present session. He sug-
gested the substitution of the Enclosure Commissioners for
the Chairman of Quarter Sessions, as the proper authority
to carry idle provisions of the bill into effect. The bill
could be amended in committee, and with that view he
should support the motion for the second reading of the
bill.
After a few words from Sir U. C. LEWIS in explana-
tion,
Mr. SLANEY gave his hearty concurrence to the prin-
ciple of the bill, and expressed a hope that the hon.
baronet, who had in►roduced it would not be discouraged
by the technical objections which had been raised to it.
The bill would be equally advZatageous to the landlords
and their humble tenants.

Mr. HENLEY scrutinised the details of the bill, which
he believed would be practically inoperative, and remarked
that the improvement of rural cottages should be rather
left to the good feeling of the landed proprietary, and con-
tended that of late years a vast march in that direction had
been made. He strenuously opposed the proposition to fix
these new duties upon chairmen of quarter sessions; and
concluded by recommending his hon. friend (Sir L. Palk)
to undertake, after the second reading, to reconstruct the
bill, in order that its provisions could be remodelled and
rendered less objectionable than it was in its present form.
Mr. WHALLEY supported the bill, and joined in the
recommendation to substitute the Enclosure Commissioners
for the Chairman of Quarter Sessions.

Mr. BARROW concurred in the views expressed by the
right hon. gentleman below him (Mr. Henley), and
strongly objected to the reference of the bill to a select com-
mittee, because he considered that its provisions should be
publicly discussed for the full information of the public.
Lord HENLEY remarked that there was one objection
to the measure which ought to be got rid of before the
house consented to give the bill a second teading.
The point was the amount of interest which
was to be paid for advances made for the
purpose of carrying out the act. He could state from his
experience cf raising money for county improvements in his
own district, that there was great difficulty in raising
money to be repaid in instalments at five per cent., and
yet the bill limited the rate of interest to 4 per cent. There
were other points of objection which he entertained
measure, but as the heuse seemed disposed to
concede
second reading of the bill, he would abstain prsent
from entering upon them.
bill, and hoped
Mr. S. ESTCOURT supported the t o the
measure,
in
jectionable.
Committee the bill would be so remodelled as to be MIA-
The bill was then read a second tuna, and was ordered
to be committed pro forma on Monday next,
(LEFT SITTING)
WILLIAM GRENFELL,
M.P. von WlN"rr.Windso regret to learn that Mr.
DEATH OF
Grenfell, late M.P.
after a short illness.
Windsor, expired on Saturday at
1114VeleEci:
NOTTINGHAM. The ad-
journed Maidenhead, inquest on the body of Joseph Smith, who was so
TaTplitowz-court,
brutally murdered by his own son at Ilkeston on Wednes-
day, May 1, was resumed at the Queen's Head publichouse,
Bath-street, Ilkeston, before Mr. Coroner Whiston, on Mon-
day. The evidence was entirely conclusive, and the jurors
returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against the pri-
soner George Smith for the murder of his father, Joseph
Smith,

On the re-assembling of the commissioners yes-
terday, Mr. Bird, C.E., of Robert-street, Adelphi,
described his plan for an embankment, *a roadway
and railways on the Middlesex side of the river be-
tween London-bridge and Westminster. The em-
bankment would run from Queenhithe-stairs and
thence along the north bank, terminating in or near
Westminster. There would be a public carriage
road and footways on it from Chatham-place,
Blackfriars, to Whitehall, and railways, one com-
mencing at Queenhithe and terminating opposite
Manchester-buildings, and another to unite with
the Victoria and Pimlico Railway, together with a
pond or reservoir with ingress and egress for the
tidal waters adjoining the Thames at Fulham, with
sewers, sluices, culverts and spoil banks. There
was a bill now before Parliament for effecting this
object at en estimated cost of £750,000, with power
to increase. There would be three lines of railway,
two for passengers and one for goods, which would
have the effect of materially relieving the erowdod,
thoroughfares of the metropolis from the heavy
traffic that now blockaded them.
Mr. T. L. Evans submitted a high and a low level
roadway ; the high level road to be carried on Doric
columns 30 feet apart, and the low level to carry
the sewer; also a granite or iron tramway on both
sides of the road, with footpaths, with 33 acres of
docks and jetties, at an estimated cost for the north
side of £553,000, and a total, including the south,
of £851,000.
Captain Plumer explained his plan for a low level
sewer sunk between the present shore walls and
low water mark, with a short stone face wall of five
feet high over. By means of this arrangement the
tide would flow over the embankment, and barges
and boats be admitted to the wharfs as usual. The
plan also contemplates the construction of a road-
way or viaduct over this, and the running of a low
level sewer underneath.

Mr. B. Bush proposed that a railway, tt sludge..
way, and filter for the sewage should be placed side
by side, and a road above the sewer, under the
sludgeway, with a view to remove the sewage
manure by railway.
Mr. Ernest Gohns, a native of Hanover, was
being examined on the plan he proposes when the
commissioners rose

MIS'S GLADSTONE'S LAST TEA PARTY.

This lady having lately received an importation
of a very high-flavoured and most expensive tea
from China, invited a large party of her friends to
partake of it on Thursday evening last, at her resi-
dence, St. Stephen's, -Westminster; but in conse-
quence of a most unfortunate occurrence only
seventeen of her immediate and personal friends
were permitted to taste of this luxurious delicacy.
A middle-aged and very officious lady, a 'Miss
Gibson,who is also short-sighted, offered her services
as tea maker, and in her haste to supply the wants
of the assembled guests, totally unmindful of the
cheap and flimsy paper in which the tea was
wrapped, tore off the envelope, and so scattered its
contents upon the floor of the house, which was
extremely dirty from the continual tread of those
who had been employed in repairs during the last
fortnight, that but little remained for the party
present. They were, however, liberally supplied
with " sugar," " sugar-cane juice," " molasses,"
" almonds, paste of," " cherries, dried," " comfits,
" confectionery," " ginger, preserved," " mar-
malade," " plums preserved in sugar," and " sue-
cades." The above luxuries were washed down by
draughts of a most delicious claret, at 12s. per
dozen, with which the lady's cellar is amply stocked
and we are credibly informed that no less than 299
bottles were disposed of in the course of the evening.
Miss Bright was the acknowledged belle of the
night, and entertained the company with a variety
of comic songs. Her " Star of the Evening" was
vociferously [encored.--111orning:Herald.