The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-14 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 13.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly after Two o'clock,
this being Ash-Wednesday.
TURNPIKE TRUSTS BILL.
Oa the motion of Mr. C. LEWLS, it was resolved
that no Bill for continuing or amending any Turnpike
Act should be readlV aATE second
BUSINESS.time before Easter.
PR

The following Bills were read a second time, and
ordered to be commibted:—
Bristol Waterworks Act Amendment.
Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway.
Embankment and Reclamation (Ireland).
Great Northern Railway Deviations, Amendment of
Acts, Alteration of Tolls, and of East Lincolnshire
Railway Tolls.
Kew and Petersham Vicarage.
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway.
South-Eastern Railway (power to discontinue pay-
ment of interest on calla paid on No. 3 and No. 4
shares, &c.)
South Eastern Railway (Amendment of Acts, power to
raise addivional cspit,al).
Suffolk and General Country Amicable Insurance Office.
Stourbridge Union Rates.
Tewkesbury Severn Bridge and Roads.
Wolverhampton Waterworks Act (Amendment and
Extension of Works).
AG RIC U L URAL PROTECTION.
Mr. MATHESON presented a petition from the
Farmers' Society of Western Ross, in favour of agricul-
feral proteetion.
COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS.
Mr. PLUMPTRE presented a petition from the
Faversham board of guardians, praying fur the estab-
lishment of county financial boards.
TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.

Mr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the
members of the Whittington Club, praying for a repeal
of the taxes on knowledge.
COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS.
Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition from a large
parish in Rochdale, praying for the establishment of
county financial boards.
SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST-OFFICE.
Mr. STAFFORD presented a petition from a place
in Northamptonshire praying for the cessation of Sun-
day labour in the Post-office.
Mr. HUME presented a similar petition from the
inhabitants of Brecon; also petitions from Weirdale and
Muerdale, in Lancashire, praying for the establishment
cf county financial boards.
Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE presented a petition
from Drogheda praying for the discontinuance of Sunday
labour in the Post-office.
Sir DAVID DUNDAS presented a similar petition
from Sutherlandshire.
COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS.

Mr. HENRY presented s petition from Barton-on-
Irsvell and other places, praying for the establishment of
county financial boards.
Mr. COBDEN presented similar petitions from places
in the counties of York and Lancaster.
GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND.

Mr. HUME gave notice that on an early day he would
move an address to her Majesty that she would order
her present Government of Ireland by a Lord-Lieutenant
to be dispensed with, and a better one to be adopted.
SMALL COTTAGES.

The HON. MEN;E& also gave notice that be would, on
an early day, move for a drawback of the duty on bricks
and timber used in building cottages; under the rated
♦alue of 4/.—(Cheers.)
MR. ROEBUCK AND THE " MORNING
CHRONICLE."

Mr. ROEBUCK said he claimed the indulgence of the
House while he referred to a matter somewhat personal
to himself. If he could possibly avoid it, he did not like
in that Besse ever to advert to subjects of a personal
nature; but there were cases in which he was compelled
to depart from such a rule. • In consequence of certain
elteervations he thought it his duty to make in the House
a few evenings ago, he found in a paper called the
Ranting Chronicle of to-day some severe reflections
upon hon. The paper in question said, " Now let us
test Mr. Roebuck with himself, and by the measure
which he metes out to others. We believe that he lost
a dear relative in the ranks of the Canadians sympa-
thisers; and we believe he left no stone unturned to
avenge his death." Aid then there was a suggestion
thrown out that his (Mr. Roebuck's) brother bad
been hanged. All that he. (Mr. Roebuck) could say
was, that all his relatives in Canada held
very different opinions from himselt with respect to Cana-
dian affairs, and that he lost no relative during any por-
tion of those riots; contequently he could not have acted
with any desire to avenge his death, because no such
death had taken place.—(Cheers.) He trusted the
Ilonse would excuse his calling their attention to a
mattenso purely personal to himself; but he had thought
it his duty to do so out of respect to the memory of one
who was dear to him.
HIGHWAYS (DISTRICT SURVEYORS) BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this Bill,
Mr. FBEWEN did not think the provisions of the
Bill mould carry out the principles it laid down.
Sir W. JOLLIFFE hoped that as Government had
given notice of its intention to bring in a general Bill
with regerd to highways, the Hon. etember Iv Sussex
would not press his motion for the second reading of
this Bill.
Mr. CORNEWALL LEWIS asked the Hon. Mem-
ber for Sussex either to postpone the second reading cf
this Bill, or at least, if he pressed it, that all discussion
should be suspended until it was in Committee.
Sir G. STRICKLAND opposed the Bill altogether.
He thought it would act very unjuriously in many parts
of the country. ,He should move that this Bill be read
a second time this day six months.
Mr. GREENE hoped that the Hon. Member fur Sussex
would not press the second reading at present.
Mr. AGLIONBY supported the Bill, and would vote
for the second reading.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY,
Mr. 'REWEN said the question had been before the
House for four years, and thinking it desirable that
something should be done, he had introduced the Bill,
but if it were the wish of the House, he would postpone
the seseoncl reading.—(Hear, hear.)
After a few wors from Mr. Hume and Sir G. GREY,
the amendment was withdrawn, and the second reading
of the Bill was postponed.
IRISH FISHERIES BILL.
On the suggestion of Sir G. GREY,
Mr. ANSTEY agreed to postpone the second reading
of this Bill until this day three weeks.
COUNTY RATES AND EXPENDITURE BILL.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said he would only
make a few observations in moving the second
reading of this Bill, because it involved a subject
with which the House was tolerably well acquainted, in-
asmuch as the Bill was similar to the measure which
was brought before the House last session, both in prin-
ciple and in all its leading details. Therefore he was
taking.up a measure which they were unable to complete
last session, rather than introducing an entirely new Bill.
He had undertaken the charge of the measure at the
request of his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose,
-sho had care of the measure of last session, and who in
net originated the proposal of introducing a system of
county councils to control couuty expenditure, analogous
to the system introduced to enable town councils to con-
trol the expenditure of boroughs. It would, perhaps, be
right to clear the ground from a few misapprehensions
which had entered the minds of several Members on
the nature of this Bill. The Hon. Member for Oxford.
shire (Mr. Healey) had an ides that it would supersede
her Majesty's justices of the peace. That, however,
was not at all correct. The Bill wee simply to give the
ratepayers of counties a concurrent control with the
justices over thecounty expenditure, and nothing was more
remote from his mind than to suppose that, in support-
ing the Bill, he was in any way disparaging the justices,
or superseding them in their judicial duties. He merely
asked that representative control should be given to the
ratepayers in conjunction with the justices, and
there were precede-ate for adopting such a
course. Poor-law boards were constituted by elected
guardians and justices; of the peace, and they works d
harmoniously together to control the local expenditure as
far as the poor-rate was concerned. It would be recol.
jeciNtii that a Commission was appointed in 1838 to in-
quire into the whole question of county rates, and they
expressed an opinion that they could see no objection to
the constitution of such boards. He would read a short
passage from their report, which probably would be fresh
In the recollection of the House. They stated that " the
principle of the county-rate seers* to be open to seri-us
objections, on the ground that the charge is imposed by
persons not chosen by the ratepayers. No
other tax of such magnitude is laid on the
subject except by his representatives. It is impossible
not •to admit that persons who contribute to the
county rate have little control over the expenditure. '
The administration of that fund is exercised by an irre-
sponsible power, and is intrusted to a fluctuating body."
The Commissioners then went on to hint, the adoption
of a plan similar to the one now under the
consideration of the House. They proposed by
this Bill that the board should consist of
ratepayers elected by different boards of guardians
and justices of the peace to be elected by members of
their own body. These boards were to have referred to
them all the financial affairs of the county; but it was
not proposed to interfere in any way with the judicial
powers of the justices. The necessity of such a measure
must be obvious to every Member of the House. In the
county of Lancaster the county-rate in one year sprang
from 125,0001. to 175,0001., and this increase was im-
posed by the justices upon persons who had no voice what-
ever in deciding whether it was judicious, or was founded
oa a due regard to economical or other considerations.
He would mention en instance to show that some more
efficient management was wanted in county expenditure
—that of the comity of York, where 200,0001. had been
spent in the erection of a gaol for the accommodation of
160 prisoners. Now he thought there was prima facie
evidence in this to show that those who had contributed
this sum ought to have had some voice in the disposal of
it. He was the last man in that House to wish to find
fault with the erection of gaols and lunatic asylums, lum., but
would not those persons- whom he wished to -
into these county board, bo • admit
of thesecimtthingsa,l and as
alive to the I, eceisity
well able to judge of the best mode of
erecting them as eounly magistrates were ? The
county of Lancaster had particular reason to complain.
The rates in that county had increased in a much
greater ratio than either crime or population had in-
creased. In 1834 the county
. rate was about sd.
in the pound, now it was In moving the
second reading of this Bill, he did not
wish to pledge the House to any other senti-
-,,, went than that taxation and representation should go
".:lelidliaitted. Ho would not presume to ask the House
• elf to any other principle, and if he should
./..e`ees _VrrtaZend reading it would be on the understand-
*Greevs l 4eat tbst it shyuld ha referred to a Select Committee,
- w. ere all its details would be taken into oonoiderativn.
- ;