The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-03 00:00:00

INTERMENTS BILL.

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from 690 of the
inhabitants of blington against the Interments Bill.
Mr. C. PEARSON presente I a :petition: trom Lam-
beth, praying that that Bill might not pass without
alteration.
Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from the parish of
St. Bride's, London, against the Bill.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented similar petitions
against the Bill from Poplar, the vestry of St. Luke's,
and other places in the metropolis.
Mr. LACY presented a petition from Mr. George
Lewis Ansell, clerk to the London Cemetery Company,
against the Bill.
Mr. WILD presented a petition from Mile-end to the
same effect.
On the motion that the House go into Committee on
this Bill,
Mr. LACY moved that the Bill be referred to a Select
Committee. He felt that as a Member from a distant
constituency, he required some excuse for interfering
in the vestion.—(Hear.) But the Bill involved snob
greet injustice—such a waste of money, and he felt so
strongly on the subject that he could not refrain from
making this motion. There were so many amendments
to be proposed, he did not think it was possible that
the Bill could get through committee, and he thought
the best course would be to refer it to a select com-
mittee.

Lord DUDLEY STUART seconded the motion.
The Bill affected the interests and pockets of a large
class of the inhabit ints of the metropolis ; and he could
not deny that a Bill on this subject was greatly wanted,
but not such a Bill as this which was contrary to the
principles:of political economy and constitutional freedom.
Was it necessary that a Bill of this description should
tax the people of the metropolis without their consent, for
that was really the object of the Bill. The distinguishing
feature of it was to empower the board to put its hand
into the pockets of the people, and to employ
the money so raised in what way they thought
proper. The most unusual powers were entrusted to
the board.paid Tohffiecyials,weirnecludtoing,apbpeosiindtes
taw
mwhemole.
army of
bers
of the board, clerks, assistant-clerks,
wardens, sextons, and grave-diggers, who might
amount to hundreds and perhaps to thousands. They
had the power also of stating what graveyards and ce-
meteries should be closed up, and what new ones should
be opened ; and also in what way the funerals should
be c,nducted. But
.the power to which he most
whichs thaptaidforburials. The House ought
to look at the measure, he thought, with the
allowed them to fix what
fees should objected w
a be
greatest jealousy, and he would suggest that the best
refer it to a Select Committee.
mode of proceeding was to
Why, he would ask, was the principle of the Bill not to be
? They would be
'carried out by parochial authorities
much better able to do so than a Government
board, judging from the reckless mismanagement
F
which had characterized the office of Woods arid
Forests in regard to Crown Lends—(hear, hear).
government boards were quite as apt to be extravagant
—quite as apt to be actuated by favour—as a parochial
board, and he for one could not consent to this viola-
tion of the principles of the constitution. Again
the Bill interfered with the course of trade. It proposed to
establish the rates at which funerals should be furnished,
which was a direct violation of the principles of political
economy. Before those principles should be departed from
an overwhelming cc -fishy must be shown for the step.
He did not think that necessity existed in this case, but if
it did the onue pr, bandi rested with the Govern-
ment. In the absence of that proof no mea-
sure of this sort ought to be adopted. . The
trade ought to be left to the ordinary , opera-
onlyell
tradesman
so
adtehsemyanl
Rho might,
madeut
tions of supply and demand. But it was said
h b
undertakers had been extravagant in their charges.
wasextthraeNatrandst rgrtackbeaerthse?
Had they not had exti avagant tailors, extravagant
butchers, and extravagant grocers? and if it was right
to interfere with the trade of the undertaker
why not apply the same interference to those other