The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-13 00:00:00

1.11 PEP JAL PAR LIAMEN T.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAXER teck the Chair shortly after Tvielve

o'clock.

COMMISSIONERS OF RAILWAYS.
On the motion of Mr. W. FATTEN it was orderea
,hat the Commissioners of Iltlilwui s be directed to re-

port their opinion to this flousc,in- accordar.ci,4 with thz•

provisions t.f. the Act 9 and 10 Vie. e. 105, on any Rail-
vvay Bills which have been introduced during the present
session, in which it is proposed to raise or alter the rates
and tolls Or charges authorised to be taken under existing
Acts of Parliament relating to canal undertakings b?-
longing to railway companies, or to impose any addi
tional rates or charges in respect of such canal under-
takings.
ATHY, CASTLECOMER, AND KILKENNY
ROAD BILL.

Mr. VESEY moved the second reading of this Bill.
Lord NAAS moved that the Bill be lead a
second time that day six months, on the
ground that it was inexpedient and uncalled far,
that it passed chiefly through an a;,ricultural district,
and that the greater portion of the agriculturists were
. .

opposed to it, on the ground that it would irflict a heavy
and vexations toll upon them; added to which, it would
divert the traffic of the county from its regular channele,
Mr. SULLIVAN seconded the amendmont.
Mr. F. FRENCH supported tho second reading of the
Bill.

Mr. VESEY spoke a few words in favour cf the Bill.
Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE supported the se-
cond reading, in order that the parties who had charge
of the Bill should have an opportunity if proving its
details in Committee.

Mr. GRACE opposed the Bill from no motives of a
private nature, but because he believed its provisions
would press too heavily on the inhabitants of the district
through which the road passed.
Mr. W. PATTEN observed, that if this Bill were not
referred to a Committee, great injury would be inflicted
on patties who had lent their money on this read, and he
should certainly vote for the second reading.
After a few words of explanation from Mr. SUL-
LIVAN,

Tho lions() then divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading ... 68
Against it ... ... 37
Majority ... —3l
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed.
COUNTY RATES EXPENDITURE.
Petitions in favour Lf this measure were presented by
Mr. Stanford, Mr. Spooner, Mr. W. Patten, Sir

John Pakington, Mr. Ifeysvood, Mr. Cobden, and Mr.
Cowan.

Petitions were presented against the Bill by Sir
HENRY WILLOUGHBY.
Numerous petitions were also presented against the
employment of Sunday labour in the Post-office.
MARRIAGE WITH DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.
Mr. HARRIS presented a petition, praying the
House to legalise the marriage with a deceased wife's
sisti r.

Similar petitions were prescntul by Mr. Cockburn,
Mr. Denison, and Mr. Cowan.
Mr. CAREW presented a petition signed by 500 Cor-
nish womEn against the Bill.
Mr. COWAN presented petitions from various places
in Scotland in favour of the Arbitration Bill, orie from
Edinburgh, praying £,r the repeal of the game-laws,
and also for the repeal of the duty on paper.
CERTIFICATES TO ATTORNEYS.

Several Members piiiieLted petitions for the abolition
of attorney's certificates.
SUNDAY LABCUR.

Mr. HENLEY presented several petitions praying
for the prevention of Sunday labour,
DUTY ON PAPER.

Oa the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON, S refitarn of
the amount of duty paid upon paper in the several Ex-
cise Collections in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ire-
land, for the last ten years, stating also the totals for
etch year, was ordered.
Mr. REYNOLI)S presented petitions from the mas •
ters and manufacturers of six paper-mills in the county
of Dublin, praying f(x a repeal of the duty on paper.
NEWSPAPER STAMPS.

On the mat'on of Mr. BROTHERTON, returns o
the aggregate number of stamps issued for newspapers
in the year 1849, in Eng!steed and Wales, Scotland and
Ireland, respectively,,distinguishing the number at one
penny and at one halfpenny, were ordered. The returns
were to show also the number of London newspapers,
the number of a Ivertisements in them, the rata Sad
amount of advertisement duty paid by them, in 1849.
A similar return was also ordered as regards the Eng-
lish provincial, the Scotch, end the Irish newspapers.
COUNTY COURTS.
In reply to a question from Mr. DRUMMOND,
Sir G. GREY said that the reason why the salaries t f
the clerks of the County Courts were not made unit 'rm,
a as because the duties of several clerks were very diff, -
rent, some having simply to attend to a single district,
while others bad to manage the business of large districts.
COUNTY RATES AND EXPENDITURE BILL.
On the motion being read for the resumption of the
adjourned debate
Sir G. B. PECHELL begged to presert a petition
from Brighton, against the heavy rates which had been
imposed upon them, and praying for the enactment of
the Bill.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON also presented petitions from
soma agricultural districts in Buckinghamshire, preying
that the Bill might pass.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON then said that in resum-
ing the debate he was anxious to state that he had very
serious objections to this Bill as it now stood before the
House, and that so important a measure ought not to
pass without some previous full inquiry.—(llear, hear.)
It was evident that this Bill had not originated in any
theoretical love for government, but from a squabble in
the county of Lancaster.—(llear, hear.) When the
Right Hon,. Member for Manchester had formerly
brought forward this Bill he had adduced the returns of
the Rochdale board of guardians in support of his
theory—a fact which sufficiently indicated whence the
Bill had its origin.—(Hear, hear.) Another fact wee,
that while in 1824 the county rates for Lancashire
were 80,0001, in 1848 they had risen to 110,000/.
The increase of expenditure in the county of Lan-
caster, between 1815 and 1849 had only been 2,6001.,
and in this was included the cost of maintaining a con-
stabulary force amounting to 31,0004 There could not
to a better proof than this that the ma-
gistrates had properly discharged their duties,
and had conducted the financial affairs of the
county with due economy and circumspection, especially
when it was considered that during those twenty-five
years there bad been a great increase in the population,
as well as in the value of rateable property.—(llear,
Lear.) It was to be recollected, also, that a large
amount of expenditure was thrown upon counties by
Acts of Parliament, and if they spent a great deal of
money in carrying out improved systems of prison
discipline, in compliance with those Acts, was it not
unfair to accuse the magistrates with being extrava-
gant?—(Hear.) He was of opinion that, under the ex-
isting state of things, due economy was exercised by the
magistrates; but if any grievance did exist, he thought
the present Bill would not afford any effectual remedy.
There could be no doubt that the Bill was drawn for
Lancashire alone, and was only fitted for that county.
They bad four cases in which three Worcestershire pa-
rishes belonged to other counties, two in which three
unions belonged to other counties, and one case in
which one union was so constituted. How could the
Bill be carried out in these cases? He knew of four ma-
gistrates in the county of Worcester who ought by no
means to be off any county board, and yet by this Bi!1
but one only of them could be Elected, In
Worcestershire they had 192 magistrates, and here he
must protest against the fallacy which bad lurked is
this movement at every stop, the distinction hetes-Ai
magistrates and ratepayers. He contended that the
magistrates were the greatest ratepayers in the country.
The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite had been obliged
to admit that the rates were in fine paid by the owners
and not occupiers of the land. Would it be fair then to
exclude so large a body of ratepayers from these
boards? Ha contended that the present system
worked well, that the strictest economy was
exercised in every cou:ay to as great an extent as it
possibly could be. He doubted that any great efficient
alteration could be introduced into the superintendence
of county expenditure, and ho objected to the second
reading of this Bill, but he was perfectly willing to go
into Committee up stairs. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by moving that a Committee be appointol to ex-
amine into the method of county rates.
Mr. WILSON I'ATTEN commenced by denying
that this question was a Lancashire question, it was
an English question. He regretted that he should not be
able to vote with his Hon. Friend the Member for Wor-
cestershire, as he had hoped to do, for there were many
things in the Bill of which he disapproved. But lie must
remind the Hours that it was already committed to the
principle of the Bill, recognising the principle that rate-
payers should have acme control over the expenditure
of the rates, and that was the solo reason why he should
vote fur the Bill, reserving to himself the right c f
expressing his disapproval of many parts of the Bill.
He thought that there would be great difficulties thrown
by this Bill in the way of raising funds for a proper
county expenditure, which could be got over only by
establishing a sinkng fund, which would be a greater
abuse than any at present existing. Some parts of this
Bill also infringed upon the judicial functions c f the ma-
gistrates. Ile had a complaint to make against his Right
lion. Friend for Manchester, whom ho had met at a
meeting in Lancashire, where he (Mr. W. Patten) was
given to uhderstand that the course about to be pursued
was very different to what ho now found. It was
on this understanding that he and ethers had pledged
themselves to support the Pight Hon. Gentleman. He
should, however, vote for the Bill because he heartily
concurred in its principles.
Mr. HUME was anxious to disabuse the Hon. Gen-
tleman alio hart sat down that the Bill was at all different
to the one he brought in last yeer, or that the object
of the meeting alluded to by him was at all changed.
He probably was not aware that full inquiry had been
made into this subject, and that reports were on the
ta!)io of the House, and that he (Mr. Hume) had in
1837 introduced a similar Bill.
(LEFT SITTING.)

A deputation on the subject of the County Courts
had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday, at
the Home-of lice. The deputation consisted of Messrs.
Cardwell, M.P., Blair, M.P., Pilkington, M.P.,
Brown, M.P., Thicknesse, MX., Williams, M.P.,
Duncuft, M P., Iloraby, M.P., and Sir Thomas
Birch, M.P., Sir J. Walmsley, M.P., Colonel Lind-
sey, ma),; the Mayor of Bolton, and the Town Clerk
of Bolton.