The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-02 00:00:00

VINEGAR DUTIES.

The House went into Committee on the Vinegar
Duties, and
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved a
resolution pledging the House to the reduction proposed
by him in the Budget, when
Dr. BOWRING expressed his regret that the mea-
sure of the Hon. Gentleman would have the effect of
encouraging the manufacture in this country of the in-
ferior sorts of vinegar—the greatest trash possible. The
really good vinegar came from abroad, and it would
have been well to have given every facility to its intro-
troduction into this country when dealing with that
article.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, if
the Hon. Gentleman had been in the House when this
part of the budget had been stated, he would have learnt
that the duties on home vinegar fell under the Excise,
and those on foreign vinegar under the Customs, which
made all the difference, and justified the course he had
taken.

The resolution was agreed to ; the House resumed ;
the resolution was reported to the House ; and leave
was given to bring in a Bill founded upon it.
RAILWAYS—MARINE INSURANCES—AGREE-
MENTS.
The House having gone into Committee,
Mr. GOULBURN moved the resolution for the reduc-
tion of the duties on Marine Insurances, as proposed in
the Budget. He had to add that in the same resolution
he proposed to make a deduction of the duty on agree-
ments from 11. to Is. 6d.—(Hear, hear)—and also on the
duties on Proxies for voting for Railways, and other
Companies from 11. 10s. to 2s. 6d.—(Hear, hear.)
--After
some obervations from Mr. Hume, Dr. Bowring,

Mr. Warburton, Mr. Foster, the Chancellor of the Ex-

chequer, and Mr. Hawes,
Mr. HUME gave notice that he should expect the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to lay before them a table
of the maritime duties paid, and what were to be paid,
before they proceeded another stage, when he should
move that the highest duty should be 3s. on insurances.
The resolutions were then agreed to, and the House
resumed, when they were ordered to be reported to the
House to-morrow.
INSPECTORS OF PRISONS.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM hoped his Hon. Friend (Mr.
Mackinnon) would consent to postpone his motion with
respect to the inspectors of prisons, and the state of dis-
cipline in gaols ; otherwise, he would feel bound to
oppose the motion.
Mr. MACKINNON said, after the appeal made to
him by his Right Hon. Friend, he had no other course
than to postpone his motion, which he would do until
that day fortnight.
SAVINGS' BANKS.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose to
bring in a Bill to amend the laws relating to Savings'
Banks, and to the purchase of Government anuuities
through the medium of Savings' Banks. The Right
Hon. Gentleman said the necessity for amending the
law arose partly from the circumstance that the
high interest which was paid by these banks, in com-
parison with others, afforded a constant inducement
to persons who were not their specific objects to invest
money in them. How unwilling the House might be to
deal in any manner which might appear unkind or harsh
to those who invested money in savings banks, they
would see that the public were under no obligation to
pay them a highr rate of interest than they could obtain
in any other manner. He proposed by the present
Bill, to reduce the rate of interest in savings
banks from lid. to 2d. per day. Now various abuses
having been alleged to exist in savings banks he had felt
it his duty last year to institute inquiry with respect to a
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Latterly there had been an addition to the depo-
sitors of savings, consisting of a class of persons
for whose use those institutions were not intended.
He therefore proposed re h
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, in addition to reducing
the rate of interest, to introduce several othes
provisions in order to prevent the misapplication of
those institutions. The House was aware that at pre-
sent no person could invest more than 301. in
any one year in a savings' bank. In looking
over the accounts of savings' banks, he found
that only a very limited number of persons
availed themselves of that privilege. lie therefore pro-
posed to reduce the amount which persons would invest
in any one year in a savings' bank from 30/. to 201. By
the law as it now stood no one could have a greater
amount of money in any savings' bank than 1501. ; he
proposed to reduce that to 120/. A:person who possessed
1201. was in such a situation as to be able
to take advantage of other securities to invest his
capital. The law enacted at present, that when
2001. should stand in the name of any one person in a
savings bank, all interest should cease. He proposed
to euact, that whenever the capital and interest
together should amount to 150/,‘ all interest should
eease. Great abuses has existed in savings
banks, by persons investing moneys as trus-
tees of others. He proposed that upon the passing
of the Act no person should invest money as a
trustee for any other person without the signature of
all the parties interested, so that money coald only
be invested by parties as trustess without the
signature of all different persons supposed to be interested
There was another point to which he wished to call the
attention of the House. Persons ignorant of business
who had sums of money to invest did not take
office, and the officer to whom
it to the proper
it was brought did not account for it at the usual
time. Now he intended to amend the law in
this particular, and to provide that if any paid officer of
the institution which should receive money from a depo-
sitor, and should not bring it to account at the next
meeting of the , soc.ety
: he should be considered guilty
•
of a misdemeanour, and liable to be punished for fraud.
There were other minor provisions which he would not
then trouble the House with, and which would be seen
if the House gave him leave to introduce the Bill.
Mr. GISBORNE wished to know whether there was
any provision with regard to persons having money in
several savings'-banks ?
The CHANCELLQR of the EXCHEQUER replied
in the affirmative.
Mr. lIUME said he had for three years past
been calling the attention of the Heuse to his
subject, because he knew it was a fallacy to refer to
the money in the savings banks as a proof of the pros-
perous state of the country. The accumulation
of the money in those banks arose from the
high interest which was paid. He was of opinion that
all persons should be placed on the same footing, and
that persons having twenty shillings should be in the
same situation as those who had thousands of pounds.
Leave was then given to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer and Sir George Clerk to bring in the Bill.
PENSIONS.

Mr. HUME moved for returns of all officers to whom
pensions had been granted for loss of limb, or wounds
equivalent thereto, and whose pensions were subsequently
purchased by the GOVIIIMMEIIt, stating the name and
rank, and the amount of pension of each officer ; also the
dates when such pensions were purchased, and the amount
paid by Government for such pensions. Of the number
of non-commissioned officers and privates in the army
and artillery whose pensions were purchased, and the
number to whom the pensions were restored.—Agreed to.
CHURCH TEMPORALITIES (IRELAND) BILL.
The second reading of this Bill, which stood for to-
night, was postponed to this day week, after a few ob-
servations from Mr. SHAW and Mr. F. FRENCH.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought
in the Savings Banks Bill, which was read a first time,
and ordered to be read a second time this day week.
The licillso adjourned tit A Quarter past §b4 O'Colock,