Star.
London, England, 1815-05-09 00:00:00

before the Committee, and observed, that plan No. I.'
whiCh estimated the expense at i 244,304. and *bleb
proposed a convenienecommunication with the groat
north road,,seemed to the Committee to be most pre.l
ferable. It bad been said out of doors, that the et-1
pence of erecting a new Post Office would not amount
to loss than 70 or £BO,OOO. Had this been a true'
estimate, favourable as he was to the measure of
erectitig a new Office, he would not have recotnnien-
dtd it in the present situation of the country. The
Hon. Member proceeded to state, that a considerable
portion of the necessary sum was to he defrayed by
the City out of the Orphans' Fund, and defended
that measure.
Mr. GORDON opposed the second reading, on
the grounds that no necessity had been shewn for the'
erection of a new Office, especially as the business
had heretofore been very well done in the present Of-
fice. 'rhe Hon. Member also objected to the pro-
posal for allowing she City to take money from the
Orphans' Fund towards the expense.
Mr. HAMMERSLEY was of opinion a new Of-
fice was necessary, hut wished to have it as near the
scite of the present Post Office as possible. He knew
no spot more convenient than that proposed, namely,
the upper part of St. Martin's-le-Grand.
Sir J. YORKE was of-opinion a new Post Office
was necessary, and. hoped that the building, once be-
gun, would not be suffered to remain unfinished, as
some of our public buildings were, Somerset House,
for instance, to the disgrace of the country.
• Mr. WESTERN trusted, whenever it should be
thought fit to begin a Post Office, it would be Snishett;
and for this reason it was 'he objected to settling each
a charge upon the country ; and said the Orphans'
Fund could in justice only be app'ied by the City to
local purposes. A new Post Office would bean ac.
commodation to the Public, and, in his opinion, the
Public ought. to pay for it.
Mr. C. LONG defended the Bill. He had been
a member of the Select Committee which had sat on
this subject. He had never heard greater objections
made to any project than to this; nor had he ever.
heard any objections so fully answered as these had
been. He defended the proposition for taking a part
of the expense from the Orphans' Fund, and gays his
support to the Bill.
Mr. BANKES admitted that the present Post Of-
fice was inconvenient and confined ; yet the business
of that department had always been carried on with
dispatch and accurAcy. This was a proof that there
was no absolute necessity for a new Office; and there-
fore it was that in the present state of the country he
should oppose the public having the expense of the
erection of a new Office thrown upon them. If the
Office was to be removed, he did not know any place
more convenient than that now proposed; but he did
L. t consider the present as the period at which, with-
nu, imperious necessity, such a work should be under-
.

m I'TEitWOIt Tli r: as in favour of the
BM. appc.ired frr.ni the evidence laid Odore the
Select Corun;;: we, that for the last 14 ycP•s the ave.
age sum for repairs of the present Office was £6,000
annually. l'hts, in his opiaion, Was a circumstance
which called loudly for the adoption of some mea-
sure on the subject.
Mr. H. SUMNER thought the present Of ice
might be so much enlarged as to render it peifectiy '
l'uteenient ; be sisseght the system existing was pet.
feet. An instaneeWhich astonished the Committee
o -coned when they vi.,ited ,he Inland Office: there
were 155 Clerks employed in that Office; and during
the time the Committee were there, they saw those
15.5 persons sort 49,000 letters in 45 minutes. This
'he considered was a system of expedition in business
which defied improven:cnr. The Honourable Mem.
ber was decidedly against commencing :tity expensive
public buildings, at a time when money was so much
wanted. The Honourable Gentleman condemned
the practice of allowing the City of London to bor-
row so much money on the Orphans' Fluid. lie
maintained, that if thoy were allowed to erect new
buildings, the, e would hi, no end to the injustice.
Mr. fIR LN FE I. L. referred to the Report of the
CommiLtee, in which they state the expediency of
',inkling a new 'Post-Office ; and contended, there-
tote, that the opposers of the Bill were not justified
ut their opp.,sifirol.
MILTON express-•d surprize that none of.
the Ci.y Represent fovea had omen, in answer to the
speech of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. H. Sum-
ner). The N,,ble Lotd thought the City were guilty
of delusion if they proposed to take this money out
of the Orphans' Fund. It. was a pretended gene-
rosity nn their part to contribute to the expence, but
which, in reality, was enhancing the price of fuel to
the inhabitants of the metropolis.
Sir WILLIAM CU RTI3 defended the City from
the charge of the Noble Lord. The House would
understand that the Government had formerly put
t!t it hands into the city poi se. With respect to these
hinds they bad been applied to the improvement of
the Borough, the C;ty of Westminster, and rite
ileighhourhood of Teinple-bar, and for other publi:
improvements.

Mr. BENNETT mule some observations iii sup-
port of what fell from the Noble Lord.

The house then diviAed—For the second reading,
149—Against it 70—Maj,,rity 79.

CIVIL LIS r.

Mr. TIERNEY, rasing to make has promised
'notion, f-a- the examination of certain persons, con-
nected wi:h the Royal H livehold, before the Civil
List Committee, assured the House, that it Was not
his intention, at that late hour, to detain them ter any
c ,nsiderablt! length of time. NVhen he failed in ob.
t iining for the Committee authority sp send ter and
examine persons and records, he conceived there was
very little use in his attending, whets the powers given
to that Committee were so circeusicribed. He had,
however, gone up stairs, in deference to the opinion
of other Gentlemen, although he was convinced that
Committee so constituted could not act effectually.
Its the Committee he had offend tno suggestions :
First, that they should inquire, in what way the Civil
List Expenditure had been s'uperinten&d up to the
present day ; and next, that they should state an opi.
•iion, as to what limit, consistent with the splendour
and dignity of'the Crown, should be placed to Ott
-xpenditure. To the proposition the Committee
'greed—bu; he was ndt ao auccesslul with the other.
It observed, that St would *be improper fosilit.
•stimate of thiitdescription to be produced by a cons.
•nittee to the Hbuse of Comtnens--• it was-pri,
•nised, that suds an taignstesitouldbe •