Star.
London, England, 1820-05-12 00:00:00

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PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, IktAY

Seretal Nlembers took the oaths and their seats.

Mr. Alderman WOOL) presented a Petition for a Bill to re-
move Slaves from the Island of Antigua to Sierra Leone.--Or-
dered to be referred to a Committee.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

A Petition was presented from certain Occupiers of Land in
Wiltshire, complaining of Agricultural Distress.—Laid on
the table.

Mr. CIIILDE presented a similar Petition from the Land
Owners of the County of Salop.—Laid on the table.
Mr. THEM AYNE presented a similar Petition from the
Lsnd Owners oT the County of Cornwall. They stated, that
the late Corn Bill totally failed in its object, and they prayed
that their Petition might be referred to a Committee.—Laid
on the table.

Two similar Petitions were presented from Land Owners in
Dorsetshire.—Laid on the table.

) similar PetitiOn.---N;;; presented, by Mr. DI:CDA LT, from
Oecnpiers of In. in Warwick,hire.—Laid on the table.
Sir E. K presented similar Petitions from
the following places :—Feversham, Sandwich, and two from
Ashford.—Ordered to He on the table. _ _

A simiLtr Petition WA also presented from East Kent.—Or-
dered to lie on the table.
LONDON POST DFFIDE.

Sir W[LLIAII CURTIS brought up the Report
of the S:.lect Committee appointed to examine the
matter of the Petition from the City of London, for
the purpose of raising additional supplies to build
the Post Office. The Honourable Baronet moved—
" That the Report be referred to a Committee of the
whole House."

Mr. 11. SUMNER hoped the House would take
into consideration, that this Report now recommended
the raising of a sum of £lOO,OOO, after a sum of
4.:210,000 was expended in clearing the scite for the
new Post Office. He begged the House to remark,
that if the proposed sum of £33,000 were to be
drawn from the Orphans' Fund, which was a Fund
raised by a duty on all coals imported into London ;
if the recommendation of the Committee were car-
ried into effect, it would make necessary an addition
of one shilling duty on each chaldron, to be paid not
only by the inhabitants of the Metropolis, but also
those of the surrounding Counties. For his part, he
could not forbear from expressing his opinion that
the means heretofore provided for the purposes of
the new building, had been prodigally and wastefully
expended. He thought the House would not do its
duty unless they required a detailed account of the
expenditure, as well as the item of the estimates for
which a new grant was demanded. The Ilonottnable
Member then moved an Amendment to the original
motion, « That a Select Committee be appointed to
examine the accounts of the expense;, and the esti-
mates of the proposed expenditure, and report their
opinion on the same."
Sir \V. CURTIS said, that it was by no means
difficult to account for the manner in which the
money had been applied. Unfortunately, in this in-
stance, as is many others, the expenditure exceeded
the estimates—( ,4 laugh).—The Committee for
building the Post Office found that they wanted
money to proceed with the erection, and it was there-
fore they came to look for the interposition of Par-
liament—(Hear).
Mr. Alderman WOOD would not object to the
production and strict examination of the accounts of
expenditure; iu fact, they had been furnished already
to a considerable extent. He begged the Hon. Mem-
ber who proposed the Amendment, and who appeared
very properly so careful of his constituents, to con-
sider that the addition of the shilling duty on coals,
which he complained of, would not take effect until
after the lapse of thirty years. He would assure the
Hun. Member, the new building was far from being a
City job; on the contrary, the money now expended
had opened a street hitherto impassable by carriages,
and it was intended to expose, in one of the finest
openings in town, a full view of St. Paul's. So far
from the Corporation of London having any interest
in the continuance of the duty on coals, it was a
fact that they paid every year 12,000/. while it was
in existence. The Hon. Member had not been by
any means correct in his statement, that 33,0001.
were to be raised by means of the tax on coals.—
This was not the case. The sum of 27,0001. would
be produced for the benefit of the new building, as
soon as it was completed. It was to be remembered
that the 'cause of the excess of expenditure over the
estimates was this, that a part of the scite to be pur-
chased was Church property, and the owners, of
course, were awarded by the juries a considerably
larger sum respectively than the surveyor estimated.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought, that nothing had been stated to warrant
the conclusion, that there had been any waste of
money. At the same time he was of opinion, that
it would be proper to appoint a Committee for the
examination of the accounts. He suggested that
there was some irregularity in the Amendment.
The SI'EAKEIt said, that by a verbal alteration
the Amendment would be quite regular, and if car-
ried, it would leave the Report precisely in the same
circumstance as it would remain in if there had been
no motion made by the Hon. Baronet.
Mr. 11. SUNINER said, he thought it was usual,
that upon a Report from a Select Committee, leave'
would be asked to bring in a Bill. If this had been
the course pursued, be was determined to have
r.-:et it with a motion to the effect of his present
Amendment.
The Amendment was then put and carried.—The
Committee was to consist of the Members for the
Cities of London and Westminster, and three for the
I tome Counties, the CHANCELLOR of the Emelt EQUF:It,
and Mr.BaNices.