HC Deb 20 January 1832 vol 9 cc701-2

Mr. John Campbell moved that the House should resolve itself into a Committee on this Bill; which having teen done, he proposed a Resolution declaring that compensation should be granted to those persons in office who would be affected by this Bill.

Lord Althorp

hardly knew how, at this moment, the House could be called on to declare that compensation should be granted to the officers of the Court, when, upon further discussion of the Bill, it might appear to the House that the object of the Bill could be effected without putting any persons in the situation of being entitled to claim compensation.

Sir Robert Peel

thought, there should be a Select Committee to inquire into the names of the officers who it was supposed might be affected by this Bill, and who claimed to receive compensation.

Mr. John Campbell

said, it was not necessary that any money should now be granted. The resolution would only enable them to give compensation when they should find a claim to it established.

The Attorney General

said, that he understood that not a farthing of the public money was now wanted; but that, if it should afterwards be found necessary to grant any compensation, there would be that resolution to enable them to grant it.

Mr. Hunt

said, it appeared to him that the motion to grant compensation now to these officers, before they had passed the Bill, was like putting the cart before the horse.

Lord Althorp

thought that the hon. and learned Member was going too far at the present moment, for he required the House to resolve that they would grant compensation to these officers now, when perhaps they might ultimately think that no compensation could justly be demanded.

Mr. John Campbell

said, that the resolution only pledged the House to grant compensation if it should be found necessary.

Sir Robert Peel

said, that the resolution appeared to him quite unnecessary. He had felt the inconvenience of these partial compensations, the effect of which sometimes was, that salaries created after the compensation granted, became again the subject of claims for compensation when further changes were effected. To avoid this, he had introduced a bill in July, 1830, for granting compensation to all persons who might afterwards be found entitled to it. He cautioned the House against recurring to the system he had endeavoured to avoid, and said, that he thought his bill exactly met the present case.

Mr. John Campbell

thought that the Act referred to did include some of the persons whose emoluments would be affected by the Bill now before the House, but not all of them.

Mr. Goulburn

read part of the Act referred to, especially the words which granted compensation to "persons holding offices connected with the passing of fines and recoveries."

Mr. Alderman Venables

said, that before the House voted this Resolution for compensation, he thought they should be furnished with the names of the persons who claimed it.

Lord Milton

wished to ask who would be benefitted by the measure? He believed he might answer the question by saying the landed interest. If so, it was not right that a general tax should be imposed for their particular benefit—that persons who possessed only funded property should be taxed? He thought the House ought to take care how they granted compensation at all; but if they did grant it, he thought it should come from the pockets of those who were to gain a benefit from the contemplated change.

Resolution withdrawn and the House resumed.