Sir. W. Curtispresented the report of the committee to whom had been referred for consideration the petition from the lord mayor, aldermen, and corporation of London, praying to be allowed to raise a further sum for the completion of the improvements at the west end of the city. The hon. baronet moved, That the report be referred to a committee of the whole House."
§ Mr. H. Sumnerobjected to this proposition. The sum of 240,000l. had already been expended in clearing the site for the new post-office, and now the city applied for 100,000l. more; of which 33,000l. was to be charged on the Orphan fund. It was well known that that fund was principally supported by the duty on coals and culm imported into London. This duty, already 13s. 4d, a chaldron, fell most heavily on the population, and especially on the lower classes, not only of the metropolis, but of the surrounding districts; and now a measure was proposed which would occasion the addition of a shilling a chaldron to the duty. When it was considered that the sum which had been already voted was on an estimate of the whole expense, said to be accurately made, he thought it was the duty of the House to call for detailed accounts of the expenditure, and to refer them to the examination of a select committee. He would therefore move, as an amendment to the motion of the hon. baronet, to leave out all the words after the words"
§ That the report be referred to," for the purpose of substituting the following:—"A select committee, to whom it shall be referred to examine the accounts of the sums already expended, and to examine the estimates on which the additional grant is required."
Sir W. Curtishad no sort of objection to send the accounts to a select committee, but it appeared to him that such a proceeding, on the report of another com- 294 mittee, would be contrary to the rules of the House. As to the facts of the case they were simply these, that unfortunately the money did not go far enough, that a variety of circumstances had increased the expenditure beyond the anticipated sum, and that there were at present thirty or forty thousand pounds, to pay for which there were no assets.
Mr. Alderman Woodhad no objection to the motion for sending the accounts to a select committee for examination. The hon. member for Surrey had frequently touched on the subject of the duty on coals, but had never been able to make a successful impression on the House. What would be the effect of the present proposition on the hon. gentleman's constituents? That some thirty years hence they would pay a shilling a chaldron more for their coals than at present! That for which they would so pay, would be also as great an advantage to them as to other people. Instead of the narrow confined streets in which coaches and carts were now sometimes detained for two or three hours, fine wide streets would be opened, a circumstance which had no connexion with the new post-office. This street would show St. Paul's in a nobler point of view than it had been yet seen from the north road.
§ The amendment was agreed to, and a select committee appointed.