KENSINGTON OR HYDE-PARK-CORNER ROADS BILL—PETITION OF MR. COBBETT AGAINST. (Hansard, 5 May 1824)

§ Mr. Hume
said, he had a petition to present from a gentleman who was very generally known—Mr. William Cobbett. It was probably known that this gentleman had for some time turned his attention to the abuses of the toll-gates. He was happy the subject 498 had fallen into such hands, as they required so much to be looked after. The object of the petition was, to call the attention of the House, and to place them on their guard against passing a third bill, which was now in progress—the Kensington Road bill. The petitioner understood that that bill had already been read a second time, and was therefore anxious to put the House in possession of some information regarding it, previously to its being read a third time. By a general turnpike act, passed at an early part of the reign of his late majesty, it was enacted, that the accounts of all turnpike-roads shall be made up by the commissioners in the October of each year; that they should be deposited in the office of the clerk of the peace; and that they should be exposed, upon payment of a small fee, to the examination of any person who wished to inspect them. Mr. Cobbett, knowing that the tolls of this gate amounted to 14,000l. a-year, and. having doubts as to the correctness of their management, and finding that the treasurer of them was a justice of the peace, applied at the office of the clerk of the peace, in October last, for the accounts of the Kensington-road. The answer which he received was, that there were no such accounts there. He applied again in November and December last, but his applications were in vain. Indeed, it was not till the last three days that the account which the act of parliament required was deposited in the clerk of the peace's office. That account was in a most un-business like shape: it was actually unbalanced; but it still appeared, that there was a balance in the hands of the treasurer, sufficient to pay off all the bonded debt of the road. The act required, that this debt should be paid off as soon as the amount of the tolls would permit it: but though such was the case, the commissioners now came forward to demand an extension of that act, after they had acted directly in the teeth of its preamble. What was the fact? At the bottom of the account, which was signed, George Barker, chairman, it appeared, that the whole bonded debt, in January last, was, 2,500l.; and the justice of the peace, who filled the situation of treasurer, actually had more money in his hands at the time, than would have liquidated it. A small part of the debt, about 850l., had been paid off; while, by the account which had been 499 produced, it appeared, that the treasurer lad in hand 4,500l., being more than the amount of all their debt. Under these circumstances, he hoped the House would not allow this bill to pass, without investigating the manner in which these individuals had violated the trust reposed in them. A penalty of 50l. might he levied for not having the account ready at the time prescribed by the act; and he believed an action had been brought to recover that sum from the negligent party. But, what was a penalty of 50l. to an individual who was allowed to keep a balance of 4,000l. or 5,000l. in his hands? The petitioner prayed, as two years were yet to expire under the present act, that the House would reject the bill which was now in progress. He would now bring up the petition; and at a future period he would move for a copy of the account, in order to see how far it agreed with the actual state of the case.

Lord Lowther
said, that the bill alluded to by the hon. member had already pass-ed the House of Commons, and was gone up to the other House for its sanction. He was most happy that an inquiry had been instituted, for nothing could be more enormous than the trusts of turnpikes in the neighbourhood of London. They amounted to 150,000l. annually, besides statute duties, and it was difficult to find out how these funds were disposed of.

§ Mr. Hume
said, a bill had been passed, the preamble of which contained a gross falsehood. He wished to know from the Speaker, whether there was any precedent to direct them in a case like the present; or whether that House could adopt any measure on discovering that they had passed a bill containing a positive falsehood, while that bill was pending in the House of Lords?

§ The Speaker
said, that the bill was now entirely beyond the control of that House.

§ Mr. Hume
said, that some means ought to be taken to guard themselves against such an occurrence in future.

"General Statement of the Income and Expenditure of the Kensington, &c. Turnpike Roads, between the 1st of January and 31st of December, 1823.
Expenditure.
"To Surveyor's accounts of day-labour between the 1st day of Jan. and the 31st of Dec. 1823, for maintenance and repair of Roads, and watering the same	£.2,187	8	5
Team-labour for the same period, including water-carts, and cleansing the roads	745	1	6
Watching the roads	563	11	6

Contractors' and workmens' bills for materials supplied for maintenance and repair of roads and foot-paths	4,774	13	5
Repair of toll-houses, gates, lamp-posts, and new toll-boards	258	1	0
Lighting the roads	684	17	11
Purchase of land for widening the roads, building a brick sewer under the surface of the road instead of an open sewer and a new fence to widen the road	938	11	6
Ten turnpike bonds paid off	1,000	0	0
Salaries and other payments of clerk, surveyor, and other officers	618	5	0
Printing, advertising, and stationery	48	11	0
Interest of bond debts	108	19	7
Annual sum paid to the Commissioners of paving of St. George, Hanover-sq.	1,000	0	0
Commissioners of Hans Town	140	0	0
Incidental charges	96	1	6
	£.13,164	2	4
Income.
By balance in Treasurer's hands	£.3,147	17	4
Amount of one year's rent received from the Lessees of the Tolls	14,000	0	0
Composition in lieu of statue labour for the year	324	0	0
Incidental receipts	195	9	10
	17,667	7	2