§ The Speakerinformed the House, that he had taken some care and pains to arrange and regulate the List of Fees charged in the Private Bill Office, by the clerks of the House, on all matters relating to private business, to which he was anxious to call attention, particularly of those hon. Members who 1344 were interested in private business. The great object was to elucidate the charges, so as to make the reason of every one of them intelligible. On inquiry into the whole, he found that in the aggregate they were as reasonable and as moderate as could be wished; but some of them were not quite intelligible. By the assistance of other persons, who were infinitely more competent to the task than himself, he had arranged the whole into what he hoped would be found a regular list. That list he would now lay on the Table, and if any hon. Member would move that it be printed, and the House should consent, it would come into the hands of every Member. And if, as he had reason to hope, the charges there set forth were reasonable, the Table of Fees should be hung up in the two Bill Offices, so that every person would know at once what he was called upon to pay, and would not have to pay more or less. It would be found that in the aggregate the amount of the fees was the same as before; but some which were before unintelligible, were put into a regular shape. If the House should approve of them, it would have the effect of undeceiving the public with respect to the amount of fees charged by the officers of the House.—The List was laid on the Table.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in moving that it be printed, said, he was sure the House would feel much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for the pains he had taken in elucidating a subject of so much interest to parties having to introduce private bills.
§ Lord Althorpexpressed his entire concurrence in what fell from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He thought the House and the country were much indebted to Mr. Speaker for the pains he had taken to elucidate a subject on which there had been so much misconception as to the nature of the charges.
§ Mr. D. W. Harveyalso thought, that thanks were due to the right hon. Gentleman for what he had done; but he regretted to hear, that in the aggregate the amount, of the fees was to be the same as before. If this were so, they would be an alteration without an improvement. Some of the fees charged were extravagantly high. He would mention, for instance, a case where two persons recently petitioned the House, to be heard by themselves or counsel, against a private bill. The House acceded to their prayer, and 1345 they were heard, not by counsel, but in person; but afterwards they were surprised to find a demand of 19l. each made for fees. This was certainly most unreasonable, and should be inquired into.
§ The Speakersaid, from what had fallen from the hon. Member who last addressed the House, he feared that he had not made himself understood when he called the attention of the House to this subject. No doubt, when the Table should be printed, and in the hands of Members, whatever should be found capable of improvement would be open to the suggestions of every hon. Member, and such suggestions would be not only not opposed, but courted. It was not for him, not being acquainted with the particulars of the case to which the hon. Member referred, to make any remarks upon it, but the hon. Member must be aware that it was impossible any such charge should have been made by officers of the House.
§ Mr. D. W. Harveyhad thought it his duty to call the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to that case, particularly after the challenge made by the right hon. Gentleman to every Member, to come forward with any objection to any fee in the list that might be considered objectionable. It was right that the subject should be examined; for if such charge were not made he must have been imposed on by those who made the statement to him.
§ The Speakerfeared that he was not yet well understood. The Table of Fees which he had made out were of those charged by officers of the House. He had not offered any comment on the charge to which the hon. Member had alluded, beyond the assertion that it could not have been made by any clerks of the House. There was, the hon. Member must be aware, a great distinction to be made between the fees charged by parliamentary agents, and those demanded by the clerks of the House.
§ The List ordered to be printed.