§ Sir John Beckettsaid, that great anxiety existed in all parts of the kingdom on the subject of a Bill introduced by the Under Secretary for the Home Department, for the consolidation of turnpike trusts. Members were in the daily habit of receiving communications, all of which deprecated the measure. He wished to know what course the hon. Member intended to take upon the subject.
§ Mr. Fox Maulereplied, that in consequence of the great anxiety said to prevail respecting the Bill, he had felt it his duty to consider whether he could persevere in it during the present Session. Looking at the position of the measure, and the state of public business, he thought it better at once to state, that it was not his intention to proceed further with it this year. Deeply impressed as he had been, and still was, with the great advantages that would result from passing the Bill, it was not without great regret that he parted with it, and he only did so with the full intention of renewing the motion next Session. The right hon. Baronet had alluded to the op- 675 position which had lately made its appearance, and he (Mr. Fox Maule) begged it might be distinctly understood, that he withdrew the Bill on no account in consequence of that opposition. He believed, that the opposition originated in self-interested motives, and proceeded very much from individuals who had long been enjoying the fruits of jobbing, and deriving profit from a bad system of management with respect to turnpike trusts. He hoped that they would continue to enjoy those fruits only one Session longer. He was convinced that the moment the House came to examine the provisions of the Bill it would unanimously adopt it, and pass it into a law,
§ Sir John Beckettobserved, that he had received many communications on the subject from persons incapable of what the hon. Member termed jobbing.
§ Mr. Fox Maulewished merely to add, that he too had received numerous communications, stating that many petitions had been got up by the influence of clerks and treasurers of various trusts; and that gentlemen, who, he was sure, were incapable of anything like jobbing, had been induced to sign representations against particular clauses of the Bill.
§ Lord Francis Egertonbegged to enter his protest against the uncalled-for and unfounded imputation thrown out by the hon. Member. He had uniformly told petitioners from the part of the country he represented, to wait until the Bill came out of the Committee before they remonstrated against it; but he did not expect to have to tell them also that they had been made the objects of so sweeping and so unmerited an attack.
Mr. Heathcotealso warmly repelled the accusation as regarded parties from whom he had presented petitions, and who were incapable of the practices imputed by the hon. Member for Perthshire. Some of the petitioners were most respectable country gentlemen and yeomen.
§ Subject dropped.