HC Deb 31 March 1843 vol 68 cc300-3

On the next vote of 232,533l., for stationery, printing, and binding, for the several departments of Government in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the colonies, and for providing stationery, binding, printing, and paper for printing for the two Houses of Parliament, and including also the establishment of the Stationery-office,

Dr. Bowring

said, be saw a credit of 4,000l. was taken as expected to be raised from the sale of Parliamentary papers. It had been intended by the committee which recommended the sale of these papers, that the sate should cover the expense. He wished to know whether it was so?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

By no means.

Colonel Sibthorp

said, he should like to see a return of the expense of printing returns moved for by individual Members of Parliament.

Mr. Hume

thought he could satisfy the hon. Member. A single slavery return, containing the names of slaves, and a peat many unnecessary details, had cost more for printing than all the expenses of his motions. He wished he had a percentage on the reductions that his motions bad caused. He had never moved for a return without either founding a motion on it, or using it for some further inquiry, and that within the Session.

Dr. Bowring

said, that having had the good fortune to attract the favourable notice of the late Government, he had been employed by them, and had been offered the secret-service money to aid him in prosecuting his researches, but he always repudiated it; he had never laid out a penny of that fund, being of opinion, that it was best ail that was done for the public should be done above board.

Captain Pechell

wished to know whether the new boroughs were to have the statutes sent down to them as the old ones had, and whether such magistrates as were likely to attend to their magisterial duties might have copies sent to them. He objected to the present mode of distributing the statutes.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

said, that it was formerly the practice to send copies of the statutes to all the magistrates. This had been thought an unnecessary expense, and Parliament bad determined that the system should be reformed, and that one copy should be sent to each petty sessions. He was not disposed to return to the old practice.

Mr. F. Baring

wished to press on the Government the necessity of a revision of the present mode of distributing the statutes. The new boroughs must want copies, and be thought all of them ought to have copies sent to them.

Mr. Hume

was of opinion, that the system of distributing the statutes ought to be revised. Some counties through the activity of a Member had twenty copies, whilst others had but four.

Mr. Ewart

suggested, that there should be an improvement in the composition of the statutes, which was a disgrace to any country. They were composed of parenthesis within parenthesis, forming a complexity of style which contrasted most unfavourably with the simplicity which characterised the laws of other countries, and rendered it necessary that each should have an interpretation clause.

Vote agreed to.