WITHDRAWAL OF BILL. (Hansard, 14 March 1857)

§ MR. SOTHERON ESTCOURT
said, he regretted that the dissolution of Parliament would necessitate the withdrawal of a Bill in which every part of the country was interested—namely, the Savings Banks Bill which had been brought in by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. That right hon. Gentleman had permitted him to peruse its provisions, and he was glad to say that the Bill would be a great amendment of the existing law. He therefore hoped that immediately after the assembling of the next Parliament the right hon. Gentleman would introduce the same Bill, and that its provisions would be well considered during the forthcoming recess, in order that when it was brought in again no appeals might have to be made for its postponement. The humblest classes of Her Majesty's subjects were deeply interested in the passing of the Bill, and he rejoiced that at last, after so many futile attempts on the subject, they would have the means afforded to them of investing their hard-earned savings without any risk.

§ MR. H. HERBERT
said, he fully concurred in the remarks which had been made by the hon. Gentleman who had just sat down. He trusted they would have a pledge from the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer that if possible he would proceed with his Bill during the next Session of Parliament. Every Chancellor of the Exchequer during the last seven years had promised a Bill upon the subject. Some time ago, in the county he had the honour to represent (Kerry), there were some most frightful scenes in consequence of the failure of a Savings Bank. He was personally a witness to the misery which had been occasioned. It was but natural, under the present system, that in counties where those cases occurred, that men refused to put their money into Savings Banks. He believed that in a modified state the same thing existed in many parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Ireland. He hoped that the Bill would be introduced early next Session, in order that it might undergo due consideration.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, the House was well aware of the great zeal and assiduity which had been displayed by the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Sotheron Estcourt) on the subject of Savings Banks, and of the great authority with which he spoke on that question. He accepted, therefore, with great satisfaction, the testimony the hon. Gentleman had given in favour of the Bill he had laid upon the table of the House. It was certainly his intention, if he had the honour of a seat in the new Parliament, to ask the House to allow him to introduce that Bill as nearly as possible in the form in which it now stood: and he sincerely hoped that managers, secretaries, and other persons interested in the subject of Savings Banks, would take the opportunity during the next four months to make themselves acquainted with the details and probable working of the Bill, more especially as the time during the next Session which would be available for the discussion of such measures would in all probability be shorter than usual. Under those circumstances, he thought he might reasonably express a hope that there would be no unnecessary delay in the progress of the measure through the House. He felt with the hon. Gentleman the Member for Kerry (Mr. H. Herbert) the severe infliction which had been cast upon his county by the failure of the 2311 Savings Bank, and he hoped that the Bill he should introduce would provide a sufficient protection against such calamities in future.