HIGHWAYS.—LEAVE. (Hansard, 7 February 1861)

SIR GEORGE LEWIS
rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill for the better Management of Highways in England. As the Bill was substantially the same with that which he brought in last year, and which passed the second reading, it was 152 unnecessary for him to trouble the House with any detailed explanation of its provisions. He would only impress upon the House that every year that passed rendered it more expedient to have legislation on this subject. The wide extension of railways had, to a great extent, superseded the old turnpike roads, many of which had become of only secondary importance; while, on the other hand, numerous parish roads, in consequence of their leading to railway stations, had acquired an importance which they did not formerly possess. This state of things was on the increase. Last year, in consequence of the great wet that prevailed, many parts of the country exhibited in a very marked manner the defects of the existing system of repairing parish roads, and showed the necessity of the measure which he now proposed to I introduce. He believed the effect of the Bill would be to increase the efficiency of the machinery for repairing parish roads, while it would introduce a more economical application of the funds. In the Bill of last year there was a clause which made it voluntary with the magistrates of any county to adopt it or not. He thought it desirable to give this discretionary power to the magistrates, as they were best acquainted with the feeling of their own counties. He proposed to go one step further than by the Bill of last year, and to give a discretionary power to the magistrates to introduce the Bill into any division of a county where a county was divided for Parliamentary purposes.

§ MR. SLANEY
said, he thought the Bill would be productive of great advantages. But he wished to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman would not think it right to take some additional powers in the Bill to provide for widening roads where they crossed railways at right angles, and even in some cases to lay down horse railways on the roads conducting to railways where a great traffic was carried on. He believed —having seen these in work in another country which he had lately visited—that if adopted they would materially decrease the expense of maintaining roads, while they would in no way interfere with ordinary vehicles.

§ MR. DEEDES
tendered his thanks to the right hon. Gentleman for bringing in a Bill on the subject. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would not delay proceeding with it, but push it on as fast as possible. He must say, however, that he regretted that the right hon. Gentleman 153 had not felt himself strong enough to make the adoption of the measure compulsory. His (Mr. Deedes') belief was that nothing would ever be effectually done in this direction unless it was made compulsory. People were frightened at the bugbear of expense; but he did not believe the adoption of the measure would add to the expense chargeable on the ratepayers. On the contrary, he believed that the present mode of managing highways was the most expensive and inefficient that could be devised, while under the system proposed it would not only be more effective, but much less expensive.

§ MR. FREELAND
asked whether certain returns which he moved for last Session, relating to Welsh Highways, were ready or could be laid on the table shortly? He would just say that he differed from the right hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Deedes) as to the Bill; and he hoped that it would be vigorously and successfully resisted at a later stage.

§ MR. HOPE
asked whether there was any intention of bringing in a similar measure in reference to Highways in Scotland?

SIR GEORGE LEWIS
said, the matter of which the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Slaney) had spoken would be a fit subject for discussion in Committee. With respect to the question of the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Freeland), he was unable to say when the returns as to Welsh Highways would be ready. As to the question of the hon. Member for Windsor (Mr. Hope), he might Bay that there was a Report of a Select Committee recommending extensive alter-ations in the Turnpike Law of Scotland, but he was not at that moment able to say whether any measure had been prepared for the purpose of giving effect to that Report; nor was it his intention at present to introduce any measure in reference to Highway-roads in Scotland.