HC Deb 22 February 1861 vol 161 cc864-5
MR. TITE,

in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Metropolis Local Management Acts, said it was, in point of fact, the same Bill which was brought into the House rather late last year. A difference of opinion then arose as to the apportionment of some debts which had been left by a former commission, and, in order to avoid the difficulty, he had divided the measure of last Session into two Bills. It had been said that the Board was a great taxing machine, but it should be remembered that they had the whole drainage of the Metropolis to attend to, and had to Spend £3,000,000 for the purpose, as well as to pay off large debts which they did not themselves incur. He moved for leave to bring in the Bill.

VISCOUNT ENFIELD

said, he wished to ask whether the hon. Member intended to refer the Bill to a Select Committee, as was done last Session?

MR. CAVE

hoped the hon. Member for Bath in his Bill of this Session had pro vided an appeal for those who might feel aggrieved at the decisions of his Board. They were told last year that the Bill could not be worked with such a provision, which meant, he supposed, that the action of the Board would be so oppressive as to drive a number of people to the unprofitable venture of attacking a strong body who would defend themselves with the plaintiff's own money. In spite of the panegyric of the hon. Baronet the Member for Westminster (Sir John Shelley) the public were not, he thought, sufficiently satisfied with these irresponsible Boards to wish their powers to be increased without some better remedy against injustice, or to deliver themselves up bound hand and foot without the means, however small, of striking a blow in self-defence.

MR. TITE

said, it was not his intention to ask that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee. The expenditure in the Committee of last year had been some £12,000, of which the Board had paid £4,000. He proposed that the second Bill which he was about to introduce should be so referred.

MR. LOCKE

hoped that the House would watch narrowly the course adopted with regard to these two measures, particularly after their experience of the course pursued during the last Session.

Leave given. Bill to amend the Metropolis Local Management Acts, ordered to be brought in by Mr. TITE and Mr. BRISTOW.

Bill presented and read 1°, to be read 2° on Friday next, and to be printed.