§ Order for Committee read.
§ LORD GEORGE CAVENDISHmoved an Instruction for rendering compulsory in England and Wales the Highway Acts of 1862 and 1864. He might inform the House that turnpike trusts were falling in every day, and it was therefore a proper time to remove the injustice that now existed and place the charge for the repair of highways on a larger area; and, at all events, he hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would appropriate the carriage and licence duty to defray the repairs of the public roads.
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That it be an Instruction to the Committee to make provision for rendering compulsory in England and Wales the Highway Acts 1862 and 1864."—(Lord George Cavendish.)
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHsaid, he had always objected on principle to permissive legislation of the kind contained in the Highway Act, for by such legislation the House shirked its own responsibility and placed an unpopular duty on the shoulders of others. At the same time, he was not prepared to support the Motion of the noble Lord to make the Highway Act compulsory, for that Act had not worked so satisfactorily as it was 1757 at first hoped it would, and it ought not to be made compulsory throughout the country without any attempt being made to remedy its acknowledged defects. He understood the Government were about to assent to the proposal; but he was certain that such an attempt to force an imperfect Highway Act upon those numerous places which had not yet adopted it would be most unpopular.
§ MR. COLLINSremarked that the whole of our highway legislation had been completely changed by throwing the maintenance of turnpikes on the parishes. Now that hon. Members had the opportunity, they ought to make turnpike roads, which were not parochial roads, a charge upon the district. He hoped the House would accept the Instruction of the noble Lord the Member for North Derbyshire.
§ COLONEL BARTTELOTprotested against a measure of this importance being proceeded with at so late an hour in the morning. If the Government were going to assent to this Instruction, he would use every means in his power to resist the progress of this Bill, and he now begged to move the adjournment of the debate.
§ MR. HIBBERTsaid, the position in which parishes were placed by the discontinuance of turnpikes rendered it necessary that some better arrangement should be made. It was the intention of the Local Government Board to have dealt with the subject of turnpikes and highways this Session, but they had not had the opportunity of doing so; and therefore they would, as a step in the right direction, support the Instruction of the noble Lord the Member for North Derbyshire. He would not, however, oppose the adjournment of the debate. The time had come when it was impossible to continue the roads under parish management.
§ SIR GEORGE JENKINSONexpressed his regret at the Government having consented to an adjournment of the debate, which he regarded as tantamount to throwing over the noble Lord's proposition altogether for the present Session. There was no necessity for such a course, as all that was asked was that that should be made compulsory which should never have been made per- 1758 missive. All permissive legislation was unsatisfactory, and led to confusion.
§ LORD GEORGE CAVENDISHsaid, he had not the least wish to press the proposal against the feeling of the House, or to snatch a division upon it. He thought that if there was to be an adjournment it had better take place at once.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHwas sure the noble Lord lead no desire to steal a march upon the House.
§ MR. ASSHETON CROSSsaid, he thought that this was a matter of which the country ought to have full notice, and he would suggest that the Government should embody the propositions of the noble Lord in a Bill with any Amendments of their own.
MR. BRUCEsaid, he could not undertake that the Government would introduce a measure of their own for that purpose.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Debate adjourned till Monday next.