SELECT VESTRIES BILL. (Hansard, 11 October 1831)

§ The Duke of Wellington
asked what was the object of the Bill?

§ Viscount Melbourne
said, that it went to establish several new, and he, considered, necessary, regulations with respect to the powers of vestries in general, and select vestries in particular, with respect to which great excitement at present prevailed in the metropolis, and in several of the large towns throughout the kingdom. It appeared that the common-law right of all 487 rate-payers to vote at vestries was found to be extremely inconvenient in large and populous parishes, and in order to facilitate the proceedings of vestries, it was found necessary, in many cases, to have the business of the parish confided to select bodies. This, however, was, in its turn, found to lead to some abuses, and to very general dissatisfaction. It was complained of from all quarters, and its inconvenience was admitted even by many of the members of those select bodies, that it was a system which required alteration. The object of the present Bill was, to make those amendments which were considered necessary in the system. He would now move, that the Bill should be read a second time, and be referred to a Committee up-stairs. One of its chief objects was, to introduce a system of general election from the whole body of rate-payers, under certain regulations. As the measure was one the necessity of which seemed to be admitted by all parties, he supposed there would be no objection to its being now read a second time.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
said, he would not object to the second reading, on the understanding that it was to be referred to a Select Committee, as he considered the Bill would require considerable amendment before it could be passed into a law.

§ The Duke of Wellington
thought, that that clause in the Bill which left it optional with a parish to avail itself of it or not, would not have the effect of allaying the excitement which at present existed on this subject: he feared it would have the contrary effect to what was intended, and was, therefore, particularly objectionable. He admitted that the system in many of the parishes in the metropolis required amendment, but why not confine the Bill to the metropolis, or why not apply Mr. Sturges Bourne's Act to the metropolitan parishes, as a remedy for the evils complained of?

Lord King
said, that much greater excitement would be caused if this Bill was thrown out, than could possibly arise from the operation of any clause in it, such as that alluded to by the noble Duke. It being admitted on all hands that the existing system required revision and amendment, whatever they did for that purpose should, in order to effect the objects which they had in view, be done as speedily as possible.

The Bishop of London
, speaking from what he knew of the system of select 488 vestries in several parishes in this metropolis, feared that some such measure as this was absolutely necessary for their better regulation and amendment. He was of opinion that the government of parishes should be placed as much as possible upon the same footing as the general Government of the country—that was to say, that the people should have the election of their parochial, as they had of their Parliamentary Representatives, who had to deal with their money. It might be necessary, however, to introduce some modifications of the Bill, both as regarded, parishes in London and in the country, and for that purpose, as well as for coming to a true understanding of the nature of it, it was necessary to refer it to a Committee up-stairs.