Lords Sitting of 16 May 1845

MINUTES.
BILLS. Public.—2a. High Constables Turnpike Roads (Scotland) Act Amendment; Exchequer Bills.
Private.—1a. Scarborough Water; Stoke-upon-Trent Market; Boddam Harbour; Southampton Docks; Gildart's (or Sherwen's) Estate; Hawkin's Estate; Lord Monson (or Countess Brooke and of Warwick's) Estate.
2a. Royal Naval School; Middlesex County Rates; Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company; Morden College Estate; White's Charity Estate (Herbert's).
Reported.—Molyneux's Estate; Liverpool Docks; Pudsey Gas.
3a. and passed:—Glasgow and Shotts' Road; Surrey and Sussex Roads; Foulmire Inclosure.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. By the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishops of Gloucester, London, Cashel, and Durham, Duke of Richmond, Earls of Liverpool, Roseberry, St. Germans, Radnor, Warwick, and Winchilsea, and by Lords Kenyon, and Farnham, from Clergy and others of Brosseley, and a great number of other places, against Increase of Grant to Maynooth College—From Free Synod of Sutherland and Caithness, and from Inhabitants of Inveravon, and 3 other places, against the running of Railway Trains on the Sabbath.—From Dunse, and several other places, for Improving the Condition of Schoolmasters (Scotland).—By Lord Farnham, from Loghin Island, and several other places, for Encouragement to Schools in connexion with Church Education Society (Ireland).—By the Marquess of Salisbury, and Lord Ashburton, from the Goldsmiths, and several other Companies of the City of London, against the Charitable Trusts Bill.—By Bishop of Bangor, and Earl of Radnor, from Clergy and others of Llandowror, and several other places, against the Union of St, Asaph and Bangor.—From Tradesmen and others of Folkestone, and 3 other places, for Repeal of 57th Clause of Insolvent Debtors Act Amendment Act, except as to Debts not exceeding 5l.—By Lords Redesdale, and Lyttleton, from Stourbridge, and Derby, for Repeal of 57th Clause of Insolvent Debtors Act Amendment Act, and for the Establishment of Local Courts.—From Tradesmen's Society, Chelsea, for the Protection of Trade against Fraud and Swindling.—From Llanfairtalhaiarn, and several other places, for the Suppression of Intemperance.—From Kelso, against the present practice of granting Spirit Licenses to Toll Houses (Scotland).—From Aboyne, and Birse, for the better Observance of the Sabbath.—By the Earl of Radnor, and Marquess of Londonderry, from. Ballyhemlin, and 3 other places, in favour of Increase of Grant to Maynooth College.—From Castlewellan and 2 other places, for Inquiry into the course of Instruction adopted at Maynooth College.—From Physicians and others of the County of Somerset, in favour of Medical Reform.—From Guardians of Glutton Union, against the Parochial Settlement Bill.—From Ladies of the Congregation of Broad Street Chapel, Reading, for the Suppression of Seduction and Prostitution.—By Lord Lilford, from Silk Hand-loom Weavers of Leigh, and other places, for Inquiry and Relief.

TURNPIKE ROADS (SCOTLAND) ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
The Duke of Richmond,in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said, that his object was to assi-

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milate the law of Scotland to the law of England, with regard to the keepers of turnpike tolls. In Scotland, the keepers of tolls were allowed to sell spirituous liquors; and this had been allowed for the purpose of increasing the amount of tolls. This he thought a very objectionable system; and he called upon their Lordships to affirm the principle which this Bill supported.
Lord Campbellhad recently been to Scotland, and he found a very general outcry against the system the prevention of which was the object of the noble Duke's measure. He warmly supported the principle, but he thought that the Bill would require some alteration to render it effectual in securing the object proposed.
The Duke of Montrosesaid, the argument by which the Bill was supported, that the present practice was demoralizing the people, would go much further than this measure; it would apply to the whole system of licensing in Scotland, than which nothing could be more objectionable. At the same time, great inconvenience might be occasioned if no exceptions were made with respect to licensing toll-houses in remote localities. In some instances, also, if the practice were abolished, the trustees would have to levy higher tolls to maintain the roads.
Lord Roseberyagreed with the main principle of the Bill. A very great nuisance existed under the present system, by the obstruction of the public roads; but he could not agree with the noble Duke in supporting so general and sweeping a measure, and in depriving many remote districts of a very great benefit.
The Earl of Dalhousiethought the measure a good one. From his own knowledge of his own district, and from the information he had received from other parts of Scotland, he could state that the evils caused by granting these licenses to toll-houses were innumerable. The whole present system of licensing might be bad, but that was no reason why they should not endeavour to introduce this partial improvement. He should support the measure.
Bill read 2a.
House adjourned.