§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH,in presenting a petition from the Customs Departments Clerks of Gloucester for alteration of the existing system of Superannuation, said, that the complaint of the petitioners was, that they paid a great deal into the superannuation fund and received little from it, and their prayer was that they should get more and pay nothing. Their Lordships had really nothing whatever to do with the subject. They had no power to deal with money matters, and could not make any of the alterations in the Superannuation Act which the petitioners suggested, He should look with, great interest to the conduct of the House of Commons on this subject, because it would be a test of the sincerity of their desire to establish economy in the administration of public affairs. He had no doubt that Report of the Gentlemen who had been appointed to investigate the matter would suggest an improved system for the future; he had no doubt that the Government would propose some measure gene- 199 rally in accordance with the recommendations of that Report; but he had as little doubt that that measure would be defeated in the House of Commons, because his impression was that canvassing and jobbing would be infinitely more powerful than Her Majesty's Ministers upon this subject.
Petitions to the same effect were presented by the Marquess of BREADALBANE, the Earl of EGLINTON, and other noble Lords.