§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE DUKE OF ABERCORN,in moving that the Bill be read a second time, said, its object was to enable the Trustees of the River to widen and deepen it. It was proposed that the Town Council of Paisley, which had the nomination of a certain number of the Trustees, should be empowered to levy an assessment of not more than 3d. in the pound, to be called "The Cart Guarantee Fund." A meeting of 3,000 ratepayers had been called to consider the matter last October, and only 100 or 150 were opposed to the scheme. Other towns had benefited very largely by the 107 improvement of the rivers on which they were built. The population of Newcastle and other Tyneside towns, for example, had been more than doubled since the improvements on the Tyne had been carried out; and only the other day their Lordships had sanctioned the gigantic scheme of the Manchester Ship Canal. He hoped their Lordships would not deny to Paisley a privilege that had been accorded to other towns.
§ Moved, "ThattheBillbenowread2a."—(The Duke of Abercorn.)
§ THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES)said, he would ask their Lordships not to allow the Bill to be proceeded with in the usual manner as a Private Bill. He objected to it on the ground that at the present moment the financial condition of the place did not justify the concession of the powers sought by the Town Council to be laid out on the Cart Navigation. There was a debt of £10,000 raised for the improvement of the River Cart, the interest of which had not been paid. One portion of the Bill provided that this debt should be paid off at the rate of 7s. 6d. per £1, and he did not think that this was a mode of proceeding which it was proper to allow. Another objection was the guarantee fund of 3d. in the pound on the whole borough for navigation purposes only. It appeared to him that the House could not properly allow the Town Council to borrow £100,000, when, at the same time, they found it necessary to ask for power to pay off a debt of £10,000 at a discount, not having been hitherto able to pay the interest on that smaller sum.
THE EARL OF GALLOWAYsaid, the points referred to by the noble Earl were exactly those which a Select Committee should be appointed to deal with. He hoped the noble Earl would waive his objection to the Bill, and allow a Select Committee to be appointed to deal with the matters referred to, which were simply points of detail.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, the points raised were those upon which a Select Committee should judge and report upon.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBROOKsaid, that this seemed to him to be distinctly a case to be referred to a Select Committee.
§ On Question? agreed to: Bill read 2a, and referred to a Select Committee.