Sitting of 14 March 1857

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS.—1° Consolidated Fund (Appropriation); Exchequer Bills (£21,049,700); Mr. Speaker's Retirement.
2° Mutiny; Marine Mutiny.

MR. SPEAKER'S RETIREMENT BILL.

  REPORT.—FIRST READING.
  THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERbrought up the Report in answer to the Address to the Crown on the subject of Mr. Speaker's Retirement.
  Resolution reported.
  "That the annual sum of £4,000 net be granted to Her Majesty, out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the said Annuity to commence and take effect upon the day upon which the Right Honourable Charles Shaw Lefevre, now Speaker of the House of Commons, shall cease to hold the Office of Speaker of the House of Commons; to be settled in the most beneficial manner upon, and to continue during the life of him, the said Right Honourable Charles Shaw Lefevre."
  Resolution agreed to, nemine contradicente.
  Bill ordered to be brought in by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, Viscount PALMERSTON, Mr. FITZROY, and Mr. WILSON.
  Bill read 1°.

  WAYS AND MEANS—REPORT.
  THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERbrought up the Report of the Committee of Ways and Means.
  Resolution reported.
  "That, towards making good the Supply granted to Her Majesty, the sum of £13,007,200 be granted out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."
  Resolution agreed to.

MUTINY BILL.

  SECOND READING.
  Order for Second Reading read.
  MR. HENLEYsaid, he observed that the Bill, as reprinted, contained some important changes. Two new clauses had been added. Would the hon. Gentleman the under Secretary for War explain the nature of them?
  MR. FREDERICK PEELsaid, that the greater part of the alterations that had been made in the Bill were of a military character, and had been approved by His Royal Highness the General Commanding in Chief. There was one alteration, however, which he might mention, and which had reference to billeting in Scotland. In the case of Scotland, private houses were liable to have soldiers billeted upon them, and great objections had been made to that system, which was considered to be a grievance and oppression which ought to be remedied. A Resolution was passed to that effect during the course of last Session, and the present law had been amended by striking out the provisions with regard to Scotland, and extending the provisions which now applied to England to the whole of Great Britain.
  MR. W. EWARTsaid, he thought it would be well if the military department of the Government would consider the propriety of placing soldiers in barracks altogether—a system which would conduce very much to the good order of towns. He was much pleased with the provisions of the Bill which altered the system of billeting upon private houses in Scotland.
  MR. G. DUNCANsaid, he would beg to offer his best thanks to the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Peel) for the altered provisions of the Bill, but he did not think that even now Scotland had been placed upon a fair level with England. In Scotland the publichouses and hotels were on a far less extensive scale than in England, and afforded very insufficient accommodation. He and some other gentlemen in Dundee had a conversation with the noble Lord the Secretary for War when his Lordship was in Dundee some time since, and they repre-

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  to him the inconvenience of any system of billeting which quartered soldiers on individuals while there were barracks in which the military could be accommodated. There was in the town of Dundee a barrack which had not been ocupied for the last fifty years, and yet recruiting parties had been billeted on private individuals. The noble Secretary for War had promised to give his attention to the matter, and he (Mr. Duncan) trusted that it would not be lost sight of by the Government.
  SIR WILLIAM CODRINGTONsaid, he thought that it was highly desirable that some provision should be made for the permanent quartering of the troops.
  MR. PACKEsaid, that the publicans throughout the country were considerably aggrieved at the increase in the number of hotels in which spirits were not sold, and which were consequently exempt from billeting. These temperance hotels had increased to a great extent, and, with the exception of selling spirits, were in all respects publichouses. The publicans contended, and he thought rightly, that both classes of houses should be placed upon the same footing.
  Bill read 2°, and committed for Monday.

SAVINGS BANKS BILL.

  WITHDRAWAL OF BILL.
  MR. SOTHERON ESTCOURTsaid, he regretted that the dissolution of Parliament would necessitate the withdrawal of a Bill in which every part of the country was interested—namely, the Savings Banks Bill which had been brought in by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. That right hon. Gentleman had permitted him to peruse its provisions, and he was glad to say that the Bill would be a great amendment of the existing law. He therefore hoped that immediately after the assembling of the next Parliament the right hon. Gentleman would introduce the same Bill, and that its provisions would be well considered during the forthcoming recess, in order that when it was brought in again no appeals might have to be made for its postponement. The humblest classes of Her Majesty's subjects were deeply interested in the passing of the Bill, and he rejoiced that at last, after so many futile attempts on the subject, they would have the means afforded to them of investing their hard-earned savings without any risk.
  MR. H. HERBERTsaid, he fully concurred in the remarks which had been made by the hon. Gentleman who had just sat down. He trusted they would have a pledge from the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer that if possible he would proceed with his Bill during the next Session of Parliament. Every Chancellor of the Exchequer during the last seven years had promised a Bill upon the subject. Some time ago, in the county he had the honour to represent (Kerry), there were some most frightful scenes in consequence of the failure of a Savings Bank. He was personally a witness to the misery which had been occasioned. It was but natural, under the present system, that in counties where those cases occurred, that men refused to put their money into Savings Banks. He believed that in a modified state the same thing existed in many parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Ireland. He hoped that the Bill would be introduced early next Session, in order that it might undergo due consideration.
  THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, the House was well aware of the great zeal and assiduity which had been displayed by the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Sotheron Estcourt) on the subject of Savings Banks, and of the great authority with which he spoke on that question. He accepted, therefore, with great satisfaction, the testimony the hon. Gentleman had given in favour of the Bill he had laid upon the table of the House. It was certainly his intention, if he had the honour of a seat in the new Parliament, to ask the House to allow him to introduce that Bill as nearly as possible in the form in which it now stood: and he sincerely hoped that managers, secretaries, and other persons interested in the subject of Savings Banks, would take the opportunity during the next four months to make themselves acquainted with the details and probable working of the Bill, more especially as the time during the next Session which would be available for the discussion of such measures would in all probability be shorter than usual. Under those circumstances, he thought he might reasonably express a hope that there would be no unnecessary delay in the progress of the measure through the House. He felt with the hon. Gentleman the Member for Kerry (Mr. H. Herbert) the severe infliction which had been cast upon his county by the failure of the

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  Savings Bank, and he hoped that the Bill he should introduce would provide a sufficient protection against such calamities in future.
  The House adjourned at half after One o'clock till Monday.