Lord J. RUSSELL was in favour of the motion upon
similar grounds.—The motion was then agreed to.

Lord R. GROSVENOR moved an address for a commission
to inquire into Corrupt Practices in the Borough of
Maldon, stating briefly the grounds on which he
founded his motion.—A short discussion resulted in a
division, when the motion was agreed to by 69 to 48.

On Wednesday, April 20, Mr. DRUMMOND said it had
been his intention to have moved to defer the committal
of the Judges Exclusion Bill for six months, considering
it to be one of the most destructive measures ever
presented since he had had a seat in that house; but he
should postpone his motion for the rejection of the bill
until the third reading.—The house then went into
committee.—A motion made by Mr. HUME to include
the Recorder of London in the schedule of judicial
functionaries disqualified to sit in the house, which was
generally resisted, he ultimately withdrew until the
third reading.—The clauses were agreed to without
alteration.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated
that an error had occurred in the printed copy of
the Customs' resolutions with reference to the Duties
on Soap, which should have been struck out, it being
the intention of the government that the whole duty on
foreign soap should cease altogether when the excise
duty was remitted.

On Thursday, April 21, Mr. J. WILSON stated the
views of the government in relation to the Recommendations
of the Select Committee respecting the
Department of the Customs, and the alterations and
amendments they proposed to make therein. Those
recommendations were comprised under 14 heads.
With the first, the constitution of the board of customs,
the government did not intend at present to meddle,
although the subject was under consideration. With
respect to the appointment and promotion of the inferior
officers, it was hoped that, by holding out a fair
expectation to merit, a better tone would be imparted
to the service. Under the head of fines and satisfactions,
Mr. Wilson indicated the mitigations and
modifications contemplated with the view of taking
away the direct interest of the seizing officer, except in
the case of the coast-guard service. With respect to
the ad valorem duties, the scheme recently developed
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer would show that it
was intended almost entirely to abandon these duties.
He next explained the changes made and meditated in
respect to seizures and stoppages. Under the head of
costs and penalties the government had thought the
time had come when the crown should be put upon the
same footing as the subject; and, further, that it should
be imperative on the crown, in all cases where the
amount to be recovered shall not exceed £100, instead of
an exchequer trial, to resort to a county court, or such
local tribunal as the treasury should direct. Other
ameliorations of the law under this head were detailed
by Mr. Wilson. With respect to the transit trade, it
was proposed to allow all goods in transitu to be
conveyed by railway, under the superintendence of custom-
house officers, from one port to another, and re-exported
without opening the packages, and without requiring
bonds, except from the railway companies. Other
relaxations of the law would be likewise adopted in
order to give facilities to this trade. On the important
subject of bonding and warehousing, he stated that, in
order to obviate a complaint of the committee of the
hardship of the present system of charging duties upon
deficiencies, it was proposed that the importer of bonded
goods shall be liable to the crown until he parts with
possession, when the goods shall be re-entered in the
name of the purchaser, who shall be responsible to the
crown; that stock shall be taken every five years, the
duties then paid on the ascertained deficiencies, and the
goods re-entered; modifications were likewise to be
made in respect to bonds. Having explained the new
regulations proposed to be made with regard to
passengers' luggage, and the alterations in the hours of
attendance of officers, he discussed the recommendation
of the committee for simplifying the entries of free
goods, which he showed would open a wide door to
smuggling, some remarkable examples of which he
related. An arrangement had, however, been made
by which entries of free goods would be made in a
room distinct from the long room at the custom-house,
immediately on the arrival of the ship, thereby
excluding risk while preventing delay. With regard to
the codification of the laws, the government had given
instructions for reducing the existing customs acts into
one (to be expressed in plain and simple terms), which
would be shortly laid before the house, and had given
directions to the commissioners of the customs to
publish monthly all new regulations, which would from
year to year be incorporated in a new act. In treating
of the outports, Mr. Wilson stated that, whatever might
be the reconstruction of the board of customs, Liverpool
would have some independent functionary on the spot;
and in the meantime the existing authorities at that
port would be empowered to decide in all ordinary cases
not exceeding £100, subject to instructions of the board.
There was another subject upon which the committee
had not reported—namely, the Isle of Man, the revenue
regulations of which it was intended entirely to change.
All these proposals he laid before the house in order
that they might be well considered, with the distinct
understanding that the government were not bound to
them.—When Mr. Wilson concluded, several members
made remarks on the proposed measures, when the
discussion was stopped by the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, who suggested that the house had better
wait till the propositions of government were laid
before them in a printed form.

On the motion for going into committee on the Pilotage
Bill Mr. TURNER moved as an amendment that the
bill be referred to a select committee. He objected to
transferring to authorities in London, powers which
should be exercised by local committees.—Sir E. DERING
seconded the amendment.—Colonel HARCOURT
supported the amendment.—After some further discussion
a division took place, and the amendment was lost by
136; the numbers being 219 to 83.—The bill then went
through committee pro forma.

Mr. FITZROY obtained leave to bring in a bill for
the Better Regulation of Hackney Carriages; by
altering the system of granting licenses; reducing the
fare to 6d, per mile; furnishing the hirer with a
knowledge of the true amount of the fare; and
providing other regulations for the carriages and drivers.
On Friday, April 22nd, Mr. HUTT, reported that the
Maidstone Election Committee had decided that Mr.
DODD was not duly elected, bribery having been
practised at his election.

The house went into committee on the South Sea and
other Annuities Commutation Bill, and passed the first
clause. Sir F. KELLY opposed the second clause in an
elaborate speech, in which he minutely described the
three objects of the bill. If any one of those objects
(he said) could be accomplished on reasonable terms,
or even if the first steps towards their realisation could
be taken consistently with good faith towards the
national creditor on the one hand, and without increase
of the national debt on the other, he would give such
a scheme his support. But he believed that the bill,
with all its intricacies and combinations, was inconsistent
and impracticable; and that even if it could be carried
out, it would be mischievous in its effects: because a
part of the scheme would make a large and substantial
addition to the national debt—an addition, moreover,
that would be multiplied twenty or fiftyfold if applied
to the whole debt. He denied that the three alternatives
proposed were by any means equivalents, and upon
this opinion founded his main objection to the bill.
He moved the omission of the second alternative, which
involved the increase of the national debt and the
guarantee for the period of 40 years at 2½ per cent.—
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER defended the
bill both in principle and detail. The measure was not
based on the assumption that money would increase,
but upon the belief that there was such a tendency
towards the diminution of money that, the government
ought to avail themselves of it. The object of the bill
was not to extend hereafter to the whole £600,000,000
of the Three per Cents.; but simply to establish a new
Two-and-a-Half per Cent. Stock, and when that stock
was established to improve the terms as fast as possible.
Referring to Sir Fitzroy's charge against the three