their regulation, in order to obtain the desirable objects of durability in the material, economy in the management of the finances, and removal of the injurious and vexatious obstructions which the present toll gates occasion, both to the general traffic, and the internal communication of the suburbs of London. The very insignificant extent of each trust would prevent, under any circumstances, the proper superintendence on roads subject to such constant and severe use, and which require to be maintained by materials the income will in a short time be more than local circumstances in which these roads are sufficient for the maintenance of the road. The placed require a very comprehensive plan for judicious application of these funds would also enable the commissioners immediately to diminish the number of gates on every side of London. The impolicy of the system of granting separate acts of parliament for short lines of road, and thereby dividing them into small, unconnected, and often opposing communities, without co-operation or mutual interest, is particularly glaring in its effects on the London Road. Your committee observe, that no less than four several acts of parliament, constituting four separate trusts, viz. City Road, Old Street, Beth-which the district of the country in the vicinity nal Green, and Shoreditch, with different bodies of trustees, and all the expenses attendant on four distinct establishments, comprise within them only a distance of four miles and a half; thereby giving rise to numerous gates and vexatious delays for collecting the tolls upon each of these several roads; the amount of which appears far more than necessary for their maintenance. Your committee deem it proper to refer to the several reports of the committees of 1819, 1820, and 1821, in all of which it is strongly recommended to consolidate the whole of the trusts round London. Your committee cannot convey their sentiments in stronger or more appropriate language than by repeating the observations contained in the reports of those committees. of these roads does not afford, and which must consequently be imported. The funds are consumed and wasted by each petty trust having an expensive establishment of officers, and by the competition of so many purchasers of materials advancing their cost against themselves. Your committee are of opinion, that a consolida tion of all the trusts adjoining London is the only effectual method of introducing a proper and uniform system of management in the roads, economy in the funds, and of relieving the public from the present inconvenient situations and obnoxious multiplicity of turnpike gates, with which the inhabitants are now fenced in every direction. The important object of procuring a durable material for constructing the roads in the suburbs of London, and parts immediately adjoining, can only be obtained by dealing on an extensive scale. Your committee beg leave to refer, on this head, to the evidence of Mr. Stephenson and Mr. James M‘Adam, who state, that sufficient materials might be procured at a reasonable price from the coast of Northumber land and the island of Guernsey, at a much lower rate than at present, if imported in large quantities. The very small extent of the trusts, their particular situations, and the necessity of placing the toll gates of each separate trust The committee of 1820 confirmed the recom- within its own little jurisdiction, have had the mendation contained in the previous report; effect of fixing the toll gates round London in which was further enforced in 1821, when the situations the most inconvenient and vexations necessity of the measure became more apparent, to travellers; an inconvenience which has angand the committee accordingly expressed them-mented with the great increase of the suburbs selves in the following strong terms:— The report of 1819:-"A full consideration "of the evidence relative to the defective state "and injudicious management round the metro“polis, and of the advantages that would arise "from a consolidation of the numerous small 66 trusts into which they are most inconveniently "divided, induce your committee to express to "the house their strong recommendation, that a special act of parliament may be passed for "uniting all the trusts within ten miles of "London under one set of commissioners." of London, whose intercourse and commerce "Of the expediency (indeed of the ultimate within the limits of Middlesex has become as "necessity) of providing some legislative re- great as upon the streets of provincial towns. "medy for the more efficient and more econo- Hence the frequent payments, stoppages, and "mical application of the immense revenue vexatious delays, have become very serious "which is collected from the public on the grievances, which still continue to increase, to "roads round London, your committee still the great diminution of the value of property. "entertain no doubt whatever; a multiplicity By consolidating the trusts into one, the on"of trusts, encumbered with numerous trustees, missioners would be enabled so to place the "competitors against each other in the market gates as would remove the present inconvenience "for road materials, and without any combined of their number and situation; while a sufficient "or scientific system of management, cannot, amount of money would be levied for the repairs "in the opinion of your committee, effect in the of the roads, at a diminished number of gates, most desirable manner the object for which and at much less expense. Having stated the "the present heavy tolls are raised upon the loss and inconvenience arising from the present "public." very defective system under which the roads in Your committee consider that the peculiar and round the metropolis are managed,—your 66 Discharge. AN ACCOUNT, up to the 5th of April, 1825, of the Sums of Money advanced to, and expended by, the Commissioners under the Act of 4 Geo. IV. c. 74. for the under-mentioned Works. Charge. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Received on account of Howth harbour, since 1,288 6 10 The works at Holyhead and Howth harbours were commenced 550 16 9 10,000 0 0 10,550 16 9 3,601 13 3 L520,336 3 1 £520,336 3 1 LOCAL TAXATION. COUNTY RATES. Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into the Expenditure of County Rates. YOUR Committee proceed to lay before the house the result of their inquiries; premising, that by stat. 12 Geo. II. c. 29, and 55 Geo. III. c. 51, the county rate is assessed by the justices assembled in their general or quarter session of the peace, upon the full and fair annual value of the messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments ratable to the relief of the poor; is raised by the churchwardens and overseers, paid to the high constables, and by them to the treasurer of the county. The county rates appear to be applicable to the following purposes :— 1. The paying one moiety of the charges of prosecuting masters for ill-treating their parish apprentices. 2. The charges of carrying parish apprentices, bound to the sea service, to the port to which the master belongeth. 3. The repairing county bridges, and highways thereto adjoining, and salaries for the surveyors of bridges. houses of correction, and employing the persons sent thither. 17. For the salary of the master of the house of correction, and for relieving the weak and sick. in his custody. 18. Charges of bringing insolvent debtors before the travelling commissioner, in order to their discharge, if the prisoners are not able to pay. 19. For the relief of the prisoners in the King's Bench and Marshalsea prisons, and of poor hospitals in the county, and of those that shall sustain losses by fire, water, the sea, or other casualties, and other charitable purposes for relief of the poor, as the justices in session shall think fit. 20. Expenses of providing, &c. county lunatic asylums, reported necessary by visiting justices. 21. For repairing shire halls. 22. Charges of the soldiers carriages, over and above the officers pay for the same. 23. The charges of transporting felons, or conveying them to the places of labour and confinement. 24. The treasurer's salary. 25. The charges of prosecuting vagrants or 4. The money for purchase of lands at the ends incorrigible rogues at the sessions, or on appeals of county bridges. against their convictions, and of prosecuting con 5. Charges attending the removal of any of the stables, &c. for neglect of duty. said general county rates. 6. The coroner's fee of 9d. a mile for travelling to take an inquisition, and 20s. for taking it. 7. For relief of prisoners in the county gaol. 8. For the salary of the chaplain of county goal and house of correction. 9. For setting prisoners to work. 10. For the preservation of the health of the prisoners. 11. Charges of carrying persons to the goal or house of correction. 12. Allowance to discharged prisoners, to enable them to return to their place of settlement. 13. The gaoler's fees for persons acquitted of felony, or discharged by proclamation. 14. Fees to clerks of assize, clerks of the peace, clerks of courts, or their deputies, upon the acquittal or discharge of prisoners. 26. Expenses of procuring and transmitting models and copies of the standard weights and measures. 27. Allowances to persons appointed to examine measures. 28. Charges of prosecuting and convicting persons plundering shipwrecked goods. 29. Charges of burying dead bodies cast on shore in England. 30. Charges of prosecuting and convicting felons. On this last head your committee now offer the result of their inquiries, They observe with regret, from the accounts of the treasurers of counties, from 1792 to 1823, that a gradual increase has occurred in the expense of prosecutions, both from the number of prosecutions and the increased expense of each. 15. For building, enlarging, and repairing They refer the house to the whole of the county gaols. printed returns: they have stated the amount 16. For building, repairing, and fitting up in 1792 and 1823, as being the first and last The increase may no doubt be attributed in part to an augmented commerce and population, of which crime is too natural a concomitant; and partly, perhaps, to an allowance to prosecutors and witnesses, which has not always been sufficiently controlled. Your committee observe, from the evidence, that the expenses of prosecutions at the assizes are collectively, and in each separate indictment, much heavier than at the sessions; but at both, the court, by 27 Geo. II. c. 3, and by 58 Geo. III. c. 70, orders the treasurer to pay to each witness a reasonable sum for his time, trouble, and expense; which order the proper officer makes out, and delivers to the person to be paid, who receives it by himself, or through his agent, from the treasurer. Over the orders at the assizes the magistrates have no control. It appeared to your committee that the expenses of prosecutions are generally allowed in cases of felony it sometimes happens that the poorer class complain that the sum awarded is insufficient; and it is to be apprehended, that if too small sums were awarded to prosecutors, prosecutions would diminish, and crimes go unpunished. : Your committee also observe, that since the passing of the act 58 Geo. III. c. 70, fees on acquittals, and on bills not found, are paid by the counties before the passing of that act they were often left unpaid: for the claim was on the prisoner, who was generally unable to discharge them. Your committee also observe, that the expenses of prosecutions are sometimes increased by more witnesses than are necessary being bound over to appear at the trial. Your committee have a difficulty in suggesting by what means the expenses of prosecutions may be diminished; but they observe, that the greater number of offences committed are aggressions on the increased and increasing chattel property of the kingdom, while the charge of prosecuting such offences falls exclusively on the poor's rate, which is derived almost exclusively from property consisting in land and houses. Your committee observe, that the payment of prosecutors has kept pace with the progress of society, which with its advantages has brought its disadvantage, the increase of crime; the payment of their expenses first occurred in the year 1752; by 25 Geo. II. c. 36, the expense of the prosecution of disorderly houses was allowed; and by 27 Geo. II. c. 3, the poorer sort are, by a reasonable payment for their time, trouble, and expense, to be encouraged to appear as witnesses against offenders; hence, from the original pay. ment of the poorer sorts, it has become the practice to pay all sorts of persons: and by 58 Geo. III. it is now lawful to pay all witnesses. Your committee conclude their report by ob serving, that by stat. Rich. II. c. 10, each magistrate during his attendance at the sessions is allowed 4s. a day, and the clerk of the peace 2s., which sums are severally payable through the sheriff; a circumstance now adduced to shew that the administration of justice was at that time in part defrayed by the state; and it appears at the present time, by the 58 Geo. III that the expense of prosecuting the several of fences of house-breaking, burglary, horse-stealing, and some others, are defrayed nearly in the same way. Your committee also observe, that the rewards that were allowed for the apprehension of offenders were always paid to prosecutors towards their expenses; but since the repeal of that law, the expenses are all paid from the county rate. Your committee therefore, deeply sensible of the hardship of throwing the expenses of prosecutions in great part on the county rates, are inclined to suggest to the house, that a part of those expenses should in future be borne by the general funds of the country; and they therefore recommend that those expenses of prosecutions, over which the magistrates, who may be said to represent the land, have no control, should be paid by the receiver-general of the county, and that those expenses which the ma gistrates can order and check, should be paid, as at present, from the county rate by the county treasurer; the result of which recommendation would be, that the expense of prosecutions at the sessions would fall upon the counties, and that at the assizes on the general funds of the country. 21st June, 1825. Substance of the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Select Committee appointed to inquare into the Expenditure of County Rates. GENERAL BATHURST examined.—The expenditure of the county of Somerset had of late years increased very much, which he attributed principally to the new system of throwing on the county rates expenses which were formerly paid by the public or individuals. Within the memory of magistrates now living, the expense in Somersetshire of prosecuting felons had increased from 221. per annum to 3,700. owing, partly to the different laws, and partly to the custom of the judges with regard to the allowances given, the fees of court, and allowances to counsel. The judges hardly ever refused the costs of prosecutions; which were very seldom given formerly; and the commence |