11 FEBRUARY 1837, Page 13

The House of Commons was principally occupied last night with

a Bill introduced by Mr. Hum, for placing the financial affeirs of Counties under the control of Boards to be elected annually by the rate-payers. Mr. Hum proposes that these Boards shall consist of from twelve to twenty-four persons, according to the size of the coun- ties; that tire rate-payers shall elect auditors, in the same way ns the members of the Board; that Commissioners shall be appointed to divide the counties into electoral districts, the divisional districts or unions made by the Poor-law Commissioners to be adopted whet) no especial inconvenience would arise from so doing ; and that every ofla ter acting under the Boards shall be paid by salary and not by fees. Sir Emmett): Wireecer, an experienced aLgesistrete, was disposed to e the bill a trial ; and suggested, that it should be confined in its

operation to Middlesex alone for one year. He admitted that it was desirable, in order to free the Magistracy from suspicion, that some arrangement should be made for a public and responsible management of the county limumes, though this was a part of the business best at- tended to by the Magistrates— The business discharged by Magistrates at the Sessions was lust to look to 7. • county expenditure, then the civil business, and lastly the judieial duties. 4 the first day, or a portion of the first flay, Mthell the county expenditure was

to be considered, there was a large attendance of Maghstratcs. the second day, 'when the appeals were to be determined,—and he was present %%hen most important appeals were discussed,—he could procure but the assistance of four cc five Magistrates and he was often obliged to sit with hardly a board at all; at at the time the judicial duties were to be discharged, it was difficult to get a second Magistrate to attend.

Sir EARDLEY WILMOT here "let the eat out of the bae." The "county expenditure " means sobbing; and its iii host every Magistrate has a nice little job of' his own to forwaid, tie re is a full atteodance on I; e filet day. When attention is required and no profit to be made,

ecely a man can be prevailed upon to stay on the bench. Oh, the dis. terestedness of an " IThpaid Magistracy ! difficulty ofgetting a sufficient number ol Alagistrates to attend to the criminal business, induced Sir Eteneev Wiesiou to propose that the law sheuld be administered iii counties us in towns, by Recorders.

Captain Pecneee told the Hon-e, than when the gentleman in the ;erty-town and its neighbourlae4 a ere hospiteble, then there was no IL of Magistrates at Quarter. sessions ; but where they shut their doors, the attendance was scouty. Another coin pliucn t this to the " Unpaid !"

Lord JOHN RUSSELL gave a geicr; I s!;!.!,a; to Mr. I Inine's bill ; and observed, that some regular statemr u,,,• :,i..:,o'ntrnent of Magis- fl ees would be desirable. iv it lay it Oh' ‘I-Oril•Lielln.11antS to select whom they pleaeed; a it 1 soilic of them extAtided clergymen, while other preferred them. For his pi:rt, he objected to see clergy- men on the bench.

The Tories dislike this bill exceediegly. Colonel Stirrnoneu said, that the bill was of a dangerous end democratic tenth and went to increase the locust body of - aeamiseionere. Colonel Wool) will " decidedly oppose it." Mr. A. Cu:testes: coasiders it a measure

" degrading to the Magistrarti, setters ire y, and an encroach-

ment on the privileges of the iarown ! Mr. A aretat TREVOR repro-

bates the measure " ab oro usq.sc ad flo: 0.- .111. It a iiiHD, is sur- prised, that When uloinhr, pUr1/11•Xlry, Inlet 1,r nit It•i!:11 ill thi great city, air. Hume can allow his mind to be aivera ii 1 ein vest iitiestieto: no bicia/ a matter; nothing but the spirit of pai ty could hnmive huh sech influence upon The end of the wittier was, that Mr. Ili E had !Lave to being in his bill. Now let Us see the author, void his Ministerial allies on this occasion, stand firmly up to every partieulot poiot hi the plan against which no conclusive reason shall be brought, and yield not we inch in the miserable spirit of lazy and cowardly compromise. Mr. HOME then introduced another useful measure, for lessening the Expenses of Elections. The only opposition he encountered was from the gallant and profuse Colonel Sierlionea ; wheeseems to have been in great force last night. He protested against the bill, as caleu- hated to put a stop to "old English hospitality "—that is, treating and debauchery of electors. But the Colonel declares that it shall not interfere with his liberality. He likes to live with his people, and his people like to live with him ; and if Mr. Hume will only go to the Colonel's "place" in Lincolnshire, the Colonel is certain that he would abandon his bill—such would be the excellent effect of the" hospita- lity " he would there receive and witness.

The rest of last night's business may be briefly stated.

Leave given to Mr. Ole Les BLLr,Emm, for a lull to amend the law relating to the trial of Controverted Elections: to Mr. ClIanLES WOOD, fur the better regulation of Post-otfice Packets.

The Leasing-making, the Court of Session, and the Small Debts Court Bills, read a second time; as was also the English Recorders Courts Bill, the object of which is to allow a Ilecurder to appoint a Deputy.

The Irish Grand Juries Bill went through the Committee, and was reported.

Numerous petitions were presented. Among these were— One from Brighton, by Captain Ps:covet, relative to the fishery on the at of France, awl the outrages of the French upon the English fishermen. At the suggestion of Mr. CitAni.r.s Woou, the facts ef the petition will be laid ly:fore the Admiralty Board in the shape of a 'minutial. A petition from *Ludlow, detailing the tricks uf the old Corporation tc pre- vent the 1101V CDIllteil EOM po-s,-ssion of the T, prop,trty, a no presented by Al r. 111..teKlIr ItNr.; who wishea it to be referred to the Privilege Committee now sitting. on Mr. Charlton's cuse : but ms the petition did not complain of a breach ol privilege, the Speaker ohjecte to this course.

Some impoJaut ritteitions were asked and iing.vereal

Iu reply te Mr. Fitt::: Lord Mo.:relit seal that Minis:ers were ioixial.sly considering tin.; means of preventiug the anticipated ...lreity of food on the Northswe•t cuast of Ireland.

Lord JOEN inforn:ed Lord STANLEY, that I.e intemled to move for a Commiuce of boiairy into the working of the Dine itioa system in Ireland. did ,mot ion.nd to include Maynootil; though he believed that an inquiry 'to Coat ic-ritution would proye that an bonioce ‘,1 the grant was desirable. :Ir. CONN ELI. Said rile people of Inland tvould fel- having nu grant at ;ill.

.Amor, he notice: of motions, were the fellewing.

Be Mr. lave r r, that he sioiuld move the sa,pan,ion of the s•rir for on Monday ; when Capt:;in CnErwyxo will move that i new w; The 'maculae King's Speech rad toting to Irish Poor.I.L.vs Iren read Lit' the Cler::, on the motion of Lord JOH,: Ile- sari . Lord hoir s p lee fluid'. that on M.inday next he should caj the attention of th.: !Luse ti that part of the Speech. Mr. 11...ev LI' to move, on the lith of April, for a SLI,e: C.i.maince to in- quire into the nature and extent of every blanch and every kind of lb:v.:nue exclusively enjoyed or appropriated hy Crowa, it ill a a:, .v i awl.; eco- nomy in any tto arrangement of tile Civil List.