Star. — London, England, 1807-02-14 00:00:00

lARLIdIiIENTARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF 1.0k11',. rKIWAY, FEB. i 3. The Duke of Grafton, Lords Malnilbury, Conyngham, El liot. Sackville, Anthera, and the Wail) of Landaff: took the oaths and their feats. Tbr Soli&tor General and Mr. Nolan were heard s Counfel, on an Appeal from the-Court of Cha. eery in Ireland. (Markel spina Dia), and the further proceedings were poftponed until Monday. The Controverted Eleetions' Amendment Bill, the Cape of Good Hope Trade Resolution Bill, and the Barrack Commigion ers Bill• were brought from the Lords. and read a firit time. Lord De Dutillanville's Indenatity Bill was rrad a fecond time, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday; the queftion for committing it having been negative'. Lord DARTMOUTH reported, in anfwer to tie Addy, ori'Wedliefday fe'nnight by Lord Eldon that his Tvfaielly bad been sr_eiouily pleated to order that copies of the Corref ., pondence between the seeretarica of State and the Governor of Trinidad.be prefented to their Lortlfhtps after the papers were laid on the Table —Atlout ncd. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Gen ffal GASCOY NE prefented the following Petitions againft the inn for the Abolition of the Slave Trade:— One from the glitavor and Burgettes of the Town of Civet-pool : another from the Proprietors of the Docks and I.fight Hour, and a third from the Merchants, Ship-Owners, and Manufacturers lefiding in that town.--Grdered to lie on the table. Mr. H. ADDINGTON moved for a copy of any correpondence which-might have taken place (ince the year t 79y, between his Majelty's Secretaries of State, and the Governor or Lieutenant- Gi•vertior of the !nand of Trinidad. His ohjedi in v.laking this {notion was to fhew, that the importation of Slaves inn) was difeintrated by a- perfon nearly conned - led with Lim who was formerly at the cad of his Majefty's Government. • "After a few oh'ereatioffs, and an Amendment prorated by Mr. FORCE, the motion was agreed to. The Irifh Controverted hluelion bill was read a fecond thine, and ordered to.be confronted on Monday. The Report of the Tinkles Tobacco Bill was brought up. The Houle having refolvedittelf into a Colunince of Ways and Means. Mr. HQ ISHOUSE in the Chair, Sir JOHN NhVf'PORT moved, that after a certain day the Old Rates and Duties upon all Stamped Papers, Parehnient, and Vellum.Ouvuld ceafe. and that the New Duties contained In the Schedule I.e preferred Cnnnid attach. The Hook being rerouted, Mr. W. W. WYNNE moved. that the third reading of the' ' Thames Police Bill &mita he roil onntd to Monday. The Cif ANCFLLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the Moore at its rifts% Cientd adjouro to Monday. IVIr.ROSE higgefted that on account of the complicated nature of the lubjedt, the report un the Finance prerofitions ihould be poftporf.d to Tudday. The CHANCFLIDR of the EXCHPQU^R *liked the re port to be made on Monday, for the fake of etpaiting the pub• lie but - frets, but had no °lite:lion to adjourn the Debate to Wedncfday. HAMPSHIRE PUlrtittrit. • Mr. ASHEION SMITH rofe,•for the pu•Tofe of fottnitting a tr.otion to the Houk. on the fohjca of the Petition which he prefcnted a few days ago. •He proceed in the regular form, and move that the Petition he tead. The Fe it ion having been read by the Clerk, Mr. SMITH laid, that previous to entering open the queltion, he would beg leave to move that the refolution of the Houfe of the loth of Derrember, 1779, be read. [The refolutinn was accordingly read, declaring it to be a high tnifdemeanor and breach of privilege, for any perfon filing an office under Government to em ploy any influerce which he might poffefs in confe quence of the fame, in the eleflion for Members of that Houfe Mr. l'H continued. He felt it neceflary to addrefs a few words to the Houle upon the fubjea of a complaint which he underßood had been made againtt him by the Gentleman whole condua had occafioned the petition which had been jug read.-- Be was charged with not having acquainted the Gentleman on the Treafury Bench with the nature of the petition. Had he felt, that, on a great pub lic and conllitutional quaint', fuch a mat it of atten tion was indifpenfable, he certainly would have trail/ mined a copy of the petition ; but as there was no intention of hurrying the bufinefs, and as any expla ation on the part of that Gentleman would not have A use away the motives which induced him to prefent the petition, he thought it unneceffary to have any tommunicati•in with him. The influence pollelled by Government in the county of Southampton was greater than what it had in any other county in the kingdom, and it was notorious that that Influence had been exerted in favour of the Members whole po litical fenriments were known to be favourable to Mi. ni tiers. The effea of the exertion of this influence had been to excludeaGentleman who had ferved the county for 16 years w jib diligence and fidelity. So honeftly and faithfully had be difcharged his duty, that had it not been for the intei feretice of the Government, there was not a doubt that be would have been returned by a very large majority of the Freeholders. It was un- i neceffiry for him to point cut to the Houfe how dan gcrcus fuel' prailices were to the purity of the Con ftitution. When dcteeed and fubliantiated, they mild not be too 1-. - ertly reprehended. if tome Reps wete not taken to prevent the Members of that great county from being retained by the foie influence of Government, under who e cootroul their parliamen tary condna moil remain in confevence, the inde pendence of that Houk would receive one of the deepelt wour,ds which had been ever aimed at it. In what way this Mas to be elicited, it was not for him to determine ; that he would fubmit to the dilcretion of the Wore. He trufled, however, that fome ye. medy againft the evil would he provided, and that means would be dikovered to prevent toe recurrence of praaices which threatened the rapid and total fabverfion of the Connution. lie would trefpafs no fur ther upon the patience of the Houfe, bat move that a Ccvnmittee be appointed to confider of the al legation•; in the petition. Sir HENRY MILDMAY role to fecund the mo tion ft,/ the appoin!ment of a Committee, which had been made with Co much force, talent, and manlinels by his Honourable Friend. This was a duty which he felt tome difficulty in difcharging, on account of the (hare which be might be fuppofed to have had in the tranfaai..os which gave life to the petition on the table. It might be fuppofed by Pone per(ons, that his condira was the refult of difappi intment. He could affure the Houk, and he trotted that his decla ration would meet with fome degree of credit, that he was asluated by no fuch unworthy motive. He came forward in the difcharge of a peat public duty, of a duty which he owed to that Houfe and to the Contlitutioa. He came forward for the purpore of deteaing a..d fohjeaing to difgrace and cenfure all uncontlitutional attempts againlt the purity and freedom of Eleaion. without which it was impoilihle the functions of fu important a branch of the Government as that Haute was, could be . unellly •and beneficially MIAMI. It was an at• tempt of this na4nre which had produced, id he year 3779, the energetic refulution which appeared ors their Journals. But the influence lately employed! , in the county of Southampton was much mote opeA and uncunflitutional, and deferring of &anger re pt-et-tent-ion, inafmuch as it was direCtly in the teeth of a prior refulution of that Houfe. It was not his with, or he believed of any of thofe who figoed the petition, to prefe the Houk to a hefty decifion. All that they required was, that fuch a mode of proceed ing fhould be adopted, as was likely to enfure ample julfice to all parties. When the petition was prefen .- red, it was Dated by a Noble Lord, that it had en• gaged much of the public attention. Was it furpriz - t g thkt it Ihmild ? Was it flu-prizing thaothe peo } le fhould feel tremblingly alive to a fubjelt which t involved their dearett rights and privileges ; every' thing which was valuable and eflirnable in the Con flitation. The Noble Lord had alfo complained, that endeavours had been ufed to poifon the public mind. To this he thought It unneceirary to make any reply, becaufe he cnnlidered it as one of thofe rhetorical flourifhes in which men of brilliant imaginations and commanding eloquence were fome:imes apt to in- Thete was, however, an obfervation which fell - from the Noble L'rd, in which he fully concur red. If the petitioners failed in proving their cak, it was but Oft that all the difgrace and blame due to fuch Niue fhould fall on their heads. To that he was ready to content, and to take his full (hare of the , opprobrium. If, on the contrary, they fhould fuc `teed in eflablifhing the allegations in the petition, and that even in a ftronger manner than they were Rated, lie trotted that the Noble Lord and his friends would . agree with him in giving full effect and fupport to the refolution of the Houle. If they proved their cafe, he hoped the Noble Lord would not interpofe, and fhield with his influence and aethority the'perfon who tbould be found to tranfgrefs a fohmn t efoltnion of that linufe, on the fulajeS of a vital principle of the Contlitution. Before he proceeded farther, he would trouble the Houfe with a few obfervations concerning the particular filtration of the county of Southampton. In that county there was, perhaps, more church and copyhold land - , the holders of which were not qualified to vote, than in any other in the kingdom. This was in itfelf a circumflance not very favourable to ;the independence of the county. There were, betides, four hundred freehol ders, who were conflantly employed in the Dock Yards, and who, it might be fairly prefunaed, wet e under the controul of Government. There was alto a confiderabte number of freeholders employed by the difftrent perfons who had naval and other con tied' with Government. If, in addition to this long eflablithed weight of Government, which was con tinuallyincreafing, and mull increafe as long as our navy fhould be augmented, they were to villa ore their fide the whole of the Barrack Department, it would be impollible for any independent man to grapple and maintain a conteft with Government in the county of Southampton. He would now proceed to prove the charges in the petition. The firtt paper he would trouble the Houfe with' was the copy of a minute of a converfation between a former Member for the county of Southampton (Sir W. Heather:me) and a Noble Lord (Lord Temple) on an oppofe bench It appeared from this minute, that Lord I Temple called on Sir W. Heathcnte. by dcfire of Lord Grenville, previous to the diffaution of the late Parliament, for the purpnfe of afcertaining from him whether, in cafe of his being re etc/led, he was willing to fupport Government ? lie, at the fame time, Informed him, that it was the intention of Go vernment to oppofe the re eleCtion of Mr. Chute, on account of the oppofition given by him to fame of their meafures in Parliament. Sir W. Flea:lime profeffed great refpeCt for Lord Grenville, but laid that was a fubjed upon which he could nut come to a determination without confulting his hinds. " I am aware (continued Sir H. Mildmay) that there is another account of this tranfaelion. It is not my intention to impute any thing like intentional mitt-i prefentation to either of the Honourable perfons con- cerned ; but I will leave it to the public to decide which Itatement was moll likely to be correet, that of Sir W. HeatilCOtc, Wilt) immediately retired to his clofet and committed every thing to paper that had palled, with a view to priblication, or at leati laying it before his friends, or Lord Temple, who, in dose weeks after, undertook to give an account from Me. mury of what had paired between him and Sir Wil -IMm ?" The next paper he would offer to the Houfe was a copy of a letter from Mr. Freemantle, one of the Secretaries to the Trealury, to General Hewett, the Barrack Mailer General. (In this letter Mr. Freemantle recommended Mr. Herby t and Mr. Thil tlethwaite to General Hewett, and requelled him to cattle Major Davis, the Deputy Barrack Mailer Ge neral, to exert himfelf for them, and to exert any other influence he might have in the barrack depot t ment.) A copy of this letter, as the beg mode of communicating its contents, was tranfniitted by Ge neral Hewett, the Barrack Mailer General, to Major Davis, his deputy. Maj..r Davis, in his anfwer, acknowledged the receipt of General Flewett's letter and the enclofure, and Dated, that in confequence he had done every thing in Winchefter and the neighbourhood, to enfure Iticcefs to the Government candidates. He alfo fuggelled that he could render elfential fervice to that. Gentlemen by a vifit to the Lie of Wight. To this the Barrack Mafia' General replied, that there could be no objelinn to his going to the Pie of Wight, provided lIT could obtain leave; and that he was forry he could not. allow him his expences, as it would not be proper to introduce fuch an item in the public accounts of his deparinielat.— ( Loud trier of Rear, Hear.) Mr. MARTIN faid that Gentlemen indulged themfelves fo much in cries of" Hear ! hear !" that it was impoflible for him to hear any thing. Sir HENRY MILDMAY read the Barrack Maf ter General's letter a hams, time, and °braved that the impreffion which it made on his mind was, that in that department there was one account for public, and another for private purpofes. This, if there were noother, was of Wilt, be thought a fufficient reafon for going to a Committee. (The Hon. Mem ber here read another letter, of Major Davis's, in which he laid, that he was going to canvafs in the neighbourhood of Chrillchurch and Lymingtot-, thew places having been particularly &etched out for him by Lord Caernarvon, as points not far re moved from the feat of Mr. Rote's influence.) He thought it hardly poffible that the Noble Lord, who mull have been a party to the Refolutioti of 1779. &odd fo far forget 14e principles, Cited to far aban don the npright and cpnftitutional line of cordua which he had followed on that occafion, as to be guilty of to grofs and monftrotis a violation of the Con (Here the Hon. Member read another letter of Major Davis's, in which he ltated, Olathe could' nnr obtain leave to go to the Ifle of Wight from the Duke of Cumberland, and Inggefting that the re fufal might proceed from an apprehenlion, that the (Neel of his journey was inimical to his Royal High nefs's political friends. (Hear! Near! from the Pe of the Hoof- ) If thefe exclamations were the confequence of a fuppolition that that illuftrious per fonage took any part whatever in the late eleElions, , there was little foundation for them. He had the happinefs of knowing his Royal Highnefs ; and he was p:rfuaded, that in the diftriEt in which he com manded he never foliated nor endeavoured, directly or indireftly, to influence a tingle vote. He had his authority for declaring fo ; and he called upon thofe who were In flippant with their exclamations !of Hear ! Hear ! to maintain the contrary. (Sir Henry Mildmay read two more letters from Major , Davis. The firft was addreffed to the Duke of Cum berland, as Commander of the Diflrid, in which he complained that one Deverell, an attorney, had done sr:ry thing to harafs and opprefs him. The fecund was from Colonel St. John, in which it was Rated, 4' that he was commanded by the moll independent man in the county to fay, that he fhould be relieved from his I embarralfments if he would deliver up the Treafury Letters.) [Name ! name ! from the Minifterial fide of the Houfe.3—" That," obfetved the Hon. Mem ber," is what I want to find nut ;" a d recommend ing it to him to oblige men who had k in their power to ferve him before it was too late. He would affure the Gentlemen who vociferated 44 Name, name," that he was quite as curious as they were to afeertain who this molt refpedable man was. who, it appear ed, could bribe and bully in the fame breath. He had lived fcrty years in the County of Southamp ton, and he would not determine in his own mind who this great and refpetabte man was. To this ex traordinary letter, Major Davis anfwered, that no temptation, no threat thould induce him to give up the letters. All there letters he had feen in the hands of another perfon, antecedent to the Hampfhire Eleaion. Should the Houfe, upon the documents which he had fubmitted to it, think proper that the whole ttanfaCtion fbould go to a Committee, he was confident that be fhould be able to thew, that the inftruEtions iffued from the Barrack Office had been carried into execution. He agreed with the Noble Lord, that the accufati m was of a moll ferious na ; tote. The queflion involved no 1.4. than the Contli ! tution of the Country. It Inch praCtices were allowed, 1 no Member in that Houle would be fecure of his feat. There was n 9 borough, though ever fo herme tically fealed, which would not be reduced under the influence of Government. 'Who was there that would herfo, ward pay the lean attention to the refo !ce lottons t f than Houfe, if loch praCtices were to pals un,,noilhed ? He regretted that the fubjeEt had not fallen into better hands. He would trelpars no longer upon the attention of the Houfe than while he read the letter of the Duke of Chanclos, which produced the &nog refolution of 1799. (In this let • to his Grace recommended that Sir J. Welllalce Should be eletied for the county of Southampton, iu pl,,c e of Sir Simeon S:ewart.) " Compare (fail tl:e Hon. Member) this with the letter and language of the Secretary of the Treafury, and decide which is the grolreft violation of the freedom of cleetion." He conch•ded with fecnnding the motion for referring the Petition to a Committee of Privileges. The motion having been read by the Speaker, after a fhort panfe, Mr. FREEMANTLE role. He expreffed Lis con• fidence, that before he hat down, be lhouid prove to the Hcufe that he had done nothing to forfeit their good opinion. He fruited alfo, that he fhould be able to perfuade the Gentlemen on the cppalite fide, that he was not Co culpable as they fuppafed. The feelings under which he laboured al-Me not from a confcir,ufnefs of guilt, but it was itnpollible, upon a question which to materially concerned his own chat rad..-1, and not only his charatier, but the charac ter and conticieratim of the Government under which aaed, that be thould not be much affeEted. But he relied upon the candour and indulgence of the H tole. Since the fiffclution of Parliament, rumours had prevailed refpeEting the County of Southampton —That thefe rumours were, in every initance, grofsly magnified, and exaggerated, and in f ume wholly on. founded, he was confident be thnnld be abTe to prove balite he fat down. He certainly did complain, and he conceived with very great reaion, that he had not received that attention fr om the Honourable Gen tleman who prefented the petitiOn, which was ufually paid to perfons accufed of crimes in that Houle. He thought this the :nor e extra-srdinary, as he had been long known to that Hon. Gentleman, and was not conlcious of having incurred his aniniakty. He had the plcafure alto of being acquainted with the Hon. Baronet, and was not confcions either of having in curred his atrimofity. There v. al one of the Pe• titioners Oro, a Member of that Houle (Mr. Dent, whom lie did not fee io his place, rimy nhom ire had lately experienced the moil hofpitableentertainment. ft !Vold teem, however, as if he turd invited him for no other purpofe than to fatten and pamper him, and produce him afterwards as a fpeelacle to that Houle. This Petition differed from the Petition ori ginally prepared by the Freeholders—it was one fa bricated within thefe few days, every allegation in which was without foundation. The Honourable Mover and Seconder of the Refolution had not, he would contend, produced the fmalleft proof that Government had committed itfelf fo grofsty and un conflitutionaily- arit was Hated in the Petition. After all the exaggerated Hatements and reports which had been circulated, they could produce only one folitary inttance of the interference of any perfan conflated with the Government, and the proof of that, he would contend, was loch as could not be received by the Houle. A copy of a letter could not be produced in evidence. This was, however, a plea of which he [horrid not take advantage. He would avow the letter, and he called upon his friends to fay, whether he had not apprifed them, that he would produce the original letter when the queflion came' ' to be diftuffed. He had taken fhme pains to pro cure it from Gen. Hewett. It would have been in his power to keep it back, but he (corned to avail himfelf of sny Such fobrerfuge. (1‘ Here the Hon. Member read the original letter, dated Trees'', aastient. apd r marked e o d n e becau f ecnm comm a t r w , i„ . 111 intended trivat a e s ." a ) pu l l t d w ic a l s et f ter m , m no a t rk ed that office. [The letter, as before mentionet, R ate d that the writer would take it as a favo ar if die, rteral Hewett would recommend the members fop ported by Government to Major Davis, the Affolata Barrack_Mafler-General, or any freeholder within hit department.) It had been ftiggeled that he was not a freeholder of the county, and that he conlequently had no right to interfere with the eldlion for H ump , fhire. To this he would reply, that he was a f ree . holder of the county, and that he poffeffed confide. rable property in it. His friends and relations Rift), thofe who were in the habit of confulting and taking advice from him, poffeffed confiderable property ID that county. Was it to be fuppofed, becaufe he was Secretary of the Treafury, that he wa. not to tea.- cife the bed birthright of an Englithman ? He would go a little further, and afk the Member who propof e a, and the Member who fee - tded the motion, whether he was to be disfranchifed becatile he filled an office under Government? The 'Refolution of the House declares, that if any pertim mak-s nie of the influence of office to contront the freedom of it n u n be confidered as a grofs violation of pris.'.ge; but this Refolution (timid be interpreted by the circum (lances which produced it : it IV 4 s naffed to cent efs the difapprobation of the Iloufe of that conduit of a Peer of Parliament, who was at the fame tine the Gorier. nor of a County. *But was there, he would alit, any law to prevent a Secretary of the Tteafury from pro mining Cie views whi,i, his friend might have to the rept-dentition of any bototigh, city, or county. If loch a role was once to be ettablithed, every perfon who happened to hold a place tinder Government would be virtually deprived of all thole privileges which were the proudelt hoed of an Englishman._ Was this, he would afk, confident with that impale tiali:y and juilice, which were among the bets fee.. tures in the Conilitu'ion ? He would now, in addi. tion to the general arguments which' he had adduced to prove the hardthip of difqualifying any man focir cnmftanced as he was from exercifing' a great and v doable privilege, offer other reasons to the Hook for his interference. One of the Candidates (Mr. Thilllethwaite) was his Coufin; ;ma he 11/( all have been grofsly wanting in fair .edirt 6 s, and deficient in every thing that was to be expelled from him, if he had not come forward and fupported his views in the flrongeft manner, provided he did not do it under cover of his public office. He hoped he had laid enough to prove that he hsd thole views from the fir 11. He would now come back to the letter. and afk if there was a tingle expreffice in it, indicating the esercite of any undue influence. What was there to prevent him from applying to Go neral Hewett as a private individual, or to requet him to apply to Major Davis as a freeholder ? With refpeCt to the mighty influence of the Barrack De par tment, he would call upon the petitioners to prove, how the Barrack Mailer, or any one in that Depart. went, could promote the views of any of the Candi. dates ? If he was rightly informed, not a tingle per fon in that department did vote for Mr.Thiltlethwaite or Mr. Herbert. Of this he was certain, that the perfon in queftion, Major Davis, did not. The letter which he had writtai lie had avowed, and he thought there was nothing in it to implicate either him,or the Government under which he was employed. If that (bould he the opinion of the Houle, there - was not, he would maintain it, ary one allegation in the peft tion which could be laid to be fopported. Hiscafe was quite different from that of the Doke of Chanties —That Noble perfon was difqnalified by aiofitire law—( It'o, no, fronifeveral Members). Well then, In a Refolution of that Houfe, from taking any part in an elation. But he, as a Freeholder, labooted under no fuch incapacity. He poffelled a property in that county which qualified him to vote, and be had as good a right to exercife his influence and em ploy his intereil as any other Freeholder. He trbfled he had juftified his conduit as far as he had gone.— He hoped he had laid enough to convince the Houle, that he was both by duty and feeling bound to owe forward and exert whatever interefl he, as an indiri dual. might pads, in favour of thofe with whom he was fo nearly connefled. Having fluted thefe reafons, in jollification of the line of conduit he had purfued, lie trolled that he fhould obtain the indul gence of the Houfe, while he Rated upon what grounds alone he conceived any let of men would be juftified in preferring a petition of the nature of that lying on the table, to Parliament. There were but two cafes, either of which, in his miderflandingof the (obi-R, could be confidered as fuch an exertion rif Minifterial influence, as called for the interference and cenfure of Parliament ; thefe were, the offering of money, or the employment of threats. All other kind of influence, he would contend, it was free fur any perfon holding an s,ffice under Government to . ufe. Mr. Fr eemantle then dated, that he felt ensi• dent and allured there had not beep any the flightelk instance whatever, either in Hams Or any other/Mt in the whole kingdom, of the influence of tfieTtelifury being ufedar the purpofe of unduly carryiag for eleftion, in favour of any particular paron Poore& by Government. If In, was it not eatraordinerythet Inch a Petition as this thould be brought forteird against him—a petition which many people fuppatt w.ss a public one, finned by a large portion of the Freeholders of the County of Southampton; wherein it was a mere private inftrument, furreptitioutly abtl privately handed about to a few individuals, nisfee fent into the county, nor read at any county meeting. and at tall figned only by Ila Gentlemen. In tat county of Hants there were upwards of 6000 votxtei and if filch influence had been 'tikd in violatiOn the right of elation, it would certainly have mat loch an impreffinn on the great body of freeholders , that a much greater numberwould have eagerly pref. fed forward to fign it than there appeared to have. done. It was very true, and he did not with to 'dent -it, that many of thote 'who had figned the petition were Gentlemen of great confequence, fortune, and honour, yet futely it could never fairly be called the petition of the Freeholders of Ham pfbire. Was there a petition from any other part of the kingdom. com plaining of the interference of Government ? Not one ; yet if loch interference had taken place, other Counties or Boroughs, who had hound thernfelves fro aggrieved, would have railed their voices againit it; —but there was only this petition, gm:tided on the tingle folitary fa& agoind him, of having :tied the privilege of a Freeholder in endeavouring, as fuel. to influence Come perfons who happened to be in nub lie fltuations to give their votes gad intereft oa favour