Star. — London, England, 1807-02-10 00:00:00

FALSE ALARMS ; or, MY COUSIN. juft putsllfised. by CLRM [NTS , and Co. No. a 6, Cbeapfide, rpig MUS,T.O in the above OPERA ; compofed by M. M. P. Nino. Price Twelve pAIt.y.;.4 , ;.MTARr I'RGCE&LMTGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, FEB. 9. The Bithop nt Glouceita took the oaths and his feat. The Grain Intereourfe bill was read a third time and paired. ltijh "Frearkyr Bi!!a Bill, the Seamen and Soldiers' Seduc tion sill. the Ir.s Gun•powder importation Bill, and the Canada j Yaro Bill were read a f•cond time. and commi•ted for eo-morrow.j Is4r. !late, from the Bauk of England, prefented an Account ' of the Expenditure of the Commiffioners for the ReduCtion of the National Debt for one Year, ending the 31ft of Jat.uary tBa7. Ordered to lie on the Table. .On the motion of Lord LAUDERDALE, a return was order ed to be made forthwith to feveral Orders of the Ht ate, diredted lab, &Mous to the Clerk of the Court of 'Fiends, in Scotland; and he was further ordered to traufatit a lift of the proceffes in- Ritoud M the raid Court fince the tit of January, t8.:6, with the dates and amount of the prec,eillng annteutations of flipeods in the refptelve cafes. SLAVE TRADE. Lord WA LSING HAM brought up the Report of she Bill for the A's. , litir.n of the Sl.tve Trade. Lord GRENVILLE Rated that it had been found More advifeable to fir the fame pet rod in all the claufes of the Bill for the Ab liti lt of the Trade, namely, the In of May nett:, and to introduce a provifo, allowing • veffels employed in the Trade, which had cleared nut from the ports of this country for Africa pre. virus to that day, to complete their cargoes in Afri ca astd ttade with them to the Well Indies, until the ta of January 18°8, at which period the trade Ihould be finally abolilbed. He alto thought it advifable, in order to obviate any objection with refped to the crinfiruelion of the general words of the Bill, to in troduce words for the purple of limiting its ope ration to Africa, the Well Indies, and other puts of America—his Lordihip propofed amendments in the claufes of the Bill to the effect he had hated, and it.rne verbal amendments, which were all agreed to. The provifo introduced on Friday was (truck out, and another proprled by the Noble Lord, allowing lieffils which thoulil have cleated out from the ports of this country for Africa, previous to the ift of May next, to take in their lading in Africa, and trade with their cargoes to the Well Indies until the IR of January 1808. Lord REDESDALE fuggelled, that as the lofs of a veifel, or other nnavnidable accident might pre itcp.t the atriwal of a cargo from Africa in the Weft Indies within the time limited, it might be advifeable to mike an exception for filch a cafe. Loud GRENVILLE raid, that the pet iod of the it of January, tScS, had been fixed upon for the porpnft of making i.n amply fuffici;nt allowance of time for the voyages to be completed. He had no obje&on, however, to the introduCtion of words for the purpofe of providing for the occurrence of cir cumstances, inch as thole mentioned by the Noble ..nd Learned Lord. After a thou converfation between Loris Redef dale. Grenville and Earl Stanhope, it was agreed to introduce s.Or..,is, excepting from the operation of the Bill, thole cafes where the voyage to the Well Indies could not be completed within the time limit ed, on account of capture, • the lois of the veffel, or ciher unavoidable accident, the proof of which to lie on the patty. On the queilion for engrofling the Bill, The Bithop of LONDON laid, he had intended to deliver his fentin,ents on this meafure on the fecond reading, but had di-dined 'on account of the number of 'other Lords, who were anxious to deliver their feritirneros upon that accalion. He would not now re peat• the arguments which had been already urged in fupport r f the Bill. but would confine himfelf to a point which bad rrt hitherto been touched upon, he alluded to the improvement in the moral and religi oui 'nate of the negroes in the Wen Indies, which woold be effected if this Bill was paired into a law. `There were•at prefent about 500,000 negroes in the Weft. Indies; whole moral and religious inflruttion had been hitherto totally neglected, and who were all either Pagans or Mahometans. In the ifland of Ja- Yo aita, there were abont 250,000 negroes, and not more than 22 parochial clergy, a number totally in adequate to inllruft iuch mils of aegro population in •their moral and religious duties. When, how ever, this meafure lbould have paired into a law, it would' become the intereft of the 'planters to provide tofthe moral and religious inntufticin of their flares, in order to put an end to that promifcuous intercourfe of the ft.xes, which was at prefent fo prevalent among them - , and which was fo great an enemy to the in creafe of population. His Lordfbip concluded, by pronouncing an . t.P)quent panegyric upon the mea lure before the Houle. The Earl of St. VINCENT expreffed his apple henhons, that in abnlithing the Slave Trade, we ihoold give a boon to France, who, on a peace tak ing place, might turn it to the greaten advantage, in increafirig her trade, and extending her colonial fyf. tem; which would be prOportionably injurious to this country. He wifhed to admonifh their Lord. hips with refpee to the coufequences of this meafure, and he trufled they would ferinuily confider whether it world hot in its effeEt'be a furiender of the great en advantages to France. The Bill was ordered to be engraed, and to be read a thi:d time to morrow. ADMINthTRATION OF JUSTICE TN SCOTLAND. _ _ Lord (:RI VILL.R, iii conf;quenct of tome Noble Lords be irg unlble to attend on Thurfday. timed that he fhould poltpone hti. , aiiig in the iiiterded Bill refpeding the Admiuiftration of Juitice ut Scotland, until Monday rest. sidjoutu6d ttU to morrow (this day ) HOUSE OF COMMONS. A NiTefrage from the Lords informed the lioufe that their Lord- Q,tp• had , K r,?.. to the Gr.,in Intercomie Bill. I I,: Aecomita from the Treafuret4 of the Counties in Ireland, Of the fur• pr.:Anted by the Gravel Jr-Tt.ri-s for the four Taft years, w. re -In up purfuant to an order of the ran account' was alto brought up frnm the l3 , nk of the Sums v. tiers there during the Taft quarter by the Comsniffioners fur the ke 4 .le!ion of the National Debt. The SOI ICI fOR GENERAL brought in the Bill for making creAold atzs Acts for the Fraymtot of Creditors: ' he Bill WI, read a tirft time, and ordefed to be 'reed zt fecood time to nt•,rrow fe'nnight he further co . fitlervion of the Rtport of the Committee on the T it; mcs Polk! ltilt wa, End for Wetlii4day neat. sin the Mntion of v'r. HOBHOUSE. Me Order for the feeond reading of the Land-Tax Commillionera hid was polipoutel from the 17th Filitary until the 3d m Ntriareit. he jr. CRhTAU Y 'a: WAR iirought.up a return of the effec tive f u m e of t h e iar t ie. , •erdployed upon the recr..iiting fersice—.-as rib of tile rat r of'reciuit's railed ninthly; diftinguifhing thole •ebteh enlifted from the home fcrvice, ,end alfa an account of the I...inba of dar,ruusts. • On the Motion , of qtr. JOHMTOIO, no account was order, ad of the Income and Charges of the Confolidated Fund, from 04 sth,of January IMO, to the sth of January tBo7. The Order of the Day for the further confileration 0/ the Re pot; of the Committee on the Petition of the Sierra Leone Com pany was poftponed till to-morrow. Mr. UARHAM reported from the Committee appointed to try the Plymouth Elcdtion, that the fitting Members were duly defied. OAX BARE RILL. Sir CHARLES PRICE pi - dented a petition from the Curriers, Sadlers, Coach-makers, Shoe-makers, and other workers in lea ther, of the City of London. agalnft the Oak Bark Bill. Similar Petitions were prefented from the 'fanners of the Coun ties of Suffolk, Cumberland, Weftosoreland, Oxford, and Dur ham, and from the Tanoets in the vicinity of Scarborough. Tide feveral Petitions were ordered to lie on the Table till the fecond reading of the Bill. On the Motion of Lord TEMPLE, the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Oak Bark Bill was poftponed for a fortnight, in order that the Committee might confider whether ;t was to re concile the principle of it with the feelings of the perfons concern ed in the Leather Trade. IRISH GRANTS. SI rJO HN NEWPORT prefc.nted Petitions from the Governors of the different Charities in Ireland, which are fupported by Par liamentary aid, praying for the ufual Annual Grants. He alfo moved for, and afterwards brought up Eftimates of the Expence of the Proteftant Charter Schools, the Houle of Induftry, Foundling Hofpital, and the other Public Charities which are fup ported in chat country by Parliamentary Aid. Sir JOHN NEWPORT silo gave notice, that it was his inten tion to move for an additional grant to provide proper accommo dation for the Matters in the Roman Catholic College of May noo:h..-and alfo, that he fbould move for an additional fum of scoot. to be given to the Dublin Society, to enable them farther to extend to the interior put of Ireland, the advantages that have refulted to the Agriculture and ManufaCtures of the Country, from that inftitution. He alfo gave notice that he fhould move .. to-morrow for leave to bring in a Bill for the bettezcolleCtion of the Duties on Auetions. NEW FINANCIAL SYSTEM. The CHANCELL.OR of the EXCHEQUER called the atten tion of the Houfe to the fubjed of the propofed difeufilon on the Refolutions which, force that time lime, he had the honour of propofing to the Houfe, refpeding the new Syftem of Finance, and which he had then fuggefted thould be taken into farther confider ation on Wednefday next---he bad not recolledted that it would be Atti Wednefday, and a day on which the Houle did not ufually fit. As, however, no material inconvenience could arife from poft potting the difcuffion to a fubfequent day, and giving the Houfe farther time to confider the fubjed—mindful that Thurfday was a day appointed for a ballot, and the t Friday was alfo appropriated for another difeuffion, he ihould, with the leave of the Houfc, move to difcbarge the Order for Wednefday, and to pottpone it to Monday next ; which was accordingly ordered. RECRUITING. Sir JOHN DOYLE moved for an Account of the Number of Mcn for whom Bounties were charged as =lifted at the head quar ters of Regiments, from the asth September to the 34th ut De cember 1806—Ordered. The Cape of Good Hope Trade Bill was read the (mond time, and committed for to morrow. SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE. Lord TEMPLE moved, that the Adt of the Bth of Queen Anne, cap. al. for incorporating the South Sea Company, and giving them the estclufive rrivilege of trading to the South Seas, be now read.--Read accordingly. Lord TEMPLE then obferved, that as the South Sea Com pany, by this Ad, were entitled exclufively to that trade, and as, to confequence of that AEI, all Britiftt trade to Soues America was illegal, he mould, to-morrow, move for leave to bring in a Bill to emend the AEI of Queen Anne, and further to confirm the Right of the South Sea Company. IRISH ELECTION!• Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved the Order of the Day for going into a Committee on the Adt for amending the silth of the King, (called the Grenville Ad), for regulating the Trial of Cootefted Eleetions for Ireland. A fter tome obfervatlons from Mr. BAaev and Mr.WAYyNxe, the Houfe went into the Committee, and the Bill was ordered to be reported to morrow. THI ILECTION LAWS. Mr. SIMEON rote, purfuant to notice, to move for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the Aft of the 28th of the King, for the Regulation of the Trials of Controverted Eleaions, commonly called the Grenville A& As to the At in general, he was as fenfible as any man of the good effeas of it, 2nl of the merit that was due to the author. He hoped, therefore, no Gentleman in the Houle would for a moment fuppofe that he bad prefumption or confidence enough to endeavour to (hake the founda tion of that falutary Aft, or even to alter it in any of its molt important provifions. He did not mean to tibjea at all to the foundation or the general prin ciples of that Bill, but to fubmit to the confedera tion of Parliament, whether it could not, in one refpeft, be altered for the better. The judicature which that Aft had pointed out to try and determine the merits of Elation Petitions, confilted of either fifteen, fourteen, or thirteen Members. In the cafes of the numbers being fifteen or thirteen, it was evi dent that the votes could not be equal, and therefore there was no pollibility of that thing happening which he thought thould be preyented, namely, the Chairman of the Committee giving a double vote.— The Grenville At appointed, that when the num bers were equal, the Chairman thould have the cat ling vote, which gave him in tome cafes two voices. He voted firft as a Member of the Committee, and then, in cafe of an equality of votes, he afterwards gave his calling voice. This, however, only could happen in the cafe of the Committee confifling of fourteen, and dividing equally. Such a cafe had lately occurred in the Committee for trying the Ma/den Petition, and it 'was by the calling voice of the Chairman of the Committee fo given, that the merits of the Elation were decided. It (truck him forcibly, that 'this was an advantage which ought not to be given to the Chairman of the Committee. There was no analogy in favour of veiling this right of voting twice in the Chairman. In the Houfe of Commons, the Speaker has no vote, unlefs to deftroy an equality. In the other judicatures of the country, When the Judges were equally divided, nothing was done, and there was no example in any of the judi crures of the country of one pais haying a double voice. He thought it would be the better way, that the Chairman of the Committee &wild not he per mitted to vote, except in cafes of eqtiality. He was generally the perfon whom the Committee fele/led on account of his experience, his talents, and thole qualifications which raife a man to refpea among his equals. His voting might produce an unfair bias or influence on the minds of the reit of the Committee. He thought it was not light to ltultify the other mem- bers of the Committee, by giving fuch extraordinary privileges to the Chairman, and it therefore appeared to him, that it would be right to' follow the analogy of the other judicatures, and not allow the Chairman a calling voice, or elle not to allow him to vote at all unlefs the numbers lhould be equal. As thefe ob fetvations had been Itrungly impiefled on his mind from the recent occurrence in the Malden Cominit tee, he thought it was his duty to bring the fubjefl before the confederation of the Houle, and with that view, he moved for leave to bring in a Bill to that ale& ' ' • • •. • Mr. BANKES thought that it would be greatly • better to let the law liana as it is at prefcnt. In tit, cafe of there being fouttetu Members in the Corn snittee, by the law as it now Rands, a determination can he atained; but, by the alteration propnled by the Hun. Member, either there mutt he no decifirm for want of a calling voice, or elfe the Chairman was to be deprived of the right of voting. The general object of the law was to put a flop to litigation: that obje& would be defeated, if the fiat remedy i rroprfed was agreed to, as then there would be no de.cition ; and as to the mode of preventing an equality, by not allowing the Chairman to vote, it would appear unjult to deprive that man, feleeted by the Committee for his fuperior knowledge, of the privilege' enjoyed by ' all the other Members. Thinking that the law was better as it now flood, he could not agree even to granting leave to bring in a Bill of the nature men , timed by the Honourable Gentleman. Mr. WYNNE agreed perfealy with the arguments of the lift fpeaker. For the left thirty years, there was no complaint or fulpicion of any Committee hav ing aced through partiality, or of any Chairman having given his calling voice through any improper motives. If the Honourable Gentleman was to take his analogy from that Houfe, he (hould alfo carry it fo far as to fay the Chairman fhould not give any opinion, for fear of inP.ueacing the Committee, al though it was for the benefit to be derived from his talents and experience that he was feteded as Chair man. The advice and opinion of the Chairman al ways had confiderable weight, and he could fee no reafon why he fhould :rat have a vote as a Member, or who was more fit to give a calling vote, in cafe of equality. The ATTORNEY GENERAL thought, that no inconvenience could arife from the law as it nlw Rands, but that a ferinus inconvenience would refult from depriving the Chairman of the calling vote, in cafe of equality. Suppofing the Committee con fated of fourteen Members, and were divided feven againft feven, he could fee no manner of reafon why the feven who were oppofite to the opinion of the Chairman, fhould determine it in preference to the feven which included the Chairman, efpecially as it was allowed that the Chairman was generally a man feleßed from the opinion of his fuperior talents or judgment. This would be the cafe if the meafure propofed by the Hon. Gentleman were to be adopted. as when the Chairman was prevented from voting, the numbers would be feven to fix. He therefore thought that it would be much better, in fuch a cafe, that the feven, among whom the Chairman was in cluded, fhould have the determination in fuch a cafe. As the only objed of the Bill moved for was to alter the law in this refpet, and as he thought it better as it now Rood, he mull oppofe the motion. Mr. SIMEON, teeing the fenfe of the Houfe againll him, obtained leave to withdraw his motion. Lord FOLKSTONE then moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Paid Ad in another point. He hoped that the Houfe would not be prejudiced againft his motion, on account of the decifion of the lift. The part of the Glenville Ad which he wifhed to amend, was that which related to the notices to be given to the parties petitioned againft, of the recog. zances entered into on the part of the petitioners. By the refolutions of the Houle, notice muff be given to the party in the courfe of thirty days after the peti tion, but in a very remarkable cafe which lately oc curred, (the Dublin Petition) the petitioners were not able to find Mr. Grattan to ferve him with fuch notice until the period was near expired. A number of petitions were frufirated, for want of petitioners being acquainted with the forms prefcribed by the orders of that Houfe : he therefore thought it was neceffary to give thofe forms more publicity, by hav ing them prefcribed by a pofitive Ad of Parliament. For this purpofe, he moved for leave to bring in a bill. Mr. WYNNE oppofed the motion. He did not fee that any pradical good was propofed from it, as the Noble Lord prof - died nothing more than to fubßitute an At of Parliament in the place of the orders and refolutioas of that Houfe. It did not appear that any man, or body of men, that came to that Houfe as petitioners, had a right to alledge that they were entirely ignorant of the orders and refolutions of the Houfe upon thofe fubjeds. It was their duty to have made themfelves acquainted with them. The refolu tions of the Houfe of Commons, in this refpel, were already recognized by the Grenville Ad, and he had heard no arguments that coula at all convince him that that Ad was not fuffiCient. The motion of Lord FOLKSTONE was then ne gatived. FUNDED PROPERTY OF FOREIGNERS. Mr. BANKES rote. He by no means wifhed to conceal the purpofe to which his motion was directed, namely, to render the document for which he meant now to move, the ground of a fubfequent motion on a future day, fimilar to that which be had made lark year, for fubjeding Foreign Property to the fame im polls as wtre paid by Britifh fubjeds. After all that he had heard urged in the former difcuffion on this fubjea, and every thing lie could learb, or that had occurred to his reffedion fince, fo far was he from changing the opinion he then held, that he found it confiderably lirengthened. Foreigners,, in placing their money in the Britifh funds, did it with no view to compliment this country, but for their own pri vate advantage; he therefore could not fee the jullice of exempting Foreigners, who were the proprietors of Stock, from the fame charges as were exalted from the fubjeds of the realm, who moreover, contributed their portion to every other fpecies of taxation for the common defence. Betides, it was pretty clear, that if Foreigners confidered themfelves unfairly treated, 'or materially injured, by abolifhing the exemption, they would make pretty good ufe of their time, before fuch a meafure could be brought to maturity, and take the neceffary precautions to avoid it. Independently of any meafure which he might found upon the document (to which, however, he would sot now pledge himfelf, as he would be in a great meafure governed by the degree of likelihood he might hereafter find, of fuppo r t), the paper itfelf would afford ufetul ind neceffary information to the Houk, as it would thereby be enabled to fee the ezat extent of the lots which the public Mains by the exemption. But even though he might be induced to bring forward his meafure, and mould not have the good fortune to filcceed, he Rill fhould not con fider himfelf as having ailed in vain, or that it was not good policy to bring forward again and again, though continually dcfcat:d, meafures, which having truth and juttice for their.' balls; would, by repeated dircuf4con, as in many important inftances within the • c A a c t u c n i i i7n s t: h o a i n p ci r , e (f) c: : by ° G I nf i vh e ien r a e ° t r i t aft.:n S i India and South Sea Stock, mhi,:h were errm,:tei from the Property Tax, as belonging to Foreigners, up to the tith of January, r 507. The CHANCEL 1.0 It of the ExciirTjEßhai noobjeaton to the mr , tion of the Hon. Gentl emar, conceiving, as he did, th at t h e H ,n. Mcmber and . the Houle had aright t.r the produaion of the docu.l ment moved for. It was, however, poliible th e count might not be made up to the nrecife day named in the Hon. Gentleman's motion ; but up to late!! period for which it could be made nut, ther e would be no objeaion to comply with the motion . The Hon. Ge: tleman had bean pleated to fay, that with reined to the meafure he had in contemplatioa for abolifbing the Exemptions of the Funds bdvin g . ing to Foreigners, from the Property Tax, he h i d not changed the opinion he held laf year. He (LI H. Netty) could alto declare, he taw no reat , ia to alter the fentintents he had then exprefred, f or h t was fill thoroa, , ,lily convinced, as far ash& teat; now advifed, that no laving which could be deified I I abolithing the exemption, could compenfate for tk e indirea mifchief which would accrue from the meafar e in other ways. it was unnecefrary farther to difeaf t the fubjea now ; if, however, the Hon. Gentlen 4 should be induced to bring forward his pronaifed Pure, he fh , uld endeavour to fupport the opinion be hinifelf entertained as to its total inexpediency. B t though lie might differ mom the Hon. Gentlemen, with refpea to this particular point, he petfealy eon. currtd with him in the general principle, that it was good policy to bring forward, again and again, mu. lures that were really wife and" falutary, notwith. Randing repeated failures ; for he wascqually m i n df u l with the Hon. G ent l ema 44 of the many important inaances there were to prove the good p.‘licy of f;ich perfcverance, from its ultimate luccefi; and Le trolled that befr re the prefent Seflion of Parliament lly.uld pats away, fome other important inaances wouldhe added. The motion was then put, witb the amendment "to the hut period for which the fame can be made out," and carried in de affirmative.—Adjourned. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY to. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK: Confuis, money, 6: if —for Feb. 6aff —Omnium 6f prem.. Exchequer Bills, par to is. dif PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Long Ann. zit 11-16 India Bonds, 3s. a 41 Pram- Exch. Bills, is. dif. par Conrail; for ore; 6lif Bank Stock 219 3 p. Ct. Red. Ann. 6z if 3 per C. Conf. An. 61i 63 61t 4 per Cent. Sri} 5 per Cent. Navy, 95if This day a Mail arrived from Lifbon, brought ts Falmouth by the Townfend packet in nine days.— When the packet failed rumours, fimilar to thole which have been circulating to the northward, welt current at Liffion. It was reported, and generally believed, that the French Charge d'Affaires had received accounts from France of the grand army in Poland having been defeated by the Rufliaus.- 1 , The date mentioned was not the 26th December, but the sth and 6th . of Januttry. That reports prevail in France of NatoLtoss hay. ing fuffered a defeat, comes to us in fuch a variety of ways that we cannot doubt fuch is the general bnlief in that country ; but we apprehend rhefe rumours are more to be attributed to a convidion that the bulletins, which claimed a vietory over the Ruffians on the 26th December, were fallacious, than to any accounts received of events that may have taken place fubfequent to that date. The Mallets of two neutral veffels detained and fent into Plymouth by the Snap-Dragon privateer, with fah, from a port in France, Rate, that all the troops from the fea coati are ordered to march into the interior of France, to replace thofe troops thas are marched from thence to join BONATALTE in Po land ; and, from the converfation, which, though guarded, prevailed in the cabarets in the port they left, it was fuppofed that fome ferioua dilater had happened to the French army in Poland, but of what nature they could not learn. A veffel which left Fluffiing about four days flue, has brought accounts, which confirm what we bled about ten days ago, that the whole of the regular forces have been marched from Holland. They add, that there troops have been marched into the Heflian territory, in confequence, as it is laid, of the alarming progrefs of the infurreCtion, which has broken out in that Elettorate, as alto on account of the inefficiency of the laft levy of French copfcripts. We learn from Chatham, that tome French pat). ners,lately captured,flate that NAPOLEON had return• ed to France, or was very fhortly expeeled to return, and that preparations were making at Boulogne for his reception, on a projeCted vifit to the coaft. This however may have been merely rumour, for a report in fubliance the fame as the firft part of this Rate• merit, was mentioned in letters from the Continent three weeks ago. Thefe prifoners Rate, that on the loth or 2 tfi of laft month, the guns of the batteries of Boulogne, Ambleteufe, Vinfereus, &c. were fired in token of rejoicings for a %iaory obtained over the Ruffians-- This mutt have referred to the pretended victory of the 26th December. A Gentleman who lately quitted France, informt us that the condition of the inhabitants, of the sgri culturias more particularly, is deplorable. The al molt utter extinction of commerce has had the effca of IRsvcring the prices of the effential commodities cf life to filch a degree, that the houfehold loaf of B lbs. fells for 6 fell; (3d.), and a bottle of wine for I tot :one halfpenny). POliti ca l ar i t hM et iciaq may draw