Star. — London, England, 1819-03-05 00:00:00

others were excused. On noticing the absence of Mr. Marmaduke Lawson, Mr. CANNING excited considerable laughter by moving, that Mr. Marmaduke Liwson be taken into the custody of the Serjeant at Arms.—Ordered. Mr. CANNING continued the tear of merriment by •moving, that William Tilney Long Pole Welles ley be taken into the custody of the Serjeant at Arms, on the same accouat.--Orclered. The tames of the Absentees.on the Ballots for the Barnstaple and Beverley Committee, who had not pit appeared or offered excuses, were, on motion, ordend to be called over again to-morrow. BARNSTAPLE ELECTION. Mr. LEY appeared at the Bar, and reported the names of the Gentlemen who had been ballotted fbr to try the merits of the contested Election for the Borough of Barnstaple; viz. James litanallekL, Lord Clive, Hylton Jolilfe, Esq. Marquis of Worcester, Wilson Brady% Esq. Honourable Jocelyn Percy, Honourabk William Bathurst, T. Wood, Esq. Sir T. P. Jones, Hosourable George and Lord Compton, R. F. &woe, Seq. T. V. Medicos, &q. . id William Howe. COALS. Mr. LYGON presented a Petition from Bewd)ey, praying that there might be no alteration of the In land Coal Duties. The Honourable Member expressed a wish to learn from the Chancelior of the Exchequer the intentions of his Majesty's Ministers on the subject. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER de precated any discussion, as there was no regular mo tion to that effect now before the House. But the Right Honourable Gentleman, however, would so far satisfy • the Honourable Member who had just sat *Am as tq sav, that Government had not yet come to any definitive resolution on the subject. . LAMDTON ►poke against the prayer of the Petition, and said that the minds of his constituents were very much agitated on the subject. Mr. DAVENPORT was of opinion, that, if any ilteratioa took place on the Inland Coal Duties, it would prove detrimental to the manufacturers of several counties, and particularly affect them in re gard to the raw material. Mr. MIDDLETON approved of what had fallen from the Chancellor of the,Exchequer, who had de precated any discussion, there being no regular mo tion befoi-e the House. The Honourable Member asked the Honourable Gentleman who had imme diately preceded the last speaker (Mr. Lambton,) whether he intended to move for a Committee of In- quiry before Easter? Mr. LAMBTON certainly had no objection to a Committee, and had on a former evening expressed his wishes to that effect. Not only were his consti tuents in a state of great agitation concerning this question, but vast numbers in other districts. The City of London, therefore, was not the only place , that had cause to complain of the grievances arising from the non•eivalization of Ole coal duties. In 1 1 Sunderland and other towns the mere mention of the Question in Parliament had excited the greatest anxiety as to the result. Many men, the most re spectable for reputation and sagacity, were antici pating a great diminution of paupers in the districts to which they belonged, if the proposed equalization system were adopted. The Honourable Member was favourable to a Committee, because evidence to establish the assertions in support of the new regula tions proposed would be brought forward. Before, however, he resolved on any particular or speedy re solution, he was anxious to hear what were the in- tendons of the Member for Surrey (Mr. Sumner), that Honourable Member having pledged himself to the House on this subject. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER de- dared thAt he should think it his duty to oppose the appointment of a ,:omrnittee. Mr. COURTNEY thought the vast importance of the question 'called for the most ample discussion; but to enter upon it now would be premature. The' , Honourable Member promised, when the proper time arrived, to deliver his sentiments on a proposi tion of such general interest. Mr. SUMNER confessed, that on a former even- ing he had intimated, that if the Members of the City of London continued tardy or remiss in their duty, he would submit to the House .a proposition recommendatory of the alteration. He had no dcubt but that some of the Gentlemen to whom he alluded would come forward on this'occasion ; but if they still remained in a state of silent indifference, he should think it incumbent upon l'im to/fulfil his pro mise, when he hoped for the active assistance of every friend to the measure. He was, however, far from propagating that species of fear and alarm which the Honourable Member (Mr. Lambton) stated as pervading _almost the whole kingdom. The Ho-1 nourable Member's (Mr. Lambtonzeal might appear very laudable to some Gentlemen who were anxious , to annoy Government,by inflaming the public mind, or exciting its indignation. The Honourable Mem ber (Mr. Sumner) continued to condemn any wanton excitation or irritation of the various districts inte- res ted in the question. He was not, like some Gen tlemen, 'eager to inflame the passions of the manu facturers, and bring the whole of them at once upon the House awl the Government. His constituents (of Surrey) conducted themselves with becoming pa. tience and propriety. They suffered the continuance of t h e meas u r e with 44 wonderful apathy." But the Honourable Member was certain, that when the question was fairly before the House, he would then rec eive valuable and convincing evideqce from the persons now described. Mr. WILSON (of London), said. that although the question was not then properly before them, yet he could not help declaring, that he would firmly support the plan for the Equalisation of the Coal D u pes. His Constituents were the chief sufferers f r om the Duties as they now stood; but he hoped that Parliament in its wisdom, would gram them the d et i re d,relief._ Mr. C: CAVERT complained of the great hard ships whith hjiConsiitUents of Southwark endured ' from the heavy Duties on sea-borne Coals. Address ing bi thic if patfefilarly to the Chancellor of the Er r!, said . , that should the Right h onoura bl e • josiat i one w cent i me to oppose the Motion f or t h e ... impo i ntinn ; ei a Committee, he (Mr. Calvert) hoped Aiwa s • !spenence a disapp o i n tm ent similar to Blusters When left •ip minority two tie.. • . • • ,• observed, that the armion of the 1!•- , • this time running lik e wlldf‘re throat d ie K an ufacturing Districts ; he therefore thank t II I I lb I I I I I 111 I I I I I I I I I I l a " JOL iNiAh should be Lord biOt that , various dis cussions which the Catholic Claims had at different 'times undergone, and after the long, able, and power ful statement by his Noble Friend this night, it would not be requisite for him to add another word, but that, he wished to take this opportunity of expressing his approbation of the uniform conduct pursued by the Roman . Catholics. The language of the Petition now presented to the House, was, he understood, plain and simple ; he was informed that it did not enter into a detail of the Petitioners grievances, nor into a profession of their loyalty, for to do so he be lieved was not requisite. Dr. PHILLIMORE thought that the subject of the Petition was so important, that notwithstanding what had been said by his Noble Friend, he hoped he might be permitted to add a few words. The' names subscribed to the Petition now before the iirse were many of them identified with the most brilliant period of our history by their achievements in war and their counsels in peace. Although the descendants of these great men were not at present allowed by the laws to be equally distinguished, yet in times of turbulence and danger they had pursued a uniform attachment to the Constitutioa both in Church and State. He wished that every one who opposed the Catholic claims would read the history of the times when the laws against them originated. 'The cause which produced these laws having ceased the effect also should cease. The necessity for them having ceased, they ought to be removed. It would become Parliament in time of peace to recompence that class of citizens which had faithfully supported the country in the time of its greatest danger.—The Petition was then read. that Parha their duty to tends to irri some ne. Of the most Mr. W. SMITH said, he should be the last man in the House to offer any thing like opposition-to the reception, of this Petition, the prayer of which he hoped would be granted to the fullest extent ; but he had felt himself called on by what had fallen from the Learned Gentleman, to correct a statement made by him, namely, that these petitioners were the only class of people in this kingdom labouring under these or similar disabilities in consequence of their non-conformity in religious doctrines or opinion..— 'This, however, was not the case ; for Dissenters, of which persuasion he himself was, had for many years Nen subject to the Test and Corporation Acts, and hence were equally subjected to these disabilities aqd the obloquy attending them. He was as incapable of holding any civil or ecclesiastical situation as any Roman Catholic ; _the only privilege persons of his persuasion enjoyed which Roman Catholics did not, was that of being capable of sitting in that House.— He wished the Petitioners all the success their appli cation to Parliament merited. • The Petition was laid on the table. DEFAULTERS. The Scutum •T Aims informed the House, that pursuant to the orders of the Stamm, he had taken luck, custody Mr. T. Loso Witutatee and Ms. LAWSOX, in consequence of their being returned absent when their names were called oval. on Friday last.—(A laugh.) Mr. CANNING rose, and tnoved they should be discharged out of the custody of the Serjeant on payment of their fees which.motion was immediately agreed to. LATE WAR IN INDIA.-VOTIC OF THANKS. Mr. CANNING.— 4 , Sir, in rising, pursuant t a notice given some time since, of my intention to pro. pose to the House a Vote of Acknowledgment for the gallant and splendid services rendered to their country by the Marquis of Hastings, the Officers and Troops under his command, during the late Cam paign in India, I wish the House mfectly to under stand, that this vote of acknowleent is proposed merely as a tribute to the military c ond uc t displayed med in that campaign, and not in any wise touching up on, much less sanctioning the policy; which dictated that war. I feel it necessary the more emphatically to state this in the same way, and for the same rea son, that I was particularly desirous the papers laid before this House, by order of the Prince Regent, should be some length of time in the possession of Members, so as to enable them to come to the vote altogether freed from any apprehension that there might be involved in it any distinct approbation of thesolicy of the measures pursued during the late campaign for the safety of the British possessions and those of oar Allies in India. The object therefore of the present motion being to acknowledge the conduct of the army and its gallant officers, and the vote being intended to recognise only military services, I shall proceed to state very succinctly the relation in which the British •Government in India found itself placed towards different Native Powers of that country ; in doing so I may be permitted to express my own opi nions and sentiments as to the policy of the Measures adopted by the Governor-General on that Occasion. I therefore repeat my anxious wish, that the House, in coming to the vote I shall have the honour ti propose, may leave out ar.d dismiss from its consi deration altogether, the preliminary observations with which it may be introduced. My reason for this caution is obvious, and is one of peculiar delicacy. I well know the habit and impression of the House in its mode of appreciating successes obtained by our troops in that quarter of the world. I know well by erpertlmce that, however uniformly successful our military operations in India have been, they have not less uniformly been considered unprovoked. Lcannot •dieine why opinions of this nature have prevailed so generally, or .taken such deep root in the minds of many ; but this I do believe,that iipthis instance, as well as on former occasions, a case might be made out as clear for the justice of the British cause, as for the successful prowess of its arms. In looking at that vast country, which had become in later years the arena of the most splendid successes recorded in his ' tory, and in which our possessions originally con sisted only of a simple factory for purposes of trade, but which had, by successive additions, swelled to the size ofour present immense empire, containing a surface of a million of square miles, and nearly one hundred millions of inhabitants,' the greater part of whom were either actually under the British audio tit', or connected with as by close alliances, it is not , certainly.to be misdeed at, however it may be iv reek% Aut. preitikke, aboaki.have arisen' ageing 1.124 *id, myth .at due Lava establiiluneity lend I , . •..4;c__:- . ...01:iel ~.. .- • l_u - •: . ,facr r . . ...! the noise ohght oat uto -mg we?, a ~,,i ~,,, a.,v ! En loiond, he should I he diecttstioit of the gentian. Henan, ... • I ogligiott 'in so dolng—Cffear, mope CO' aliAli *ibis mind mai :. . : , " ' P obyeTved , in conclusion, dial ct, ct, so firmly, g at be was ready, if called upon, • to to.nionow for *appeal. - . -It ~ and that any disqualification tends 1 r. LITTLETON said, that the numerous Mann- 4te and can be defended ,only by sheaving so] tars whom he represented were not able to bear cessity , for its existence, and that necessity of th mesent Taxes, and conmquently very incapable imperious nature—Wear, hear). -- --.!- ...I.l4;emal Tlnties. Whether a new or an Lord MORPETH said , , that that after the • __ . that the dr/ thi to vote Mr. , facturers wham . the present Taxes, and conseq_ _Ay of bearing additional Dudes. Whether i new or an amended law was in coaXempladon, he thought, in a financial view, the chancellor of the Exchequer ought not to consent to any alteration of the Inland Coal Duties; as it would not only severely affect his Constituents of Staffordshire, but prove very oppres sive to other Manufacturing Counties. The Right Honourable Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Ex chequer) had merely stated, that he would not coun tenance any new Tax; but he (Mr. Littleton) wished the Right HonourAble Gentleman had spoken more definitely on theglubject, in order that the public mind might at once be tranquillized. A New MEMBER affirmed, that the distresses of the Manufacturers in various districts had arrived to an incredible extremity. He•was hostile to any Tax . on Inland Coals. Mr. WAITHMAN professed himself a firnit.friestd to the equalization of Coal Duties. He said that not only the City of London was greatly oppressed by the inequality of the Ditties, but that many places on the banks of the Thames, both in Kent and Surrey, suffered severely. When the question came before the House in a more regular form, he would deliver . his sentiments fully. The Petition for Bewdley W IS then read, and ar. dered to lie oa the table. , . IIZVZRLET ZLECTION. The'following . were reported as the names of the Committee appointed to try the merits of the contes ted Election for Beverley Hon. R. Dundas J. T. Thorpe, Esq. Lord Scfton Lord Viscount Barnard General T. It. Ferguson Feasterly, Esq. IL Power, Esq. /slarquis of Illandford Peter Moore, Esq. Matthew Wood, Esq. lion. T. Pelham J. Browne, Esq. F. St. John, Esq. W. Hondas, Esq. C. Hutchinson, Esq. 3 ROMAN CATHOLIOS OP GREAT BRITAIN. Lord NUGENT presented a Petition from the Ro man Catholics of Great Britain, praying to be re leased from the disabilities under which they at pre sent 'labour, in consequence of the laws enacted against them. His L o rdship, in presenting the Pe tition, observed, that it was signed by upwards of 10,500 names, amongst'which appeared the signa tures of eleven Noblemen and thirteen Baronets. At Vie head of these highly respectable signatures there appeared the name of the Duke of Norfolk, Heredi tary Earl Marshal of England. It was not, he said, his intention at present to inquire what species of re lief would be most desirable, nor indeed was it: very necessary to do so, in consequence of the discussion which this question had already undergone. The language of the petition did not attempt to prescribe the manner of relief—(Hear, hear, hear). It was ex pressed nearly in the same language which had been used when the petition had been presented to the House by great and good men, on former occasions. Incompetent as he acknowledged himself to do jus tice to the subject of the petition, it would at least claim a peculiar and melancholy respect from the memory of those distinguished frienJs whom it had lost. Of these friends to the object of the petition,' the loss of one was recent and generally felt. The last of that distinguished'class of men to whom Mr. Elliott belonged is now no more—.(Hear, hear, hear). To him the late Mr. Wyndham left the claims of this long-suffering class of people as a bequest. And here his Lordship observed, that an uninterrupted suc cession of distinguished Statesmen, from Mr. Elliott to Mr. Burke, and to Sir G. Saville, had opposed the persecuting system of laws which had been enacted against the Roman Catholics; and he hoped that their claims would shortly be brought' forward by a Gentleman to whom the subject might be said pecu liarly to belong. He trusted that at Tie very distant period, th .t Honourable Member (meaning -Mr. Grattan,) would be heard pleading not only the cause of his own country, but of Great Britain-.(Naar). After noticing the moderate tone and temper evinced by a patient though long suffering and spirited peo ple, his Lordship observed, that no good could arise; but, on the contrary; much evil from the fatal policy of attempting to make terms with Parliament, or from a negotiation between such persons as the peti tioners and Parliament. He thought that the prin cipal consideration for Parliament on the subject of the petition would be to remove the political disqua lificauons and religious obloquy under which the Catholics labour. As for the Religious scruples of the Catholics, he conceived them to be opinions for which man is responsible to GOD alone, and to his own conscience—(ther, hear). sach scruples acting severely against the Catholics as they do, afforded the best test of their sincerity in the oaths which they were willing to take--(Neer, hear). Political dis qualifications pursued the Catholics to the privacy of domestic life, and marked them out as a cast distin guished from their fellow-countrymen for some suspi cious, because unknown, imputation. They were thus reduced to the state of aliens in their native country. The refusal of the Roman Catholics to conform to our established faith was at least a proof of their sincerity, ana he could not conceive a nobler or more interesting spectacle than that of the English Ro, man Catholics, although doomed to move in the nar row sphere within which the lawll have placed them. What is the period of our history to which we should refer as a proof of their disaffection ? Never were they wanting in their allegiance except when groan ing under the pressure of severe and unjust laws.' He should refer even to the reign of Elizabeth for a proof of their chivalrous attachment to their coun try. At that time Lord Effingham, who comman ded the fleet, Lord Howe, who held the frontier of England against Scotland, and Lord Pembroke, who held Pembroke Castle, were all Roman ' (Hear, hiar).—lt should be remembered that Magna. Charta was obtained by Catholics, and that the De claration of- Rights itself was but a declaration of rights which had previously been obtained by Ro man Catholics. In presenting the Petition astbst of the Catholics of Ragland, be masted It node: that title because their condition dilated ftein that of their brethren in Irabutd. He hoped that ha t not barisistindentooderaithiatelatv ff - of tugliaid yressated ' theft ftblfi• distiast fags that some should represent its increase to the consequence of a spirit of syste mat i c , =lent and ambition. Yet, as long as I have any thing of the history of that country, rr as she has been under the controul of Pa authority, I am perfectly persuaded it very easy task to exculpate the British from any such charges. Notwithstanding that of the Powers, with whose interests ours on some octasions clashed, were hot the Sovereigns of ,the States which they governed were raised to that situation by conquest or ful usurpation, it has for some time been eipedient to repress the disposition which vemor-General might entertain of enl,- minions in that part of the globe, and ~• -t , has been exercised in a great mea sure by P:i At no period of the History of that Parliamentary and recorded Acts been me.; ground of instruction to the Government of In the wishes of the Legislature of the Crillnti r ca important head: in a greater degree, than • Marquis of Hastings left this country for mein. It is only justice to the Noble Lad succeeded (the Earl of Buckinghamshire) in ( E ce state, that he had been peculiarly vigilant in enforcing the line of forbearing polic' recommended by ParlilmPtit, with thing like invasion of the territories Powers, and had repeatedly drawn that Government from views of , tion to the mote solid advantages of , ment in the natural resources of that and fruitful country. To such exp.. •constantly added my own, if not with ability, at least with equal sincerity This, I trust, will thew that there 1 of attention to a subject so often i liament as the first duty of those management of our Indian territory therefore, for years, has been, to ac-' aggressioh of the different Asiatic views of inordinate ambition. Thi General, even supposing for a moment disposition, had not the power to pursue aggression ; and hence we find, that the breaking out of the late campaiy the Government of India were tied cise of the military power, except the defence of our territories, in case gression, which was precisely the - tack made on our territories by power or force so extraordinary anomalous, necessary to take up a moment in - ' nature and resources. From the ch.': her of this force, their irregular constit meat, and mode of attack, I confess surprised at the extent of the prepay: had been considered necessary to milk their attacks. Their force - did not sist•of more than from thirty to 1 gular and irregular cavalry, which reinforced from the deserters of Powers or others of loose habits, v•ho by promises to adopt a lawless and of life. They were altogether inc warfare, destitute of any religious or and composed, in fact, of vagabonds the refuse of the troops of the Nati: their character and dissoluteness incapab, ful habits. Their mode of equipment and their arms of an offensive nature, 0 ever, a dangerous and destructive description quick to fly or commence a harassing and warfare. Of such a force it was difficult any speculative idea that the injuries sibly inflict would be so serious as' vemor of India to commence a war _ rent magnitude in India as must naturalli tranquillity of that country, by exciting or apprehension of the Native Princes But hostilities were now rendered hies' ries of positive injuries inflicted on vines by the Pindarries, which, if they noticed or suffered to go unpunished Government in India, must have given the Native Princes in alliance with Government with an inattention to terms, and a neglect of itstaramount hear.) The success of the incursion duties into the Presidency of Bomt another in the following year, accomp. species of outrage and 'extortion, which them to undertake another in • 'sir deny of Madras, left no hope of atrocities to the Government of India, sing the discretionary power with whit. vested in extraordinary cases, and repelling tacks by arms, without waiting for commence operations and chastise from Great Britain. Fortunately the inactive season, usual in those countries, the Government of India to receive that authority for the intended war , hesitation in the Governor General': sanction of the Government at ,home ment in preparation. The papers on ti detail to you a statement of atrocities, and cruelty, which accompanied the too shocking to relate to-the House ; that rapine, rape, conflagration, and mit merely the accoppamments of that sion, but the regular. mode adopted by ' invaders to heighten the horrors of any shape, must be appalling to the pelation of an invaded country. It will with pity and indignation, that such • of the females in the villages likely the Pindarries, that they voluntarily 1. in the wells of the country—that fathers bands, well aware of the brutal ferocity 'waders, surrounded their dwellings other combustible matter, and entering ling, intended as their protection ' 'waited in gloomy anticipation the enemy, when they immediately set aerials, and consigned themselves and [ lies to a shocking though voluntary Whole villages were rataged, as it brutal gratification of inflicting misery helplessness, and age; and if it were to add to such melancholy details any , calculation of eitimated loss, it might be this invasion cost not less in the s these persons properties than one million h lideesl nth *iirtitt elect of these reuse to ha ve stematic entr e ,. ; g as I hav e k lo . :ountry, rir as 1 of Parliam ded it woull 3ritish Gcvern, standing that • is ours mu sk? ' hot the lqi.• they gover ne d , inquest or s us , ne been con_, ion which a,: f erlarczi ng , and eat . >tire by that coiti-,; :t . is been nment of in,lia z the countir ca nee, than vi ez ttry for tit G o oloble Lord se, x , t ,. mshire) in °Ek e , vigilant and 5 ,,: policy so 5.t:071 ith respect to a e , s t i es of the Na rn the attentira territorial .acq: • • 3f internal impo tat hopp;ly sit rpottulations with equal zed . verity and has been no ..vi inculcated by P 4 intrusted with tory. Our 'void, int:Tri o n ; 2 1 ig 'rowers, lad al te.iiidiati Govern er omett he had pursues Cmuse tat upon the :sign, the hrls d up from anv uo- : so far as regarded vase of foreign a t . case in the late a: the Pindarri nomalous, that it is a explaining the: :haracter and non. onstitution, equip. afess I was at' first paratkvs which it male for repelling ; at any time con• forty thousand re• s were occasionally the other Native :o wese encouraged cl predator) course apable cf regular or moral restraint; .ds and marau,:e:l, tive Princes, fr.:a icapable of peace. meut being light, re, they were, how. lescription of force, ling and desultory ifficult to entertair ies they could pop to induce the Go. it of such an app• sturally hazard the citing the jealousy ices (Hear, hear!) inevitable by a se. s our Indian pro they had been im- bed by the British i given occ har cunt duty—tHeiff, made by the Pin- e ion v: that :o the general nbay in 1811, and smpanied by every which encouraged 16 into the Presi- f repressing these lia, but in nerd- which it was ia• repelling these at- ir a permission to these aggressions he interval of that untries, permitted from this country var, which left nu l's mind as to the ime to the arena- on the table will cities, barbarities, e invasion cf 1816, ; suffice it to say, and murder, were that lawless inva. these barbaross If that which, in he defenceless pa will there be r(ad Is was the terror 0 clfyrawtt hidoti rt befathers visited of themselves wfaocthesehaui r .n b d tering that 4 101 ' ' and their tomb, ::dfi e innocent to a r P l P l w o :th en ch er a f m ni tl i e : m r eai riy d yn e o jo a , I ht we r e,h at ngd foro l s Ir. r e:: t ie I : : e• i ht be added, that wanton waste 01 Union sterling.-- tidings Ott 1h.6 F 1 6, ,' iig 1 1 : t l l° • ~• ~, 0111,0