Star. — London, England, 1819-03-23 00:00:00

the year 1816, upon the state of the Police in this Metropolis ; also with copies ofthe first, second, third, and sixth Reports, made by the Committee of 1817- 18, on the same subject. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved, tit* the Lords' timesavers be called in, and acquainted, that for so much of their message as re lated to a copy of the Police Committee's Report of 1816; and also tO` copies of the first, second, and third Reports of the Committee of 1817-18, the House would send a messenger of its owl to them. The Messengers were then called in, and after being so informed by the SIIALIR, withdrew. Mr. BROUGHAM said, that he held in his hand a Petition from several persons, now in New South Wales, praying permission to prefer certain com plaints before that Honourable House against Go vernor Mafquarrie, presiding over that Settlement. In compliance .with the wishes expressed to him by several Gentlemen, he (Mr. Brougham) had delayed bringing forward this Petition some days. He new gave notice, that he should to-morrow prese9t it. Dr. PHILLIMORE rose to move that the order of the day for the second reading of the Marriage Act Amendment Bill be postponed until Friday next. He had intended to have again brought this Bill, which was to amend the Act of the 26th George 11. for the prevention of Clandestine Marriages, before the House this day; but to meet the convenier.ce of a Right Honourable Gentleman John Nicholl, we believe), he had been induced to postpone it till Friday.—Ordered. PENRYN ELECTION. Mr. ATKINS WRIGHT moved that the order of the day upon the Penryn Electicn be now read. He begged to call the attertion of the House to the in• structions and report of the Committee appointed to inure into that subject t. and moved that the Reso- Ltioits before the House be read a second time. ' The Clerk proceeded to read the Resolutions; the first of which was, that it did appear to the Connnit tee• that Henry Swann, Esq. had bein guilty of bribery during the last election for the Borough t,f l'erzyn, a:-.d had therefore become disqualified to serve ir. the pte3ei.t Parliament. A ME7.f2I-It was proceeding to make some. objec tions against titc. pa:g,irig of au Act, .pursuant to the Resolutions, n•hen Lord EA GI! rose to order. He begged to remind the licit - tot:rabic Gentleman, that the pre sent was not the proper stage for his objections: the House was not now upon the Bill; it would be then the proper time to submit them. The Honourable Member explained. His reason for trespassing upon the - attention of the House was etis—that the preamble of the Resolutions stated, that notorious acts of bribery had been committed in Penryn, not only during the late election, but also in the year 1 `io7. Now it was true, that on the latter occaion, the House directed the Attorney-General to prosecute the individual concerned ; but the case came :iefore a Jury, who fully acquitted him. Yet the commission of acts of bribery in 1807 had been as a ground for the proposed Bill ; in the face of such a verdict, he thought this circumstance im proper to be inserted (Question! .Quartion !)—The Resolution was then read a. second time, and passed. The SPEAKER thought it might be more conve- . r.:ent to the Muse, aad to the Honourable l'iLmber, to ascertain precisely, the nature of the present pro ceeding.—(hear, hear.)— The Resolutions before the House had nothing whatever to do ss ith:the Bill. The speclal Report of the Committee had been brought in, and postponed till this day. These Resolutions must now, therefore, be either negatived or adopted. Two other Resolutions were then read a second time and passed, viz.— " That Join. Coalyor, henry romford, and Abraham Minn, had beer. guilty of takir.g bribe:, and of other corrupt practices." " That Henry Carter, Thomas P.oxo•, John Cay, Charles Skinner, and others, bad recci-g:d money for tlr..ir votes during the late election at Penryn." Mr. ATKINS WRIGHT said, that in rising to move the second reading of the Resolution be was about to submit, he felt that the House was bound to act in such a mariner as to vindicate its own ho nour, although it should be disposed to grant that indulgence to individuals which the peculiar circum 'stances of their conduct might seem to merit. There could be no question; but that some persons, in the matter before the House, were not so much nor so criminally implicated as others; he should therefore move—That the Attorney-General be ditected to prosecute Henry Swann, Esq.:frir having been guilty of various acts of bribery during dos last election for the Borough of Penryn. Mr. VALENTINE BLAKE said, that the persons, before the Committee had been accused of disposing' of their votes for money. - Eien at common law tins was held to be an - offence ; . in the present c a se it was a Most s'eandalons Offence, - (hcar, hear.)--Iltiihoped therefore that the House would not interfere with the administrant* of uince usurd'in such cases. There was one view in which he thought it proper that the House shall& cousider the effeet of a contrary course.. In the present east-, persons legally qualified to vote, bad sold and prostitoted the 'elective franchise for money. It became, therefore, a question of punish ment; and the House could take no other step to that end, hut to take away the elective franchise from the Borough altogether.—( Near, hear.)—This, however, would be to punish the innocent, and inflict on them, in common with the offenders, the punish ment due alone to the crimes of the guilty. Ile bad merely availed himself of this opportunity in order to express his idea, that in this instance the House vas not called upon to interfere with the administra tion of justice, but that the law ought to be suffered to take its course. The original Motion was then put and carried. Mr. ATKINS WRIGHT then moved, that the Attorney-General be directed to prosecute .Tohn GoUdyer, Henry Donsford, and Abraham Winn, for corrupt practices doling the last Election for the Borough of renryn ; which was also carried. ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. The Royal Household Bill was read a third timc. Or, the question 'that it should pass, there were se. venal dissenting voices, the tiallcry•was half cleared, but the motion was agreed to without a division. • Thoquelification of Members Bill was read a se tijudi•tisnl, and ordered to be committed on Friday. •%,` • stmtOurs OP ItAsTmos. Mrs HOWORTH observed, that an advertisement had appeared is the public papers, from the Court of Directors of the East...lndia Company, recommend hg to the Geneml . Court of Proprietors the grant of an annuity to the Marquis of Hastings of 6,0001. to issue out of the territorial revenues in India, for the term of twenty years. Seeing the President of the Board of Contronl in his place, he wished to ask the Right Honourable Gentleman whether the proposed measure had received, or was to receive, his sanc tions' for without his concurrence it _could not le. Bally be carried into effect. He asked that question, cause it appeared to him to be a measure of ex traordinary precipitancy. The vote of that House in approbation of the Marquis of Hastings's con duct referred entirely to his military Operations ; every consideration of the justice and policy of the war itself having been expressly excluded from the discussion. No documents had been submitted either to Parliament or to the Proprietors of East-India Stock, illustrative of the system of our policy in India; and under such circumstances, to hurry to a grant of £lOO,OOO, as if every thing had been ex plained and was quite satisfactory, and as if nothing more need be said on the subject, appeared to him to be extremely premature. The Right Honourable Gentleman knew that the public were materially in terested in the disposal of the territorial revenues of India; and perhaps the time was not very far distant when the attention of the House would be called in no very agreeable manner to the consideration of that subject. Mr. CANNING was always happy to answer any inquiry to which he was enabled to give a satisfac tory reply ; but if the Honourable Gentleman thought that the vote to which the advertisement that he had quoted was premature, he mast see that any opinion now given by him (Mr. Canning) on the subject would be as premature. The only way in which such a subject could come under his cogni zance was, if the recommendation of the Court of Directors to the Court of Proprietors should be adopted by the latter. Ir. that case, the vote of the Court of Proprietors, granting the annuity in ques tion, could not be legal or binding without the sanc tion of the Board of Controul. Should the Court of Proprietors, however, not agree to such a vote, he (Mr. Canning) should not be called upon, as Pre-, sident of the Board of Controul, to notice the sub ject. The day for determining that question had not arrived • and it would be full of inconvenience were he calle d upon to state his opinion on an hypothesis. Mr. I lonourable Gentleman had stated his object to 1)., to prevent the grant ; but he must be aware that" other persons had other objects ; and that if a Presi dent wer e established of extracting an opinion from' the President of the Board of Controul on such sub jects, and if, for instance, a favourable opinion should be procured, in a popular assembly such as the Court of Proprietors, that side would have the better of the' argument which could say they were sure of the sanc tion of the superior and ultimate authority. Under such cit etunstances, he was sure that the Honourable Gentleman would not think it disre-spectful to him, if he begged to be excused from giving an hypothe tical opinion as to the way in which he should think proper to deal with this vote, if it should pass. 1 IRISH CORN. Sir JOHN NEWPOR'L adverting to some Go vernment Contracts for Corn of British Growth, ex cluding Corn the Growth of Ireland, in direct con travent:on of the Act of 1806, asked on what ground the restriction was made? Sir GEORGE WARRENDER observed, that the Scotch Corn was equally excluded with the Irish, and attributed the exclusion to the difficulty of ob taining the supply in the winter season. It was to be recollected, that Ireland had the monopoly in the supply of salt provisions. Sir JOHN NEWPORT contended, that no diffi culty had ever been experienced in conveying corn from Ireland to Plymouth, Portsmouth, &c. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. In the Committee of Supply various Resolutions were agreed to, on the motion of Mr. ARBUTH NOT, for making good deficiencies in the rants of last y ear for the offices of Secretary of the State, the Privy Council, &c. . • Mr.ARBUTHNOT then moved a grant of 60,0001. for the Penitentiary at Millbank. Mr. Alderman WOOD expressed his surprise at the expense which this building had cost ; and con demned the erection in it of a steam engine. Mr. LONG replied, that that plan had been adop ted which seemed, in all respects, to be the most eli gible for the attainment of health, security, separa tion, and inspection ; and that all circumstances con sidered, it was impossible to erect the building at a less expense. The object of the steam-engine was to grind corn and raise water for the convicts, they being employed in such a way as would enable them to be useful to themsehTs and to the public on their being liberated. Mr. Alderman WOOD, while he admitted the pro pricty of the mode of employment adverted to by the Right Hon. Gentleman, observed that the water might have been raised, and the corn ground (as he had seen in a prison in Paris), by the labour of a very small portion of the prisoners. Mr. lIENNET observed, that a prison capable of containing the same number of felons, might bave been built at one half less expense, he might almost say one-third. There were carpenters, shoe-makers, and other trades at work in the Penitentiary. Indeed no one could go there without seeing a great many: persons hard at work. Mr. Alderman WOOD said, his Honourable Friend (Mr. Bennet) had misunderstood him ! he had not said that no labour was performed in the prison, he had only -said that the amount of the labour was very small. He should like to know what kind of labour the prisoners were employed in? When it was pro posed in 1792 to build a Penitentiary, it was under- stood that L'200,000 would build one on as good a plan as the present. Mr. HOLFORI) said, the estimate of 1792 was £210,000. Some of the county jails had cost in building nearly £4OO a mane The sort of work car. tied on in the Penitentiary was principally that of tailors, shoemakers, and the Ulm •,) Lord NUGENT stated, thar a vertical 'wheat hail been constructed in the prison at Aylesbury, for raid,' in water to supply the prim end the town. Tie' , height to which the water was 'raised was 70 few' , eight men were employed- at a desekiaad they we" relieved every hour. aat • • I Mr. BROUGHAKwhlodlWkilliWitettraitivalart of the sum now asked ibr. s • • ••, • • Mr. LONG! observed, that a steam-engine was snore scoaomical than such a wheel as had been de scribed by Lord Nugent. • Mr. HUME objected to the voting money for a steam-engine. If they were to credit the Newspa pers, disturbances of a serious nature sometimes took place in the Penitentiary, and, in his opinion, pump ing water, grinding corn, and other severe labour, would be a proper punishment for the refractory. Lord NUGENT said, forty persons by their labour in Aylesbury prison, supplied a population of be tween four and five thousand with water. He thought there must at least be forty persons in the Peniten tiary, whose labour could not he more beneficially employed than in raising water in the same manner. Mr. 110LFORD observed, that the statement of disturbances in the Penitentiary was greatly exagge rated. There would be an end to the plan of sepa rating the prisoners, if they were to be employed in raising water, for that would necessarily bring a number of them together. Mr. Alderman WOOD said, one of Bramah's pumps would not cost more than Ll5O. Mr. HOLFORD contended, that the bringing of the prisoners tog ether would be contrary to the di rections of the Act of Parliament. Mr. Alderman WOOD moved as an amendment, that the sum of C 40,000 only be granted. After some farther observations from Mr. Sruaors BOURNE, Mr. LONG, Lord NUGENT, Mr. Wsa.SMITU, and Mr. Alderman WOOD, the amendment was with ' drawn, and a Resolution granting 1,000 agreed to. The sum of £20,000 was then voted for the Ex penses of the Penitentiary, from the 24th of April, 1819, to the 24th of April, 1820. CALEDONIAL CANAL. Mr. ARBUTHNOT moved that 50,000/. be granted towards executing the Inland Canal from the Ear tern to the Western Sca. Lord CAR lIAMPTON wished to know how much greater the expense had been than what it was first calculated at? He wished to know also how much it would take to complete the work ? Lurd BINNING said the original estimate he be lieved was 500,0001. The number of English and Welsh labourers employed was to that of the natives as I-70. He understood from 9.0 to 30,000/. more would complete the Canal. Mr. HUME said, he understood that 30,000/. after the present grant would complete the work. He hoped, however, before another application was made to the House, a particular survey should be made. He feared, however, that the tonnage which would be received on the canal would not turf it up. The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUIM said, that the Commissioners were no doubt disposed to afford ever) information to the House. Mr. W. SNIITII said, that though he should not have given his approbation to the work, if he had originally known that it would have cost 800,0001. yet lie could not refuse to grant the sum now required to secure the utility of the money which had been already expended. After a few words from Mr. Alderman WOOD, the Resolution was agreed to ; the House resumed, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. APPEAL OF MURDER. On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, the 1 Order of the Day was read, for the third reading of the Trial by Battle Abolition Bill, Sir ROBERT WILSON said, he felt it to be his duty to explain the motives on which he _had voted en a former occasion against the BM. He had as many strong objections as any one to the Trial by -Battle, and the powei of putting an individual to a second trial ; but he still thought the principle of the Appeal of Murder ought to be preserved as a protection for the lives of the subject against the ar bitrary commands of Ministers, who might protect their agents against the ordinary process by the pre rogative of pardon. By the Mutiny Act the soldier was bound to obey " all lawful commands ;" but if it was always in the power of the Minister to tell an Officer, whom he might command to fire upon the people, that he was secured by a pardon already signed, the salutary fear of the law would be taken away, and he might be less anxious to consider what commands were and what were not lawful. As he did not wish to put the life of an individual purely at the mercy of a factious or malicious person, he, should propose that it should be in the power of the, Judges to stay execution on. an appeal, and that the, ultimate power of pardon should be lodged with the, twelve Judges. He should move that the Bill be, read a third time this day three weeks. Mr. Alderman WOOD said he should vote with the Gallant General, notwithstanding the very inge nious speech of the Honourable and learned Gentle man (Mr. Serjeant Copley). For Sir R. Wilson's Amendment 2—Against it 64—Majority 62. The Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. W. DOUGLAS moved for leave to bring in a Bill for Savings Banks in Scotland.—Leave given. Lird PALMERSTON presented a returh of the Pensions of Half-pay Officers. Mr. Serjeant COPLEY withdrew his notice of mo tion for to-morrow for the minutes of the Notting ham Election Committee. Mr. HUME moved for various Papers respecting the Carnatic Commissioners, viz. Letters address ed to the Commissioners by the East India Company's Directors, recommending a more speedy mode of settling the claims of the Creditors-2. Letters from the Creditors to do to the same efect-3. Abstract of the Amount of the Carnatic Revenue appropriated in the liquidation of the Claims of the Creditors-4. Accounts of the Expenses of the Commissioners from their first establishment, Stc.-41rdered. Mr. VANE POW LETT moved is refer certain petitions rez,ardlng the Darlington Railway to a select Committee. Mr. LAMITOI opposed the motion. Mr. !know supported it. lir. kimono Sasoma, Mr. W/141111,11. and Mr. M. A.TAVLOK, made semi olsonsations upon the subject; after which, as the motion Ives persevered in, strangers were ordered to withdraw, and a division took place. For the Committee SO. Against It si. • Mr. Alderman 'W AITH MAN presented a petition fans two Individuals, their names not mentioned, against the insolvent act. _t • Petitions against any alteration in the eisal-daties ware presen ted from the following places: The Chamber of Commerce and il=tts of Glasgow ; Bath, Gloms:sr, Ayr, and Carmarthen. the insolvent Mks& act, petitions were presented front at. lbri bi reelsary t iimabwadt, Aldhoonigh. Weeks field; ami 140 o f GD Newill g. i. preeented ; Petition from dim' Town pf Ablagdoe k iisinsrthe blooteent Debtors' Act. A petition ivaipresented: Rein the Royal burgh of Irvine, praying a relents ie tic burghe pf Scatang.....Adiouriod• MR. WYNDHAM W QUIN AVID ab) THOMAS WILLIAM GRADY. Tin Minutes of the Evidence, taken at the Bar of the lice . Commons, in the matter of this complaint, LINT beet pt;;tat by order of the House, and we conceive, that the. it no viol. tion of the privileges of that Honourable House in givio t Abstract of the Proceedings. The wh o 'd 4of ti e 4 41 4 and Documents fill upwards of 100 folio pages, a ta would not be gratifying to any Reader to have t o rye through such a mass of matter, we have thought it t i k .).7 4 compress it into as short a narrative as the nature and itf. z , tance of the matter will permit Mr. Carew Smy who was the first r i. examined, deposed, that lie was a practising E 4 ter at the Irish Bar for sixteen years. On the 21 4 September last, he called upon Mr. Quin, in ( ~m , pliance with the request of the Petitioner ar, t i r father, in order to know from Mr. Quin what his intentions with respect to the disposal G: : f t Clerkship of the Peace for the County of Mr. Quin stated that his mind was made up, t 1 , 4: office was to be transferred from the Pettioner Mr. Richard Smyth. Witness alluded to an engt went which he understood that Mr. Quin had with Petitioner not to disturb him ir. his dike. *.,*. Quin denied any promise, but admitted that he r .; to Petitioner, "upon my honour, Grady, I sh da id. very sorry to turn you out of your ofiicc," idi as " I assure you, Mr. Smyth, I am now ve:l sorry do it, but I must do it." Mr. Q. further obsenti that he was advised he could appoint Mr. Sn::;:t during pleasure, and that he meant to have 1.:;14 A , year out of the £4OO which the office yielded, set'. . upon the Petitioner : " but," said Mr. Q. o I expe a in return that Mr. Grady and his family sLcald rnain politically united with me is the Cowl). d Limerick." Witness to this expressed some disarpre. bation, " not," said he, " I believe Iv words, but by a motion of my head." Mr. Q. then said, lam sure you must be satisfied that tile proposition I ma' is reasonable, for I should have a quid pro quo far grant I give Mr. Grady, and you are aware that this is all the partonag.r belongiag to the tAcerif Custos Itotulorum, which I have lately obtaite Witness asked how far this pledge of support waiw be carried, 0 because," said he, " you must be awa rt , Mr. Q. that as your father, Lord Mount Earle, is ad. vaned in years, you are likely soon to be called w the Upper house, and do you mean in that use to have the influence of Mr. Grady and family vas. ferred to an; candidate whom you choose to sap. port ?" To which Mr. Q. replied, " Certainly. Witness then observed, that as much misundemaad, ing had arisen as to the communications which bad taken place between Mr. Quin and other Geatlemes on this subject, it would be satisfactory to have dal conversation reduced to writing. .11r. Quin expressed his acquiescence, and he looked about the room, Li there was no writing apparatus in it. lime the wiz. nest, stated, that this conversation took place at lite country house of Mr. Goold, within three miles Dublin. Mr, Quin then said. " I shall be in Dil,ht to-morrow, at three o'clock and if you will be Is good as to commit it to writing when you go home,l Shall call upon you, and then look ever it wick yol.' Witness said, that never thinking he should be upon in this public way, he took no other tote this conversation. than afterwards appears, nor keep any copy of letters written by him with regat.l to this transaction. Witness wrote an account of conversation to both the Petitioner and his father, OA the evening of the day on which it took place, ad these letters being shown, he recegnixed them. 03 the morning of the 22d of September witness again LW Mr. Q. in company with Me. Goold. They cal ed at his house at eleven o'clock in the morning. Mt. Q. asked, on entering his room, " Smyth, have you reduced oar conversation to writing ?"—to which witness answered in the negative, observing that did not expect Mr. Q. until three o'clock, and that it Mr. Q. would sit down he would inimedirely down the conversation. Mr. Q. said, that as he was going to the Lord Lieutenant's, audience, he coAd not wait—hut Mr. Q. expressing a desire to hare t - ::e conversation repeated, witness did so, and Mr. Q. de dared the repetition to be perfectly correct. Witne: - , immediately afterwards sent the minute of the (-ea versation to Mr. Goold, and Mr. Q. accompanied by Mr. G. called again upon witness between three and four o'clock, with that minute, which Mr. Q. declar• ed to be correct, only requiring a slight alteration, which was made accordingly. But upon witness say ing to Mr. Q. "you can have now no objection to signing it," Mr. Goold interposed, " I think it rigl.: to apprise you, that I have advised Mr. Quin 'lotto sign that paper, for you must see that it contains something relating to the disposal of the profits of as office connected with the administration of justice, which I think it right a MemLerof ParliaMent shout not sign ; but lam ready at any time to come fa ward and testify that Mr. Quin in my presence , :'e• knowledged it to be correct." Witness added, :Liz on the first visit of Mr. Q. to his house on the September, Mr. Q. withdrew his proposition that the Petitioner and his family should be called upe!'i vote for any Candidate whom he (Mr. Quin) think proper to support in the event of his access,o to the Peerage. Here the minute of the conversation alluded to was read, the substance of which appeared in 1. e STAR on the 25th ult. Subsequent to this interview, witness wrote to Nlr. ' Gould, observing, that. there was a mistake in the minute, which it was desirable to correct, as Mr. V, had promised to arrange for the payment of the COY a year to the Petitioner from the Clerk of the yei ,, for the time being, whereas in that minute it wk , confined to Mr. Richard Smyth, and in answer,. this letter witness received the following answer: - . "My dear Smyth—l received your note, and perfeclly cur in the statement you made. Mr. W. Win authoria.s to any, that your recollection is perfectly accurate, and of there can remain now no kind of_difference upon the subject. _ " I am, my dear Smyth, * " Sept. as, 181 t . ." Your's, most truly, " Carydort Lodge." " THOMAS COOL') Witness, in consequence of letters from the Pct timer and his father called upon Mr. Quin , at t country - house , near ' Limerick, in October last. previously communicated with Mr. Maunsell and gr. D. O'Grady. Mr. Q. denied to witness that he as• thorized any one to deliver a message to PCtitiODe r • stating thathe (Petitioner) was " as free as air," 1 111 at liberty to vote for whom be pleased. Mr. a maintaining that if the Petitioner and familysePari. ted their political influence from him, the COO should be withdrawn. Witness bad no intentioc delivering an hostile nesbage to Mr. Q. frQU I il. 211 C fro Pet Pr.