Star. — London, England, 1816-02-17 00:00:00

U .~ PitALIAMSNTART PROCEADAGS. HOUSE. OP LORD% PERRUARY is. Counsel were beard_ln ten inuation, and finally respecting the Scotch Appeal Cause of " Henderson sad others o. Sir s. C Glynn, *art. end others." Coneideratfon of judgment post- On rho Appeal of " Mucklow • the Attorney-General, Counsel were fully beaill. Judgment to be taken into conside ration 441 I 'palsy seat. The Archbishop of Casual. took the oaiba and bis seat, as one of the Irish ltepmentative Prelates. The Earl of. Si. Cilium'''. (lat* Lord Estee) was intr.. ducal with the aregstonted thrtnalities sworn , and-took his seat. His Lordship's supporters were the Bads of H4asowse and HAILEWOOD. The Earl of SHAIPESBURY stated, that he bad, in the as. settee of a Noble Seeretary of Stare. so present a Copy of the Proclamat ion hated by Lieutenant General Brownrigg, in March. 181 i, at Candy, in the Island of Ceylon, In pursuance of a re• cent Address of their Lordships. • Tie document Was ordered to lie on the Table. The Naval Courts Martial, and the Obit Ditties Buls, were read a second time, and ordered to be cominittid. Adjennied dli half-pat t'bree o'clock on Meiday, HOUSE OF COMMONS. . Mr. Serje,wt nNSLOw, underetanding that the debate on Monday was likely to be an adjourned one, poetponeil his notice, which stood tor Malay ant, tUI Tuesday sensight. Lord Gowen Indemnity ilk wrist through a Committee of the whole House, the Report of which was brought up and agreed to The BM was then read a third time and passed. Sr JOHN.NEWPORT preisoted a Petition from certain Etelthants of aterford, praying that the House would adupt some means or Ihe improvement, of the Navigation of the Ritter Sae. The Petition was referre' to a Select Committee.. Mr. COTTON presented a Petition for the repair of die Dub. lin, Ratootkand Curragh Road. Referral to a Committee. *Pedalos was presented, praying for a Hid to amend the StNbd ad* Act. •On the motion of Mr ABERCROMBLEs a New Writ was ordered for the klection of a Member to serve in the present Parliament for the Borough of Caine, in the room of Joseph F4q. who h.is accepted the elk* of Steward of the Chil tern Hundreds. Mr. CRANE presented a Report et the progress made in clearing the Site for the erection of the New Post. Office. The Exchequer Bills Bill for raising Bi iAtom, for the ser vice of tbrpressne year, was brought in, read a Btu time, and ordered to be read a setiOsd time as Monda y . Mr, I.USHINGTON brought in a Bill for Pentinning curtain Duties on Malt. kead a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday. The Indigo Bill was read a third time and passed. THE SANK ACT. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the order of the day tor a Committee of the whole House on the Bank Act r and on his motion, it was ordered that the correspondence between the Treasury and the &irectors should be referred to this Committee. On the question that the Speaker should lestie the Chair, Mr. GRENFELL, after some observations on • the great amount of the unclaimed Dividend: in the hands of the Bank, asked the Chancellor of the Ex chequer whether he meant to propose- any new ar tangemeot on this subject. t The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not think it possible to make any arrangement on this subject, which would be any considerable saving to the public. The House thetrresolved itself into the Committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, previoucto moving the Resolution which he meant to propose to the Committee, went into some details relative to the situation of the Bank with respect to the sums advanced by it for the publiC service. He observed, that the profits( which the Bank derived from the deposits of, public money, would be mate rially decreased in consequence of the peace. Re fining to the correspondence which had taken place between the Treasury and the Bank, he stated, that no disrespect was meantao the House, by this inter- ference on the part of Mtnistirs in . a matter which was at the time the subject Of deliberation in Parlie . ment. An advance was at present proposed to be made by the Bank for the public service, to the arnqnnt of £6,000,000, at the rate of 4 per cent.—Comparing this rate of interest with that at which money was to be procured in any other way, he calculated that it would be a saving to the public of seelo,ooo. The Right Honoerabre Gendeman then expatiated on the advantages of refraining at this time to press upon the money market by a loan. %Veil informed men, who had accurately calculated ir, stated, that it nu loan was made for three years, the effect veoulit be to support the public credit to such an extent, that the 3pe cents. would rise as high as SO. But sup. posing even that they rose to 75, the effect w6uW be, that, in the space of time which he bad mon. tioned, there would be a saving to the public to the amount of £2,000,000. The House knew how much the capital of the country had been drained by the increase of the public debt within the last few years. It wits now necessery to remedy the evil ; and by the proposed arrangement, in two years from this time, at least 28 minium; would be added to the capital of tie country by disbursements from the Sinking Fund. By refraining from a loan, the best chance was given to the country to recover speedily from the distress under which it at present laboured. He then entered into a discussion of the important advantages to be derived from. the Sinking Fund, which, when al lowed to accumulate for a- number of years, causod such an increase of capital as 'vas not to be obtained . by any othermeans, and as sometimes even to pro duce a temporary inconvenience to the.pehlic by its amount, treks, laid out gradually. As to the sum' which it was now professed that the Bank should ad vance, it had been deubttnt to some Gentlemen whe ther, in the present state of its affairs, it could afford • so much as was required. But when it was consi dered, that of £21,000,000, (the amount of, the di minution of the untundedalebt made within the last year) re16,500,C00 - had been employed in diminish in'g the amount of outstanding Exchequer Bills, of which so great an amount was held by the Bank, it would be allowed that the advance to the public of the sum which he had mentioned, could not occasion any inconveoience. The Right Honourable Gentle aaan then recapitulated the statement which be made on Monday last, as to the state of the Finances. In addition to the a 21,000,000 of the unfunded, which. bad been paid off as he had mentioned,. there was as much snore pad up of the other arrears of debt ; so Alt on the whole, in round numbers, not less than from A 41,000,000 to A 42,000,000 had altogether been paid off last year. The total of the grants of - Fatt par was about £$3,000;000 or refee,oo%ooo, of whicl not above . one-balf had been required for the services of the year, which had enabled Government to by out the remaleder in the redaction of debt. TM, Was eertainly a very consolatory statement. The total tspencts of the present year were slt estimated . ' a _l. - a '- _.- e. .. I' at mare then-gfor 20 million.. Considerable rant tions had already been made to*ards coming at the Pernlaeent _peace establishment.. The great sums wheels aut Battik had received by the paying of of Each ter Bills, would enable the proposed advance by them 'to be made without any inconvenience to the public. by obliging the Bank to diminish its dis counts, There was one alteration which he intended with regard to the interest of Exchequer Bills, which it was important the public should know. The rate I,f interest allowed upon the Exchequer Bills issued last year was threepence half-penny per day. 'Those which were to be now issued would only bear interest at the rate of threepence farthing a.day. Although this might appear a very trilling diminution, yet it would save to the pill-ale about 0200,000 a-year.— There was . further alteration proposed as to the new issue of Enlicquer hills. h was intended that they should be m id, payable to order, and should be trans. ferred by iiidrosation, instead of being transferable ,merely by deiivery as now. The Right Honourable Gentleman concluded by moving a Resolution for " Leave to bring in a Bill to continue and amend the Bank Act" Mr. BANKES approved very much of the pro posed advance by the Bank: It was suited to the circumstances of the times ; but it was his intention in the progress of. the BID to propose some alterations from what had been stated by the Right Honourablel Gentleman as its intended purport. As the affairs of the Bank were managed by very s4gacious men, he thought the Chancellor of the Exchequer bad very little need to bestow mich of his attention on the interests of that concern: he would do much better to attend entirely to the interests of the public as against the Bank. Indeed, it seemed that the Gentlemen of the Bank had driven a very hard bar gam with the Right Honourable Gentleman ; pereent. he conceived to be a very extravagant charge of interest on th'e £6,000.000 which the Bank was to advance. In the progress of the Bill, he intended to move that only as per cent. shonld beallowed. Sir JOHN NEWPORT thought that the Bank derived suet! advantage from the Act which suspended their payment in specie, that they ought to advance the £6,000,000 without any interest at all, during the time of the continuance of that Act. He drew 4 picture of the distresses of the country, and said, the state of Ireland was infinitely worse than that of England. Mr. GRENFELL agreed that it was proper to have recourse to the Bank for the sum that was re quired. He made several statements in support of kis opinion, that the Bank was overpaid for perform ing very :rifling services to the public. The balances in the builds of the Bank amounted to X 11,000,000 ,or ,Cl 2,000,!)00 t and although the Right Honour. able Gentleman had stated that these sums were likely to decrease, be understood from the Governor of the Bank, only that no increase was expected in them. The amount of unclaimed dividends in. the Ba-k during 1814, was no less than £700,000 or £BOO,OOO. Ia this there ought to be a riving to the public of £3o,ooo.a.year. He thought the Bank had no right even to interest at 8 per cent. on the six millions which they were to advance. There ought not to he a firthirig of interest charged upon it. • Mr. MANNING said, as to the amount of ba lances in the hands ct the Bonk, it was impossible to loresee whetter they acre to decrease ./w not. That entirely depended nn the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. TIE RN EY observed, vat those Bank Direc tors who pietendei that it was the obstinacy of 'Par liament alone that compelled them in defer cash pay ments., had now stated to the proprietorm, as part of the bargain with the Tie :wry, that they had ob. gained the continuatioa of the Restriction Act for a year. But they had dixhirged their duty, to get from the Chancellor of the Kull:quer every farthiug they could. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER 'could perceive no diffeience between what the Hon. Director had stated, and what he hirhself had said on the arrangement wills the Bank. Mr. MARTIN did not conceive, that any advan tage like what the Chancellor of Exchequer had stated, Would be produced to the country. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER looked to the improvement of public credit. Mr. TIERNEY was convinced, that if the Chan cellor of the Exchequer had sent his Exchequer Bills into the market as from GOvernment, they would have laboured under a great discount upon them. But they wry .: taken by the Bank at par, and that gave him a wrong opinion of public credit. 'He was too sanguine in his expectations; as fir too sanguine as it had been his habit to represent him (Mr. Tier ney) as too desponding. But let twelve farmers be appointed to decide between them, and he had no doubt they would adopt the less favourable view of the subject. He did not think that in six months the Right Hon. Gentleman would be able to circulate his Exchequer Bills. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER considered, that he and the Right Hon. Gentleman stood before the Tury by whom they were to be tried, and he hoped that the result would be the same-as that of the Right Hon. Member's other prophecies. Mr. THOMPSON did not wonder, that when the Bank had twelve millions of balances in its hand, it should be willing to lend six millions. It was, in fact, the money of the public which was lent. That reminded him of the Steward of a very foolish Noble man, who never went so far north as Yorkshire. This man never consented to assist his employer with loans but at an interest of five per cent. and it was for his own money that the Nobleman had all along paid that interest'. Much had been said of Country -Ban 7 kers, but not the most shabby of that class would he sitate to lend six millions.if twelve were left as a de. posit. The balm*, were too large, and retittired to be reduced. Mr. FORBES observed, that upon this nominal loan of six millons from the Bank, which would WU) to be so miyh valoed, the nation actually Raid an interest of nine per cent. so long as public balances to a corresponding amount remained in deposit there. In the first place, S per cent. at the least to the pub lic creditor, upon raising the money thus lodged in the Bank, and then 4 per cent. more to the Proprie. tors for receiving it back in.the s lope of a l oan .. Mr. GRENFELL stated, that for the last four years the amount of balances on Exchequer Bills had been seven millions. . After some Ca ll,ert2tiOD betweep Mr. MANNING and Mr. Gassnu,, the iteseltaion wAs•canieti. a \~ ~.~: gaMMBILLI communising or teen& AND comma re EXITEAND. . • Sir R. HERON took the opportunity. while the Committee., was discuuing the financial. arrange ments of the . county, tip put a qoestiouto the Right Hon. Gentler:ion opposite (the Chancellor of. the Eichequer) concerning the salaries of the Officers of Excise and Customs in Scotland. tie asked, whe ther their salaries had not 'been augmented ia the course of this year. or even since the House met ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that the salaries of these officers had been in creased upon the ground of the increased duty they were to perform. - Mr. BROUGHAM was surprised at the mode which the Ministers of the Crown had adopted of carrying into effect their promised system of strict economy and gradual redaction. They had pledged themselves to the country, at the commencement of the Session, that every practicable measure for re ducing our enormous establishments, that every me. thod of retrenchment, that every plan for relieving the people from their overwhelming burthens, would be resorted to with promptitude and resolution; bur now, instead of occupying themselves with endea. voters to fulfil their promises ; instead of looking into all quarters to discover where a saving might be made ; instead of inquiring what useless officers might be discharged, and what unnecessary places abolished. thep were engaged in imposing upon the nation additional burtheus, and increasing salaries already too highly paid. His Majesty's Ministers, it would appear, were to be divided into two parties, one to be employed in retrenchMent and economy, and the other in imposing taxes and augmenting emo luments. The Right Hon. Gentleman gave as a reason for this advance of salary. that the duties of the officers in question were increased. In reply to this be would ask, was there no dinsunition of expenditure ? Were not all the articles of living very much reduced in price ? And would not a Scotch Officer enjoy the advantage resulting from such a diminution as much as others ? When the produce of agricultural labour was so low, when a promise was held out that our taxes would be diminished, when the half of that op. pre:.sive impost, the property tax, was to be taken off, even upon the proposal of the Right Honourable Gentleman himselt: and the remaining halt, he misted, would be ieeerisned in opposition to his wishes, (this tax that weighed so heavily upon all the servants of the pub: was this a time for augmenting sala ries, 'spot. the pretence of trifling additional duty ? He was surprised at this prodigal disregard. of eve nomy amid public distre.s. at this unnecessary addi: tion to our expenditure; and he hoped the Hon. Ba ronet who had put the question which called forth this alarming piece of intelligence, would 101 l ,er it up with some specific motion. Mr. GOUI.BURN complained of the unfair and uncandid conduct of the Hon. and Learned Gentle man in his attack upon his Right Hon. Friend (the Chancellor of the Exchequer).—(Hear, hear. from the Umorition Beireher).—He believed the Hon. lien. Clem ur's object was to make a speech at all events, and to enter into invectives against the Government, whether there was a foundation kr his charges on not.—(Hear).—He could not but repeat it, that the Hon. Geneeman wished to make a speech, and that the eagerness with which he seized the, opportunity ef advancing unwarrantable allegations against the Geivernment was an indication i f his unfairness.— The attack was perfectly gratuitous and uncalled for. A question was asked of his Right Hon. Friend, to which he returned a direct and candid answer ; when up started the Honourable Gentleman to ground upon ft misrepresentations and invectives. to which the regular course of proceeding would not permit his Right Hon. Friend to reply. Mr. BROUGHAM explained, by saying that he had made his observations on a proper occasion in that Committee, as every consideration of supply was connected with expenditure. Mr. TIERNEY observed, that he thought every public officer should be paid properly for his services, but there surely could be no reason to propose an augmentation of salaries in the present state of things. Adverting to the professions ct the M;nisiry with re gard to retrenchment, he was naturally led to think of the office which the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Goulburn) held, and to ask a question concerning the appointment of a third Sect etary of W at. (Hear, hear, and a laugh nu the opposition benche.4.) What reduction of expenditure, what abilition of of fices, was taking place in that department ? Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that the Gen tlemen on the other side of the House, by the indul gence which his Majesty's Government had shewn in answering candidly the numerous questions that they were daily in the habit of putting, bad been en. couraged to persevere in the system of questioning on all occasions, as a part of their parliamentary tac tics ; but he hoped, that though indulgence was mani fested towards them to such an extent as to embolden then) to proceed beyond the line of prudence, the Mi ., filters of the Crown would be found prepared to evince proper firmness, and in giving or is ithkolding answers, would not relax from their strict parliatneu tory duty. He must, vindicate the opinion of his Right Hon. Friend, in saying that the object of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Brougham) was to make a speech, and to fix charges upon toe Administration without examination or fairness, but anticipated from his efforts little success. The system of asking ques tions, the regular tactics of Gentlemen opposite, was now perfectly well understood and justly appreciated, both within the House and without. by persevering in it, they might produce a little temporary effect; they might enjoy a five minutes' triumph; but they rather injured than promoted their cause. They wasted their efforts uselessly, and every repetition of their artifices weakened their future efficacy:— The public had happily learned what weight be longed to charges or professions, and the Mitinters of the Crown would not be driven to betray their duty or to make premature disclosures by the violence of their charges, or the keenness of their invectives.— They would make up their minds upon the proper policy to be pursued s and when they had done so, they would lay it in a regular manner before the House, and the Hon. Gentlemen would receive an answer to their questions, or not, as public duty would dictate. ' the Noble Lord knew that the Hon. Gen tlemen opposite (Mr. Brougham) intended to make this a very active Session by discussions upon politi cal economy. He and - his Hon. Friends were right in confining themselves to this subject. They could out well wooed probably is any other. He would - +N., pnt it to the t4on. dentlernesi app=al , co their c lour— if they not befit in every attempt that they i'en male -41 d o? not been tinivers illy discornfi ed in ail thei r (Hear:, hear.) The lion. Gentleman had se. l 7k, by relying upon his teats of dexterity, L. oake the judgment and good sense if tb e 4 divert the minds of the people from torte e e ,,6 4 1' in Government. As to what he would cill tb. llementary trickc, the feats of deretity, t h e trd to winch the Hon. Gen:l:men I , ppqs;te l i. s , rt Nobie Lot d, out of regard t ) own character. to their repu.ati n would advise them to give torn( up. Tp. now as thoroup hly comprehend. des any gals, of tactics, ml cnu . si no longer mis:ead the Mr. plt ES lON took a Ott rt rt•v ;; u i 4 dtr vast the country, which, he itid. WAS utorls t e i med oppr. ssive weight of the ra t es. T N . ' , u, hi vitte was su ffi cient to call upon the the to b e liarly attentive to all unnecessary erpLn..ituies,,7 tlt public money. The R.-port of the Resolution iris then rem An d a Bill ordered to be brought in at.cordingtf. Mr. TIERNEY moved ter an ecctitea d . Receipts and Profits of the Crown Lands, ei j of their application for the last ten yean,4, 44 4 ing each year. LAW ftFFICER3 OF TOE MINN IN SCnTLAMIL Sir ROBEIt r HERON begged to pat question to the Chancellor of di: Ere!aq ui , 4 7 Whrher tlo• salaries tit- Law Ofaidersot th i : in &utility] had not receotly Seen .47:rrent t di‘ Th' CHANCELLOR of t!nr EXCii4ess considered that the irregular conversato.,, his compliance in answering the first ques:i, s , eth Hon. Baronet had led jostified hin t i n si any reply to the present—(Hear, hear.) Mr. TIERNEY was anxious to come t est understanding with his Maj,.sty's Iliatrerse,474 subject. He. was perfectly aware, that ther e many questions to which it wool i be in.pinp ft4 Minister to give any answer, ur afford ny ire lion, such as those affecting negociati,,n, abroad, and many others. But I;,:re seas tirle mater of fact, with respect to which it was s ce . ceivable that there should be any motive toe p :g silence. Had the salary of the Lord Adre 4 of Scotland been increased or not ? He resp e l l know whether it was the intention of hlinisten to those on his side of the House to the nectist ! making motions on every occas:on, instead ot s times saving that trouble to the Hotr,e by a explanation ? If it was, he for one "as contra abide by that course of proceeding, and 'boa! motions accordieg to the old practice, wi!hete notice, and governed only by his own discreti,i, Lord CASTLEREAGH said, there warn no want of candour on the part of Mini.ter so f q tions were pot in the s tam spirit. A I lain quevis had been oetore put, .sa.i was fully an-wered by Le Rignt Honouralo.. Friend, when an 1 - 1 tvirtbk.. Learned Gentiettkan toought pkoper get up, in a tone of great importance,,to chug, .4inisto r s being emptied only in tie increa,e 0, expender whist they processed to he pursuing pi os of iku tnent. It was easy to we that an au, mpt wu to produce a false impression on tite ;walk, ao, and of gaining a momentary advantAve, by pitied, in;; a question, none of the meths or prticulas which were yet ici.own. He was Wei akkutai when the facts the case sh , uld br tit de:stod s to the House and the country aou:d be VALlibilit the arrangement. Mr. BROLT.; HA M observed, that, as t')e Eris Lord had made an attack upon him, as tot us candid and irregn:ar procee4ing, i.e euuld kg ke to remind the House of the actual cotase ceeding on which the attack vas t o .:t AI tion had been asked by I is Honourable Friead, answered by the Right amour:kW.. 1 .:;-:atlenkai • !mite; btu the answer was not c..ntii.•:d t., the • matter of f.tct, but was aecompan;eti by a suture intended to justify it. The increase of salary la avowed, but the Right Honourable Gal:ertos afraid to send that avowal forth to tta: w‘: id kra. plamwd. He therefore entered upon its &lomat thus gave him a fair opportunity of cowman:ism that defence, and of shewirg its futili!y. Lord CASTLEREAGH exphiind ; and after, few words from Mr. PRESToN and M:. TIERNIT, Co:nmittee of Supply was fixed for Monday. Mr. TIERNEY moved, that there be LAW, the House an account of whatever addition or dill notion had taken place in the salaries of the Law OF liters of the Crown in Scotland, and of tbe Con i missioners of Excise and Customs in Scotland, sire the month of January, 1815.—Ordered. Mr t TIERNEY then gave notice of a motions inquiring into the nature and extent of the *tat. reductions in the 0; of Secretary a Stag WI Witt. and Colonies. In a Committee of Ways and MEMVS• the CU cu.r..on of the EXCHEQUER moved a Itt s Loan of 1E6,000,00u from tl;e Bank, And for *it Exchequer Bills to that amount, payable in tome" which was agreed to, and a Bill ordered to be Mgt in accordingly. Sir!. ROMILLY brought up tl-t. Report of do Freehold Estates Bill, Which *a. ordered to beta a third time on Monday. In a Committee on the Acts relating to the with tte Cape of Good 1-13 1 . e, a 8.11 wai or.kt be brought in for reviving ai:d contit Lung thew' Mr. HITS K.ISSON mov d for leave to bring II Bill for Regulating the Offices of Receivers of 1111 Crown Reno. Mr. PRESTON was of opinion that the o bjeli this Bill was to promote as rank a job as ever kell beard of; and that its direct tendency was to introit the patronage of the Crown, which was the u,tin'r source of our misfortunes—it was this prnicipk! action which gave vitality to the present s ystem' Government and its sycophants, and without tail the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (the Crust of the Excl•equer) knew he could not go on.--1 1 Hon. Gentleman then ridiculed the paltry 11:11: 4 1 tended to be givtn to agticulturabsts, and coed with drawing a strong picture of the dicta" throughout the country, particularly in those &yid within his ewn observation. The question was t in put and carried. PRIVATEIM MALIN() 1$ bHOPS. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLX cAlleu the attotilli the House to a subject which cl,e circumcanca l tlie present times tendprci a l peculiarly interatiDl __~ r.