Star. — London, England, 1819-05-11 00:00:00

... . • 4 • 1 • I I • . 11 1 'll i ' i I ' II i l i , ' h r' 14' . 1 i I lt • • • 1 • ' ‘ . i ' 1 1 . I. . . ;, . • ' r . i • ... 1. 4 • I t 1• • , 1 • • !, • • • • I • l r , t . , • . , . • . • • 1 1 r • I i l l.. P , • r. 1/ • t diately free, and, consequently, Government was obliged to *teat with them as with the community Kt large. The N Regiments, or 52,0(X) men pro posed, would answer every exigency of Government, and they would by icing the videttes on pay as to be easi cedMlEnlarged te what ' ever n u mber rpkglit . re isle. ,The stv- Mg by this 010 of th -Quid amount 'to t3U0,000. Lolonel Davinsnm and E dffetBd some .. I r . few observati s when d o St plit n4s agreed t• 11 •0 the readi that f £llB,OOO to de fray the expen th..!St ff Estab ishroent, Mr. HUME might thjsurn far too much. He .censiPed Government vehemently for not accounting . for the surplus revenue* of Ilipylon, the Cape, and other Colonies, amounting to one million and a half sterling, or at least ts , •eave hundred thousand pounds. In this general charge against Government, he in cluded the surplus revenues bf the Mauritius, the • loin= Islands, Malta, and Gibraltar. He had ex pected that some. reference would have been made to the Comiaittee ou the subject now noticed. The Honourable Member Area went into details, and maintained that the 'wars 1815, 181 . 7, and 1918 had• passed away without Governmsiit i statingone syllable ors this important point. The fiditourable Member now boldly asked, what had become of the twelve hundred thousand pounds? Or, how had Govern ment applied it ? lie insisted that almost the whole of these (Jolonies were able to pay their Military Establishments, and thus free this country from a sum to the amount now mentioned. If twelve hun dred thousand pounds were this made available to diminish our expenses, there would of course be a very important saving to the Public. In the survey which he had made of the accounts from these Colo• ties, he had not been able to discover any statement of the appropriation of the twelve hundred thousand pounds. He insinuated that Ministers had by the misapplication of that sum been enabled to provide for such of their adherents as they could not pension from the revenue at home. If this were 'made out against them, it was a gross and scandalous misap plication of the Public Revenue. He should propose, that instead of £llB,OOO, as meant to be voted, the sum should be reduced to £91,000, thus saving £21,000 to the Public. In the case of the Duke of York, the annuity of £lO,OOO, allowed to his Royal Highness as Custos, had been opposed by a very large and a respectable number of that House. And all those Gentlemen who then contended for a saving of £IO,OOO to the Public, he hoped would new come forward to support him in a saving of £21,000. Bel cors;luded by an amendment to that effect. The SPEAKER was about to put the question, when . Mr. GOULBOURNE, when the proper time arri ved, was fully enabled not only to prove the policy adapted by Government regarding the Colonial Re venue now mentioned, but also fully enabled to ex culpate them from all blame. But to bring the ques tion fairly forward, the Honourable Member had only to move for the production of what papers he weight think necessary , to substantiate his allegations. h discussing the application of those revenues, the honourable Member ought to have been more care. •RA of the truth of his information, before he yen tared to make such charges aainst Government.— But whenever the Papers whi ch he might move for came before the House, it would be found that his charges were totally groundless. Government had novo considered that they ought to interfere, or had a right to interfere, in the application of their internal revenue. With regard to thelonian Islands, d e appli cation of the revenue would be easily accounted for, either by the gallant Officer at the head of those Set tlements, or by the Government at home. If he un derstood rightly, the Hon. Member (Mr. Hume) had mentioned his intention of moving for an inquiry on the subject now complained of. The Hon. Member (Ms. Hume) had some few hours ago communicated to him what he meant to mention to the House ; but instead of deprecating any farther discussion or in quiry; be had waived - every objection, and left the Honourable Member to follow his own measures.— The Honourable 'Member (Mr. Gemlbourne) assured the House, that neither the Noble.l..ord, at the head of the Department to which he (Mr. tftulbourne) had the lionoui• ofTtleoging, nor he hithielf, as cecially employed, would shrink from any examination which the Honourable Member chose to institute. It was reedless to detain the House longer ; but ke again begged to assure them, that when the propel doccu meats were under discussion, he (Mr. Goulbourne) shook' not be wanting to prove that no blame was attached to Government.—(Hear, hear.) Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH did not wish to pro yoke a discussion on the charge now advanced against Covernment that evening. He confessed that pre vious to his coming to the House, he was totally un •ncquainted with v.h4 he had heard ; and he could not help confessing that if the allegations were well founded, they contained very grave and serious charges against the Government. If he understood rightly, his Honourale Friend had stated, that there was a surplus revenue of the colonies mentioned ade quate to defray the expenses of the respecilveeMili lary Establishments ; and that the application of that surplus had not been accounted for by Government. if his Honourable Friend could substantiate his alle • gations,_ the ease would prove as serious a charge as ever had been presented against any Administration. It was an unconstitutional Act, and could not be passed over in 'silence. If the assertions were true, namely, that these expences could be defrayed out of the revenue alluded to, it would force a question to be agitated of the greatest importance to the pith lie. Ifwell founded, it would prove, that the Ser. yams of the Grown were availing t hemselves lg!" particular species of revenue to vhich they hsid.r right withOnz the authority of that lioure:• The At. nonrable Member (Sir James) did not mean tci,sey that Ministers could not justify their conclunt ; but it was evident that certasa clandestine resources of revenue were under the conttoul or direction of Goe vernment, without the Putlioriry . of Pirdiatneot. instanced two cases, that of Gibraltar' and Minorca. Mr. GOULBOURNE again denied that Govern ment had ever been guilty of: any misapplication of the revenue alluded to by providing for persons whom they could not satigly• on the Home list— Whenever the ilditeurable Gentleman brought far trxrd the document; toasaining the grounds for the charzcs againt Government, he. PIG- Goulhourae) • r 1 +. 4 • A • • a. A should enter into a full esplapation. He censured' form, tittered a single sentence in, favour of Ar.nua;' the Honourable MeMbev fcarg4rtherbeiliiedit. l'ailinitents and Universal Suffrage: others might,' cussion, the - word " fitt*Orth, 401 rabbi, at* however , honestly entertain se sentiments, though to him or his Nobleilietid. • f " 3 '' • • ' 7 ' . 91L ' ot plialant tothe House. He "ceirtainly, • linsvOier, Mr. HUME denied chat he liar eiiet itsei stiell's 'Teo in sfiteour of die Motion of his Hen: Friend, to . Word as "unworthy," and challenged tie" Ilittianchise from Barnstaple and give It to tion of any other Member en the Occiiiton: In &alio-. • Slfeffithi—(//ear, hear.) lie could see no advantage ing his deductions, he stated one instance in whieft I'd be derived from extending the soffeikee to the fire the revenue (if Malta had amounted to .€115,0* holders of the hundred, men who already bad votes, and the expense of the establishment amounted to whilst the copyholder, merchant, and man of pro £6o,ooo only. Then what became of this surplus ? perry, remained without a vote. lie thought that Mr. COULBOURNE, finding no specific charge, the House ought not to lose thi..opportunizy of shew but general assertion., declined any further reply. Mg to the people, that whenever a case was brought P. The original Resolution for £lll,OOO was then put before them, they would not fail; as for as lay in their and carried.—When the Resolution respecting Me- power, to keep themselves pure—(/P:ar, heat.) Ile diciget was pot, could not sit down without again adverting to the Mr. J.T.-611ANT announced his intention of mov- reception which he had more than once met 5),411 .ifig to-morrow in the Committee a proposition relit- when be rose to deliver his sentiments. Ile felt that rise to the Ophthalmia.—The remainder of the Re- on his own account he had Ito claim to the indul solutions were then severally put and carried. gene of the House—Wear, hear, /rear,)—but he BARNSTAPLE BRIBERY BILL. trusted he would not be treated with disrespect when 'en the Order of the day for the second reading, he bad vindicated his own right to speak—(Hear, Mr. LIURNALL stated his reasons for opposing it. hear, hear.) For if Members were deprived of the Ile was sorry to differ froth several Gentlemen whom freedom of speech, the People might think proper to he highly respected; but he was convineed that a express their sentiments in another place; and through' case sufficiently clear had not been made out to dis- a different mediam--Wear, hear/) franchise the Borough of Barnstaple.' He referred to Mr. V. BLAKE wished a milder course, if possi three notorious cases, namely, those of Cricklade, ble, to be adopted than throwing the Borough open, Shoreham, and Aylesbury. In Cricklade, their pri- and objected to the introduction of non-resident free irileges had been put up to sale as any commodity as holders. any commodity at a market town. In entering into Sir J. MACKINTOSH supported the Bill. If the particulars, the Honourable Member insisted that House suffered such instances of gross abuse as the there had been no evidence before the House which present to pass, and not mark its sense of it, the po would "(arrant them to deprive the Electors of their pular part of our Constitution, the House of. COM privileges, which remained in their possession since mons, would soon lose all its • inguence with the the times of Henry I. who had given them their People, who would soon cease to entertain any re charter. The House should not decide precipitately spect for a body that had so little respect for its own on the rights of Englishmen. Ile was not standing honour and character ai to tolerate avowed corrup up in Support of corruption, but as an advocate for tion among them. justice. The Hon. Member concluded by moving, After a few words from Mr. FORBES and Lord as an amendmet, " That this Bill be read a second Cuve, the Gallery was cleared for a division, but time this day six months." none took place, and the 'Bill was read a second time. An Honourable, HER, whose name we could POOR'S SETTLINF.NT BILL. not learn, was in favour of disfranchisement, as Upon the motion of Mr. S. BOURNE, the Report the Electors of Barnstaple, by gross acts of bribery on the Poor Settlement Bill was taken into further and corruption, had forfeited their privileges, which consideration. ought to be tranferred to Dirniinglram. General GASCOYNE moved that the Bill be re- Mr. N. CALVER'f condemned the three instances committed. Ile wished to extend the time necessary adduced as the most scandalous on record—with the to acquire a settlement to five years for natives, and exception of the present. By depriving the Electors to seven for foreigners. of Barnstaple of their privileges, they would prevent Mr. PHILLIPS saw no good from the Bill; and 'them from selling their country on future occasions. should the gallant General withdraw his motion for Mr. BENNETT went into a detail of particulars, the recommitment, he should move that the Report as a Member of the Committee. Out of 60 or 61 be taken into further consideration on that day six votes, 39 or 40 of the Electors had received bribes in months. 1 the most scandalous manner ; and one had acted so Lord GRENVILLE SOMERSET opposed the Bill infamously as to receive bribes seven times over. It was the constant system of the voters of that corrupt borough to say, " Let us wait till the turtle comes dower meaning till the highest bidder should ap pear before them. There were few individuals who had refused the wages of their iniquities. If he could have found one righteous man in Barnstaple, he , would not be for disfranchising it. Sir ROBERT WILSON announced, that as soon as the present question was disposed of, he would (in the Committee) move, that the Borough of Barnstaple be disfranchised ; and that its privileges be trans ferred to some one of the large towns. Mr. BARHAM pressed upon the House the neces sity of investigating the subject deeply, before it came to a decision. Mr. BATHURST contended, that, although no particular case of bribery had been made out, it was clearly proved that the whole system of election in the borough of Barnstaple was corrupt. Unless the House interfered, it would be vain to expect any re medy from from an application to a Court of Law. Wherever such practices as the present had prevailed, boroughs had justly forfeited their' franchise. But in the present instance the burgesses were treated with peculiar mildness, for they did irot lose their franchise entirely, but were made to share it with others. Sir JOHN NEWPORT read several passages from the Report of the Committee, to chew that although large sums had been paid at several elections, at Barnstaple the bribery oath had never been tendered nor taken. Did not this prove that there was a mu tual understanding between the Candidates that the seats were to be procured for money? Mr. MARTIN. (of Galway) contended that if the Bribery Oath had been administered, the Electors would not have taken, the bribe, that they might swear they had not been bribed. He should there fore propose, as the best remedy, that the Bribery Oath be always tendered at Elections. He objected to depriving the freemen of Barnstaple of their fran chise, because the punishment would extend to their children, and why should the innocent suffer for the the guilty? He should therefore vote for reading the Bill a second time this day sir months. Lord MILTON defended the propriety of the Bill, and maintained that it did not deprivethe Barnstaple Electors of their franchise. It extended it to others, and thus rendered bribery impracticable, but it left theca in possession of all their rights. This Bill had his hearty concurrence, and he trusted that the event , of this night would prove that the House of Com; mons was not lax in prosecuting those corruptions which were but too well known to prevail in many, places--(May, hear.) •Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN rose to offer his sentiments to the House—(A cry of" questionnhen rose, mfreda:ith loudfits of coughing, trhkh continued r some tisne.) If he was trespassing unfairly upon the time and patience of the House, he should bend to the expression of its wish, and remain silent. But when he saw on all occasions a disposition to cry him down, he could not so far compromise his rights as a Member, nor the rights of those who had sent him to ti:e House, to submit to such dictation. He ,remembered heariag with,delight the Speaker at the I llar of the House of Peers claim the liberty of speech. gut what would become of that liberty of speech of a Member of that House, if one of the Representatives of the Metropolis of the Empire, was beaten down when he attempted to rise, net by fair argument,bnt by elantour--(licar, hear, hear,)—ar.d that•too on s' qnestion respecting the People's rights Wear, hear.) . however. satifzed he might be to remain silent him li self' he had . a duty to perform to those who sent him, and on their parts he sholif,t,claini the protection 1 which he was certain would not.fail him—trcan the 1 i' Cha r--(lfeee, hear, heart) : Haoieg made this di , greasion, tie should sway eptut shortfy to the subject. i lle had never, thqusb a blind to•PoxliArneutary ke- Mr. F. LEWIS defended the Bill, and contended the present system was the cause of much more hard ship to the pauper, and injustice to the property on which the POor Rates were levied, than would be experienced under that which this measure would in troduce. He feelingly pointed out the evili atten dant on the removal of the pauper in his old age from the parish in which he had been accustomed to reside, and insisted that residence ought, in fairness, to give the poor man settlement. Mr. ALLEN was in favonr of the Law of Settle-• ment as it at present stood, and deprecated the pro posed alterations. Colonel WOOD thought the Bill would add to the number of paupers, and thought the Law of Set tlement should be wholly done away t that the lower orders should not be chained to one particular spot, and that Parliament should retrace its steps. A poor man who had' rented a small tenement, at the rate of £7. 10s. for eighteen years, had the misfortune to become a pauper, and was sent to a parish where, eighteen years before, he had been a hired servant for a year and a half. Mr. HUSKISSON agreed with the last speaker, -that every facility ought to be given to the circula tion of the poor mans labour ; but he differed horn him as to the means by which this was to be accom plished. They were told that they ought to do away with the Law of Settlement, but he did not see hew -this could be done, unless they put an end to the Poor Laws altogether. 'fhe present system tended to degrade the population more and more every day, and to make the peasant a burden to his parish, al most from his cradle to his grave. It was because he thought the present Bill went to lift the labourer from this degraded state that he supported it, as in his opinion the evils anticipated, as likely to flow from it, were far outweighed by the 1 dva4tages which it offered. Mr. GEORGE LAMB considered the variety of settlements, as they existed by the present law, as a positive advantage. As to removal of paupers to the place of their birth, he considered it as one of the cruelest removals that could be practised. He op posed the Bill. Lord MILTON supported it, because now there were fix or seven ways of gaining a settlement ; this Bill proposed to reduce them to one. • Mr. CANNING had only one objection to the Bill, namely, that the period for acquiring a settlement should be fixed at three years, by which, in Liver pool, the lower orders of the Irish would be induced to remain that time, to gain a settlement. He hoped the House would treat with indulgence this, the first fruits of the labours of a Committee, whic'i had been assailed by more remonstrance than argument ; but at the same time he would vote for the re-committal of the Bill, Mr. A.*WROHT shortly opposed the Bill. ' Si: G. CLERK requested his Honourable Friend to withdraw his motion. General GASLIOVNE said, he could' not consent rto withdraw Mr, S. BOURNE said, that he expected the greatest good from inducing the Poor to be careful, thawhen they knew they must be returned to their native places, they might lay up something to make them respectable among their friends in their old age. He had no objection to tbe re-commitment of theEill. • Mr. W. SMITH said, he lots in favour of the Bill; ifint, as his Constituents thought-it would be burtheti ocene to them, he would, in compliahce with their ~wish, vote against it. The House then divided—For the re-committal of the Bill, 62—Against it, 92—Majority, 30.—The Bill was, thereibre, lost. • • Upon the Motion of Mr. J. P. GsA.; a meqs are wa.4 fir tOrell.to-be bent to the Lords, ttlatistittg At espy of the ti;port ' picitioted to their Lortibbiro by the tlinantittoe appet neu to to fore intn the Afrgirs of the Rink. The Itotisitg.tbk Gcoliti:o . then pre arstis!:, that to -31 "" I r ow he should maw ta• a eopy of zu ?gets c o, , 1 the Opthaknie F.stablighment. should 1 move for do 110NCK gave notice, that on th e 2 , h cuments respecting the w i t, of t s ar ga die British Fore,' of i the str C. pONCK We notice, thst on Ti..tda,, May, be sheu!d move for Pa?cri reop.:.:Tin i - , t ,. pad= of the Town of l'rz., year 1814. by I.:s NJ::-,. isy . , ' On the motioanf Lord 1. 11.111ILTOY, $, nu a,d Mr. ‘Vit,f.bot lksuir were added t.) t r for examining th: l'etitions re.y.ctinT S , :.i te t, I . The American Fivhery Convention BM vr!s time, et7d ordered to be connr.it,ed to-morr,A.t, The Scotah Jury Couru 11111 went throuth at: was ordered to be reported tomorrow (this day PARLLIME.VrinIY nrPo, Tilt fly the Lords' Committees appeii.ted a Scent quire into the state of the iya-ik of England, wi the expediency of the resu: r p t v m o f c, s l / 4 . pkii riod now fixed by lAw, and into such other connected therewith; and to report such Hor them , as may he disclosed . ...idiom injury v term, with their obstrvati•Jri : Ordered to report—That the Comrnitte t soma to the inAructions given to them bv prcceeded to enquire into the several m tti .e etc r nines en to them, and have coll ecte d f rom the e xaion witnesses, and from the accoisats laid befort them information which will be found in the Minutes" Evidence, and in the Appendix. The Committee think it right to premise, this investigation they have taken as their guid e decided opinion of parliament, as declared by it c repeated enactments, that the removal of the rest tan upon cash payments by the Bank, or in, words, the restoration of the currency of the c( to a state of regulation by its ancient metalli c dart!, is an object uhich ought to be accompl , at as early a perrod as shall be found safe ;Ind cable. The first Act, confirming and continuii ' restriction contained in the Minute of Council of, 96th of February, 17p7, was passed on the 341 of Nt 1797, and was to be in force till the (4th of , 1797. The restriction wis further continued by Act passed on the 22d ofJune,l797, until one mot afterthe commencement of the next Session of liament. By another Act, passed on the 30th ay vember in the same year, the restriction was fun continued until one month of•er the conclusion of war by a definitive Treaty of Peace. On the Sd January, 1799, the Directors of the Bank, in 7 stiance of a power reserved to them by the Acts Parliament referred to, :Ave notice that on the' instant they would pay in cash all fractional under ; and, on the Ist of`February,lBoo, pay cash for all notes of!.."1 and CR, dated prior the Ist of July, 17 IS, or exchange them for notes of the same value, at the option of the holder By another Act, pa:sed on the SOth of April, the restriction was continued until the Ist of M 1803. On the 28th of February, 1803, it was. continued until the expiration of six weeks aft commencement of the then next session of IN' went. On the 13th of December, 1803, the , being then again at war, it was further coati. until six months after the 'ratification of a definite Treaty of Poace. In the year 1812 an Act w- for preventing any note or bill of the . nks land or Ireland from being received for a . sum than the sum therdn ireciiied, and for proceedings upon distress by tender of such , and in 1814: this Act was further continued dal the continuance of any . Act imposing r the Bank with respl.ct to payments Incas)). By an Act passed on the 18t# ofjaly, 1814, the restriction upon the Batik wattentinued until the 25th of March, 1815 ; and it was farther continual by an Act passed on the 23cl of March, ISIS, to the sth day of July, 1816. On the 21st of March, 1816 e an Act was passed ; by which, after reciting in the preamble " that it was highly desirable that the Bank should, as soon as possible, return to the payment ri its notes in cash ; and that it was expedient that the provisions of the former Acts should be further cm tinued, in order to afford thee to the Directors tithe Bank to make such preparations as to their disconim and experience might appear most expedient kr 41. abling 'them to resume payments in cash, with* public inconvenience, and at the earliest period; sal that a time should be fixed at which the said rer.ric tion should cease," it was enacted, that the said Ks. striction should be continued until the sth of Jnlb 1818. On the With of Ma . y, 1818, another Act as passed, by which, der tacking in the primal that it was highly desirable that the Bank of Eng land should return as soon as possible to the papal of its notes in cash, and that unforeseen circumstancet which had Occurred since the passing of the lot the preceding Acts, had rendered it,expedient that the restriction should be further continued, and that another period should be fired for the tetminat i ca thereof," the restriction is further continued until at sth of July, 1819. Of these unforeseen circumstances, the most important was the apprehension of the effect of further foreign loans (particularly those of France) upon the exchanges and the price of gold. Subsequent to the first resuiztion upon the Bark of England, similar -restrictions were imposed a:A continued by different Acts upon the Bank of Irtla.:l4 and their termination was fixed at three months attet the ei pi ration of the restriction upon the Bank of Eng land. During these successive prolongations the Bank appears at different periods to have made great eater tions to procure such a Mass of treasure as IMO enable it to replace itself upon its ancient footing, whenever it should seem good to Parliament to re move the restrictions. In 1708 the treasure was in creased to an amount which bore, in the early pal of 1799, a very large proportion to that of the ot: - : standing notes. During the years isarnediately.tr sequent, this Measure experienced a considerab!!.6 t duction ; but from the middle of 1804 t o the mslll of 1808, the favourable state of the exchanges eV bled the Bank to mate large purchases in gold. order to encourage the importation of gold, the , •• rectors determined to give 4!. per tr. andthe ..e sure was so much augmented as to h ave es , 1808 the highest amount which it had rewfbr....: 17.99. From that period it sur.cessively slechne,l,„e The restriction was prolonged in 1814, 014 25th of March, 181,5, and in 1,;fl .5 on:y Sc' die 'July, 1816 ; but, the esti Jor i dinary high • and the extreme tivr es on of the escnanges. %tor o fi t l . sli e s s whateverc , gee • • to LiovetiMscat the. el :fts (As the ,44.411 h or 1 gt T "-"T o i 112:. • 1.4 4::° 1 Sr w f. „ he . r At Keh J. rek 4l4 l 6 °P O a Cultnl•;... trPORT. ;eerpt c ornnii .. „ Lend, with wor m . t ” 1 / 4 7krttents h; co other rezrtay 4 ich i!!flerro..ien injury to the riot: 4 • mniittee have, , them by die fi . ral m mets tef the eaamin at i on. aid bcfort: then ; in the Minutes to pre m i se, th at . n as ti)eir guid e s declared by .... nova' of th e Le Bank, or la •ency of the c, icient metallic .o be accampt... Rind safe ;Ind and continuing ite of Council of ed on the 3.10 f M IT 1 the ( 24th of J.. ter continued by . 1 - 97, until oce mg. eat Session of P e on the Soth of N friction Was fu he conclusion 0f,.. ace. On the t'id ▪ the Bank, in pat hem by the Ac;s ice that on the Ikk all fractional cu.,. bruary, l 800 , us • I £2, dated prior to aste them for nes iption of the holden. out of April, IBA til the Ist of rink • 1803, it wag limbs six weeks afte7 the :t session of Parlia. 1803, the palmy s further cantinrc4 ation of a defining an Act was passed r Qv . Banks of , caved for a. - ied, and for staying nder of such %gen er continued during sing restriction its an cash. of July, 1814, the continued until the s farther continued Ifarch, ISIS, to the