Star. — London, England, 1801-04-16 00:00:00

HOME OF COMMONS. The Dona t ed Barley Bill WAS read a fccond time and com a:wed for to-morrow. The accounts of Exports and Imports were prefenttd from the Commdloners of the Cuttoms, and ordered to be printed. the Committee as the Cußoms Duty Bill was ordered to report on Friday. The Report of the Committee on the (landing Orders re lative to Inelofuree was referred to a &led Committee. Sir Robert Buxton brought up the Report of the Commit tee on the Brewers petition, which was read and agreed to, and a tilt ordered thereon. - Sir FRANCIS BURDETT called the attention of the Houfe to a Petition which he held in his!hand from a perfon of the name of John Herne, a Sol dier, in the Guards, which he proceeded to read. It Rated, that Herne had been arrefled co the r sth of June, r 798, on board a tranfport, at Port!: mouth, then under failing orders for Cork ; that h: had been fent to Portfea prifon, and from thence brought up to Bow-greet, where he was examined by Mr. Ford : that immediately on his being ar refted, he applied to Colonel Archer to know the cattle, who refuted to giver him any information ; that he was interrogated by Mr. Ford as to his propenfity to reading newfpapers, and required to tell if he did not frequently read newfpapers to the other Soldiers, and if he did not know a Sol dier of the name of Maloney ? Here Sir ROBERT Burrom moved that gran gers Medd withdraw. We underftood that the Petition was rejefted on a divifion of the Houfe. The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER was on his legs when we were re-admitted, (peaking in reply to a motion made by Mr. Tierney, for ex tending the time for the third reading of the Bill to prevent Treafonable Meetings, then under con fideration. The Chancellor of the Exchequer wifhed it to be read a third time on Monday next. which he confidered would be giving Gentlemen on the oppofite fide of the Houfe fufficient time to bring forward whatever objeftions they may have to the paffing of the Bill, and that in the in termediate time it might pats through one Rage each day. • Mr. PITT laid, this was not a new meafure ; the utility of it had been proved by experience, and he confidered the time pm fed to be given by his , Majefly's Minifters for ant oppofition which may be brought forward againft the meafure fully fuf ficient. The Report of the Committee, which Mewed to the Houk that it was the intention of the difaffeaed that meetings fhould be held in dif ferent parts of the kingdom on the fame day and hour, the more effectually to put their plans into execution, by directing the attention of Govern ment to In many points at one and the fame mo ment—fully juftified the conduit of his Majefty's Minifters in bringing forward the prefent meafiire. Mr. TIERNEY laid, as to the oppofition he had to give to the meafure it was a matter of indiffer ence to him at what time it was given, but he wifh ed to accommodate his friends who could not at tend. lie certainly wifhed the People to have an opportunity of petitioning againft the rneafure if they were inclined to do fo. He faid he knew of no Petition, but he hoped and united there would be Petigons ; the Public ought to have an oppor tunity of even petitioning for amendments in the Bill, if they confidered even amendments need far . It was very irregular to pats Bills in fuch a ha way ; except in the cafe of the Sufpenflon of the i iHabeas Corpus Aft he knew no initance of a' Bill being paired without being printed, and the Public being denied an opportunity of judging of it. It was not ufual heretofore to pats Bills in the war now propofed. The Citaacattoe of the EXCHEQUER had evert with to accommodate the lion. Gentleman. and hia friends ; but not one petition ever having been brriught into that Houfe for the Repeal of the St d.-ion Bill before pallid, although in force for five hears, convinced him there was not much likeli ood of Petitions being prefented againft the pre fent meafure. The Hon. Gentleman perhaps would Ay the Bill prevented the aflembling of perfons to petition, but this he would deny, for at no period in the hiftory of the country was there an inftance of more petitions being prefented to that Houle, during the fame fpace of time, than were prefented while the Sedition Bill was in force. He never knew fo great a change as took plaice in the minds of the People three months af ter the pairing of that Bill, with refped to its ten dency—perfons who oppofed it from -a principle of ..., jealoufy from the fuppofition of its being an in fringement of their rights—a jealoufy which he hoped and trufted never would be extinguifhed— had within three months contidered it as a meafure which preferred thofe rights they fuppofed it went to infringe. He reminded the Hon. Gentleman, that this was a public Bill againft which, by the of age of that Houk, petitioifers could not be heard. He contended that time enough would be given by fixing the third reading for Monday next, and could not therefore content to enlarge it. Mr. SHERIDAN faid, it was not parliamentary to prefume that Petitions would not be prefented againft the Bill under difentlion. He felt bimfelf utterly at a lofs to know upon what grounds the balk evinced by the Right Hon. Gentleman could be jullified. The former Bill was expired fix months, and yet not one meeting was called. They mutt be lazy confpirators to fuffer inch a laph of time without making an effort. He fuppofed the prefent appearance of difaffellion mull have arifen in confequenee of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) being out of office; the difaffeded fuppofing they had not the vigilance of the Right Hon. Gen tleman to contend with, began no doubt to !hew " themfelves, and therefore the prefent meafure be came neceffary, which wouldnot have been fo if the Right Hon. Gentleman had remained in office, to prefetve tranquillity. He faid he mug always in ter his Protefl againft the Committee that recom mended the measure ; t 9 the individuals that corn. poled it he had no objedion, but againft the mode by which they were chofcn he had many objedions. Ile then recapitulated many of the arguments urged by him on Tuefilay night againa the mode en elating perfons to terve on Committees where it was neccifary they flioidd aft aireordfoo to - contended, chat though a fits• faelious people might exiß, yet this did not call for the mcafitre we had paired and were about to pals. He dared fay the company kept by the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was what is termed amiable company—that would not objeft to the Bill in his pretence. He did not confider it fafe that during the fulpenfion of the Habeas Corpus At keen houfekeepers fhould fign a requifition to the people to meet, to apply to Parliament on any political queilion ; and he was perfuaded it would not be eafy to find perfons to do fo, who by the Rep would get!herufelves marked by Spies and In formers, and fubjeCt themfelves, on the moil flimfy pretext, to be committed to prifon as dangerous and feditious perfons. He gave Mini tiers credit for their confiflency in pairing the Bill with as much difpatch as poflible, in order to afford as little ciif carton as could take place on lo important a mea lure. Lord HAWRESBURY contended, that the number of Petitions prefented to the Houle whilft the late Bill was in force, was the bet proof he could ad duce that the Bill did not operate againft the Pe titions of perfons whore Petitions &old be attend ed to by that Houle, and that it did not prevent meetings of perfons convened for any good pur pole :—Lord Lieutenants, Grand Juries, or (even Houfekeepers, could call meetings ; this could not be confidered as deprivin"- the people of the right of petitioning. He readily admitted the right of the people to petition, an d regretted as much as any m.ui the neceinty of placing a reflraint upon them—the meafure was juflified by neceflity alone. During five years no real inconvenience had been experienced by the Bill ; indeed, never was a mea lure more univerfally popular. He could fee no objeetion to the manner in which his Hon. Friend propofed to pafs the Bill through that Houle. Mr. WiLstatroxes raid, the Bill was regarded through the country with affation and gratitude. The unpopularity of the meafure in the fira in; Rance arofe from mirreprefentation ; but the peo ple were now convinced of the miliake, and of the utility of the Bill. He raid he was told himfeif, at a meeting at which thirty or forty Magiftrates at tended, that filch a meeting could not take place after the palling of the Bill ; but this aftertion was loon found to be erroneous. He defended the con duet of the Committee.—He recommended the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) before lie com plained fo loudly of the Gentlemen at his fide of the Houle not forming a part of the. Committee, to refleet on the fmallnefs of their number in that Houfe, and how few of the people of the country agree in opinion with them. He juftified the man ner of choofing Committees in that Houfc, and raid, thofe who compofed the Committee of which he complained could allign fufficient realbns why the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) fhould not be chofen one of its Members. He congratulated the Houle on the vigilance of Minifiers, who, whiff they ailed upon emergencies a ith vigour, did not touch a hair of the head of the Conftatution. Mr. LASCELLES laid, the Magiftrates of York fhire were much more likely to petition for than againfl the meafure. He contended it only went to counteraft the machinations of relllefs and evil minded perfons, and as fuch fhould have the fup port of that Houfe and the country. Mr. TItItNEY role to propofe an amendment to his motion.—He was called to order by . I Mr. PITT, who Paid the Hon. Gentleman had not a right, after being heard once by the Houle, to make a motion of amendment. The Sciatica Paid, he wiflied to have the fink of the Houfe on the fubje& ; he felt himfelf unable to decide—a fimilar objeaion had been before made, and it was his with to be direded by the wifdom of the Houfe; he thought much trouble would be Paved to the Houfe by preventing perfons who had fpoken in a debate propofing amendments to motions, and no pollible inconvenience could arife, as this did not preclude any other Gentleman from propofing the amendment which, in his mind, would be the molt regular and orderly method. Mr. BAKER corroborated the opinion of the Speaker, if it was material for any public objee to move an amendment, it might as well, he con ceived, originate with any other Member, as one who had already fpoken. General Wairotx moved an amendment, that the uord , g now" Should be omitted, and as Mon day next" inferted in its room. Mr. TIERNEY Seconded the motion, and was happy to find that the objedions to his (peaking were removed by having one of his own mind to originate the amendment he pro fed to offer to the Houfe. He denied that the Bill had been po. pular heretofore, and only wished for delay, in order that the Houfe might have an opportunity for more information, which he underftood it was intended to prefent to them, to Phew the neceflity of the meafure. He called on the Right Hon. Gentleman oppofite to him to produce a precedent on the journals of a proceeding of Such importance taken on the affertion of twenty-one Gentlemen, however refpeßed, of a Committee which was chofen in a manner equally unprecedented ; not one of whom was taken from the Oppofition fide of the Houfe, which was not fo in fi gnificant in point of number as Rated, for on a late occafion they amounted to Ito Members. The meafure before the Houfe did not prefs fo much in point of time. ,It was not by any means fimilar to that for the Snitsenfion of the Habeas Corpus AR. He was furprifed that an independent Member, the Reprdentative for Yorklhire, Should Stand up to defend fucb a mode of culling a Cornmiuee. lie teemed, indeed, a perfea mailer of the art of bal loting—by him it was faid there could be no wastast. danger in admitting the Members of th e Oppofi. tion into Committees which were to examine and to report on matters of fag—but it teemed that the Committee en this °coition Should b e compof e d of Poets, to deal in fancy, and to report from imagination. It was pretended, indeed, that Op pofition was a Band that concerted their mrafures, and might, if fufered , appoint a Committee of their own, but Government was fuppofed to be a fet of look unconneffed individuals—they formed no plans—they exercifed no in fl uence. The fui port of tbe_Hon. Gentleman to this misrsThre opinions of his conflituents chill very ftrongly with his votes, and be was of late applied to to prefent fome petitions to his Majelty much againft his own wifhes, Co much indeed, as to betray an unwillingnefs on his part, dirgufting to his confli tuents. It was certainly true that the Bill had been much mifconceived, and the reafon was plain. The laws in general were too perplexed for the people at large to underhand ; they only looked and judged from the titles of Bills, and the title of the Bill in queftion did induce fuch a mifcon. ception. In the cafe Of the Income Tax, a Rory was told of a man who prefented a lilt of his pro perty altogether, telling the Commiffioners, " I don't underhand your Bill at all—there is my pro perty entire, and give me what you pleafe of it." [A laugh]. The - Bill, he contended, was quite inadequate to meet the evil complained of, for it only profeffed to prevent popular Meetings on any Cubjea conneeted with Church or State, while it left the difaffefted at liberty to coiled affemblies of the people under any other pretexts. Mr. WILBERFORCE explained and utterly denied that any difpute had arifen between him and his conflituents refpeding any petitions. He dif claimed the leaft peril - mat difrefpea for thofe by whom fuch petitions had been relented to him, however he might differ with them on a particular political queftion, namely, as to the time proper -to folicit a Negotiation for Peace. Mr. Joliarrox condemned the method adopted of choofing the Secret Committee, and argued that Minifters were wanting to their own interefts in following fuch a plan, as it fubjeeted the Report of that Committee to fufpicion without doors. The SoLiciToß GENERAL Paid, he fhould have oppofed the admiffion of Members from the other fide of the Houfe to-the Committee for two rea fons ; the firft was, that as all the rafts and evi dence produced by former Committees, on fimi lar occafions, had been infufficient to procure their acquiefcence in fuch mcafures as that evidence called for, he fhould, therefore, defpair of their belief in any information the Committee poffeffed, of which he had the honour to be a Monber : their oppefition would, of courfe, embarrafs the necef fary precautions of Government. His fecond rea fon for oppofing their elettion to the Committee would be, that he had heard it declared, from the other fide, that a Committee of Secrecy did not, by any means, bind its Members not to difclofe.the communications they miht receive; and he was well aware, on this occa fion, what injury would arife to his Majefty's agents at home and on the Continent, had fuch information been•difclofed as had induced the Committee to make the Report en the table ; and it certainly was not abfurd to fuppofe it poeible, from the declaration alluded to, and from the communication ruppofed to exift between fome Gentlemen on the other fide; and perfons of a very equivocal charader abroad. Mr. SHERIDAN was perfuaded that no Gentle man on his fide of the Houfe was capable of vio lating the compact which was generally under flood to exift between the Members of a Secret Com mittee; but had no doubt that Minifters would have aded wirer had they chofen the Committee from mutual independent men—not the partizans of Oppofition, nor the pledged fupporters of Ad miniftration ; yet a few Oppofition Members would have done no harm to the Committee—their in credulity, as Gentlemen term it, might be an ufeful check on the too great credulity of others. They might haye told them that they were only becoming the inftruments of thofe whore object and intereft it was to raife a falfe panic, by adopt ing idle rumours, on the report of hired infor. mers, as the ground of mcafures trenching on the liberty of the fubjed, and endangering the fecurity of the Conaitution—[the firing of the Park guns interrupted Mr. Sheridan, by attracting the atten- Lion of the Houfe]—he expreffed his joy at the event which produced the interruption, but hoped it was not the fignal of fome new plot (a laugh). He reprobated the mode in which the Secret Com mittee was chofen ; if it was necefrary to ballot in Inch a manner, it would be more manly to avow it, and he recommended to appoint the Honoura ble Member for Yorkfhire Political Ballot Maher- General—he feemed fo well to underhand how to CAR the parts, and to produce the denouement of the political plot. He confeffed he had fome re fpeCt to the declarations of theßight Honourable Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer), that he would not be in fl u e nced by a ny party di tinetions, and therefore he had fome apprehenfions that he himfelf,or fome of his friends would have bees chofen on the Committee, but he now found that he had more refpea for the Right Hon. Gentleman's profelliont than he ought. The SPEAKER called the Hon. Gentleman to order, as wandering from the queftion. The SOLICITOR GEN ItRAL expkatned. TheCH•tic EL toe. of the E x easily s a faid that the objettions of the Hon. Gentleman oppofite to him, to the fyflem of balloting, had been repeatedly urg ed before, and as repeatedly refuted. It was that fyftem w h ich left the will of men molt perfealy free ; if any number of names were recommended to their choice, that recommendation did notfetter their their judgment. No complaint had been ever heard againft the Direiftors of the India Com pany, whole uniform fuch it was to prefent to the Electors a lift of fuch perfons as they deemed eligible to fill the places vacated by thofe who go out by rotation ; bccaufe filch a Bill was never thought to retrain the will of the Eleaors. In anfwer to the obfervation fo particularly addreffed to himfelf,refpeding precedent, he declared he faw nothing in the eftabliffied pradice of the Houfe to difcountenance the mode of proceeding on this oc calion. He would not oppofe his imperfect me mory to the minute, accurate and diligent refearch of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr.'rierney) by whom that obfervation was made, but he mull fay that the Houfe was competent to proceed on any queftion however important, without any pre vious Committee of Enquiry, as it had on the Sufpention'of the Habeas Corpus Ad ; and fuch conduct would be perfealy juflifiable, when an univerfal conviction of the neceffity of the meafure prevailed, as it would be without doubt more re • and the truth was that fuch was intended, hnt tk: evidence was fo confufed and complicated, ar.J the fags fo numerous, that it was difficult, if nct impoffible, to coiled and arrange the different points which bore on the cafe before the Houle within the time that it appeared neceffary to costa the meafure. That was the principal reafon why the ftatement demanded by the Gentlemen on th•_ other fide was abilained from for the prefent ; I,• t r he claimed credit for the unanimous declaration of the Committee, that the Bill was highly necef. Cary; and he was perfuacled there was nothing it: the manner - in which it was introduced it%eon. cileable with the accuftomed rules and ufages of the Houfe. Mr. TIERNET fpoke ( hort ly in explanation, and maintained that there was no cafe on the records et Parliament, where a meafure trenching fo much on the Privileges of the People was ever adopted on the General Report of a Committee of Secrecy. LordCOLE deniedthat the SecretCommitteele e formed from what was generally called a patty. He hod the honour to belong to that Committee, and he difclaimed a conneElion with any part.: other than that which was forward to defend h:. King and Country, and he hoped that no other party was to be found in that Houfe. He was Ca tain that none other ought to be fuffered to In in it. Mr. /slicHott.s fupported the amendment. If Minifters, he Paid, thould decline to produce the evidence of the alledged neceffity belc.re the Lit was enaded, the natural inference throJgh ti Country would be, that the evidence was Ituc fu ficient to fuftain their Ratements. The amendment was rejetled without a di% ifion, and the Bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow. The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQIJER exprefred a with that the Hon. Gentleman opplafite to him, would, as a matter of accommodation, confent to pollpone his motion which Rood for to-morrow. W. TIERNEY acceded to thc•requeft of the Right Hon. Gentleman. Mr. VANS ITTART reported from the Committee on the Inn-Keepers' Allowance Bill. The Report was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. The other Orders of the Day were deferred, af ter which the Houfe adjourned till to-morrow. LONDON. THURSDAY APRIL i 6. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK: Confab 59f—for May account 604 Omnium 61 7 74 8 91 prem. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY : Bank Stock Cent Rad L ong Ann. Cent 1,07 tPt -2)194493f 3 per . 471 3 per C. Coat ytt SbOrt AIM St 4 Per Cent. ConE 7 kj7ll Ornaium 6## 74 per C. Navy 954 969 96 Conf. for May Moot 4 The following is the tlinfe or Proclamation of the new Emrsaoa, on his afcending the Throne : " We, by the Grace of GOD, ALF 'CANDI& the FIRST, Emperor and Autocrator of all the Rula, &c. &c. declare to our faithful fubjeas " It has pleated the decrees of the AL mic trry to shorten the life of our beloved Parent Sovereign Em- peror PAUL PETROVITZ, who died fuddcnly by an apoplelic Rroke, at night between the t th and lath day of this month. We, on receiving the Hz reditary Imperial Throne of all the Ruflias, do re ceive alfo at the fame time the obligation to govern the People committed unto us by the ALMIGHTY, according to the Laws and the heart of her who refts in Goo, our molt auguß Grand-Mother Sove reign Emprefs CATHERIN E the GREAT, whole me mory will be dear for ever to us, and the whole Country. Following the Reps of her wife intentions, we hope to arrive at the objelt of carrying Ruflia to the fummit of glory, and to procure an unin terrupted happincfs to all our faithful SubjeCts, whom we do hereby invite to foal their fidelity to us by an oath, before the face of the All-feeing Goo, whole alliflance we implore to grant us power to fupport the weight now Telling upon us. " Given at St. Peterlburg, the Lath March, 0. S. Mar. (Signed) " ALRIANDtt." This morning we received French Journals one day later thin thole which arrived yellerday.— The following notice of the death of Paws L is given in the 7os:rag! Jet Ddats, of the 13th : • PARIS, APRIL 12...-A courier who arrived this day with difpatches for M. KALITSCHRW, brought him the following intelligence : "On the asd of March the EMPRROR of RUSSIA, PAUL I. was found dead in his bcd." The other articles in the French Journals are not of fuflkient importance to demand any part of our columns this day. The details which we laid before our Readers yelterday, refpeaing the brilliant achievements of our brave Tan, are confirmed as to the accuracy of the particulars, by the Gazette Extraordinary 1 which was publifhed at a late hour laft night. Extra& from fevers] private letterz brought by Captain °TWAT have been handed to tis, which would have furniflred Tome very inte. relling remarks, but thefe .are now rendered un neieflary, the Gazette having been publifhed, and two mails from Hamburgh having arrived this morning, which bring the Dania' accounts of this glorious event. Our Rtaders will fee by the letters from Copen hagen, whi.h we have fubjoined to the Gazette. ihdiilfilallik‘fiarit.ih&i....brmig Admiral airr,, !hips bpi me I Lor tier