Star. — London, England, 1818-03-03 00:00:00

HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF LONDON. • Satitrday se'nnight, at a General Meeting of the HIGHLAND SOCIETY or LONDON, holden in Freema son's Tavern, be , ides the election of Officers for the year, the Rev. JAMES BOYD, who has been invited to the Ministry of the Gnlic Church, was elected one of the Chaplains of the Society. The business of this Meeting being chiefly confined to the private affairs of the Society, no object of na tional importance was submitted to the consideration of the Members : but in consequence of Mr. Virructr.. the Artist, being elected an Honorai y Member, an cpportunit,,y was afforded of turning the attention of the Society, indirectly, to a subject of the greatest consequence to the honour and dignity of the Scottish Nation.—Mr. ROBERTSON, in seconding the motiqn for Mr. Witatis election, stated that it was the first time in the History of Scorland,• that a public body of that country bestowed any honou 4 ,le mark of distinction on account of proficiency in Art, and he, was stare that it would be of incalculable benefit to the genius which had arisen in their native land.— " The Highland Society of London," he observed, ". has greatly distinguished itself by its exertions to collect and preserve the productions of genius in poetry and music, nor have the claims of living talent been neglected. It is not generally known that the medal struck by the Society, to commemorate the Battle of Alexandria, is unquestionably the finest spe cimen of that class of art ever executed in this coun try, and vies with the best of the French collection.— Let it only for a moment be compared with that given to the Heroes of Waterloo, and the most igno rant eye will he immediately struck with the diffe rence. Medals outlive every other production of art,, and this medal alone will transmit the name of the Society to the latest time with enviable honour. The tripod of silver, presented last year to the 4-2 d Regi ment, has not been excelled in this country for the purity of taste and the beauty of workmanship. And the Diploma of the Society is the most splendid ex ample of engraving on wood that the art has presen ted to the world. it is not only eagerly sought for by collectors in this country, but is in request on the Continent, and particularly at Paris, as a singular ex ample) of the perfection to which the art of engraving on wood has arrived in Great Britain." Mr. ROJIERT• SON then took occasion to expatiate with warmth and friendship on the merits and talents of Mr. Wuxi; remarking, that " Meetings of Public and National Bodies constitute the Olympia of modern times," and he concluded by suggesting to the Society whether it was not worthy of consideration to adopt some means of holding out inducements to the Scot tish Artists to illustrate the history and poetry of Scotland, referring to the admirable Report of the Committee of the House of Commons respecting the Elgin Marbles, as the most distinguished testimony to the moral importance of the Fine Arts that has appeared in any age or country. The Meeting . was highly interested by these obser vations, and it is hoped that as soon as circumstances will admit, the subject will be taken up by the So. ciety with that ardour and effect which has ever dis tinguished its undertakings. 'We cannot dismiss this article without urging this great, powerful, and patriotic association to lend its influence to the amelioration of the Salt Laws. It has rendered perpetual benefit to the country, and arrested a lamentable decay of private morality, by procuring an Amendment of the Distillery Laws ; and the absurd and no less fraud-exciting-code, re specting Salt, equally calls for change and revision. SOCIETY OF ANCIENT BRITONS. Yesterday (Sunday being St. David's Day) the one hundred and fourth Anniversary Festival of this be nevolent Institution was celebrated. At ten o'clock in the morning Lord Viscount BELORAVE, as Presi dent, several of the Vice-Presidents, Stewards, &c. assembled in the Board-room of the School-house, in Gray's Inn-lane-road, to breakfast. During break fast a Military Band attended in the yard and played a great number of airs. The Boys, eighty in number, were drawn up in line in the yard, all in new cloth ing, with leeks and bows of white ribbon in their hats, where they went through the manual exercise with great precision, the word of command being given by Mr. DAVID Josxs, the Schoolmaster. At eleven o'clock the procession from the School to the Church commenced, in the following order : A Standard, carried by a man, with the Prince's Plume painted on it. 75 Boys, with silver leeks in their hats, and white favours. twenty-four Girls, with silver leeks and white favours, accom panied by their Governesses. Beadles and Officers. A Military Band, and the City Marshal on horseback. The procession was closed by the private carriages of Lord Viscount Belgrave, Sir Christopher Cole, Bart. Sir Charles Morgan, Bart. Burgess, Esq. Hugh Ste phens, Esq. Jeremiah Evans, F.sq. John Bennett, EA, : Edw. Jones, Esq. John Jones, Esq. M.P. Edward Owen, hsci. Da vid Allen, Esq. They proceeded to St. George's Church, Hanover square, which was crowded to excess. Prayers were read in the Ancient British language by the Rev. THOMAS ALBAN, their Chaplain. The Sermon was preached in English by the Bishop of LANDAFF from Proverbs, chap. '29. 15th verse. At six o'clock a very numerous compar.y sat down to an excellent dinner, at the Free Masons' Tavern, Lord BELORAVE in the Chair, supported by the Bi shop of LANDAFF and Sir WATKIN W. WYNN, Lord BERKELEY, and many other Noblemen and Gentlemen. After the usual toasts, songs and glees were given, the Noble Chairman announced, that the children would walk around the room—a most interesting sight, as his Lordship justly observed. The venerable Treasurer of the Society, It. EDMUNDS, Esq. preceded 80 boys and 25 girls, amid the loudest plaudits.— After which 24 boys and girls sung an Ode, written on the occasion by Mr. PARRY, which seemed to affect the generous-hearted Cambrians.—The Stew ards went round and collected more than a Thousand Pounds. while the band and harps played alternately. On the health of the Noble Chairman being given, his Lordship returned thanks, and informed the CQM pally that the School was enlarged, and that although upwards of 23001. had been expended last year, the Treasurer had more by 10001. in hand. and that it was the intention of the Governors to admit . My ware ckildrefe on the Establishment. He concluded by giving the health of the President of the Charity, Sir W. W. Wynn.—Many other toasts were given, and mitt)) and harmony prevailed till a late hour. fa 1 \ a WI j in w gi ) ci, cc t ' r T C PI 1 vi i so r 3 1 ' 3 1 t 1 1 . i t . ~ f i k 1 I I ' ( I I( 2 t 1 2 1 i I 1 I 1 i. , 7 1 i •,_ a • . • . _ 11.04 4 . I . , ip. , I 1 , ,,• 4 4 ° • ...,1 • •,:• . • • PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE QF LORDS, MARCH 2. The House proceeded in . dprezlt- Mr. FAURZLL presented the Annual Account of the East India Dock Company.--Ordered to lie on the table. The Earl GROSVENOR presented a Petition from Richird Ga.t.norne Bctt, now• a prisoner in the King's Bench Prison, on sentences for libels upon Lord Fllenborough (NW Lord Castle reagh, complaining that he had been refused a Habeas Corpus to enable him to plead his own cause in some actions of his de fending.—Ordered to Ile upon the table. • On the motion of the Earl of LAUDERDALE, an Account Alias ordered, of the Net Revenue of Great Britain and Ireland, distinguishing for the years ending the sth Jar.eary, 1811, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 17, and 18. CLIMBING BOYS. Lord HOLLAND presented a Petition from cer tain Master Chimney Sweepers of London and West minster against the practice of employing Climbing Boys in' sweeping chimnies, and in favour of the Chimney Sweepers' Regulation Bill. Petitions to the same effect were also presented by Lord PRUDHOE, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Kingsland, Dalston, Scc.; by the Earl of Lst:ov.it- DALE, from Hackney, Homerton, and Claptor. : by Lord HOLLAND from Clerkenwell ; and by the Earl GROSVENOR from Chester. On presenting the last mentioned Petition, the Earl GROSVENOR hoped that this horrible practice would be put an end to by the Legislature. Ile Earl of LAUDERDALE was desirous there should be evidence before the House to prove that all the chimnies in England could be swept by means of rqachinery. The Earl of GROSVENOR said there would be ,evidence on the subject before the House. The Bishop of CHEsran concurred in the object of the Petition, and hoped the practice would be abolished.—The several Petitions were ordered to lie upon the table. PERSONS IMPRISONED UNDER THE LATE SUSPEN- 310 N ACTS. The Earl of CARNARVON said he had wished to move this evening for an► Account of Persons com mitted on charges of being concerned in unlawful and riotous Assemblies, with Copies of the Warrants of Commitment, and the Dates of their Discharges, but seeing none of the Ministers in their places, ex cept the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, he was reluctantly compelled to make it a notice for to-morrow. _ —...-..... Lord - HOLLAND good-humouredly observed, that a Habeas Corpus should be issued to bring up the Bodies of the Ministers. The LORD CHANCELLOR said they would be in their places to-morrow.--Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Petitions against the Leather Tax were presented front Ennis corthy, the county of Cornwall, Aberdeen, Towcester,Elles mere, Newcastle on-Tyne, Edinburgh, Darlington, South Shields, Bolton, and Manchester. • Mr. CURWEN postponed the second reading of the Tythes Bill to Friday next; and took that opportunity of submitting that it was not his intention to persevere with respect to the first part of the Bill relative to Modulus. PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. Mr. II ART DAVIS presented a Petition from the City of Bristol, praying for a Reform of Parliament. The Petition, be said, was signed by twcnty names; this was a novel system of petitioning. Several hundred Petitions of this description bad already been signed at Bristol, and would be forwarded in a few days to London ; and Bristol, be believed, would send up in all above a thousand of them. He could say, however, that this Petition did not express the sentiments of his constituents, who were friends to the Constitution, ima enemies w radical Reform. Mr. PROTHEROE presented a similar Petition, signed by wily 20 persons. It prayed that all male persons, who were not infants, insane persons, and criminals. should be admitted to vote for Members of Parliament. The Petition had the merit at being precise, temperate, and respectfuL He himself was a friend to moderate Reform, but not to that species of Reform yed for in this Petition. WATER COMPANIES. Mr. M. 4. TAYLOR gave notice, that it was his intention to Admit a measure to the House for the Inner regulation of Water Companies. The lamentable want of orate- for so long a time after the arrival of the fire engines, bad added very much to the ravages of the file in the metropolis yesterday morning.— It was his intention to bring forward some measure by way of remedying this evil, and providing that a supply of water should be given to the Public in cue of fire. lie could only for the present give a general notice of his intention, without fixing any particular time. The Steam Boat an was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Friday the 13th instant. BLOOD MONEY. Mr. BENNET, in pursuance ofnotice, rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal and amend va. rious Acts of Parliament relative to statutory Re wards on the conviction of offenders. Those Gen tlemen in the House who belonged entirely to the Profession of the Law, - being better acquainted with these matters than he was, might be supposed better qualified for the task he had undertaken than he could be ; but having been a Member of the Com mittee appointed to inquire into the State of the Po lice of the Metropolis ; and having lately passed a considerable portion of his time in inquiries into sub jects of this nature, and feeling, in common with a great number of individuals, that some measure like that which he intended to propose, was indispensibly necessary, he was induced to trouble the House with a Bill to repeal and amend the law respecting statu tory rewards. The Reports of the Committee allu ded to, and the evidence connected with them having so long been before the House, it would pot be neces sary for him to take up their time, by entering into any long detail on the subject. He should confine himself to stating merely the principal reasons which induced him to bring the matter of statutory re wards, on conviction, at present before the House.— There could be nothing more objectionable than the effect which this system of rewards had of training up offenders in all the gradations of crime, from the first offence of the criminal, till he arrived at the last stage, when a reward should be obtained for his con viction. Every person must see, that a punishment, however slight, if certain, was much more efficacious for the repression of offences than more severe pu nishments, which, it was known, were seldom inflic ted. There could be no question, however, that a number of juvenile offenders were permitted to roam at large, and to proceed from one stage in crime to another, till they were, as it was technically called, worth their weight.---till they weighed forty pounds. The shocking practices to which these rewards led, .and which were detailed by many Magistrates and others connected with the police of the metropolis,. might be seen in the Minutes of the Evidence taken; by the Committee ; and for an elucidation of some of them, he would refer more particUlitly to the evi dence of Mr. Shelton, Clerk of the Arraigns. On this subject there was surely enough to warrant the inter ference of the House: It was stated in evidence, that op trials, the first question frequently put to police officers and witnesses wee, what they would gain by 1 the conviction ? and by this means persons of whose guilt there could be no doubt were frequently, from the difficulty of obtaining• witnesses, acquitted ;—..be- cause witnesses felt their characters assailed by the sort of questions which were put to them, and because this blood -money hung like a stone about their necks. 4 Another reason for remedying this system was, that it led to conspiracies for procuring people to commit crimes to obtain the reward for their conviction. The public attention had lately been powerfully called to the subject of such conspiracies ; and an investiga tion respecting one was at this very time on foot.— But this was not the first time of men lending them selves to the purpose of entrapping men into the commission of offences, for the sake of obtaining the reward for their conviction. As early as 1756, seve ral persons were convicted of having been concerned conspiracies of .his nature ; one of those persons, of the name of M'Daniel, acknowledged that 70 per sons in all had been convicted at different time's on evidence furnished by him. On oneoccasion a man voluntarily submitted to be robbed. The Judges thought force necessary to constitute a robbery.— Three persons concerned in this business were tried for a conspiracy, but they were so roughly handled by the people, that one of them was killed outright, and another died soon afterwards. Unfortunately these were not solitary instances. In the year 1772, about twenty persons were the victims of such =chi nations.—The conspiracies which were discovered about a year ago were well known to the House. The case which lately happened to be discovered in Newgate, was one in which the execution of the sen tence of the law had been most properly suspended. He did not mean to say that in this case the conspi racy was as clearly made out as in the case of the poor men who were convicted on the evidence of Brock, Pelham, and Power ; but there was a well founded suspicion that Kelly and Spicer were the victims of the same system. How many others might have fallen victims to these contrivances it was impossible to say, but the general persuasion was, that the instances had been but too numerous.-- He was convinced he was not exaggerating, when hel said that it had been a long established practice in this country for individuals day after day, and year after year to stimulate others to the commission of crime, for the purpose of putting money in their pockets by their conviction. It was his intention to propose, that what were technically called Tyburn Tickets should be continued, and that the reward of 401. should still be paid to the executors of any per sons killed in the pursuit of highwaymen, or the exe cutors of persons killed in discharging . their duty in seizing of criminals, on whose conviction the reward was payable. But instead of the rewards on convic tion, payable by the 4th, 6th, and 7th of William and Mary, the sth of Queen Anne, and the 14th and 15th of George 11. be intended to propose that there should be assigned money for the expences of prosecuting, and bringing forward witnesses, in all cases of felony whatever, whether a conviction did or did not take place, at the discretion of the Judges. He thought this expense ought not to be thrown on individuals, when it appeared that there was a reasonable ground made out for-prosecution. It was not his intention to trouble the House further at present—he trusted he had made out a case suffi cient to shew that the system of giving what was termed Blood Money, against which there was one general feeling throughout the country, was an evil which loudly called for a remedy. The Honourable Gentleman concluded with moving for leav e to bring in a•Bill to repeal and amend certain Act s of Parlia ment relative to the giving statutory rewards on the conviction of offenders. ELECTION BILL. Mr. P. MOORE presented a Petition from Ccven try, against the Election Bill. The Petition having been read, and laid onc e table, Mr. WYNNE move the third reading of the Bill, and stated his intention to provide that such votes as should have been disputed at first, and ultimately decided to be good, should be considered as forming part of the 400 which the Bill requires should be polled during the first two days. Sir C. MONCKE was afraid that the Bill, as it stood, would vest in the Returning Officer a power which he might abuse to influence the election. It would be better if he were obliged, before the elec tion, to declare what number of constables he should think necessary to preserve good order, and that per sons-should be recommended to him, in equal num bers, to exercise that office by each of the candidates. He would thus lose his patronage, and theirs would be on an equality. Colonel ALLEN objected to the whole of the Bill, and moved that its third reading take place this day six months. Mr. NIARRYATT thought that the more the Bill was considered, the more it would be found objec tionable. He reproved tle clause which limited the duration of the poll, and required the same number of voters to be presented every day, whether the contest were for a county or for a borough. This would force a candidate to bring up all his non-resi der.t voters on the first day, whilst it might be found afterwards that they would not have been wanted. This would greatly increase, instead of diminishing the expense of elections; and would, in fact, preclude a great portion of the voters of the 'kingdom from exercising their elective franchise. He also disap proved of the clause which transferred the expense of hustir.gs and booths from the candidates to the public. On the part of the candidates it was optional, but it would come on the public in the shape of a tax, and at a time when no fresh burthens should he thrown upon them. This seemed the beginning of a new system of legislation; for if the public were to bear a part of the expenses of elections, why not the whole? and Why, u to France and America, should not the Members be alsc tetuw,erated for their labours ? Mr. PROTHEROE objected to the clause which inflicted a penalty of 1001. or. the candidate who should gin any cockade to his supporters. Ile wished the Bill might he recommitted ; but if its Honourable Mover would not accede to that suggestion, he should support the Amendment. Sir WILLIAM BURROUGHS objected to the clause which directed the Returning Officer to dose the poll unless 400 voters were produced. If 400 voters were to be examined during the time men tioned, there would not he more than 63 seconds to decide on the - merits . of each; and if a crew candidate, more agreeable to the electors, should 1 . self on the third day, his opponents v:e4d - h4 thing to do to throw him out, but to object in votes. He also disapproved of the clause v: flicted a penalty of 1001. for giving a cockad e. Mr. HAMMERSLEY was happy to ve' 4osition to a Bill which he conside re d cry 'selfish description, and at the proposal lek sincere disgust. Kr. WII.BERFORCE wished that the specting cockades should be expressed i n terms, and that, instead of a large penalty or did.ate giving them, small ones should b e individuals - by whom they should be e r or worn. Mr. DOUGLAS objected to the 13 7 .1 a with a General Election in view, as niznv t i might be twisted to partial objects. He icy that it should he postponed for two years. Mr. MASTER'I'ON URE stated that lu fled that there was no measure whicn viewed with snare jealousy by the people, which would deprive .Electors of a fair of of giving their votes. He was anxious th, should be so framed as to exclude the ides ing that tendency. He was aware of the portuniry which the present laws gave re the duration of Polls to an improper and te ‘ length of time, arid while he would glae any measure which would improve a s e s , avert the evils which had arisen, he would that in doing so, he did not incur a gr by preventing persons legally entitled to exercising their elective franchise; anci .relieve the House from the imputation oi l law for their own convenience, in that me tent part of the practice of the British Cr He was afraid that the Bill in its present is have that tendency. It must be adverted the clauses now stand, the apportionment and polling places may not be made unless sons have po ll ed at a former contested elect this was no certain criterion of the number who may poll at a future election, particu the right of election is in freeholders—at.. a number of booths might be apportioned.. than 150 persons have polled at former e!, also called the attention of the Howe to th portant circumstance, that much time .Eupied on the first day of electif.n in the ; forms of reading the writ, swearing the Officer, appointing Commissioners to tak, Besides all this, the speeches of the Can... 5 rally take up a considerable time; so tha four or five hours from the commencer proceedings before the poll takes place was in the breast of the returning oEv commence the poll on that or the folks If he adopts the former alternative, t!.. , mains ten hours to pull 400 votes. He the necessary questions to be put to Frei.li Bribery Oath, which, unlike the oaths of supremacy, and abjuration, must be tan voter separately, would occupy five ni that only twelve persons could be polled or 240 persons within the time limited by supposing that there were two polling places. many persons might be deprived or di voting. He thought it more advisable , middle course, and provide that the poll close at the expiry of the ninth hour, on she unless one thousand persons should then —and that the poll should close at the ex, ninth hour on the tenth day, unless tw persons shall then have polled. This, would be a safer course, and would mho from the imputation to which he had alb Mr. P. MOORE expressed his intent; his Constituents as far as he could, and to the clause against the use of cockades, their interests, stated, that out of 14,000 Coventry, six thousand were on the Poo want of work. Mr. W. WYNNE replied, and having some length the objections urged agains , House div►ded—Ayes 44—Noes The Bill was consequently lost. On our return to the gallery, we for. NEWPORT asking some questions as to ings that had taken place on the Rep been prepared on the state of the ad= justice in Ireland,. Mr. PEEL explained the protrren Os made in the preparation of three ltepert which was now under the consider:it:on of the Rolls and the Lord Chance:lc: After several explanations, he conclude ring the Honourable Baronet that eve non had been given to the subject by t... General, and the Executive Government of ;:u Administration. Mr. CALCHAFT moved for varicti the effective force of the British Army. :tc: sualtics, &c. to the end of 1817.—Orde-A. THE MILITARY ESTAELISH:.:C The House havinggone into a Commit:ft' Lord PALMEII4TON rose for the purl."' submitting the Army Estimates. pisparav:.l moving the usual vote for the granting 01 Lary force for the year. He observed:! wcres• dry, and being already before a printed form, it was only nece.s::r, compress his statement into the r...rrocfst more particularly as every minute item Iris gg' twined in the Report of the Finance Cornt::: - ..1.,° that it was hardly necessary for him to do molt refer to. that Report, where those sr!..o more detailed information would rind it. fro general totals, it would appear that the ar.c"...' charge was less this year than List by +1•;•:4:•. arose from the reductions that had been nue:'.3/ different branches of the estabiishment. It posed to reduce the force in Ireland to 0.0X./ 1 stead of 24,0110 men, which was 4,000 less th.e..l year. The whole number of reductions that :1 taken . place since the last estimates, made tiet°'. diminution amount to 21,641, or, in round cur:el 22,000 men. Without going into a numerical OS ment of the Land Forces, the reductions hailer? sioned a diminution of expense of 7.4,0014 the head of the Staff, the decrease was 3,7 . "7 chiefly arose from reductions at Chatham , In T. West Indies, and on other foreign stations 1 . °1 7 public departments there had been a reduct 4 u .: the charges to the amount of 16 , 1191. In the - Office Of fi ce thonliminution was 0,,0GL but as that 01 .€ RI% b aei uld )feet to 'use e „;.• :OCka c i t ) g ive 114 t h e • of Whi c i the ed in • lty be tr- -1:11 rtccrz t ... ars. at he e•J,,. lien 1• 1 4 - • ti 4 ( TV , is th. 4 t' idea of the n e .4 ot.• nd tin t iladly „ he mild b e rover r...• . to rote, : d he sri<Le' 0 1 17 ,, • at most hn sha pe , ted to, :tent tf • • unless 150 * mbe —ar..! Ix • ere to 7r7f. the - the take • !an • that as • encerent ace ; *act: k vir.g elere He stati reehoken.- . is of a:, taken by t re minutes; lied in the td by ire I l Q places. T fi their right We to be poll on the fiti ••• then have he mph! of . !ss two thall• his, he :boa eliere .he H • l abode. tention to kid and in obits/ Ides, as F,OOO wes;r ' Poor lag • tinst h:s 9• found to tie Report: t . ..z t,immistri:. ts that,..: )(Its • on 0: ICr of Ire: ucied ererF CC's • t:e ir.ent of ..le ! 1 4 ~_r~