Star. — London, England, 1801-05-21 00:00:00

, umanc - Fio mvs..-... mainn•r••• r..• culiar feature in the cafe, as his affairs were en tirely deranged, be was in a Rate of bankruptcy, and had quitted the kingdom. The mafterly . - manner in which the Noble and Learned Lord who firfl fpoke, had treated the cafe, confiderably helped to remove his objeCtions to going the full length of a Divorce a vinculo otatrimonii, efpecially when added to the coufideration, that the prefent proceeding fhould form no precedent with refped to ordinary cafes. Lord Au c it Lawn expreffedhimfelf happy in hav- 1 ing his embarraffments with refped to the cafe in queftion in a great degree relieved, by what had fallen from the Learn:d Lords who had fpoken before him. His Lordfhip drew a very animated and feeling pidure of the heinous crime of adul tery, and more efpecially when heightened by the Rill more heinous offence of incelt ; a man guilty of which, our favourite National Poet, his Lordfhip !laid, had called an incelluous and adulterous beaftt The Duke of CLARIN ct fpoke in explanation, and affured the Committee that he had come for ward under thong imprellions of duty. He con felled that what had been tb ably advanced by the Noble and Learned Lords had confiderably alter ed his featiments with refped to the danger on the -nii....ceore of precedent. He felt himfelf relieved in that ~ , ~Trinf cTivir fro ,what had been Paid by three . Lords' emmeht £e' legal knowledge ; he however fuggefted the propriety, or wifhed to know whe onssitherrhilosoilktrppihq•ly be done, namely, to intro -1., str- , ,94e-Pripeci6; aaisfe into the Bill, fitting forth that the Ad fhould not be held as a precedent ? . The queltion upon the claufe was then put, which was agreed to by their Lordfbips. Refpeding the claufe which related to the chil- 1 dren of Mrs. Addifon, by her prefect hufband, The LORD CHANCELLOt expreffecl a confidera ble degree of anxiety: by the ordinary courfe, they 1 would be removed from the care and protedion of , their mother—and the circumflances of their fitu- i ation being thefe of peculiar grievance and hard fhip, he expreffed his intention of forming fome ex pedient, to fecure them, at leaft, the advantage of a virtuous education ; therefore, in order to ena ble him to digeft a propofition to that drat, he would move, That the Committee fhould dofe their deliberations for the prefent, and that the Chairman do report prr grefs ; this propofal being &Rented to by their Lordfhips, the Chairman quit ted the Chair, and the Houfe refumed. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. The Order of the Day being read for taiting his Majefty's late molt gracious Meflisge into confider sAion .1..0rd Hoismer then proceeded to move an Ad drefs of Thanks : and, in the courfe of his intro- dation thereto, admitted a fubfidy, as might be col leded from what was palling in another place, was intended to be applied for. He was forty we could not give Portugal a more effedual relief; but he did not think. becaufe we could not do as much as we wifheci. that was any reafon we fhould not do all in our poWer. Lord HOLLAND agreed that Portugal merited all the aid we could give her, and only objected to the fmallnefs of the fum (300,,000 pounds) ; this he argued could not prove of any effedual fervice ; and, great as he confidcred the talents of Bonaparte, he bad no idea of voting fupplies to fill his coffers. The Marquis of Siaoo waiTurprifed at any op pofition being given to a meafure for afEiting Por tugal, who was a molt exemplary ally, and, from his own knowledge, there was not a man, woman, or child, but what was friendly to the intereft of - Great Britain. The Earl of MOIRA, in anfwer to what had fallen from the Noble Marquis, obferved, that his No ble Friend had not uttered a word in depreciation of Portugal, or againft its conneCtion with Britain ; ... eon the contrary, he admitted thefe, and principally - Obj eded th at the means propofed wereinadequate to their objea.—His Lord fbip then with much anima tion enlarged upon the feveral topics adverted to by . .bis Noble Friend, cenfused the c ond at of th e late Mi - ,trifters, for not retaining a great part of thefe troops • which he (aid were facrificed in the Weft Indies, and unnecefFarily placed in fituationsof peril among the finds of Egypt • and with refpel to the pro poled pecuniary aflikance,he alerted that it would comparatively be of no more avail than three half pence ! The Marquis of Town s IND paid his teftimony to the attachment of the Portugete, and would vote' for the Supply, though he was affraid it would be Inadequate to their wants. Lord Su FVOLII objated to the fmallnefs of the film, which, he had no doubt, would be found in adequate to any real relief. . ad "t' r. •rf,ol4l -WEETt4OtIMAND defended the meafures : . Wlsich laid been purfued, particularly the not thitreaty of ELArifch. orrairei., Lord Holl•ILT ex plained, that the 300,0001. was the fum required by the Portuguefe ; and to cafe the fears of the Noble Lords, that it was likely to find its way into the coffers of Bonaparte, he gave it as his belief that not a tingle guinea would go out of this country, but that the fubtidy would be fent in fupplies, of which Portugal at prefent flood in need.'—Tbe vote for the Addrcfs was then put and agreed to. THE LATE SIR RALPH ASERCEOIIIIT. Lord HossilT pre tinted a Meffage from his Ma jetty, which being read from theWoolfack, appear. el to ran to the following effed : That his Majefty acquainted the Houle of Peers, that having taken Into his coufideration the eminent and fignal Cer vices of the late General, the Right Hon. Sir Ralph Abercromby, K. B. during a long life fpent in tU fervice of his country, and terminated by a glori ous death, he thought proper in teflimony of his regard for the memory of that di ftinguiflted Officer, to confer on his Lady the dignity of a Baronets of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Iceland, by the name, fide, and title of Baronefs Abercrom by of Aboukir, to dcfcend to the heirs male of the faid Sir Ralph Abercromby ; and that his Moiety has been further pleated to grant an Annuity of coool. du-in g the life of the laid Barnnefs Aber cromby. aad the life of the two next Male Heirs ' title and dignity, &c. "k gracinus Meffage was ordered to be coatideration ou Friday ntxt. Tye Ot Indemnity Bill was read a (ward date, and the Report ordered fur to-morrow. The Report of the frith Fapiring Laws Bill was brought up, and upon the motion that the Refolutlons be read a fecond time, Mr. O'Ha ea °blotted to the wording of the Refolutions, in as much as they fignified an intention of rendering permanent a :lumber of taxes that were formerly voted but as temporary taxes. . Mr. Coxar obferved that the taxes alluded to were now voted only till the 25th of March next. Whether they were heicafoer to be made perpetual or not, it was not for the pre fent Committee to determine. The Refolutions were then read a fecund time, agreed to, and Bills ordered to be brought in purfuant to the fame. Sir WILLIAIII Youuo moved, That the Houfe do now re- Coln itfelf into a Committee upon the Poors Relief Affeffment Bill, with a view that a document might be laid before the Houk to ferve asilround for the adoption of force meafures that might give WM agency to the Poors' Laws. Mr. Shaw Lefevre, Mr. Ellifon, Mr. W. Dundas, Mr.Laf edles, Mr. J. Martin, and Mr. Windham, oppofed the BM, either beeaufe the Seffion was too fai• advanced to give it a due inveitigstion, and beeaufe it might only ferve to raife extrava gant expedations, or a fpirit of idle (peculation, without pro ducing any real advantage. Sir Wm. ?latency and Sir R. Buxton fupported the neeeffity of the Bill. Oa the quellion being put, the Houfe divided— For it ay ; Againft it 68,-Majorlty 0. The Bill is conic (Featly thrown out for the prefent Seffion. Mr. Jowls gave notice, that to-thorrow felmight be koont bring forward a motion rifpeding Egypt. httsseGe ?ROM THE trek. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCREQSER brought ! down a Melfage from his Majefty, Rating, that his Majefty having taken into confideration the emi nent and fignal merits of the late Lieutenant-Ge neral Sir Ralph Abercromby, during a long life (pent in the fervice of his country, which was ter.. minated by a glorious death, had thoug7t proper to confer on Lady Abercromby, the relift of the late Sir Ralph Abercromby, a Barony, by the title of Baronefs Abercromby, of Aboukir, with re mainder to the two next Heirs Male of the faid Sir Ralph, and being further de fi rous of granting to the faid Lady Abercromby, and the two next Heirs Male, to whom the title than defcend, a net Annuity of 20001. per annum, relied upon his faithful Commons to enable him to make good the Paid Annuity, and that they would take the necef fary meafures for fecuring and fettling the fame. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQII ER moved, that the faid Meffage be taken into confideration to-morrow, in a_Committee of the whole Houfe. —Ordered. _ Mr. Ti ERN Ey begged to recall' to the recollec tion of the Houfe, that they had voted their Thanks to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, in conjunction with the other Admirals of the North Sea Fleet ; but he believed that the very chip that carried out thefe Thanks, carried out orders to Admiral Parker to return home. The Gazette of laft night con tained an account of the honours conferred upon the other Admirals, but not upon Sir Hyde Par ker, though he had received the Thanks of the Houfe. It appeared to him that the dignity of the Honk was concerned in this bufinefs. It was the I opinion of many people that the Thanks of this Houfe were voted, in general, in too great a hurry, by which means they were rendered of lets value. He thought, however, upon this occafion, Minifters were bound to explain what appeared to him to be a great inconfiltenei in their conduct. The CHANCELLOR of the EICH FQS/ER faid, he -conceived the points to which the Hon. Gentleman had alluded, were filch as rendered it impoffible for him to give the information required. He fbould be forry, indeed, if the Thanks of the Houfe were diminifhed in their value, becaufe he con ceived them to be the greatett honours that an Officer could receive. He conceived that the Thanks of the Houfe were properly voted to Ad mirol Parker for his able difpofition of the Fleet under his command in the attack made upon Co penhagen. What the circumftances were that prevented othei diftinEtions from being conferred upon him, he would certainly, without any dike fpeft to the Hon. Gentleman, decline entering into. Certainly no impeachment was intended to be made againft the zeal of Admiral Parker; he thought himfelf bound to fay thus much in juftice to the charaCter of that Officer. But circumliances may have occurred, independent of thole for which he obtained the Thanks of the Houfe, which might render it expedient that Admiral Parker fhould be recalled, and that the command of the Fleet ihould be bellowed upon another Officer. It appeared to him, _under thefe circumftances, that the Houfe would be fatisfied, that the merit, great as it was, of making a judicious difpofition of the Fleet, was not fuffitient to jullify Minifters in recommending that the fame marks of diffinCtion fliould be con ferred upon him, as upon the other Admirals by whom the plan was carried into execution. Mr. TisINLY rofe to reply, when he was called to order, having fpoken before; but he faid, he lhould conclude with a Motion. Ha faid he was not by any means fatisfied with the anfwer he had received from the Right Hon. Gentleman. When the Thanks of the Houfe were voted, he thought all the Admirals were included in that vote : he did not deny that circumftances might Nave fince arilen to render it proper to recall him, but when the Houfe made no diftinetion in the Vote of Thanks, lie thought Minifters ought to explain to the Houfe, why they advifed hisirtajefty, in the diftribution of honours, entirely to pats over the Commander in Chief. He defied the Right Hop. Gentleman to produce a Tingle inftance in which Honours had been conferred upon the Second in Command, while the Commander in Chief, after having been thanked for his conduCt, received no mark of diftinetion whatever. He thought it right to Rate, that he never in his life (poke to Admi ral Parker, nor was it in confequence of any com munication with him, that he noticed this fubjeit. He concluded with moving, g , That the Vote of Thanks to Admirals Parker, Mellon, and Graves, be read." _ The Seamus fiid, it was not ufual to put the queftion, nor to make Motions for reading Es traits from the Journals, unlefsfmnething was to be done upon it ; therefore, he feared he had not been regular in Coffering the Hon. Gentleman to make a fecond (perch. Mr. Gaa• raid, he conceived it to be the con ' Rant praftice to move for the reading of Extra& from the Journals, and if that was oppofcd, of courfc the gasbag's& beput uponit. He thought confined to the fame itriet rules of .uenate, tnat they were upon a regular Debate. The CHANCELLOI of the Excniqyza faid, that arialy.Speaking the Hon. Gentleman was correft,; if a queltion was moved and feconded, it mull be put ; but when the Speaker had given his opinion upon a point of Order, it was always entitled to great weight. He did not mean to allude to any thing perfonal to himfelf, but the opinion of the Speaker upon points of Order had always great weight with the Houfe. It was true, that Gentle. men frequently moved to have Extracts from the Journals read, but then it was incidentally in the courfe of Debate, in order to prove a fad or fop port an argument : it was always for tome parti cular object. Upon this occalion, he was inclined in the prefent inllance, if the Houfe would permit him, to wave the point of form, for the purpofe of obviating what might, perhaps, otherwife make an improper impreffion. The Hon. Gentleman had ftated, that the merits of Admirals Parker, Nelfon, and Graves, upon this occafion, were equal, becaufe they were equally thanked for their cervices ; but he would find upon looking at the Journals, that the merits of thcfe Officers were differently defcribed, and that different defcriptions of thefe merits were fpecified in the Vote of Thanks. The Thanks to Admiral Parker were in thefe words : . " That the Thanks of this Hods be given to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, for his able and judicious difp °Snot' of the force tinder his Command, by which the Dunes Fleet and Batteries, eon:pang the defence of the harbour of Copenhagen, were taken or deftroyod on the 2d of April, dot." _ _ _ And to Admirals Nelfon and Graves, and Colonel Stewart, in thefe words : "That the Thanks of this Houfe be gives to Vice-Admiral Lord Nelfon, to Rear-Admiral Graves, and to Lieut.-Colonel /Stewart, commutating the 49th Regiment of Foot ; and to all the Officers under the Command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, for their bravery and gallant condu6t on the glorious occalion of the triumph of the Britith Force off the harbour of Copen hagen, on the ad of April, 8ox." Nobody would fuppofe that it was the intention of thofe who propofed the Thanks to impute a want of brayery to Admiral Parker, but the Re folutions were applied to the fait: Admiral Parker was not engaged ; he made the difpofition for the attack, but Admirals Nelfon and Graves carried them into effea. It appeared, therefore, the Hon. Gentleman was not correct in Rating that they were thanked for the fame Cervices, and the , circumitances to which he had before alluded, were not known at the time the Vote of Thanks WAS propofed. The Hon. Gentleman had Rated that he had had no communication with Admiral Parker upon this fubjea ; he was furc he had not, nor thould he have fuppofed he had, even if the Hon. Gentleman had made no fuch declaration, becaufe if he had confulted the intereft of Admiral Parker he would nut have taken the courie he had in that Houfe. He had before hated, that no im putation was intended upon the zeal of Admiral. Parker, who had, during a long life, difplayed the moll ardent zeal for the fervice of his Country. What the circumftances were which governed the conduit of his Majefty's Minitters he mull now forbear to Rate, and he Mould conclude with re peating his former obfervation, that for the difpo fition which Admiral Parker had made of this Fleet, he thought at the time, that that Admiral was entitled to the Thanks of the Houfe, and he retained the fame opinion Rill. Mr. Melilla laid, he had never heard a Motion for reading an Extra& from the Journals refufed, or even doubted before. The Se lie i x a explained the Orders of the Houfe. He confidered thelicrn. Gentleman irregular in having made a fecond Speech—it was true that Extrafts were frequently read from the Journals, but fornething was always founded upon it. Mr. Gass , laid, he did not fuppofe the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exam `quer) meant to allude to his own conduit while in the Chair, though no fuch reference could be made without doing him the higheft honour, from the uniform dignity and impartiality he difplayed •in that fituation. He felt alto the greateft refpea for the 'Right Hon Gentleman, by whom the Chair was now filled, but humanity was liable to error; and he could not carry his deference to any man, however refpeaable, fo far as to give up the life of his own judgment. He thinks—[Here the Hon. Gentleman was called to Order by Mr. Wil liam Dundas.] Mr. Gm faid, be conceived he was in Order, but , to pretent all difficulty, he would, after ti e prere.it Motion was difpofed of, fubmit a Motion to tit" Houfe. The SOLICITOR GSM ta•L raid a few words upon the point of Order. Mr. Gray continued. He faid it was his inten tion to move that the Rcfolution of Thanks Ihould he taken into confederation to-morrow. It mull appear a very Itrange circumilance to every body who read the Gazette of laa night, that Admiral Parker, who received the Thanks of that Houfe, was, in the diftribution of Honours,*paffed over unnoticed, after having been recalled. The Right Hon. Gentleman was of opinion that the honour and intereft of Admiral Parker would have been better confulted if another route had been adopt ed, at kali at prefent. He differed in opinion from the Hon. Gentleman, and thought that his Hon. Friend had aited advantageotay for the in terelt of Admiral Parker, in bringing forward this Motion, becaufe it was a fubjeCt that moll undoubt edly called for explanation. But that was not the only ground upon which his Hon. Friend brought forward this Motion, he brought forward the Motion becaufe be conceived the charaaer of the Houle was concerned, becaufe it might appear under the prefent circumftances, without explana tion, that they had voted Thanks to perfons who did not deferve them. The Right Hon. Gentle man Rated, that Admiral Parker was thanked for a different Service from the other Admirals, but Admiral Parker made the difpofition of the Fleet, and though be was not engaged in the Aaian, yet he retained the Command of the part that was en- , gaged, and direeted it by his Signals, and I alit the Right Hon. Gentleman— Mr. HARCOURT moved that the Gallery be cleared. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw * but Vie IRWIN adMllOll. ""r 'When Stranger were admitted, we found The CHANCILf.OR Of the EXCHEQSMR was Rat ing, that he was of opinion, the fubjeft of the Re port of the Secret Committee Should be brought forward on Wednefday next. Mr. GREY wished to know the generalnature of the Proceeding, which was intended to be brought forward on the ground of that Report. The CHANCELLOR of the Exci4Eqtrart raid, the Report itfelf pointed out fome things which Le ap prehended would meet the approbation of the Houle. There were two points to be brought for. ward. The renewal of the Mcafure which was lately agreed on by Parliament, with regard to Military Law in Ireland, and the Indemnity of thole who were concerned in a certain manner with reference to the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus A& He then moved, " That the Order of the Day for taking into confideration the Report of the Secret Committee, be now read," which it was, and the Order was difcharged, and the Re port was ordered to be taken into confideration on Wednefday next. NEW TAXES. The Honfc having refolvcd itfelf into a Commit tee of Ways and Means, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQjIER faid, it would be recollotted by the Committee that the Right Hon. Gentleman who had propofed the Ways and Means of the year had included a tax upon Pepper exported, and a tax on Printed Cot tons, &c. Thefe taxes it had been thought advife able to abandon; the former in confequence of a ftrong rcprefentation made upon the fubje& by the EaR India Company, and the latter In confequence of a reprefentation made by a great number of the ManufaCturers of Printed Goods. From the (laze. ments contained in thefe reprefentations, it had been thought unwire to perfift in the taxes allud ed to, and it therefore became his duty to propofe others for the purpofe of fupplying their place, and making good the deficiency. The eflimated pro. duce of the duty on Printed Goods was 140,0001.; that of Pepper 100,0001. from which deduCting 80001. arifing from the duty on Pepper for home confumption, which was not to be abandoned, there remained 92,0001. The whole fum therefore to be provided for, amounted to 232,0001. PROBATES OF wtaLs.—To make good this rum, he propofed in the firft place a tax upon all Pro bates of Wills, where the property -bequeathed amounted to 6001. and upwards, increafing in pro portion to the amount of the property. At pre. fent, he faid, the duty on Probates was the fame from ro,oool. upwards. He propofed to lay a (mall additional duty upon thofc from 6001. to ro,oool. and a proportionally increafing duty from ro,oool. to roopoool. which teemed to him perfeift ly equitable and juR. He did not mean to pro. pofe any additional duty where the property amounted to lefs than 6001. Where the Property amounted to 600 L and from 4. thence to scoot. he propofed an additional duty of 31. which he eftimated would produce From soca to accoL au additional duty of sol. 3429 eftimated at - - - From 20ooL to soool. an additional duty of SoL eftimated at - From 30001. to topool an additional duty of 301. ftimated at - - - - From ro,OOOL to rs,cool. an additional duty of sol. eftimated at - - 9POe And fo on in proportion from ri,oool. to toopool. upon whia amount he propofed a duty of 9401 eitimateci together at 1445 0 25,26. 33.533 4434,449 Amounting in the whole to Which he would take at tachoool. • Sresses.—The• next tax he had to propofe was a duty of as. upon Deeds, in addition to that which had been already made a part of the Ways and Means of the year. The produce of this, he elti. mated at 6a,ooci. ALE LICENCES.—An additional duty of T OS. 61 each on Ale Licences, on which he obferved no additional tax had been impofed lince the year *784. He eftimated this at 32.,0001. CARDS ♦ND nics.—An additional duty of 6d. per pack on Cards, and as. 6d. per pair on dice. With refpe& to there articles, he obferved, many frauds had been committed on the Revenue, which it was hoped certain -regulations now in contem• plation, relative to . the fubjeit, would prevent. He would take this at 20,000 L The whole of thefe furns amounted to 234,0001. He was perfeftly aware that taxation muil ne cdfarily include lime prelfure upon the People, which no one could lament more than himfelf.— He Battered himfelf, however, the taxes he now ' propoled would be found the ail objeftionable in that point of view. Before the queftion was put, he thought it neceffary to Rate, that thefe were not the whole of the Ways and Means of the year. There (till remained the Confolidated Fund, a Vote of Credit, and other matters, of the introduEtion 'of which, however, due notice would be given, but the taxes now propofed were merely calculated to fupply the deficiency caufed by thofe abandon ed. He then moved certain Refolutions confonant to his Speech. On the queition being put upon the Ale-Licence Duty, Sir RORERT BUXTON Paid, he did not will to oppofe the Tax, but fuggeffed whether it might not be inkiriotis, obferving, that when the !aft tax of a fimilar nature was carried into execution, many Alehoufes were put down, and a great num ber opened without any licence. The CHANCELLOR of the Excrotoyla obferved, it was in the power of the Magiftrates to remedy any inconvenience of the nature alluded to by the Hon. Member, but he thought Publicans were now placed in a much better fituation than they were before, from the increafed allowances made to them for the futtenance of Soldiers billetted upon them. Mr. Rost thought fonts inconvenience might arife from it. The CHANCILLOI of the EXCI4LVER Paid, it was not brought forward as a tax from which no incon venience could polGbly arife. The feveral Refulutions then paired the Com mittee, and the Honfe being refumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow, and the Committee to Gt again on Friday.—Adjourned. to the 'laid tii This mat taken into cc