Star. — London, England, 1818-02-25 00:00:00

SMITH, MAYOR. • A COMMON COUNCIL, holden in the CIIANI .Lx. MIR of the GUILDHALL of the CITY of LONDON, on THURSDAY, the 19th D ty of FEittlallY, ISMS. Ommaso—That the Petition to the Honourable House of Commons, agreed to this day, in relation to the Suspension of the Hobe; Corpus Act, be published in the usual Morning and Evening Newspapers, when the same shall have been presented. WOODTHORPE. To the Honourable the COMMONS of the UNITED KING DOM of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, in PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED. foe HUMBLE PETITION of the LORD MAYOR, ALDERMEN, and COMMONS, of the CITY of LONDON,in COMMON COUNCIL ASSEMBLED, Saxwrru—That your Petitioners, holding in veneration the sacred principles of Freedom upon which the British Constitu dm is founded, have witnessed, with the deepest concern, the frequent and dangerous innovations which, upon unfounded ararms and pretences, have of late years been made thereon— more particularly by the Suspeniton of the Habeas Corpus Act, ar.d other restrictions upon the Liberty of the Subject, during the last Session of Parliament. They remind your Honourable House that the Habeas Corpus Act was passed at a period remarkable, above afl others, for plots and alarms—that it conferred no new right, but was in tended as a barrier for the Liberty of the Subject, in conse quence of the frequent arbitrary and illegal arrests and impri sonments upon charges of sedition and treason by the corrupt and tyrannical Ministers of those days. They submit to your Honourable House, that if this great bulwark of personal security is to be suspended whenever the People labour under heavy grievances, and the misconduct of Jfinisters has impelled them to lay their complaints before Par lletnent, or at the foot of the Throne, instead of inquiring into and redressing them, this boasted light is become a dead letter, its whole efficacy is lost, and it had better at once be struck out of the Statute Book, than be suffered to remain only as a sad sod mortifying memorial of what Englishmen formerly enjoyed. That your Petitioners did, in the last Session of Parliament, implore your Ildnourable Howe not to assent to any proposition far depriving the People of tisat essential part of the Constitu apin—the Habeas Corpus Act—no precedent whatever existing of such a measure having been resorted to at a period of pro found Peace—they deprecated the precipitancy with which measures of such 'vital interest were hurried through Parliament —they complained then, and they complain now, that they were founded upon the Reports of Secret Committees, upon which wore some of the Ministers of the Crown ; and upon ex-parte evidence alone, selected by those Ministers, without even further investigation, after those Reports had been contradicted in some of their most material parts, and had been offered to be dis proved at the Bar of your Honour - able House. That since the passing of the said Act, your Petitioners have viewed with indignation and horror the vindictive cruelty with which Ministers have exercised the powers entrusted to them— numerous individuals have been torn from their wives and fami lies, dragged into distant pritons, where they have been immur ed, heavily ironed, for months together, and afterwards released without being brought to trial, or even knowing the charges against them, although repeatedly demanding to be brought before the legal Tribunals of the Country. Your Petitioners cannot sufficiently express their abhorrence at the employment of infamous and abandoned wretches in the capacity of Spies and Informers, the hired Agents of Govern ment, who, it appears, have been traversing the Country, and, wherever distress and misery had engendered discontent and irritation, these inhuman wretches have, by the basest artifices and falsehoods, endeavoured to excite simple and deluded men into acts of outrage and treason ; and, in the instances where convictions have taken place, your petitioners feel convinced, from *gat has transpired, that the unhappy and deluded indivi duels were the victims of these abandoned Agents. That, notwithstanding the solemnity with which the magni tude and atrocity of the Treasons in Scotland were said to exist, your Petitioners can find no record of any conviction for the crimes alleged, although the most disgraceful tampering with a witness appears to have taken place, in order to procure such conviction. That in the Metropolis, after the greatest prejudice had been excited ,by Ministers against an individual, and after vindic tively persisting in putties him on his trial the third time, not content with the previous acquittal of two successive Juries, (during which trials attempts were made to deprive him of the only means of defence by which he could establish his Imo . cone), Ministers experienced equal disgrace and discomfiture; and your Petitioners cannot refrain front expressing to your Ho nourable House their conviction, that those prosecutions were Let undertaken for the protection of Religion, but for political objects ; and, that had the publications been in favour of Mini sters, or in ridicule of their opponents, they would not have excited the attention of the Government, unless, as in other easel, to reward the Authors. That while these acts of severity and oppression have been pursued with unrelenting rigour, although the sufferings of the People have been unexampled, and the numbers of their Peti tions without precedent, their grievances have neither been redressed, nor their complaints enquired into ; and your Peti tioners believe that the groundless alarms excited by Ministers were solely for the purpose of stifling complaints and protecting abuses. Your Petitioners have looked with anxiety to the recent pro ceedings of your I fonourable house. The Commons House of Parliament has been represented by the best Authorities as the great Inquest of the Kingdom, to search into all the oppres si sns and injustices of the King's Ministers. It is long since yoar Petitioners have seen this important and necessary func tion exercised, but they entertained the most sanguine hopes that your Honourable House, after the unexampled difficulties and privations the People had endured, aggravated as they have been by the arbitrary and oppressive acts of the Ministers, would at length have instituted the most serious and rigid en quiry into the multiplied oppressions and injustices of she King's Ministers. Your Petitioners cannot conceal from your Honourable house that they look with no confidence to any Report that the Com mittees of Secrecy, now sitting, may make; the said Com mittees appearing to be composed, for the treater part, of Placemen, and those very Ministers whose conduct is the sub j,ct of investigation. That a Committee thus formed is at va riance with every established principle of civil and criminal jariaprudence, and cannot satisfy the justice and expectation of the Country. Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your Honourable It ;use to institute an immediate, impartial, and rigid enquiry Mo the conduct of Ministers under the late Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act ; and that the whole proceedings connected therewith may be referred to such Committee as shall be corn pored of such Members only of your Honourable House as hold neither Places or Pensions under the Crown : And they further pray, that you will not render the vaunted responsibility of Mi nisters a mere name, by passing a Bill of Indemnity, and pre en:de those who have been the victims of oppression and perse cution from the means of appeal to the Laws of the Country. Signed, by order of the Court, HENRY WOODTIIORPE. ELIGIBLE AND LUCRATIVE CONCERN. TO BE DISPOSED OF, in consequence a the decease of the Proprietor, . STOCK in TRADE, GOOD-WILL, Re mainder of a valiiable LEASE, FIXTURES, &c. of that old-established and well-known COACH and HAR NHS'S MA NU FA Cl'o Y, situate in Lichfield-street, Birmingham, carried on by the family of the late Mr. Wltertnr, upwards of 60 years. This Concern has been conducted under the superintendence of the Executors, since the decease of the Proprietor, with un dniiiidshed success ; and they have now reduced the Stock to such a low valuation, that any Gentleman inclined to embark in this Manufactory, would find it an opportunity which seldom .et curs, of employing a small capital to great advantage. The Premises are replete with every convenience for increasing the trade to any extent; and the Executors would treat upon the most liberal terms, in order to ve:.nd up the accounts of the Tea tator. The Concern will continue until its disposal under their management, and they inform the Public, that there is constantly on Sale a number of New and Second-hand Carriages of every description, at reduced prices. AU Persons indebted to the Estate of the late Mr. F. Wheeley -mediate" thei, and those GENERAL POST-6177CE, Memo" se, FELON]-0190 REWARD. THOMAS PINNOCK, late of St. Ann's -court, Soho. is strongly suspected of felony; whoever shall ap prebend him, will be entitled to a Reward of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS, Payable upon conviction. The said Thomas Pinnock is about 40 years of age, stout made, b feet 9 or 10 inches high, dark complexion, black hair and whiskers, and fresh coloured; was dressed on the 15th In stant In a new snuff-coloured brown ooat, covered silk buttons, double-breasted buff waistcoat, with buttons of the same; has worn at times a yellow-gr*en lapelled coat, a blue coat with gik buttons, and a dark brown great coat. lie has been a gentle. man's servant, is supposed to have been in the Army, and has been abroad. His wife, who is advanced in pregnancy, is pro bably with him. By Command of.the Postmaster-General, FRANCIS FREELING, Semidry. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDING 6. HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 24. Mr. JOHIIIIOII, from the Office of the Chief Secretary for Ire land, presented a variety of Accounts, directed to be laid an nually before Parliament; and also, a Specification of the Num ber of Persons committed to the different prbons in Ireland, in the course of the year 1817 ; which Documents were laid upon the table. Adamtwisskors and Harborough's Naturalization Bills were severally read the third time and passsed. The Chimney-Sweepers' Regulation Bill was brought up from, the Commons by Mr. Bomar and others, and read the first time; as was also a Private Bill, brought up by the same Gentlemen. Lord HOLLAND presenters Petition from a number of re- sident Householders in Bath, in support of the Chimney- Sweepers' Regulation Bill ; which, being read, was ordered to be laid on the table. No other business being before the House, their Lordships adjourned till to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Jonsisow, from the Office of Cldef Secretary for Ireland, presented a variety of papers relative to Grand Jury Presentments. Two Petitions were presented from Gloucester, praying that some Amendment may be made in the Bankrupt f.aws.—Read, and ordered to lie on the table. The Report of the Jail Chaplains Regulations W.ll was brought up by Mr. Gomm's, and an Amendment agreed to. Mr. CURWES proposed a clause, that no Chaplain should be employed in any Jail wherein 20 adults have not been con fined, on an average, within the last three years. . - Lord FOLKSTONE opposed the clause, and Mr. Crawp re MMr. HARVEY supported the clause, and a division being de manded, the gallery was cleared, but it did not take place. Mr. CALCRAFT brought up the Report on the Constables of Westminster's Petition for an incaease of Salary stated that the Committee did not think the Petitioners entitled to any further remuneration. Lord F. DOUGLAS moved for an Account of all Fees paid for Pardons under the Great Seal daring a certain period.— Ordered. Lord MILTON brought - up the Report of the Committee on the Cutlers' Petition, which recommended that the said Petition be referred to a Committee on Trade. Mr. CURWEN preseeted a Petition from the superannuated and other Caulkers of Chatham Dock-yard, stating, that the Su perannuating Pension of 15!. was not sufficient to keep them from applying for relief u paupers, and praying to be allowed to sacrifice o part of their wages, while in employ, to secure a pro per provision for them when unable to work—Read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. CURWEN then moved that this Petition be printed, in order that it might meet the attention of the Loßis of the Ad miralty.—Agreed to. Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved for leave to present a Peti tion from certain inhabitants of Waterford, praying a repeal of the Window Tax, which was originally intended only as a War Tax. He made some observations os the hardship of the tax, and trusted that the Honourable Gentleman opposite would see the propriety of taking it off.—Read and ordered to lie en the table. The Right lion. Baronet then presented a similar Petition from Limerick. Mr. COURTENTAY presented a petition from the Attorneys and Solicitors of London, praying sonic alteration in the law re lating to Conveyancers.—Read and ordered to lie on the table. A message frotn'the Lords requested a copy of the Report of the Committee of last Session, with the evidence, &c. on the subject of Chimney-climbing Boys. The Speaker announced that Copies would be ordered to be delivered. REPbRT OF THE SECRET COMMITTEE. Mr. PHILLIPS wished to know whether it was intended to present the Report of this Committee during this evening? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER answered t h at it would be presented to-morrow. Mr. PHILLIPS slid, that as he understood a Noble Lord had, at his request, postponed the motion he had intended to make till Friday, he should now postpone it still farther, and should alter the notice for Thursday sennight. STEAM BOATS. Mr. HARVEY made his promised motion, relative to the providing increased security to passengers in steam-boats. He felt it necessary, amongst other improvements, to suggest that all steam-packets should, in future, be registered. Also that, for bet ter protection, the boilers in the steam-engines should, in future, be constructed of wrought iron alone : and that there should be, during the working of the en gine, a competent engineer always on board to su perintend its management. He hoped these and other regulations of the Bill would provide complete secu rity to passengers in future by steam-packets, and moved for leave to bring in a Bill, adopting in its provisions the improvements he had mentioned, which was agreed to, and the Bill introduced and read a first-time. CITY FUNDS. Mr. HOLME SUMNER, alluding to the state and application of the Orphans Fund, by the Corpora tion of London, observed that there was no simila rity whatever between the estate of any private No bleman and that in question, to which it had been compared. This fund had been grossly intrenched upon, and the public were reprobating the expendi ture. An application was made to the House for a further grant—but it was necescary to see how their own money had been expended, before any funds wei e allowed them from extraneous sources. By the 52d of the King, a power was given to the Corpora al - tion to obtain 96,0001. for building a prison, although it had not been certified that their own funds were insufficient. But unless they could shew that this sum had been properly disbursed, the House would not do its duty in making any grant from the funds of others. They were fully made acquainted with the opinions of individual Members at the time ; and nobody had denied that the sum they took was fully adequate—yet, they had undertaken to expend 34,0004 in addition to the 96,0001. and now applied to the House to make it good. But he trusted the House would hardly come to a conclusion to grant them more, till an enquiry had been made as to how they had disposed of the former grant. They had been charged, in their own Court of Common Cquncil, with an improvident expenditure of their funds, to the amount of 44,0001. in gifts and donations, and ith a further sum of 244001. for the entertainment Liberators of Europe ; and on examina ieved this sum would be found to have to 40,0001. than 24,0001. The Ho ientleman then read a document to shew last thirty-seven years, or since 1780, they had extended 45,991. in the hnproennests of streets, and in donations of snuff-boles, swords, &c. to as much as made the gross sum in that time 126,0001. Within a short period only eke expenditure for such articles had been 78991. Now, if they would' ex pand their money in objects of this nature, and then come to the House for assistance, he would say that the House had no right to grant it. Amongst other gifts of this kind there was a charge for snuff-boxes presented to the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, Colonel Wardle, and other public characters--(laughter), of 18,0001. There were 16,0001. as donations to public charities, which was highly honourable to them, provided they had funds to give ; but if not, they should have remembered the old maxim, to be just before you are generous. A sum of 2.5681. was en tered, under the head of donations, to public objects connected with politics. The amount expended on the jails would appear to be 126,0001- of which there must have been a great misapplication, otherwise they would have no occasion to come to that House for assistance. There had been dissipated from the Orphans fund 750,0001. which had been made a 'source of private emolument to the City, by abso lutely giving the money away. The Honourable Gentleman then alluded to a brief statement of the annual accounts printed for the use of the Corpo ration, from which it appeared that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen made themselves debtors to the amount of 53,0001. to a fund of which they were the trustees, namely, that of Bridge-house Estates. This fund was for the purpose of repairing London Bridge, btu which they had diverted from its object, without giving security for it to the estate : so that, if there had been a severe frost this winter, and it had carried away one, two, or three arches of the bridge, they must have come upon the Orphans' fund to re build them. It was too lenient to call this a misap plication of the money entrusted to them—it was actually an embezzlement of money for their own extravagancies. But this was not the only misap plication of the Bridge-estate fund. By an ancient charter they had jurisdiction in the Borough of South wark, but it had long lain dormant. It was to be ex ercised only by those ns who had passed the Chair, and they had late ly revived it, in order to create a place for a decayed Alderman. This was a gross and nefarious job, for there were thirtylour Jus tices of the Peace residing within the district.— Thus, in the same division of the County, there were now two Quarter Sessions held at the same time, and two Grand Juries sitting, while no suitor knew at which his case was going on. They had taken 15001. to defray the expenses of this establishment; and this ought to be investigated before more money was put into their hands. As to the prison, never was any thing more inadequate, or on the whole worse for the purposes intended : even their own Members say it is the most miserable thing they ever saw in their lives; and was the House, then, to trust them with another expenditure of $4,000/. when it was liable to be re paid in the shape of county rates ? One of their pleas why Parliament should give them money was, that they were bound to maintain jails in Middlesex and London. Yet they would not suffer the Magis trates of Middlesex to enter their prison. They had raised, on an average, 4,0001. a-year by fining per sons who they knew were in many cases incompe tent, from age and infirmity, by fining them for de clining to stand for Sheriffs ; and if this had been properly applied, they would have had no occasion to make the present application to Parliament. On these grounds he thought there could be no objection . to his rising to call the attention of the House to a strict investigation of the administration of the go vernment of the City and their Police, to ascertain that the money expended had been faith fully: applied. He should therefore move for a variety of Accounts, containing a statement of the Revenues of the City of London for the last five years, ending December, 1817, distinguishing them under their several heads. Sir WILLIAM CURTIS replied with much warmth to the speech of the Honourable Gentleman. He had never heard so gross a mis-statement. The Corpora tion, no doubt, ought to give in their accounts ; and they were willing to do so, whenever, in their opi nion, it was thought they should be called on to give them—(Laughter}—The City had to maintain jails, not for themselves, but partly for all England, and particularly for the whole County of Middlesex, at an enormous expense. They had expended 19,000/. in this way in the last three years, and not above a ninth of it was occasioned by the City of London. If they were obliged to maintain '2OO or 250 persons after they were convicted, their funds were not ade quate to do it. They now came to the House only to fulfil what they had sanctioned. The Honourable Gentleman seemed to have a dreadful antipathy to the City of London ; but the Corporation had no objection to bring forward their account of the ex penditure of the 95,0001. It was a round assertion to call any of their transactions a job, and he was astonished to hear the Honourable Gentleman assert what was not a fact. The City was bound to do what they had done for the good of the public, and the Money voted before was necessary for the support of the prisons. Gentlemen must know the value of ground in the City, where every inch must be pur chased by putting two or three guineas upon it— (Laughter)—The Honourable Baronet descried the operation of building the New Prison, and the diffi culty of finding ground fro- it, which rendered them obliged to take the first spot that offered, and he contended that there had been no prodigality in the expenditure. He censured the allusion about embez zlement, and asked if the Honourable Gentleman meant to accuse the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of embezzling money ? The money from the Bridge House Estate had been lent on the City's security, which was quite a common case. There was no em bezzlement there. As to giving away snuff-boxes and swords, it was a proud thing to know we had so many heroes who had deserved such striking tokens, and he was astonished at hearing such charges condemned, more particularly the sums that had been voted to the fund for the relief of the widows of soldiers and seamen who had fallen in our defence, at the Nile, at Waterloo, and so many other parts. It was no use talking of what happened in the reign of King Charles, who got 700,0091. out of their treasury, and at last the House granted them their duty on coals, by which it was soon repaid. But if he lived another year he would change the name of that Fund, that it might not be thought the City was embezzling the money %r the support of their orphans. An unavoidable debt of 31,000/. had certainly been created, by the additions to the New Prison, and the ( - ay the House to enable them to pay it, coi pi, not to come to them for any more 1.? As to jails, we must have none now fin the people sent to prison must have somet'- . .. , their hearts and make them cond u r ta hl e ...-.1).... they must have their coffee, and the I what ; while the high-spirited debtcr King's Bench, live like a Gentleman, drirk gundy, and then get whitewashed and laqL creditors--(Laughter).--Ile then alluded visions served in Newgate, and repeated 1 observations about the goodness of the !):e4,!, to the meat, he thought each prisoner a week, but he had since ascertaii.ed ; ..7 pounds, and this was enough (I,r a be punished. If they wanted to have me: tion about the quality of the provisio:),. speak to Mrs. Fry, that good :,.. man ought to love—(Loud laughter Jr,. and she would tell them. He knew thx. Sheriff the Sheriffs used to send fo:ty meat per week, in addition to the and he thought they did so now ; when Reform was the order of the day. derstood that during the reign of a re!_r:T.;. 7. the donation had been discuntinae(i—, .., The Honourable Baronet concluded an Amendment., that all the worn, motion after " That," be omitted, and inserted " An Account of the several ments out of, and the Debts due to Fund for the last six years ; as also of :le of the sum of 95,0001. for building Debtors in the City of London: ~I.~N The question being put on the Arren , '- Serjeant ONSLOW said, that n0t , ....i . .1 , •% facetious speech of the Honourable Per::_; not heard a word from him in ar,swer of his Honourable Friend, the Men!!;s: When the City applied for now spew, as his Honourable Friend ha(i said. • had expended their money. The net had, indeed, entered on every a ir.F• tion before the House, and had eneleav, , .7;',:: • away both the motion and the attention to it. His Honourable Friend had said titatt:. poration had squandered away money. no crime in this, provided it could be prove,i was not the money of others. Nobcdy suspeL 2 l Honourable Baronet or his colleagues embezzlement, but they were accused of r.., 1 applied the City money to splendid dinner= a profusion of trinkets. Let them s:eery to the 11-14 what they had done with the former 5L7. , . thought that if their conduct had been so ptee.::::l ought to have come forward and seconded tion of his Honourable Friend, who had not word about the treatment of prisoners, or extraneous subjects mentioned by the Baronet. Indeed, the answer of the ronet was the most decisive ground to (the Learned Serjeant) to support the motion. Alderman WOOD, as the Honourable M. the Honourable Baronet who hallowed gone much more at length as to the sums cf thought it necessity to say a few v.'„rds, les: House might be impressed with the idea Corporation had been spending the rr. ,, ney Bridge House Estates. He would, howe';er. • Honourable Gentleman right, by stating. one shilling of this money had been expendd ,or donations. As to the sum of 126,000!. ~„ in thirty-seven years, it was only between four thousand pounds a year. This was Ow 7 S:l7 expenditure. The 20,0001. was not expended dinner : in the cost was included the dinner FHr.:. the Duke of Wellingten, which he had the proposing: and as the Hall had been fitted tainly with great grandeur for the first oct.. was ready for the reception of the person s. entitled to the attention of the City cf the Corporation had borrowed nu:trey, the:. pay it. They had undertaken to make a in the county of Surrey, a work in which that was interested, and they would not have raise sufficient funds without borrowin t : it n Bridge House Estates, for which, as the Her Baronet had said, the security of the City h.l, given. The extension of the City jurisdio - :; •. ! Borough, was that to which he had n.rer friendly ; but the petitions from the • the &tough were so numerous—such con:T.!:' were continually made of the inconveniences penses which grew out of their being obligi.] tend Kingston or Guildford, that at last .! necessary to accede to their wishes. With ever, the Court of Aldermen had no more us that House had. He then entered into a statements connected with the expenditair City, and contended that the inipruvenv.: they had made had been of the greatest it..T.••—' to the County of Surrey, as he would takes- 7 . , ":', self to say, the building of Blackfriars other works paid for by the City, had in,rea rental of the County by not less than .4(10!"'' - ', Under these circumstances, in his opini,-5. 7 a right to come to Parliament for that :1.. 4 . • they now sought to obtain. They now Lair ,. • •-: House for 34,000/. because they had in ft... thorized to do so when the subject N% 1 1 . • • connected was formerly under the e the house. For his part, he was sorry tdc i . :'•: - NVhitecross-strert had been enlarged ; but been done, and great expenses had been • consequence of what had passed within and it was on this ground that they urged sent claims. For this reason, and for this a: ::, • should vote for the motion, though on any f.,:-.7t," casion he should be willing to have the accr!.!! - *- - F ! . .: (hived, as he was not afraid of their un,:cr..! . .‘ • -- closest scrutiny. He, however, hoped ;:.,- Ib l P , would not let the accounts of a pubic brought forward on grounds like those on motion was founded. The prison, on which the 34,1X10/.. was called for, brou-,;-!.: City an additional expense of 3000 i. rt'r •':''''• ••• This arose out of the removal of the dch: , Newgate. The prison had been built to persons, but there had never been more that ; soners on the London side. Mr. BARCLAY said, the worthy Ald,rrr :• endeavoured to chew that the County of ved great benefits from the manner in u •!:,: : "•: funds were applied. He wished to betwfits were se lie 0.1,1,; 1 a t . , ,11 id -• ex.7e:xl! t are requested immediately to pay their accounts; and those to with a furthc N. 6 hont the Testator was indebted may receive the amount of given to the their demands by applying at the Manufactory. twit; he beli4 % . N.D. Particulars of the terms on which the Concern will be , • - divoced of may be had of Mr. Baby, New Ilall-greet i or gone nearer Mr. 1,11. i Whitiingharn, A•hted, Birmingham. nourable Gel 1 %1 Lichtield-street, liirruingbain, :LIRA January, 1818. that in qie la ~. .... , „,.. . , ..- , ..- ~_ • • ..• ... . , . 4. • ..-, v. -___..........._ 4