Star. — London, England, 1812-02-08 00:00:00

r „,, w hi c h any man could suppose he would not are ' 'L - e i o d e d directly contrary to what he did. The Bill, i ts first introduction, had been carried without any 61 2 n i s i on . In 1807, the measure was carri e d una roosly, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was ene o f those Ministers who advised his Majesty to his approbatioo of it. It was very wro ng to "r o - on s e that this Bill could operate as any infringe. oche o f the prerogative ; on the contrary, it was vemt to strengthen it, by preventing any p ro di ga l oats of those places through the intercession and rduence of Ministers for the time being, which was th e most improvident way of giving rewards to indi libels that could be imagined. g e , WHITBREAD remarked, that the only two Persons who had spoken against the Bill were two yet i principle reversioners. The Honcurable Gen tleman who first opposed the motion had noticed so mething that fell from him (Mr.. Whitbread) four Imes ago, which was that he was a reversioner. The Honourable Gentleman complained that this asser tion, 4 , had been thrown at, his head."—lt was true, ,Ad he had caught it in his mouth, and it seemed had b e en chewing it ever since.— (d laugh.)—The mea sure now proposed had always been a favourite with t he House and with the people, and when their voices w ere united for any constitutional object like the pre sent, it was undoubtedly the most sound policy to at tain the object so much desired. The Right Honou rable Gentleman (Mr. Perceval) however thought otherwise, and maintained that the measure was of little or no importance, although popular clamour het swelled it into magnitude, and his only reason for now resisting it was, his opinion, as opposed to that of the whole country, that it was too insignificant to deserve attention. Had lie, or his Colleagues, coo stilted their interests or their duty, they would never have thrown cold water upon it. It was assumed too (which the House would not grant), that it was i not a measure of economy. It was rather singular that this doctrine should be supported by a person who !rids the reversion of one of the greatest pl ices i n t h e g ift of the Crown. If it wants regulation, an answer was immediately returned, that it could rot be allowed. Why ? Because the Chancellor of the Exchequer possessed the reversion, and if it were regulate d, ec , n ,my he:ng the object, it would doubt less be abolished. Did the Right Hon. Gentleman mean to say, that he, sitting in his place in that House, was no , a practical contradiction of his own assertion? Another proof might be funad in the odious appointment of Colonel M'Mahon to the office of Paym4,ter of Widows' Pensiuns, the abolition of which had been recommended thirty years ago, and • yet there, too, tio regulation was to he allowed—be cause it was granted in reversion. If the Chancel lor of the Exchequer had not the expectancy of Lord Arden's place, it might be investi,ta.ed— a complete exemplification of what the Chancellor of the Exche quer had denied. It was admitted on all hands that thes., grants in reveftion were a sort of forestalling of the prerogative of the Clown (mar, hear,) and no man who wished them to be abolish.al had any desire to diminish the prerogative ; the object was to prevent designing Ministers from granting favours to their own infants— (Hear, hear.) He trusted, notwith standing 'he specious arguments employed, that the House of Commons, as the rektsentatives of the p o ple, would pass as Bill from which their constituents expected, and woald derive such important benefits. Ile could anticipate no disagreement between the two branches tithe L,egis!ature upon a subj e ct whe t e t h e real duty of both was so obvious ; and under these circumstances he felt confident that the Lords would cordially join in a measure, which, it was true, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had said is not impor tant to be done, which the Country exclaims is im portant to be done, and which the House declares it is important to do. Mr. BASTARD said O'ere were two sorts of eco nomy which the House sho.dd i:ttend to—the eco nomy of the public expenditure, and the economy of the public opinion ; and he was confident the people i wruld bear the burdens necessarily imposed on them with much more content, could they but be satisfied that the House were desirous to attend to practical economy on every occasion, when they had it in their power so to do. Mr. ELLIOTT said, he was far from saying that no reversionary grants should be made ; but he would sot have it done at the discretion of Ministers. 'Sr J. bEBRIGHT said, this bill had long been a favourite with the public ; and should it now be throw n ont, after having first passed unanimously, and a second time with only one dissentient, merely on suggestion of the Minister that it was an object of little importance, he thought it would subject the House to the imputation of lAeing very wavering in their opinions. Mr. PONSONBY—" Although I have often ex pressed my sentiments upon this question, I cannot re frain from troubling the House with a very few words. I cannot at all agree that this is a matter of little im portance, on the contrary, it appears to me to be of Very considerable magnitude, even in an economical point of view ; because nothing can be more unfit than that it should be in the power of any Minister, when it is convenient, to call to his own aid that money which ought only to be the resource of the Crown, and to apply it to his own purposes, so as to carry, by force of influence, a measure perhaps highly disa greeable, or even injurious, to the nation. The conduct pursued by :he Chancellor of the Exclie qner on the present occasion, strikes me as somewhat extraordinary : formerly he voted for the Bill, because he said it was of little importance ; now he votes against the Bill, because, he says, it is of little irnpor 'Ante. The same reason of its being of littleimpor lance serves his purpose equally well for or against the Pleasure, as occasion may require. (Thar, hear.) — It is not, however, of such light consequence, as it relates to the proceedings of the House, in which it has been so repeatedly and unanimously adipted too, in conf orm i ty to the opinion of the country, scarcely less unanimous. Now, however, for the first time, it was contended that the Bill should be rejected, and the very reason assigned for its rejection, is the /ery reason why it ought to be countenanced. Un doubtedly, if this opposition be successful, it will nei ther be very flattering to the consistency or sagacity t i f the House, which has shewn a strong partiality to I,,,semeasure, and has persevered in it, Session after Session ; and at the time when it imag ined its la "ones would b e crowned w i th success, t e Chancel l°r of the Exchequer steps forward, and, without "ell v 1 - Plausible cause being urged, says that he iS ; Ist rd no does not approve of the noi, that it lof littic cnnse-• quence whether it passes or not ; but that it shall hot pass, because it does not suit his wisher. If Mem- 1 bers suffer themselves to be so trilled with, it will cer- tainly do little credit to their consistency. Of this I am certain, that if the House consents to it, the pub lic will be by no means satisfied with the abandonment of a measure to which they directed their anxious eyes: they are persuaded the mens , ire is a good one, and if it be now rejected, they will not fail to attribute it to the right cause, the undue influence which the conti nuance cf the practice places in the power of the Mi.- Wster. If the Bill be negatived, it undoubtedly will wit have the effect of raising the character of the House in public estimation." The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had always thought it of little importance, and had always expressed himself to that effect. Mr. W. ELLIOT said a few words in explanation. On a division, the numbers were—For the second reading 56. Against it, 54.—1 t was then moved th at the Bill be read a second time this day siz months, and and another division took place—Ayes 55—Noes 52. On the question of adjournment— Ayes 45—Noes 59. VAGRANT SOLDIERS ANT) SAILORS. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY rose, pursuant to no tice, to move for leave to bring in a Bill fur the re peal of the statute of the 39th of Elizabeth, which made it a capital offence for soldiers or sailors to go about wandering and begging. He hoped that in this instance, at least, he should have the satisfaction of meeting no opposition to the removal of one law from the statute-book which inflicted the punishment of death. He considered that it was absolutely a disgrace to the statute-book that such a law should remain in it. Mr. FR ANKLA ND rose to second the motion; but would by no means allow, that the law was a disgrace to the Legislature or the country. Since Justice Blackstone wrote, this act had been virtually repealed by an act made in the year 1792, which de clared, that slldiers and sailors begging under certain circumstances, should be considered rogues and vaga. bonds.—Mr. LOCKHA RT supported the motion. Sir SAMUEL ROM ILLY did not see that there was the least cccasion for panegyrizing the Legisla ture cf the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In the very same reign, statutes were passed making certain kinds of witchcraft, and communing with the devil, capital offences. He thought his Hon. Friend might just as well panegyrize the wisdom of the Legislature for those laws as for the others.—Leave was given to bring in the Bill. CONVICTS ON BOARD TIIE HULKS. Mr. Secretary RYDER rose, to move as an in struction to the Committee already appointed to con sider the state of the penitentiary houses, and also of the mode of transportation to Botany-bay, that they should also take into their consideration, the state of the prisoners confined on board the hulks. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY SJWlloObjection to this motion ; and as he believed that the enquiry re specting the propriety cf transportation to Botany Bay would necessarily require much time and detail ed information, he should agree with the suggestion. The Motion was then put, and carried. AMERICA. Mr. BROUGHAM moved for the following pa pers, to the production of which he understood that there was no objection : " An Account of the valu. of Goods exported to, or imrorted from, the United S:ates of America, for the last ten year ~ tlrs tinguishing the years—an accuunt of :he number and tonnar of American vessels carried into the ports of this country, in the years 1808 and 1609, by virtue or the Orders in Council—an ac count of the amount of the taxes levied as tonnag. duties on American and other v,ssels in consequence of the sad Orders— as also, of the number of crminierciat licencss d doti.rg the last ten years, distinguishing the British ports fur valirch they were granted." The papers were granted accordingly. Mr. ROSE said, he should wish for the production of other accounts, to exhibit in a ftirer view the ques tion of trade with America. He should theretore move for an account et the tra 3e to the different ports of America and the West Indies during the last three years. The object of this motion was to shew, that if the trade with one part of America had lately fallen off, the trade with the other part of it was increased. The account was ordered accordingly. Adjourned. THE 111 ENING STAR. LONDON. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8. pater OF STOCKS THIg DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK 3 per Ct. Cons. fur money 621 i?—Do. for ace. 6211 3 pvr Ct. It..duced 63j-4 per Cent. 78j 5 per Ct. 93}—Bonds t7s.l3s. pr.—OmniuM 3 dis. Exch. hills st. 7s. Bs. pre.—Long Anna. 16; 5W111 . 3 is the only Office that sold a Prize of £20,000 In blart,6, in the last Lottery. We have this morning received New York Papers to the .sth, Philadelphia to the 4th, and Boston to the Ist cf January. The proceedings of Congress still breathe hostility. The Bill for raising an additional force, has undergone many discussions in the House of Representatives. It will be recollected that when originally brought into the Senate, the number pro posed to be raised, amounted to 50,000. This was reduced to 23,000, before the Bill passed the Senate, in which state it came to the House of Representa tives. Our accounts from New York bring down the Debates to the Ist ult. at which time the House had come to no decision. An Amendment suggested by the Committee of Foreign Relations, to reduce the number of men from 25, to 15,000, was negatived by a majority of 21, the numbers being 44 to 65. It w•as afterwards proposed to raise the number from 23, to 50,000, and a keen debate ensued. Canada, it is evident, will be the first object of their attack in the event of a war. Measures are in progress through Congress to enable Government to call out and arm the whole of the Militia force in addition to the above 50,000 men. Leave has been given to bring in a Bill " for the protection, recovery, and indemnifica tion of American seamen." A Bill has passed the Senate for raising six cons. panics of Rangers to watch over the Indians under the command of the Prophet, who are said to be sg in motiqn, niiwi:hstan iing their late &fee.— A private le; . ter fro'n Washington gives the ftil lowing account of what is likely to be the result of these discussions : EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED WASHINGTON, DEC. Si • " The Bill from the Senate for adding 25,000 men to our military establishment, has undergone, to-day, an ardent discussion. The Speaker (Mr. City, from Kentucky), in an animated and eloquent strain, con tinued for abut two hours ably t' support the Bill. The speech breathed not submission, nor aught of commercial restrictions to subdue our enemies to jus tice—but open, manly, old-fashioned war; it was such as federal annals might record with honour. In an swer, men supposed to be under lessons from the Ca binet openly advocated the restrictive system as pre ferable. " No doubt remains of the wishes of the Adminis tration to be left in the quiet enjoyment of the non importation, as the only weapon to be wielded at present against Great Britain.". In noticing the proceedings 'of the war party in America, it is impossible to avoid mentioning another fact, which has come to us in a shape that entitles it to some degree of credit :—Our Ministers have, we understand, received certain intelligence that our ene my on the Continent intends immediately to send the Scheldt fleet to sea, half manned, with orders to run for America, where, if the war party succeed to the extent of their views, they are to be fully manned with American seamen, previously to their grand ex plosion against this country. It is, we have strong reasons to believe, with the view of meeting and coun teracting this force, that press warrants It iv: been ex tended to the city, backed by the LORD MAYOR, as is usual on such occasions. The press has been very hot in the City for these two days past, and a great number of excellent seamen have been procured. A Jamaica Mail arrived this morning, from which we extract the following from the Jamaica Royal Gazelle of December 21 :••••jg A letter from Cartha gena, of the 23d December, states, that same agents from Santa Fe, secretly employed, had excited a pub lic disturbance in that city. On the 11th they took pr'ssession of the arsenal by force, and demanded a declaration of the independence of that country, and a change in the Government. The disturbance las ted several days after obtaining what they sought for. Most of the property was restorci without the loss of Several agents of the Government are here: some of them are emigrated Irishmen." From Gibraltar we learn, that it was a part of the conspiracy lately discovi.r,l in Siciiy, to deliver over the flotilla to the enemy, and t hat a Sicilian Officer, high in command, had stiplhtted for its surrender, for a certain sum cf money. The' faluwing are the par ticulars of the capture of the French f: igate Pumoue: GIBRALTAR, JA:%.UARY As the Packet was coming out of Malta, she spoke his Majesty's ship ACTIVE, which had captured the French frigate la l'omone, of 41 guns, and 350 men, after a severe action, in which the former had ten. men killed, and 16 wounded.—We are sorry to find the name of that highly meritorious Officer, Captain GennoN, among the latter, having lost his right leg: the first Lieutenant lost an arm. The Femme was convoying two armed store-ships at the time of her capture ; one of which was in company with the Ac- TIVE when the Packet fell in with her—•the other had escaped.—We are happpy to have it in our power to congratulate the public on the capture of the last among the Venetian frigates, composing the Tyrant's Adriatic squadron. The Sandwich packer, Captain Scu'vLEß, has ar rived at Falmouth with mails from the Mediterra nean : she left Messina on the 25th of December— Malta the 3d of January, Gergenti the sth, Cagliari the 9th, and Gibraltar the 27th. This packet con firms the account of the capture of the French frigate Pomone, of 44 guns, and a store ship, by his Majesty's ships ACTIVE and ALCESTE ; the former bore the brunt of the action previous to the ALCESTE coming up, and lost in killed 20, and forty wounded. Cap tain,Gottocm i was shot in the leg in the early part of the action. The enemy are sup posed to have 150 killed and wounded ; they were from Toulon, bound to Corfu. The MALABAR, with a fleet from England, arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th December—on the 6th inst. in lat. 38. 26. spolcelthe LEvnEN,with convoy for Eng-. land. The Prince Adolphus and Nocton packets ar. rived at Cagliari on the 29th ult.—the former sailed on the same day for Malta. The Duke of Montrose packet arrived a: Gibraltar on the 16th ult. ; and on the 24th, the GANYMEDE, and WEYMOUTH storeship, with convoy from England. It was reported that the Queen of SICILY had been deposed, and about 40 Sicilians hanged, for carrying on a correspondence with the enemy : a Colonel in the French service was also discovered, and with a Mnnk immediately exe cuted. All was quiet in Sicily when the packet came away.—The names of those who have been executed, with the particulars of their crimes, will be laid before our Readers on Monday. It has been observed in a Morning Paper, that on Lord MORPECH'S motion, neither Mr. ADAM nor Colonel M•MAHoa voted. Mr. ADAM certainly could not have voted, having vacated his seat in Parlia ment ; and Colonel M'MAHoN did not vote, because he paired off with Sir JOHN Mil/PORT. NiirritL INTELLICENCB. FALMOUTH, FEBRUARY S. Arrived the Duke of Clarence, JOHNS, from Bristol, to load fcr Lisbon.—Wind S.E. PLYMOUTH. FEBkUARY 6. Arrived the Dtaxa, of 36 guns, Capt. FCRRIS, from a cruise off Brest, together w:th her valuable recapture, the ship Patent of London, laden with ma hogany and cedar, from New Providence, w!.ich ves sel the enemy had captured and ancli:x:d close under the rocks near Abreyach, sT here, low water, she struck, and received much injury ; fortunately, how ever, the DIANA'S bon:s succeeded in cutting her out as soon as the tide lifted, without sustaining any l ass. The vessel still continues to make much water ; and I since learn had ten feet water in 11,1- hold It the time the DIANA'S boats tool: possession of her; all the crew, with the exception of two seamen, had been taken out by the enemy. NOTTINGH,IM, FEBRUZRr 7. —.— Though the destructive operations of the frame• breakers have not been s.) extensive this wick as they were during some of the preceding, yet they still continue, in spite of every eT.rt to suppress them.— The distress occasioned by this alarmbig and destruc tive waste (k property, and the numbers who are thrown out of bread, cannot be described. On Monday evening a frame was broken at Bab bers-mill, and taken clean away; and on Tuesday night one was de:troled at Basford, both of which places ate in our immediate vicinity. In the last mentioned evening two frames were broken at Tag hill, and five others at Burton-Joke ; the former place being ei:hin twelve miles, and the latter within six rails of this town : though in all these pl ices many soldiers are stationed, as well as a strict 100k -out kept up by the civil authority. Indeed, so systematic are the operations of these nocturnal gangs, that though several articles of property were stolen horn Clifton at the time the frames were broken there, that pro perty has wholly been restored by a person styling himself Calera! Ludd, accompanied with a letter ex planatory of the means he had made use of to re cover the stolen goods, and the punishment he had caused tct be inflicted upon the thieves; at the same time stating, that he had dirAarzed ihrrn his service ! On Tuesday the Royal Buckinghamshire Militia arrived here in thirty-eight waggons, and yesterday two field-pieces belonging to then ea-lived. The men left Woodbridge • Bar:azks on F:iday evening, and proceeded all the way by forced stages, under an im pression that the town was in &rues ; instead of which, however, were it not for the appearance of so many soldiers and peace-officers in the streets, a stranger would have no conception that any comma tions existed ;n the towi.. Teo more tro.ps of Hue. sars arrived here on Wednesdry. Mr. CoNAvr and Mr. BAKER, Magistrates from London, have been making stri:t inquiries whether politic: are connected with the present disturbances; and, it is generally understood, that they are satit , fied that no such thing exists. Reinforcements are weekly sent by Po: tsmouth and Plymouth to Linid Wpt.usiwros's army, and it is de termined to keep every regiment complete to its full est establishment. The weak 2d battalions, and ske leton corps will all be sent home, and complete regi ments sent out in their place. Among others, the 2,1 battalion of that very respectable corps, the 39th, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel LINDSAY, it com ing home. It is finally settled that the Island of Java i to be a King's settlement, and placed on the same tooting as Ceylon. FUNDING EXCHEQUER BILLS.—This morning Mr. HAsE read at the Stock Exchange, a letter from Mr. PERCEVAL, to the Governor and Deputy-Governors of the Bank, stating, that it was his intention to fund Fourteen Millions ot Exchequer Bills, on the Navy 5 per Cents ; and that he proposed to give, for every £lOO money subscribed, £lOB Navy 5 per Cents I the interest to commence from the sth of last month, and the interest of the Exchequer Bills to be psid up to the 9th of Islarch, inclusive. The Exchequer Bills to be funded, were such as bore date from the Ist of March, 1811, to the 11th February, 1812. It WAS not his intention to raise any more 5 per Cents this Session, if the subscription filled ; but lie should re serve to hims-if a power of creating, in Navy 5 per Cents, such sum as any deficiency ot the Fourteen Millions amounted to.—Should the above terms meet the sanction ot Parliament, due notice would be given of the times of receiving the subscriptions.—On the above notice being read, Navy 5 per Cents. tell from 93; to 93. The following account of a most sanguinary duel affords a sad picture of American moral. : EXTRACT or A LETTER FROM AN OFFICER IN THE NAVY, DATED NORFOLK, DEC. 26. .is A most horrid circumstance took place here last evening.—Young MEncEit, whom you have often heard me mention*, had received an insult from the mate of some merch.►ntm in —a challenge followed, and last evening about' son.down they met within mile of the town—their distance of fighting was only butticient for them not to touch the body with eActi other's pistols—the word was given —both fired, and both fell dead..—The whole wan is in an uproar.— The seconds have taken safety by flight, leaving their dead comrades without a soul near them—their bodies were brodght to town last evening and will thi► day be interred." • Mc. Met cer was sn offi:er la the United Stain Nut, asti nephew to General Mercer. • NOTICa.—The Booksellers are respectfully Inforetect, that tbi Publication et GOLDINIIT lei BR 1/11H GSOO KKKKK • awl a BAR.. aow's Poor. Csir.a's Lt , Is unavtielably sklaycei dU Se turday, lb* 15th instant.—Ne. 0, Ludgate-hill, Feb. 7f MAIL