Star. — London, England, 1813-04-01 00:00:00

1 .i 0 FILIAMEIvreiRr pxocEEDiNG& HOUSE OF LORDg, MARCH 31. 4 ,- The Canada Rum Bid passed through a Committee, and lOU leponed. On the motion of the Earl of Wats - Lae a natation was or -1 dared of the British Naval Force stationed ' off the United States • off America, on the Ist day of each month, from April, 1812, to February, 1813. The two Exchequer Bills' Bills, the Waste Silk Bill, the Su 'or BPI, Intl the Irish Sugar Bill, were read a third thine, and famed. Adjourned till to-morrow Obis day). , . Mount OF COMMONS. • Mr. THOMSON presented a ,Petition frost the Dock Com-. party of Kingston against the East India Monopoly. WEYMOUTH VOTERS' BILL. Mr. STEPHEN moved to postpone the Committee on the • Weymouth Voters' Bill to Monday. 4 1 he SPEAKER hoped, that if so postponed, k would be on the peremptOry understanding that the Bill should then be corn nutted. A Bill, by the non-enactment of which, three seats in . that House were kept 'vacant, ought not to be delayed, without the assignment of some sufficient reason. ' After some conversation on the subject, in which Me. Sra putst, Mr. /instatement, the SP/AILIta and Lord CASTLZ• ISM* participated, the Committee was flied for to-morrow. PRINCESS OF WALES. • Mr. WHITBREAD rose to call the attention of the House once more to a subject which he had hoped might have been dropped; but circumstances, ' the Hon. Member continued to observe, have oc curred of so novel and extraordinary a nature, that It is quite impossible to pass them by without exa mination. A letter has been circulated with respect' to the Princess of Wales, purporting to be a letter from Lord Moira to a member of the Grand Lodgy of Freemasons: it appeared in the Papers of Monday last,. and I have good reason to believe tbat the Noble Lord whose name is affixed to it is the author of it. Sir, this letter is of a most extraordin try na ture. I had fondly imagined that all secret examina tions had been put an end to. We had been assured that her Royal Highness the Trincees Charlotte had been permitted to visit her Royal mother,. without restraint; and much were the Public pleased that she bad bee 9 per mitted to visit her at all. lam sorry, therefore, that any- necessity should present itself for the revival of this subject; but., Sir, I am driven to the hasty step I am taking, by the approaching de tauture of Lord Moira from this country, in order to execute the duties of the high offices with which' he has been invested in India. I dm not now wish,' itr, to advert to any of those topics which have been' discussed heretofore, but there is a paragraph in the letter of the Noble Lord, containing an implied ac cusation, to which it appears to me 'absolutely neces , eery to call the attention of the House, in order that Abe Noble Lord may not quit the kingdom, till he bas either substantiated his charge, or explained the 'leaning of it. Here the Hon. Member read the following extract from Lord Moira's letter : 4 When the Prince did me the honour of relating to me this representation of Lord Earelley's, expressing great uneasiness, Oat the asserted notoriety of the interviews at Belvidere, sad the costments of the neighbours should force hint to take any public :taps, I suggested the possibility that there might be misappre benslobs of the circumstances; and I enire.ted, that before any ether procedure should be determined on, I might send for the . steward (Kenny), and the porter (Jonathan Partridge), to us- Saint them. 'I his was permitted. I sent for the servants and questioned them. My report to the Prince was, that the matter :tacit occasioned very little observation in the House, note at et In the neighbourhood, and that it was entirely unnecessary for the Prince to notice it In any shape. The servants had been de sired by me never to talk upon the subject. Lord Eardley w.,s Informed, that his conception of what had been stated by the ser 'ants was found to be inaccurate; no mention was ever made to.' any one, not even to the Lords who conducted the inquiry three: l Oyan afterwards, of the particulars-related by the servants, and the circumstance never w ould have been known "at all, had not the legal advisers of the Princess, fur the sake of put:irg a false colour on that investigation, indiscreetly brom,ht it fors, ard The death of Kenny, in the interval, tempted them to rick this ] procedure. Jonithan Partridge havirg been known, at the time. when he war questiured, to be devoted to the Princess, front h a oau declaration to the steward, no one can doubt but that her, Ravi! Highness would the next day be Informed by him of his avtng been examined. The measure was most offensive, if not jt.stified by some uncommon peculiarity of circumstance. Yet absolute silence is preserved upon it for so long a period by her Royal Highness' advistrs—a forbearance only to be solved by Abele being too (amities to touch upon the point while Kenny was alive." Nose, Sir, continued The Hon. Member, when I first it ad the paragraph in his Lordship's letter, it appeared t', me to admit of but one construction, and that too, plain to admit of any mistake with respect to it ; namely, that if Kenny were now alive he could state' facts, which the legal advisers of her Royal High ness the Princess bt Wales would not wish to have Stated, and that therefore they prudently abstained from strriog the question till after his decease. Un der the impression arising from this conception I was aheut to have taken acme proceedings On Monday ; but, on reperthing the pirragiaph, I desisted for the time, conceiving that it was capable of receiving ano ther construction— so far as regarded the motives of., she Princess's advisers in defecting their proceedings „till Kenny's demise—but, Sir, whatever may be the , proper construction here, there is ant therpart of the paragraph which Lord Moira alone is capable of ex ,plaining. His Lordship states, that a menial set "rant of Lord Eartlley's was at the e s evotion of the -Princess.of Wales. Now:how this person could be in the confidence of her Royal Highness, or what inotiveshe could have to enter into any communication with him, if such communication ever took place; seems very fit matter for explanation ; and I repeat it, it Lord Moira quits - fae kingdom without explain ing it, no one will remain capable of doipg it. The opportunity of obtaining any satisfactory information on the subject will have been irremediably lost, it it be not obtained before his Lordship's (!eparture. I, ud too, Sir, that even with respect to the first part' of the paragraph, the more obvious construction, and that which I was at first disposed to put upon it, is that, which as it may be collected from the public prints, which-the public have -affixed to it. Now, Sir, it must be recollected what weight and autho rity with that public every thing has which conies t urn Lord Moira, and how desirable it must there fore be, that while it is yet time—while he is yet in England, he should explain the ambiguities he has thrown out, and rediess the ii,jury they have inflicted. Under the impression caused by this view of the sub ject, and u: ged by the, in all probability, early de parture of his Lordship, I have presented myself to the House at this early period of the evening, tiougki *ware that subjects of great importance were about to be brought before them ; and though I am conscious there is some t:ngularity in the proceeding, I shall to them a moticn, which I am satisfied cannot being most congenial to the , feelings of the __,_____ "Me Lor4 enabling tsho, as it pay, to ipso Ito " fire . . tb, in le 2 . i planation of what has created sou neskra inesailliiiit ' - 'opportunity Of explammg.the passage , m h is in the public mind to the representations tree pferiple. letlif, on which thelnotion is crunded.' rep. snit, Sir, r had hoped that thetenhjefttien3" e I Re. M. A. TAYLOR. -" apprehend that it is closed foriveir, but fresh Matter has coniasefort the thecommon wish of the House that an end should public which has , revived so keen a sense 'With re - = be put to all discussicin upon this uthappr subject spect to it, that I utterly despair 4 its being . elite- (Hear, hear.)— , and I believe that such a wish is in wally stilled without - some formiti recognition of the perfect unison with the feeling of the country at innocence of her Royal Highness in . this House, sult large.—(Hear; iftear.)a- If my Hon. Friend below me .ts may put a seal upon ixthat reed - one`will bea ts z ' nreani as well`toWarde the Princess of Wales as lam posed to hold inviolate. I will not pretend to say confident he d oes , t •I could wish him to believe that what the form of such a recognition should be-•-•but the revival of t cannot be serviceable to her, and that • if Ministers be adverse'm take such steps as may ap. to promote discussion• cannot have tke effect of pro. pear adequate to redress -the evil, it may be necei : Motiog her wishes, if those wishes are forpeace. The sary for the House to address his Royal Highness wisest plan the I-10 use can adopt is to avoid all dis the Prince Regent to that effect--butlet it be brought cussion on the subject : for if discussed within these about in what way it will, that in some way' or ano- walls, it will• it be discussed by every man in this coun cher a recognition to the e ffect I have stated should try. That 'should rest altogether is for the advan• take place, appears to be of the last degree of neces- tagerof the country, and ultimately, lam persuaded, sky. S:r, I shall conclude with moving, for the advantage of the Princess herself." " That a Messenger be sent to the House of Lords, desiring Mr. WESTON.—" Sir, any Hon. Friend has been taxed with_ seeking lg . to . agitate th e public mind, by that Lord Mara should be permitted to attend in this House I bringing forward this moon , in my mitd he has to be examined as to his knowledge of certain circumstances re been actuated by a wish to quiet it, for surely nothing lacing to the conduct of her Royal Highness the Princess of I Wales:' can more tend to allay any irritation that has been The SPEAKER..-" I am not prepared to offer excited than a satisfactory explanation; for this rea a decided opinion as to the motion of the Honourable ' son I should support the motion, if it were not incon- . ' Member but from a general consideration of the ba- sisteqt Mr. House." CANNING.—" Sir, having come into the with the rules of the bits of Parliament, I must observe, that they do not House after the Hon. Gentleman had made his mo appear to admit of the attendance of a person here to tien, I was at first led to believe that they were en give information on any subject but some matter de pending isithe House. I think the Lords would re- gaged in one of those irregular conversations which ject such a message as the Hon. Member has moved have, unfortunately, grown up of late within these should be transmitted to them—they would naturally walls ; but, finding my error, I shall, previous to iving my vote for an Amendment to the motion, say, that before we bad sent inch a message, we at the Orders of the Day be read, or whatever else should have resolved to institute the investigation on may be moved to get rid of it, state the principles by the proposal for which it was grounded." Lord CASTLEREAGH "I do not in the least which it will be influenced. A reference has been made to the understanding on which the former dis 'apprehend -that the House will entertain the motion of the Hon. Gentleman. I merely rise to state the torsion on this unhappy subject was terminated, and then it has been argued that a case might arise which impossibility of Ministers taking any auch steps in notwithstanding this might make it expedient to re. this House as he appears to wish they should, and I vive it. Sir, the continuance of proceedings of this cannot sufficiently express my surprise that he should nature will render such an understanding abortive, it now, for the sixth time, bring forward a question will render the tranquillizing of the publid mind a which can have no other effect than to agitate the thing quite hopeless, and it may at length produce a public mind, and wound the feelings of the House. situation of affairs in which there will be an absolute I aim surprised that he should not feel himself pre necessity for the interference of the House of Corn eluded from calling on the House to go into the eza- mans; at the same time, however, that I express this mutation of any collateral part of a subject by the re- opinion, let me accompany it with the anxious wish coLectitm th at they bad come to a grave and final that an extremity so much to be deprecated may be decision on the principle of it. Nothing can new be avoided. Sir, nothing can be more adapted to check laid before the House which can induce them to alter the progress of any measures that may be adopted to that deCisino or depart from the general principles by promote the favourable termination of this unhappy which they should regulate their conduct. The in business, than repeated discussion in this House--a terference of Parliament •on the present occasion, termination for which every good subject must so ar means productive of any public utility." would hi a measure of great violence, and by no dently wish : those who think otherwise, must have Mr. WHITBREAD—" Sir, if there be nothing but a very imperfect knowledge of human nature and human feelings. Instead of throwing •olsstacles in in the request militating against the authority of the the way of the happy result which we desire to see, Chair, I must desire that you will put the question." we should, by abstaining from discussion, afford time The SPEAKER complied with the request of the for the workings of all aiose feelings which would be Hon. Member. likely to promote it. Every new discussion dimi nishes the chances of k ; the progress of the milder any thing in dissent from the Chair. I have no e:notions of necessity take a new date from them, and doubt that the statement made horn it with respect the hopes we cherished , are debilitated : taking this ito the older of Parliament is correct, and that there view of the subject, I shall give my vote, as I before ;is no instance of such an application as that which stated, for any Amendment by which the present has been proposed being made, except in relation to . . motion' may be got rid of." some proceedings depending in the House—indeed Mr. WHITBREAD having, with a view to th e I there is an obvious reason why such an application information of the Right Hon. Gentleman who had spoken last, re-steed his views in bringing forward should not be made without, namely, that when made the other House should have the means of judging the present motion, then continued a s , follows : of its fitness as well as the individual proposed to be " Now, Sir, 1 as are the Noble Lord, th a t I d o not exanaiued—and without some inquiry previously in- entertain any animosity towards him for the imputa stituted they could not have those means. Under tions he has thrown out against me, as it I had these lircumatances, I rather suppose Illy Honourable brought ii-rward the subject now for the purpose of Friend's motion was brought forward with a view to agitating the public mind, and wounding the feelings raise a question than any thing else, but whatever of the House ; but T must affirm, that I was not ac may have been his view it was for him to judge-of its loafed 'by any such wish, and I must remind the correctness in acting upon, and it is for us to decide Noble Lord, that had I been actuated merely by a on it. I shall reserve my judgment , on the subject spirit of party, I might have harassed tirn in no in till I know what proceedings may •beresorted to;— considerable degree by the examination of those pat. but I shall, in the mean time, suggest to my Hon. titulars with respect to which he refused to give any Friend, that instead of seeking to promote any pro- information ; but I did not press on those points, ceedings in Parliament, It would perhaps be more conceiving that if I did so I should lay open much eligible for persons choosing to address the public on that could be odious and disgusting to the public ; this subject, to choose the same medium as that that I should probe wounds that would not bear the through which the Noble Lord (Moira) delivered operation, %I ithout the risk of gangrene. But when his sentiments. I saw, however' slight an impression it might produce Sur F. BURDETT.—" Sir—l anxiously wish to upon some individuals, a very strong impression pro. see some termination to this business, satisfactory to duced upon the public by the publication of a letter the feelings of the illustrious Person concerned in it, obscurely worded, I really did conceive that I should and I think that it is the more desirable, inasmuch as not fulfil my duty if I did not afford to its Noble au she has been injured by calumnies set in movement thor an opportunity of developing its meaning. It by proceedings directed by his Royal Highness the has been said that the less this question is agitated ' Prince Regent himself. (Hear.) Ido not agree with th%better is will be for the (Princess of Wales herself. the Noble Lord in thinking, that it is touching oo the Now, Sir, if this be said in merely a general sense, feelings of the House to propose a discussion of a par. and that the meaning of ft be that the less subjects of titular branch of a subject, because they had refused 'this kind are agitated in the House the b et t er , I h ave to adopt the principle ut general interference. I con- nothing to say ; but if any assertion be implied in it, unfavourable to her Royal ceive, Sir, the House is extremely concerned in pro- that investigation would be moting the discussion of all the particulars of a trans- Highness, I challenge that investigation, though I action, in the course of whi c h it now appears such do not cons i der it any part of my duty to press it.— foul and mischievous att e mpts were made against the The Right Honourable Ckntleman o pp os i te h as honour of the Princess of Wales, and that it was only called to my recollection what I. before stated on this on the understanding that the business was best en- eubject, and I now again state, that there is no one ' trusted to the hands of Government, the members of more desirous either than the Illustrious person whose which would advise and direct such measures as cause I have advocated or myself, that a termination would preclude the necessity of discussion, that it was should be put to the business." The Hon. Member, abandoned ; otherwise, it is obvious how important after a few further observations, concluded with stet that discussion must be—how important it is to the ting his determinfition not to agitate the question a public that the falsehood of the charges affecting the again, unless called on s o t o d o by a case o f extreme Princess of Wales should be formally avowed, affect- necessity, the existence of which he fervently &pre ing as they also do the Royal Family in general, and cated ; and having intimated his intention not to more particularly the individual member of it who, press the question to a division, the House passed to in all probability, is destined to ascend the Throne the Order of the Day, viz. of this kingdom. Conceiving it to be the general JUST-INDIA AFFAIRS. • sense of the }louse, that some effectual measure of On the motion of Lord CASTLEREAGH, the House conciliation should be adopted, Ido not think that then went into a Committee on the East-India Affairs. my Hon. Friend has flown in the face of the House. lt. Cowsen was called to the Bar, and examined or transgressed in the least the bounds of delicacy, or by Mr. ADADI.—The witness stated, that he had given the least room for the surprise which the Noble been thirty- years in India, in the Bengal Establish- Lord has thought proper to express by the motion he meat. He was principally examined as to the extent has brought forward, and so secure ant lin that opi- of the establishment in which he resided, and the dis nion, that I shall follow his example ; and if some- tance of the most remote settlements in it from th; thing be not done to render it unnecessary, shall sub- seat of Government. He was of opinion it would be mit some specific proposition to the House upon the difficult to regulate the conduct of strangers, in the `subject now before it. With respect to the present event of an unrestrained intercourse with India, at motion, I certainly do not recollect any precedent by places so remote • though he thou g ht th a t per s ons which th e Message p ro p ose d i n i t can b e j us tifi e d ; misconductinge themselves might easily be removed but I conceive that proceedings, somewhat irregular, out of the country. As to the probable consumption may be resorted to, without any dangerous violation of European commodities by the natives, he should of rule, in very extraordinary circumstances. Aod imagine it must be very slow, and always compara as Lord Moira is about to leave the country in the tively trifling. Being asked, if in his opinion the ap , course of a very little time, I do think that such irre. ,pointmeat of a Bishop and other Ecclesiastical Dig. niterie ieWeable, OP ovate v. pleasant sensations in the !weds of the natives ? The witness stid, he had not at first been of opinion that any appointment of the kind would have been much regarded by the natives in India.. Front some recent publications, however, his ideas on this subject were very much changed. If the House would allow him, issaboold-refer to one of those publications.. In the Papers of this morning, there appeared an advertise ments stating the proceedings of a public " Meeting 'oUpersont Imendly to the religious instruction, moral improvement, and deification of the inhabitants of our Indian . Empire," Lord Gambier in the Chair, at whiCh a resolution was passed, that " there are more than fifty millions of inhabitants subject to the Bri: fish Empire in India, under the influence of inhumad and degrading superstitions, which form an effectual bar to their progress in-civilization." If such sentia ments as these were propagated in India, as connect ted with this proposed Church Establishment, be was convinced the appointment of the Bishop and Arch. deacons, which might otherwise be passed over as a matter of little or no consequence s would create dig. satisfaction, and might even lead to results highly to be deprecated. Mr. STEPHEN, without wishing to interfere with the course of the Hon. Gentleman's evideace, remar. led upon the irregularity of his addressing himself to the short-hand writer, and not the Chair; after which the witness WAS ordered td withdraw, and *as not re-examined. Lord TEIGNUOUTII was then called to the Bar, for the purpose of correcting some part of his evidence given on the preceding day. His Lordship stated in addition, in answer to questions put to him by sere. tat Members, that he thought Missionaries, properly licensed, might be productive of considerable bene fits in India. On the Motion of the CHANOILLLOR of the.Excnv. QUER, the further examination 01 his Lordship was suspended ; and the House having resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again to-morrow. Mr. R. THORNTON moved for several Returns regarding the Coasting Trade in the -East Indies, which were ordered to bere,sented to the House, and they were afterwards laid on the table. RUSSIAN TEOOPS IN THE PENINSULA. Mr. LAW, seeing a Nutle Lord in his place, begs ged to put a question to him on a subject of great importance—Whether any communication had been made to Government by the Emperor of Russia, on the subject of the employment of a portion of the Im perial troops in Spain and Portugal ? If any inter course had taken place upon the subject, he wished to know what steps Ministers bad adopted—whether the proposal had, or bad not met with their appio, batioa ? Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, that he was sure the House -must feel that it was impossible, w•itb out a manifinit injury to the public service, .for him to make any communication on a subject of the de scription adverted to— (Hear, hear.) Mr. LAW then gave [pike of a motion for Thurs day seionight, for an Address to the Prince Regent .n 1 the subject. • Mr. TIERNEY, after some desultory conversa tion, postponed his Motion respecting the Sinking Fund until Friday. He also observed, 'that tt was not the intention of himself or of his friends to de bate tie Finance Bill on that day, but should resist its further progress when the Report s h ou ld be recei ved' on Tuesday next. On the Motion of Mr. STEpusx, the Commit:eeon Cie Weymouth Electors' Bill was postponed until to morrow. C'MMITTEZ OP SUPPLY. The account of the advances made to Government by the East India Company having been referreci to the Committee of Supply, the House resolvedi hien' into the Committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the only vote which he should have to pro. pose to the Committee, on the present occasion, was for the purpose of repaying the East India Com pany the advances which they had made for the public service. He was sure that the Committee I would agree with him, that it was peculiarly desir. able, while so important a subject was pending as the renewal of the East India Charter, that the accounts between Government and the Company should be , wound up, and drawn as near to a close as possible, .in order to prevent any jest cause of complaint either cu the one side or on the other. The East India Company had made advances to a great extent—to an extent, indeed, that appeared alarming in the first instance, as those advances were for military services, respecting which no previous estimate had been laid before Parliament At the same time the impor tance of an ally so ready to make such advances was very considerible. In future it was to be hoped, however, that no advances for a similar purpose would be necessary, as no hostile flag waved on, the shores of Asia. The Mauritius, Bourbon, and Java, had been subjected to Great Britain ; and there was no reason, therefore, to expect any further expensive ex peditions in the Indian seas. In future, he hoped that the advances would be entirely confined to the current ascertained expenses of the naval service, of which the previous estimates might always be laid before Parliament. With respect to Java, there was every reason to believe that the revenues of that island would be equal to the expense of maintaining it. It would not be exactly the same at the Maui itius ; but the preponderance of the expense over the revenue would not be very material. He proposed us follow the example of preceding years, by voting a certain sum on account. The advances made amounted, as appeared by the documents on the table, to iett,291,000 —He should move to vete 5e2,000,000 on account, and he accordingly moved that that sum be grantel to his Majesty, to enable his Majesty to pay the same to the Hon. East India Company, towards defraying the expenses.at which they had been for the public service. After some conversation, in the course of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, in answ , r to questions from Mr. Baring and• Mr. Pcnsonhy, that it was probable, unless the company received certain remittances from India, that they might apply to Parliament for aid ; and that the nature of that aid would be to obtain permission either to borrow on their own credit, or, if aecessary, to obtain the pa- submit 1