Star. — London, England, 1808-05-17 00:00:00

FOREIGN INIELLIGENCE. LYONS, APRIL 7. For several weeks nothing of importance has been received from Italy. The departments beyond the Alps await the arrival of their new Governor General Prince Borghese, which will occasion a great change in the administration. The residence of a splendid c curt in Turin will have the most beneficial effects upon that city. In the kingdom of Italy, much is said about a ces sion of some western departments, and of increase of this country by southern provinces, of a change of the residence of the Viceroy, &c. but this is ail very vague and unauthenticated. In the Venetian territory, the state of things has been Pule changed. The absence of the English from the Adriatic, or at least the western coast of it, has had this effect----that the Italian flotilla which hi therto lay secure in the harbour of Venice, has lately run out, and the commerce with the other ports in the 'Adriatic has been renewed. In Venice itself, several cor.voys have been fitted out which are destined to Corfu. The coasting trade has also begun again— but fiir the present there are no thoughts of sending vessels into the Levant, or the islands of the Medi- Ctxranean. • In Tuscany, every thing is put upon a French footing, but nothing is yet decided concerning the future fate of the country. Letters from Genoa as. sure us, that the three departments of Etruria_are, i - 2 :4e;.- manner, placed under the Government of Mince ll , Jrghese: In Leghorn, as a few years since in Genoa, the regulations of the French harbour po lice havo been introduced. It is said,that at Leghorn an especial sea-prcfect will be appointed. The fate of Italy seems to be not yet precisely fixed. Great changes arc universally expected. The recal of the French Ambassador from Rome shews, that the Ec cleslasticA dominions are no longer to be considered 'as ~ .;?•.-I,lr,tituting an independent state. In Naples, a happy futurity is expected. The Public Administration is improved in all itsbranches. Great care is evinced in forming of roads, canals, and bridges, and in public education. The new Go vernment is every day more beloved—and the dis tinguished persons, who serve the King as Counsel lors, proceed in these reforms with wise moderation. In the interior, peace and order are restored. In the - Neapolitan territory, military equipments are going on. Several corps have lately entered it from .Upper Italy, which are for the greater part marched to Ca. labria. Two considerable corps are collected on the coast ; the one a league and a half from Naples, the other in South Calabria. Probably both are to em bark. A detachment is to. be sent, it is said, to Ca pri, in order to drive away the English. We have no certain intelligence from Sicily. Re inforcements, it is said, have arrived from the Eng lish troops in Malta. Of Lord Collingwood's fleet nothing is known. In Toulon, much work is done in the arsenals and docks Several new built ships of the line and frigatas have been fitted out, and will soon be lit for sailing. MENIEL, APRIL 9. INDICTMENT BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that in consequence of some misunderstanding, several Noble Lords were not apprised that this hill stood for a second reading this day, and conseyuentlywere not in attendance. His Lordship coosider.d this a very important Eiii—and, as some of the Law Lords had declared their inten tion of expressing their sentiments upon it, he should stove to discharge the ord,r of the day, fixing it fur Keemsday next. Lord STANHOPE observtd, that had the Home been sum mon. d for this day, there w,,md have been no necessity for post poning the second reading of this very important Lill, as tht-Noble and Learned Lord cn the woolsack had termed it. The Noble and Learned Lord wotild net have sa.d wrong had he called it the mo.it infamous bill that ever was in nt up to that House. It wert either to annihilate trial by Jury, or at least render it ridiculous. He trusted and hoped there would be a full attendance of their Lordships; and in order to insure it, he moved, that their Lord, ships st.nurtnntd on W:1111,141 , near. The origir.al order was then dhichar,;ed, and their Lordships or dere,' to be summoned fur that day accordingly. After sonic further roil:Lie !It:gilt's, the House adjourned. The persons enumerated below had engaged at Liehau, Captain Koop, of Lubec, to cal ry them over to Sweden, and they set sail on Sunday, the 3d inst. with a favourable wind, and had reached the Swedish coast without any accident, when they finind the en trance impeded by ice, on which they changed their course to Bornholm, where they cast anchor. The violent North-West wind which arose, ob!iged the Captain to raise anchor, on which the ship was driven near Memel. The Ca•itain, who had never made a voyage to Memel, and was not acquainted with the entrance into the harbour, finding his ship grow leaky, was desirous to reach shore as soon as possible, but missed the entrance, and, about six in the morning of the 6th inst. was stranded near Memel, upon what is caned the Soder Haelcen. The vio lence of the wind, and the height of the waves, made it extrenlAy difficult to approach the ship with the life boat ; but with great exertions the boat was brought so near the ship, that the Captain, three sailors, and a servant, succeeded in springing from the bows?rit into the boat, and were saved. No other persons could he rescued during the whole of that day. On the Sth, four passengers and two chil dren were saved. There were on board nineteen passengers, of whom three were children, and six were servants ; and there were nine belonging to the vessel. The following were washed overboard and drowned : Lord Royston and two servants ; Colonel Pollen and one servant ; 1). T. Baclay, from St. Petersburgh ; Renny, from Rip, Becker, from Hamburgh ; and one servant, one nurse, and five of the ship's crew ; Mr. Focke. of Haniburgh, and one servant maid, died on board the vessel dur ing the night of the 7th and Bth. Of those who were brought on board, and who likewise died, one sailor and the youngest child of Mrs. Barris. The others who were rescued, and are still living, are the Lady of Colonel Pollen, Mr. Halliday firm Petersburgh, Mrs. Barris, with two children, and M. Pereira, who had been sent by the Portuguese Charge d'Affaires from Peterskirgh to Portugal, as well as the above rientioned Captain and servant, and two sailors—in all ten souls. Ar1:11. I I.—Among those who were saved from the stranded vessel Agatha, was the Po r t uguese Messenger, Mr. N. J. Pereira, frcm Oport o ; b u t the extraordinary exertions he had made upon the vessel to save his companions, occasioned his death the day after. The magnanimity with which this young man offered himself up a sacrifire is altoge ther worthy the chivalrous spirit, which, GOD be Praised, is not extingmshed n ior ,g his countrymen. He possessed also distinguished talents and cnalities heart, which will prest•rve his memory among • PARLLMIENTARr PROCEEDINGS. thought the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the I Exchequer, who had brought in a bill to enforce the HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 16. I residence of the Clergy, would, in consistency, be Lords SCARBOROUGH and CLINTON were severa:iy introduced bound to support the present Bill, the object of which and took their seals. was to provide glebe-houses for the Clergy, anti thereby Mr. WHARTON, and a deputation &Om the Commons. bmught up the Interment Bill, the Irish Post-Oflice Itegulation hill, and encourage their residence. Mr. HORNER supported the motion of Sir John two private Bills, which were .evira!lv read a first time, and or &red to be read a second time to mrrrow. ' Newport, and contended the Bill was not to tax the The Three Million; Exchequer Pills Bill, the One Million and Clergy, but to render available a fund appropriated a Half Exclier i tur Bills Lill, -the Irish Assessed Taxes bill, and by l aw for the purpose, which had so long been lie some private Bills, went through a Committee, aud werereporusi without any amendment, i elected. His Majesty had this moment the right, not i 1 irtue of prerogative but of statute law, by - " _ .1 pls.- Irish and English Acts, to order those First Fruits to be valued over and over again, from time to time, in order to render them as productive as possible for the purpose they were intended. Dr. DUIGENAN opposed the Bill, upon the ground that it would impose a tax upon the Clergy of Ireland, which they could not afford to pay. Mr. G. PONSONBY supported the motion for - -"ml' Bishr the Bill. He said, he knew a couple of Jishopris. in Ireland which produced 20,0001. a year. Were they to contribute nothing to serve their own order ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER also declared lie opposed the Bill. He thought, in stead of an advantage, the measure would prove only. oppressive and detrimental to the Clergy, on whom he thought no additional espence should be thrown. As to the addition of 30,0001. which was supposed would be made by this Bill, he professed, considering the deduction of mines benefices, which he understood was intended, he could by no means comprehend it. Ile declared, if he had it in his power, he would sooner release the Church from any burthens which were imposed on it, than re-tax it. Mr. MAURICE FITZGERALD said, he was surprised that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should be so uninformed on a subject which had given him sa much trouble—he meant the Church. He would advise him, however, not to lead into an investigation of church property in Ireland by a vexatious and un called-for opposition to this Bill. The intention of the First Fruits from the beginning was to build glebe-hones for the residence of the Clergy, which tntention was so far from being fulfilled, that the want of houses was the usual excuse in Ireland for non residence. He denied that the object of the 11:11 was to burtiten the poor, but, on the contrary, it went to relieve then;. There was in Ireland no tax on the Clergy ; no property-tax, no house-tax, nor many other taxes in force here ; and he therefore thought it would be better for them to bear some of the public burthens, than apply to the people to defray ex pences for which this fund was expressly appropriated. Sir J. NEWPORT wondered much that any question should be made about appropriating the Church revenue to the service of the Church. He had been most curiously charged, in the course of the debate, with wishing to affect the smaller livings, which he had set out by expressly setting his face ' against. Every man acquainted with Chur h his tory knew, that there had been valuations dawn to the reign of Charles I. In the rein cf James 1. there had been a valuation, and so far were Bishops from supposing it detrimental to the interests of the Clergy, that the Bishop of Meath, who always pre ferred the interests of the Church to his own, was himself a valuator. He was asked why there was a valuation proposed in Ireland, and not in England for two obvious reasons ; firtit, that the revenue of First Fruits was much larger in England, and se enough to answer all purposes, and the seoad was, that no demand had been made for a bounty to defray those expences for which the First Fruits had been particularly appropriated. As the power was placed. in the hands of the Crown of making a valuation, it certainly was not so ordained for a nullity ; if, indeed, there had been no fund allotted for this purpose, the House would be right in making a provision ; but since there was a fund so allotted, any additional taxes on the people for the purposes for which it had been intended was unjust and oppressive. On the question being put, the House divided, when there appeared, For giving leave to bring in the Bill 50, " -,,, 4 , ainst it G 7. DARDANELLES. On our admission into the Gallery, we found Colo nel WOOD on his legs : he moved, " That there be laid before the House a Copy of the Logbook of Captain R. Dunne from the 15th of February to the 22d, It'o7. Also a Copy of the Negociation between Admiral Duckworth and the Ottoman Porte, from the time of his enterirg the Dar danelles to the 22d of February, according to his letter of the 6th of March." Admiral HA RVEYsaidhetkought that the Honour able Gentleman who made this motion ought to men tion the nature of the charge which he meant to ground on this paper to an officer who had so often ventured his life in the service of his country ; he thought every fair degree of information ought to be given on a sub ject of this kind. Colonel WOOD said, it was not his intention to have said a word on the Paper, but merely to have it produced ; but as the Honourable Admiral had pres sed so urgently for a charge, he would read to the House the substance of what appeared• on the log book, together with a letter from Sir John Duckworth to Lord Collingwood, and some observations which he made thereon. - [He then read these to the House ; and it appeared from the ob servations, that Colonel Wood's opinion was Sir John Duckworth had not taken every advantage of the winds he might have done.) Admiral HARVEY said, he never had a shadow of objection to the production of the Paper; and as from the Paper read it appeared there was a direct charge, he had no doubt but the gallant officer would be ready to meet and repel it whenever it might lie brought forward. YOR KE said, he thought the House ought not to entertain charges against officers of high rank, on the svgestion of any individual Member, how. ever respectable, unless the matter had been previ ously brought before a proper tribunal, and justic. had not been done. There had been two Adminis trations since the affair in question took place, and neither of them had thought proper to call that gal lant officer to any account for his conduct on that ex pedition. Why not propose to the Admiralty, if the Honourable Member thought there was any charge against that gallant officer, to have him tried by a Court Mart . al ? I-le would then be able to meet it in a proper way.--Colonel WOOD explained. Mr. Secretary CANNING said, that when the Pa per in question was originally moved for, he had not opposed it, lest it should be deemed a part of those which Hon. Gentlemen on the other side of the House niight think necessary to call for; but as the question now stcod, it was very different. There was a great of )t4frieni HOUSE OF CONINIONS. This being the last day for rectivi , lg Reports of Committees upor. l'rivate Bills, a considerable time was occupied for that purp , ..4t, before the House proceeded to pablic Innnness. DYNG brought the Report of the St. Luke's open Vestry Bill. CrZered to be engrossed, cud read the third tirx on t.riday. A Message annotnictd the assent of the Lo: - .Is to the Militia Cloathing Bill, the English and Irish Militia Pay, Adjutant's Allowance Bill, and SubLdtern Oltic:rs Bill, and the Irish Stamp Duty bill. 'lite Committee on the Local Militia Bill was deferred until to-morrow. .„... The Assesccd Taxes Bill was read a third time and passed. The secwid reading of the Curates' Bill was postponed till to— morrow. Sir A. WELT ESI.EY obtained !rive to bring in aEill to amend the at'th of the King, as far as rel.ites to the ir..dunteering front the Militia in:c Lite in Ireland. _ _ He then brought up the said Bill, which was read a first time, and ordtrcd to he read a 2d time to-morrow, and to be printed. The Report on the Copper Bill was brought up and agreed to, and a Bill ordered to be brought in thereon. Sir JAM FS MONTGOMERY obtained leave to bring in a Bill to rep:A part of an Act of Queen Anne, respecting the shoot ing of Hares in Scctland. A Person from the East-India House presented an Account of the Produce ache Revenues in Bengal. Ordered to be printed. Sir SAMI.11:1. ROMiLLY gave notice of a motion on Wed i nesday, for leave to bring in a Bill to mitigate the severity of the Criminal Laws, and to afford some compensation to persons who have suffered long imprisonment under fal,e accusation. Mr. ROSE gave hotice of a motion on Monday next, for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent ships taken from this country by the enemy from obtainirg subs:Tient Rcg:! , :trs as Pritish ships. Mr. FULL bR gave notice of a motion on Monday, for leave to hting in a Bid to prevent the spreadihg of the Small Pox In fectit'n. ir JOHN NEWPORT rnnvtd for a Copy of the Circular Let ter written byW. lawkencr, Esq. Clerk of tae Privy Council, on the 6th of October last, to the .Avilbiihops and bishops in g land and Wale:, with their :esp-ctive An.wers the.% to, concern ing the number of the Non-resident Clergy in th..4r several Dio ceses, in the y.ar 1607. Mr. ROSE said, the account was at present substantially before the House in another form. The mutien, however, passed in the affirmative. SCOTCH JUDICATURE. Mr. R. DUNDAS moved for the arrointment of a Committee to examine the Lords Journals of the I, , st and pr,sent Sessions, re•pectirg the Jurisdicien of the Court of Session, and the number of Appeals. Atter a few words from Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER, this was agreed to, and the second reading of the Scotch Judicature Bill was in consequence postponed till Friday. BARRACK ACCOUNTS. Mr. ABERCROMBIE, after some pr. fatory observatinrs, moved for an account of payment, and claims of Barrack Archi tects, Surveyors, aLd Overseers, since the 14th of July,lBCO3 to the present time. Mr. 1!11.,IZISSON, in explanatior, stated how so considerable a charge had been incurred. He said, that under the authority cl Gene:al Val4.nry, while he presided in the Department of 134.- racks, on account of the extent to which it was found necessary to carry thoee buildings for the accod.modatic,n of troops in differ. ent parts of tbe counti y, a number of Architects had been em ployed ro Cai'ry on tho.,e building:, and occasionally to survey or iiisp,.xt them, with a view to such further extension or repairs as might he tit••ugltt ne , 7eraary, and, as professional men, bAng called on :o give whole time and attention to the busiaess, it was thought that kt 500 a-year was not an unreasonable remuneration to allow each. In tl'ta r.ar 1805, It:)wever, when it was thought unnecessary to carry farther the system of building barracks, and nothing reztudned to be done by those persons than merely an oc casional survey and inspection, the longer continuance of their salaries would be loading the country with heavy expellees fur offices almost sintrure. It was therefore deemed expedient by the Lords of tt , e . Treasury to charge the mode of payment, and effect a e4nsiderahle saving to the public, by allowing 3 per cent. on the amount of work ,urveyrd.—Tha Accounts were ord,red. The Paymaster's Pill was read a third time, and, with an amend ment ntcoice. I.y Mr. LONG, lot r.:gulating the audit of West- In;aia Accounts, passed, and ordered to the Lords. IRISH FIRST FRUITS. Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved for leave to bring I in a Bill to the more effectual valuation and collection of First Fruits in Ireland. The object of the Bill was to render productive a fund already appropriated by the statute of the 28th of Henry VIII. for the purpose of building glebe houses in Ireland, but which sum has been but very partially collected, at a valuation tri vial beyond all comparison of what it should be at this day. Of the 2400 church livings in Ireland, great and small, there were but 1500 valued, which pail.' but a trivial rate, and 900 not valued, which paid no rate at all. The whole he was confident would, if fairly valued at this day, produce a revenue to the First Fruits fund of from 20,0001. to 30,0001. a year, which, added to the bounty of Queen Anne, would afford the means, in a few years, to completely effect the desirable object of building comfortable glebe houses for the Clergy, and thereby encouraging and securing their residence upon their livings ; and there being this legal source, he thought it would require seme argument to persuade that House to resort to the public treasury, or to additional taxes upon the community. He was desirous to except every living which did not. produce a clear 1501. a year. He should even wish to exempt every incnmbent, already charged with the hti;ldiog of a glt.be.house, from all charges of First Frti;ts for six years ; and he did not mean that the alteration should affect the present incumbents. Sir A. W E I.LESLEY objected to the Bill, the object of which was, to raise a tax Out of the incomes of the Clergy of Ireland, in order to build glebe housts for their successors, while there were other funds more eligible for the purpose. Mr. FOSTER joned in the same sentiment. Sir W. W YNNE observed, that the Right Hen. Baronet had not ad;erted to the proposal oflis Rip;ht Hon. Frictid, to exempt* all the small livings under 1501 ; and there might, possibly, be to objection in a Committee to catry the exernition still higher He difrerence between a paper being brought in snppol lof the political conduct of a Government in origint. ting an expedition, and :I.•e same being moved for as an article on which to found a charge against an Of. iicer who conducted the expediti,!n. After what had been said by his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Y or ke), he saw the ma' ter in a different point of view, and found himself compelryd to resist the production of the paper, and to induce the House to do the same. Mr. W INDHAM said, he would neither oppose nor call for the production of the paper, lest his mo tives should be mistaken ; being for himself and col. leagues perfectly indifferent as to the issue. Mr. R. WARD said, there did not exist in the Ad miralty any wish to impute blame to the gallant Admiral. Mr. PONSONBY said, that feeling which ever w ar he vote], a misconstruction might be put upon his conduct, if the motion was persisted in, he should withdraw. Colonel WOOD wished to withdraw the motion. Mr. WHITBREAD said, he saw no reason why the paper should not be granted, as he understood Sir John Duckworth had no objection to its production. He thought the House might wiar great propriety enter upon a charge of this nature, if it was brought forward without resorting to a Court-Martial. It seemed there wits a letter of Admiral Duckworth's, whicli stated the situation of the wind on the several days he was with the fleet before Constantinople, and this paper was moved for to elucidate that letter. He saw no reason, therefore, why the Right Honourable Secretary set his face against the production of the paper now any more than when it was first moved for ; but if the Honourable Gentleman was desirous to withdraw his motion, he had no objection, as the honourable Member certainly understood his own views and intentions best. Mr. YORKE said a few words in explanation, after which the motion was withdrawn AIR. PALA! ER'S CLAIM. Mr WHARTON brought up the Report of the Committee on Mr. Palmer's claim, when, on the SPEAKER meting the question, that the same be lead a second time, . Mr. BANKS objected to it, as an extraordinary circumstance, that the House should come to such a vote, on a question wherein the Public were so much concerned. He contended, that Mr. Palmer was fully indemnified in the remuneration which had been made to him during the Administration of Mr. Pitt. Mr. WINDHAM justified his former opini ons , an & insisted on the idea of its not being a party question. Mr. ROSE went over the original ground of his objections, sliming that Mr. Palmer had been suffi. ciently remunerated when he enjoyed a salary of 15001. per annum. Mr. S. WORTLEY thought Mr. Palmer fully compensated in the pension %elicit he had cheerfully accepted from Government, and that the House had no right to grant him any more, unless it received Message from the Crown to that effect. Sir THOMAS TURTON defended the Commits tee, of which he was a Member, and insisted that no man had a better claim to the indulgence of the House than Mr.. Palmer, who by his exertions had conferred singular benefit on his country ; and, notwithstands ing his talents had ceased to he of advantage, yet he was entitled to every remuneration, agreeable to his original grant from the Crown, which could not by any misconduct be violated. Mr. LONG spoke against the two and a half per cent. and said that Mr. Pitt had never intended such a grant, unless Mr. Palmer attended to other duties in the Post Office. Lord MILTON was of opinion that the contrect between Mr. Palmer and the Public was decisive on this question ; and he lamented that when it was be fore the House some years ago, it was got rid of by the previous (1 nest.'oo. Mr. STURGES BOURNE thought it somewhat singular. that Gentlemen who agreed on this occasion so entir.ly in favour of Mr. PaimA-, were these who oppos.:d tire present Government in general ; and he contended there was no reason for rescinding now what was done on a former occasion, when there were 112 to 98 against the present application. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, that the facts which were disclosed, and the argum'nts that had been adduced on that evening, tended to confirm bins the more in the justness of Mr. Palmer's demands. He was not afraid to encounter the complaints of the people against what had been denominated a wanton profusion of the public money ; but lie was happy to congratulate the country on the strange rcvclution that had taken place in the minds of Miaisters, when they began to preach economy, and denounce him and those with whom he was going to vote,as improvident squan derers of the pubic purse. He was unwilling to argue the subject in the narrow way wherein it had been argued by some Gentlemen who had spoken earlier in the debate, but he should confine himself to its con sideration on the broad basis of common justice. It was admitted that the community at present derived a very great benefit from the plan originally suggested by Mr. Palmer, and that the Minister to whom he disclosed his project had promised him per cent. on the excess that would accrue to the revenue of the Post Office by the adoption of his plan above the usual revenue. It therefore was incumbent on the House to reward him according to his stipulated agreement. Mr. HOLFORD defended Mr. Pitt's bargain, and contended that if that great man had felt it to be ime provident, he never would have shrunk from acknowe ledging it. Mr. - MARRYOT could not see any reason for changing the opinion which he had formerly expressed I respecting Mr. Palmer's claims, not at least without the production of further documents and proofs, in maintenance of these claims. Mr. SUM proposed to adjourn the debate till to-morrow se'nnight, for the purpose of obtaining fur ther evidence.—The question being put, the House divided—For the adjournment 87- 7 against it 137 Majority 50. When the Gallery was re-opened, we were given to understand that the House had agreed to the resoltte tion for allowing the per tentage. After some further conversation, The SPE2 I 4.ER observed, for the information of the House, thet it was to be understood that the Ace count of the Arrears due (to be ascertained) would be submitted to the'Committee, and that on Friday the Honourable Member . (Mr. Lethbridge) would move for leave to bring in a Bill to legalise the fill tine pay. —Adjourned. ~~ now .1,406 TV p►So'. tiO n li~ ~+ ~' IN r