Star. — London, England, 1808-04-08 00:00:00

t hee was a great fund of information, but he eccovici"not'perceive how it applied to the question.— Bill no w before the C ommittee he considered as atu b doom o ut Theto the whale. The country would t aerive one sixpence advantage from it, but as the ilLi n , s of t h e people should on all reasonable occa- I s ions e Erati fi ed, let it go. They wish fo r it, and l et them 6 indulged. Si r JOHN NEWPOR T expressed his surprize to fi n e the presen t measure considered by any one as of lin k importance. H e held a list in his hand of o ffi ces h i .held in Reversion in Ireland, which would completely demonstra te the fallacy of this opinion. He merely mentioned a few of them by way of specimen. In t he Custenehouse Office Department there were no f ev er than nine Offices held in Reversion, to each of which a salary year was annexed,. And of 3001. a b ete it vras material to observe, that it was not the t of the salaries which formed the most objec tionable part of the arrangement ; but the serious pa rt of the evil was, that they presented an unsur mountable obstacle to reform in that department. — The Office of Store-keeper of the port of Dublin had be „, or iginally granted for three lives, and was now :or two lives (the two Beresfords), to. which ; as au nexed a salary of 21351. which might be spared to t h e public after paying a deputy for performing all t b e d o nes of the office. And here also the loss was lot co nfined to rend salary paid, but the existence of wi se itself red it impossible to reform the gr ant system of storages, from which the public ; es a material sufferer. Accordingly he had pro peed to grant a compensation to the holder, and ex pectant of the office, provided that they would give t heir titles to it to relieve the public from a loss to up which it was at present subjected, to more than six t imes the amount of the salary. It would, he said, b e q uite endless to go through the list; and therefore b e s h ou ld merely mention a few more by way of spe cimen. The Office of Craner and Wharfinger of the Port of Dublin, all the duties of which were performed by a deputy for 3001. was held by two brothers of a Noble Marquis, with the reversion to Lord H. S. c one ay, with a salary of nearly 10001. a year. The Office of Comptroller of the Port of Cork was held br Sir John Lees, with the reversion to his two sons, e ith a salary of 8001. a year, after paying a deputy for discharging the duty. The Right Honourable B a rt. asserted, that if the House of Lords wished to bow upon what grounds the Bill was recommended b y that House, it would he sufficient to send up the list which he now held in his hand. The office of taster of wines, which had been dropped for three cen t u ries, was renewed in favour of the Right Hon. George J. Beresford with a salary of 10001. a year. If he were to go into the law department, there he could find places not merely of 8 or 9001. but of 9, 10, or 12,0031. a year. He should merely mention me circumstance connected with this department to shear to what extent abuses had been carried. About four years ago, when an Act of Parliament was passed to transfer in future such causes as it had been usual to try in the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, to the Courts of King Bench or Common Pleas, a Com mission was at the same time appointed to inquire 'mode amount of fees which had been paid to the Ulcers of the Exchequer Court, and a compensation ins granted to them upon the average amount of thee fees for three years, out of the consolidated find. And this Commission had been actually eris. • played for three weeks in considering whether a corn pmsation ought not to be made to the rat-catcher to .the Board of Ordnance ! In short, he would take upon himself to prove, that compensation had been given in many instances by a Noble Lord (Castle reagh), whom he did not now see in his place, and, who never failed to make his escape when any part of his conduct in Ireland was likely to be touched upon, merely to procure the assent of the individuals who received them to the Union between the two countries. He should now mention one instance out of many which he could adduce. About a year before the Union took place, he applied to a Noble Lord to ac ept the office of " Chairman of the Irish House of Peers, and upon that Noble Lord's pleading his ill state of health as an excuse, he prevailed upon him to comply, by assuring him that he would only have the duty to perform for one year, and that he should hare the salary for life. All promises and engage ments of this nature which the Noble Lord had en teed into, had been most scrupulously observed ; bit unfortunately every promise which he had made to the people seemed to be utterly forgotten. MT. BIDDULPH hoped, that after the public opinion had been so unequivocally expressed in favour of the Bill, the Lords who opposed it would be in duced to re-consider their determination. Mr. TIERNEY wished to know, whether the House was to understand that the Bill, which was rejected in the two former sessions, would, if sent to the Lords, have the full support of his Majesty's Ministers?—(No answer.) Lord PORCHESTER expressed his astonishment how the Right Honourable Gentleman could say that no beneet was to be derived from the Bill. The disgraceful catalogue of graf ts of places in reversion read by the Honourable aronet, sheared that nothing was more susceptible of abuse than the Kin s prero gative. It would be some alleviation to the public re!linNeif such places were given in remuneration of selen id services rendered to the country by the Commanders of our Fleets and Armies. But this, unfortunately, was not the case. Independent of the m any damning facts brought forward by the Ho teerable Baronet, there were other considerations e.eic:t should induce the House to send the BM forth in the most effective shape. 'l'heir honour, their vorastancy, were implicated in the maintenance of the principle of the Bill. As to the allusion m ade b y the R ight Hon. Gentleman to the possibility of its * Ol being received with common attention, he could aot coincide in the propriety of it. They had the means of enforcing attention, at least he was sure their ancestors had, and he tr usted some part of their Vitit would be found to survive in their posterity. He hoped, therefore, the House would discharge their data, without being intimidated by the frowns of princes, or the numbers who might adhere to them. He would for the present a g ree to the limitation pro- Posed, in the hope that at a future period the principle of the Bill would be carried to its full extent. Mr. WILBERFORCE maintained the propriety Fraaintaining concord with the Lords. He looked 'e'ro the Constitution of this Einpire as the best anewhich PROVIDENCE had ever blessed a na r•iLo Why then should it be taught to expose one branch of that Constitution to popular discontent ? It was solid; substantial reform, that the public looked for. He hoped the Honourable Gentlemen opposite would consider better b-acore they threw any obstacles in the way of the only prospect that now remained of carrying the measure into effect. Mr. TIERNEY rose to correct what he supposed to be a misconception on the part of the last speaker. The Honourable Gentleman appeared to him to as sume, through the whole of his speech, that by adopt ing a middle course, there was a chance of the Bill passing. For himself, were even this expectation likely to be realized, he should feel some reluctance to adopt the clause of limitation, because, in so doing, he conceived he abandoned the principle of the Bill. He perfectly agreed With the Honourable Member who just spoke, that no man, wishing well to the country, could be desirous of rendering the Lords unpopular. But were the representatives of the people to relinquish a measure, the necessity of which they had proclaimed in three successive ses sions, from the mere apprehension of giving offence to a certain set of persons in the other House ? This was not what is called a Cabinet measure. Though' recommended, with other branches of the finance, from the Throne, upwards of two years ago, it had never once occupied the attention of the present nisters. Who was there to foster and bring the Bill forward when it came before the Lords ? The majo rity, when it was last before them, was greater against the amendment than the principle of the Bill. Now this being so, he was at a loss to discover upon what rational grounds the Honourable Gentleman founded his expectation that the Bill would pass. Had it been intimated to him that any change had taken place in the sentiments of those who formerly opposed it ? Was that dark junto behind the Throne, of which we had formerly heard and read so much, but which in no instance ever came forward until now, reconciled to the measure, in the shape it, was now to assume Had his Majesty's Ministers reconciled the power who made them, and who they knew could unmake them, to the measure ? Was it to be expected, that under these circumstances, the country would look with any confidence to Ministers as reformers ? The moment the House consented to the limitation, they abandoned the principle of the bill. Absolute prohibition, not suspension as it was now proposed, was the principle, and it admitted of no compromise. He would pre fer such au address as the House voted before, to the bill in its present shape. It would be to the full as effectual, and it would have this superior advantage, that it would bring the Commons, or in other words, the people of England, in contact with his Majesty. No dark junto would then dare to interfere. They had effectually secured their object by the same means before, and might again ; whereas, if they adopted the limitation, they would still have the principle to fight for with the Lord;. He agreed in some measure as to the little benefit that would immediately result from the bill, even if carried to its full extent ; but the people attached importance to it, and should not be disappointed. At any rate, should the bill go to the Lords in the shape proposed, he thought it incumbent on those who supported it to come to some strong re solution on the subject ; not in offensive language, for that he deprecated, but something in which the prin ciple of the bill should be asserted. Or, why not re sort to the good old practice of desiring a conference with the Lords, and requiring from them a statement of the grounds upon which they rejected the Bill ? At all events, he thought the House were bound in honour, in consistency, not to concede with the vital and essential principle of the bill, without coming to some resolution of the nature he had suggested. Mr. BANKES proposed that the Arzlibishops and Bishops' rights should be reserved in fie proviso, as well as those of the Judges, which, after a few words from Mr. Martin, was agreed to. The House was then resumed, and the report or dered to be brought up to-morrow. Mr. WHITBREAD said, that on the bringing up the report, he should move a resolution which would bring the Bill to its original state. The SPEAKER said, it. was his duty to inform, the Hon. Gentleman, that by the rules of both Houses, I a Bill which had been rejected by one House, could I not be brought forward in the same shape in the same Session. Mr. WHITBREAD then said, it should be lite rally different, but substantially the same. The SPEAKER said, it must not be in substance the same, and therefore the Honourable Gentleman had better consider of the amendment he intended to bring forward. Mr. WHITBREAD said, that in order to have time for that, Ise hoped the Hon. Gentleman who I braught the Bill in would agree to postpone the report to Monday. • Mr. BANKES said, he would be glad to accommo date the Honourable Gentleman ; Eta as some insi nuations had been thrown out as to the motives in carrying forward the Bill, he would not wish to lose a moment, and he thought the amendment might be proposed on the third reading. Mr. WHITBREAD then said, that be would pre pare himself to move his amendment to-morrow. TIIE EVENING STAR. LONDON. FRIDAY, APRIL 8. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. Consols, for money, 654—for account, 651-omnium 4. Reduced 64—E:chequer Bills, Cs. to 7s. prem. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock 2281 I Long Ann. 18 1-16ths 3 per Cent. Red. Ann. 6434-1 India Bonds, is. dis. 3 per Cent. Cons. 65 64} 65 Ez. Bills, 45. 6s. pr. 4 per Cent. 8 English Tickets, 21 1. 16s. 5 per Cent. 97 g Cons. for acc. Letters and papers from America, received yester day, add but little to our knowledge respecting the state of affairs between the two countries. Some of the letters state the opinion of American politicians to be, that they are likely to have a rupture with France. So much indeed is this prevailing appre hension among the mercantile body, that all their letters express in the most urgent terms to their cor respondents here, the wish they feel that every exer tion should be promptly used to obtain from France and Holland any balances that remain due to them. These Merchants, therefore, consider this country as a much safer Depot for their property than either France or Holland. On the other hand, the French party. still assert that America can maintain her dignity only by taking part against what they call the naval tyranny of England ; and, as Mr. JErrrasoN is believed tsi inclined to that party, it is whispered that the possi« bility of a rupture with this country will prevent his retiring from the Presidentship at the peric.d an nounced for that measure. . _ In the mean time France bids high fcr the offen sive alliance of America. One of the Boston papers , says :—" A Gentleman just arrived from Paris, men tions dint General Anrasrltura; has lately had several interviews with the Minister for Foreign Affairs—and that the Floridas, together with an important Spanish Colony, have been offered as an inducement to our Government to declare against England. These offers, and others of a similar nature, being found in effective, we understand that menaces have been re sorted to." The Bream schooner was dispatched by Mr. ROSE from Virginia to the Bermudas, with instructions to Sir J. B. WARREN. She sailed between the 16th and 20th of February, and reached her destination on the 29th of the same month. She left the Bermudas again on the 6th of March. Sir J. *B. WAnazx had ex pressed his dissatisfaction at the conduct of the Go vernment, in continuing to interdict the entrance of British ships of war into their rivers, after the apology made on account of the Chesapeak. • Yesterday, at two o'clock, her MAJESTY held a Drawing-room at St. James's Palace, which, fur the time of year, was but thinly attended. The following were among the presentations to her MAJF.STY : Major General CAM PEEL!. ' upon hi. being appointed to the command of the sth Garrison Battalion,and being removed to the Staff. The Honourable Miss PARKIN s, by the Countess of LOUDON and MOIRA. Mr. and Mrs. HORNER. Master GEORGE' ALLEN, by the Earl of HARCOURT, upon his being appointed a Page of I loLaur to her MAJ ESTE. 'I he Hon. Miss DE BLAQUI E, by Lady DE BLAQUIERE. The Rev. Mr. Cusr, by Lord BR OWN LOW.. Admiral Sir JAMES SAUMAREZ, upon his being appointed to a command. - Captain DRAEE, by Sir THOMAS TIIIGGIE. The Duke aad Duchess of NEWCASTLE, upon their marriage. Captain Ho upon his being appointed First Captain to Ad miral Sir J*strs SAUMAREZ. Miss ST. JOHN, by Lady ST. JOBN. Ensign CHURCHILL, by Lord WALPOLE. I.ord NAPIER, upon his being appointed his Majesty's Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. _ _ --- MISS HIPPEST EY, by Lady HIPPESLEY. Mr. CRIMSTONE and Lady CNA/MOT rz GRIMSTONE, upon their marriage. Rear Admiral SAWYER, upon his promotion. Miss MFTCALFF, by her TOOtileT,lLady METCALFE. Lieutenant Colonel FRENCH, upon his promotion and appoint ment upon the Staff in America. The two MiS• HALES, by Mrs. HALF. General N. BALFOUR, upon his promotion. The Hon. Miss PETEE, by Lady PrTRL. Lady HARRIET Lec cr, by her mother the Countess of DART MO PT 11. The Rev. Dr. KING, upon his being appointed a Prebend of Westminster Abbey. Mrs. JOHN RAM, by Mrs. RAM. Lord and Lady KA Ncurr z upon their marriage. General BERTIE, upon his being appointed Colonel of the 89th Regimen 4 in the room of General WHIEELOCKE. Lady LUCIA M‘QUEEN, by Lady MONTGOMERIE. Earl CAVAN, upon his being appointed Colonel of the 77th Re giment of Foot. Miss Portia NI, by Lady POPHAM. The Bishop of Li ss KRICK, upon his promotion to that Bishop rick, by the F.arl of MOIRA. MiSSM'CLEOD, by Lady M'CLEoD. Viscountess HA WARDEN, upon coming to her title. Major General COTTON, upon his promotion. Mr. HENRIt.GOLISURN, by Viscount CUETWYND. Baron WRANGLE, by the Swedish Ambassador. The Rev. Dr. GOODALL, the Master of Eton College, upon his being appointed a Canon of Windsor, in the room of the late Dr. Duval.. The Countess of LOUDON and MoIRA came to Court with more splendour than any other person. — She came in a most elegant new chair, attended by four footmen, in their superb state liveries, which they I had new for the christening of Lord MAUCHLINE, on Monday, richly covered with silver lace and tassels; ' their hats vandyked with broad silver lace. The chair• men wore similar liveries. The Countess of JERSEY was safely delivered of a son on Monday afternoon. Lady CHARLOTTE MURRAY died at Bath, on Mon day last. Sir Join. SERRIGHT, Bart. lies dangerously ill at his house in Curzon-street, May Fair. The Duchess of GORDON is indisposed, at her house in Wimpole-street. The Duchess of MANCHESTER is very ill, at her house in Old Burlington-street. Captain RANIER, of the DIADEM, attended at the Admiralty yesterday, and reported that no intelli gence had been received of the BLENHEIM or the JAVA. Sir MANIAS ACKLAND was married, yesterday morning, at Mitcham Church, and not East Sheen, to Miss HOARE. Immediately after the ceremony, the bridal party set off for the Isle of Wight, to pass the honey-moon ; their favours enlivened the West end of the town yesterday. Mr. WINDHAM wore one in the House of Commons last night. - Yesterday in the Court of Chancery, Mr. RICHARDS and Mr. WETHERIIALL, Counsel for Lady AGHRIM, were heard, and stated affidavits of persons of the greatest respectability, in proof of the affection and tender attention her Ladyship has always shewn to his Lordship, even at the worst of his insanity, and that she continues that attention to him, and is with him at the present time. Yesterday dispatches were received at the Admi ralty, from Governor BLIGH, New South Wales; they come up to the 10th of November. It appears that the Colony does not enjoy a state of perfect repose and harmony. An opposition had formed itself against the Governor, and some of the letters which have been received speak of charges which are about to be pre ferred against him. The Paramatta and the Sydney Cove, from Lon don, had arrived at New South Wales when the last , advices came away. NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. ' • * MKILS--Wind S. W. ARR. DUE. ARR. DUE. thf . .te '0 1 I Gattenburgh Waterford 0 S L ee ward Islands 0 0 TOR3AI, APRIL 6. List night arrived his Majesty's ship Unicorn from the West In,lies, with dispatches and letters, which 'are forwarded by this evening's mail ; she remains with the Channel fleet, under command of Admiral BERTIE. Wind W. S. W. blows hard with rain. PORTSMOUTH, APRii. 7. Came into harbour the Maria of Whitby, Captain MAxv.T.t.t., from London for Prince Edward's Island, in ballast, sviAt the loss of anchors and cables, having been on shore in Stokes Bay. Wind.W. DEAL, APRIL 7. Arrived his Majesty's ships l'Espeigle from Cork, Harlequin, Via ilant, and Eagle, from Portsmouth and Plymouth, with convoys, which arc sailed for the River ; also the East Indiamcn. YARMOUTH, APRIL 7. Sailed this morning the Success and la Loir frigates with the outward bound Greenland ships under con voy ; the Charles armed ship with prisoners, for Plyi mouth ; the Pincher with convoy for Heligoland ; and Claudia cutter for the Downs. Remain in the Roads the Roebuck, Admiral DOUGLAS. Wind S.W. fresh breeze. artzvzszma, Aram 7..—Passed by the Mary, Babbage, from Virginia; Eliza, Brown, from St. Domingo; Mentor, Quest, fl-om St. Kitt's; Success, M‘Coy, front St. Michael's; Ruby, Gay, from Cork; Maria, Medbury, from Gottenburg ; Fortune, Chivers ; Wiilhelmins Catharine, —; and the Adventure, Os bourn (Danish prizes), from Portsmouth.--Sailed the Quebec, Daily, for Quebec ; Industry, Printon, for St. Michael's; Malvins, Smith, for Madeira; Britannia, Lamb, for Halifai; Maltlasu, Barker, and the Margit:en, Moore, for the Brazils: A vessel from St. Michael's is arrived in the River; she set sail on the 15th February. The Captain re ports that there had been much fighting in that quar ter, between the British and French privateers. Two French frigates had continued to cruize off that island for some time, where they had done considerable mis chief to our shipping. The Piper, LILTLEJOIIN, from Salcombe ; and the Bee, Fool.. from Southampton to London, have put into Margate ; the former with the loss of anchors and cables, and the latter with the loss of bowsprit. The Heart of Oak, Joms, from Cardigan for London ; the Croydon, WILLIAMS, from Jamaica ; the Mogadore, DOSTEN and a French ship, prize to the Cambrian, have lost anchors and cables in Mar gate Roads. The Admiral Nelson, —, from Africa for the West Indies, is taken, and carried into Guadaloupe. The Three Brothers, M'CAuLE, supposed to be lost off Newhaven, sailed from Surinam on the 28th of Ja. nnary, in company with the Alexander and Nautilus for London. The Alexander sprung a leak a few days after, and both parted before the Three Brothers left the island. The Three Brothers was off the Blasketts, in the west coast of Ireland, on the 30th ult. The William, HART, of South Shields, is lost of the Tagus ; crew saved. The Paramatta, ; and the Sidney Cove, —, from London, are arrived at New South Wales. COURT-MARTIAL. —Monday a Court-Martial was held on board the Salvador del Mundo, 112, in Ha: moaze, on five mutineers of the Edgar, of 74, Capt. MACNAMARA, viz.—Henry Chesterhelds, Captain of the main-top ; John Rowlands, Boatswain's Mate ; George Scarr, Abraham Davis, and James Johnson, seamen, on a charge of mutinous expressions on board that ship, on the 27th of March last, while she was in Cawsand Bay. When the evidence for the prose cution having been gone through, and the prisoners heard in their defence, the Court found them guilty, and passed the following sentence upon them, viz.— Chesterfield to receive 700 lashes round the fleet, and to be kept in solitary confinement two years ; Row lands 300 lashes; Scarr 500 lashes, and one' year's solitary confinement; and Davis and Johnson 200 lashes each.—They were immediately delivered into the custody of the Provost Marshal. Accounts from our fleet off Cadiz state, that the avowed purpose for which so large a military force is assembling on the western coast of Spain is that of invaiing some part of the British dominions ; the force to be employed on the occasion to consist of three divisions of 50,000 men each. But it is not said by what extraordinary means this Armada is to be conveyed to the place of its destination. An attack on Gibraltar will be one of the diversions, by which it is expected our attention will be drawn from the blockade of Cadiz. Tuesday as Mr. Sntrrea, of Laston, in Middlesex, and his son and daughter, were in a coach in Picca dilly, which could not proceed, the read being blocked up by carriages, the son, who is 9 years of age, put ting his head out of the coach-window, it was struck by a stage-coach, which was passing swiftly, and jammed with such violence, that the appearance was truly shocking. The youth, however, was not dead yesterday, and some hopes are entertained of his re covery. Yesterday morning James Hoofer, William Strad!, and Abraham Brace, were executed in the front of the county gaol, in Horsemonger-lane, in pursuance of their sentence at the last Kingston Assizes. The un fbrtunate men met their awful fate with fortitude and pious resignation. James Moody, one of their accom. plices in the robberies, in consequence of some fa. vourable circumstances in his case, has been respited. CORN MARKET, MARK-LANK, APRIL B.—There are tolerable quantities of Wheat to-day, partly from the North Country and Scotland ; sales are heavy, and scarcely fetch last prices—Rye is cheaper—Barley rather so—Malt dull in sale—Peas and Beans of both sorts vary but little—There is a middling supply of Oats, which article this week is quoted cheaper ; and Flour at last prices. GENERAL CURRENCY AS UNDER: Wheat, 475, 60s. 725. Beans (old) 51% 575. Od. Fine ditto; 745. 78s. Tick ditto (old) Ws. 535. ed. Rye, 445. 48s. Oats 35.. 98s. 88s. Barley, 40s. 465. Poland ditto, 395. 40s. ed. Malt 841. 741, Potatoe ditto 00s, 4 es. 04, White Peas(boßers) ISCs. 1665. Ripe Seed, 221. 251.0 a. Grey ditto 501. 555. Fine Flour 551.60,.—Seconds SOs. SS& 1