Star. — London, England, 1820-07-17 00:00:00

I; ~, ,~. . . „ ARLi 44111;NTARY PR#7-KAVINGS; • P.-141 V`: t• --- , -,--71, nouarbir LOW*, 'AMY ts s The Royal Assent was eiVess.l4*tOmmisslue to thei`Lottery ''' RI), and fifty-six other public glair:tate -4 dj •' " ' HOUSE OF co$008.:• • The several Bills on the table wesi; ipstardsd a,811);c! , THE QUECR: .. . Dr. LIISHLNIGTON rose and said-,-f I regret ex tremely the absence of the Noble Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Lord Castlereagh). I am, never theless, obliged, in his absence, "to bring forward to the notice of this House" a subject which I should rather have wished had fallen into other and more able hando.; it is my duty, however, in the absence of her Majesty's Solicitor-General (Mr. Denman), who gave private notice to the Noble Lord to whom I have alluded, of his intention that such a Motion would this evening be made as that which I am now compelled to submit. I again repeat my regret ;hat the Noble Lord could not find it consistent with his convenience to appear in his place this day. The subject which forms the matter of my Motion is as follows :4-In • the year 1808, the late King, anxious to consider the convenience and comfort of her pre sent Majesty, then Princess of Wales, presented her with a Servioc of flute, which he lied ordered for that purpose. This Plate her Majesty used from 'the 3 - ear 1808 up to ISI4, as her own complete, private, and personal property. In 1814, when she was about l to go abroad, she delivered it over to the care, doringl her absence, of Mr. Mash, at the Lord Chamberlains Office. On her return, .when this Plate again became necessary for her Use, she ordered it to be returned from the place where.she.left it; she of course, na turally sent to the Lord Chamberlain's Office for her Platt. But whit .3c.as the answer her Majesty re-' ccived ? It was this—that the,. Plate could not be returned to ber s .as it.was considereS the property of the Crown, which. the Lord Chamberlain said, would be made appear; from official documents! Iler Ma jesty naturally felt herself aggrieved, as well es asto nished, by this ,unexpected reply. She felt indignant at this treat ment—(Near, hear !)—Little did she think, in a case involving her personal comfort—involving the punctilio of etiquette in the display of her esta blishment—little did she think, in a case too in some degree involving her dignity, that she would be de nied the use of those articles of which she had com plete possession before, and which were not only in oisreasable to the maintenance of her dignity, but alsO roate.-ial to her personal convenience and corn frt, add rank in life—(Hear, hear!)—This, however, ss as the treatment experienced by her Majesty, in additionlo the numberless iadignities already heaped upon her. This last petty, mean, despicab7e, and certernptible insult was deemed proper to be added to the rest!—(Hear, het? r)—l trust, Sir, that Ministers will . act as becomes them on this occasion; I trust they w:11 ..-...::-. shrink from the responsibility which must attach to them in this transaction, and that they will not bear its culpability'. I think I may say, that with the exteptior, of his Majesty's Ministers, should they not redress the grievance, there is not an individual in the. realm who will not view this last i:.sult to the• Queen as the basest of all the mean and petty attempts that have beefs so un!paringly made. to Lii.tress and annoy hee Majesty. It is said, that t' - -is is the property of the Crown, and that she has no sigh'. to remand its restitution. In the first place, I reply to this;*that the Quetrr,' when Princess of Wales, received, held, and used this property, just in the satire manner its. the other branches of the Royal Fa tally hold theirs, wh:ch they esteem as completely in their Own posiessionl she enjoyed it as they do that which they received in the way of similar presents frons the late Xing, and, as branches of the Royal Family were iii the inviniable habit of receiving-from Iris predecessors. I can hardly believe that the whole of this transaction can be iti4spwa to his Majesty's con- Eiential advi ers. If it be known to them, how am li to reconcile .that fact with the promise they pro. toned, of - treating her with all poSsihle re s pect and liberality—with all th.At decorum which was due to OC 5440 rink she laills hi the country?. If they are cognoscert of this transaction, all I tan say then kis+thitt their eractice furnishes , a bad commentary dltk`i rlteir professions—Vicar, hear ).- Th e' (been, ung deprived of her accustomed residence in a Repel Palate, and .of the-estelior tributes usually ' aid to bet Station, might bath at least been suffered ' * en-eltlio cbe tneinsof 'displaying, in her private resi- ... • . 5 1 , that appearance Of splendour such as her plate Would convey. This wits due taler, more, indeed, for the honour of the Crowns than for her own pri tate.gratification. 1 do mitt that this list, petty, pitifiJ act: of meanness will be redressed—(Heor, Acar!)--and Ice; **say hope, that the explanation of the lithe .fioneurabls (ap'entlernan opposite, in the ab • settee ofhis:Noble Colleagne, aelkuhviate the neees iffy' '4103y: pritsii‘g a Kat* oli . the;suliect, whiO, t pepper explanatiou he withheld; 1 ern bound tp put. -1 shall read my Motion, still hOping that the Right Honourable' Gentleman opposite will obviate the neeiosiq of ni'- pressing it for the adoption the titaise.."4,The 4oreeerable and .earne d Genaeinan . concluded , b . y propaung. , _ _ _ _ ' !flat saslailnible . :;hddriss het presented to the Xing, pray.. leg :Fat he will be ivaciously pleased to order that there he.taid llistuat the natio cap&A . of 411 uifidal Papers relative to a Sey_ vi:e of Plate, pr:ventettfitt the year 1808 by his late Majesty to - th.: Queen, that Ptiscess'of Wales 4ad used by her from that petgod up to her deli/aril : M.l'lam E ngland, in the year 1814." The SPEAlli;cit : —. 44 lVho seconds the motion?" -Mr.floadousi';iiiiflir.CALEYEY rose at the same I rl,-,rnent and seconded it.. TheCHANCELLOU of the EXCHEQUER- 4 ' If the Honourable and Learned Gentleman had given me notice of his motion, • as he did my Noble Friend, I. should, no doubt, hive been prepared to give him some explanation. I only know of *thisitransaction, that it is unquestionably.truea Service of Plate was ordered fOr the use of her Majesty. by the late King, and put into an apartment of Kensington Palace, v..hich, as r think,. could not be cOnsidered by the Lord Chamberlaiu aS risme prdperty, but as the public property of the Crown.. I think . 1 have some reuso.-..v compl.in that the IltinOurable Gentleman l:a tai the lion's& sprprt'si with his motion. I bed lcave to foggcst to bins to let his motion, for the pte , ,ent, stand as it notice, and mention it 4aiti on Monday. LUSIIINfITON--:-." 4, b9Pe. r•be }l3lse will , thin. . liot think that I 1)47e taken it of surprise. y Ind Leaf ncti Friend, her Mijeity'sSolicitor-General, imam! to -time -tonoy .expedient in his power within mate eik t i fi tl f .irtP. 4, 1 't••: Ir;;,.);k los tc 2 rlo j• y illo also 4ipets to blur, Secrotintyx for-Feed& Airs of bikinteetion. huinpated lige` - ,thist such sulliect 'would be, introd4ed this , repiltg. , As Mondai seems co the 'night Honourable Gentiensin a more convenient day for obtaining the necessary explanation, I readily accede to his sug gestion, and wish my motion to stand as a notice for Monday nest," • - The motion was then withdrawn, and Dr. Lusm- INGror put it into the shape of a notice for Monday. BOROUGH I NFLUICTICE. Mr. BRIGHT presented a Petition from an in cli vidual who signed himself--,.. James Mills, a Britisk Freeholder." The Petition was brought up and read, It commenced by complaining of the bordps posed on the" People, and of the enormous expendi ture of the late Reign, amounting t0.E2,300,000,000 * being thEee times the amount of all the expenses in curred during the reigns of thirty-one preceding Monarchs, occupying the long period of seven hun dred years! The Petitionersor.fended, that the evils *der which the country laboured, arose from the present mode of returning Members to the House of Commons, by which the People were excluded fron s k the right.of Election, and a ,great majority of the House were returned by the influence of a number of Peers, whose in trference at Elections was a bqach of the Privileges and of the s Stansting grcleys of . the House, The Petition the n proceeded to name the Peers possessing Borough influence and Patronage, and to enumerate-by name the Members rettirn s cd to Parliament by that influence, to the amount of jnoye than two hundred, amongst whom were Lord Castle, reagh, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Brougham, - Sir James Mackintosh, and most of the eminent Members of the House. The acts of a House thus constructed , he protested against, as not legally binding.. Thy Petitioner concluded by offering to prove at the ger that this influence existed, and calling on the House to expel such Members, and to impeach the Peers . who had thus interfered with their privileges. Mr. HOBHOUSE rose to second the motion that . the Petition should be brought- ap. At the present moment, the statements contained in it should, he thought, be especially noticed, when there was lying on their table a list of those Members who were sup posed. to be returned by corrupt influence fo that House. This was the more necessary, because the House of Lords were now about . to give judgment . on one of the most important measures that was ever submitted to the Legislature—he meant the Biii of Pains and Penalties—{Hear, hear). --The Haase ought to take care, if that Bill were brought down to them from the Lords, that it was not again sub mitted, in effect, though not in reality, to the same individuals, in the persons of those whom they had caused to be returned, by whant it had already been decided in the other House. If, as was stated in a Petition which he had recently piesented, 198 Mem bers were, in one way, or other, returned by the in fluence of the House of Lords, what would the coun try think, should the Bill of Pains and Penalties pais their Lordships' House, when it was submitted to those whose Elections were secured by such influence? People would be of opinion that the measure merely went through the same hands a second time. The Petition having been read. and the motion made that it do lie on the table," Mr. ROBINSON said, he ante: twined great doubts as to the propriety of receiving inch a Petition. No person was less willing than himself to interfere with the right of petitioning, but there were itatententS. in the paper then before them, the irmh of which he could not admit, and which were evidently insulting' to the House. It was asserted.in this Petition that-a very large proportion of the House of Commons•were not legally elected—and the mines of .the persoes supposed to be illegally returned were mentioned.— ; Now, many of those individuals had been declared duly elected by Committees of that House—(flear, .hear).—The Petition Went on to state, that the legis lative acts of a House thus elected, were not binding' on the people. This was evidently a denial of the rights and , privileges of the House—and whatever speculative opinions Gentlemen Might have as to the mode in which Members should he elected, he did ' not think they would sanction such anattack.• Mr. W. IItINDAS (Member for Edinburgh) felt it necessary to declare, its his name was. mentioned amongst those persons who were said to be unduly elected, that he was returned - to sit in that Hotrsi in the most fair and uncorrept manner: . Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW, whose -name e•as also mentioned, said, he owed it to the Borough for which he• Was elected to declare that the town of Guildford was not a proprietary Botough, in which the election, ' was carried by the influence of any Peer or Peers.— An assertion to the contrary wasfalse and unfounded. He and his cUlleague (Mr. Wall) were reouestedl to come forward hy a large body of thiviespactablei Electors. He repeated, thanbe Beatougle of %Bd. ford svas not overned by the iefluence4 Peen. Mr. BRIGMT said, he was totally ignorant and uninformed of: the facts contained in the Petition...—. I Ile knew nothing of 'either of the Boroughs alluded to by the Honourable Memberi4posite, and, in pre senting the Petition, he thought, the only thing he was bound to :thew was, that tt wis of such a nature as to be received _by the House. The Petitioner ikon- . Plained of an.illegal practice, that of Peers retuning Members to sit in the House of Commons. It was not necessary for him to state. this as a positive and ascertained _fact. It was enough for hurt to assert that there was a prima facie vase of that nature, which he was prepared to prove, and therefore the Petition ought tolie on the table. An objection was• taken, that the petition contained a list of Menthe% illegally returned, when the contrary bad, in several' instances, been decided by Election Committees.— . The Petitioner did not complain of this ai being con trary to the common lawr, but sti being opposed to the law of Parliament. • The common latv did not say that Peers should not return Heir - then to that House, but their Standing`Arders provided that Peers should not interfere inTirdions ! 'Considering the law of Parliament as parealithe law of the laud, he must contend, that any individnal returned to that HoUse by the influence of a Peer, sat there ~ille ally. He knew not whether there were aatteisons AO, did so 6t in Parliament, buthe woulA . tt .. t . pPosing such to be the case that the phrase . 4- illegally elected"., was properly applied in the Petition to individuals' introduced by the influence of Peers. It was said, that the Petition designated the proceedings of Par , liament as illegal and unjust, and asserted that they Ought not, therefore, to be binding on the people.— -• I icc ni}lcf2 Wits)* . m e re ly ottegc4 rettuotter - :201!!!:ure fdt .= a t sz • !- •" tfilr_ he .41*pst AVM* any intasare t* ibto .O tatirrettaX with the proppty' k people, which might be-aredd to m HOtelfreen ialtnted a he had doceibe..VHF denied.diat Mem 'hers so reunited had a right to impose burdens Os the State, but he did not call on the people to rent . 'them. He complained to the House, and protest .egainst the proceediegs which it adopted_.; but he did not say that he would himself resist ;how, at colic* any other persons to offer resistance. Nothing thetko sit appeared, was necessary tpwards allOWing the Pe tition to lie oe the table, bitt that the list of Mem hirs should not be comprised in it,—(litete, hear). — On what grounds should it tot? 4 was Ciply a list of indivisfuad facts (if he might tile the expressioo. in different parts Of the country, which the Petitioner .asked the House to exatlaipe. It was, in fact,* mere index, Arranging and pointing out there:Jogs places where the illegal acts complained of were said to be curried on. He did not know how far it might be an imputation on individuals, but imputation he con ceived had nothing to do with the question. This contained a &rr;ve complaint, that practices contrary to the law of Parliament were carried on in various{ parts of the country ; and the HOuse ought not to reject it because it foetal:led charges against a pens her of individuals. Mr. LUSHINGTON put it to the Speaker, as a point of order, whether, under the existing regu lations of the l-ouse, the2petition , could be received? The'Petition stated that a number of Members were .not legally returned. Was it not, tlren, an Liection Petition ? And, if se, must it not be rejected, as the standing order provided that all objections. to improper retorns must lie made within fourteen days After the election had taken place? This was not a complaint relative ter one individual—nearly '2OO were included in the list. He conceived, without going further, that the Petition could not he received. Mr. HOBHOUSE said, he had very recently pre sented a Petition of a similar description, which was laid on the table. It did not indeed contain the' names of the individuals who Were unduli'electect, but it recited the names of the Peers who, exerted' their influence to send Members to that House, and the places where that influence was made use of. — Therefore it was, in some degree, opposed to the order to which the Hon. Secretary for the Treasury had referred, but that circmstance did. not operate against its being.received. With respect to the list contained in this Petition, he, like his Hon. Friend, knew nothing . about it. ' .But what had been said ought not, he conce:ved, to prevent it from being laid on the table. Statements contained in. other Pe titiohs, on different subjects, s were occasionally untrue, , but that did not cause their rejectior.. The imam+ ference of Peers ought to be guarded against ; this, he believed, was provided for by the Statute of Westminster. If_ it were not to be discouraged, what 'was the meaning of the declaration - in the Bill of Rights, " that elections should be freer Wee it that they should nut be flee? that elections were 111 be influenced by Peers, whose power, arising front their great propty, was notorious How would it appear to the conntry, at the present juncture, if this Petition were refused? Even the present Par liament might wish to stand well with the country, and:rejecting such a Petition was not the best mode of efFecting that .object. The Petitioner did not re commend resistance. He merely said, the necessary ,inference was, that their *acts could not be considered fair and constitutional laws, as the embers yassed them were not.duly elected. If he had stated on intention to resist, he might be punished. for it. The House ought, even in its magnanimity, tosbasej the Petition to lie on the table. •If there -were any insult in it, that was miothec thing; but, for his own part, be could net perceive any. .• • . Mr. LOCKHART doubted very much whether this *as not'an Election Petition. it stated, that a number of Members were undhly elected, and it called on the - rlbuse-to espel them. Now, be knew of no way by which they valid be 'expelled except through the' medium of ettiltetion Consreittee.. L (Hear, hear).—He-recollected a preemie* in which some friends of his had great visieksto He alluded to a Petition presented by certaiiElec of the City of Oxford, in which they complain!!!' the interference of the Duke of Marlboroue4l,3ii 'the election for that place. This was held to beiElec tion Petition. The parties, however, esstiiiiing en tered into rccognizances, the puttee dropped. A second Petition, of the like nature, 4 . as presented—, hut, as fourteen days had elapsed: since the election s it could trot be received. He inhered from this, then when a Peer interfered in an election, .such interfer- .ence would reader that elpuion void, because other ,wise it would not be cognizable by an Election Com- Mittee. If this were the case,• the objection must form 'thn ground- of an Tl,Thin Petition, and must be go- Aterned by the eulni 7 which applied generally to that sort of Petidow. ! rsahe Petition was then rejected. woosaai. narosxr.Aux. Mr. LOCI [ANT moved for "certain Papers . relative to a Grant of one, to be proposed on Monday, to a Foreigner, I General De Fourneaus.--After some conversation between Mr. Ltrunsortut and Mr. Erato, the motion was agreed to. mint DISTILIAMIL, Tity CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought up his three liUls for regulating the Distilleries of Ireland, anirthey -were - read a first time. The Right Hon. Gentleman also brought in a Bill Tor ieguhulng Bask Notes ?romissory Notes Ireland, width -Was read a first dm! 'lire ROYAL Socterr.--.Friday last having been fixed for the assembling the Cumuli of the Royal Society, the Members of it .met at the Observatory, in Oreenwicft Park. under the Presi dency (ad interim) of Dr. Wou.asiosi,*baiTiatiens inteters re lating to the Society were adjusted and disfoaq of. Ifte annual visitation was then made to the diff e r e nt bras : lAm of thls Taste= , hlislunent. and the lista called over, after which, the Pnwident and Council, and several . Fellows of the Society and their friends, sat down to dinner a Mou.aan's,.the Cro wn and U.- pae.---; Amongst the .company were—Sir H. Davy, Sir G. Cutair., the Admiralty, the Marquis. de Punt,. Sir.gomx &tutet.e, W, Salm, Esq. M.P. Archdeacon Woitamott, 764tamt‘ Mr. Poste, Mr. fauna, 31r, Avatar, ]aF, Banat, &e. It is understood thus Sir Hoserneue Mom "Phobos noctri , puled so largely to the interests Of 'candy to beim nve Prd sident of the Royal Society.. • 'Envraeauseste Sex We are . eredibly .hiftemial that this tebbrated personage has taken up his realdepos in this tit tOultlin). He has been here ab o ut three 'Wake, and is api&Oeti with' ikaitienees. Whetherhe aseaswirßiabyai i r isib T Inaltlpt Dsiblidliis place of residence . and tlfe Aces., primps, of fintre - opititligurin the way of Ms calling; or whet lie so jouzias tempocitrill,'Vrtinst he hottatecubentilie asks at loft convenient spot strbeitoe to fix himself pe and the otium cunt digtu)gli, *Mat It to be the ists labours, we canndt taitin it upon us to We tboucht it our duty, however, to' announce t h e fact Ids Wog htre.'"— Carrick's Morning Putt. • • J" ,;-~. , ~~- ' • • •4. • - "t". • 11.1 fr - - LONDON. MQSDAY, JULY 17, .1820- INIPOINfitY s Ooze:1i a Proclamation appeared, podtpoping the solemnity of the Coronation nhtil his Mmesrvis " royal will and pleasure shall be f=r tber signiaed thereon," If any feeling of mortifica tion accompanies this becoming deference to pub!ic opinion, under the present circumstances of his 117a1 Consort, hip MAJIiSTY owes it entirely to the :!iclnus and precipitate counsels of his Advisers, I report speafts truth, they have not r - ; "n the merit of having suggested this retrograde rnr-:z. molt, which is said to have been the result of representation . to his IVAJEsry by the Duke of Yc . ,! . ,•:. If we are rightly hiformed, his Royal Highness been also the adviser of the delay of the seemed re'.:,'.- ;ng of the gill of Pnlns and Penalties until the :7 , ,;.1 of next month, in the hope ►hat some arrangemeat may be formed, in the inter vat, which may supersale the necessity of goitt on with the inquiry. - In the meantime, every day brings to light some new proof of ;be hush elisposition'of her MAJEsviA aAversarios, - In the lllause:4 CominOns,(in 4:ly, Dr. Lasmaciava statd,_thatia 1808 his laic NlaJebrx • presctied her , thealtuyil niglingSs Princess of WALtS with a Service' of nag, wh:ca was made use of 'in her Royal .14igliness's rst g blish ment, from that time uu:to heri'dapaxture from this country, in 1814, when it.. Was placed. in *hp custody of IA.I-it, of the Lord Chamberlain's Orfive,..is ;her propsity. Oat her return s lately, bet . :l.4.m.iTy 'made application for it; but was given to undr4tand 4 by the LORD CI AWasa.AiN, that it was pot .n his power to let her have it, as it was the property; of the Crown, and be was bound for its custodY, as such, under the instractipn pf 01E04 documents!— For chit pretext the Learns! Poctor cOntended that there was not the slightest' foundation ; but if there was, the attempt to deprive he of the us 4 of the plate would still, he maintained, he 1 . 4 a petty, mean; despicable, and conteMpto)lo - insuk t v- The Doctor concluded with moving foe - A copy of the correspondence on this subject ; subsevently, postponed his motion until this day, at the regiest of Mr. YANSFITABT A who seemed to think that the plate belongs to the Crown, because it was put into an apartment at Kensingtou'rayeel It is 4 pity that 'MT. VANSITTAIRT, who, we presume, knew something about this service of plate, did not, 'in 18.02, - fpriwarn her MIiARSTIE against the consequence of putting :ny present fronwthe Kum into Kewsbigtonpeklace. Had he done o, her lifiltsrx would not, on her return to Zngland, have found bet; an:perry thus inclosed the dragnet of the 140140 clLA*itagstarN.. . Her MALJASTY held 4 consultation oh Saturday with her - Law 'Advisers at her house in Portman street,on the subject of the.prdceedings in the House of Lordi on the preceding evening, lkikWersiar.d that it turned chiefly on the propriety of- adoptirg the course ivlrkh Mr. DENIM?: hintate the House of Commons might probably be the advisable one to pursue in the event of her Miss?: being fused a list of the witnessesAloe:444o egoinst her, namely--" to idaiiititt.'ffti l liffence eitiglitite; and tilos* it .4t• JAI iinirrenainalf.pitheriattopiesonece , . _l4orsafficcen :" 77 411*.5i5. :No lutoetstapd, .n) - - - 1 ibel l 4 ollo aissrlile* ii ale "PIM* l ia r of the p4lrrein ,05p.:461 -4 th' AlittoplettOcift any opposition ti ll it can be aminArielr.lrovelhing like what the gtiisi artd./00 . rtiri:A l ivtajr.piay. The House of Lseackitielt suggestion is followed, will be allowed: j* , :trwellth the . Bill: tither pleas( i her Msalsr4 after entering a stronrprotest against their mode irf proceeding,. wilt w*hdraw altogether from the bar; evidence maybe gone into et it will be gone into in absence of the pay I . lecustid i and judgment . ; by passing the Bill, may be pronounced against her, but it Will ben judgment pronounced on evidence wholly er-paraa sue worthy of no more re spect as a verdict of guilty,' than the Report of tl e Secret Committee on the contents of the Green Bag, which was made on evidence precisely of the same description. The Bill will then go down to the House ,I3f Commons with all the imperfections resulting from this course of proceeding on its bead. The Commons, kis imagined, will, in limine, re• fuse to entertain a Bill so passed"; and Ministers ail be obliged tp begin again with the whole business, de novo ; and, admonished by the check thus received, it is supposed they will refrain, in their second career, from giving her MAJEara any cause to repeat her complaint of the want of a fair trial.. ..By that time, indeed, her MAJEsti will have tot over the chief - difgcultr. which now stands itlie - ikvay ; it wilt be then known, by the ex;parte, yet-public proceeding' on the 'rejected Bill, what the particutar charges me against which she- is to deferid herself,. and who the *itnesses are, whoie, testimony she most be prepared to invalidate. 'How strange ,mast it appear in the eyes * of posterity, that this is all which her MAJEW' now demands but cannot obtain—how strange that -she 4lionla hive ever been obliged to resort to any course of procsding in the least degree compulsitory to obtain it i . . - Should the eiatrie we have now hinted at 'not he followed, and the QUIEN resolve to appear bcf, re the Loids, even under all the disadvantages to Which T hi re