Star. — London, England, 1803-03-31 00:00:00

in contemplation, mould not defer its introdudion till fo late a period of the Seffion as the Bth of Ju ly, but bring it forward in time for the !aril and molt deliberate difeuilion. _ _ The Bi(hop of Sr. Asarn was ftrongly averfe to the principle of Bills of Sufpenfion, in a cafe of In much importance as the prefent ; a cafe which.l as connefted with the morals and the religion of the country, molt materially.concerned the good of the (tate, and mutt be of the highe(l importance to the Legiflature ; for his own part, he could not fie how a mere alteration of the date of dmation could rib( the lots of this Bill in another Houfe ; and his reafon fur wifhing to contra& the period propofed by the Bill as it now flood, was in order to fpur the attention of thole who intended to bring forward any other meafure, in order that it might come forward before fo late a period of the I Seffions,as would leave it impoffible for thetrLord (hips to give it that due conlideration which a Med., I fare of loch ferious importance required. He un- 1 derftood, indeed he knew, that loch a Bill had been long in the contemplation of an Hon. and Learned Member of another Houfe,and that many confultations on that fubjcd had been had with the members of the Bench of Bilhops, without coming to any determination ; for there was bill great dif ference of opinion upon the fubjed in detail, how- I ever defirable all were to accede to the principle of the Bill : bill no Bill he underftood was prepared. , Perhaps the more tardy deliberations were, the more wife the refults to be expefted. He was, himfelf, aware of the difficulty of framing an un ohjationable Bill upon fuch a lubjeft but fo de cidedly averfe was he to the principle of Sulpen fion, that he would rather rifle the lots of the Bill altogether than content to that which would hold out no other meafure of relief to the parties inte welted than a mere poftponement from year to year, without any meafure to amend the law fup. poled to be fo oppreffive—a law, however, which, much as had been faid againtt its oppreffive and cruel operation, had, upon the whole, done much 1 , more good than harm. The mere (hortening of the period propofed was not the only amendment he had to propofe to the Committee. The Bill before the Houle was by no means confined in its, operation to a fulpenfion of the Al of Harry the VIIIth, which was the only Aft inflicting civil , painstand penalties upon the non-retident Clergy, independent of ecclefiaftical authority, and againft which fo much had been laid of its cruelty in ex poling the Clergy to qui tarn affirms. It fufpended all the Ads of the 13th Elizabeth, which enaded " that any leafe held by a non-refident Clergyman' would be void, on the proof that he had been ab fent for 4o days in any year from refidence and duty in his parilh " There was a further penal claufe under which he forfeited 1 year's profitof his living to the poor of the para. In this Al he was not caviled tothc interetted avariceot the informer; for the latter penalty could only be Cued for in the Eecicliaftical Court by permiffion of the Diocefan Bithop, for which the Churchwardens mutt peti tion ; and it is not likely the Bifhop will counte nance fuch a fuit upon frivolous or malicious grounds. He therefore could not conceive under what pretence that A& was fufpended, except that the Houle felt itfclf in a fufpending humour.— There was no doubt that the old law would admit of many falutary amendments; and the principal fault which he found with it, on the ground of penalties, was, that they fell with inditcriminate feverity aad equal weight upon the poor Clergy and the rich ; upon the lets as well as the more culpable ; and upon this ground was founded one of the amendments he thnuld with to move : it was cx:rernely vete he w:wld allow, to mulct a Clergy man for a flight departure from his (ay, in penal ties beyond %%hat the income of his livings would pay. The r.::re iron refidence in a 111111011 S and leant-11y habitable pa: foliage houfe, would certain ly be a fevere ground of penalty upon a Clergy • man, in all other tell:efts performing the duties of his para. There were, however, Is: knew, on the other hand, many flagrant breaches of duty, m!cl or is rna.!y pari:he:, where not only the Rehor, but di.: Curaz::, abandon their parishes for months t:--g tl:er, to follow the fports of the chace, or any mite' Ingge.tion of their own falicy, for their {:eart:re or ammement. 'tV mid it be faid then, that !itch conduct, flagrantly injurious to public morals, fhould pals uncorrected, or fcreen itself under a Intim:flan of rile laws ? Having thus Rated a few of the grounds upon which he thought it nece ffary to introduce amendments in the Bill, when it thvald conic into the Committee, he would not hetitate to &clan., that it %sett: better at once to repeal the old I tw altogether, than proceed up on a principle of futperilion, without any fuLlian tial remedy. PARLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3o• Counfa were f.cally beard relative to the Scotch Appeal, Craw-Etta v. Coutts, namely, the Lord Advocate of Scotland at contiderable length, in reply; aft. r which the further col:d -d.:ration of the cafe adiCUTCti till Monday. Lord Re Dt SP Atr (the Lord Chancel:or of lrcland),thc Earl of Desna T, one of the frith Reprcfentative Peas, and the 1...trf4 of BRP. a PA 1.13 A and DA LHOUSIZ, two of the Scotch Perri, were tworn, and took thiir feats. The va 1.111 hills before the Honie were forwarded in their stripe Rive Ilci;es. FINANCE. Lord Kam rcfe to pofipone the Order of the Day, fur taking intu conlideration the Public Ac coutitb, Lord AUCKLAND rofe to !late that as the Noble Lord's wil was to poftpcne the confideration cf thefe accounts to a future day, he was defirous to obviate the charge of miftatement in thofe ac counts, by appriling the 1-inale of an inadvertent error in the papers laid before them, from which it would appear that there had been an over flaw went of two millions a year in the balance of Fo reign Cornmetce in favour of this Country. Lord Mole* expreiicd his defire that the whole of the merits of thofe accounts fhould he fully in velligated, upon the broad fcale of all their n:erits, when they were fully beforetne Houle, until which time he fhould referee what he had to fay on the 1 , fuhjeft. Lord KING'S Motion was agreed to. The Order of the Day being read for the feeond reading of the CLFRICAL RESIDENCE SUSPENSION SILL Lord A ticimAtio role, and in Alinfirm to what had taiien from a Right Reverend Prelate (the Bithop of St. AfApt)) yefterday, refpefting his in• ten:ion to move for Come Alteration in the Dili, hoped The Right Reverend Prelate would confider that fuck an Alteration might TA the City of the Bill on its return to another Houfe. Their Lord fhips were aware that the fole objelt of the pref , .nt bill was to continue the Sufpenfiun of the Profecu tions against the Clergy for Non.refidence until the Bth of July, which, as the Law now flood, clpire on the Si.h of April ; with a view to allow further time for bringing forward a more tubilantial meafure upon the fubjcet, which was Aid to be in preparation. As 'lnc only motion which he tinclerilood the Right Reverend Prelate rneant to offer in the Committee, Iva-, one f or fhottcn:ng the duiat:rnt prupofed b) ;Le pref.:n: Pali, he C`.bmi•trl, with great delcrence, it was berth while , for the aitailirnei.t tha: oh jet, the !ells of the Pill ? He ... la t.n. - !:e did not very m'tch t!.c princi ple t•l' is. 1 : ,••:?!:, from Scflious to the licnd in this cite, it.:td ni -Firtfthol mealarc the , • 7. •FI.• • %,* rth 5..1 . .4.1.!i• , !. that had e!1 ..--;.!1 • 5 :'• ;tin; t!.: .Jt 11 . '1.1 .1 diJ not amear it( In readrnelo. l le Lt utter., !..td the ateafure tome forward daring the remainder of the Seffion however, if the Learned Prelate would confider fora moment the attrition of a man having high and arduous conflitutional duties to difcharge, lying down and riling with an aching head frrxn the fatigues of a tenfe application to various ob• jeets of his duty, he would be able to account for the delay in bringing forward a meafure of fo much importance, upon which the opinions of many perfons of the highell confideration had been aflced ; and which pert tits of much greater leifine and learning on the lubjeft, had not thought fit to undertake. He was equally aveife with the Noble Prelate to the principle of furpenfion ; but certainly Come meafure was necelfary to modify that indifcriminate severity which, under the law as it now flood, fell equally upon the meritorious ! and the undeferving. A circumftance occurred while he had the honour of filling the office of Chief Jultice, in proof of this alfertion ; a caufe came before him, in which the Rector of Bow Church in the city, was Cued for non•refidence in the Parfonage houfe : it appeared that this Rev. Gentleman had for a furies of years difcharged the Parochial duties of his parifh in fo exemplary a manner as to reflex the higheft honour upon his own character, but the Parfonage houfe be being too (mall for the accommodation of his fa mily, he removed to another, at no greater dif tance than Ely Plac'e, Holborn. For this circum fiance only, he was Cued upon the penalties ; and though it appeared that in no inflance whatever had he been one moment abfent from his clerical duty, yet the Noble Lord faid he was obliged to direC the Jury to find a verdiet againfi him. The very fame morning, a caufe of the fame fpecies came before him, againft another Reetor in the city, whole name he would not mention ; but who,-it appeared, had two Churches, and two Parfonage houfes in the City, but who, during the period of nine years, namely, from the day of induction, had never once officiated in the duties of his parifh, ' nor did any perfon from either of his Parfonage houfes ever once retort to public worfhip in either of his churches, yet the law operated with equal feverity in both theft cafes. He was aware that the Rev. Bench in that Houfe had many arduous duties to perform in their perfonal attendance in their diocelea, but he trolled tkat in the delibera tion upon a nieafure of Co much importance, that Houle would have the benefit of their Nita poi fible attendance. There was one point in parti cular, of which he %tithed efpecially to apprife their Lordlhips, as a neceffirry refult of any mea lure, tending to enforce an indilpenfable refidenee, many inftances of which had already fallen within his own experience. From what had already taken place, many Clergymen not ufually refident at their (mall livings, and apprehenfive that meafures were in agitation to enforce permanent retidence, had difcharged their Curates, and dose the duty thenafelves. The confequence was, that many of thofe unfortunate Gentlemen were thas deprived of the means of exiltence; many of them came to him to folicit provifion in the churches fuppofed to be within his gift ; and one in particular, who, after having done the duty of his 'mill 35 years, with the moR exemplary and unimpeached con. duet, was turned out of his livelihood; and him fell, his wife, and five children, deprived of a roof to fhelter their heads, or food to eat. This circum 'lance, and many tinnier, which he was Cure el illed, though not of equal feverity, would imprefs upon the benevolence of the Houle, the neceffity of making Come provifion for unfortunate Gentle men, who would thus become the vietims of a mcafure for enforcing the aria difcipline of the parochial Clergy, which, on all other accounts, no man more %%jilted than he did. The Bilhop of ST. ASAP H rote to explain thofc expreflions which the Noble Lord teemed to ima gine were intended to apply with harfhnelti towards an Hon. and Learned Member in another place, who had undertaken to bring forward the Bill al• luded to, and for whole talents, integrity, and laudable zeal on this tubjed, no man thought more highly than he did. Lord CARLISLE regretted any feverity which, in contegnence of any meafure to be adopted upon this tubjtet, might attach upon the Curates ; and he was lorry that a Noble Friend of his (Lord Grenville) who, when this bill was formerly be fore the Hoof., had not been able to bring to ma turity a projca, which he then mentioned as in contemplation for their relief. He fully coincided in the objeCtions againft the principle of fotpenfion, • inflead of meafores of prompt remedy: an inftance • of this fort had occurred in the prefent Seffions, in which a bill came up from the Lower Houle, con taining a clauk for fufpending no lets than 12 ads I of PArliametit of different &Rion'. The Bill was now read a fccond time. Lord AUCELAKO was anxious that tome fub• Itantial meafure Ihould he adopted, without delay, or. the fubjeCt : and if no Bill was to be expeCted from the learned quarter alluded to, he taw no rcafon why that Honk might not originate an ef lattui meafure under the aufpices of the Rev. Bench, without being at the mercy of another Honk of Pal liAment to originate a Bill, in which their Lordthips could make no alterationlor amend ment, however neceffary, without rifking the lots of that Bill. For inflance, a Bill might be intro duced, enacting no fines; but rendering the Rater rcfponfible, on complaint to the Bithop, who might reprelent the cafe to his Archbilhop, who a,,crain might lay it before his Majefty; who, &old it appear necefrary, might refer the cafe to Parlia ment, in order to the adoption of any additional remedy neceffary to be enaCted. The queftion was now put, that the Bill be committed to-morrow, which was agreed to. The 1.;)Itr) CH /O:CE LI.OR coincided with the Learned Vitiate in condemning the idea of fut . - penhou, but, at the fame time, obi . ..reed, that the d;1R• uli y of trarning a Bill upon a ground where. on there was In much difterence ofopittion between the Learned Prelate and his Rev. Brethren, ac counted in tome degree, for the delay which bad occurred; and the necctlity in which the Houle wat. placed, of acceding to mcafures of (Winn:ion, until it was prepared to offer one of folid And per manent digellment. The Right Rcv. Prelate had been pleated to allude to an Hon. and Learned Perfim in another place, who had undertaken to bring forward a 8.11 un this filbjecl, and to lay in his own throng and peculiar manner, perhaps a tardy deliberation might be likely to produce a wtler refult. But in vindication of the Hon. and LTal ned Perfrm alluded to, and of the tardinefs to him attributed, he mull obferve, that the fele cattle of the delay :note nut of the ditliculty of forming A Bill upon a fu!,jett of In much imptirtance, upon se:iielt the Learned Prelate and his Rev. Breth re n 'hemtch•cs hare not been able to lot m a Ritl ; to c.hich rhea Infure and learning Co ight rendered then, at leas a, competent as men of Ins ; and that the melon why a Lill had 1191 Ir.n offered to P.:rliarrent earlier in the v t..rh tv..)ule' I are vechtdeil the ne• ceffity 4.1 ill? • day, u Is the rcecre in- HOUSE OF COMMONS. d4p4.lition 44 that 11. at. Perfon, roc. „„ eatisastsi ly 'iy his any icy. iiad folic.tude on t.. : 6 . l. .. th .irZ i re ad i t.. rom Ea t i tte Leeds Rated their Larditipe 'Bent this very fnliiel4 ; which inetifp-tition left it not in I Ni t . premed, pusfuant warder. c e r ta i n his cwsi. ^.-T to t is-. 6 a Dal would pacial Ascutiats, watt* was otesaul in be visual. Mr. BOND brought up the Report of the Committee on the Catholic Telt Bill, which was agreed to, and the Bill was or. dered to be read a third time to morrow. Sir J. Saumareis Annuity Bill, and the 4 Million Excite. qucr Bills Bill, were read a lecond time, and committed for to. morrow. The S informed the Houle that he had received a letter from Vice-Admiral Rainiir, dated on board the Vida. lions, in Madras Roads, 06tober la, rBoa, addreffed to Sir John Mitford, the late Speaker, and conveying the thanks of the Oflicers, Seamen, and Mariam, engaged under Admiral Blanket in the Red Sea, in promoting the glory of our arms in Egypt, fur the vote of approbation which the Houfe had done them the honour of pronouncing upon their exertions. The letter concladed with exprcifions of regret that Admiral Blan ket ha 4 not lived to enjoy the gratification of hearing that his conduft had been approved by the Houfe.—Ordered to be entered on the Journals. Mr. KNIGHT reported at the Bar, front the Committee ap pointed to try the controverted Elcftion for alargow,genfrew, Ste. that Alexander Houfton, Efq. who had bete returned, was not duly eleded, and that Boyd Alexander, Efq. was duly elect ed, and ought to have been returned. The Report ate Rated, that the oppofition of Mr. Houßon to the Petition of Mr. Alex ander was not frivolous nor vexatious.--Ordered,That the De• puty Clerk of the Crown mould attend to-Morrow, to amend the Paid return accordingly. Sir Wm. Goats obtained leave to bring in a Bill for ereding a Pier, and making other Improvements In the Port of taxa nefx Or4ered, oa the motion of Mr. Blackburn, that the Peti tion of dm Couto Printers bouid be related to a (deft Com mittee. Leave of &fame was granted to Mr. Egerton, Mr. Barn*, and Mr. Dickenfon, jun. The Sr zzzzz reminded the Honk that there would be Call, ate. and two ballots for Elation Committoes, to-morrow. GRENADA AND ST. TINCIIST'S LOAN. - - - - - - Mr. B*,u.lß moved the Order of the Day for the committal of the Grenada Loan Bill. Sir R. BUXTON oppofed the Speake'Ps leaving the Chair. lie had refined the original r ant a this loan, becaufe he difapp roved of the principle of lending the public money to any particular de. fcription of traders—a principle which be would not encourage by acceding to any farther estenfion cf the time appointed for ig a r m eyment. it was an indulgence too often de ed, and which the borrowers teemed difpofed to go on in :tilting foe ad fdimiltnts. Mr. Hos MOUSE defended the principle of lend ing the public money for the aiMaance of trade,but admitted that it was a principle which ought to be rcforted to with great caution ; that the fecuri ty ought to be good for principle and intereft, where fuch a loan was attempted. Upon this .ale, how ever, be contended that the cla im of the merchants was entitled to the moll favourable attention, when it was confidered that the loan originally granted amounted to 1,400,0001. and was now reduced to soo,opol. Thus the debt was diminifired, while the fecurity was increafed. The national adVan cage refulting from this loan was alfo worthy of notice. The two iflands benefited by it bad for fome jeers imported into this count , y not lefs than 30,000 hogfireads of fugay, a quantity which mutt be a produftive fource of revenue to the State, and mutt occafion 4 confiderable exportation of our manufaCtures. Mr. Juliano); a obferved, that the general fcope of the Hon. Gentleman's argument who had fpoken lea would amount to this : that it was im material to whom Government lent the public money, provided the feenrity were good. Againft this principle be pitted his flrongeß proten. It was particularly ohjedionable on conftitutional grounds, that Miniffers fhould be thus permitted to extend the patronage of the treafury to the mer. cantile intereti. The danger pf this obvioully ten• ded to create a connexion between the monied men and Government, which would operate the die Rtudion of that confequence which ought to be long to the landed intereff. Of loch an event the public had too much reafon to be afraid, from the courfe and event of the late elation, during which the Boroughs were found but tooready to defert the Gentlemen of landed property; and to throw them. (elves into the hands of dr: monied interefl, a cir. cumnance the more to be lamented becaufe the monied men were not in general remarkable for their independence; they were, unfortunately for the country, too much difrfed to coalefce with auy Mi oilier, and to abide implicitly by his precepts. This he thought a fufficiem ground of otbjedion to the interter‘nce of Miniaers in mercantile concerns, either by lending money, altering ditties, or taking any other meafure to favour a particular branch of trade, or a particular clafs of merchants. To the motion before the Houfe he objected from this confideration, and alfo becaufe it was now eight years fince the loan was advanced. Six times Parliament had granted time for its repayment, and the borrowers in each inftance prornifed that they fhould not again apply; but in the 101 l sea lion particularly a Ipecific affurance was made, and it was diitindly underflood that no farther appli. cat ion of this nature would be attempted. To men who had thus frequently violated their flith, fd folemnly pledged, he thought no indulgence was due. The affertion, that the fecurity of this debt was improved by its redudion, from the fum ori ginally lent to sco,ostol. he denied; for the fad was, that many r.f the perfons to whom the loan was granted had difcharged the whole of their debt, uhile the p. rfons who now called on the Houle for farther t.me, had only paid one.thir I of their proportion of the debt; that is, they had received originally 700,0001. of which they Rill owed above soomool and fuch was the nature of the fecurity boalled of by the laR fpeaker. Would the Hon. Gentleman then ferioutly fay, that Par liament had a better guarantee for the payment of the Ira - laments propoled by this Bill, than it had lOr draft mentioned in any of the former Bills ? but the Hon. Gentleman offered as an argument in favour of the claims of thole debtors, that they annually imported 30,000 hogfbearls of foga:, and thus materially contributed to the revenue. Was the Hun. Gentleman, however, unaware that, in confequence of the want of demand in this coun try, filch roger was again exported ? and that, perhaps, the quantity which upon importation produced too,ocrol. in duties, would coR the na tion in the bounties on exportation t tchoool. ? Such was the kind of benefit whiclithe public de rived from the Well India trade, which bad been lb much the object of minißerial attention, whick( had erperienced a fyliem of favouritifm and par tiality deferring the moll marked reprobation fyitem wh;ch, in fad, encouraged the Well InsEi merchants to grow avre of mute produce the PRUSSIA. BEILLIN, MACH /9.—The Hereditary Prince of Art t.ed :,:re tcom b uniwick. t LE. is orrivcd here with her h Soutil Proill t. His M.,jetty has ret:Areci on the erenien of a new ptolic academy at Poirn, with eight Pro fell yet n.:rned. On the toth the h;)th of the Queen was tele b:.ated, t r ths , ti; un,-•. at Paderoorn. At Sicn:e.nmald. a village in tae mountains, in the county of Glotz, rine r •rfons have kit their Jive , , by the fuddc.a rollin lc 'down of fnow from the mountains. DE.\ MARA. COUNHAGEN, MARCH is.—His Royal High nels the Prince of Gcnucssrca was received on Satur,:ay, on his arrival at Elfineur, by Count von HOLSTFIN, who is appointed to attend him duri:ig his flay here. Many grand public enter zairartr.ts will be given on this oceafion. WE.DEN. Sroc K H OLM, MARCH z.—The Prufflan Minifter, Baron TAKP.ACH, has at prefent frequent conk. renc:s with our Miaillers, relating, it is fuppofed, to fume arrangements between the Duke of Meek lenburgh Schwerin and our Court. To haften this affair forward, General Count Toss. will probably go to Schwerin. T:te weak health of our Crown Prince may perhaps induce the King, accompanied by the Q2eett, to take Lim to Car Mad. His Majefty propofes on this journey to pay a vifit to the King of Pruffta, during the Reviews, and then to go to his Serene relations at Carlfruhe and Munich. r. MARCH I r.—ln the night of the 27th ult. the paper manufaelory of Diretior Mot SING, at Nor koeping in Sundermania, was entirely confumed by fire. The damage is etlimated at sa,ooo dol. lat s. This is the fourth fire at Norkoeping within four months. It is Lod that Mr. COUTlfellOr K&LITSCHLFF will Come here as Ruffian Ambaffador. RUSSIA. )PITILSBURCH, MARCH t.—The fettling of the frontiers in Finland has occafioned a declaration from our Court. which will probably contribute to bring this affair to a conclufion. General Ba nn MRYENDORF, who is appointed Military Go. wernor of Finland, will take up his conitant refi delve at Wyborg in that quality. The Archduke Palatine is expeded here in a fortnight. His marriage with the Princeis AM E. RIA of It iden teems to be quite certain. Mae c s 5.—1 t appears certain that the Emperor will in the courfe of next fummer take another tour, (it is laid to the Crimea,) and probably ac companied by his august confort, our beloved Emprefs. orders having been given to get in readinefs the travelling equipage of their blajefties. DIVORCE: An Officer from the Embefutflical Court prefental at the liar minute% al the evideoce and pruceedino of that Court, in the Divorce Caufc of the Rev. George Markham agaitilt Sufao uN Vlfr. - - '1 P. toicw was alto presented, praying a Bill of Divorce in t:t's ufr. wi.b kavc to marry agaln.—Lave given; and a Bill was accordit gly prcfcatul, and read a fun time.—Adj. and tha Lb.! Ma t 3 be fc preficle( MAN 1 ,t! PA the ( Pntriir Irt; murh d 21tOgttl 19th i:11 Gore cellerd3 whit were tarts a~ rprnly I tcmain i Thou of the cc happy in Mara bo maybes has seer: 1/Itl lac: will emtirAt y it would the hates dy tai dei fiei Ind for Era! bon nufi befo WM agre mitt of 0 men Spite 62f I 3 pa Sin& Si imp.3l The flue. cited a that cc medial paper, calty i It II LAWN frigate receive confegi fi)me 4 d'ALm