Star. — London, England, 1814-07-13 00:00:00

PURI TY OF ELECTION. SUBSCRIPTIONS received for returning LORD COCHRANE to Parliament, free of every espence and sa. rifice to himself, agreeable to the Resolutions passed at a Ge neral Meeting of the Electors of Westminster, hHsl in New Palace-yard July 11, 1814, ARTHUR MORRIS, Esq. High Bailiff, In the Chair. At Mr. :same! Broakes, I 10, Strand. Mr. Wishart's, Coventry-street. Mr. Harding's, Tothill-street, Westminster. 111 r. Rogers's, 86, Oxford-street. Mr Giles's, Wych-street Drury-lane. At the Bar of the King's Arms Tavern, New Palace yard ; and at the Crown and Anchor t avern, Strand. HENRY BROOKS, Secretary, 110, Strand. PiIRLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, JULY 12. Mr. ADAM, in a Committee of Privileges, was heard as Coun sel for the Clldniant or the Stafford Peerage. •I'he Committee reported that Mr. Barnwell had made good his claun .n the Barnwe:l Peerage. Mr. BILL/COEN Brought up the British White Herring Bill, the Mad-house iGgulation hill, the Greenwich Ho=p tai Bill, and Irish Sugar Or:iv/back Bill, which was thereafter read a first time. Mr. Irving. hum the Custtt•n-Hour, presented an Account of the quail By of Grain imported into thin Country, frum tite year 1690 to the urtseitt day. . The I oan Charge bill was read a third time and passed. The Apprentice Bill was also read a Piird time and p7..std. A number et Pc.itions, from various places, tor the Abolition of the Slave rade, were presented by the Marquis of LANS. LOW \r., Earl STA sit° PC, and the Ea , I of Dattu o•roo. '1 h..- Irish Custom 1. utes bill was read a second time. The Wats Duty bill went through a Cuznntittee, and was re pored. The House wf nt into a Committee on the Plymouth Tobacco an' Scuff Imp -nation B 11. Earl ui IDERD ALE supposed that there must have been some reason why Plymouth was not incluckd in the list of tow-s all., !by Act of Parliament to import Tobacco and Sn. ft In re was an Noble Lord present who could assign any rknsn why inaportanon was not allowed into that place. Their 1 ord,ll wet:. ..ot in. .t there m; rely for the purpose of passicg widioat any • xplanation of them. Lord Ali I.V1l.1.1: allso ed that every '13.11 ought to be ex plained, if requ.red; bur it was not nect,silry to take cp the time of tli• Home with the explanation of every bill that should come before C:etn. After some further observations, the BM was teported, for the pt , tpose ~f being reromsuitteti on friday nest. Ihe Scotch Judges' An y lii i went thimgh a Committee, and was at:trwards r•_ported, with amendments. Lord .511)110I; I resented a Petition from a Mr. Hume, clainti;:g the Marchniont Pei rage. Hi.:llw.l 1111 went through a committee, and was re por..ll, n l n alieru:intitts. 'Fhe ' e Varii , ifs of LAN 4 1:YWNE presented a Pet:tion frlm the komm .ati.olirs of the Ci.uuty of Louth, praying for relief front th affictirg them. Th. Earl oi r resented Paitii , ris from seve n! of , he 5.-.rport Towns in Scotland, againbt the Northern ipht H u.e The of LAI IDERDALE thorealer called the attention of th , , I iuew to a 1341 h,fore by wtich every commodity fr Air tisii col wry would have to ray !n the river of 13erri, , J IS and a half ie r teht. if ditty •NVe had Liven other countries a li? . .bt ti tradt. with Ind a. and the t fret Cri . such an ettormotot las:at:no on our CAVA COMMOdltie•i, would be to throw nearly alt the lodlan trad.- hut) the hun.', of forriorrs. The precut s': to of taxati. , n in Intla was a sohj , ct of serious and Or • %to r. Nei h. lint:.e wir. , it to l'esrow 0-ry attention. .VII.! 11 sal', tl.e elll allud:Nl to would merely In.ve .he etYoct z ..g cer ain Stifle*. 't hes? du t...4 leVi II at Cr. c.vta, Bontb.ty, and hil-tOrai, tho pats et th - dna.: eot Ceu , et wnews. At tie present nioinent they m'glit D: inn , sod, and tl:e .4‘,1 tnerety gave.. tetto poet to a hill pasted ItELtTO ELECTRON MU. • • The LORD CH ANCELLOR asked, if the Coun sel w tic) were to he lieard.ag_.iiist the '2el teadinz of tht it h!itton I.l..tction 8,1 l were in atttaidance ? Tie tarl cf LAUDERDALE said, he wished to move that a certain number of indivi eioal,, in a 115 t which he read, should be .sunitnoned • t• , 'ateitel and give caklence before their Lordst,ipson Toef.lay. the 19:: of itily inst. Lord DE IJUNSTANVILLE s t'd the notice cotild cast rear.ll the individuals ti.l itlay• next, and li• th , a.abt a hoer day ought theretole to be lixrd. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, their Lord ships ought to pati.,e before they ordered a number of individuals to come before them, to give evidence ots a subject, respecting which they themselves knew no thng. Nobody knew from the Bill on what account the . disfranchisement of the Elect..rs of the Burgh ct Holston took place. 1;1 other Bills of a similar na ture, the cause was generally stated to be natoriatis corruption. But the reason ,assigned tor the disfran chisement in this Bill was merely certain illegal prate tices. Ile did not mean to say that bribery and cor ruption were rot included under the expressicir illegal practices ; but there were many illegal p:actices which would not warrant them in disfranchising a body of Electors. He did not know wriat might be proved under this all.2gation. If persons were brought before them vexatiously, it would be in the power of the House to animadvert upon it, bat as he had before said, they ought to-know what the witnesses were sent fur to prove. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought the Horse (milt not to proceed hastilyin this gill at the present 11, ; Vanced period of the Session; a Lill, which w .tild have the effect of disfranchisingai great body of Electors. He saw no injury which could result hore . the delay ; and he tb .ught that the House °tight conic to an understanding not to read the Bill a third time in the present session. He understood, however, that a numlier of witnesses were in readiness to attend their Lordships, and it would be a pity thAt expense and ti (ruble which this must have occasioned, should be throtc n away. Till he heard the evidence, becould nut make up his mind as to the vote he should give. • Earl STANHOPE said, the difference between this and former Bills. of a similar nature, was, that they were properly worded, and this was not. But t!iou 4 ;11 the expression of illegal practices was too wide there was no objecting to the making i..quiry, but merely to the passing the Bill with a preamble so im properly worded. The LORD CHANCELLOR said p it appeared to him that the practices should not only be illegal, hut such as to justify them in the measure they were a depriog. His objection to the wording of the pre sent Bill was, that it would open the door to investi. gations Of practices of all k'nds. Tricy ought to know on what points the witnesses were to .be examined be forcordering them to attend. For their convenience, before going into the evidence, they ought to have a statement or what the illegal practices were. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE declined making any motiob at present for adjourning the consideration of 'the Bill. 44,Ane. conversation ensued between the Earl of Latrinctuaraalls, tbeLon.DCICANCICLLOR, Earl STANHOPE, LOtti EiliaNis4aQueli? and Lord REDLIDALE, chiefly on the loose nature of the expression in the preamble of 4 , illegal practices," on the mode of examining witnesses, and as to whether the Bill could be gone through this session. It was at length agreed, on the suggestion of the Loan CHANCELLOR, to call in the Counsel in order to understand from them the general nature of the facts to which they proposed to call evi dence. _ _ _ Mr. Adam, Mr. Serjeant Pcll, and Mr. Harrison accordingly appeared at the bar. Mr. Adam, as Counsel for Mr. Plumer, a freeman of He'stun, a Pe titioner against the Bill ; Mr. Serjeant Pell, as Coun sel for Mr. Wallis, in favour of the Bill ; and Mr. Harrison, for Mr. Scott, a freeman of lielston, against the Bill. Mr. Serjeant Pell being called on by the House, stated seve - ally, that a small number of per sons, corporators of Hehton, had monopolise,' the right of returning Members for the Borough ; and had for benefits conferred on them, either as a body, or individually, transferred that right to an individual at whose t% ill and pleasure the Members for the Bo rough were returned. The I.OIW CHANCELLOR proposed to post pone the forth( r consideration of the Bill till Thurs. day, that the House might then consider what course they would take with regard to it, which was agreed to.—Adjourned. L II HOM3E OF COMMONS. Petitions were presented from various places, pray_ ing for the entire abolition of the Slave Trade. The Inspector General of Imports and Exports brought up a return of all foreign wool imported into Great Britain, during the last five years.—Ordered to lie oti the table. Toe Burying in Woo11:m Bill went through a Corp. mittee, and w4s or.lered to be reported to-morrow. .The Duke of Wellington, Lord Combermere, and Lord Exmouth's Annuity 13116, tht I - 14:b , ur Duty, Portugal Contribution, and the Tea Exportation Bill , were read a second time, and marred to be comma ted to.morrow. The Land Tax Commissioners' Names, the Irish Custotns, and the Ills!) Scamp Elils, went;throill Curnatiztees, and were ordered to be Reputed to morrow. Mr. P. CAREW obtained leave to bring ;n a Biil to equaliz2 County Rates in Ireland. A Committee was appointed to inspect the Jour nals of the House nt Lids, respecting Resolutions on the Revcrs'on Bill, and to report thereon. Mr. NV. Fi•12G.E.R.11.1) obtained leave to bring in a Bill to continue the Restrictions on Cash Pay ments by the Bank of Ireland. The kid) County Rate Bill was read a first time, ordered to be printed, and to be read a second time to-morrow. On tile further consideration of the Report of the Poor Relief Bail, Mr. WESTERN thought this inea. s:re would be productive of very great inconvenience to Magistrates' and parish officers ; and of very little, or no advantage to poor persons. He moved, that me It: Tor ; should be taken into further consid.:ration this day three mouths. Mr. P. CAREW seconded tie motion ; and said, that he was informed, nom the best authorities on the Cu' jest, that it would be absolutely impractic , :ble to carry the details of this Bill into execution. For this reason he koped the liqn. Baronet (Sir E. B;ydges) would not press this Bill through the H use :et this Litt petiod ot.the Session ; but that he would allow it to stand over, in order that the public might be ena bled to form a collect judgment of it. Sir E. BRYDGE - i could not hely expressing Isis astonishnient at the cost of orposition the Bill had Myt with, when it only went to prevent the removal of paupers on account of their requiring merely partial relief. Bring perfectly eimvineed that every part of t!:e Bill mit , ht b e cat ried into t ff.:et, he did not believe that the House would easily jeer it, after it had been framed with touch care, and after frequent consultations with those most csmversient with the Poni.l.aws. The •Ilouse then divided—For the Amen , im . ..!nt of Mr. Western 1;1 —Ag einq it 30—Majority 9.—The Report was then taken into further coirsideration. The SPEA ISIER sawed, that the NI b a d Lein so altered backwaids and torwatds, that it would be im l;otsible to pr teed on the Amendments at that time. The Report was then ordered to be taken into coast deration to-morrow. EAST INDIA• SMITING BILL. Lord CASTLE It EAGH said, that owing to the late period t f the Session, he wished that his Right Hen. Friend (the Chanc,lior el the Exchequer) would consent to withdraw his Bill on this subject ; and in:reduce for the present, a Bill of continuance in the way the law new stands, in order diet, as the. evidence which kid been produced before the Com alittee was very v , duminowe room might be given for its full consideration. The period to which the Session had arrived, was aslso very un!avourable to the 101 l discussion of such measures as this. At pre sent, he could give no decisive opinion, as to the pro posed measure ; but the general impression on his mind was kevourable to it. He hoped, however, that his Right Hon. Friend would consent to postpone the Bill for the present. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no objection to postpone the measure for some time. At the same time, he had no doubt, but, that when Gentlemen had examined the evidence, they would be friendly to the measure. He then moved, that the East India Shipping Bill, should he read a second time on Monday next. If he then found the sense of the House against h.m, he should have no ob jection to postpone the measute till next St on. Mr. CALCRAFT thought the Nebie Lord had done wisely in having proposed the uoAponemcnt of this measure till the ensuing Session ; and he (Mr. C.) had no doubt but that Gentlemen, wneit they perused the evidence given before the Committee, would be more and more of opinion that a very different:Bill from that of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was necessary on this subject. He wished to know loch it was intended that the temporary Bill should be continued. Mr. WALLACE said, it .was intended to be con tinued for a h.nger period than next Session ; but it the proposed tneasore should in the mean time pass, the temporary one'should expire immediately. After a few wnrdstrem Mr. CALCRA T and Lord CAS'ILEREAGII, the Bill was ordered to be read a se cond time on Monday next. • On the motion of Lord CASTLEREAGH, the House hgreed to resolve itself into a Commatee to thorrow, to Considei of a temporary Bill to continue the Act now in existence relating to East-India Shipping, Mr. BENNETT presented a Petition from certain Post-Norse Keepers in Shropshire, praying to be re. lieved from certain Penalties to which they are liable. Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. WILBERFORCE presented a Petition from John Mitchell, a free man of colour, of the island of Grenada, complaining of Governor Ainslie having ordered him to receive twenty lashes, and to be sent off the Island, although he had taken the oath of a 1..; legiance, according to a Proclamation of the said Governor.—Ordered to lie off the table. NEW POST OFFICE. Mr. BARING brough t up a Petition from the Merchants and Bankers of the City of London, pray ing that the House would take into consideration the great inconvenience they would experience by the re moval of the l';:st Office, and further, that it might not piss into a law. ?Ir. BANKES was of opinion that the subject of the Petition was highly deserving of consideration. The first object should be, to inquire what advantage was likely to accrue to the public from removing tire Post Oilice ; and the next was, whether the advan tage, it any, was wotth the immense expense that must inevitably attend the measure, especially in the present state of our finances ? In his opinion, it ought to be very seriously and strictly inquired into; before the House and the country should venture t.• embark in an expenditure of such excessive extent. He understood that the purchase of the scite :done would cost the public R 300,000; for which, dutint a certain time, they were to receive no interest at all,' and after that period the Orphan's Fund was to be mortgaged for the payment of the interest of a part only of that sum. There would then be the expense of budding, which might turn out very enormous. The House should first inquire, and find out what would be the expense: a Committee should be f.rii ly appointed, to send for persons, papers, and records. Let the merchants and others concerned, thew all the inconveniences attending it, and let every circum stance be thoroughly investigated that could throw liAht on so important a subject. lle therefore moved, that this Petition, and all others that might be offered relative to this Bill, be referred to a Convoii,tee. 'Fly: CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it was usual to give notice of every motion of a similar nature to the present which his Honourable Fliend had now made. He, therefore, hoped his Honourable Friend would wave his motion till to morrow, and that in the mean time all proceedings on the Bill should be staid till that motion was dis posed of. Mr. BARING said there were 3000 names to the Petitioa, signed by merchants and bankers of the first fortune and character in the country, who would not have signed such a Petition if they bed not felt the most senors inconveniencies must be the consequence of this measure. As there was to be a Committee, he would not at present take up the time of the House by entering into further particulars. He would only wi.h to mention, that there was a counter Petition, originating, he believed, about Temple-bar ;at the meeting cur which Mr. Twining was in the chair. It seemed they had received all . their intoi matiial from the Post-office, and it was not theiefore difficult to foresee what sett of materials it would.be comp-sed of. He hoped, however, that the business u oulei ~ ow be thoroughly investigarvd, and he saw nu reason why it s h o uld not put fff till next Sessi , .n. ..... Mr. BUTTE ItWOlt f I - 1 presented a l'etitipn several merchants of Londid,, in favour of ; tie remo ir!'d I the Post.cflice. The petitioners, he stated, were interested in the delivery of letters, out the 1 1, ..r..(.ffice itseit had nothing to do with the petitioo. 'llv. pelt tiorers were men of great respectability and opulence, and the. petition had been sigi,ed by horn v to 4000 person.. in the course of 24 hours. By the proposed removal, the public would pin more time; and he -had been informed by commercial Gentlemen, that even halt an hour was of considerable importance with respect to the time for putting letters into the Post-office. Five out of seven letters were delivered to the west of the present post-office, and all the great dikes were at the Wesz-t•nd of the tos'n. Mr. WROTTE6LEY thought that letters might he delivered much earlier than they were at present. It was well known that there were two deliveries, an early and a late one. He himself paid for an early delivery, and by so doing probably occasioned a late delivery to others, the difference being not less than an hour and a half betwixt the early and the late de livery. Dy a proper arrangement, all might have their letters at the same hour as those who now paid for it. Mr. ROSE had been at first adverse to a removal of the Post-Office ; but had found upon enquiry that the inconvenience he had feared might be avoided. He was of opinion that enquiry ought to precede the adoption of any measure upon the subject. Though letters were at present delivered with much regularity, still the present arrangement might be susceptible of improvement ; and whether it were so or not, would best appear after an investigation had been gone into. Mr. BARING and Mr. BUTTERWORTH severally ex plained ; after which the petition was brought up, and upon the motion of Mr. DANCES, was ordered to be referred to a Committee. A Petition from certain proprietors of houses in Cheapside, together with all other petitions upon the subject, were also referred to the same Committee.— The Order of the Day for taking into consideration the expenses of the New Post-Otfice WAS then post poLed to Tuesday next. COPY-lIIGHT BILL. Mr. D. GIDDY, after some general observations, moved to postpone the going into the Committee on the Bill to a tutute day. After some conversation between Sir Wm. SCOTT, Mr. WE'IIiERELL, Lord PALRIEHSTON, Mr. H. An• DINOToN, and Mr. HOIKNER, the House went into tic Committee. Several verbal amendments were proposed and ac ceded to. Some clauses were also omitted, and a new one proposed by Mr. D. GIDDY, respeCting plays that were 14 iitten, but nut intended to be acted. The clause, continued the Hon. Member, had been sug gested to him by a gentlemen who was in that predi cament, having written several Plays which were never acted, but which the author thought excee.lingly va luable compositions. The objtct of the clause was, to prevent any Play, or composition purpoi ting to be a Play,--(4 laugh)—from being produced on Any stage %about the permission of the author. /It ri - sent there was no law, he believed, to pievent a Ma nager irum adapting a published Flay to axial ical re.. 7 presentation—a practice, in the estimation of the gen. tleman who proposed the present clause, exceedingly injurious to the autlyir of such Plays ; because, siiit being adapted for the stage, they of course could not succeed, and the disgrace of tailtite attached to t11..1 writer, without 1 is being at all concerned in the tort. ter. He (Mr. Giddy) had no great attachment to the clause, but as it had been put into his kinds, Its thought it right to propose it to the Committee. - Lord PALMERSTON suggested, as the clause had not the slightest connection with the present 1301, it would be better to reserve it for some more fit oc casion ; for example, when the r.s‘xt discus..itm abcut a third Theatre should come on. The clause was re. jected. • "lie House then resumed, the Report was rece:ved and the further conside7.ition of it ordered f:r Frid iv. scourtous mISETINris. Mr. PEEL move-A the 2d reading of th: Irish Se ditious Meetini! 13-11. Mr. I - 1010 . 1ER thought th It some ailii:inull jr formation should be laid be:ors the House, WAS a new measure, in justifica4 ion of which it %,•, s , not enough to refer to an expir...d Act. Mr. PEEL had no objection to put off the secor.l reading till to-morrow. Mr. HORNER had no wish to impede the pro. iress of the Measure; hr oily witri:ed borne addi tional informition, as one of the povi.icns ut the Bill went to take away trial by Jury. The second readi;,g was then pustpor,:d till to. rn 03 row.—Ailourtie QUESTI;;A - OF EXPULSI:Iv. TO THE L• DI . Oil. As the pu!)lic mina natur turns to the ap. preaching tiect;on of A Mem'a:r for Wedninister, is consequecce of the recent events in the House of Commons, it may not be improper to draw your at tention to the law on this sulij, ct, as laid d.ovn in— Rot's Tre:c ise on Elections," die List work loch has beer pabli,hA on this subject. In page 122 on' der the head of Discpialification for Parliament, there is the follow ing passage : z. " With respect to disqualification by reason of cx pulsion from the House, the law and usage of ParliA. incnt has vested in the House of Commons an un doubted right to expel from their own body, by their solemn resolution, any person, who b-ing guilty of some infamous crime, or corrupt or scandalous con duct, has rendered himself unworthy of his seat in Parliament. It becomes a question whether such a vote of expulsion does or does not disqualify the per son expelled from being again elected. In the case of Middlesex, 1;69, the proceedings were as follows: Sd February Mr. Wilkes was expelled the House for being the author of a libel. At the election to sup ply his vacancy, he was again elected and returned. 17th February..—Upon his return the House resolved that having been in that Session expelled the House, he was incapable of l.eing elected to serve in that Parliament, and that his election was void, and or d,red a new writ. Mr. Wilkes was again elected and returned, and the House again avoided his election and ordered a new writ. Mr. Wilkes was a third time elected and returned. Upon this latter rt turn the House resolved, th.it his election and return were null and void ; and Mr. Luttrel having been also a candidate at the elec tion. the Heusi. resrived that he ought to have been t lec , ed, and c.iti•ed the return to be amended by the in-er: ‘,11...is name instead of that of Mr. Wilkes A vti!ion was presen:ed by certain tteeholders of 11 iletex. against the amendment, but atter hearing the matter, the Horse resolved that Mr. Luttrel was dryly elected. Th. Howe after wards considered their resolution of the 17th of Feb. AS unfit to lemAin on tl.e;r Journals, and by al-isolation of the of May, 1782, ordered it to be expum!ed 6 as being siibversiye of the rights of . t:le whole body of electors of the k ng. dom.' This latter resolution must be regarded as declaring, that no inherent.disqualification is created by expulsion from the House, independent of the cause of that expulsion, which may or may not ape. rate to disqualif) in future, according to its nature. Hence, although it is in the discretion of the House to expel, and to repeat their expulsion, it they think it expedient so to do, yet the law does not preclude the electors from electing and returning the person ex pelled, if they shall think him worthy of their choice." An account of the charge incurred in the fourth class of his Majesty's Civil List, in the , quarters end ing the sth of July, 1812 and 1813 ; together with an estimate of the charge incurred in the same for the quarter ending the 51h of July, 1814, so far as the same can be made up : Charge in the Charge in the Estimated qu.trier t tul- quarter end- charge on the ed sth July, ed sth July, quarterended 1812. 1813. July 5, 1814° Departments of the X. a. d. X. a. d. Lord Chamberlain 41,973 1 10} 41,900 18 fit 151,599 1 Lord Steward 16,414 7 7} 25,044 10 10 65 000 0 0 Maverof the Horael2,Bo7 4 0 11,219 14 6 36 (Mq u 0 Masterot the Robes 366 0 0 650 0 0 .800 0 0 71,190 13 6 70,455 8 10e 255,3. 1 9 I • N. B. The estimate of the expeuies of the quarter ended sth July, 1814, is made up trout the b,st in. formation that can at present be obtained ; but till the bills can be collected, the actual amount of cx. pence cannot be ascertained with accuracy. Particulars of the •' Estimoe," presented to the Honourable Home of Commons on the , Ph of July, 1814,.!g of the expences of the Lord ChAmberl.tio's department, for the quarter ending July 5, 1814 :" I.tird t 'hamberlain's Office - • ,C 9,661 17 11 Wardrobe Office - . 46,467 6 4 Jewel Office •- - - 15,A9 17 0 Office of Works (exclusive of the preparations in the Parka tar Firewo:ks, &c) viz. Salaries and .Ilowances, and ordinary e:: pence. - - ".900 Works done at Carlton House, under the direction of Jaunts Wyatt, 1 - 4 q. - '6,90 Work% done ar Carlicti 110,1 e, under the direc:ion at J. Na,l.. Earl. including pre plratiens tar the Grand fete - 49,100 Works at :it. James's Palace 1,0. 9 - Ditto at Hampton Court - - xOO Ditto at Newmarket - - - 401 Di , tti at Record Office, Westminster - 950 Ditto at the Ruth - - i9O Ditto at Brighton . . 4,960 Ditto un the Priva.e Roads - 1,220 Sundry Worts In consequence of the gene t:a survey - 11,070 B°,lto 0 0 £153,599 1