Star. — London, England, 1823-03-20 00:00:00

sl • convinced that they had not shut the door against the introduction of slaves into the %Vest India Islands.— He would confess that he did not believe that there had been such admissions, b:tt sufficient means had not been taken to remove the possibility. They had hoped, however, that the measures which they ob.. tained would lead to a moral ieform in the condition of slaves; that there would have been an increase of food, a lessening•of labour, the introduction of the marriage rites and of the benefits of religion, so as to raise them to a higher point in the scale of man. But the stringency of this reasoning depended upon the degree in which they prevented the islands from get ting slaves in any other way ; for in proportion to the certainty with which that was prevented, would the desired effect be encored. They were sanguine in their hopes of having ensured it: but be now took blame to himself for not having sooner made exer tions to obtain that for which the petitioners now prayed. Ife was sure that it would be serviceable to the policy of the country, and that PROVIDENCE had bound up with it even the prospei ity of the West In-. diaproprietors themselve. He earnestly wished that the question might be most set iously considered; not with that violent and headstrong haste which would immediately put an end to everything they might think an evil, but with a due consideration of all in terests, and with the steady resolution of doing at last that alone which appeared to be their duty. Ile could assure the House he wished the subject to re ceive the fullest and most deliberate discussion. Since the last discussion of it, some hundred thousands of human beings in the Western hemisphere had proved that they possessed the means of exerting the finest energies of which human nature was capable. Many persons whose views were opposed to his had argued that if the physical comforts of thex unhappy beings were consulted, there was no fair subject of complaint. Ile denied this. He contended for an object far su perior to that of physical comfort. Those whose cause he advocated were human beings, and yet were brought by their present situation to the character of brutes. In this degrading light, it was contended by those who were interested in them as property, they ought to be considered—as beings incapable of re collecting the past, or acting for the future, and sen sible even of the present only by the stimulant of the whip. That this was the opinion of many good men so interested it was not necessary for him to deny. He was thankful that his own property was not con nected %‘ ith the subject; for if. it were, it would in deed be too much for him to say that his own views might not insensibly become affected by that circum stance: but if ever there was a subject calling impe riously for the grave consideration of the House, it was this. That consideration was induced by justice, humanity, and religion; and when he took a retro spect of -his own situation on this subject thirty or forty years ago, and recollected what had been ac complished, he felt confident of the ultimate success of his present object.. At the period he had referred to, he was addressed by a Gentleman now no more, a man of great experience, and of keen observation on the human character. He said—" Your cause is good; but do you seriously ever expect success?"— He (\lr. Wilberforce) answered—" I do, and am cer tain I shall obtain it : the cause is one which, sooner or later, will be entertained by an English House of Commons." :That cause, however, was then as hope less as this one was at present. In conclusion, again addressing himself to the subject on the score of po licy, he declared that, after much reflection, he was convinced that it would be for the true interest of West India proprietors to abolish slavery altogether. He wished, however, that the subject should receive every consideration—he invited it—(Cheers). The Petition was then brought up, read, and or dered to. lie on the table and be printed- Mr. Secretary CANNING asked whether the Ho nourable Gentleman intended to submit any motion on the subject arising out of the Petition which had just been read? Mr. WILBERFORCE said, the question would be answered by his Honourable Friend near him. Mr. F. BUXTON then rose, and gave notice, that on the 22d of April he shoulil move for a Committee, to consider the subject of the Petition. HUM COURTS OF LAW. Mr. SPRING RICE moved thatihe Ninth and Eleventh Re ports of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Admi nistration of Justice by the Courts of Law in Ireland; toge ther with the Letter addressed to them by the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, should be referred to a Select Commit tee.—Ordered. PROSECUTIONS TOIL SEDITION AND BLASPHEMY. Mr. HUME said, that in the year 1821, he had moved for a Return of the number of Prosecutions instituted in Great Britain :tad Scotland since the year 1812, for blasphemous and seditious libels.— Ft ont some verbal inaccuracy in the motion, or soma misapprehension of its terms, the Return to it was incomplete and unsatisfactory ; and he was therefore under the necessity , of reviving the subject. Prose cutions for seditious and blasphemous libels had, in several instances, been carried on by certain bodies of individuals, denominating themselves Societies for, , the Suppression of Vice, and the Constitutional Asso ciation, itistead of their being carried on by the Con stitutional Officers of the Crown, the Attorney and Solicitor-Generals. Into the merits of these prose cutions be should not at present enter ; but he bad no difficulty in stating, that they had p; °doted an effect directly opposite to that which was intended—(Hear, hcar, hear).—He purposed bringing the conduct of these Societies under the notice of the House by a specific motion; but in order to his doing so, the in formation for which he proposed to move would be necessary. He moved, therefore, for a Return of the number of Prosecutions instituted from Decem ber, 1812, to December, 1822, on charges of pub lishing Blasphemous or Seditious Libels; distinguish ing those brought by the Attorney-General (and, in the prosecutions not 'brought by him, stating the name and residence of the prosecutor); stating also the character of each alleged offence, and the county in which it was charged to have been- corn tnitted ; stating, also, whether the prosecution was brought to trial or not, and if tried, the date and place of trial, stating whether the accused was con victed or acquitted ; and if convicted, setting out the sentence and date of its passing : and if the sentence shall have expired in point oftime, stating whether the convicted had been discharged, and when ; and if not so discharged, stating the cause of detention. Mr- Secretary PEEL had no objection to the mo: tion ; but he begged to observe, that there would be much diffictilty and delay in getting some of the par. titulars called for. If the Hon. Member had limited. his motion to cases within London and Nliddieseu and which it appeared Would iii a great measure an swer his purpose, the particulars could joon be got at.. Mr. HUME said, it would not answer his purpose to have the motion confined. He wanted to spew the extent of the prosecutions. _ . . . Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that, for instance, it could not he supposed that the Society far the Sup preiiion of rice extended its proceedings to Scotland. There might be much delay in obtaining Returns from that part of the country. Mr. H,UM E said, he should not consider it a delay if the Returns were laid on the table shortly after the Easter recess. If these Societies had not extended their proceedings to Scotland, the Lord Advocate could easily make a return of nil; and as to prose cutions instituted by him or his predecessors officially, there cduld be no difficulty.—Motion agreed to. MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES. Oh the motion of Mr. LUSH I NGTON, the House went into a Committee of Supply. The House being in a Committee, Mr. LUSHIIs4 GTON, addressing himself to the Chairman, said, that the Miscellaneous Estitnates which he was now - about to lay before the Com mittee would be found formed t)y his Right Han. Friend (Me. Arbuthnotl, so as to give more minute details than usual, and he thought it would be seen also, that the accounts had been much simplified since the presentation of those laid before the House last Session. The reductions were matters of fact, and were of a nature which he had no doubt would give satisfaction to the Committee. They would be disclosed as the several votes were put ; and, in the course of them, he should be happy to give every information required by the Committee. He then moved the first vote for twenty-seven thousand pounds for Army Extraordinaries. Mr. HUME was ready to admit that these Esti mates were more detailed than those of last year ; but he thought they might be made still fuller ; and trusted that those of the next Session would be made so. He did not think it was sound policy in this country to maintain Colonies at a large expense.— Three hundred thousand pounds were incurred in this respect for Canada. There was a charge too, he observed, of 28,0001. for Bermuda. This, he pre sumed, was in consequence of Bermuda being made a naval station ; and if so, he was very sorry for it, as that place was never intended by nature for a naval station. The Cape of Good Hope cost 120,0001. a year ; 10,0001. a year British money being allowed to the Governor. This led him to make a passing remark-on the way in which the lands .at the Cape' were disposed of. If a plan, different from the pre-' sent, were to be adopted,. he was satisfied those lands would bring a considerable sum. At present, al though settlers in general were allowed tracks of land, they were allotted most inconveniently, and at a great distance from the seat of Government, unless 'the applicant were a favourite, or politically con nected with those who had influence in the distribu tion. This country was charged also with the ex penses of the lonian Islands ; and yet the Govern ment of them was highly objectionable and gave considerable dissatisfaction to the natives. The people, indeed, had formed so unfavourable an opinion of England, from the -conduct of the Government of the Islands, that they had much difficulty in getting any one of their number to come over with their complaints, it being apprehended that the bearer of them would be thrown into priion. He was aware that an alteration had recently taken place in the system ; an alteration for which he believed• they were indebted to the influence of the Right Honour able Gentleman at the head of the Foreign Affairs.— Even now, however, 3000 troops were kept in those islands ; and as they were the means of depressing the spirits and stifling the energies of the inhabitants, he trusted they would be withdrawn, and this, he was convinced, would be a measure ensuring the attach ment of the inhabitants to this country. The Lord Commissioner of these Islands, Sir Thomai Maitland, was also Governor of Malta; and he (Mr. Hume) was fully satisfied that the two offices were incompatible with each other. At Malta a Board of Health had been established, by means of which, any person an object of dislike to Sir Thomas Maitland, might be sent out of the island under cover of the laws of quarantine, He really thought the expenses relative to these islands ought to be refused altogether. He next came to the island of Heligoland, which had cost this country many times more money than it was worth, and which he considered of no use at all. Its use during the war was principally to promote the smuggling of English goods to the Continent. As to all these islands, he objected to the mode of paying their expenses through agents. He conceived that all the business might be transacted at the Colonial Office. He repeated his admission that all the esti mates were much improved. He was not disposed to give the Committee any unnecessary trouble; but he could not refrain from adverting to the situation of New Brunst% ick. The people of that country had offered to relieve this country from all the expense incurred on their account, provided they were allowed to nominate the officers of their own Customs, they being much dissatisfied with the present officers.— The military establishment too, was, he thought, al together unnecessary at New Brunswick. lithe Hun. Secretary opposite were to read the pamphlet pub lished by Mr. Gourlay respecting our Canada pos sesstons, he thought the Hon. Gentleman would de rive much benefit from it. Mr. Gourlay was, in his opinion, a most oppressed individual, and had been - sent away by the Canadian Government merely be cause he was thought too troublesome, He (Mr. Hume) had not, however, any desire to reflect inci dentally upon individuals, and he trusted the Com mittee would give him credit for his •statement that he desired to avoid such a course. He should not offer any opposition to the vote. Mr. WILMOT .could not come prepared with. all the details which the subject might require; but he (Mr.Wilmot) should answer them generally, be had no doubt, to the_ satisfaction of the Committee. It was, for the House to determine whether the Colonial Re venue was well administered, and whether any defi ciency should be supplied from that of this coootry., With, respect to the expenses for Bermuda, the LICOM Gentleman had already stated it to be a naval swims, though he thought it ought not to be one. It had, however, been chosen for that purpose upon 'what were considered to be the best opinions, and after , . 1 mach consideration. He had no desire to undervalue' of the number vaccinated, and he hoped the motio n the pamphlet - of Mr. Gourlay; Ito which the Hon- would be postponed till that was on the table. !Member had referred ; but he distinctly denied that Mr. DAWSON defended the utility of the Institn that individual had been oppressed. The ca , e of tinn. It was the only one which could be depended j ' Canada was under the serious consideration of Go- on for the procuring of vaccine matter. There were fifty or sixty applications to it in one week. vernment. A Commission had been appointed to enquire into the administration of many of the Mr. HUME objected to the paying of £BOO to islands, the returns from which would regelaele eight Physicians, who were mean °weigh to take it be laid before the Howe. On the subject of the 1 out of the public money, although . they (lid not lull lonian Islands, he differed altogether from the lion. ' the duty which the practitioners at other Institutions. did gratis. As a proof of the had masagement of Member. Relative fo • the conflict in Greece, the strictest injunctions had been sent out by the British i the Institution, he would say that Dr. Jermer had se. ' . - Government to maintain the most.rigid neutrality. paroled himself from it. The lonian Islands were never in a more prospesous Mr. DAWSON thought it unfair to cast impute. state than they were at present ; and, although from tions upon such men as Sir H. fl it lfOrd, although the peculiar circumstances of those islands, the theytroves received 1001. for two hours professional attend once each week. With regard to Dr. ,Termer, he had kept there were necessat y, he denied that they were kept for the purpose mentioned by the Hoe- Metil'ier- left the Institution upon some personal ground. li He could assure the Committee that the Government it would afford any satisfaction to the House, he had were anxious to conduct our colonial affairs with no objection that this vote should be postponed till the Return which had been moved for he laid on the table. every practical economy ; but such an economy must be considered with particular reference to the seem ity Sir %V. GUISE r thought it his duty •.sa ::;ration the and integrity of our colonial possessions —(Hear). great benefit which Dr-fernier had bestowed, not Mr. FIUNIE was prepared to prove all his allege- only upon this country, but uron inaekind ; and he tions at any moment to the House. With regard to begged to propose, as an Amend rem, that 500/. be Mi. Gourlay, he was a very oppressed mar. All added to the vote, for the purpose of erecting a Montt that the Authorities could say _was, that he was a mein to his memory.—The Resolution was agreed to, troublesome man. NVlry a troublesome marl may The following sums were next voted : make himself very useful—( el herele).—He (Mr. xeo,ooo for paying the bills drawn by Government foe paying Fee Fund of the T reasury. Hume) sl:oke feelingly —( A laugh); —for his men the Lounties for the capture of Slave . -ships and the release of Slaves. X 2.2,750 fur the deficiency of the good qualities were pretty much of t he same order— .#2l3.oco for the Fee b l ond of the I lonic Department. (Hear, lour).—He still maintained the same opini)n £ , 0,538 for the Fee Fund of the Foreign Secretary's De. as before, that freedom should be given to the Ca- partmcru. nadas, for sooner or later, if a waraook place, these X 13,565 for the Fee Fund of the Colonial Department. Li 6.i;56 for the Fee Fund of the' Privy Council and Trade: Colonies would fall a victim to the United State , . He d'in..vo for the contingent expenses of Messengers' bills. put it to the consideration of the Hon. Secretary, if it £10.996 for contingent expenses and Messengers' bills in the would not be wise to arrange that the Canadas should Home Secretary's department ; £59,01:6 for ditto in the Foreign be declared a free State at the end of ten years ? Sureiary's department; and -41672 for ditto in the Colonial Sc. Mr. G. BENNET bore testimony to the merits of cretary's department. £2238 for contingent expenses and Messengers' bills in the the Governor of Upper Canada. Lord Chamberlain's department. Mr. WILNIOT said, with regard to the case of Mr. The next Reolution was for the expense of the Gourlay, lie pledged himself to prove that there was Commissioners of Insolvent Cool t and Cie', ks, £9,040. no foundation for any of his complaints. If the case Mr. Alderman WOOD rep;obated that enormous were brought before the House he could shew that expense.— The expenses of !bur Courts in the City did not the slightest injustice was committed towards not exceed £7O. And yet the Committee were called that individual. upon to vote the present enormous grant for a Cone Mr. HUME wished that the Honourable Gentle- by which, he would say, the country was robbed— man would at once lay the Papers before the House, (No, no, from many Members). He repeated what and he would undertake to prove the hardship of Mr. the numerous Petitions from various parts of the Gourlay's case. country asserted. Mr. WILMOT was not aware that it was his pro- Mr. Secretary PEEL recommended the worth?' vine to lay any Papers relative to Mr. Gourlay on Alderman to look more accurately at the papers is the table. If the Hon. Member for Aberdeen thought his hand, he would then find that the £7O which he fit to move for any, with the view of drawing the at- had stated to be the total, was the mere eiarge for tention of the House to that individual's complaint, coals and candles—(A laugh). The mistake was this he was prepared to meet him on the case. —" For coals and candles," was at the head of one Mr. HUME was not aware what Pa pers fie should line—while the next was, " For the Four Courts 1.:70. • move for. If calling for the correspondence could The worthy Alderman confined his reading and hit tend to bring on a discussion on the actual merits of argument to the last line—lL/rug/der), and thereon the case, he would move for it to-morrow. founded his comparative statement. The next Resolution was— The next Resolutions e cre— £253,000 for the expenses of the Commissariat Department. For Oxford and Cambridge lectures, £l,OBB. Mr. HUME could not conceive how thirty-eight For Officers of the Houses of Lords and Commons, £23,308. Commissaries could be required in Canada, fourteen For Secre t . Service Money, £50,000. mote, £ r,50 0 8 £ Prio r tin c E 750 Copies of the Journals of the House of Coto. in Nova Scotia, and seven in Malta. He doubted if there were as many Commissaries in the. whole of Fot Printing Votes of the House of Commons, £3,500. India, as in Canada alone.—ltesolution agreed to. . For defraying the Deficiency of Printing the Votes of the £82,000 was voted for the Commissariat of Ireland. House of Commons last year, £BB. sa. 1,100,000 for defraying the interest on Exchequer Bills. . For Printing Bills, Reports, &c. of the House of Comma, On a Resolution being proposed of £40,000 for xceeze.o. the repair of public buildings, For Re-printing Journals of the House of Commons, £3,001 Mr. H. G. BENNET made some remarks p pon the For paying Allowances to Corsican Emi g r a nts, &c. .€16,1 a. For Relief of the American Loyalists, £7,000. ruinous and neglected condition - of St. James ' s Park, For the Support of Criminal Lunatics,.£3,3o6. 10s. . the Green Park, and Hyde Park. Everything was For Allowances to Protestant Dissenting Ministers in Fat land; Fo out of repair, the trees were in a state of decay, the For 1 io £6,736. nae Co mpensat ions, theno ,sreane uipr and theannuati ons, &c. £10,567. Os. Bd. railing detective, and if a new gate were put up, it Th Report was ordered to be was made only jus: wide enough. He wished to know received to-morrow.—Leave was given to the Committee to sit why the gate from the Green Park into Piccadilly again on Friday next. was kept locked, unless for the benefit of the old wo. H eir IL WILSON the Colonial Secretary to say if ? die man who was allowed a key, and opened it on re-, a o iri t : s . C a 11 1 c% a t l o b t l h O e l ( ' s aid,t. Officers the h cal A e f o ri f c a a l n lo C w orps es w h e a r d e s b e e tt en ied fixed, ceiviug the present of a halfpenny ? but was not included in the present estimates un account ii Mr t PEEL said that his attention had been directed an informality. • Western, G. BENNET postponed the motion on the part of /le to this subject, and he was of opinion that no mode. till the Bth of May. rate sum could be more properly expended than in M i his • r. BU XTON postponed motion on the Slave Tradeoll putting the Parks into a fit state of repair. He had the 7th of May. observed that the grass of the Green Park had been Mr. WHITMORE postponed his motion on the importatha M it r est tiga r, till the of . in some parts trodden down by the cows, and upon of Tr ~aind and deorcrdear ed to be nt vlndia eslelsS, c Ap n p i r ir en t tic edo e i s a h t ip lth rid ili a ll n w e a Ma s t y read a email making inquiry, he learnt that the _keeping those cow s time was a perquisite of the gate-keeper. He (Mr. Peel) The SOLICITOR-GENERAL broughTup x t . he Report d had objected to this, because he thought it had the the Marriage Act Repeal Bill. The Amendments were read a time, and the Bill ordered to be rea d effect of diverting the keeper's attention from hi s du- secon d a third time to.mat• ties, as well as of disfiguring the Park. If his salary row.—Adjourned at a quart e r past El even . was not sufficient it ought to be increased. He un- - derstood also, that the cows were kept there for the accommodation of persons who chose to drink whey and milk, and that if they were deprived of this it would be felt to be extremely inconvenient. Mr. Alderman WOOD wished to divert the atten tion of the House from the Parks to the Prisons. He was surprised to find in the present estimaies a vote for the King's Bench Prison, after the enormous pro fits which it had been shewn the Marshal received. The City of London maintained its own prisoners, at an expense of £33,000 per annum. The King's Bench was a mere prison for insolvents; for, of the persons who went there, by far the greater part never paid their debts at all. It was too much to ask for £l.lOO for this prison, and £9OO for the Fleet Prison, seeing how many thousands went annually into the pockets of the persons connected with those prisons. As to the Fleet Prison, which was in a bad state of repair, he hoped the time would soon arrive %%hen it would be removed altogether. A more eligible spot might be procured for the erection of a prison, at a very tri fling expense, and the site of the Fleet would afford space for a market, such as that of Liverpool, which would be a convenience and a credit to this City. Mr. LUSHINGTON said, that the present vote was for the ordinary repairs of the prison, which had always been done at the public expense. The repairs of the Marshal's own house, and the other buildings and offices, were not included in it, but were paid for out of the receipts of the prison. After some observations _from Mr. DAWSON, Mr. BENNET, and Mr. A RBUTIINOT, the Resolution was agreed to ; as were the following : £5OOO for dAraVing the expenses of prosecutions for coining. £25,000 for defraying Law charges. £69,000 for the expense of Convicts at home. £1 8,000 for the Penitentiary at Milbank. • On the motion that £3OOO be granted for defray ing the expense of.the Vaccine Institution, • Mr. HUM E objected to theinstitution, and thought it could not be compared with that of other Institu tions; the London Vaccine Institution, for instance, had done mote in one year than the one ip question had done altogether. Ile had moved for a Itetur t THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1823. THE FUNDS. STOCK EXCHANGE, TWELVE O'CLOCK Consols improved this morning ; they opened at 74j, I, I, it which price they remain steady. A good deal of business Wu doing in the early part of the morning. FOREIGN FUNDS. . Spanish Bonds are on the rise this morning; they .ms s , 26 i, 4,1, 3, 3• Current Prices: Chilian 69/, New Spanish 26/, OW 33, Ye* Prussian 77/, Old 81, Russian 71i, Danish 80, Colombian 501 New Spanish Scrip 40. • Consols are just done at 74y. PRICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK. • 3 per Cent. Consols 74% % 1/ 2 4 per Cents. New 94% %—lndia Bonds 21s. 2O Etcliequer Bills of £l,OOO, I Is. 9s. • • - Bank for Acct. 237 210 Consols for Payment 74% % 5(2 34) The Marquis of LANSDOWN, deceived by song erroneous report of what had fallen from Mr. CAN' NINO in the House of Commons into an irnpresio. that all hope of preserving the peace of Europe if an end, put a question last night to the Midistersi the Upper llouse, the scope of which was to as lerate the production of those documents which Foreign Secretary expressed the readiness of his 111 A sEsTv's Government to produce, in explanationio vindication of the mediating and neutral line' policy it has pursued. Lord LIVERPOOL reptto what Mr. CANNING had really said, namily," though the hopes of maintaining peace* weie`g4 diminished, they.were " not totatl . f • • f's Till-that is the cise— till the negociatidLs are trim; at an end—i justified in e them than th We find tb surprise with vehement ora remark ; and, reprobation al but certainly who think it ni the guiding st mcnts have thl which there cl the speech es of They will be r ever may be tl by most pent)] thusiasm; and a conviction strictly the ill( A Morning for its susccpti indicated a di day that Sir F Public (and its upon thinking fore, on the s gression." thinking," is acute—that th, that " the I3ot whatever," any .4 possess to cone spect, and not which," saith t disgrace and sl It has been eloquence has r ciety? Were it thinking" we si rank ourselves I BOURBONS of I for wishing to tic errand, to an for risking thei posed, pei Laps Spanish rillativi ail this presumi proselytes to e should have dic to Spain ; shot thing in princip about to invade not endanger, 1 from an idea (vk her aid is wants designs of Fi a such " acute thi The Quolidie; are quite confid will meet no res that a large pa will be ready tc champions of re bon King. It is accurately from we reason but I doubt that the I larly well the fa to Paris—that s that they never rillas, and rece friends than as i zens of that enli of all ranks cr( welcoine the sf They added an theatrical spew• the amusement Through the lo Gentlemen, wh( breasts of the P Cz.t a's guards, in their baize co. the English sold the frill, the onl the use of, nothi sure at the fine at the martial la a dishevelled h toine, or St. Mai vied the soldiers use of weapons was nothing bu it only when th same scene was up arms for the' who fled with th but a few old em Of all the Et patriotism. The; military glory ; invade r but as th leader, nor of into bent but as a me so the Spaniards. Mighty arm whir by_the heads of the invaders to cu its streets , with th Sear, armed peas I I I