Star. — London, England, 1808-05-07 00:00:00

KTOTICE is Hereiiy dhoen, That an Adjourned 4. , General Assembly ofd Company of PROPRIE rORs the TUNNEL UNDER tII RIVER THAMES, will he holdet st the London Tavern' On Wednesday the lßth tiky of May inst. et eleven o'clock In the forenoon. INO. MILLS EVANS, Clerk to the Company of Proprietors. PARLIAMENTARY PAOC.EEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY d. Their Lordships met at ten o'clock this morning, pursuant to a special order, for the purpose of proceeding Lt the Appeal Cause ' Tile Earl of Wemyss v. the , Rev. Daniel Macqueen and others," Mr. ADAM and Mr. Gituts were heard at considera ble length on the part of the Appellant, after which the further proceedings were postponed until Monday nett. In Bland's Divorce Bill, Mr. Mattison was heard at some length, in behalf of the Petitioner, and Nfr. Kix°, ,m the part of Mrs. Bland; some evidence was then adduced, and the further beating postponed until next Tuesday se'nnitit. A Person from the Contniissioners of Customs presented an Account of the Imports and Exports of Great Br:, in, tor three months, ending the ltith of February last.—Ordered in lie en the Table. SCOTCH JUDICATUR E. After some routine business, the Hoose resumed the Committee upon this Bill, when several clauses were read and successive amendments proposed, which gave ' rise to a long discussion between the LORD CHAN , CELLO R and Lords LAUDERDALE and ROSS LYN, and several verbal amendments were made and others rejected. Lord ERSKINE then proposed, as an amendment, that persons appealing to this House, should previ ously petition the Chamber before which the cause was originally tried, stating the facts divided from the law, with a power to the Judos, at their option, to direct an issue on the fact to be tried by a Jury. This gave rise to some further discussion between the LORD CHANCELLOR and Lord REDES DA LE, when, upon the suggestion of the former, Lord ERSKINE postponed his amendment. Lord GRENVILLE objected to the wording of the preamble to the last clause of the Bill, appointing Commissioners, with powers to Inquire into the Ad ministration of Justice .;.‘ Scotland, and proposed as an amendment, that the words, it has been conceived that it might be for the utility of the subjects in Scot land, that Trial by Jury should he introduced in cer tain causes, &c." should be left out, for the purpose of substituting words, whereby the duty of the Commis sionefs should be directed particularly to eases where the Trial by Jury might be beneficially introduced. This Amendment was strenuously supported by Lords ERSKINE, ROSSLYN, and LAUDER DALE, and opposed by the LORD CHANCEL LOR, Lord MORTON, and Lord HAWKES BURY, who warmly supported the Clause as it originally stood. The Amendment was then nega tived without a division. Lord LAITDE RDA LE then proposed an Amend ment, limiting the powers of the Court of Session in passing acts of .tederugA, Lord GRENVILLE, in support of the clause, contended that it was the duty of Parliament to pre vent its enactments from be , ng stayed by an assumed power of the Court of Session. Ile thought this Court should be called upon to lay before their Lord ships an account of the nature and tendency of those acts of me/crust, and of the right by which that power was assumed. He. arraigned their alleged inheritance from the Privy Council of Scotland, the most tyran nical body of men that ever disgraced the worst acts of the race of the Stuarts, and concluded by de claring his warm concurrence in the Amendment of his Noble Friend The question was then put, and the amendment neviletived without a division. House having resumed, Lord HAWKESBURY moved, 'hat the Report be received tomorrow, and then printed, in order to give their Lordships a view of the Bill as amended. His Lordship expressed a hope that the third reading of the Bill would not be delayed beyond Wednesday next. The Report was ordered to be received to-morrow accordingly. RfVERSIONARY BILL. Lord HAW KESBU R Y stated that, perhaps from some mistake or inadverteute of his, it did not appear on the books, that an order was made for summoning their Lordships upon the second reading of this Bill, on Monday the 9th instant. He should thereibre now move, that their Lordships be summoned for that day. Lord LAUDERDALE said, that as some Lord, in consequence of not being summoned early fin• that day, might conceive that a measure of such magni tude could not be then discussed, and might therefore be absent, he thought it would be more for the conve nience of their Lordships, if the Noble Secretary of State would defer the second reading of the Bill until Tuesday. Lord HAWKESBURY acquiesced in this sug gestion, and an order was accordingly made till. sum nioiting their Lordships for Tuesday, instead of Mon day. Adjourned at half-past Eleven. HOUSE OF COMMONS. 0 1 0 TS JUTX;FIS SA LAKIb:S.. The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND brought in 7. bill for granting Salaries to the Judges in Scotland, on Resignation of their Uffices.—Kcad a first time, ordered to be read a second time mid to be printed. Mr. limit:a, from the Customs, presented the Returns of the quantities of Barley, Rye, Meal, &c. imported from they ear t 793, with the bounties paid thereon. yAIIeIAATER GENERAL'S ACCOUNTS. The WI to; accelerating the Auditing of the Accounts of the Paymaster General of the Forces was reported, and ordered to be reed a third bate on Monday. EStlrEcit4Fß BILLS. I 1 . - HOSICIISON presented asktecount of the Exchequer Billc outstanding, istutd under the Act of the 47th of the King.—'l'u iir se the table. SIR HOME POPHAM. Mr. I.USHINGTON fixed his motion relative to the ship Etrueco, for "ruesday next. CHILD 6TEALIND. The House went into a Committee on the Bill for preventing the crime of Child Stealing. Mr. Alderman COMBE proposed that the age of the child should be reduced from seven to five years. iiYEAKER recommended to the worthy Al derman, to adhere to his original idea of seven years, being the legal age. The Honourable Member acquiesced in this sug gestion, and the word " seven" was ordered to stand part of the Bill. Mr. Alderman COMBE then proposed that the crime should be accounted grand larceny. Mr. JODDRELL thought child stealing a crime that magnitude, that it ought to be ptuushall with deada. Mr. LUSHINOTON Was ho less &posed to check the frequency of this crime, than the Hoft. Mem ber who spoke last could bo, but he was of opinion our Criminal Code was alteady too much loaded with capital offences. • I Mr. ELLISON said, he could wish, for the sake of humanity, that many of our capital offences were erpunged from the Statute Book ; but conceiving, as he did the crime of child stealing tote one of the most diabolical which could bt committed, and in which the peace and very existence of society were implica• ted ; while, at the same time,by our Statute Book as it did stand , the stealing of so paltry a consideration as a sheep, or a pig, was a capital offence, he could not think it merited any thing short of a capital pu nishment. Mr. J. ABERCROMBY remarked, that it was a notorious fact, well-known toall who *ere accustomed o look into our prisons, that no punishment was locked upon with more indifference, nor was there any in which the culprits seemed so little sensible of the crime they had committed, as where the offence was of a capital nature. 'l'll.> state of our gaols afforded such convincing proofs of th^ humanity of the Sovereign, that a commutation of punishment, if not a total re mission, was almost uniformly counted on. He was of opinion, therefore, the best mode to check this offence, grievous as 11c confessed it to be, would be, at once to visit it with an adequate punishment. Strangers were excluded after a few observations from other Members, but no division took place. The different clauses were gone through, and the amendments were to be proposed on bringing up the Report, which was ordered to be received on Monday. Ths following is a copy of the Bill: Wherers the practice of carrying away young ritildfch by forci ble or fraudulent meam front their parents or other persons having the care and charge of them, commonly called Child stealing, has of late much prevailed and increased; And whereas no .. adequate punishment is as yet by Law provided . . for so heinous an offence ; be it therefore enacted, by the King's most FaC.llent Majesty, by and with the advice a:icl consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament asst mbled, and by the authority of the unit., that if any person or persons, from and after the passing of this Act, shall, either by force or fraud, lead, take or carry :sway, or decoy or entice away any child under the age of aeren years, with intent maliciously to conceal and detain such child from its parent or parents, or from any other person having the lawful care or charge of such child, or with in tent to stead any article of apparel or ornament, or other thing of value or use, upon or about the person of such child, to whomso ever such article may belong, or shall receive or harbour with any such malicious intent as aforesaid any child, knowing the same to have beets so by force or fraud fed, taken or carried, or decoyed or enticed away as aforesaid, every such person or persons, and his, her and their Counsellors, Procurers, Alders, and Abettors shall be deemed and shall he subject and liable to all such pains, penalties, punishments, and forfeitures as by the laws now in force may bt inflicted upon, or incurred by persons c I ivicted of And be it further enacted, that if any person or persons who shall be ordered to be transported by virtue of this Act, shall be afterwards at large within Great Britain, without some lawful cause, before the expiration of the term for which such person or persons shall be ordered to he transported, all and every such per son and persons, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall auger death, as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy. And be it further enacted, that such person and persons so or dezed to be transported as aforesaid, and afterwards found at„.l Large within Great Britain, may be tried for such offence either before Justices of Assize, Oyer and Terminer or Gaol Delivery for the county, city, or place where such person or persons was or were so convicted seal ordered to be transported as aforesai.l, or before Justices of Assize, Oyer and Terminer or Gaol Delivery for the county, city, or place where such person or persons shall be aperehended and taken (such county, city, or place be ' ing within England or Wales) ; and that the clerk or other per son having the custody of the records of the Court by which such person or persons was or were ordered to he trattsported, shall certify a transcript briefly and in a few words, containing the tenor and effect of the indictment, conviction, and order of trareiportajion of such person and persons, which certificate being produced to the Court ht tore whorn such person or persons shall stand un their trial, shall be a sufficient proof that such person or persons bath or have befort. hen convicied and ordered to be transported. t.151' a bIA CONIFANV. Mr. CREE\'FX mewed for a variety of Papers winch had barn laid bcfOre the Committee appointed to blame into the State of the Company's Affairs, to slim that the statement contained in their Petition was a manifest deception on the public. In that statement, the Company declared their deficit to be only 2,440,0001. when in tact the sum is really :1,000,0001. It would he sce.q by the Papers, when on the table, thatinstead of a surplus of 8,001,0001. there could be actually a deficit, on the whole of P,000,0001. it would therefore become the Company to explain, why they made such false statements.— With respact to the India Debt, that they stated to he chargeable on the Indian Territories. How the credi tors to the amount of :it2,000,0001. would like such a guarantee, he did not know. The Papers which he should move for were—an Account of :4 1 1 Loans in India, and the terms of the same ; and an Ac count of the Trade with India, called Quick Stock by computation ; which trade, the Hon. Gentleman ob served, was regularly and rapidly declining. It 'night he said, that he should have made these complaints to the Committee of which he was a Member. To this he should reply, that _it would have been useless to make any complaints to a body formed as that Committee Vav—t.tvo Directors being upon it. He did not mean to charge the Directors, individually with mii-statements of the Company's Finances, but as a body. The formation of the Committee was ra dically bad. Several of the Members were receiving pensions from the India Fund, and consequently were interested in favour of the Company. The Honour able Gentleman concluded with moving his first Motion. Mr. DUNDAS declared, that in forming the Committee he had been actuated only by a desire to hare persons, who, from their official situations, were competent to give satisfactory information as to the state of the Company's Affairs. If there was any objection to the persons, why did not the Hon. Gen tlematt make the objection before the Committee was formed ? The India. Company was ready to give every satisfaction to the House ; and as the papers world in the course of a short time be laid on the ta ble, with other documents, he should object to the motion of the Honourable Gentleman, and move the previous question. Dr. LAWRENCE contended, that his Honour able Friend was by no means bound to wait for the production of this paper at any future stage; if it were of importance, the sooner it was had the better. The Committee might be well enough formed for giving the information to the House on the affairs o; India, yet not fitted to give an impartial opinion of the solvency of the Company many years hence ; DM was the general observation, of there being ofi that Committee several members intimately Connected with the affaitilaml interests of the Committee, to be *rested into an imputation of petsoital disrespect to any individual. • Mr. DUNDAS explained. Sir JOHN ANSTRU'I'HER said, that theingh a Member of that Committee, and connected with the Company, he did not stand in such g situation as that the solvency or insolvency of the Company should in the least affect him or his integrity. The situation he held from the bounty of his Sovereign he trusted would be justified by the opinion of those who were acquainted with his conduct while in India. He admitted every one had a right to criticise the Petition as much as they had a mind. Yet why had not the Honourable Member made his objections, when the Petition Was presented and debated in that House ? It was rather strange to propose to make the Ilouse better acquainted with the matter now under discussion of the Committee, by the produc tion of two or three papers, than the Report of the Committee could, with all its investigation and re search, for the space of several weeks. No papers had as yet been refused to the Committee, and all those which the Honourable Member had moved for had been obtained without any oppesition, except in one instance, in which the request was finally gran ted by the assistance of his Honourable Friend (Mr. I)undas). He considered this an indelicate mode of casting a slur on the conduct of the Committee, which flsrm its labour and research was entitled to the confi dence of the Country and the House. Lord FOLKESTONE was happy the papers bad been moved for by his Hon. Friend, as they would probably throw some additional ligh it y t on a matter which was . Mr. WI LIAM 8M ITH thought his Honourable Friend had been used rather hardly by Members who imputed to hint an intention to attack personally the character of individuals on the Committee. He had a right to argue generally, and he did now move that all persons should be excluded from the trial of a cause in which they themselves were interested ; such was the principle on which a ballot took place in that House from amongst forty-nine Members at least, and on such a principle the right of chal lenging jurors was founded by the purity of the con stitution. Mr. WALLACE considered the Motion unne cessary, but had no objection to the production of the-papers. Mr. GRANT defended the Members of the Com mittee from any partiality. He had no wish to sup press information, but was satisfied this informa tion would in proper time come before the House, and he believed that this information would give the Country rather a favourable idea of the state of the Company's affairs. Mr. PATTERSON maintained, that every dispo sition had been displayed by the East India Company, to produce the information that had been demanded; if that system were continued, he hoped it would prove the state of the Company was by no means so deplo rable as had been represented. Mr. CREEVEY said, he was sorry to find the Honourable Director's prophecies of an immense sur plus of millions were not likely to be realized. Did he mean to say, that these loans would not hereafter be necessary for the relief of the Company. He would not say, that he would not lend the Company money, but he would contend that the trade was ra pidly declined. On their own trade they had tape rienced a loss of £260,000 last year. Whilst such was the state of things in India,he thought it his duty to produce to the House the documents he had moved for, but which, as he found there existed a disposition to negative them, he.should not press the House to a division on that subject. Mr. S. DUNDAS explained. _ _ . _ Mr. GRANT said it \was not the intention of the- East India Company to deceive the public with re spect to their affairs. No such intention ever existed, and the papers produced to the Committee would alone prove this assertion. The motion and amendment were then severally withdrawn. Mr. CREEVEY then moved, '1 hat there be famished to the House an account of all loans and terms of loans made tor the East luslia Company in the East Indies. After some observations from Dr. LAWR ENCE, Mr. TBKEAD, and Mr. Du:soils, this motion was also withdrawn. Mr. CREEVEY then moved for accounts of the profits of the East India Company on investments trcni India and China. Mr. I)UNDAS observed, that this accotmt would also be regularly before the Committee, and was therefore unnecessary. It was accordingly with drawn. Mr. BIDDT.TI,PH hoped the Hon. Baronet oppo site s oul, put off his motion on the Carnatie question until Tuesday sennight. Sir T. TURTON agreed in the suggestion of the Hon. Member, in hopes he would have the honour of his assistance on that day. AIISCELLANFOUS. Mr. HORNER moved, that tln:re he laid before the House an Account of the numbt r of Appeals from the Courts in Scotland to the House of Lords, since the year 17ti0, distinguishing those of each year, the Number of Days which have been occupied on each Appeal, distinguishing those also in which the Set:fence of the Courts below have been confirmed, and those in which that Sentence has been reversed ; together with an Account of the Number of Appeals now pvtiding for Judgment before the House of Lords.—Ordered. Mr. HORNER likewise moved, that there be laid before the House an Account of the Writs of Error which have been brought b, fore the House of Lords since the year 1793, from the Courts of Chancery, King's Bench, and Exchequer, distinguishing those of each year ; and those where the Decisions of the Courts below have bee confirmed, and those ih which such Decisions have been resTtsed.—Ordered. Mr. WARD presented some further Papers, pursuant to an Order of the House ; and gave notice of a motion for Monday, for leave to bring in a Bill for the better regulation of the Naval Asylum. The Irish Militia Pay and Clothing Bill, the Irish Militia Ad jutants Bill, the Irish Militia Subalterns Allowance Bill, were se verally committed, in a Committee of the Whole House, and the Reports were ordered to be received on Monday next. Mr. BWDULPH put off his motion on Finance, till Tuesday next. The Interment Bill passed through a Committee of the whole House, and the Report was ordered to he received on "Tuesday. The Committee on the Dublin Police Bill was postponed till Tuesday. The Irish Assessed Taxes Bill passed through a Committee of the whole House, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday next. Mr. MOORE presented a Petition from C. Morgan, Esq. against the taandWich Election, on the ground cf bribery and 11111.. 1 ) . wall(d qvaliltation In the Sitting Member, which *as otdeted to be taken into cdnsideratioo on Tuesday, May a4th. A Bill for raising 1,500,0001. by means of Exchequer Bills, w a , brought ttp and reed a first tune. Another Bill fdr raising Three Millions by moans of Exchequer Bills was brought up and ftad a first dine, and ordered to ne 1 , 4 a second time on Monday. _ _ . . _ Mr. WHARTON presented a printed Copy of the Evidesee taken before the Committee on the Petitions for and against zi g Orders in Council. The abet Orden of the Day being disposed of, the House ad. journed till Monday. TO ',ME EVENING STAR. LONDON. SATURDAY. MAY 1. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE ovi.ocx. Consols, fur money, 67H—Eur sec. 6 :4—Reduced 'Ai 0— Exchequer Bills, 69. 98. prem.—lndia Bonds 9s. 14. m. MICE OF STQCK SimYpt.:AS'In:.It7DIAI-Yi.n, Bank Stock 3374 Imp.: per Cent. 601 66 3 per Cent. ked. 678 I 3 per Cent. 011:9. 67141 huh i per Cent 99;;:t 4 per Cent. eStit Ladle-4 hill,, Itls. 's q • . • • ~ pre. S per Cent. Navy, 49 1 , l English 'I jails 2tg. I9s. Lung Ann. Id /1-16 his Cuns. for ACC. bill India Stuck It9l By a Gentleman who landed at Harwich yesterday morning, having with great difficulty made his escape from Holland, where he had been imprkoned tie three weeks, we learn, that all the persons who assisted in the escape of the Han. Mr. CFCIL JcstaNsox, a short time ago, have been committed to prism, it is feared, will suffer death The official report of the proceedings of the Swe• dish artny at Norway has been received in town-- The Swedes proceed in their victorious career, aid, after having taken the fort of Kongvinger, rushed on to the Glommen Lake. The enemy, about 64(x) strong, lid entrenched themselves in a strong posi tion upon the Glommen, and opposed the attack of the Swedes for three hours. But a division of the Swedish army storming the redoubt in front, and ano. tiler divison taking the enemy in the rear, the latter retreated r earrying off their cannon, but leaving heLind their stores and ammunition-waggons. A detachment el the Swedish troops had in the mean time taken the fort of Blackiers, which is the inlet to Christiana, to which place General At:MFELDT meant immediately to proceed over Mangal-Fjell.—Christiana is a tine city, and the possession of it by the Swedes will enable them to receive all sorts of supplies from this country with the utmost facility. The following letter is important : " STOCKHOLM, APRIL IL It is not to be expected that we can trade with Russia tinder the existing circumstances : indeed, you will perceive the thing is impossible, when I tell you that a fresh Edict has been published at St. Peters burgh by the Emperor, forbidding all commercial connections with the British, and the entrance into Russian Ports of all vessels coming from England, until the present misunderstanding between the two countries can be mule up. I suppose you have heard that in February the Liquidation Committee published that all British subjects are bound and required to produce the balance of their property, consisting of vessels lying in the ports of Russia, rnersliandize lying in the Exchange, and at the Custottt•house ware houses; likewise their capitals and bills, excepting such capitals as are placed in the Bank : and who ever has any kind of demand or pretensions on the British merchants, or are themselves indebted to them, are bound to inform the Liquidation Commis. sion of the same within four months from the first publication thereof in the newspapers; after that time is elapsed, the Commission will neither receive nor discharge any demands which may be made upon them by British subjects." Parliament is expected to rise about the tenth of June. This morning, the Earl of HARDWICK received a confirmation of the melancholy news of the shipwreck and death of his son Lord Rovsros, as mentioned iu the foreign intelligence in the STAR of Thursday last. A notification has been received, rather of an offi cial character, that the island of Zealand will be im mediately declared by our Government in a state Of blockade. This notification is considered as quite authentic by the Swedish and other Merchants con nected with the Baltic trade. Dispatches have been received at the Admiralty, which are said to speak cf the Brest fleet as making motions indicative of a disposition to put to sea. In deed a report has got into circulation, that a consi derable force lately slipt out, during the prevalence of the easterly winds, which drove our blockading squadron up Channel. An Order of Council will shortly appear, for the restoration of all such Portuguese property detained in this country as belongs to Portuguese subjects now within this realm, or who are with their lawful Sove reign in the Brazils. The Duchess of Yoxi will complete her forty-first year to-morrow ; the same will be observed at Oat lands. Their MAJi sn IES, the huNcEssis, and other branches of the Royal Family, are ezpected to visit her Royal Highness upon the occasion. In the Common Council yesterday, Mr. WAITR. MAN presented a petition, which, he said, contained matters of seriou. importance, affecting the rights awl privileges of the Citizens at large. It was from a person, wliose sun had been a Citizen and Liyeryniaa of London fOr fourteen years, and was, in consequence of a warrant backed by the Lord Mayor, impressed at a house in Fleet -street, taken to the NultryConipter, and, after a hearing before his Lordship, sent on board the Tender. He said, he would not then give an opi nion as to the propriety of the conduct of the Chief Magistrate, but would move that the petition be real, and afterwards referred to Select Committee; whizie ss • as agreed to. *of .a M' sae 1 11 " 4e C i 1