Star. — London, England, 1822-05-17 00:00:00

le • • . 04. • , • • . N .\ e 0. ; • ".1 ' ; - . PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. • HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY le. Sir J. YORKE presented a Petition from the Proprietors Waterloo Bridge, praying to be heard by Counsel against cer tain provisions cOntailted lit the lambety Roads NlL—Referred to the Committee on the - Bill. Lord BINNING having obtained leave to present a Petition for • BM to incorporate the Subscribers to the Scotch Na- tional Monument, presented it accordingly.—Ordered to lie on the table. Lord SA NDON presented i Petition from the Farmers, Tan neys, Currier*, Saddlers, and other inhabitants of the town of Merlon. praying the repeal of the Leather Tae.—Ordered to be printed. A Petition was presented from Tynemouth, praying for Sixes : vision of the Criminal Code.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BRANDLINO presented a Petition from the Inhabit tants of a Parish in Northumberland, praying a revision of the Criminal Law.—Ordered to be printed. Colonel BAGWELL presented a Petition from the Sheriff and Grand Jury of the County of Tipperary, representing the dis tress which prevailed in that part of Ireland, and praying the House to impose duties on the importation - of foreign Butter. Colonel BAGWELL also presented a Petition from Frederick Hawkins; Esq. late Clerk of the Crown for the same County, praying the interposition of Parliament for the restoration of his vested rights.—linth ordered to be printed. Mr. Cli A LONER presented a Petition from the Curtiers, Tanners, and other inhabitants of York against the Leather Tax.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. T. WILSON presented a Petition from certain persons carrying on the trade of Currier' in London and Westminster, against else repeal of the Leather Tax.—Laid on the table. Sir C. COLE presented a Petition from the High Sheriff and Grand Jury of the County of Glamorgan against the present system of Welsh Judicature, and praying that justice might be administered in Wales as it was in England. After a few words from Mr. Aaszeitostar and Sir W. W. Wr:se the Petition was read and ordered to be printed. Mr. ALLAN postponed his motion on the subject of Welsh Judicature till the 23d instant. Mr. BEN NET brought in a Bill to regulate the granting of Publicans' Licenses.—Bead a first and ordered to be read a second time on Monday, and the Bill to be printed. Mr. N. CALVERT brought up the Report of the Bakers' Regulation Bill, which was ordered to be taken into further con sideration on the 21st instant. Mr. BYNG brought up the Report of the Committee on a Petition for leave to present a Petition, and pray fqr leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the Law with respect to County Bates in the County of Middlesex.—Leave wps given to present this Petition, which was accordingly presented and or dered to be laid on the table. Lord EDW ARD SOMERSET presented a Petition from btawel Vold, complaining of Agricultural Distress.—Ordered to be printed. Sir WM. CONYNGIIAM FA IRLIE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the inat George 111. chap. 51, for im proving Lands in Scotland, held under strict entail. General GASCOY.NE presented a Petition from the Ship owners of Liverpool against the Lill for amending the Navigation Laws.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. L. LECK presented a Petition from a Parish in the County of Leicester, against the Catholic Peers' BilL—Ordered W he printed. • Mr. SYKES presented a Petition.from the Guardians of the Poor at Kingston-upon-liun, against the Poor Removal Ordered to be printed. Mrs GOOCH presented a Petition from the Tanners, Cur. Tiers and others concerned in the Leather Trade, at Ipswich, in Suffolk, praying for a new Regulation of the Leather Tax.—Or dered to lie on the table. Mr. COKE presented a Petition from certain Owners and Occupiers of Land in the Hundred of Treebridge, in the money of Norfolk, on the subject of Agricultural Distress.--Orristud to be printed. Mr. T. WILSON moved for a Return of the quantities of Foreign Spirits imported in the last year.—Ordered. Mr. LUSHINGTON presented a Petition from the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Corporation of Canterbury, against the Catholic Peers Bill. After a few words front Lord QM.. rno, the Petition was ordered to be printed. VAGRANT LAWS AMENDMENT BILL. Mr. CHETWYND moved that the Vagrant Laws Amend ment Bill should be recommitted. The House went into a Committee on the Bill, in which the Memorable Member stated the clauses which were considered objectionable to have been omitted. The clauses were then severally' read. A clause respecting the specification of Gipsies, or persons re presenting themselves to be such, occasioned a conversation of some length, and the gallery was ordered to be cleared ; but, ul timately, the clause was agreed to without a division. The House having resumed, the Report was ordered to be re ceived to-mortow. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. Mr. R. MARTIN rose to present a Petition from certain inhabitants of the village of Camberwell, all of whom he understood were persons of great re spectability and property, praying for some legisla tive enactment to prevent the ill-treatment of animals. This subject at present occupied the minds of many of the most inteliigent persons in the kingdom, and the Petitions presented to the House were most re spectably signed. The House would be shacked, if he were to enter into a statement of the cruelties practised, even within a short distance of where they were then sitting. In Westminster there was a place called the Pit, where might be found congregating some of the greatest vagrants in existence. By some it would be said that Parliament ought not to interfere with the amusements of the lower orders. The cruel prac tices, however, which he wished to suppress were not the sports of the People, but those of a congregation of wretches whose barbarities ought to be checked.— lie held in his hand a bill which had been issued some time ago, announcing that Jacko Atacama (a monkey) who was called first cousin to Majocchi, was to fight with a white bitch, and would fight any dog of double his weight. The battle announced in this bill took place. The bitch core the under jaw of the monkey away altogether, and the monkey tore out the bitch's windpipe ! They survived in agony I for a short time, and then died. Sports so abhor rent to human feeling were not to be regarded with .tenderness, as constituting the sports of the People.— It was desirable to put them down in order to spare human beings, for he, when l p went to this pit, in order to see what was to be done there, saw a woman who had just returned from a Hospit al she had been confined for six months, in consequence of her scalp having been torn off by a bear—for at the place in question bears are kit, as well as monkies, and from fifty to sixty badgers. He believed, under the existing law, such exhibitions could be stopped, but at all events he thought an Hon: Friend of his who had a Police measure us the House, could easily introduce a clause to apply to them.—(Hear, Hear.) ,KIIART spoke against treating animals Though the brute creation were sub ... dominion of men, it was never intended should be subjected to torture. He was there ' to favour the Petition, and also the bill Gentleman. !RN EY reprobated the transactions which at the a WeAminster Pit." He was op. . interfering with the amusements of the lower he did nut believe that the scenes which • the 4 , Pit" mare exclusively patronised orders. The Hon: Member for Galwaj that be had visited the ".Pit," and he might, existing law, s all events he t a Police meas a clause to ap Mr. LOCI; with cruelty. jected to the 4 !i 1 ; that they shou • 1;; . , Iti fore di,pozed of the Hon. C i .iiihiiiii..._ 1 ' Mr.II.GU I 4 . took ?Lice at posed to inter i usden,•but he took place at by the lower! ltdid said that I , I . I i ` . P " -- "q(IIK I RP I RR I WP I WW"" r ' r " I P I "ArPr 7 "7"7 .. • ' 471 7 11/11 . perhaps, tektbe flues. , hOWIIIO I _ ime l liniment be sit_w thisall—(Heies ) Colonel itACIWELL hoped tit. It" . be t Gurney) t 0 meta to impute sty b ame Member wayfor going to the so IPit," • had stated whit hif bbiect was for icing there. Mr. It. MARTIN said he should not like to' . sent at any of the combats which took place at the " Pit." He went there on a Sunday; but he saw the ani in all which were destined to take part in theconfii cts. The Petition wee than read, and ordered to be printed. N . lONIAN ISLANDS. Sir ROBERT WILSON, seeing the Honourable Secretary for the Colonial Department in his place, wished to put a question to him, the answer to which might prevent a very painful proceeding, and do jus tice to a calumniated individual, as well as remove a discredit from the national character. It would be recollected .that his Hon. Friend, the Member for Montrose, or Aberdeen, in his motion the other night, stated that a Petition, framed according to the Ith Article of the Constitution of the lonian Islands, had been seized while in a course of signature, and that those who signed it had some of them suffered. the confiscation of eseir property, and others; having left the country, were unable to return. The Honourable Secretary said, in reply to this, that the contents of the Petition wire treasonable and seditious. Now he (Sir Robert Wilson) had seen what he was informed to be a copy of the Petition, and so different was its character from the above description, that he could not but conceive that he had not seen a faithful copy. He therefore wished to ask, whether the Honourable Secretary would agree to a motion for layinian au thentic copy of the Petition before the House ? and also to inform him, whether any persons implicated in the transaction were now confined, and prevented from returning to their country ? Mr. WILMOT said, he should feel it his duty to resist the production of the document without other accompanying ones to explain it. It was his intention to move for the Return in conjunction with others which he deemed necessary. With respect to the latter part of the Hon. Member's inquiry, he knew nothing of the circumstances alluded to. WEST INDIA INTERCOURSE BILL. Mr. ELLICE wished to ask the Right Hon. Gen tleman whom he saw opposite, the President of the Board of Trade, whether he meant that the Bill for, regulating the Intercourse between the West India Islands and America, should come on to-morrow ? The Hon. F. ROBINSON said, that he hoped to bring forward the Bill to-morrow. The only thing which stood before it was the motion of the Honour able Member for Hull, for the repeal of the Tax on Candles, and as that woull probably not take long in discussion, he hoped the other subject would come before the House. It certainly was his most anxious wish that it should do so. thing Mr. WILMOT said, that the act of Sir T. land was one to be sanctioned or not by the Govern ment, just as they thought proper. But this was raising a great political question, which could not then be discussed. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Mr.CURTEIS presented a Petition from the Select Vestry and - Occupiers of Land in the Pirish of May-. field, complaining of Agricultural Distress.' The Hon. Member commented upon the subject of the Petition, and said that no relief could be expected from the, measures now before the House. There were the two Parties in that House, and they both deserted the in terests of the agriculturists. The Ministers, and those who supported them, were ready to sacrifice the landed interests to political economy, manufactures, and Commerce; and the Opposition would sacrifice them to populerity,:lvikci the cry of cheap bread and low prices. He hoped that the country Gentlemen would unite, and form a party for the protection of their own interests. • Sir JOHN SHELLEY was sorry to be obliged to confirm the complaints of the Petitioners. He was of opinion there were no other immediate means of of-' fording relief than a reduction of the Salt Tax and the Leather Tax. Mr. JENKINSON attributed the distress of the Petitioners to the mal-administration of the Poor Laws. He thought this was the grand evil that pro duced all the difficulties of the country, and he hoped the House would meet. it openly, for they must do so I sooner or later. Mr. LO,:KHART contended that the system of the Poor Laws must be revised. The present distress must have a remedy, or the consequences would be dreadful. The existing suffering was but a spasm of a body just beginning to shew the incipient symptoms of a disease which must end in its dissolution amidst the most agonising convulsions. Mr. C. HUTCHINSON explained some remarks that had fallen from him upon a former occasion.— No man was more ready than he to sympathise with the distress of the English farmer, and no man would go greater lengths to afford him relief. But what he deprecated was, the mixing up relief to England, when the miseries and the sufferings of Ireland was the question before the House. When the Hon. Mem ber who presented the Petition talked of the suffer ings of England, he had no conception of those with which Ireland was afflicted ; and when he compared them together, he compared two things that were totally dissimilar. If the Hon. Gentleman's consti- Went: suffered what the peasants of the south and west of Ireland did, even in a time of their prosperity, he was convinced that not all the force in England would keep them quiet. Alter a few words from Mr. CurrEts'the Petition was ordered to be printed. ABSENTEES. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE then rose to present a Pe tition, of which he had given notice, from the County of Somerset, signed by about 600 persons, residing in the neighbourhood of Bath: The subject of the Petition had excited a great deal of attention in that quarter, and he was anxious to press it upon the at tention of his Majesty's Ministers. He did not expect that the Petition would . excite the displeasure of the Chancellor of the Exchetuff, for it prged for some additional taxes. The Petitl4lers were persons who bad deeply participated in the; distress which affected the country, and they looked 'to the matter of which they now complained as one of the collateral causes of that distress. The tax which they prayed for was one upon Absentees. They stated, that many per sons of high rank and fortune had gone to the Con tinent to take up their residence. In Paris, they cal culated that there were now ten thousand families from the different parts of England. These -they supposed to consist, upon an average, of five indivi duals, each of whom would expend one guinea per day; that was 50,000 guineas a day for the whole, $50,000 guineas a week, and 18,200,000 guineas in a year. This was only in Paris; and the other towns of France and. the Continent were filled in a similar proportion. In Brussels, they had the testimony d the Noble Marquis, in that able and enlightened speech which he delivered last night, that the Eng lish were so numerous as to give the appearance of an English population to the streets. And this was urged as a reason for our high expenditure for Foreign Ambassadors. The Petitioners also complained of the practice of sending the youth of both sexes to the Continent for their education; thereby injuiing our' national seminaries, destroying the national charac ter, and, as in one recent and lamentable instance, undermining the faith of the Established Religion of the country. They prayed that the House would be pleased to lay a tax upon the property or income of all absentees, to such an extent as shall make them fully share the taxation and burdens of the country. They also prayed that the House would prevent the payment of all Of of the Army and Navy, pen sioners, or annuitants, while they were out of the country. He was aware that there was a bonus for going to other countries in the cheapness of living, and the difference of the Exchanges was 25 or 26 per, cent. in their favour—(No, no).—He believed it was nearly as much, if not quite that—(No). --But for his own part he would rather live in this country with fifty pounds a-year, thin in any other with a much larger income. He hoped that his Majesty's Ministers, would turn their attention to this subject, and he was sure that no tax could be so popular as this, because it woull press upon the rich alone. The distress of the Petitioners they believed to be increased by this cause, and he was sorry that nothing had yet been done to afford relief. He would not believe that there were no means of affording it, but he was sure the Ministers had not given their minds properly 'to the subject.--(//ear.)--If something were not done, it was impossible to calculate* what consequences might ensue.—He moved that the• Petition be brought Mr. RICAIIDO objected to the prayer of the Pe titioners. He would. first set the Hon. Baronet right as to the exchanges—(Hear, hear).—So far from there being a difference of 26 per cent. 'they were nearly at par : Indeed they must be, • as we were now re turnedlici a metallic c'utienci, for with that the•ex. cLange% could never vary beyond a very triflidg kW. ii ie bet Baronet at the s ame which offered people going Hon. Baronet, making necessaries of life and the price of labour :a excessively dear, as to drive peopl e to countries where they could be obtained cheaper.... Besides the Corn Laws, there was another branch of our policy which assisted in producing the evil corn. plained of by the Petitioners. He was conainced that this might be the cheapest country of all others to live in, and that the capital of the whole world would flow into it, instead of ours going out, if we acted upon sound principles of legislation. In addition to the system of our Corn Laws, he meant the sweat of Loans, and the enormous National Debt we h a d accumulated. He might be accused of wildalieories, but he saw no reason why the National Debt might not be got rid of by a fair contribution of t h e rt ,,, perty of the country—( Hear, heer).—He meant from the funded interests, as well as all others—. (Hear, heetr).—lf this .were done, he was persuaded the country would rise to a state of prosperity far be lend what their imaginations could conceive. Mr. DENNIS BROWN concurred in the prayer of the Petition. He thought absentees were the chief cause of the present mischiefs in Ireland; and it seas not the least of the hardship, that the weight of the taxes fell upon residents, and that the exemption s were generally in favour of absentees. He coed upon those whose duty it was to watch over the in. terests of the Empire, to briig forward some specif.c measure on the subject. Mr. H.GURNEY said, he thought the Chancellor of the Exchequer would Sad it difficult to assess the tax proposed by the Hon. Baronet—(A laugh ). He (Mr. Gurney) thought there should be general freedom of egress and regress for all his Majesty's subjects, without distinction ; and especially he con demned any distinction which gave a preference to the rich over the poor—( Hear, hear).—He made this observation in consequence of several labouring artisans having been recently apprehended at Dover, brought up to Bow -street, and committed to pliant for want of bail, merely because they wished to go to Paris, and settle in the way of their business. He thought the law in this case was extremely hard, and he trusted it would be altered. It would be easily inferred that he did not approve of the sug gestion of the Hon. Baronet, and that he thought there should be no restriction whatever. Mr. DICKINSON thought emigration ought to be discouraged. History had shewn the mischief which emigrants occasioned the country they left. Emigra tion had always been a cause of distress to the country from whence it flowed, and a source of wealth to other countries. He wished he could lemind the persons who left the country in this time of distress, of the patriotic feeling of a Persian Ambassador, who brought to Europe a piece of hi; own native 1 earth, that he might recollect every day to do some thing for the benefit of Persia—(Hear).—The Eng lishmen who resided abroad at this time (said Mr. Dickenson) should recollect that in every act of their lives they were doing something to the injury of England. 7 -(Hear, Hear)—He would address to them the celebrated maxim of antiquity -o.Spartamnactus es, hanc exorna Herr.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sail he should not have addressed the House on the pie- Ivent occasion, did he not fear that the total silence of Ministers on the subject would lead to a belief that they disregarded the complaints alluded to by the Petition. Thel'a was, however, considerable diffi; ulty in the way of carrying the•suggestion of the Hrr. Baronet into effect; indeed, he trusted the lin BA lonet-would give him credit for having exerted him self as much as possible in the way of taxation— (A laugh).—He had always thOught that a tax upon absentees would be a very popular tai; but he never could think of one which was unobjectionable, eind at the same time practicable. With respect to the observations of a Right Honourable Member IMr. D. Brown) as to Irish absentees, he thought the Right Hon. Gentleman must be mistaken with regard_ to the operation of the law, as the taxes paid in thi; country were heavier in proportion than those paid In Ireland. Upon the subject genetallv cf loss of taxes by absentees, he had directed calculations to be made as accurately as possible upon Returns from the 'several' Tax Offices; and the result satisfied him that the loss of taxes from absentees was not more than C 5,000 a year. Absentees in foreign countries might in . general be divided into two classes: the first was composed. of those who travelled for amuse ment, and most of them returned in a short titre, _having kept.on their establishments in their absence; these, of course, paid taxes, and the loss from them was little or nothing.' flie second class might be found of those who lived abroad for purposes of eco nomy and for the arrangement of their affairs. In this class were many noble and respectable indivi duals, and it was from the absence of diem that the loss was principally occasioned. But he would pu: it to the House whether it would not be most harsh as well as impolitic to pass any measure seeking to compel them to return to this country, in which they had, already found it inconvenient to live ?—(Hear, hear). —Addressing himself to the observation of an Hon. Member (Mr. Gurney) :especting the law af fecting artisans, he had no hesitation in giving it as his opinion that the industry of British mechanics ought not to be locked up—(Hear, hear).—As to those who resided abroad with a view to economy, he thought that the best way to bring them back was to induce, rather than compel; :tad that the ia ducement would be, the making of the country comfoi:able and inviting —(Clieers).—Upon general grounds, he was perfectly satisfied that England, as a place of residence, would always be preferied ; and that when prices became equalized the absentees would return with increased regard for the instits 'dons and the comforts of their own country. • Sir' ISAAC COFFIN said, he was convinced that every half-pay Officer who lived abroad was indo. - ed to do soby poverty rather than inclination. Mr. w. , smini said, that after the avowal whica the Right Hon. Gentleman had made of his opinion respecting the law which restrained artisans front leaving the country, he trusted that the Right lion. Gentleman• would bring in a Bill to remove those tyrannous restrictions. It . wits moat tyrannical, whets it poor man attempted to escape ,frons poverty ; 10. . . - , . , • . , . • •-.. , . • 10iwituor via that he 'tome., tie should be entail* tent' if the ) cif Mir. . f. , o' '- 'occasion, that all litoree shipol in Isse a rtt a e olthis Petition were ever to be granted. Bunt ber (Mr. of the Proclamation welitd4se ai m d . mole surprised him was, that the lion. Baronet eto the Mr..IIVME remarkell t Orat lb* lad Hi slik Com 'd 1d support such a proposition, and at the same after he mistiouer had done this uponfr his own atthoritt i 'time *ippon a system of legislature which offered re. whereas the GovernMent i tself would not do such st the greatest possible temptations for people going i be pre- Minx without an Order in Council. abroad. The system advocated by the Hon. Baronet, .- _..1.e ATI._ wiLMCIT said. that the act of Sir T. Mait- was that of making the necessaries of life and the THZ GRZZIC WAR. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that as the contest between the Greeks and Turks was of so much im portance and interest to the country, it was his inten tion to ask for the public documents relative to it, to be laid in an authentic shape before the House. He wished to know whether the Noble Lord would have any objection to lay before the House a copy of the Proclamation issued:by the Lord High Commissioner upon this subject? - Mr. WILMOT could see no objection to a copy of the Proclamation being laid before the House. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, in reference to what had fallen from the Noble Lord opposite, observed, that the document alluded to was a matter of notoriety, and if it was to be called for for the purpose of raising a diicussion upon the subject men tioned by the Noble Lord, he might hold an opinion contrary to the adopting such a course. If the docu ment was only to be used as a means of inquiry with regard to the affairs of the lonian Islands, he should have no objection to its production. But he should certainly object to any proposition for opening the negotiations which had been carried on by this coun try, with regard to the other question. Lord JOHN RUSSELL observed, that the Noble Lord might object to any course he should think fit to adopt, when the document was laid before the House. Had the Noble Lord any objection to his moving for the Return now ? The Marquis of LONDONDERRY replied—" Not the least." Lord JOHN RUSSELL then moved— " That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, pray ing that he will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House a Copy of the Proclamation issued by the Lord High Commiss ioner of the lonian Islands, relative to the existing conflict between the Turks and Greeks." Mr. MAXWELL expressed his surprise that an Officer should be continued in a situation where he was hated and detested by the people. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY begged to state, that he held a very different opinion of the feelings of the people of the lonian Islands towards the gallant Officer. Mr. MAXWELL, having had some knowledge of the people, could state what their opinions were. He had been told by one person, that as they knew the gallant Officer to be connected by family with the Opposition, it was impossible they could receive jus tice from him. Sir ISAAC COFFIN had never heard that the Lord High Commissioner was hated or detested by any man living.—The Address was then agreed to. RUSSIAN TARIFF. Mr. SYKES wished to put a.question to the Noble Lord as to whether the Russian Tariff, which had lately been published, was officially communicated to the Government? The Marquis of LONDONDERRY did not know to which copy the Hon. Member alluded. There was one about which a question was asked him before, when he dated his belief that it was not correct. A tariff since that period had been authentically com municated to the Government. Mr. HUME asked a question relative to the pro ceedings of the Commissioners for settling the boun dary lines between our North American possessions •and the United States? • Mr. WILMOT said, that the work of settling the boundary lines was proceeding, The Hon. Member was aware that the petsons employed in that service were kept up at a certain expense. Although the business appeared to go on slowly, yet they were making all the progress which its nature would allow. HUM 4 put another question to the Hon. Screwy, Wad!, to prohibiting the sale of military stores to the Greeks.