Star. — London, England, 1810-04-19 00:00:00

DUTCH PAPERS. AMSTERDAM, APRIL 10. In execution of the Bth article of the Treaty concluded at Palk, the greatest activity prevails in . the Kiug's yards. A number of hands are already employed in the dock here, to clear away the mud, in order to get the he Ivy ships afloat ; and the com manders of the vessels in the Texel, who, upon the landing of the English, were removed, with their crews, to man the gun boats, by which the further progress of the enemy was prevented, have been or dered by his Majesty to return, as soon as possible, to their respective vessels, and to resume their former ccmmands. CONSTANTINOPLE, FEBRUARY 6. The English Ambassador, whose health has been much impaired since his residence here, is making preparations for his departure. One of his Secretaries of Leq,ation will act as Charge d'Affaires until the art ival of his successor. Some privileged vessels have been allowed to go up the Black Sea, upon the condition of bringing in return cargoes of grain. Perw.ission has also been given to all importers of corn, without distinction, to dii,pose cf it at the market price. We flatter our felv(s that this measure will have the effect of supply ing this capital with a sufficient stock of that article. VIENNA, MARCI .2Fr. According to letters from Bucharest, the Russian _limy has formed a junction with the Servians ; and a Turkish corps which attempted to obstruct this ope ration was routed with considerable loss. Prince Ba gration was still in Bucharest, and was forming ar r.L4gerncuts for an important attack upon the Turks. COPFNUAGEN, MARCH 31. His Highness Prince Christian Frederick will com mand the troops under orders to occupy our coasts. The English are digging a canal in the Isle of An holt from the place wiicre they build their privateers to the strand. The garrison of the Island principally consists of Highlanders. His Excellency the Privy Counsellor Von Rosen- Crantz, accompanied by the Gentleman of the Bed chamber, Von Qualen, will set off to-morrow on his mission to Paris. PARLIJIMENYARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL DS. The Royal Assent was notified by Commission to the Liner. i).lty Bill, the Irish Silk Trade Bill, the Local Militia Amend ment Bill, the Militia Completion Amendment Bill, the Royal institution Bill, several local and private in all 4ft. 'Ube Commissioners were, the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Aylesford, and I.ord Walsingharo. The Newcastle Coal Trade Bill, the Highgate Archway Bill, several other local and private Bill; were bmught up by Sir M. W. Ridley, Mr. Peter Moore, Sir Charles Bunhury, Sir J. G. Cotterell, the Solicitor-General for Scotland, and tither Members the House of Commons, and read a lint Adjourned ti►l Wednesday se'nnight, the 2d of May. HOUST OF COMMONS. The House having been in the House or Lords, the Speaker st►ted that the Royal Accent had been 'given to several Bills, for which see our report of the Lords, Tl , e Irish Insolvency II was read a second time and com nlitted. Mr. LOCKIIART brought in a Bill to regulate the settlements oft t. Poor, which was rtasi a fait, .I:id ordered to be read a se can•l The n'turns before the Hotie, relative to Bullion exported, were ordered to 1-e printed, on the motion of Mr. Horner. Mr. MANNING l•rott!tht up the minutes of the evidence taken before the Committee upon the London Dock Bill. Upon his nrNing s that they should be printed for the consideration of the Hons.., Fir T.l URTON conctived it right to ask for information, whether it wzs usual to have evidence on a private Bill thus brought under the considera:ion of the House? 'I he SPEAKER ani:wcred in the negative. The olij;:ct of re fen ing such Bills to Private Committees was in order to avoid that trouble of an examination of evidence, and to have a report of th.. r% sole. Such was the practice which the House had found must cenvenient, and tit:: instances of departure front it were very tare indted. I\ir. Is:NING stated that this Bill was entitled to ptcrliar enti.it!e:•alioil, the Cojcet of it being to enable the Company con cerned to borrow £750,N:0, which sum was necessary to the ob ject of their undertaking, in order to render the Dock sufficiently conaneclinUs. A ~!r..ult, T y convcrsatlon took place upon this subject, in which Mr. Rose, Mr. 1. H. Brown, Mr. Joddrel, Mr. Marry at t, and Mr. Barirg, took a part, and which concluded with the adoption of a motion fur referring the minutes back to the Com mittee. _ _ FOSTER obtained have to bring In a Bill for amending the Act wi:b regard to the Harbour of I.iowth, near Dublin. Mr. BANK ES brought up the Fifth Report of the Finance Commi:tee relating to the Paymaster of the Marines, and to other matters connected with the public effices. Ordered to be printed. On the motion of Mr. R. S. DUNDAS it was ordered that the House should, at its rising, adjourn till Monday se'nnight. Mr. LONG presented, pursuant to order, a Return of the Amount of the Army Extritot dinaries from Dec. '25, 1808, to December. 21, 1809. Ordered to he printed. AUSTRIAN CORRESPONDENCE. Mr. BROUGHAM postponed, till after the recess, his Motion which stood for this day, with regird to the correspondence which te , )!: place between our Ministers and the Austrian Government, pi. to the Scheldt Expedition. SPANISH AI , 7D poiurrocE:w. c.vmr.iacY. Mr. C kNNING nave notice of his intention to move for the productlou of cerain papers with regard to pr.in and Portugal before the proposed discussion of the Campaign should be brought forward—what those papers were he could not prt•cisely describe, until he had an opportunity of examining the papers already be t ire tl.c House, and not yet printed. Possibly these Papers might include the greattr part, if not all that lie looked tor—but lest they should not, lie thought it proper to give this notice, which conditionally, ac he had Mentioned, he would then ha lot the 4th of May. A!%IF.IticAN NCGCCIATION% Mr. CANNING re's:: to put a citiestton to the Honourable Gen tleman on the opposite Bench Whitbread) respecting our trausactions with America. It would be recollected, th. t °beer iration,, had been ni..de tending to intiinate that he (Mr. C.) had actually t.ll a lie Ile fore that Rows, and hi the face of the world, " Fa d t o the instructions which he, when in office, had given to Mr. Erskine. The Papers which served fully to eluci date this subject had tzen now nearly two mouths before the 'louse, and no proceeding was taken in pursuance of the object, with a eitsv to wl; the Honourable Gentleman called for those Pap( rs. lIP therefore thought it necessary to ask after such a public imputation as he had alluded to, had been cast upon his Character—whether the Honourable Gentleman meant to bring forward any motion upon this questicn, and at what time he would feel it convenient to do so ? • Mr. WHI'I'IIREAD stated,tbat in consequence of the pressure of public business for some time back, he had not yet been able to read tile Papers alluded to by the Right l!onourablc Gentle., man. But be would take care to examine them in the course of the recess, and if they did not serve to dislodge the impression beliad been induced to enterain upon this subject, lie should certainly feel it his duty to submit a motion to the House reSo pecting it. Mr. CANNING expressed a hope that the Right Honourable Gentlema. would either bring the matter utder discussion, or )r declining it, so that the intimation, of which ;omplalu, should not rculaiu uncenuAdicted. Mr. WHITBRrAD replied, " Undoubtedly"—•and added, that he felt himself bound to apologise to the Right Honourable Gentleman for the delay which had already taken Naze upon this subject. On the motion of Mr. ABERCROMBIE, a Return was or dered to be laid before the House with regard to the Casualties in the Army, from the close of the year Ibo 6, to the latest period at which the same could be made out. The Report of the Committee on the Isle of Man Trade was brought up, agreed to, and a Bill ordered accordingly. An Address was voted to his Majesty, praying that he would be pleased to order that there be laid before the House an Ac count of the Livings profiting by Queen Ana's Bounty, under I'ILO per annum,' specifying the rate and value of each at the time of granting the same. The Irh.it Coroner's Bill was retottunittcd. To be reported on Monday se'nnight. The Howth Harbour Bill was brelght in, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on the Ist May next. The Judges Salaries Bill was read a second time. To be com mitted on Monday se'nnight. The notice for rAi eying the Officers in the Army from the Pro perty Tax, was postponed till Tuesday the ht of May. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. Upon the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply. Mr. WHITBREAD expressed his desire that the Grants of Public Money should be deferred to a period when the House was, Irons a fuller attendance, best able to pronounce its opinion upon them. He wished to have the consideration of the Esti mates for Miscellaneous Servicee postponed until after the ap proaching,Quarter Sessions. Mr. WHARTON observed, that the first Estimates he wished to propose, referred to the sum of £lO,OOO for the Civil Roads in Scotland, to which he could not anticipate any objection. After some observations from Mr. M'utraitxne and the SPEAKER, in which the latter stated, the attention which the Commissioners appointed, one of which be was, for that object, had given the subject. The thing was nearly brought to a close, as all propositions for further aid must be before the Commissioners early in June next. He had also to observe, that the money last voted, was instantaneously paid, and in no instance had auy de falcation taken place. The suns proposed was then voted in the Committee. After sense conversation, in which the SPEACCIL took a part, and vindicated the Grant as being highly advantageous to the country, there were voted : For carrying on die Works at the Caledonian Canal X. 50,000 For the deficiency in the sum for Printing the Jour• _ nals of last year - - - - - For Printing the 62d Volume of the Journal 4 - For Printing the Bills, Vo:es, &c. for the present 713 3,500 Seabion - - - - - - JrFRe-printing four Volumes of the Journals _ _ Fur the british-11,4tuettnt 22,000 10,000 7,000 For completiog the Buildings for the Museum, 8:c. belonging to the College of Surgeons - - I 2,500 The Rerort was ordered to be received on Monday sennight. NAVY ESTIMATES. Mr. R. WARD presetited the Ordinary and Extraordinary Es timates of the Navy for the year 1810. To be printed. Mr. WARD gave not re, that he wou'd move them in a Com mittee of Supply on an &any day after the reczss. WAYS AND MEANS. In a Cemndttee of Ways and Mrans, The CHANCEI.I.OIR of the EXCHEQUER moved, that the Surplus of the Consolidated Fund for the present year be voted in part of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty. He took occa sion on this subject to inform the House, that the Consolidated Fund for the present year was X 7,019,000 more than usual, and nearly double the surplus average of other years. He then moved that there be granted towards the Supply to his Majery, the surplus of the Consolidated Fund, remaining in the Exchequer, amounting to £,033 000. After a short conversation this Resolution was agreed to. To be reported on Monday se's:night. state his reasons fo ha La 4 reason to ci THE LATE DISTURBANCES. Lord ossuLsToN rose to put a question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with respect to a subject which considerably agitated the public mind. He saw in the newspapers a Procla mation, offering a reward for the d scovery and ap prehension of persons alledged to have fired at some of the military in the course of the late disturbances ; and he saw also the report of a Coroner's Inquest, who had found a verdict of " wilful murder against a Life Guardsman unknown." Now he wished to know, whether it was intended to issue a Proclama tion, and whether it was in the contemplation of Go vernment to take any steps towards discovering the offender, whom, he understood, it could not be diffi cult to find out, as he was one of a rear guard, con sisting of only six persons? Mr. RYDER admitted, that if the concluding statement of the Noble Lord were correct, there could of course be little difficulty in discovering the offen der alluded to, if offender there were. His Majesty's Ministers had no doubt instituted an inquiry, as their duty prescribed, into all the circumstances connected with the conduct of the soldiery and the populace during the tumult, and he was enabled to state, that there was no instance in our history where it was found necessary to collect the troops, in which the for bearance and moderation of the soldiery was so re markable, while they were not only pelted by the populace with stones and mud,but actually fired upon. This moderation was, indeed, not only manifested during the period in which the army were engaged in Piccadilly, but upon the Monday when the prisoner was conveyed to the Tower. Such was the result of the inquiry which his Majesty's Ministers had insti tuted. As to the particular event adverted to, he was; assured that no shot was fired by a soldier, until seve ral shots were fired from the same place to which the fatal shot was directed. Under these circumstances it could not be expo. ted that Government should issue the Proclamation required by the Noble Lord ; nor did he think, unless a different result should appear from farther inquiry, it would be consistent with its duty to issue any. Mr. WHITBREAD agreed with the Right Ho nourable Gentleman, that the conduct of the soldiery had been very exemplary ; but did that Right Hon. Gentleman mean to say, standing in that House as a Minister— Here the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE OUER rose to order, observing, that as there was no question before the House, the Honourable Mem ber was not warranted in proceeding further. He had no objection whatever to a discussion of the case referred to, but he felt the impropriety of allowing a speech to be made, and to go forth without any answer. The SPEAKER remarked upon the point of or der, that it was deemed generally inconvenient to the House to extend a conversation of this nature beyond the mere answer to the question proposed. If it were desired to carry the subject farther, the practice was, according to the custom of the House, to give notice of a motion. He begged pardon for inter rupting the Honourable Member, but being appealed to on the score of order, he felt it his duty to state his opinion. Mr. WHITBREAD ex-pressed • his resolution to avail himself of his right to make it:motion, without giving any notice ; and that motion would be, that the verdict of the Coroner's Inquest should be laid before the House. He was really much astonished ' • , at the . .viry extraordinary doctrine laid down by the Right Hon. Gentleman. What t did the Right Hon. Gentleman mean to assert that the verdict of a Coro- ner's Inquest was not deserving of any investigation —that it formed no ground for additional inquiry— that no step should be taken in consequence of it ? Was it not due to the cause of justice, to the feelings of the public, to the character of the soldiery, one of whom was accused of murder by this verdict, that an inquiry should take place ? Such an inquiry in deed seemed peculiarly due to the vindication of the troops ; for until the guilty individual was discovered the whole body was liable to be implicated in the im putation which that verdict conveyed; and why should not a proclamation be issued in orderto facilitate thrt discovery t but it appeared from the statement of his Noble Friend, that there was an obvious facility to- wards that discovery, within the reach of Ministers, without any proclamation whatever. Why should . . not such afacility /hen be immediately resorted to ? - -- - - -- - - Slimly no Minister would pretend to disregard the verdict of a Coroner's Inquest, to assume the right of a Grand Jury, or to prevent that case which a Coroner's Inquest pronounced to be wilful murder, from being referred to a jury for trial! It was clearly necessary that the inquiry should be followed up on this business, for the satisfaction of the public and the soldiery. If it turned out, from that inquiry, that the statement of the Right Hon. Secretary was well founded, that the conduct of the troops was in all in stances marked by forbearance and moderation, and that several shots were fired from the place where this murder was alledged to have occurred, then the in quiry would be most satisfactory ; but yet it could not be argued, that bocause the soldiery in general be haved well, the murder of an innocent man by one of those soldiers, ought to be overlooked. Such an in ference alone could warrant the disposition betrayed by the doctrine of the Right Hon. Secretary, and therefore he felt himself irresistibly impelled at once to oppose it. Therefore indeed he was urged to that which he should be otherwise indisposed to do, if lie was :lot so pressed. The SPEAKER hoped the House would feel that he had done no more than his duty in stating the usual order of the House upon a case of this nature; and on any future occasion he should content him self with merely a siniilar statement, leaving to any Honourable Member to use his own discretion after wards. Mr. WHITBREAD disclaimed the slightest in tendon of finding fault with the conduct of the Chair. But he hoped it would be remembered that his con duct was not without precedent ; for a Right Hon. Gentleman had, not long since, made a motion in that House, at a late hour of the night, without any previous notice, at which he would himself have at tended, if he had been aware of the intention to bring it forward. Mr. CANNING comprehended the allusion of the Hon. Member ; but contended that the case he refer red to (a vote approving of the Speaker's conduct, as we understood), arose out of the discussion at the time before the House, and had no analogy whatever to the manner in which the Honourable Gentleman had brought forward this motion, which motion he should oppose solely upon this ground, that bring in troduced without any previous notice, it took the House by surprise. Mr.TIERNEY supported the opinion of I,\Tr. Whit bread. Mr. NV. SMITH thought the doctrine laid down by the Seer etary of State rather hastily hazarded, and that be was not at all aware of its tendency. The verdict of a coroner's inquest was, it would be recol lected, taken on oath, and was that the case with the inquiry instituted and conducted by the Right Ho nourable Secretary, or was that inquiry made in open Court ? Mr. RYDER re-asserted his former declaration— that Ministers saw no reason tc alter their course up on this subject. The event alluded to had occurred many days ago. Ministers had been since engaged' in their inquiries, and they did not feel it their duty to advise his Majesty to issue any proclamation upon the subject. What might be the result of further in vestigation he could, not pretend to anticipate. The inquiry was still going on, and would not terminate while any facts remained to elucidate or any prospect of new information offered. Such being the intention of Government, he saw no reason fur this motion, which, however, he should oppose because the manner of its introduction was contrary to the uniform recog nised practice of the House. Lord OSSULSTON admitted the general good conduct of the soldiery ; but he begged the House to recollect that one inoWending individual had been murdered, and the good conduct of thousands was no atonement for the crime. Mr. W. SMITH explained. Mr. HARVEY COOMBE stated that there was an inquiry in the City to-day, in consequence of an unhappy event similar to that under consideration.— The firing of the soldiery had been productive of very unfortunate results in that quarter ; but in stating this he wished it to be understood, that something must be allowed for provocations. There were undoubt edly some Attacks made upon the soldiery in the city, but neither those attacks, nor their general modera tion could plead for such a crime as that to which the motion before the House referred ; and therefore he would support it. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought this motion ought to be resisted from the ir regular manner in which it was brought forward ; and particularly because there was no urgency in the case that called for any departure front the usual forms of the House. There was in fact no obect in view which could not be answered without resorting to the irregularity complained of, to which irregula rity the Honourable Mover seemed to have been prompted solely from a desire to make a speech. But if the conduct of the Honourable Member were sanc tioned, any other Member might take the same course, and the House must be aware of the inconvenience to which such a practice would lead. There were other reasons upon which he would oppose the Ho nourable Member's motion ;—He conceived it tanta mount to a call upon the House to interfere with the executive authority, and with the ordinary adminis. tration of justice in a very improper manner. Go vernment were already occupied in inquiring into this subject,. am! on what gruund cotlld that House inter pose, unless upon that of a suspicion that • 'Govern ment was not doing its duty ? His Right Honour able Friend had truly stated the result of the inquiry so far as it had gone, and that certainly did not fin pear such a special case as would justify the issuing of a special : proclamation. To the general abstinence and moderation of the soldiery, his Right Honour able Friend had very justly borne testimony, and no direction was that moderation more proved than in the very place-, or its vicinity, where the shot wa, ; fired which produced the. murder alluded to, He un derstood, indeed, that from the very alley where the death took place, the military were more annoyed by brick-bats and mud, &c. than from any other place, because the cavalry could not enter or even ap. proach it. But there was an officer present in tilt! House who was on duty at the time, aild who iia,l in his power to state the particulars. Captain AGAR, without meaning to offer nny nion upon the motion before the House, thought his duty to state what he knew from having been or. the spot, in the performance of his military dut , -, he could assure the House, that the event which gave rise to this discussion, occasioned the utmost pain ti; the feelings of both the civil and military who wit nessed it. Indeed, he knew well how much it ri 41 ::• ted the military. But the fact was, that from t . ;:e alley alluded to, which was near St. James's Cl:l: . ci.„ . the military received the utmost annoyance. Indeed, above 15 or '2O shots (by one of which a soldier wa: wounded in the arm) were fired from that direction before the soldiery were even allowed to load. 'Po thii not only he but several others, among whom was the Civil Magistrate, could bear testimony. He thought it t iglrt to add, that the Noble Lord was mistaken in speaking of a rear-guard—for there was no such thing. There was near that spot a large detachment of between 60 and 100 men ; as to five or six per sons, he could not answer whether so many might not have been separate from the main body, but there was no such thing as a rear-guard. He should not then farther trespass upon the attention of the House, but would take occasion when the case came to specially discussed to state his sentiments more fully, and he hoped the House would be so good as to hear him with patience. Mr. LASCELLES was against the motion. Lord 0S SU LSTO N explain,ed. Mr. WHITBREAD rose, and was proceeding to reply, when . Mr. CROKER rose to order, and said, that as the Hon. Gentleman insisted upon strict right in bringing forward a motion without due notice, he (Mr. C.) would press the strict right of the House, which pro. hibiteti that Honourable Gentleman from replying. The SPEAKER was of a different opinion. He thought the mover of an original question entitled to reply, with the pleasure of the House. , n: i a l i s s the , o i i l : ) i j n e g c t , BREAD Gentleman said, t to h l i i i" )e i d t of I\ tl i i r e . H W o. l u ll ri ß bl il e the means resorted to would not have answered that end, as it would be in the power of any Gentleman to move the previous question, which would open the debate to him and every other Member. With respect to the first speech of the Right Hon. the Secretary of State, he had been provoked by the doctrines laid down in that speech to make the observations he had done, and when he was stopped in proceeding in those observations, he had had recourse to that mode which the case itself justified him in resorting to, independent of such interruption ; as long as he wasa Member of Par liament, a case had not before occurred in which he would have thought it necessary to exercise that discre. tion till that day, and in that instance he bad acted up to the best of his judgment ; the occasions of d •eang so can be but very ran... With respect to the gallantOßicer under the gallery, he gave him and his brother Officers every credit for their manly and judicious forbearance and moderation in the recent disturbances; still, how ever, it was no reason, if among a thousand of the soldiers, with the exception of one man, they had all conducted themselves with temper, and that that one man had' been guilty of murder ; there was no reason why that one man should escape with impunity. He asked the Chancellor cf the Exchequer, as a lawyer, if the verdict of a Coroner's Inquest was not sufficient to dispense with the sending a Bill before a Grand Jury ? the whole of the evidence taken before an in quest was taken upon oath. He thought it, therefore, indispensible that this man should be put upon hi; trial. He would ask the Chancellor of the Exche quer, if he or any of his colleagues knew who this man was ? If they did, ought they not to give him up to trial ? This would put an end to furt her pro ceedings. He did not complain of the conduct of the soldiers in general ; on the contrary, he understood that their conduct and moderation had been praise worthy ; still, however, he would say, that in cases of as great emergency, the peace of the city had been preserved by the wisdom, firmness, and clemency of an Hon. Member of that House—the then Chief Ma gistrate, and that without calling in the aid of the military. Under all the circumstances of the case, be felt that he was justified in making the motion, he had made, and that he could not consistently consent to withdraw it. Mr. M. A. TAYLOR stated, that he was coming down Sackvilfe-street when the unfortunate shot was fired. The carriage in which he and a Noble Friend of his were, was stopped by the Guards, and directed another way, as, in consequence of the excessive tie mult of the populace, it would be necessary to fire. He then got out of the carriage, and proceeded to wards an alley, when he heard a pistol discharged, and from the sound of the report, he had no doubt that it had been charged with blank cartridge.t - : Shortly after he heard a shot from a musket, and he thought, from the quarter from which the noise issued, that the shot had been fired from some window in the range of houses opposite, and not from the military then passing—(htar, hear.) —He was at the entrance of the alley, and on hearing the shot, and observing the direction, he made the best of his way down the alley—(a laugh.) He hoped that the man who fired the fatal shot, if any of the military had done se, would surrender himself to justice, as, under all the circumstances of the case, there could be little doubt that he would be acquitted by a British Jury—(hear.) captain AGAR. observed, that a qu estion had been put to the Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite, whe• titer thqy knew who the man was that fired the un• . fortunate shot ? He said that sever al other shots had been fired, and he doubted very much if the man hitt: self who fired the unfortunate shot knew that he ` t 3l • fired it. It was also to be observed , that the milita:: did' not fire till ' ordered by the Magistrates.—( llf-. ' hear, hear.) a divis: ::. The motion was then negativ ed without