Star. — London, England, 1817-03-28 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, Pit ARCH 27. The Marquis CROLSIONDSLIT (as Lord Steward) Molted the Prince Regent's Answer to the recent Address of their Lord ships (touching the production of certain documents), which Ins. ported that his Royal Highness would give directions accordingly. The Cochineal and Navy Half•pay Bills were brought up front the Common:, as were also four Private or Return Bills, by Sir Jams GRAHAM, Mr. 13110GDZI4. Sir OSWALD MOSSLILT, and the Honourable Mr. Cu sr. The newly presented Bills were eeverally read the first time. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a voluminous Report from the Appeal Committee ; the recommendations in which (which chiefly respected the bearing of particular Appeals) were agreed to by the House. The Exchequer Courts BM was read a third Otte, and passed. No order was made respecting Bailey's Divorce Bill, which sell lies over for farther consideration. Some private bu.ines; ;a;thenciispoted of, after whirls the House adjourned tiU to-morrow. PROTESTS. House or Loses, MARCO 18, 11117. Dissever—Against not agreeing to an Addreu for Papers re specting the Personal Thatment of Bonaparte. Dluentient, VASSALL HOLLAND. LAUDERDALE. ON Mt MOTION 1011 Tilt TIMID READING Or TUE ILDII lOC* SOCIETE SILL, SI %RCN 25, 1517. Distgarrtzwr—Because it appear* to us that titt3 Fratute, in inflicting the Penalty of Death, is unjustly severe; that it gives to Magistrates a formidable and unnecessary power, improperly controuling the general expression of opinion, and irtertering both with the Public and Private Meetings of the People, in times of whir!, we consider the danger to be much e:apprrateti, and which we think call for amanitas of condbatioa and relief, and net for coercion. OROITENOR. AUGUSTUS TREPrSICK. ROSSLTN. VASSAL/. I.IOLLAND. CLIP lON. SOMERSET. AUCKLAND. RUSKIN/. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. I.OOKHART brought In a 11111 to amend the Bankrupt Laws. The object of this Bill was to cause the Cosnrr.Lsiuners to make inquiries it•.to the circumstances of Bankrup - s; to a.rer• fain the real merits of each case, to sport on them to the I.ord Chancellor, and on their decision being ratified to enable them where fraud had been detected to withhold the Bah ••upt's certi• irate. Wishing the subject to have the fullest consideration, be should propose to let the second reading stand over till the Ist of May. Mr. WitOTTESLEY was glad the Honourable Gentleman was disposed to name so distant a day for the second reading of the 818. At present be should not oppose it, but as the law now stood, the Commissioners were required to certify that they Lad no reason to doubt the Bankrupt bad made a true discin. sure, and he did not see bow any more effectual pauvision could be made. Mr. LOCKHART briefly replied, and the Bill having been read a first, was ordered to be read a second time ou the let of May, and to he printed. Sir R. H. LEE presented a Petition from the Innkeepers of Wigan, in Lancashire, praying for the Repeal of the License Duties.—Ordered to he on the table. Mr. W. DCNDAS presented a second Report from the Com mittee on Jury Courts in Scottaud.—Orderesi to lie on the table. Mr. CALCRAF I' postponed his motion relative to the Salt Duties till the 21st of April Mr. CURWLN presented a Petition, praying for an alteradon of the Pour Laws, from Biiston, in Stafford4hirv. After a few words from Mr. 14 rTnirrost and Mr. Be ovon AM, who stated the peaceable conduct of the people of bilsteti while . 221Fering under the severest privations, to be above all praise, the Petition was read. and ordered to be referred to the Csm• Ranee oil the Poor Laws. The Navy Officers' Pay Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. BIiNNE'rT presented a Petition front certain Coffee. shoji Keepers of Loudon and Westminoer, praying for the pro tection of that House against any improper infiaeuce in the granting of their licenses.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BENNETI moved for Returns of the effective Strength of the British Army, of the number of casualties in the years 3N15 and Hold. and of the humber ol Officers discharged from regimen'sl races in those year4.—Ordered. Sir M. W. RIDLEY moved for farther Returns relative to the cumber of Pursers now on the Lis:, or recta* suspended.— Ordered. _ . Lord A. HAMILTON presented a Petition from she Parishes of Ardrosaan, K.lwinnine, and Sattcuats, praying fur a Reform In Parliament.,—Ordered to lie on the tahle• A similar Petition was rewored from the Royal Borough of Quopsferry.—Ordered to he on the table. SILK TRADF. Mr. P. MOORE presented a Petition from the Weavers and others engaged in the Silk Trade at Coventry, setting forth their si:stress, claiming the protection of }hat House, and praying relief. The lionourable Gentleman having moved that the Pad tion should lie on the table, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he had not 'only no objection to the Petition ling laid on the table, but he could state to the Honourable Member, the distress of the Silk Trade was not thought unworthy of an inquiry. He, how ever, was not prepared to say his Majesty's Ministers were disposed to ive them that strict monopoly by the exclusion of foreign silks for which they prayed, as he, for one, was inclined to think, if that which they required were conceded, it would be no less in jurious to them in particular, than it would prove to the general trade of the country. Mr. BROUGHAM rejoiced to bear the opinions' just expressed by the Right Honourable Gentleman, l sad retaining those which be had recently submitted to the Howe, he could not but think the wiser, snore statesman-like, and safer course to take, would be that whit!) he had recommended : to institute an in quiry, not into one branch of our commerce, but into our general system, with a view to effect a revision of the oriole. Unless this were dune, he did not see that any particular part of it could be satisfactorily disposed of. What the Right Honourable Gewleman bad said of the injurious effects of a monopoly lilt. that desired by the petitioners was undoubtedly true, but at the same time he thought it right to observe, the petitioners did not object to the raw material coming into the country. Their cry, on - the con trary, was, a let us be allowed to purchase at a duty of 2s. 6d. that material on which the French now work, and we shall not fear their competition." The CIIAKCILLOR of the EXCHEQUIR aad Mr. Bttovonam severally explained ; and atter a few words from Mr. P. Moons, the petition was ordered to lie on the table. ZICHIQUEIt COURT BILL. Messengers ft om the Lords announced their Lord shipe< coacturence to the Exchequer Court Bill, with several Amendments. • On the Motion of Mr. MARTIN, these Amend ments were arced to. weivEUSITY DRAWBACK. On the Motion ut Lord A. HAMILTON, Ac counts I wo ordered of the number and value of all Books furnished by the Booksellers to the Universi. ties QI 011 4 4 d And Cambridge, during the last seven Also A:cusuus of the amotol and number ks on Piper, allowed to the said B oo k. • • • •••• pert OIPPBB TOXINS. 1:j Fr. ; ; I.w.rved a Bill r. ,c 1 bcrol brought a l .1. Me. b ?nr Stafford shire, for the purpose of putting a sibp to the circa talon of Copper Local Tokens. He had, however, to state, that many still passed current, and he wished to know if it was the intention of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Lyttleton) again to calrthe atten tion of the House to this subject, with a •iew of putting them completely down. He then read a let ter to the House, which described a quantity of base and spurious copper to be still in circulation, and set forth the importance of checking the evil. Mr. LYTTLETON said, it was true, that in the manufacturing districts, where the poor's rates were high, large issues of copper tokens had taken place, and certainly the evil was ore which loudly deman ded a'remedy. It was a strange fact, but of those who had issued the enormous quantity of copper which had been thrown into circulation two years ago, not one individual was at present solvent, and the local tokens were now selling at all the old cop per shops in the neighbourhood. If the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not propose some measure to correct the evil complained of, he had it in contem plation, after Easter, to move for leave to bring in a Bill himself. • CAinotr, PRELATES. Sir J. C. HIPPISLEY trusted. that the informa tion conveyed by the several official dispatches for which he was about to move might tend to counter act the mischievous impressions of the most gross and unfounded representations which, from time to time, were made in another part of the United King dom. He thought this aft occasion also to allude to a letter stated to be written by a Roman Catholic priest, a Mr. Hayes, from Rome, contain;ng the most unwarrantable assertions respecting himself (Sir J. Hippi.ley) and he could venture also to say as much for the Noble Viscount at the head of the Foreign Department, whom he did not see in his place. In fact, these assertions of Mr. Hayes were wholly false. The Honourable Baronet concluded with moving for copies or extracts of all dispatches from Ministers accredited to foreign States to his Majesty's Secretary of State, respecting the appoint ment of Prelates under the See of Rome. Ordered. AWILITION SINPTURRI. Mr. DAVIES GILBEKT appeared at the Bar, and stated, that he held in his hand the First Report of the Committee of Finance—(Hen►, hear). The Honourable Member being desired to bring it up, he delivered it to the Clerk at the Table—(Ge acre! crier of read, read). As soon as order was restored, the Clerk began to read as follows :—" The Committee of Finance having proceeded to take into consideration the seve ral twitters referred to them, have lost no time in preheating this their first Report to the House. The office- which your Committee thought themselves first bound to undertake was, to consider what retrench ments could be made consistently with the public ser vice, and with a view to real and practical economy. 2dly, Your Committee deemed it indispensable, that ample recompence should be afforded to persons holding high and effective offices; and Sdly, That such offices as might be considered in the nature of Sinecures, ought to be abolished on tke death of the persons who now enjoy them. This subject was by no means new to the House. It had been often brought before them, particularly in 1812, when it was made the ground of a Bid, which was sent to the House of Lords, and some of the provisions of that Bill are referred to in this Report. Your Com mittee, therefore, recommend, that the following of fices, which are of the las: description, should be abolished, viz. Chief Justices of Eyre, North and South of Trent ; Auditor of the Exchequer; Clerk of the Yells ; four Tellers of the Exchequer ; the Warden of the Cinque Ports ; the Governor of the Isle of Wight ; and the Commissary-General of Musters"—(Rear, I.ear, hear). The Cleric was about to proceed, when Mr. Grt.-1 BERT said, it was unnecessary to go farther. Enough had been read to satisfy the House of the spirit of the Report, and of the feelings by which the Committee had been actuated. Lord COCHRANE rose, and said. that the abo lition of these offices at the death of the persons now holding them, would not tend, in the•smallest de gree, to relieve the unparalleled distresses under which the country now labour.d. In order to give effectual relief, it was absolutely necessary that some thing should be done immediately. No farther observations being made, the question was put, that the Report be printed, and agreed to. TITHES. Mr. NEWMAN moved for leave to enable the Clergy and others to grant leases of Tithes, which should be binding on their successors. Alter a few words from the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. the Motion was agreed to. SAVING HANKS. General THORNTON was of opinion that the establishment of Saving Banks would prove of great advantage to the country ; but he doubted if a Bill like that now in the House for encouraging them would answer the end in view ; and indeed he feared it would do harm rather than good. Two petitions had been presented against this Bill, wh.ch were signed by persons of great knowledge and experience. One of them was signed by Mr. Barber Beaumont, and the other had the name of Mr. Parker, (late Member for Hertford) attached to it; and he should now move that these Petitions, that from the Parish Officers and inhabitants of St. Paul, Covent Gorden, and that from the Members of the Hertford Bank, be printed. The Motion, after some brief remarks from the CMAIICALLOR of the Exciwauta, was put, and nega. tived. TUB 115 W STRUT. On the motion of Mr. Hususson, the Land Reve nue Bill was read a third time. The question being put, that the Bill should pass, Mr. FREEMAN FLE wished to know what sums bad already been expended on the new improvements, and to what extent they were to be carried ? Mr. HUSKISSON could n•t at that moment an swer the question, as he had not about him the pa per: which be had brought down to the House yes terday. The expense was, he believed. somewhat above £500,000. The further expense, so far as the Crown was concerned, would nit exceed a1f500,000. From the best information he could obtain, he expec ted the sum he bid tuentiimed would cover she whole' expenw ; anti 11 s y the exces► above the estimate would not be so „ri.at As might have been expected. In point of tact, tm. buildings purehased had cast about the sum set down in the estimate, but there had been an exceeding on the charges lot compensa tion for removal and good-will. Sir JOHN NEWPORT had understood that some of the persons compelled to remove, who had made choice of other situations more than a year ago, cal -1 culating on receiving the compensation to which they were entitled, to complete their arrangements, re mained unpaid. He thought these persons ought to have'what was due to them, before the works were proceeded with. Mr. HUSKISSON knew of no just ground for complaint. If, however, persons who would be com pelled to remove before the improvements were com pleted, chose for their own convenience to remove unnecessarily soon, it did not follow that they ought forthwith to be paid. Lord COCHRANE thought those who were com pelled to remove front a situation in which they had rattled on business for ' , cars w•rre entitled to some consideration, even though they were but tenants at will.—Mr. FRRPSIANTLP explained. The Bill was then passed. The Irish Arms Regibtry Bill, and the Irish Peace Preservation Bill, were severally read a third time, and passed. Mr. NEW MAN brought in a Bill for enabling the Clergy and others to grant leases on Tithes, which should be binding on their successors. The Bill was read a first, and, after a few words from Mr. LOCKHART, ordered to be read a second time, on the 24. th of Apiil. SEDITIOUS ASSEMBLIES BILL. The SO LIC ITOlt-GENERAL moved, that the Order of the Day for taking it to consideration ilie Lords Amendments to the Sediti, us Assemblies Bill h .0 I d he read. Lord FULKSTONE supposing it to he the inten tion of the Learned Geittleiban to move that the Amendments of the Lords should now be taken into coo-ideraiion, thought it right to state his objections to this being tone ; after which he thought the House would leel it was impossible for them to proceed to the consideration of them that night. The Chancel lor of the Exchequer had yesterday promised that the Amendments of the Louis thottid -be Mutinied early this day to the Members, that they might have time to consider the alterations made in the Bill. He had accordingly received a paper in goud time that morning, and had endeavoured to make himself mas ter of the subject, but without success. He found in the Lords the Bill had received two new clauses and fifty-five amendments, and the paper supplied but 14 references to them; and of these fourteen only one was correct. In several instances he bad found the amendment within a line or two of that indicated, but in Isom! he had not been able to discover it at all. Under these circumstances, the House could not with any skew of decency proceed to take the amendments into consideration that night. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL remarked, that the amendments were for the most part merely ver bal, and might, he thought, have been found out with a little pains and trouble. • Lord FOLKSTONE had taken pains and trouble to discover them, but had not su cc eeded. Some of the amendments, from the reference made to them, it ' was impossible to discover, sad consequently it was not easy to determine whether they were important - or not. The only way by which the House could really beinado acquainted with the Bill was by re printing it. The SPEAKER stated that the Amendments had been brought to him early in the morning. They were not correctly printed. He corrected them, and ordered the paper to be reprinted, which, he-was in formed, had been done. Lord FOLKSTONE said, he bad certainly re. ceived another paper, which might be correct, and if an opportunity were afforded him, he might read be fore the passing of the Bill, but of which be had not been able to make himself master at present. Mr. BROUGHAM, when last night he asked for one day's time, that they might understand the im portant Amendments made by the Lords, with which that House was expected to concur, bad grounded the request on this argument, that if the amendments were not prioted and delivered in good time, it was but a jest to say they were submitted to their sonsi• deratiun, though it might be said their eyes saw them on the table, and their ears heard them when the question was put. The answer of the Chancellor of the Exchequer had been this : the objection urged was easily obviated, for he would take care that th e I amendments should be printed and delivered early in the morning. In consequence of this pledge, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had harried the print- I ing of them, and at length delivered 'them in such a state, that, instead of informing, they were calculated to mislead, the Members who perused them ; and at last, at six o'clock, correct copies had been circulated, though doubtless many Gentlemen as yet had only seen those first delivered. For this he blamed not the Officers of the House, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his colleagues,. who had refused to give proper time fur the consideration of the mea sure, though the time called for was so immaterial. He would put it to the House, if they ought thus to proceed to legislate in the dark? It had been said the amendments were merely verbal. This, however, he must say, was no: the character of some of them. One of them, for instance, went to leave out line seven, and to insert the words a on pain of death."— He contended this might prove to be an important alteration, and others which he pointed out might he equally so. He blamed Ministers for the course they had rashly adopted, and pertinaciously persevered in. He was incapable at present of taking these Amend ments into consideration ; others were in the same situation, and under these circumstances he would again put it to the House, if they did not owe it to i the ordinary decorum of Weir proceedings, not to carry this measure with such circumstances of inde centhurry._ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reminded the Honourable and Learned Gentleman, that it was for one day he had asked, on the preceding night, but he had desired that the Bill might not be proceeded with till alter the Easter Recess. He, however, would not be provoked by any thing that ' had been said to recommend a course which would be unbecoming the dignity of that House. He admitted they had not had proper time to consider of the amendments. Even the circumstance of two Papers having been delivered, in the course of the day, like those which had been mentioned, was surticient to *, duce him not to press the amendments on the Howt. Those who sat on that side of the flois • were desirous that the measure should be ful.y c,t;std-rek as the Gentlemen opposite could be. lt wiss t nir wish that it should be made as complete as possible, and he would therefore propose tAltssig the dene „d. ments into consideration to-morrow. Mr. PONSONBY was glad the Right Honnural..l - had consented to postpone the coosider - lion of the Amendments till tn-morrow. tie r he would take efficient measures tor correcting th e paper which had been sent round that day. He, for one, had not been able to understand that hich ft , had received, And alter a short trial had given it up. Mr. CAI-VERT had a paper, which he had re ceived but half an hour ago at the Vote Office, wlarch he tour.d was inct,rrect. Mr. PONSONBYa..kei what steps the Cli , rcellnr of the Exclicquer would take to give then.' correct' . copies in time ? The CHANCELLOR of the E.XCHEQUEK said, the tabk of providing correct cupics w , .uld be Itlt in better hands than his. Mr. PONSONBY bore testimony to the correcti ,, , , ss and care of the Ofilcers o: the 1-lou.-.e, but ch. , : '„ the Chancellor of the Exchequer Lt.! ye , •zersfay takru the business upon himself. Mr. BATHURST noticed t':e in:feet:fades rhich had been cmoplair.ed of, and did no: consider the' SO leilw,rtAitt as sower Geralemet: bad seemed fis sop pose them to br, th ,, ugh there w::s c‘rt.ssilly clause which it WAS dAcult to undeist:in,i. Lord COCHRANE protested rror.;:ly against the clause prohibiting public meetings it:V.'s:btu:in:ter, hut in Coveitt Garden, ►%!dcft they all kae►v private market— Lord BINNING spoke to order. Tlte qu !ie:t now before the House was, that the considerau•m tel the amendments should be postponed 61 to-moults ? The SPEAKER said, the Noble Lord might apply what he had advanced to the question, but at the same time his titi2ert must be seen. Lord COCHRANE thought it right to seize a;.y opportunity of protesting against the clause in cpie- Lion. He considered it an insult to the people of IVestminster to fotbial them to meet is the place where their ancestors had been accustomed assem ble, and an oltrage on the nation at large. It was saying that the people of Westminster must be dis tinguished from their fellow sulii:cts, AS, for thcm,gag ging-bills, gaols, and the penalties which kept othais in awe, were not sufficient. To act thus. he emclif not say was what the House dared not Jo, for they dared do any thing. No one had ever heard of any impediment being thrown in the way of Members coming to that House by the M-etinge in Palace yard, nor had the proceedings there ever interrupled the Courts of Justice, for the shouts or the clarniints (as it was called) of the trinltituele could not be heard in them. On every occasion be would enter his pr test against the clause. The Amendments were ordered to be taken intn consideration to-morrow. Lord CASTLEREAGH p►esented Ertnes Letters from Mr. Sydenhanr to Lord C.ivlere:l7!-. relative to the Lisbon Embisssy.—Ordered to he La the table. The Report of the Committee on the SAlt Duty Act, was brought up, and agreed to, and a 13ill demi accordingly. The Window Light Regulation Bill went through a Committee, the report of which was received, ordered to be taken into further con►ideraticn on Monday fortnight. Sir J. NEWPORT said, it would be in the recol lection of the House that a Bill had been brought in last year, which went to put in Ireland the law be tween Landlord and Tenant on a footing different from that on which it had stood before. Some de• feels might naturally be expected to chew themselve-, and he might have considered it his duty to have moved to bring in a Bill to amend it in the course of the present Session, had he not thought it desirable to allow another year to pass, that they might be bettur enabled to judge of its practical operation. Mr. LESLIE FORSTER took precisely the same ♦iew of the Bill referred to, as had been tact, by t!.c Right Honourable Gentleman. He approved of his motive for declining to bring in a Bill to amend it, 4nd in the mean time thought it right to say, the Fractic4l operation of the Bill was satisfactory.—Adjourned. PARLIAMEN GARY PAPER. AstEtinstrAys made by the Lords to the Bill, ina. tuled, g. An Act for the more effectually preventing Sroirzous MEETINGS and ASSEMBLIES." After 3 number of verbal Amendments, the chief of wYch is, that the Magistrate ordering the meeting to e perse, shall "see caw," (and not " f it ,") s , ' to do, the following Clauses are added : CLAUSE (13.)—" Provided always, awl be it enacted and el.- dared, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed or cur strued to render Lawful any notice, or the act of giving or i n lishing any notice, according to the provisions herein-before cut • tabled, which notice or act would Lave been contrary to Law, If this Act had not been made, CLAUSE (C.)—•-." Anil whereas it is liizhl7 inexpedieur that Public Meetings or Assemblies should he held near the Hou,es of Parliament, at or near his Majesty's Courts of Jus:ice it Westminster Hall, on such days as are hereinafter mentioned. Be it thrrefixe enacted, and it is herby ciacted, Pia• it sh:11 not be lawful for any person or persons to convene or call to gether, or to glsie any in.rce for convening or ca;it? to gether any Meeting of persons cervisting of mots tbvi ff persons, or fur any number of persons exce4lng fifty, to we... in any street, square, or open dace in the City or Liherti,s Westminster, or County of Middlesex, within the cl!s•Lt.c , one mile (ruin the gate of Westminster Hall, save and cy.e:' such parts of the parish of Saint Paul's, Covent Garden, as .7‘ , vrithiu the said distance, for the purpose or on the pretext vi considering of or preparing any Petition, Complaint, Retror strance, Declaration, or other Address to the King, at to la. Royal Highness the Prince Regent, or to both Houses or 'hitt; House of Parliament, for alteration of matters in Chvrch or on any day in which the Two Houses or either :irf..se ment shall meet aid sit, or shall be summiseed or o: prorogued to meet or sit; nor oil any day on which Lis •.:1; Courts of Chancery, King's Bench, Ccnlrnon Picts : • '' • goer, or any of them, or any Judge of any of tist-m, shall alt • Westminster Hall; any thing hereinbefure contained to thtret.:.• trary notwithstanding : And that if any Meeting ut for the purpmes or on the pretexts aforesaid of any ret‘onis 0,211 be assembled or holden on any such da—, contrary to tb intent and meaning of this Enactment, such Meeting or Arteittb:v shall be deemed and taken to be as unlawful Assembly, by whom soever or in consequence of what notice soevcr nth Altxtr,,,; or Assembly shall have been holden: Provided that notbmg it. this Enactment contained, shall by any construction whales , : ix; deemed or taken to apply to or afleet any Meeting cony< r.'!, called or hoiden for the Election of Members of Parliaruei.... any persons attemEng such Meeting, or to ai l persons upon the business of eillikf HOU= of PaLtaitisitl, cis •' "` said Courts." I , ‘!. r red ! • sr :le, • for to hr Tr) re- ab tia It 17 ssr Al be !q, ru !ri stc 10 et. tr ct F'