Star. — London, England, 1817-04-25 00:00:00

P4RtidimENniß r PATACEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 24. /adman In the cases of the Queensberry Leases postponed sit Monday week. A Person from the London Flour Company presented their Annual Account, Laid 011 the Table. Bailey's Divorce Bill was ordered to be farther considered on Tuesday the Y9th of this mon , h. Earl ORE, presented a Petition from Fatuous, Ardrowan, sad other places In that neighbourhood, seating the distresses of the Country, and 'praying fur Parliamentary Reform, by the auppreulou of the Representation for decayed Borough', and by ahostenirg the ',dragon of Varliament‘ His Lordship presented :mother Petition, respectably signed, from Langdale, to the same effect as the Jointer. Both laid on the Tattle. LORD snaIgoVTII I S CIRCULAR LETTER. Earl GREY moved, that Lord Sidmouth's Cir cular I.e . tcr, laid on the tablo'on a former day, be printed •, which was ordered. • The Noble Earl then stated, that he understood that it had been declared, on the day on which the Circular Letter was prociured, that there would be no objection to lay before their Loriships the opinion of the Law-Office:a of the Crown, mentioned in that letter; but OM there would be objtctions to the pro- duction of the case. What the objection could be to the production of A document so necessary to bring tinder their Lordships' view, the nature of the doubt which had been entertained, and the circumstances of the casempon which the opinion of the Law•Utli• cers was founded, he could not conceive. He would, however, now move for the opinion of the i.aw-Oik cers of the Crown, referred to in the Circular Letter; and when that should be laid on. the table, be would then he catbird to judge whether he ought to move for the cue, er brills.; the subject under discussion in• a different form. He concluded by moving for the (pinion of the Law-Officers, which was ordered to be produced.—Adjout tied. HOUSE OF COMMONS. At four o'clock there was an unusual number of Members present. "I he SPEAKER then addressed the }louse to the following effect, viz.: " In returning to the Chair, I have to express to the House my most grateful acknowledgments fur their indulgent conside ration during my late indisposition. I beg leave to assure the House, that I feel edit deeply the favourable acceptance which al humble endeavours to discharge my duly in this Chair bast experienced horn tiwne. " With respect to the arrears of business which have been occasioned by the departure from the ordinary course of pro ceeding which arose out of the late unfortunate interruption, I have to propose to the Honer, first, that all Co&Mitres should be revived; and, secundly, to extend the time for receiving the Reports of Private Bills, from Monday the 12th of May, to ansther week (if that shall be the pkasure of the House), namely, to Monday, the 19. h of May. " As to the Public Bwiness. the course will be, at the proper hour, for the Clerk to read over the dropped Orders and No tices ; of which the House will dispose as it may soh thelr own conveniencc."—( Near, hear.) The question was then put, that the time for re ceiving the 12-ports of Private Dills be extended to the 9,h of May.—Agreed to. Mr. GRAT CAN then intimated, that nn Toe,- day, the 6th of May next, he should call the even titsn of the House to the consideratim of the Catholic Claims. General THORNTON gave nofee, that on Wed nesday, the 30th of April, he should move for have to bring its A Bill to abolish the pub i lie whipping of female offenders, and to substitute other provisions i r lieu of teat punishment. A Message from the Lords stated, that their Lord. ships had agreed to the Irish Peate Preservation Bill, the Irish Anus Register Bill, and other Public and Private Bills. Mr. KENNET presented a Petition from a num ber of Publeans in Gloucester, praying for tome re. gulstion in the mode of granting Licenses.—Oldered to lie on the Table. rsTITION 110R_ RETRINCIIMENT7 Tile Hon. Mr. 13ENNET, after moving that the Police Committee be instructed to report their pro- ceedings to the House from time to time, presented a Petition from the Labourers, Mechanics, and 4r. tisane of the town of Wolverhampton and its neigh bourhood. praying for reduction of Tait 1. and other means of Relief. The Petition was signed by 500 individuals, unity of them in respectable situations of life, but the most in distressed circumstances. They prayed for nothing that ought not to be granted t h ew . Upon a representation that they were in a state of the greatest suffering and hardship, partly to be attributed to legation, they prayed for a dinrinu titre of their public burdens. Their sufferings would be believed to be great, when it was known that several individuals in that neivhbourhood were stated to have perished by famine. Employment had com beetely failed them t and if no other remedy could devised for their distress, the Petitioners prayed that they might be furnhhed with the means, or allovied flie liberty of leaving the country, and retir• tog to a lOreign land, as they had no great relish for a mode of industry suggested by a Noble Lord (Castlereagh) id Parliamear, that of " digging a bole in the earth, and then filling it up again." Mr. E. J. LY I'TLETON concurred in the state- meet given by the lioncurahle Gentleman, solar as it regarded the distress of the district from which the e Petition came; but he would not allow that it gene rally was the Petition, or spoke the sentiments of the people of Wolverhampton. It was manufactured at distance from that town; it war brought titre by strangers, and methods weie taken to_procure•signa tures. He allowed that st might speak tke senti ments of those who signed it, but be denied that they were any considerable portion a the inhabitants of tl , st disuict. PUNNET explained. He I;ad never said that it spoke the sentiments of any but of those who signed it.—The Petition was then read, and ordered to lie on the table. UN. HIMR21:11. The Hon. Mr. BENNET gave•notice of a motion on•the appointMents of Mr. Herries for the &h May. The dropped /*latices and Orders which were fixed for the adjournment were then read, and fixed for Mute days. 'Mr. PONSOI4IY proposed the second reading of Ss Bill tor dispensing with the renewal ot Commis sions on the demise of the Crown for Monday next. - He gave notice nt a Motion regarding the Welch Judges for Thureilaya. the Ist of May ; and of a mo. t un f o r the production of the instructions under • which Sir H. 'Wellesley geed the Treaty of Mae& for the 15th of the same month. Sir H. PARNELL gave notice, that on Monday next he would present a Petition from the Roman Catholics of Ireland. Mr. CURWEN declined to renew his notice of a motion on excessive Poor Rates, as he understood his Majesty's Government had taken up the. subject. Mr. CALCRAF r post p.med his motion on the Silt Duties till to-morrow. Mr. CALVERT gave notice of his motion on the Hop Duties, for Wednesday next. Mr. CURWEN presented various Petitions from Parishes in different parts of the country; from Pa rishes in Wiltshire and Berkshire, and other counties, complaining of the pressure of the Poor Rates ; and praying for a Revision of the Poor Laws.--Ordered to lie an the table. CORNWALL PETITION. Sir WILLIAM LEMON presented a Petition from the Gentry, Clergy, and other inhabitants of the county of Cornwall, complaining of the Bills lately passed, and of the conduct of the Noble Secre tary of State for the Home Department, in neglect ing to present in due time, and in mislaying an Address of the County to the Prince R 'gent, voted in the end of last Autumn; praying that he would call together his Parliament, and recommend to it measures of retrenchment. The Petition was brought up and read. It stated, that an Address had been voted by the County to . the Prince Regent, in last December, which was transmitted to the Office of Lord Sidmouth. No answer was received, nor only intimation that the Petition was presented. When inquiry was made into this circumstance of %glen, the High Sheriff was answered, that the Address bad fallen by and could not be found. The Petitioners complained of this instance of neglect, and prayed for inch satisfaction as might be in the power or consistent with the wisdom of the House to grant. Mr. B. BATHURST rose to explain the seeming neglect complained of in the petition. On the 19th of December it was found, upon inquiry, that the Address was mislaid. A letter was written on the 29th of December to the High Sheriff, mentioning the circumstance, and 'asking for an authenticated copy, that it might be presented without delay. The .High Sheriff took no notice of this letter. No copy was sent in time. Had one been transmitted when it was requested, it might still have been in the power Of Government to fulfil, to a certain extent. the . petition of the county, by calling together Pap liament at an earlier date than that which was fixed, which was one of the prayers of the address. Having received no answer from the Sheriff, the Secretary of State wrote to a private Gentleman of the County for an authenticated copy, which was soon received and laid before his Royal Highness. The High She riff was made acquainted with the circumstance that the Address was presented ; and :van afterwards a letter was received from the Ui,der Sheriff. On the 2Uth of January the original was found, and was likewise laid before his Royal Highness. These cir cumstances should have been stated in the present pe thirsts, as they were known to the parties ; and if they had been stated, would have removed the grounds of the complaint. Mr. TREMAYNE acquitted the Noble Lord at the head of the Home Department of any ctiminal neglect in the affair. The petition was laid on the table. Sir J. NEWPORT presented a Petition frerneer thin Inhabitants and Freeholders of the Town of Limerick, complaining of the practices that prevailed in that part of Ireland, with regard to the registry of freeholds, by which those entitled to vote tor a representative were often deprived of the exercise of their ellctive rights. As the law now stood, no Freeholder could compel Magistrates to hold Sessions for rendering effective their tight of suffrage, by re gistering their freeholds. The evil called loudly for a remedy, as the petitioners were ready to substan tiate. at the bar of the House, facts which would prove the existente of abuse.—The petition was re ceived, and ordered to lie on the table. LIMA! 'MUSSY. Mr. LAMBTON . gave notice that he would, on Wednesday neat, bring forward his promised Motion on the late Embassy to Lisbon. He moved, as pre liminary information, for a copy of all communica tions made by the Portuguese Ambassador to our Government, from the let of May to the Ist of Au gust, 1814, respecling the intended return of the Prince Berm of Portugal from the Brazils to his European dominions. PUBLIC DISTIIISL Mr. LYTTELTON rose to present a Petition from Levinford in Stourbildge, in the County of Worcester, complaining of the enormous amount of the Poors' Rates, and praying for relict. Eighteen bun. tired persons sere supported by these rates out of a populrtion of 4,000 ; and the whole burden was supported by 148 persons, out of whom 140 had signed the petition. On houses did proliortion of the rate was `295.; on lands near the town it warris.6d.; while on others it amounted to the alarming and al• most incredible sum of SS Is. Ml.—(Xear. hear, hear)—per here. Several large farmers had in con sequence beat wilted, and others were obliged to quit theft farms.—The Petition was then read and ordered to lie on the table. NEW ISSUE OP VCOHIQUIS BILLS. The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER rose to call the attention of the House to a Motion he intended to submit to their consideration on Mon day, and which at this moment was particularly in teresting to the country. Aware that the mere no tice of that motion, without any* int:oductory re , marks, might excite some Harm. he lelt himself bound tifgive a general account of what he intended that day. On Monday next it was his intention To move that in a Committee of the whole House, his Majesty shall, by a resqlution of the Consmittee, be authorised to issue Exchequer Bills to a certain ami t unt, for the relief of the public distress, on se curity being given. This motion was intended for the relief of the labouring poor. He should propose that the money be allotted partly to Corporations, to enable them to employ labourers is finishing public works, and in this instance security would be re quired for the repayment of the money in a given time. Other parts of the mosey would be given to parishes and Associated bodies, on securities being given on the parisbiates, and also by individuals. It was not meant, howitvir, that such Money von to be employed in what might abstractly Wailed itisueus for the great object which his Majesty's Ministers bad' in view, was the findang of employment for the poor, which indeed was the most rational and satisfactory way of giving relief. In order to prevent any unre cessary alarm in the money market, the sum be meant to propose would be between one and twc mil lions, and he thought this could be no inconvenience to the money minket, as it was this year very well able to bear it. Such was an outline of the plan he intended on Monday nest to submit to the House, and he should only further add, that he was specially commanded by his Royal. Highness the Prince Re gent, to recommend this to the immediate and warm est attention of the House. The notice was then read. Mr. LAMB said, it was impossible not to feel that the subject now adverted to by the Right Hon. Gentle man was one of the must important that could possibly engage the attention of the Briiish Legislature. He must say, that the effect it would have on the Funds was of minor importance, but it gave a melancholy picture of the alarming effects resulting from that system of laws which had unhappily grown up in the country. He expressed an anxious hope that ibis was not, however, the only measure Ministers in tended to take for alleviating the publiedistress. It 1 might be proper, indeed, to give the present proposed relief, but he implored Ministers, he implored the House, at once to go to the root of the evil, and not merely to alleviate but to revent the future recur rence of public calamity. They had much to do, much was expected from them, and their every step was watched with a longing eye. Mr. BROUGHAM had not the most distant wish to anticipate the discussion which would piobably take place on Monday: He was afraid he had not understood the precise object of the Right Honour. able Gentleman. He would not give an opinion at present respecting the advance of money to Corpora. tions, but he implored the Right Hon. Gentleman to consider one thing, and to consider it seriously, when he spoke of giving money to Parishes and requiring personal security. By doing so, he was rather afraid le was placing Country Gentlemen in most difficult and delicate situations. The Poor, if this took place, knew they would be relieved, if their richer neigh bours would come forward and undertake to be so far responsible to Government for the repaying of the money, as agree to be subjected to tbe.hasard of extents in aid. Now this was, perhaps, placing Gen tlemen in a very unpleasant and rather delicate situ ation, Inr•if they refused, as probably some might, they would be looked to with an unfavourable rye. He was aware, that to this there might be many tbi igs said by way of answer, and it was for that very reason he let it to the consideration of the Right Honourable Gentlemen. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. I can only say, that in granting this relief, his Ma jesty's Ministers do not, in the slightest manner, wish j it to be understood that they at all think it will afford permanent relief to the Country. The great object they have in view, is to afford temporary relief, till these sotirces be again re-opened, which have unfor , tuna'ely been shut, but which, there is every reason to believe, will not long be the case. Nor is it meant to prevent any thing being done by Parliament, but, on the contrary, to do every thing in the mean time while Parliament is deliberating what can possibly be done. I have been fully understood by the Honour ' able and Learned Gentleman opposite, and the hints he has thrown out will be a suitable subject for the House to direct their attention, when the question is submitted to their consideration. They will, without. doubt, do every thing to prevent that disadvantage alluded to, Irom taking place. The House, however, cannot but see the necessity of the public distress' being relieved as soon as possible, and the great ad-' j vantage which will result from no delay taking place in granting this relief. Every thing possible shall be j attended to when the preposition is laid before the Committee of the whole House on Monday. When the sums granted to Parishes are mentioned, it will be seen that the first security demanded will be on the Parish Rates, with security also being given by per sons. I have only further to add, that I judged it proper, both to the House and to the monied interest, to give some explanation of the proposed grant, and conclude by expressing my confidence it will meet that attention from the Committee which its importance demands. Mr. BROUGHAM.—I see I have fully under- stood the plan of the Right Honourable Gentleman, but I merely took the opportunity to throw out this hint for his consideration. It is proper, if money is advanced, that security be given, and wishing that every attention should be paid to the interests of all parties, I wished him to notice this. At present I shall not further anticipate what may then take place. Mr. LYTTLETON observed, that the execution of the plan proposed by the Right Hon. Gentleman must necessarily be attended with considerable diffi culties. He trusted that the relief would not be strictly confined to the quarters mentioned by the Right Honourable 'Gentleman. With respect to the Parish Funds, loaded as they were, he thought they would be a very insufficient security for the money advanced. The subject was of infinite importance; and lie strongly recommended to the Right Hon. Gentleman to postpone the consideration of it beyond Monday, in order to give Honourable Members an eppoitunity of communicating with their Constituents, and of arranging their own ideas with respect to it. _ _ Mr. PONSONBY was not prepared to give an immediate opinion on the proposition; but urged the propriety of deferripg for a few days the discussion on a subject of so much weight and importance. The CHANCELLOR cf the EXCHEQUER expresvd his anxiety to consult the wishes of Ho- , courable Gentlemen on the subject. Would it be satisfactory, were be to confine himself to the state ment of his plan on Monday, and to defer calling on the House for any opinion until a sub sequent d a y ? Mr. PONSONBY said that would be very satis factory. The CHANCELLOR of the .EXCHEQUER then intimated his intentient of satisfying himself on Monday with making his own statement, unless no very decided objection should appear to the adoption of the proposition. Mr. TIERNEY asked the Right Hon. Gentleman when he anent to enter into the discussion of the general lPinanees of the Country I The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER - replied. that he was quite prepared to do so at ere. sent; bus that it warilecessarT. in-tb• 6rst- place, to - complete all the measures of Supp:y. The M cll . l was then agreed to. ACADEMICAL SOCIETY. Sir M. W. RIDLEY gave notice thet on Tuesday he would move for a copy of the petition relented to the Bench of Magistrates in London from the Academical Society in Chancery-lane, prayity, fe. a .1 License as a Debating Society, and ter A enp: any Order that had been made in consequence. HALT - PAY. l Mr. BROUGHAM inquired, inhethrr an E o nourable Gentleman opposite was aware that scone delay had taken place in the issue of halt pay t , Lt s ye Majesty's forces for the last half year ? Mr. LONG was aware of the delay, which i• A d been unavoidable, on accuunt of the absence of Ilene on furloughs, and the Are.st increase of pensi o n ers . err Mr. BROUGHAM urged the n-cessity of not eit Tl - laying the issue of the halt pay one day or .ine larr later than it (light to be. The inferior tank: on hale be pay had no credit, and if tliey did not receive th 1e money precisely at the time, might be reduced to the mnst deplorable situation. fe Mr. LONG assured the Learned Gentleman :I,tt ro he was aware of the i opertatice of the subje, , an that every exertion was made to prevent delay. T e tte present was occasioned by the great increase to the number of persons on half-pay. The payments wreild sn henceforward be made four times instead of twice ft a-year. t . MT3CELLANtotrt. Mr. LITTLETON presented a PetKon from Wednestm against the circulation of Copper Tokens. A: Mr. GRENEELI. wished the Hon. Gentleman would berg is a Bill to prevent that circulation. Mr. ITLETON said, that he would Introduce a 1111 to di' that effect tomorrow. The Petition was then read, and laid on the table. F' Mr. BOSWELL. pre/milted a Petition from Kamm nock,in ti t 101 County of Ayr satins: the Cottage ax.— laid on the table. Sir C. MON CKI T moved for several Returns respecting the Re• to venues of Greenwich Hospital, front the Ist of November, kn to the same date, let s.—Ordered. Mr. GRENFELL Inquired whether the Finance Committee ilso intended to take into consideration the tran,actions of the Back with the Pul lie ? Mr. DAVIEi GILTE ( LT could not take gem himself to str, but would endeavour to veer , inn. ore Lord PAL \LER S rave voile*, that tomorrow se t:nigh be sboaki bring on the Army Estimates.—Ailiourticd. lne FLANDERS MAIL. The Philanthropist, an English journal, printed a t Pe: Brussels, contains the following article The Ga vernment has just 'discovered a correspondence te- in tureen Napoleon and some of his partisans in Europe. co The plan was ingenious and new. Madame Bet - Ira-1 had received a present of a beautiful muslin dress, th magnificently embroidered, which came from a city in the South of France. The flowers and various sr; figures which composed the embroidery were sn many ft hieroglyphics, each having its particular signiflcati , e... so The indiscretion of a young man who had been its: of bearer of it, and who lately returned to Et.gleel, is caused the key of this species of cipher to tall it.to the hands of the English Ministers." The Journal of Ghent,"of the 21 st, under the heal of Ghent, says, that Mr. Santini, lately returned leen St. Helena, declared at Ghent that he was goir.E; to Italy to deliver letters from Bonaparte to tte press Maria Louisa. AuosßUito, APRIL 15. In the Allsemeine Zeitaing of to-day, is an article cre- ceruing Sweden, meted to be copied from anothcr paper, of which the following is the substance: bl " The reports of a dissatisfied potty in Sweden to are confirmed, and from many of the measures ft adopted one may infer, that the Government has ft long entertained fears of something of the kind.— The rigour shewn towards foreigners for some time past, seems to indicate fears of unfriendly influence from without. Even the expressions of foreign Jour. nals have been noticed and carefully controverted.— All this shews an' insecurity in the Govetnment, and I I the fear of a change. " Those who know Sweden will find the dissatie faction of the nation with its present situation very a natural ; for all the circumstances are calculated to sl excite fears for the future. Sweden is a poor coun- try, which, though it has some fruitful spots, is, ce the whole, hardly able to maintain its scanty pnpule fk lion. Far from possessing any luxuries, it mut purchase even bread and salt from foreign countries. Formerly Finland supplied its de6cienc es, at least is good years; but it has lost that province, and hal 11 got io exchange Norway, a barren poor couotrya which is no indemnity. •' This latter, the poorest country in Europe, whicti cannot exist without annual large supplies of core 'is, it possible, worse off than Sweden; for its cm• mercial relations with Denmark have ceased, the credit which its merchants formerly enjoyed in the commercial towns of Denmark is at an end, and the unhappy country sees itself threatened with famine, the scarcity of money continually increasing. Sweden has been congratulated on the union with Norway, because, being an insulated State, it was free frog foreign influence; but it was forgotten that Rune and Prussia, it they agree to shut their pats to the Swedish vessels, can produce a famine in Swedes when they please, and compel that kingdom to 21 ! terms without moving a man. " The stagnation of trade, which has ruccerdc.: to a short brilliant epoch, the increased load of toNee increased by the debt of the State, which runs: 21 borne by a population reduced by the cession of .;;I land above a fourth, ate likewise causes of distorf tent. The Crown Prince is, however, not to blunt for all these alarminrcircumstances; it never w 3 in his power to help them ; the discontent shewn to wards him is therefore highly unjust. It can on ` be attributed to the hereditary inclination of this 0 3 tion to stand in a hostile attitude against their Se , reign, which has been displayed in Sweden from remotest periods to modern times, more than :r 1 3 . r other European nation. If we examine th e Sre,:.. history, we find, from the death of Olaus from the year DUO, till now, eleven Klegs el Sv'e 2 murdered, and thirteen dethroned." ST. PETERSBIIRGIT, MARCH' to. There is a great bustle in our foreign dcpartter. Every week coutiers arrive from the different Fiv. capitals of Europe. The number of our diplorni:` agents abroad is more considerable than ever. said that M. Pozzi di Borgo will be recal!ea his post of Ambassador at Paris. M. Maya Af. bassador at Paris in 1602, whom Bonaparte. 't' ` time, reproached with being in the interests et land, has gone to the Fesuch capital. kh.:d