Star. — London, England, 1822-06-18 00:00:00

l . • 1, • - could be obtainectelsewheVe; and he was fully per suaded that the practice was a beneficial one. Lord STANLEY said, that however much he agreed in the propriety of removing the inefficacious restrictions on this subject, he hoped that some met• sure would be introduced to prevent the payment of weges in commodities. Mr. MONCK observed, that there was a great distinction between paying in commodities and pay ing in provisions. The latter was most useful and beneficial, and the former very much the reverse. After a few words from Mr. HUMZ, the Petition was brought up, read, and ordered to be printed. Mr. LITTLETON also presented a Petition from certain Silk Manufacturers in the neighbourhood of Dudleyagainst the Warehousing Bill.—Ordered to be printed. TUB DISTRESSED Mr. V. FITZGERALD rose for the purpose of, putting a question to.the Right Hon. Secretary for Ireland, on the subject of the afflicting accounts which continued hourly to be received from that country, and which must also have reached his Majesty's Go- vernment. Under these circumstances it was that he desired to know from the Right Hon. Gentleman below what further measures of relief were in con templation a his Majesty's Government towards Ire land, and what progress had . been made in the appli cation of those already adopted ? He need not tell the House that the awful situation of that country Would admit of no longer delay—(Hear, hear).—The charity of England, however active its liberality, however extensive, was yet not xplficient; and the sums voted by Parliament were-net enough to sup- I port present distress, and still less to meet that which was approaching for the next seven or eight weeks. Those who thought that much.diti inn remain to be done, greatly deceived themselves—(Hear, hear)—at all events. the House must see that if the employment of the poor in public works were intended to alleviate present distress, no time should be lost, knowing how deep-felt that distress was—.(Hear,hear).—He begged, therefore, that the Right Hon. Gentleman would answer the questions that he had put to him, and he ventured to assure him that Ireland awaited his answer with the deepest anxiety. Mr. GO U LBU RN offered his thanks to his Right lion. Friend for the opportunity he had afforded him ' of explaining the conduct of ate 'lrish Government, en this interesting subject. In answer to the question as to the measures of relief already put in practice, he had to inform his Right Hon. Friend that, from the moment it had appeared to the Lord Lieutenant advisable to interfere, a Committee had been ap pointed in Dublin for the purpose of communicating with the Committee existing in the part of the coun try suffering under the pressure of distress; and funds, which, since the year 1807, bad been at the disposal of the Lord Lieutenant, to be applied in the event of a calamity like the present afflicting the country,were placed in the hands of that Committee, and by them to be applied to those districts which seemed to them most in want of assistance. The Committee applied itself sedulously and anxiously to the task, and put themselves in immediate communication with all the other Committees throughout the distressed districts, l through whose means they had been enabled to con tribute, as far as the limits of their funds would per mit, relief in particular cases. It would also be in the recollection of the House that a measure had been under its consideration, having two distinct branches of operation. The one was to enable the Govern meat of Ireland to institute the commencement of public works, and the other for placing absolutely at its disposal a sum of £50,000. Upon these powers being granted to the Government of Ireland, persons were dispatched into the distressed districts, with full powers to put into execution any species of work that might appear to be most applicable to the local dis tress. In some districts works had already been com menced, and he had no doubt of the steps that had been taken in this respect answering the expectations formed of them. He had said before that he did not think the sum placed at the disposal of the Lord Lieutenant adequate to meet the exigencies of the CAW ; but it was the object of the Government of dist country to obtain the commencement of works, aad afterwards to apply for such sums as the liberality of Parliament should be disposed to grant for their continuance and completion. Ile felt much satisfac tion in being able to state, that the extreme distress which had afflicted different parts of Ireland,was now limited to not a very large portion of the country. hut undoubtedly there was enough left to call upon Parliament and the Government of Ireland to provide further measures of relief; and whenever the funds at the disposal of the Lord Lieutenant should be ex hausted, it would be his duty to come to Parliament for such further sums as might appear necessary. Mr. JOHN SMITH contessed he was surprised, upon healing that there was a Committee sitting in Dublin to afford relief, and coupling with that fact, that the accounts received that day were more cala mitous than any that had yet been received. He would state to the House some accounts of the ex tent of the distress in Ireland, derived from sources and in a manner that could admit of no doubt as to their. accuracy. Such was the situation, for instance, of the County of Clare, that there ,were not less than 93,639 individuals subsisting on charity—(Hear, hcar).—ln Cork, from an estimate made by a Com mittee of Clergymen and Magistrates, there appeared to be 132,000 who had no means of their own of sub sistence, and must perish from hunger without cha ritable relief—( Hear, hear).—ln addition to this, the account from Clare that day stated that several indi viduals had perished of hunger. Now what the Irish Government was doing he knew not, but the first duty of any Government worth a farthing was to re medy such a state of things. He was sure that the Irish Government had not enough money at its com mand for this purpose ; the Committee was not suf ficient for the exigency of the case, and he implored the Right Hen. Gentleman - to take more active steps t han bad yet been taken for the relief of this over whelming distress—(Hear, hear). Mr. SPRING RICE said, that in Limerick, out of 67,000 there were 50,000 subsisting on charity.— He took that opportunity of stating his opinion, that however great the funds, and however zealous the Committee, yet if they were treble what they were it would be impossible for them to do more than alle viate in the slightest possible degree the sufferings of tend Irish. They must rely upon Govern. check the misery that was rapidly spread-. ing. He that • whores" wn.tieir ii they wallet it speedily; for those Who were in *aat'of it 'Would Othervise perish. • • .Sir E. OTRIEN: said, it was their duty seriously to review the situation of the resources applied to this purpose, which weft diminishinglbst. :Whatever was to be done he trusted would be done speedily. - Mr. V. FITZGERALD said he bad meant to throw out no rdproach, but be felt it right to state that the case was one of such extensive distress and such dire necessity, that the means at the command of the Committee were utterly. inadequate to meet the evil. He. WOW ahstain from reciting facts, though if disposed to do so, he could add many to. those which had been, mentioned by his . Hon. Friend: It was, however, propertto bear in mind that the ravages of fever were now added to those of famine in that unhappy country. Not only were the funds placed at the disposal of the Committee incapable of stop ping the calamity, but it continued to increase from day to day ; and he therefore thought that the most manly course that could be taken would be at once to submit the case to the House, and appeal to the liberality of Parliament. Sir J. NEWPORT was of optnion that unless means were found to employ the population of Ire land, and that extensively, the foundation of an ul terior evil would be laid, more formidable even than that with which we had at present ..to • contend, an evil which would not only exist through this or through the next year, but which would strike at the root of all industry for a long period to come. Large as the means, and great as. the benevolence of this country unquestionably were, those means acrd that 'benevolence were incapable of affording efficient re lief, unless the means of existence were drastn from the immediate neighbourhood of the sufferers. The aid that might be afforded ought to be given in such A way that it should take the shape of reward for labour, rather than that of a boon to mendicity. Mr. Secretary PEEL appealed to the House if enough had not been said on the subject, to prove that further discussion was at this time unnecessary ? He perfectly agreed with the Right Hon. Baronet, that this'was not a mere pecuniary question. The importance of the subject lifted it above the ordinary rules of financial calculation. The question was not whether a sum of money should be advanced to Ire land? but, besides considering.of that, other duties of no mean importance devolved upon the Govern ment. At present, he could asisure the House that the attention of the Irish Government was almost ex clutively devoted to this one subject. They were en deavouring to give relief, in every possible way, not with strict regard to the principles of political eco nomy, for unhappily the case was onethat compelled them to set all ordinary rules at defiance. The Irish Government, then, without any view to a mere saving of public money, were labouring to do as much good as they could, at the same time striving to guard against those evils which were but too likely to be concomitant with the efforts thus made. In order to accomplish all that could be effected for the relief of the millions who now called for aid, engineers were engaged to see what works could be commenced, that would afford occupation to the people. Three engineers were now employed in the South West of Ireland for this purpose. Their report was immedi ately expected, and six thousand pounds had already been thus AN ropriated, not for any public under taking, but in order to effect improvements of a local and private nature. They were thus looking out for ways of employing the sufferers, not forgetting, at the same time, that many hundreds were enduring great privation who were incapable of labour. On a subject of such delicacy and importance, he hoped the House would come to no resolution at present, but be satisfied the attention of the Government was fully directed to it ; he trusted they would feel, that Ito extend the limits of this conversation might be in "urious rather than beneficial. Mr. ABLACROMBY had always felt, that in at tempting to afford relief, great care and foresight were necessary to guard against future evil. He was of opinion that this debate ought not to be further extended, but could nut help rising to express the satisfaction he had felt at hearing what had fallen from the Right Honourable Gentleman.—Here the conversation terminated. the distr meat to • SCOTCH BURGHS ACCOUNTS BILL. The LORD ADVOCATE moved the Order of the Day should be read for taking into further con sideration the Scotch Burghs Accounts Bill. The Order of the Day having been read, The LORD ADVOCATE moved that the Bill be' recommitted. Mr. H. DRUMMOND moved that an instruction should be given to the Committee to c insider the propriety of dividing the Bill into two.—Agreed to. Lord A. HAMIL I'ON pointed out various defects in the Bill, and complained that nothing at all was done to correct the evil of self-election; and this not being removed, it was utterly impossible that the measure should set the questions at rest which had lately been so much agitated between the Burgesses and their Magistrates. He took the liberty to state, that not only had he the authority ()flaw and com mon sense on his side, in favour of not allowing the power of self-election, but a considerable portion of the Magistrates themselves had given it as their opi nion that the change which he wished to be effected would not be in any degree subversive of their just rights. Of all the numerous complaints which the Petitioners bad laid before the House, this Bill did not correct one, save that it introduced some ame lioration into the mode of making out the accounts. He conceived the Bill to be totally incompetent to remedy the evil which it professed to have in view; but it was as fit to correct the particular defect to which it did apply, as any other Bill now before the House. He gave his hearty dissent to the measure now, re serving to himself the right of giving a final opinion on it when he saw in what shape it came out of the Committee. The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND said, as the Noble Lord had submitted no better plan to the House than that embodied in'this Bill, he hoped there would be no objection to allow it to go into a, Committee, when the remedieh which he had, to pro pose—remedies not devised him, but by Commit tees of that House—would, re flattered himself, satisfy the House. He thought they could not go further than this Bill did, without being in danger of in fringing the chartered rights of Scotland, which had been secured to that country by the Act of Ulion. arsition given to the Bill confarmtd him rit would cheek the evil. f, P. GRANT Was not satisfied with the mea sure, and could not agree that to' go further wOOIO affect the chartered rights of Scotland. • Mr. HUMS was not satisfied with the presets and was confident that no meastire zould correct the evil that did not remove that whit ad been so long complained of, the practice of self-election, as exer cised by the Magistrates of the Royal Scotch Burghs. He thought it was too much for the Learned Lord to talk of respecting the chartered rights of Scot land now, after the manner in which they had becn openly violated through the last 50 years. He hoped the House would disregard the plan of the Learned Lord, and give the People of these Burghs the means of protecting their own rights and liberties. He wished to ask, if the Learned Lord had provided for the correction of the defect in the representation of the several Corporations of Trades ? With these opi nions it might be expected that he should oppose the Bill. But as some of his friends thought it might be productive of some little , good, he was willing to take that rather than nothing. Mr. W. SMITH contended that the evils of the Scotch Burgh system requires! efficient remedies. He thought the clause of the Bill which went to punk)) corruption, in some measure redeemed the other ob jections which might lie against Lord BINNING defended the system of chartered rights, vested in the Scotch Burghs, which was insti: tuted for their good. The existing evil consisted in the abuse of that system by the mismanagers of the affairs of the different Burghs. Mr. MAXWELL argued against the system. He considered its origin as being a revolution, though made by a King. Its first institution was the act of a weak King, advised by an imbecile set of coun sellors. He concurred in that part of the Bill which imposed fine in cases of corrupt practices in Elections. The House then went into a Committee. The Bill was read paragraph by paragraph, and several verbal amendments were agreed to. A long discussion took place upon a clause giving the Court.pf Exchequer in Scotland jurisdiction over the pecuniary penalties created by the Bill. Mr. J. P. GRANT then moved, as an amendment, a clause to regulate the Auditing of the Corporate Accounts. Upon the question for receiving the clause the House divided, when there appeared— For the $3 Against it 35 Alajorit , .-1 8 A number of clauses ‘vere.then agreed to,with ver• bal amendments, proposed by different Hon. Members. A division ensued upon the question of agreeing to a clause introduced by Mr. J. P. GRANT, to prevent the Bill having any effect on the Head Courts. The numbers were— For the clause.. 44 Against it 7l Majority —27 On the re-admission of strangers, the Committee were going through the remaining tarts of the Bill. Lord BINNING proposed an Amendment to com pel half of the Town Council in every Scotch Burgh to re,ide within the Burgh, or within three miles of the Town-ball. Mr. J. P. GRANT opposed the Amendment; and after some conversation it w•as withdrawn. The other clauses of the Bill were then agreed to. On the motion " That the Chairman do leave the Chair," there was a shout of assent, and considerable laughter, at the fervency with which some of the Hon. Members hailed the termination of the discussion. The House resumed, s and the CHAIRMAN reported progress. The Report was ordered to be taken into further consideration on Thursday next, and the Bill, as amended, to be printed. Mr. KENNEDY wished to postpone the second reading of the Scotch Juries Bill until Thursday next, with the understanding that it should, on that day, have precedence of the third reading of the Corn Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no objection to the proposition of the Hon. Gentleman. Mr. BROUGHAM postponed his motion on the influence of the Crown, until Monday next, on ac count of the probable absence of the Marquis of Lon donderry from the House on Thursday, for which day his motion had been fixed. But he hoped that pre cedence would be given to it on Monday. Mr. HOBHOUSE said, a motion of which he had given notice, for the repeal of Taxes (the House and Window Tax) to a very large amount, stood for Wednesday; but he did not wish to bring it on in the absence of the Noble Marquis, therefore he should postpone it to the 2d of July, which was the first open day—( Hear, and a laugh). Mr. ARERCROMBY postponed his motion rela tive to certain transactions connected with the Press of Scotland to the 25th instant, with the understand ing that it should take precedence of all other pub lic business. THE CORONATION. Mr. HUME said, that early in the Session, when he had mentioned the expenses of the Coronation, the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that he would in due time lay before the House an account of the expenses connected with that ceremony. The Right Hon. Gentlenian, however, had not done so ; he had, in fact, forfeited his promise. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the whole of the accounts were not yet entirely made up. It was not his intention to propose any addi tional vote on account of the expenses of the Coro nation. The sum already voted fully covered the charges which had been ascertained ; but there were still some outstanding accounts, which might render an application to Parliament necessary. THE BUDGET. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave .notice, that he hoped on Friday se'nuight he should be able to open the Budget to the House. PUBLIC WORKS. f _ The CHANCELLORof the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of the Day for the House resolving loaf into a Committee on the Acts for ippropriatiq Ex chequer Bills to the furtherance of public works. In the Committee, the CHANCELLOR of the Ex- OHMURA moved for an issue of £2,000,000 of Ex chequer Bills, in pursuance, he ob►erved, of a notice he had given early in the Session. Of this, £250,000 was to be devoted to the relief of Ireland, £lOO,OOO had previously been laid out with the same benefi ,cent views, and £50,000 hid beta recently issued the *fiction of his Right Its & kbMb the Se. y of Ireland, to meet the immediate distress of country, making a sum total for Ireland of 1,000. The Right Hon Gentleman caseload loving for an issue of Exchequer Bills to Ik e ant of £2,000,000 sterling, for the perp ose af enabling Commissioners appointed for that wp m to carry on public worles,.and to encourage the fisheries ; • Mr:HUME WAS anxious to have some explanatiog as to the nature of this vote. Was it to ctsver expenses already incurred, or was it to meet future claims? The C HANC ELLOR of the EXCHEQUER t.tte c t, that this sum was in addition to Whit had been for merly voted.—The Resolution was then agreed to. The second Resolution, empowering the Lord Lieu. tenant' of Ireland to grant any sorts not excerdi ng £250,000, to be expended in the formation or rep i t of public works, and in the encouragement of the fisheries, was also carried.—The House then resumed. Report to-morrow. On the motion of Mr. WALLACI, the Warehousing Bill was retommittedipro forma, as many alteration s had been made in it. It was ordered to be printed, and the Report to be .taken into consideration on Monday next. On the Order of the Day being moved for the fur ther consideration of the Receivers' General Bill, Mr. HUME rose, and described the measure at having been deprived of every useful and valuable quality. Altered as it had been, it was worth nothing, and in a future stage he should feel it to be his duty to oppose it altogether. The further consideration of the Report was post poned till Friday next. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL was proceeding to introduce a Bill, when Mr. CItEEVEY rose, and said it was a most extra ordinary circumstance to find the Attorney-General of England bringing in a Bill at that hour of the morning (it was then nearly one), when there were only nine Members present. don't know,' said the lion. Member, « what the nature of the Bill is, hu; I do know, Mr. Speaker, that there are only nine of as!' The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained the tore of the measure—it went to repeal a Bill, of very little importance, which was passed in the last Ses,.ina. Mr. CREEVEY.—I doi:t at all doubt but the ;;•,1 is a very good one, but still, Mr. Speaker, tiler.: Ore only nine us! The ATTORNEY-GENERAL again czi:lainel the nature of the measure. • Mr. CREEVEY.—The Attorney• General ought sever to bring in a Bill, unless there is a good tounl number of Members in the lionse ; b.it, Mr. Speaker, here are only nine of us !—(Lnu A bler). The ATTORYET-GENTERA I, then moved th:t h:s LTIIT read a first rime this day (Tuesday), which was agreed to; azst at a Quarter after One o'Clock the House adjourned. PORTUGUESE CONSPIRACY. (SUPPLEMENT TO THE 129TH NUMBER OF THE GOVEP•:- MENT GAZETTE, SUNDAY, JUNE i 2.) " Lisbon, June Irrefragable proofs have at last been discovered of the truth, with which the Minister ofJustice explained to the sovereign Cortes the necessity of the extraor dinary authority which was granted to him for Le public safety, and for the sacred cause of the country. Nefatious anarchists and ambitious conspirators de signed nothing less than bat barously to stain with blood our happy regeneration, to cover the kingdom with mourning, to depose the King, and to abolish the Coates. But all their atrocious projects have proved abortive: the conspiracy was discovered; and in the night between the Ist and 2i of the monde, were seized by the Magistrate of the dist:ict Nova), the principal instruments of the conspiracy, at the time when they were taking for distribution from the printing-office in the street Formosa, called the Liberal, a great number of incendiary and infa mous Proclamations ; in which, and in the plan of the conspiracy found on the five traitors now imprisoned, it appears that, with a few slight Vali:l6°ns, are co::- tained the following anarchical and horrible ideas:— To dissolve the present Cortes, and convoke the old, with some modifications, such as having two Cham bers, one of them consisting of hereditary Members and of the first Nobility : to depose the beneficent and magnanimous King John VI. who has so faithfully and openly adhered to the cause of the Constitution and of national liberty, and in his place to elet ate the Infant Don Michael, at the head of a Regency, com posed of men the most conspicuous and respectablo, who have declared themselves enemies of the system by which, happily, we are governed : to assassins:c those Members of the Cortes and of the Ministry u!:o are the most able and celebrated defenders of the na tional rights : in one word, to throw the whole natila into a state of confusion and civil war, of bloodshed, disorder, and anarchy, the advantage of which was to be reaped by these infamous conspirators, and by others like themselves, who probably will be leund engaged in the same plot. The persons who have already been apprehended will appear from the dispatch and list following : " Most Illustrious and Excellent Senhor—lt not being pos=l - for me to give your Excellency circumstantial details of the diligence with which I repaired to the printing-office in the Rua Formosa, by the command of his Majesty, that your Excellency may lay the same before him, I shall execute my task as circum stances permit, beginning by saying, that on proceeding with my Officers and troop to the appointed spot, I apprehended, hi fa grante delicto, the individuals whose names are contained in the enclosed list, finding on them the incendiary Proclamations, of which I likewise send you copies. Going then to a cellar, I found the printing-preas prepared, and all the signs of its haviklg recently printed the Proclamations alluded to. I then chtcr mined to remove the prisoners into secret confinement, beeir; up all their effects, and placing them in good security in the rrr sence of Officers of credit and the troop, whom I continue there till the morning, when I propose to draw up the necessary acts• " Having done this, I went to the Aljube (ecclesiastical prison!, where I seized all the papers relative to Father Mestre Braga. I then proceeded to the house of the prisoner Francisco de Alpoiril e blenezes, where I acted in like manner; and, finally, accom panied by my colleague, the Criminal Judge of the Castle.ward, I detailed the capture . of the Paymaster of the 16th regiment of infantry, Bernardino Rodriguez. This was executed afterwards by the above-mentioned Minister, with aII due zeal and activity, leaving nothing to be desired on this head. Ile concluded this act with a wank in the house, and a seizure of the papers which , 101 le