Star. — London, England, 1817-06-12 00:00:00

: I ,/ to this Meetings bin when it assembled, the sense of the People was so decidedly in favour of the Petition, that this Club shrunk from the contest, and the Peti tion was agreed to with only three hands held up against it. Such was the effect produced by the con- duct of his Majesty's Ministers in Berkshire. Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE bore testimony to the respectability of the Meeting. The Petition was then laid on the table, and on the motion of Mr. P. Moone ordered to be printed. AOINNIsTRATIoN OF JUSTICE IN JERSZY. freeholder_ wno depri_ in the strongest terms any attempt to suspend the privileges of the Coeszitution, because a kw obscure radividuals thought proper to contemplate its sub version. They heard with surprise and alarm that such was the intention of his Majesty's Ministers, and they earnestly besought the House not to sanction so wanton and unnecessary an attack on the liberties of the People—an attack which, they said, it successful, would make the Government despotic, and the Peo ple slaves. •Thl Honourable Sieniber trusted that Ministers would at length teel that they would really incur snore danger in continuing the Suspension than in restoring to the People the lierties of which they were deprived: _ Lord FOLKSTONE declared, he never saw a =ore numerous or respectable Meeting at the Town Hall at Reading than that from which the present Petition emanated ; and this may be said in one view to be rental 'cable, from the circumstance that the day of meeting was not the market-day, or one likely to atiract a crowd to the town. It was remarkable too because a set of persons, called " TtlB Pin CLUB," in Reading, had canvassed about for in oppnaision Mr. BENNETT moved, that an humble Address be presented to his Royal Highness the P,ince Re gem, praying that he would be graciously pleased to _order that there he laid before the Noose a Copy of the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the state of Jurisprudence in the Islaads of Jer sey and Guernsey. The Hon. Gentleman explained the object of his Motion to be the renewal of an in• quiry on which a Commission was held twenty-five years ago, without any practical result having been attained. Mr. BRAGGE BATHURST was sorry to be obliged to resist this Motion. These Wands were peculiarly situated with respect to their total jutis , skijor' and they had the utmost jealousy indeed, even so a doubt, of Parliament to interfere in their ' internal rrguiations. Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, that if such a doubt were entertained, or such 4 doctrine asserted, denying' the posvor of Parliament in this respect, it was a wrong reason why his Honourable Friend's Motion should be carried, tor the purpose of setting the ques tion at rest. Mr. DA ilivasr said, when he mentioned that such doubts were entertained he by no means wished to be understood as conntenancins them. There was, however, a competent person now employed in exa mining the state of the jurisprudence tit these islands, who would, he was convinced, terminate the inquiry in the most satisfactory manner. Mr. SENN Err, after hearing this, would not press his Motion, which was in fact only intended as a sti. mulant that something . should be done. There was a singular fact connected with the present state of the islands of Jersey lied Guernsey they were situated between• France and England, but not yet subject in their internal regulations to the interference of either. They were not subjected to the impost of any taxes, and were fortunately tree from the fraternal embrace of the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite phe Chancellor of the Exchequer—at The islands would not refuse to accept good laws if they were offered to them; but they dreaded that it inter ference were once admitted in their internal regale. Owls. the power of taxation would hilow as a cense. quence.—The Motion was then negatived. 31 1 ROUGH SYSTEM. Sir FRANCIS 13URDETT ruse to present a P. titiun relative to trausActions to which he had often felt it his duty to call the attention of the House. He now held in his hand a Petition from a perion in the Borough of Hasle•nere, which put the flagrant abuse, of which he so long complained, in the strong est point of view. It related to the practices. which prevailed in Borough Elections, and placed the Bn. rough-mmigeriag system in its proper colours. It shevi4cl it to be a system destru..tive to morality, t•• howes:y, and to every goosi feeling which forms the Abaractrr of alt hottest man. The peutilkA t t rn ed . that at the last General Election fcie"' li dr Hulemere, Lord Lonsdale conveyed over to'hun a certain property, toiluality him to vote At the election for his Lordship's nomin v. The petitioner, in fact, , became what; in the Borough•mongerirg system,was, called abase, to accommodate his Noble patron.... Lord Lotisdale had no property in or near the 80. I tough, bin by conveying a qualification of this kind, it was in his power to sworn ttvo Mentbees to Par liament. who were competent to dispose Of the pre - petty cf the whole county. The petitioner hip r ouell to have a supple conscience, and refused to deliver no the property conveyed to constitute him a vow... ILvediaigti—fle being a conscientious man—(4/ jaegh)--he refaced to restore to the tight owner the property of which he *swore he was lawfully kosseir Jed at the last eleidoo, and the petitioner stays that for this qualm oVcoaseiewee he is enduring every . epe., ass of persecution, by legal process and otherwise,. born the Nub*, Borough Patron. If this petition be laid en Ilse table, it will be impossible to refrain tr• following it up by some ulterior proceeding. It an act of treason against that House, worst than that foe Which persons were now undergoing prepacted triolar.a treason against the rights and li berties of the people. It involved the crime of per-, :pry, of togpttllude, of a want of faith and trust: he tact, a aims against religion, morality, and every ,Whig of ?vitiate gratitude. This petition contain • 0 i silassoare *nue of all these enormities, an exa blames of the Borough-mongering system, ~. • their deielnpement Of that intrderable grievance. ts iss 'He believed that it was this system which causeit 'what was termed the disaffection in the community; Aid treated that feeling thatLcalled for such enact.' the l• - tof discussing. The they had a right to . eat Nets could not by . House of Commesis ; iernatra 'tang *.d t on the part of a . and privilege, , whi N ly , .ig ... duty *ere estrcised tor. the protection of the just privileges 'of the peopa. To give, by way of illustration, a description eitMe Borough•ninngeriug system, he need only wale :is parody on the poetry of a great Bahl-. Ji A eombinaoon and a form, indeed, .. Where every Omit did *yenta. se WA seal, To jive the world INUMIC, of a Puled. The Honourable Baronet concluded by moving that this Petition be brought up. Mr. BA N KES begged the Honourable Baronet to state the nature of the complaint, and the remedy sought tor— (hear). Sir FRANCIS BURDETT read the Petitieeh which set forth tne grievance complained of, as being a vindictive prosecution arising out of the proceedings at an election. The petitioner lett the mode of *- dress to the consideration of the House. Mr. BANKES held, that in this caw the Petition could not be received, as it called for redeem islet', none could be granted. The Petitioner complained of leg .1 proceedings, which were, as would appear, yet pending in the . Courts of Law. This• was.not son of tendon which the House was in the habit of receiving from individuals, nrd it came WitLir. ti:e 1 esceptions acted upon even in the present Ses'ion. Sir F. BURDETT observed, that the Petition contained an allegation, which, if true, was a direct infringement of their privileges. Mr. BANKES said, that the Petition complained of certain matters touching the election at Haslemere some years ago. It could only he received while that Election Committee was sitting— (Thar, /mar). —The House could not now institute such a Com mittee—( lhar, hear). Mr. BRAND said, the House had no cogni7 ince of the Petitioner's remedy elsewhere, and could not therefore refer to it. It was impossible for the Pen ' tioner to have brought his case forward while the Election Committees were sitting, because the grievance of which he complains occurred at a sub sequent period—it had only just taken place, and as won as the House was informed that a fraudulent practice prevailed in the mode of obtaining votes at an election for one of its Members, they mere bound to refer it to a Committee to impute i n to the state ment therein made. Mr. 13. BATHURST objected to the course adopted by the Honourable 13aronet, 6u re cling the Petition as part of his speech, and said, that the pe. rind when the Petition came to be considered was a matter of small importance, but the circumstance tit the individual's neglecting to appeal to the Com mittee, precluded him Irmo any proceeding in that House upon the same question. There was also A legal question involved, which could only be deter mined ia the Collets below Sir H. PA RN ELL thought, that the circumstances of the case were of such a nature as to entitle the Pe tition to the consideration r.l the House. Mr PETER MOORE observed, that the Petition stated a distinct grievance to h tve been suffered by the individual; and where a grievance was felt, he hoped that in this country there was always a re medy. He trusted, therefore, that an opportunity would be afforded him, by the reception of the Peti tion, to exercise his judgment on the case. Mr. W. SMITH must protest against the doe. trine, that it was not a right of a Member to read from a Petition in the course of his speech. He now heard so from the Chair ; but he remembered a good deal about the mode of presenting Petitions; and what the presenter should or should not say on such occasions. It had been said that the Member should have read the Petition, and seen that there. was no thing in k improper. The House was always in a state of embarrassment on questions of this sort. If the statements of the Petition,..as far as they had been mentioned, were true, they told facts which were alike anomalous to the law of the land and the Constitu tion of that anise. A freeholder or voter should be so ionefule- This Petition :hewed the contrary. Yet when the subject of burgage tenure came before the Noose, they ail felt that men had freehold or other rroperty made over to them fraudulently, and for a .articular purpose. According to an old saying of .slr. Lee, the qualification of property was nothing but a little hot wax and wet paper. This was to ' convey a banal* right to the temporary occupier: but how did the question stand in common sense and Jaw, when the conveying party brought his eject-' went ? The man to whom she property was made had it, or had it not. The man appeared to be per. I located, because he would not gives up what was 1 111 041 11 4M4 0 WO. Hoe the Heine were in their acettstOlhed ejnbaftessffisent on such occasions. It would he better to enact something to establish the tight of hurgage tenures intelligibly. for the return of /ombers. than in leave them as they are. They ...ere now disgracefully covered with a cloak and a ' circenlment. The Petition shewed the absolute ne dimity of some inform. He had nothing to do with re Petitioner's conseience—( laugh.)—White these Boroughs existed, it seemed good that now and then these faggots, as they were called, should come under 161 notice of Parliament. The SPEAKER said, that he wished to offer a few words relative to the right of a Member to read in his place a Petition as part of his speech. It cer tanly was expected from every Member that he jhould read a Petition before he presented it, in order fliat he might be enabled to state to the House whe her it was couched in decorous language, and what Were facts it contained; but it was contrary to `:he invariable practice to read the Petition itself in the coarse of his speech. In answer to another point I alluded to at a m .re rally part of the debate, when it was urged that if a Petition was brought up, it should afterwards be read at the table; he was of opinion, that it the Petition was in itself objectionable, or it the prayer was such as could not be complied With, it was in that stage, as well as in any other, ' liable to be opposed. Mr. CI 7RW F. 1•1 contended, that as the Petition contained an allegation in which the character of that House was concerned. they ought to take some steps lin it for their own honour; they were bound both in I honour and justice to entertain it. Sir R. F ERGVSSON supported the question for receiving the Petition. ' Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, that if it was a role of the House to prevent the reading of Petitiors iti the way that be had done, sothing could be more easy than to describe the subseance. He was not at I all surprised at the objections made to the reception of the Petition by the Member for Cork Castle (Mr. Bankcs), and others who were returned in the game way, which the Petition went to expose. It was quite natural that they should raise objections in &nine.— Thy Petition went to charge a Peer of Parliament with interfering in the election of a Member. How could the House get rid of that It went further to state, that theintetferenee want fraudulently conduct ed. Though the House might shut its ears against those facts, the Country would not, and unless some titer, was taken, lie would be compelled to bring the ,question forward in the nature of a charge, so as to oblige them to entertain it. he House then proceeded to a division. wher there appeared—For the reception of the Petition IS —Against it 47—Majority Sl2. IMPORTATION OF CORN. ' Mr. PONSONBY said, be wished to call the at !ion of the House, for a few moments, to a sub. ject which was extremely interesting at the present time. He was informed in the course of chat day, and he had every reason to believe his information cotrect, that exportations of corn from. this country. to Prance, were now taking place under an arrange tr.tr.t entered into br individuals with the French Go krrirent. lie did not knew vr!tr.f.i:er, rrder tl fisting laws, the Government of !Ins country be power of actints in sue, a cage to take their pr rn to ..nnther mart et in; • ••: c!' r!!, foring it her sale ;It home. he did it kt4l‘.. , any iaterlerence could properly tnr Pt:eal!:•1•. 1 stated thy tact in the 11.7.ne that Cn7rre.v.l.. turn their view to the sohject, fur Le eras would fi .id his information grits pyrfeccy cr,ir Mr. ROBINSON agr..ed with the able Gentleman as to the peculiar delkiacy t::: subject. It soil; t be true, fur any knew to the contrary, that cc.rn reel,, fee i.c.refut s e„ here by individuals, or lay iitaieldnals in irA• by the Government itseit. it was true that, vs t: c law stood st present, they were at liberty and it was a matter of great delit:sty tnr inePle that law. We were ourselves in the balk of flog corn from abroad, and if we in. 4 m,y us; business, it would be at the LAitird pt diff,•:i•lle!" nor own importation, when we 11. tine It r.c . :! - f17,-. Besides, it we professed to I ,, ck upturn here,:: "- gm prevent those foreign countries Om cent it twe ;. 1 first iustaiKe, with a vi.•v.• to lcrther, exporfairen into (Mier parts, front sending it at Ali. AI the 1... v ewer stood, Govertinient bud no right to interfere. Mr. PONSONLY ,Aid, h felt all the ck.licac.c uf the rase, tut there was a diff-nroce be. t t., • 11 the tel n impur:rd from the lorvig is mat k‘ pud, that wl.:sh WA. grown in our awn countty.. tar G.:Vein:tient might at: Upon that LitS : cittl .11, ::? did !la know ; but he hoped the ) avould take it tr.vs their c ns.dersslion, and he was -me they must teal t diso.itio n to do all that could tailly be dune the circumstance'. Lurd c4I::Ti.ERF.A.GI - 1 said, that Vie inconTe. nience was not MIL:, to last long. Tice iiidicultits of France with regard to sahlt.tf7iice promised to tt". soon at an end. a. the T7e harTett was in the tnr‘t promising cmiditiol. It had, in fic!, tonsiL . c:.,:t!r reduced the price of corn alrea.fy. 11 this %Via with respect to r.tnce, it was still more bti 4:1; spect to counties noire to the southward. Itred to potent the expottstion w the 7 . it might operate to hinder the grain latic!. the country upon speculation. It no,::! foreign Governments into t!... measures when our own 11CC4.%!;t 1 1.1 , t *!' Mr. WILLIAM SW . C 1•1 . :1 • • . not possible to prevent ail exportaci• u, c., , , be taken at least to provide that the Kra:ti o I.ty shoo' be seat Abr )4d, And thAt 4.M7 0:**II should home the benefit of Gie good. Mr. 111:1SKISSQV observed, ihit the (F. the present year, a% .7oinpared wilt the in.peti, e7ceedin:::ly ausl that, therefore, Vie F. , -:•e should hesitate much b.f . le they I.rocre•le,l to Ali) , restrictive measims. N4llln a l lg""lfana swots as they were in Se h - sr readmission mow issuirry t yip News poberc at large knew will t t !HA RLF4DUNIPAS Pielestiug effirtitinn represented to Parliament' the !ll,Amellothers aims/ ..tenants Membeee g . artret an . that the House had an *Joon Ani..hT a Honourab Mere easing any such interSrence I ion was signed.by upwards ol.one thousand to be a breach of th e * rights ler: of the Canary of Berks, who deprecated were only their's so long a s ie was, that he should a:ree to such an amendment and oppose the original motion. Did not the disaffected know at this m mesa who were taken up ? It was impn,sible 0 'invent the friends and neighbours of any rnau t.rl spprehended from ku ing the fact as s oon ..s it happened. What start, then, could be cominunicated to them by exposing the names ? To his understanding it was impossible that any danger could arise tom it. He could not believe but what it was i.i.possibie b. of any inconvenience either to the persnits in the G refitment. Indeed, he consi dered the rn , tion and the amendment to be substan tislly the same. Mr. B BATHURST attributed the motive of the Noble Lord who made the motion, to be, to accuse Government of impr per treatment of individuals— (No. no.) —Then. why object to the amendment, withheld the names ? In various parts of the country there might be a connection amongst the dis affected, but not such a connection as might cause &I sons to know who had been taken up at hundreds ri miles distance Tee giving of the numbers and ages would prevent 'he knowledge by their partisans of what par Kolar persons had been apprehended;, tut the rum s ct.bld be of no other purport than to forma ground of mputation against Ministers, which must have the effect of weakening the hands of Go vernmen! , whose measures, under present artuns- Aances, find already obtained the confidence of the House. and were exerted for the benefit of the whole ((Immunity. Sir W. BUR ROWS could notconceive what grounds there could be f‘r refusing the names, which could not be much longer kept secret. The Calendar of every Ass e. eisblisited the names of all pees-us in custiniy. The names would *hew, whether or not any ass's of tank, character, and property had been taken i.p, and, no doubt, Would influence the House as to the propriety us renewing the Habeas Corpus Susprnainn Act or not. Au the dangers which witted in 1796 were oust of the question—they were at prawn' purely domestic. Such measures were better adopted for ages of barbarians. Was it not the duty of the House to look at every act of the Government with siiincion and jealciusy, and was there to be no anxiety to inquire who the persons were that had beets thrown into prison, and in what situation they found themselves ? For his part he saw no danger at all in granting the mounts, and he could scarcely persu..de himself oat Gentlemen could be serious in their objections to it. It was at the utmost import once tc have a description of their persons and their situations in lite, as well as their names, to see it the return contained any persons of .weight and conse quence; bat ii they were all poor. it was too much to entrust Ministers with such power. As, therefore, tf e amendment was for the purpose of keeping back fr .m the House very necessary inforstation,he hoped it would he negatived. bud FOLKSTONF., in reply, observed, that his other Motion went considerably farther; therefore, if there was any difference in the view be 1)&1 taken of -.the subject then and now, he was i instified in it; best! he would deny that there was-any difference. He thought the information he had moved for, and which the Amendment would throw out, of the ut most importance with regard to the renewed suspen sion of tbe.tleiseas Corpus Act. l l u te was aware of m.schiof Mat SO ANINat w the Motion; but be was not aware, even after what he had heard from the Right Honourable Gentle man, that there was any mischief lit be apprehended. The Amendment being substantially the same as the Motion, it was a sort of smelts' to say, that if the Motion came from the Right Honourable Gentleman himself, there would be no miallief at all. The mi.. chief then, it appeared, was from tliegelover, and oft from the question—(Lar gikr.) How would the Motion encourage the disaiected ? It would not be Many weeks befure the Calendar would be published at the Quarter Sessions in every County Town is England, and then all the names must be publisited. It was absurd, when Government was so very vigi. lant, to say that the House wae.not to know the names of conspirators taken up. Isit Giber ANNaair&•. tots should learn them. Then they said thare was extreme danger in the House belmadeacqpasated with the situation's in life, trade,. a oecopatras,of, these people. This was most logietane, for it,(as had come to his knowledge) they hairnet the Hoses to stir up conspiracies. nor even* IMMO .40 , bigst pair of shoes, it was fit the Hoag to bps oft. titer such persons could *gibs State? No danger had misers imftmly though such a motion bad bone Diet abow ri...l4 l lol. again. Ministers talked a gem ern 1111-4 Iponsibility and the hardiest al lit iviiAielina r Nothing at all. If, with thillll4uissiggesibikt on their shoulders, rid of the howbeit persist in the erigioslllesioe.. • The House dull .divider ofe lb, MigiaSaioaVg4: . :.3 —Noes, 104.-Majeeity ageless leo .511. • rcTITION AGAINST Tull Folimillioo4lllo6. 0 11" lOW On our Mr. CT from tin VerkCergaitat Coippe AO; the felition iIIoCELLA sEoVe Mr. W. SMI rti presented • Petition Trait a rT son of he name of Hai vey, 11:.10 was COII6TTILA U. 114.1" an Extent in Aid for two years, without any orison allowance —The Petition was ordttect to be eere-rd to the Committee apwinted to enq u ire into the sat , ject of Extents in Aid. Lord CASTLE RE ACM moves!. that toe should issue a new writ for the City of the room room of Colonel Vereker, now a Ye.' of United Kingdom. Mr. PONSONBY said, he had stated before !ht 'owe doubt were ossteatairee en that stihjeci., any tar wished that the Mensh-r for the Univer , tty of Dor!in should have notice of the proceeding. Fcr his own part he was not dispoied to take any step non it ; as be was not himself ..ware of any of jection. The CHANCELLOR of the t.XCHEQUER moved for leave .o bring in a lu 11, to autho.ise and facilitate the transfer of capital horn cestai public fonds or stocks in England, to retrain public fonds or stocks in Ireland. He thought it •euid not be advisable, under the present circunistancis, to aq* ,rd the maw facility to ti.e transfer of stock I:. rn the Irish to the English funds, as it might give rte to speculations which would not be r.erviceable to that country. Sir JOHN NEWPORT declared himself a fr;eid to every principle of this nature, the tendency of which was to unite the interests of both. He re. gretted, that it sit add be felt necessary to limit its operation in any w ry. Mr. V ESFA FII7.C.IERALD was of opiiii.)n, that it it was made a reciprocal measure, now that the exchange was against Ireland, it would lead to an immedt ite transfer ot all the stock ot Ireland into this country The East India and Mediterranean Trade Bill w: , ,s read the third time, and passed. The Report of the Committee on the Consolihtel Fund Bill was brought up and agreed to, ant Bills ordered to be brought in accordingly. Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH, on the sugge: : of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, postponed motion respecting the Droits of Admiralty to Tt:f day seinnight. The House, on the Motion of Sir J. NICHOL, went into a Committee on the above Bill. In V:f.• Committee, a protracted Converntiou wok place, at.l several amendments were agreed u. Ti‘e Hulse. re. Lstimed—the Report was received, and ordered to be taken into further consideration on Tuesday hen The CHANCELLOR of the LXCHE2UE?.. brought up the Bill granting an annuity Lord Colchester.—Read the first, and ordered to be rem! a second time to-morrow. The other Orders of the Day were then dispssed of. and the House adjourned at 'Num • - - In the Honse of Commons on Tuesday evening, Mr. ADDlNcvnx, pursuant to his notice, row to !neve for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Volnateer Act. He should detain the House but a few minutes, as the Bill would contain but three Clauses, in the .propriety of which lie felt confident that the Hwy.= would cordially concur. • The first would he—To !lite Magistrates and Cons•lbks the power of granting Billets to Yeomanry Cavalry, when oiled Olt to supprns or prevent riots. in ail of arl Civ'l Authorities. he second—To allow Half-pay Officers to hold Cominisdo: - . 1 In the Yeomanry Service without forfeiting their The third—To eattnpt Yeomanry from serving Parish Offices. lie added, that he could not help ezpressiog infinite pleasure he felt in submitting a Bill to the House, containing prorositions calculated to attord great convenience, facility, and encour.l.4enuat, to that inestimable delcriction of our dome;tic furcl and especially Klan it could be done without any exercite of the public expenditurc.-I.cave A•4l t n. mediatelf given it. bin in the Pi:l. r I z.