The National Register. — London, England, 1817-03-17 00:00:00

oiliers, where they were treated with great ligour, and put in o as. Mr. VANSITTART said he would make empiiiy into the cir cumstances of the ease. lwtrd Stanky presented a petition from Manchester, com plaining of the tax on windows as affecting warehouses, and Air. VAN•ITTART said he expected to have presented a Bill to settle the ditkrences on this subject before now. Slr. BEN N LIT presented a petition from cer:ain inhabitants of Nev South Wahm, complaining of the oppcesivc cundoct of the Governor, and praying that taxes might nut be levied on them without the consent of Parliament. Sir R. I'►tna.sPK presented petitions from &c. praying for Parliamentary Reform, and stated that nine tenths of llie people of Scotland were in lovour of Reform. . Mr. llinaNn presented a similar petition, and bore testi mony to the statement+ of the petitioners. Sir C. 110 SCK wished to know if it was true that intelligence had beea t (wive(' of di , titrbances having broken ont at CUffil, and that Gen. Alaitland had been shot at. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, Goven 111 l ent had received no much intelligence. The tiollie then went into a Committee of Supply. Lord I' SLMERSTONE said, it was not now his intention to go into detail on the Army E►timates, but to take such a sum as svott:d carry hint over till the 11th of June, and to enable him to propose a short Mutiny Act up to that time, lie would now state, however, a general outline of the reduction,. which it was proposed to make during the present year. La& year the Estimate for the Army was 2,163,0001. and the mothers 396,003 mcn. In the present year, the [Minim, including officers and non-commissioned officers, was to be 141,000. In addition to which there would he a reduction made in the force on the continent of 4,800, which wom o d make the whole refluct" of rank and file only, amount to 30,960 men, fur which numb: r, up to the 2lth of June, he should now propose to take a vote, and leave discussion as more convenient, till after Easter. Mr. CAPCHAFT would not now oppose the vote proposed by the Noble Lord. lie should certainly oppoce such an eno...oons force being kept op ; dally when it was consi der .1, that in 17%e Ih+•rc \vete no mole than 12,000, and in add. .on t, ourre, , ehtr force, we had now 17,090 yeomanry. Mt. s'ett Will a. i Mr. Wit ?es t. hoped that sonic further re daction is • lace. Lord 'Jun- :.1:11i1.11 proposed a resolution for grant ing 121,u351.1p to the lith June 237,6001. tor pay of :tie same; 438, 1 00%1 . m paying (Attie forces in Ireland; 531,0001. toward.i t.eym he arrears of Intel; and 16,7001. for the same pnrposes :and ; and After eulogizing the yeomanry corps throu•:h a it laud , far their services on several recent oc casinn•, ois Lordship s.sid, he should propose all allowance to ChM,' of 31. per luau. Str J. C. HIPPISLEy bore his testimony to the services of the yeo•ua.try,...pecially iu Somersetshire and espres.ed his regret ta.at the Noble Viscount had not proposed IL to each nun, it.steail of AI. Lord CisrLe.tie4C it felt extreme pleasure at the testimony which had seen paid by the lion. Baronet to the Vdontecr Yeomanry, to which he was anxious to add his; and to say, that it wit.. (ane to the important set vices of these corps that his Majesty's Ministers had been able to offer the reduced Estimates which they had done ; but he thought the allow ance of 31. per man nits quite .iiflicient. The *lllll of 35,7001. was thou voted far the Volunteer Corps of Eneland, 1.5.811)i for Ireland, 21,50U1. for Chelsea Hospital, h,3001. fat Kalmaiiihaiii, and $2,7001.. for the pen sioners at JIB°. Mr. VANSITTART then proposPd a vote of 1,000.0001. to be pat t, the arms, as a part Cl the sum a‘‘igned to them, to be eventually I aid by the Gaverninent of France, to the troops engaged on& r the coirruae.d of the Duke of Wellington, at the 'rapture of Paris, and the battle of Waterloo. lie aku pro po.ed a vote of 12,152,0001. Ex-hequer Bills, to answer the same sum in Exchequer Bills outstanding. Mr. PONSONHY wished to know what would he the arnouNt of the Unfunded Debt after this Vote should base been agreed to. VANSITTART Said, the same as at present, 60,000,0001. This debt, however, was so far from being depreciated, that Exchequer Bills were seuzlit after so eagerly, that Govern ment had been able to make a reduction in the interest, which would save the country annually 600,0001. The Vote was then adopted. As was a further sum of 1,900,0001. for paying off interest ou Exchequer Bins. Several other sums were also voted for the same purposes. Ott the Report of the Seditious Meetings Bill, Mr. GURNEY objected to the clause, which gave a power to the Magistrates to take persons into custody who did not disperse on an order given by the Magistrates, and that persons so refusing to dis perse, should be considered as guilty of a capital offence. The ATTORNEY GENERAL contended, that the clause was necessary, as without it the Act would be migatoiy. The same provision was in the Riot Act, but had never been put in fuee. Sir J. M M I NTOSH could not ngrec to put a clause into an Act with an idea it never should be acted upon. He wished the clause to be altered from felony, without benefit of clergy, to transportation tor 14 years. he Sol ityroa GF.sERAL thought it would make the law operate as he wished all criminal laws should act, namely, as a law of pi evention Mr. Itanci.as believed the reason why the clause of the Riot Act had never been acted upon was, that it was so severe that none dared to pet it in force. Ile hoped his Hon. Friend would move the amendment to substitute transporta tion fur dead'. Mr. MACKINTOSH moved au amendmert to omit the capital punishment, and substitute transportation. The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, this clause could have no effect, unless persons a ere originally assembled for an illegal purpose. The Committee then divided--Fm• the original clause 70— For the antendinent of Sir J. Mackintosh 26—Majority 11. Sir J. MACKINTOSH efts rwards mused, as aamc•:dment, that the word " Government" should be expunged from the dame, for otherwise it would be giving a dangerous power to Magistrates. Tit , . SOLICITOR GENERAL Opposed the amendment, as the word Government had always been used as a legal phrase in all indictments liar high treason. Mr. It sruu. NST /111111, 110 man could think the words " tuntiit as by law vstahliAted," nicaut the M ini,lca s of the day. Atter %orike ttirtlit r conversation, the amendment was nega tived without a di% ision. Sir S. ltoraitt.y proposed, that the clan•c for apprehending persons for offences metaled in this Bill be omitted altoge ther. • He thought it would be much better to prevent meet evirely, rather than to miller the people to meet on the terms imposed by this Bill; fora Magistrate might take a n:311 into custody N I an CNlnt;SqUa wbivL be Might think THE NATIONAL REGISTER. against the Constitution, but which might, in fact, be very inoffensive. The SOLICITOR GENERAL ' , aid, the MaOstrates would act on their oven responsibility, and on their view of the matter. The House then divined. Fur the clause—Ayes 43 —Noes 16—Majority 27. Sir S. ROMII LV objected to the clause which went to pro hibit debates or lectures ; because the clause would have re ference to acieutitic lectures on anatomy, surgery, chemistry, sic. He moved that theft words be left wit ; but the clause was adopted. A clause was proposed for ullnwinti the Attorney General to stay Ilroceedile4s in ally case, by information haw e M - gistrate , , and to remit the penalty. Agreed to. Mr. C. %Vv . ?. sI: pruposod a elaii‘e, inil_•wnifying all per sons receiving damage by unlawful meetings, riutonsly tic strnving their bowies or property; which was atlepteil. Air. IL MARTrsr obtained leave to briwg in a Hill to faci litate prow edings in eases in equity. Read a first time.-- Adjoin TUESDAY, MARCH A Petition was presents l from certain Freeholders of the rotinty of Kent, praying for Parliamentary Reform. The Saving liank •Biltwas committed fur Monday sc'n night. EXPFNCES LAW PIZOCFEDINGS. sir J. NEweoar nail , it was now near three years sittee he so bin i 'fed to the House the iceessi ty ofinstituting some colony into the state of die Courts if Justice, mid to revise their fees, to see that the public wen not taxed at a heavier rare than was fair and reasonable. On that occasion he fined. He got a vote of the House for the appointment of a Committee ; a Report had been made, aid was now on the table of the Ifollse; and from that Ittport it %soul,' appear that some good hail been effected. He was not altogether a visionarist or a dreamer. The Lord Ciancellor had on 1.411 April, 1815, moidlis after the Committee had been appointed, made an order, in the bankrupt lepartment, abridging many of the holidays ; curtailing, and it sonic instances entirely excusing, the fees; thus proving thatthe system which had been aided upon for nine years preceditg was wrong, and oppressive to the suitors. With respect to the Reports now before the 'loose, he had to complain of many omissions; oue was, that the Commissioners appoisied to enquire into the state of the English Court of Chancery, had nevleeted togive the aggregate amount of fees at any tines a ma eninstance which rendered the R part almost nugatory.. Om a former occasion, an Hon., and Learned Gentleman had denied that any expedition It es' were estr taken; but the Report of the Commissioners mow confirmed the assertion, that expedition fees were taken. 'Flies(' fees. he contended, aad many others, might to lie dime au ay, as tim enormous stamp duties and the heavy feea ope rated at present absolutely to abut the doors of Courts °fills. lice :,,ainst the pour sailor. 'He world nut slow t liter into a detad attic etils he hail (a complain of, but content himself with moving two Resolutions; the first of iswhich was, in sub- 1 , stance, that fees us Courts of Law, being in fact levied on the suitors, should be fixed as low a, possible, and slieuld go to a fund to defray the charges of the Court; and secoreCy, that a Committee of 21 Al konbers should be appinted to inquire into the state of the fees in the se red al Courts of Justice in Great Britain and Ireland. Lord CASTLEREAGH pßTHellially objected to the institu tion of any now u,ey,y, beeitose moe was already existing; and till the result of that enquiry should be before the House, he thought no other should be instituted; and i,speeially us lie 'lid not consider that a Committee of the HUll3e of Com mans would be Vic best mode of enquiry. With respect to the practice of espeditiou fees being taken, lie certainly must condemn it. He thimunt such a practice shoniil usist to longer, and so thought the ,Coiniiiissioisers ; litr in the Report they had made to the House, th.•y had re commended that tins particular practice should cease. Tile Noble Loral moved the pi loos question. Mr. L. FovriAt said, the fees of the Lord Chancellor Were all ancient. 'There were some fees nominally paid to tit• l'miNe bearer, and Secretary, bin which were, in fact, received for his Lordship; this was the well known •rraetiec of the last 80 years, and all the difference which the present Chancellor had made was, that he had voluotarily given up above 1,0001. a year to those persons who actually did the duty. The House divided, Ayes, 63—Noes, 16—Majority, for the previous questio., 47. _ _ POLICE OF IRELAND. Mr. Peet, adverted to two Acts pissed in the Session of Mt, to strengthening the hands at the Civil Power, by es tablishing an efficient Police. If he was called on to say what could tranquilize Iceland, he should state, nu efficient Civil Power. The means which the Government possessed now, of apprehending otfead•ra, and detecting crimes, was by the use of a militar y force, at no time a very desirable object for the Civil Power to call in aid. The Right Hun. Gent. then entered into a history of the pleasures, and the application of them to the purposes for vi hick they were framed. They had been carried - into effect ice six instances, in the counties of Tipperary, Louth, Clare, and one other. But in some instances it had teecn round utterly impossible to carry them into effect in the disturbed counties, which, from poverty, rendered the people incapable of bearing the ex pence's ; and the Government had been obliged to exercise a power beyond the law. In the county of Donegal particle. lady, where the Civil Power was set at defiance, it was ne cessary to semi down a magistrate to maintain the peace. To provide against the recurrence of such it measure its future teas his object; and be therefore %mild move for a Bill to enable the General to provide a superintending Magistrate user the disturbed districts, and to invest the Government with powers to impose fines ice certain cases, and to give re lief in others. The Right Hon. Gent. said, for went of an efficient Pollee he should be compelled fur the present Ses sion tee move for leave to introduce ail Insurrection Bill. He then moved for leave to bring in a Bill IG amend the 54th of the King, with a view to Swart on it a Police system. Sir J. Nem PORT entirely concurred in the motion, and leave was given to bring in the Bill. The Report of the Comin.ttee of Supply on the Army rm i mates was brought up, and the Resolutions were agreed to. The Report of the Seditious Assemblies Bill seas boon ;ht up. Agreed to, and the Bill srileted for a third reading on Friday. Tim Mutiny Bill and the Marine Forces Regulation Bill were read a first time.—Adjourned. WEDNESDAV, ntactt 12. The Honse resolved itirell into a t;oninitttre of Way l / 2 and Means. slr. VANNITTART stated, that he should now have to pro pose to the Committee a Vote of Ewheqact• Bills, as a part of the Ways and Means of the year. The sinus at presont t)11 t• standing or nnprovided for were, l'or Ireland, 1.219,0001.; for Great Britain, 12,600,64101.; and also a flintier stini of 1,700 ) 9001, for England. Is addition to which, them would MARCH 17. hereafter be further st u ns to be provided for; at present. he should propose to take 411 account, towards the service of the present year, 18,000,0001. Lxchequer Balk me. Mir said, that the Right Hon. nentleman had ex pressed his regret ft eqtiently at that iss i 4 pitons and burthen sloue impost, the Income Tax, baving.been given up. He (Mr. Sharp) trusted the country would be on the alert, and not suffer any new Parliament to be elected shish should afford anx chance of its revisal. The Resolution for granting is millions in Exchequer Bills was then agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. Lord SEIFTon said, he held in his hand a Petition from Li- X'erpool, in favour of Parliamentary Reform, signed by up wards of 11,000 persons, many of whom were known to him as being most respectable, and some of them lie had the honour of ranking among his particular friends. Mr. 111.:( II bore his testimony to the respectability of the media; at which this Petition was agreed to, which wits or dered to be received. Mr. CANNING observed, that the Petition did not preten3 to he a Petition from Liverpool, but from certain iohabitants of that town. He understood, that out of the 14,000 signa tures, the greater number were of thu softer sex, and oSsers of a very tender age. 'Die Petition was then ordered to lie on the table. THE EVANS'S. Mr. fir.gyETT then rose to move for a room ofthc number of persons confiued in Coldbnth•felds Pi kola Glider the %cis of the 3utli and loth of the King. When he formerly brought this subject forward, be stated what he had b:•eu ionirmed o, as related to the state and treatment of the Evaus's. lie then stated what he knew, only on hearsay. He had sinee that time been to the prison, and f. , und his informat 'ion Wit* cor rect. The elder E.. ans was confined with •nutt a per .on as he had formerly described ; and the younger FALIGS was iu the foul ward. Mr. lisTurasT, in reply, wished to know from the Hon. Gentleman, whether the elder Evans wit* not in the state iyartinent, and whether Evans had not I ' self requested to have the person with I • , whom the lion. Gentleman had described as an informer and thief? And whither the elder Evans had not said, this person appeared to be a decent man, and that he had a pleasure in his cormotuv ? With re poet to th e younger Evan., he put it to the lion. i.itastleman whether. though the apartment in which lie was confined was called the Infirm try, it was put the best and most airy of any room in the prison; and whether it was at prevent occupied by- ii single porn, except the person in question ; and whether lie was not told by Evans himself, that lie hail the privilege of walking for hoots iti the day in the Governor's ;arden t AM] Whether the young man slid not himself say he was per. fectly satisfied with his treatment? The lion. fislulleinait ought, in candour, to have stated these facts to the House. Mr. fit y ShTT said, he had nut invented the farts which he had state I to the House, or had lie invented nmes: he was told the place where young Evans was confined Waseaßed the Foul ; and he was told that the elder Evans was matte the companion of a thief. If the eller Evans liked Lis (Nom. pinion, that was Ids own collects niiiely made a Mall ac quainted with stiange friends. But he, as a plihrie men, had a duty to pct form, which Vaned tilt hint to sae, that to confine two persons lor high ts cask!), one vuttt mile thief as his com panion, and the other with five or *ix, was a circuinstanen unprecedented. The motion was then agreed tn. REFORM PETITION, Sir I'. Ilunut:TT moved the Order of the Day for resuming the adjourned dehate oil the Refinmi Petitions. The SPEAKER said, lie hail exaiumeil the 527 PeUtimts ;one had no names; two h til no 1,41111 on the salne plrCe of p p, r wish the Petition itself; 28 the same words as tli6 Pet : 114111S rejeCted on the 29th of January ; 46* were printed ; II were the same as the Petition from Ittlitav ; mid fear from another place ; making 5'..!7. The titst question to be put would be on that with mm native. 011 the question being put, that this Pt tit ion be read, it was. rejected; as were the two which had ❑o names on the sa:ue skin. 'I lie ne‘t question was on the Vs P t t:thdis worded the .anis as that which, on the :Altli 01 JantiiaQ aa, Itjectcd, Us dis respectful to the douse. Sir F. livanurT contended, that these ought to be received. It vras impossible, with the knowledge wlueh the bah of ►he pi retires %shich had existed in tin• House, that 11,. y should ask fur a reform of those practices without using strong I inguage of indignation, and that language might always be construed as disrespectful to the House. He thought some rule should now be laid down ; but what that rule should be, he was at a loss to say, as different ( i , otlemen formed ferent opinions of what was and what was not disrespectful language, If the objection was, that the House did tent pro_ !icily represent the people, he was afraid no Petition for Re form would be received. Mr. W. WYN E said, he hal objected t 3 a similar Petition to these, because the Petitioners new out of their wily U. throw abuse and contempt on that House. Sir G. lltaxnetere said, the House treate.l the peep, r f England With contempt ; fur most of the Alembers had retired: coolly to discuss their dinners, instead of discussing 300 Pe titions front the people. Mr. It ti nu use denied that the House was neglectful of the interests of the people ; for it was known to alt, in and out of the House, that SOO of the Petitions were printed, aunt could not he reeeited. The Petitioners might again bring the same grievances before the House in an unexceptiutiable shape. The Petitions were then rejected, without a division. . The SPE.tt.t'u said, the nest class regarded Itin printed Petitions ; and the question nas, that they be then read. Mr. W. WINNI: was astonished that the Hon. Baronet womil persis: i I bringing up such Petitions, when lie knew that it had been fregnently determined that the House wonlit not recei CC pruned Petitions. Ile noised that these 42:S Pe titions should be rejected. Ile should have expected that the Hon. Baronet would has c told the Petitioners, " Present y o ur Petitions iet a regatar way, and I will support th em ." 'fl ute would have been the propyr duly of a Member of Parliament. Air F. BUR DLTT felt, that, icitwitlistandiog all that had IH.CII said, the cause itselfstood upon very strong grounds. He contended, that this was only a rule ut the douse as to pri vate petitoms, 4114 slid lint apply to petitions ag.iiiist what the people of England and he called the corrupt slate of that House. This was a rule—u nik standing order of the House nut s like every other rule, 'nicht be one' d at pleasure by the House. Besides, the ride did init apply .o printed lint to private petitions. 'Flu: iiiijeeti.:o to reeds , Mg these pe titions could not well stand on il if these petitions were rejected. it would b a ;wore-ding in direct contravention of the Bill of Rights, :mil the t .yortaut right of petitioning. Written petitions we', to o'ijec- Om, 'a Inch printed petitions were oat subject to; they wave W