Star. — London, England, 1803-03-29 00:00:00

; - • • pit the I3d Of the facile Month the prifoner ap. kared'at the bar,' and after a (harp reprimand, wis difeharged. this, he conceived, was a cafe xery Mach in polat, and would have its dim weight on the lioufe. ~../4r. Fox raid, he could not conceive how any perfon who refpelled the exiftente of the privileges Of that Houfe, could vote for the Noble Lord's motion. How was it pante to expert that in fu ture perfons, who were material witneffes in the cafe of Elation contefts, but who from motives of intereft or partiality wifhed to withhold their tef. timony, could be compelled to give it, if a cafe In palpable and flagrant as the prefent fliould be palled over with no other punifhment than a re- limand, and paying the fees ? Such a procedure the Houfe would greatly endanger one of its VIA important Privileges, and redder nugatory all ft 0 re attempts to compel the attendance of witnetfes, who, however material to promote the ends ofjuftice, might choofe to abfent rhemfelves. He denied that the crime of prevatication in re gard to Election proceedings was more atrocious than this ; but it was not the nature of the crime on comparifon that the Houle was now to attend to, but the neceftity of the Houfe inflicting puni(h. =enc. This is a crime that cannot be punilhed by anyother tribunal; and, thereforesthe Houk Should tre peculiarly aria in teeing that it received the punifhment that was due to it. The prifoner had avowed in the defence he had made for himfelf, that he would not have committed it, had he known the dangerous confequences. I with, faid the Hon. Member, to make him know it. If he is not punithed nobody will know it, and fuch of fences may be every day committed with impuni ty. From fuch at offence going unpunithed, ex.' cept by a reprimand, and paying fees and expellees, the moll ferrous and dangerous confequences were to be apprehended ; and it would require no very great portion of arithmetical (kill to calculate the eipence of a material wirnefs. He adverted to the argument of the commons from the Speaker's warrant being delivered on the 7th for him to appear on the Bth ; but faid, that whatever might ble the ingenuity of it, it was no excufe of the pri- toner at the Bat ; for, if admitted, the whole fyr tern of Jurifprudence would he overturned. i • The CHANCELLOR of the Exclimosa faid, he felt confiderable anxiety on the, prefent queftion. No man could have more refped than he had for the privileges of the Houfe, for no one was more truly fenfible of their importance : he was equally attached on all occalions to the curdle of lenity, when it could be tiled with fafety, and he wifhed to pay every attention to the recommendation of a Committee: He thought if the Houfe was in ptnffeffion of the minutes on which the Committee had founded their Report, they would then know the mad grounds on which the Committee had seed, and how far the motion to difcbarge the prifoner with a reprimand was adequate to the crime he had committed. The Uoufe would then have the fame materials to judge by as thofe which had uided tile judgment of the Committee as to thedegree of puniihment. He would , therefore , cr prop° L i e to difpofe of the motion, by advifing his Noble Friend to withdraw it ; and he would then stove that the minutes of the evidence, as far as relates to this man, &ild be laid before the Houle. , Mr. Ross thought that calling . the prifoner to the bar, and difcharging him with a reprimand, would not be a fufficient puni(htnent for his offence. Mr. G. VAIISITTART exprefed himfelf of the fame opinion. Lord Eusrox faid, from what had fallen from feveral lion. Members who had fpoken, they teemed to imagine he bed been in(truded by the Committee to make the motion he had done, but the fad was not fo; he had only flared that hehad communicated with feveral Members of it, who were of opinion with him, but he made the motion from himfelf. Mr. T. Gaawvittor faid, that he thought the motion would be a dangerous and bad precedent to appear on the Journals; and if, as now put, it De carried, there would be an end of ali expeida tion of preferving the privileges of the Houle. Lord Eurroe offered to withdraw his motion. The CHAINCILLOR of the Exciter:yea faid, the Noble Lord had entirely relieved his mind by the declaration that he had not aced from the Corn snittee. He then moved, "That fo much of the minutes of Evidence laid before the Dunfermline Committee as relates to James Trotter) be laid before the Houfe." The Loan ADVOCATE of ScOTLAND oppofed this motion, on the ground that the production of thi evidence to the Haute, was to aggravate his pu nilliment, by adducing another crime than that charged againft him by the Committee, and all this on ex pate evidence taken by the Committee when he was not prefent, which, he contended, was againft every principle of the juftice and con- fiftency of the proceedings of the Houfe. Mr. Hosmousa thought that the production of the evidence was not to charge him with any other as a falsftantive crime, but only to underhand why he had been guilty of this mifeonduCt. Lord Gcasaaavia was ftrennoufly for going fo far into the enquiry, as related to any thing that could throw a light upon the motives of the prifoner for withdrawing his attendance: Mr. W. DONDAS wi&d to know, if the Route was about to adopt p a proceeding fo extraordinary and illegal, as that of conviding a man upon evi dence which he never had an opportunity of filling or contradicting ? The CHANCELLOR of the Exoticism thought that, when brought to the Bar, the evidence might be read to him ; when he could have an opportu nity to (late what he pleafed is anfwer to it. Mr. SIIIIIDAN faid, be differed from molt of thule Gentlemen who had fpoken before him. He did not with that the Houfe (Mold proceed to re try the queftion which one of its Committees had already tried. But it was very material for the Houfe to know, whether the man, who was now the fubjea of debate, had been an Agent for one of the Candidates ; and whether he had, or had net, alLtled in practices of corruption ? For that reafon, he withal to fee the evidence moved for. Mr. Toms, (aid, that if the evidence was 1 11.c:tght to go in aggravation, fo may the prifour 1 in mitigation if he could. For Mance ) if he could prove, that at the fame time he received the Speaker's warrant, he knew there was an at torney looking out to execute a writ upon him, it would certainly go fomething in the way of miti gation. Mr. BRACCIS raid, that at prefent the Hoare knew nothing at all about this man, hut that his name was fo and fo, and that he negletted to at tend the fummons of that Houfe. In confidering therefore, of the degree of punifhment he ought to receive, it was extremely material to know whether there were not eircumliances of aggravation at tending his offence ; and that could not be known unlefs the evidence taken before the Committee was in the poffelEon of the Houfe. The prifoner, when brought to the Bar, might then Bate what he had to fay in his defence. Mr. SmstIDAN afked, if a man who was not on his oath fhnuld be fuffered to anfwer to fads that had been fworn to ? Attar Come ohferyations from the Attorney Ge neral, the motion of the Chancellor of the Exche quer was carried. SALT. General GascornE, pnrfuant to the notice he had given, role to move for leave to bring in a Bill to equAlixe by weight the bufbel on all Salt im ported into Ireland. His reafon, he raid, for pro. pofing fuch a meafure was, the loft fuflained by thofe who exported falt to Ireland from Great Bri tain; and particularly from the place he had the ho. nour to reprefent ; in confequence of the inequality in the duty paid on Foreign Salt and Britifh Salt. By an ACt of Q2een Anne it was ordered, that the bufhel of Salt imported into Ireland from Britain fhould confsft of 561bs. weight. The blithe] of Foreign Salt conafted of 841bs. For every bufhel of each kind, a duty of ss. was paid ; from which it was evident, that left duty was paid on the Foreign than on the Britilh Salt. The conse quence was, that during the left five years, a di minution took place/ of the Salt imported into Ireland from Britain of about 882,0001. left than during the five preceding years. This circumftance did excite fome degree of alarm in Lancafhire, and that was his reafon for bringing.forward the pre fent meafure. Should his motion be agreed to, it was his intention to propofe in the Bill, that the bufhel of Britifh Salt fhould confift of 841 b. the fame as the foreign, which, in caufing a (mall di minution of duty, would operate as a great relief to the people of Ireland, particularly the poorer; and indeed he withed, that in the courfe of fome time the fait duties, which were always oppreffive to the poor, might be taken off altogether. At pre fent theft duties affeaed the three principal articles of Irifh manufadure, namely, the linen trade, the felting of meat, and the making of butter. Thefe would receive fome degree of encouragement from the meafure he was about to propofe ; which, al though it might at firft caufe a defalcation in the revenue of about t3,ciciol. a-year, would foon make up for that deficiency, by preventing the praltice of fmuggling fait into Ireland, which was carried on to great extent. The Hon. Member then concluded - witll making his motion. Mr. Cour raid, the reafon for the difference in the meafure which the Hon. General complained of, arofe out of the difference in the quality of the two kinds of felt. That which was imported from Great Britain was white falt; the other, which came from Spain, Portugal, icc. was what they I called bay falt : and was not fo fine, or of fo good a colour, as that which came from Lancalhire.— But it was ftronger, and the grain of it was larger than the Britith fait, and it was not fo eafily diC folved. On this account the ufe of it was indif. penlible to the falters of provifiens ; and perhaps it was owing, in fome refpefts, to the ufe of that I felt, that the Navies packed op in Ireland for the ufe of out Navies and Armies, polkaed a qua lity not belonging to thofe of other countries, which was, that they were always preftrved in the hottelt climates. If the people of Ireland were not able to purchafe this felt at a cbeaperrate then any other, the provifion t rade would bematerially injured, and oar Navy and Army would lore a great deal of their fupplies. But the mannfaan rers of felt in this country had no great reafon to complain ; for, although the exports to Ireland might have decreafed. the roports generally to other places had encreafed ; and the reafon why left had been, during the laft three years, export ed to Ireland was, becaufe the provifion trade there had fallen off and of cootie the demand for fah in general became lefs. If the prefent motion was perfifted in, he Humid be obliged to oppofe it. The. duties on falt in Ireland were al. ready voted for the earning year; and he thought I it would be better to drop the &Ned until the du ties fhould be again propofed next year. Nothing could give him greater pleafore than to promote any plan which might dinsinifh the duty on fo ne ee(fary an article as fah, and perhaps at fome more convenient opportunity lie Mould propofe to reduce the bufhel of bay felt to 561 b. to make it equal to the bullet of &kith fah; and reduce the duty OD each from as. to ts. od. At prefect be molt oppofe the Hon. Gentleman's motion, and therefore he would move the order of the d ay. Sir W. POLTINIT thou ght li it Ira, only a fair point of argument. that • the boy falt was fo fu perior in &ea, it Should at lea* be made equal in weight. As to the provifion trade. that might be made an object of regulation. He coofidered that the qualm was not between England sad Ireland, but betiveen England and Spain. Colonel Beams. complimented Colonel Oaf coyne on the attention he at all times paid to the concerns of iris Conftitirents, particularly on the prefent occafion, when both the Merchants of Li verpool, as weft as thofe of Ireland, mull feel themfelves equally interefted. He Paid that the duty on foreign Salt impos tail into Ireland at pre fent amounted to ao,oool. and that if the bellel were reduced to 561 b. it would produce sa,ooot. additional duty. Mr. Coati , explained, and Paid. that he bad men tinned his intention of reducing the duty in pro. portion to the weight. Colonel Dimwits. declared it was far from his ' intention to mifreprefent the Hon. Gentleman, sad (aid he was happy in hearing his asiltake cossetted ; but infilted that what he had aged reTpetting the fehedule was coned, as the Right Hon. Gentle man had introduced into his fchcdule the meafure of s 6 inflead of 84, thereby adding one-third to the burthen to be borne by the people on the con. fumption of this moll neeeffary article. lie there • fore trufted that the fehedults, when introduced, would be printed, and circulated among the mer chants of Ireland eonverfant with this buftnefs, and appealed to the Hon. Gentleman oppofite to him (Mr. Vanfittart) whether that pra:lice was not conftantly adopted in Britain—a meafure certainly more neceffAry on the prefent occafion, when we had many Englifh met chants in the Houfe to ap peal to, but no hill', a circumftance which the Hon. Gentleman I=2l-Iced. Mr. Ls E faid that, the queftion (huuld be taken up as one great commercial confederation, and not with the narrow view of Ireland only, or Li verpool only. The Hon. General and himfelf were Members of a Committee of 21 Members, which fat two months upon the confideration of the falt duty ; and they did not tlym completely de cide the quedion. He thought it there6ne no matter of furprife, that Gentlemen Ihould enter tain opinions not exadly fimilar on the prefent oc cafion. Col. VERIIIIR then made fcrne direa reference to the fchedule ; when he was called to order by The SPEAKER, who f.tid it was informal in the Hen. Member to make any immediate remark on a paper not then before the Houfe. After feveral explanations from different Mem bers, Ceneral GASCOIGN a confented to withdraw his motion. The queflion was then put, that the other or ders of the day be read.—Ordered. MtLITIA• The Simi TT AI! at WA I moved the third reading of the Militia Officers Bill. Lord ARCH/BALD HAMILTON piddled to the Claufe which relates to the admi6ion of Of f icers without qualification. Colonel B.towatc was furprifed at hearing this Clanfe ob. jeeted to through all the different Rages of the BIM The Hon. Member laid, he thought, that the pofitlon might be juftificd by analogy; in that Houfe, for Labiate, no Member,generally (peaking, was admitted without a qualification as to property, but in the car,: of the Unive; fides, that quahticatton was not' deemed neceffsry, as it was wifely Judged that they brought a fuperior qualification In their learning. Oaten from regiments of the line be conceived entitleLparticalatiy at the prefent time, to a 6milar exception,on account of their fuperior knowledge in tattier. . Mr. Kir NAIID fuggefted that the orniffion of Scotland in the dank which relates to Plaid Dicers, might with propriety be avoided, fevers! refpeetabk Gentlemen from Scotland hav ing ezpreffed a wills to that effect. The Sicaa - rwar at WAR introduced a chute by way of rider, providing, that if the Lords Lieutenants in Engl ind and Scotland thould not, within two mouths, be able to procure a fuffictent number of qualified parlous in the counties their re. fpettive regiments belong to, they might be at I:berty to app!y for qualified perfons in other counties.-7 he Bill was the" puffed, and ordered to the Lords—Adjourned. LONDON. • TUESDAY, MARCH op. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE &mom t 3 per C. Coot money, 64, 654. 61.64}, 64111. ‘ 64, 63t. Ditto, for April see. 664, 6s, 64}}, 64. Old s per Cent. Of. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY? 3 per C. Coot 6y* 66 6s} I Oran's= tif Is diL s per Cent. pp* soSt 1 Foglia Tickets Imp. 3 per Cast. 64t1 I Coot for Ap. sec. 6,5} 66465} Imp. Anna. it Our Readers will reeollea the confiftency with which we have expreffed our opinion on Tome of the terms of Peace. What our fentiments were in Oabber, iSot, fah they are in March t 80.3.— We have teen the Minißerial and Oppofition Pa pers varying their language according to the con do& of their patrons. Malta, for inflance, has fometimes been held forth by them as the As gad nom of our political exiaence. fometimes as an ob jea of little importance. We have always main tained, that Malta mufk be ours, if we have com mon fortitude, guaranteed by our fleets and armies :lone. Shallow, indeed, mutt be the underftand ing of that politician who depends on the guarantee of ILA& If this fhould be the cafe, then are we at the mercy of ALIZAMDIR, who, whenever he withes to carry a favourite point on the fubjea of neutral earls, will threaten to leave Malta to its fate, to be of court' occupied by France. We are happy to find that the fentiments which we expreffed in the Sraa of the 25th are fo gene rally admitted to be jun. France means to wear and weary us with continual armaments,—to cajole and to threa tab—to concede and to encroach. The following dialogue, which took place in the. fpring of left year between an Engliffintan and a Frenchman in office, will corroborate our fend 'turns " Bite... I hope you are now fatisfied with your acquifitions, and that we (ball have a lafting peace I 44 Fr.--The Rate of Europe is not yet fettled we have great changes to circa in the Esa of the Mediterranean. a " Eq.—Will England fuller you to interfere with Egypt ? 1, Fr.—She has given op Malta. Her isterea in the Mediterranean is at an end. It was not fuppofed that the ever would cede Make. It was cutting off her right arm. (Citeit fi eerier is km &a.) Your Minillers were afraid of an isvafmn. which we never thought capable of fuccefs. Use the threat made them fubmit to thole terms. " Zog.—ls it not poffible that they might be influenced by the finances of the country " Fr.—Think not t►at we mall fufer you to retrieve them. Our plan will be to keep yes io continual agitation. We Quill oblige you to keep op a peace eitablifliment of which yes have so idea. by flotillas in the barboors copperas to your coats, by *web es your combercial sad rob. tical laterals, fornetitnes pretended, and forr erirn es real. Verret ale avec la Freon. firs: cult do Amain: eves lei Dotes el lee Witt. Elk your nuked riser, et you: fueemberez twin." How well events have fulfilled a part of tliefe predidiens, we need not obferve. That tsar Ml nifters may prevent the ref by a refolure policy, " is a eonfurnmation devoutly to be wilted." The rumours, not only of the day, but even of the hour, are caught at by fore of our cotempo• raries, for the purpofe of acquiring a momentary notice with-the public; and upon this ground it was that fome of the evening Papers of yellerday prefumed to Elate, that all differences between this Country and France were fettled, the latter hav ing agreed to our retaining Malta for three years. —There were no difpatchesyeherday from France. This day we received Paris journals to the 26th inflant. The French Funds continue to decline : the pi ice lag quoted is 55 f. 7o c. They contain a few details refpeaing the votes of the Empire, arid confirm what our Gibraltar letter hated yef tarday, the appointment of a new Grand Maths. of Malta in the room of the one formerly recom mended by the Pope, and who had refufed to ac cept of the appointment. The Monikur filled with financial (Laments and proceedings of the Legiflative Body. NiftITICAL INTELLIGENCE. DEAL, MARCH :S.—Came down the Union at,cl Scaleby Cale, for the Eaft Indies, and tailed with fe Teta' other outward-bound veffels.—Wind S. S. E. PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 2/I.—Arrived the Ara :- LTA, of 44 guns, Capt. Lord Poway, from the Downs; STLPH, of IS, Capt. Gam, from Chat ham ; and the EURYDICE frigate, from the Eall In dies, laft from the Cape Of Good Hope,with troops. Yelterday failed the Isis, of so guns, Captain Loss, for the Dawns; and the P"ltr MAHON /loop of war, Captain liamt.s. for Poole, to imprefa feamen. This morning failed the Nfoloiama, of 16 gnus, Captain RAINS rot o, for Guernfey. Went out of harbour the AuLow, of to grins, Captain Villain'. A Letter from the Cape of Good Hope, dated January 14, brought to Plymouth by the Acre s, Capt.Ntototi.s,eontains the followingintelligence I Nothing new has occurred fince the Ladling of the Imogene, except that the Dutch Admiral Parts, I, nuking every prepa ration in his power for failing to Bataykr•-a Rep highly need- fay, as he is immediately to fend aft to Europe the produce of . that Mend, which has been accumulating for many years, and is now impatiently mated in Holland. In cafe of hoftility recounnenting, we may hope to fee theft cargoes fate in the Thinner—they are tilt:sneak value. The Dutch Cammihy expedtv reinforcements every boor-wet silent, however, they are ferlouily alarmed for their &key, and not without rearm ; for although they have Rated their Rrength to be %ace mm, yet the aconite return Is as follows Regiment of Waldeck TWO Companies of Grenadiers Two ditto of Chalker. One ditto of Riflemen Dragoons dihnounted Artillery - Soo -13 S - ISO - 130 . 130 . SSO 1410 Toial, Rank and Pik, v They arc wall potted at the • Wynebtou; but io cafe of at. tack, there could be no doubt but they mutt alleviate. The greater part of thefe troops are Germans, who have already &ewe great kiclination to change their ushers. and In cafe of heft:Unica would deem to us. Some admen have already got away an board the merchant hips of &Orem anima that have been lying in the Hay. flak who pretend to be in the ferret fay, that we hall receive orders for carrying the mama. tinn into emotion in about three weeks at faiths& We know I nothing of the political reakes for all this llnenotian z io nv E Couneih at bane; but you well know my opinion on the mlnious Cello° of this invaluable Key to our Bosom and every hoer that I have paired here. for there It& four yews. convinces me of the truth of the affection made by the snug Statefman, PAL DUMAS, in Parliament, viz. net eel Mitip her who gave up the Cape defervai to Welds bail" " P. S The batmen that were to have taken us Weal (the Ocean ' &c.) are detained till farther orders; if we do ask bear boo fr om England the Madras nir will loft their wom; Some more troops have arrived from the of Good Hope at Portfmouth, in the EVRIDICS frigate. Our Correfpondent does not mention when the left the Cape. We fuppore it was before the orders for retaining it bad reached the place. Yeßerday the Difpatehes for Madras and Ben. gal, by the CALCUTTA. were finally doled at the fl India Hoare and delivered to the Purfer. , The Lout CWiIICSLLOR of 1/LILAND arrived in town IA night from Dublin. Caverns , Esscrion.—At the chide of the Poll on Saturday, the numbers were, Per Per Mr" 97t l Fir 0. F. Stritlll4 sp. . ho We underland that the report of the arrival of General STUART, which was generally cirealated, is without foundation. By the Hataburgb mail received 101 l night, we learn, that the famous Paesw4. OoLon appears to be on the _point of again commencing ho fi dities wit& the Porte ; be has advanced with ;am men to the frank's of Wallachia ; bat the Hof. podar. Prince YPSILANTI, has made the moll for. astable ;preparations for his reception, and has confided the puma of his troops to Count Bas.LavaL, Who was formerly a General in the Pali& ferric,. On Tuefday left the remains of the Poet Kw,. smelt were folernoly interred at Ottenfin, a lane adjoining Altana, in the grave of his firA wife. who was buried there so years ago. Tin funeral was attended by the Senate of Kamburgh and many of the foreign bliniffers and moil &A jingnithed inhabitants of that city, in upwards of too carriages. A feleition of (acted morn, taken from the Poet's own works, and competed by the. &remelt mailers, was performed on the oecafion s ihe vocal pails were entirely 'muted by upwards of 8o young ladies, of the 6rll families of Ham. burgh and Alton& Innumerable crowds of [pee. tatOrS thawed the interetl they took in this left bete to this molt diainguillied ornament of their country. The weather was highly favourable. and the fen, which the &veered - has f ang is isa. mortal trains, (bone fame and c so his corm