The National Register. — London, England, 1816-04-08 00:00:00

APRIL 8. tt bug the iw.n• : :r e:nssel ofsoctety, was (Wined i tion. 11ie rich AM well us the poor were interested in the sub jeot, and he h the introduction of it with ideustile, con vinced their mutual advantage would induce A coneuri in; sed timent in all ranks of people. 31r. Roil.: stated. that though some ininositions had been practised hy Benefit Societiep, yet the , ajvailt,itti were v er y great, not less than 7110,0U0 ineinhurs being it,baciated fur the liainhable purpose of reli;lf. MIL HARRISON. Sir J.Wew potrr moved for the printing of colain accounts ♦expecting the Treasury contingencies, which had been laid on the_tutile. . Mr. TtfiRNEY observed, that there was a paper presented a week ago which sheaved the increased outgoings of the Traa aury tire I a,0031. more Mau the lastyear.—(u that acenant there Is a sum of 34001 for the aainry of Mr. Harrison, tie Assistant hecretary, being an increase of 3001. beyond the former year. He thought that the salary having been increased from the Hirst appointment of Mr. garrison up to 30301. that sum might to he considered as quite solicited. At the same (lute he %vas bound to say that this Gentlemen was entitled to every praise ior assiduity and attention in his offieial capacity; but what must surprize the Hoare more was, that in addition to an in creased salary of 33001. a year, there was an item in the ac rmiuts awarding Mr. Harrison 50001. more for his services. how, he wished to know where the liberality was to stop? lie bettged of the House to recollect, when they were dealing nut reforms in the expenditure, that here was a Geutlemeu, with a liberal salary, receiving a *ma in addition beyond any &Tent precedent. With respect to the proceeding to be adopted, he , should not move any thing; because if he did, it might be at tributed to party motives, and it would not become him to im peach the Alinister, for that, it' he stirred at all, mast be the step to take. The Right Hon. Gent. observed, that this trans action would never have come to light—it was detected merely by his moving for the papers in question. Mr. VANSIrrIItT stated his readiness on every occasion to give explanation na the subject. With respect to imeach meat, if he (Mr. V.) was to fill, he woold rather fall by the hands of the Right Hon. Gent. than by less able means. The Right Hon. Gent. then stated, that Mr. Harrison was appoint ed by Mr. Pitt, in 1503, with it salary of 20aal. a year; in 1807, in consequence of the approbation of the Board of Try:t eary, Lord Grenville gave him as additional rtUtd. In lalu9„ the increase of business in his department was considered, and an additional 5001. was made, making in the whole 30J01. a year. Besides this uppointinant, Mr. Harrison was engaged in extra-official business, in corrcspouding with the army on the continent, and raising money for that:limy. in ISt t, being 411, he applied to Lord Liverpool for a remuneration of his extra services. On mature consideration, it was judged expedient that a sum of 90001. would be the most appropriate mode of. remunerating those services 'Nigro:inactively ; and that PM was accordingly awarded hint, with an addition of .0001. a year so long as his services continued. He observed, that a sum of 10,0031. had been granted to Mr. Campbell fur services of Go s erienelit, which was paid out of the &tamp Office. He did mot Meall to contend for the propriety of makkig these grants precedents, hot he would support the propriety of the grant to Mr, liarrimm, and be prapareil to give any fuither expla nation. Mr. TISRMEY desired, that the Minutes of the Appointments onight be read by the Clerk, which world serve us an answer 'to any ground of complaint against him I Mr. To The Clerk necordingly read the Minutea. Mr. Meatterrs asked, whether any hiereased salary was paid to any Gentleman for periimuing the duties of Mr. Har mon while be vas ill? Mr. V4NSIFFAIIT replied, that a small sum had been awarded 'to two Gentlemen. Mr. C. AVyNNE thought, that when a Gentleman received a salary of 50301. a year, the whole of his time was bought for the public, and he could not be entitled to any further pecu niary grant. lie should, therefore, move fur an account of the contingencies for the last lite years. The papers were then ordered to be printed. LOCAL POOR ACTS. • fir R. HERON moved for leave to bring iu a Bill to regalate the laical Poor Acts. There never was a worse Dill passed the Legislature than the last Act on this subject. The Hon. Bart. noticed the 4:Audition of the poor in several towns in his neighbourhood in the country. particularly Lineoln, Newark. Nottingham, and Derby. The Hon. 31ember then adverted awake to the Act to which helmet before alluded, and which he saidignve to the Magistrates a most unlimited power. It Base them the power of detaining any pauper, having mare hecome ehargeable to the parish, in the workhouse till, by their lithium, they to the parish all which hail been espesoled spun them. This might, ia some cases. absolute I. give to Ma gistrates a pin% er of imprisonment C]r lire. Auother objec tion was, that the Act gas e the Alagistrutes nu absolute power user the children of three Wl4O bad twen charge able, if wily for a day. They might dispose of thorn, either by keepity.t them there, puttiug them apprentices at a distance or at twine, for seven or fourteen years. A flu r ther objection to this act wits, that it gave the - Mtigistnites a power of corporal punishment iii cases of misconduct on the part of the paupers. He had a short time shire visited the Workhouse which was rititated in his aeiglitamthood; lie had' no fault to find with tile state. of the house poser:illy ; but lie .saw there something which he lunch regretted -that was five cells for the coulinemeut of pauper ; in the oetitre o 1 Hos floors of which were riags ' to which 1w lerrtood o ff enders were frequently chained. tie hail been informed of two eases, which Lc considered as most aggravated, of the confinement of pau pers; one related to the confinement of an old Chelsea pen sioner, near ill years tit' age, Whitt and lame, whe, he under stood, hull been confined in one of these cells, and heavily loaded with chains. The excuse for this ponishwent was, that at thaws, when lie received his pension, lie was its the habit of .getting dismal:, and behaslog in a most violent and outragemis manner. The other ease was that of the confinement of a young woman, who, howeser, escaped with the chain epos her, whieli weighed 301bs. The e ruse Ihr chaining this girl was, that the was ataieted with a dee:lse, whirl' might have been coin 111111 l i l .ated to others Irtil she been at liberty. The Hon. Member euncinded by moving for leave to bring in a 11111 to serval and various local Acts for the maintenance and Over ttttt eel of the poor. Mr. Lurn.nalet adverted to the extraordinary hurdle]) which "Hie present poor laws imposed on the publie.—The sum pail tar the support of the poor lust year mauouated to 24.030003 i. nearly one third or the where rental of the kingdom. He canlidi red the ioiliscriminate relief 1f pet•sults because they were poor, as both impolitic and irrelii,:ions: for though the scripture recommends d compassion at.:) charity towards the poor. yet the same scripture s said , tha t every man siimuld gain his knead lit the sweat of his brow. Sir S. kunnt.t.v thought the objects of las lion. F r i en 4] ; boa %sere tuustyraisewortily. Ouc object of dm bill was to ea:.ct THE NATIONAL REGISTER. a general regulation, as far ac possible for the management of the poor. .Another was to prevent the farming out of the poqr. A third was to prevent children being hoand apprent.ces to the ina,ters of the pour-itonses ; and a fourth to prevent pat:pi IN being imprisoned and kept in chains. He trusted, that all thrse objects would h.! effected by his Hon. Friend's bill, not only as related to Lincoln, but to every poor-house in the kingdom. He should vriggest the propriety of making the imprisonment of paupers by masters and governors of poor-houses a ntisde• mernour, and that the utF.nceglsoulti extend to overseers and other parish officers who connived at it. Sir F Bntuc ks was in favour of the bill. The Bill was read A first, and ordered to be read a second Mr. Suane presented a petition from the importers and dealers in foreign wines, and praying relief from the duties. Mr. VATViITTART said,a deputation of the persons coarerned in the wine trade had waited on him, and urged the necessity of a reduction in the duties on wine; he then stated to them, that ender the circumstances of the enantry he could not anti cipate any reduction in the ditties on a NMI ry which had been a productive source of reroute; and further, that if any re duction Of duties could take place on any articles, it would be on articles necessary to the lower dais of socinly.---(11Lor.) Sir M. RIDLEY moved for a Copy of any contract which might exist for serving the table for the guards at St. James's, and the names of the persons attending there. Mr. VANSITTART said, it was 111111PeCCAary. The officers were to have a compensation, and the table be doge away.— ( Hear t hear.) EXCISE AND CUSTOMS. Mr. Ilanentatst moved, that an Act of the 3 till of the King, relative to the (Instants and Excise, should be entered as read, which was A inoe. _ Mr. Botounita NI then me to bring forward a motion which concerned every commercial snarl, and. inds&d, every isidivi • dual in the eon 'ry, inaanitich as it concerned the cmistitation of the country. In bringing forward this motion, it would be necessary for him to advert to what hail been the state of the law as related to the Customs and Excise duties of the country, which in a time of peace, amounted to 33 millions, and in time of war, 43 millions. Formerly all the business of this branch of the revenue rested with the !mania Of CIISV/lIIS and Excise, the alemhers of which held their situations during life or good behaviour. Formerly also these boards had the con trol,' over all cases of offences committed by persons against this branch of the revenue laws, and the consideration of cases arising out of these laws, which till four of our statute books, occupied a very consider:o9le portion of the time of the Com missioners ; and it was afterwards found necessary to give his Majesty's Attorney General a power of stopping proceedings and restoring seizures made under the laws; but this could only be done pending proceedings, and in cases where there was a proof that no intention to defraud existed, or where the fraud arose from mistake; and these powers did not extend to any ca-es of breach of the navigation laws. With these regula tions, which excluded all political or ministerial interference, the laws existed till July, 1814, when the Act which had just been read was passed. and which, lie contended, changed at mice the constitution of the country. 'the first provision of this Act gave a power of restoration aft r coudeninatioo ; the second set aside the question of whether with good intention or fraudulent design; and the third provision did away all consideration of the navigation laws; and, in hart, transferred a dispensing power over a branch of revenue amounting to .ta millions annually from the unpolitical, mimlnisterial Boards of Excise and Gaston's, to the Ministerial Board of 'treasure. After mentioning the precipitate manner in wh!ch the Bill he condemned was introduced, and the lateness of the time, (viz. the lath July,) lie trusted the House would now acetate to hie motion for enquiry into the several eases which he would stare. The first case was that of Mr. Bailey, a isoinmoil brewer, in which a verdict had been taken, by consent, tin. 4001. Tim first attempt made to Oct t id of this verdict, was a memorial presented to Mr. Arbuthnot, et' the Treasury, from Lard Westmoreland, desiring that the l'ilfe might lie considered by the 'treasury. The case and memorial were upon this referred to the Commissioners of Excise. Mr. Brougham pro ceeded to read other letters from the memorialist to Lord Westi iiiii land, acknowledging the kind attention of his Lord- Shia, and expressive of gratitude. Mr. 11. observed, he was not at liberty Isere to advert to the connection which there was between Lord Westmoreland and Mr. Bailey, and the Borough of Lyme Regis. 'the Board of Excise, however. reported that this was a case which might not to he taken out of the coarse of law. Ater having referred it back four (hors to the Board of noise, the Treasury adopted the report, but not till a delay of 13 months had been given to Mr. Bailey, which delay arising from Mr. Bailey having a fricnd at Court, was the neat good to having the tine remitted. The next case was that of Mr. J. Abbot, of Canterbury, AA fin hail been con victed of using vitriol, tenissia, and other deleterious drugs in brewing his tierter. The ease, the Hon. Men:ber said, was fully tipsy:sit, but memorials were presented, stating that Mr. Abbott was ignorant of such materials being on his promises ; and memorials to character of the liiieuest de•criptiou. signed by Mr. Marriott, Sir E. linaclibull, amid sir 11. Ctir; is, all Nietithers; mid also higli testimonials to character f! - oni Mr, Baker, Member for t'ateterhory ; tied from the Reverend and respectable Dean of Canterbury. The consequent effect of these test:monials was. that the proceeilimpr were misprinted, and the e Asc. with lilt' t^atinunuials, we re referred to the Com laiSSiOllCl's of Excise. nlio reported upon the ease that it teas tune of the most Imp avated, and that it was one wbicb, unl.ais the latrils of the Treasury shottlil cit e positive carders to the Funtrary, They should feel it their duty to proceed in. This ' was the ileciaion of the Ixeise. The Treaatiry, how( ver, ordered the fur her promaolings to be staid, on Mr. Abbott's prying a tine of 31141 es polices. tierces had the case 1111'11 proceeded its, the tievirliie, would Lave amounted to 911001. It would, perhaps, lie said that Mr. Abbott WAS only legnity guilty, and that he had no knowledge—Char, fiche, ji•ons the l hu,,ceVor qf the Excheptee h —tie was glad to hear this cheer, ant: he wished it might he acted upaii in other eases as well as tbme of Exmse. lie wiatied it might lie extended to libels. Here the. Hon. Men. her adverted to several eves of pi - laden; mid pot ilishers %vim hail beets lined, although it WAS proved they were ignorant of the publication having taken place ant their premises. Judges ill therm cases had always liehl that ignorance was no eacose fur the dissemination of poison amongst his Nlajesty's subjects. 'flue Hot,. Member next otlvottcul to the case of Wolfe Ili njimin, a sca p-osaantae• taper, at Leigh, in Essex. Here Mr. Beniainiii obtainml testi monists fioni Mr. limit:don, Mr. Stroh, and Mr. % estrnyall Members-tit this HOIIXt. and in the teeth of the report of the s:ommissioners of Excise, the tines were remitted. The next ce , .• was that of J. Gipps, who lid contravened the salt LAW!, 11114 ligniti.t whom judgment was emend up Gtr tiatli. A me tutorial was presented, and a strsng testimonial Iron' certain biliabi; ants iff the county of i4outlaioirttai, represented (bat he lial.long !wen distinguished for his loyalty nail zeal fir bis Majeaty gorerautcut ; tend that Le had always stood•forth, o re i g l ' i t i l S di Cje l :ify' t a ll eT l yt t r% l : l : l e s e u t. PlN ' ' f l aie t uf l t t i .s 'e tit t a r e it iM is i i a m a d ti i m ts e c a ll s :. r . e t. in of the rs, who Inalai7svot t he t t u o t is 'a t p it e a s er e 1: 1 1: 4 ' 4 " i t u k s . n i d d r . , 1 2 s h i l a:t t l f. t th h o e u a y e t, y tic full penalty. lie of iti.snt.3oye. Gentleman i d s eA , . i r ca t r m rk i h e r t s l a : O a t asee tease of Use most ~ hr +could ask , ought tae the ;l. Indeed in the breast it'd heard, sit bjeet to ;edit ieat feelings Hell erejuilicee? Neither, in his opinion, ought it to lodge wills the Bond of Excise; who, in the (Recharge of their duties, might be too prone to enforce lines; but in some nide. pende n t ( inarter a power of review ought to ekiet. Where it should 1w lodged, he was not called on to see. If he conld prove that the Board of Treasury hod, in the case of John Gipps, prostitsita ti the poweis of the Act to polit:cei mobs CII, he submitted he hail made out a ease of prima feria evidence, and for further enquiry. The Hon. Member then concluded by moving a Resolntion to that effect. Mr. VA NsiTTAitT said if the Hen. Gentleman lyd at all made out his case, I.e might, instead of censure, have Mot til for ins peaelenent of his Majesty's Mitikt.rs. The fact was, however, that I.e had made out nothing more than a case of merry on the part of the Crown. With respect to the state of the law, as laid down by the Hon. Gentleman, he was wrong in es ere point. 'the Board of Eseive had always been dependent to the Crowe, and received directitee from the 'Freasury Board, which had always the power of u tA i s i t o, of tin e s an d pen ,d t ;,.„, and the Hew Act only gave a snore summary power to the Board of Treasury, which, before the passing of the Act of the 54th of the King, exercised the same power through the med . of the Attorney-Generul. With respect to the cases which the lion. Gentleman had cited, only two were cases in which proceedings lied been carried ou to conviction, and therefore, on the others there could lie no doubt the Treasury had the power of remission. The Hou. Gentleman had moved for twenty-nine cases, out of which he had selected six on, which to foun I his charge, but he now seemed inclined to abandon all except one—that of Gipps. The Right Hon. Gen tleman then entered into a review of this particular case, and observed, that there has been a singular negligence on the part of the Board of Excise, who had not laid the only docu ments which gas e a tinge to the case before the Board of a'ets sury, and the memorial not only gave Gipps a character fur loyalty, hut also for fair dealing; and the Treasury certainly considered a tine of 20W. added to costs, amounting 3001. usury, was p "shment sufficient for such an offence as Gipps was charged with. The Right Hon Gentleman then proceeded to comment on the other cases, and contended that the pmaish meets had been fairly apportioned to each offence.—All the indulgence which had been extended to Davy was, a delay of two months allowed to pay the tine its after the proceedings had terminated. In Mr. Abbott's caw, it was allowed by the Hon. Gentleman that Mr. Abbott was ignorant of the offence being committed, and it could not be said that he had been very leni ently treated, when it was considered that it was only on imme diate payment of a tine of SOW. anti all costs, that proceedings against him were suspended. The Right Hon. Gentlemen con cluded by moving, as an Amendment, the previous question. Sir S.Ron ILLY, Mr. TIERNEY, and Mr.Postsoenv could see no grounds on which the penalties inGippse; ease were remitted, except that lie was a zealous supporter of the measures and the friends of Government. Lord CASTLEREAGH, Mr. LUSHINGTON, the SOLICITOR Or. !SERA', Mr. SMITH, and Mr. PROTIUM° supported the Amendment; the House divided—For the original Motion 40 —For the Amendment 121—Majority against the Motion 134.-se Adjourned at Halt Past Two. WEDNESDAY, APRIL S. i.ord G. L. Gower presented a petition from Stafford, praY- Mg a reduction in the Military and Naval Establishment, ge nerel economy, relief of the agricultural interest, he. Sir 11. PERLE moved for an inquiry into the present mode of employing children in cotton manufactories. The Hon. Mean. berg otter adverting to the manner in which children were for mert! employed in these manufactoriee• said, he had last year brought in a Bill for regitlatiug the employment of apprentices, which had been productive of the happiest effects: Lis pre. sent object would, it adopted. provide that children should be taught to read and write; and that those under ten years of age should net be employed in the manufactories, nor should they be employed more than 13 hours in the day. The Hoare would perhaps he surprised to learn, that in some instances, children under this age, were employed lo or 17 boon in the day. 'These children were, in fact, the riches of the country; without them, the various nsachinery employed by us would be useless, and even mischievous. The Hon. Bart. concluded by moving for the appointment of a Committee to enquire into the state of the children employed in the manufactories in the king dom, and to report to the House thereupon. Mr. Ft s nee y wished that the Hon. Baronet', censnreshbuld be confined to particular instances, and not be uttered as ap plying generally. He (Mr. F.) had never known any instance in which children, of the age meutioued by the Hon. Baronet, had been dragged front their beds in the morning, and ens. skived In or 11 hours in the day. In all cases of which he lied I cur knowledge, proprietors of manufactories had been anxious and to employ children under 10 years of age, and in no case within his knowledge had children been employed more than 1.1 hours out of I. His Hon. Friend, now lie was 41120111 to ri tine groin business, was proposine a measure which, in its ef fect, weed to cahnimiate the manufacturers of the country. Sir R. PEALE could not but consider the insinuation of his Hon. Friend against hint as unfinnitled ; he guarded himsel' against ally intended censure its the manufactories generally, as beimg himself about to retire from business; Ite 12 years atro proposed a 11111 to the UDR! Cllt.l:t as that which he broite;ht in last StsAitill. Mr. Lerft.ETON, Mr. CtICRTNEY, and Nit. Crewe e, paida due tribute of epidemic to the Hon. Ituronet and Isis humaite havemotive when the necessary investigatious should g;a t te hv taken ‘l7lltU t i n t s ' plait' before the Comeau. r, they were per suaded it would be found that very few instances of abuse ex-. Weil on this subject. After some further observations room Mr. Goenow, Mr. WROITI:SLEY, and ethers; the motion was agreed to. The Bill for seeming the Purity of Electieu in the Borough of lielslOßC was read a screed time, an I CO1111111( 4.4 l'Or Moe day fortnight. TIIE. POLICE Or THE mrritorous. Mr. BEAN ETT„ltitt!oitaHl 10 notice, brought forwar4 his mo tion for a Committee to enquire into the state of the -Police of the Nletiopotie. I:timeline es, the Hon. Pent. obseteed, had ' me n a l yointeel nn the subject more than °nee. 'flue ;get Com mittee set in lel e, when the metropolis tens in a sure of a l arm on sweetest of the soclancholy'snitrde: - of the Marrs ; brit the la- Lours of that Commttee, the I Gent. said, lied produced moth tig. He then proceeded to hike a review of the state of the Police at present, and which he contended was Metticient. Ile particularly alluded to the sysit met is lug a reward of 401. for the I'l)l4om:stun and coneiellun of capital offenders;