The National Register. — London, England, 1822-05-27 00:00:00

161 ;niperial Varltament. HOUSE OF LORDS. MONDAY, MAY 2n. Lord DELANf ERE was introduced and took his seat. Petitions against the Catholic Peers' Bill were presented from Stirling—Exeter—the Diocese of Canterbury—the Rector and hurchwardens of St. Olave, Southwark—and the parishes MSc. Margaret and St. Mary, Leicester. Read, and laid on the table. THE ROMAN CATOOLIC PEENS . Dilate was numemusly attended this day, in expectation of the Donlan Catholic Peers Bili. We observed his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex. and nearly all the oppoAtion lords. The seats on the ministerial side displayed a more than ordinary at tendance. The bar was crowded with strangers. Soon after five o'clock the bill was brought tip from the Corn mons by Mr. Canning, accompanied by Mr. Plunkett, and many of the members who supported it in the lower House. The Bill was received by the Lard Chancellor, and laid on the table. The Duke of PORTLAND moved the first reading, and ap peared to take charge of the Bill. The LORD CHANCELLOR read the whole of the title. His Grace of PORTLAN D then fixed the second reading for Friday se'nnight. and moved the Lords be summoned for that dry. The House was accordingly summoned. 'file Petitions were severally read and laid upon the table. Lord HOLLAND said, lie had the honour last year of pre senting a petition from Newfoundland, complaining of the bad administration of their law, and praying relief. The noble Lord (Bathurst) said. on that occasion, he would take care to have the subject brought under consideration, and that lie had no doubt something would be done by the next session. Pe wished to ask the noble Earl whether any thing had been dune, and whether the noble Earl had it in contemplation to pr went any bill. Fall BATHURST. said he had intended to bring in a bill to alter the present system of law in Newfoundlund, after the Easter holidays, but he found further intOrmatim was necessary, and was therefore obliged to postpone the intended measure. On the motion of the Marque, of LANSDOWNE. a copy of the report of a co 1111 l duce in the House el:Commons upon Welch Judicature, brought up by message, was ordered to be priMed.— The House adjourned. TUESDAY, NAY 21. The House met at four o'clock, when Mr. Brougham, Mr. Wetherell, and the Attorney General appeared at the bar as Ceuasel, in the Marchniont Peerage. After some documentary evidence haul been put in and read, further proceedings were ad journed to Thursday. Sir J. Graham and other members from the Commons, brought up the Iri sh Malt Duties Repeal Bill, and several pith. Sate Bills, which were read the first time. The LORD CHANCELLOR presented a petition front the Peen and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Gloucester, praying their Lordships not to admit Roman Catholic Peers to a scat in that House. The petition was then read and laid on the table. The LORD CHANCELLOR also preseuted a similar peti tion from the inhabitants of the parish of St. Martin, Leicester, bearing between 700 and $OO signatures. The learned Lord stated, that there was a peculiarity in the petition. The peti tionas erroneously supposed that the Peers of Parliament were obliged to take an oath, which had been repealed. The informality perhaps would not induce the House to reject the petition; it was riot so much a matter of surprise if the petitioners were n vier, because those who brought in the bill to doable Roman Catholic Peers to sit in the House of Lords had been misled by the same misconception. After a few words from Lord Holland the petition was received, lead, and laid on the table. Vi.count ML LVILLE presented a petition from Brechin against the Cethlic Bill. Laid on the table. The Maiquia of LANSDOWNE gave notice that it was his intention tomorrow to move the suspension of the standing orders, for the purpose of passing the bill to provide employment to the poor in Ireland. The noble Marquis made his motion conditional, via. in case the Bill Caine up from the Commons.— The House then adjourned. wEDNEaDAY. MAY 22. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE discharged the artier of the dry for suspending the standing orders of the house, for the purpose of passing the bill to give employnient to die distressed your in Ireland. The noble marquis observed, that the bill would, perhaps, be brought up to morrow, and in case it was Lad on their table, he should then n• ike his motiun.—The order was fixed foe to-morrow. EXCISE PROSECUTIONS. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, several causes had come to his knowledge, in which the Excise had prosecuted per sons for selling compositions of bread corn. which the Boatel of Excise considered a fraud upon the revenue. Statements had reached him from all parts of the country. complaining of ag gravated oppression on the part of the Board of Excise. Tue noble marquis did not take upon himself to say whether the Excise had acted illegally. Looking at the Act of Parliament upon which these reissues were made. he was sorry to see that tie Board of Excise had a discretion which Parliament could certainly never have intended to give them. It had long been wins intention to introduce a bill to remedythe abuse to which he alluded ; but, us he understood a measure was to be brought it° the other house to accomplish the object, he should deter fu ether remarks until the bII came before the house. The noble tquis, however, could not avoid saying. that he was persuaded the revenue might be increased by . introducing a clause in the Act vender which the Board of Excise now preceded, to oblige Leis , es to mark dun imitative coffee, and other articles of sub w: made front bread can, so as to show there was no fraud intent id, and that no fraud would take place. Such alteration is the . ILA could not injure the public, and individuals might sell -f a irly 6 ads substances made from bread and corn as could not injure t se revenue, but increase die consumption of grain, which at the p.. esent time was an object of importance. Mr. Alows, from die Stamp Office, presented run account of the mum( er of Country Banks more than sixty utiles distant from L on don, with the Banks in Wales. The return was laid on the table.s—Adjourned. TNt RSDAY, MAY 23. The Earl of LIVERPOOL moved the first reading of the Bill for the emplotuseut of the l'oor in Ireland ; and the bill was acecirdingly read the first lime. The Marquis of LANSI)OW N E then said it was not neces sary to add yeas the House at any length io order to induce the Lords to an• :mod the standing orders. He should, therefore, merely move t hat the standing orders he suspended. Lord KING 15111 sure the House would feel disposed to pass this hill with specs'. at the same time lie could not •void ex pressing a wish lima the assistance it was to afford had been more extensive. TN/ measure was to grant 20,0001. to relies e Ilse starving popalatico of a whole district. It was in fact not one shiaing per head. He had beard of jobs, and in ease there was a job in the application of the above saw, the relief would tot ailment to a shilling per head. Some persons bad taken offence at a remark made by a member of the other House, who charged the landlords of Ireland with rapacity, but Lord iiing was of opinion that it would have been a true statement, Lad the gentleman allotted to added, that the rapacity of land ,lords was otdy surpassesl by the rapacity of the church, whi c h ozaiu was surpasand by the rapacity of the government. Tlla Earl of LIMENICS. ease hastily.—lle said the wolde THE NATIONAL REGISTER ---- lord but taken up the ountlet for the person alluded to ;—to throw out a general reflection, at a moment when conciliation was the object, could not ho serviceable to Ireland. Lord KING wished more hod been done for Ireland, and he was only anxious it should nut be said—Here we will stop. we can do no more. The relief was trivial. The people of Ire land had been oppressed by taxation, and now the government gave them 20,0001. by way of relief. The Duke of ATHOL expressed a hope that his noble friend, at • time of conciliation, when every man in the kingdom wished to relieve a suffering people, would not use language of exasperation, which could only tend to inflame, rather than conciliate the winds of the people. Lord KING. —tt The Catholic Peers' Bill will soon come under discussion, and it will then be seen what will be done for conciliation." Tile Earl of LIVERPOOL did not w isli to prolong this dis cussion, at the same time be might say. there was a general feeling that the measure wan advisable under emisting circum. mance*. if it should appear, under the ai:angeinents pro posed in the bill, that arty practical good was likely to result, he should not have the least objection to estend the sum. The Marquis of DOW NSHIRE rose to empress his satis faction on listing the bill brought in by his Majesty's Govern :neut. It was an earnest that something was to he dune for Ireland. He was himself 1{ large proprietor of tithes, and most anxious fur a revision of the system. The noble marquis wished to hear whether government had taken up the subject, and whether the report was correct, that there was to be some al.eralion in the window tam. . . . The Earl of LI V ERPOOL had no hesitation in saying, the reduction of the window tax in Ireland would depend on other measures to be introduced in the other House of Parliament.— If there measures meet with approbation, it would induce go vernment to repeal the window tax. Earl DARN LEY wished fur conciliation as much as any man. On the subject of landlords in Ireland, he was persuaded the Lords could not think all the great landholders of Ireland were harsh. The middlemen were, perhaps, the cause of the evil. Ile hailed the measure as a boon for Ireland. The Marquis of L INSDOWNE then gave notice, that it was his intention to call the attention of the House to a general measure of conciliation, on wine day in the week after next. The standing orders were then suspended, and the bill read a third time mid passed. The Duke of DEVONSHIRE presented a petition from the county of Cork, complaining of agricultural distress. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said the subject of tithes had occupied the serious attention of government, and a measure would be brought forward when in a stste of maturity. Lord lIOLLAN I) thought a discussion of the general state of Ireland would be useful.—Adjourned. FRIDAY, MAY 24. The Royal assent was given by commission to the Poor in Ireland Employment Rill, the Silk Rill, the Seditious Meetings Hill, and several private bills.—The commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and the Marquis of W inchester. Lord HAREWOOD presented a petition from the merchants and manufacturers iu the town and neighbourhood of Leeds, in the county of York, praying for the repeal of the duties on foreign wool. Lord KING presented a petition from Wakefield for revision of the criminal code. . Lord SUFFIELD presented a similar petition from South Shields. - . Isord Viscount SIDMOUTII presented a petition from file parish of St. Peter, Westminster, against the Catholic Peers Bill. TILE ANNUITY PLAN. Lord KING said, as some of the ingenious plans of tbe Trea sury had failed, and the noble Earl did not communicate to that House the cause of failure, he was desirous of &slim; for some explanation with respect to the new plan. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that he should not object at the proper time to give explanation on the measure alluded to by the noble Lord. It must be ohs ious that the measure could not be carried into effect without the authority of another branch of the Legislature. When it came upon their table is should gis e all the explanation necessary. Lord KING in reply, said, that the House must be satisfied with the explanation elsewhere, if they could nut hare it from the noble Earl. . . The 11,11 s on the tahle were forwarded a stage, sad the House adjourned to Thursday. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MAY 20. Mr. ABERCROMBIE lostpuned his motion respecting the conduct of the public press in Scotland to the 13th June, as sonic proceedings in Scotland were definitely fixed fur June 3d. SCOTLAND.—I.ord A. HAMILTON postponed from Thurs day next to June 18. his motion regarding the county representa tion, Scotland ; his Lordship moved resolutions on the subject. Mr. CURT ELS presented a petition trout certain hop•growers of the comity of Sussex, complaining of agricultural distress.— The hon. member adverted to the injurious tendency of the law requiring the marking of hop bags. Mr. Alderman WOOD was surprised that the hon. member should condemn such law. It was to prevent frauds; and if Sussex hops were passed on the public for Kent hops, some injury would be inflicted. Mr. LUSIIINGTON observed, that he considered such law to be perfectly just, and that while he remained of such opinion, he should resist any attempt to procure its repeal. Petition ordered to be printed. Mr. CURTi , .IS then gave notice, that on Thursday. June 13. he should move the repeal of the act to wadi hop racks and pockets. Sir H. VIVIAN presented a petition from Truro, praying for the repeal of the salt tax, as the House were adopting measures to afford the country some relief from taxation. Ordered to be printed. AGRICULTURAL HORSE TAX. — Mr. S. WORTLEY pre• sented a petition froin tanners, Ise. of Sheffield. He took this opportunity to enquire whether any relief was to be afforded in consequence of an unexpected demand on account of agricultural horses. Mr. LUSH INGTON replied, that owing to the bill of last year. a demand of 21. Cis. lid. had unexpectedly been made, when it was expected that there was to be no tax. That W.ri not the intention of the law, and instructions had been given at the Tax•Otlice to afford requiri,e relief in such cases ; and lie should hereafter introduce a bill to declare what the intention of the legislature was. Mr. AIIERCROMBIE presented a petition from a lay im proprietor, of Mayo, mooed Carew, praying for a revision of the tythe system. It said that there was ro hope of permanent tran quillity except such system was revise Mr. GOULBURN said, that a bill on the subject was prepar ing, and in a few days lie should be enabled to introduce it ; till the provisions of tl•at bill could be considered. lie trusted that lion. members woll;e1 suspend their opinions. IMr. PLUNKETT said. that this petition merely required an alteration in the mode of collecting the tythes. As to the cause of the evils, be repeated that the great evil was, not rythts, but the rents. With respect to tythes,hc thought that measures eight bt adopted to relieve Ireland from ty the farmers and tribe pnictors and if this could be done, lie considered that important relief would be nflinded. _ ..... Sir J. NEWPORT declared, that nothing but an entire revi sion of the system would produce any good. lie could see no reason why a commutation of re:eipts might not take place. I : the present system continued, there would be a constant increase of the disaffection in Ireland, till the people would be wholly alienated from the ektablishincnt. Petition ordered to be printed. Mr. 11U I•: presented a petition from the law stationers of London. signed by between 4ti and 30 of them, against the Stamps' Relief Bill, Two clauses in it would materially affect them ; the proposition was to lower the allowance of 30s. on stamps purchased to the amount of 301. to 201. It was also par tial, because the bill did not affixt the regulations regarding proctors and distributors. They prayed that the clauses might be omitted or amended. Ordered to be printed. Mr. G. RENNET moved to postpone the second reading of the Licensing Bill to Friday next t—lie postponed this motion because the Bill was not not yet printed. Mr. HOIIIIOUSE postponed till June 19, his motion foe the repeal of the house and window tax ; he made such postpone ment to see what relief measures would be proposed by the ministers. Mr. WODEHOUSE presented a report from the committee appointed to consider the petitions on agricultural distress. It embraced the regulations to be adopted respecting the ware. hou.eing of foreign corm The House went into a committee on the Marriage Act Amendment Bill, in which Dr. Milli:nese made some verbal atnerlments. Mr. WET H ERE LL complained greatly of this bill. A more monstrous bill, calling itself amendatory of the I,w, he had never seen. It would be a greater incitement than now existed to firm improper =triages. Ite concluded with moving as an amendment of the first clause, that all the words after '• Be it enacted" be left out. _ _ Sir J. NIACINTOSII was astonished to hear it, in fact. declared in that /louse, that an emendation of the marriage act was not necessary ; the existing law occasioned discord in families, injury to property, and much calamity in various forms. For years it was considered that the consent of the natural mother was sufficient; a recent decision had established the contrary by law; and was this al state of law with which they were to be satisfied? The amendment was negatived. Atter a long conversation between Dr. Phillimore. Mr. We therell. Sir J. Macintosh, &c. all the remaining causes were agreed to, with the exception of that which went to make th operation of the act retriamtetive. as far as regarded suits for nul lity of marriage now pending. That clause was negatived. Tile report was ordered to be received to morrow. Mr. WALLACE moved. that the House go into a committee on the Navigation Laws Amendment Bill. In doing so he took a review of some of the objections that had been urged against the measure, and submitted that they were answered by the evidence an d report resulting from the foreign trade committee.— This bill, as well as the measures regarding colonial intercourse. resulting from the recommendation of such committee ; and from the fullest consideration that he had been able to give to those Rills. he was persuaded of the advantage they were calculated to produce to the country. Mr. Davenport. Sir W. De Crespigny. and Sir M. W. Ridley. opposed the bill.as being ruinous to ourconuuercial and shipping The question for the Speaker leaving the chair was then put and carried, and the House went into a committee. Several verbal amendments were put and agreed to. The House re sumed and the report was ordered to be received on Wednesday next. The other orders of the day were then disposed of. In answer to a question from Mr. Hume. the Marquis of Londonderry said that he would on Friday inert move an ad journment for the holydays, from that day until the following Thursday.—The house adjourned at one o'clock. 7utiaUa Y, MAY 21. On the motion of Mr Calvert, the Bakers' Regulations' Bill Report was ordered to be tukeu into further considera tion the 1.1 June. _ _ _ Mr. CA L V &AT presented a petition from St. Saviour's Southwark, against the Iron Coding Bill, as their parish was populous, aid their church-yard small. Mr. DLNISON withdrew for Ins hon. friend (Mr. S)kes) the 'route of mutton respecting the repe.il of the las oil He expressed is hope that the measure's of the noble Marquis would render the renewal of such a motion quite unnecessary. Sir R. FERGUSON postponed his motion respecting the Scotch Posmasstertieueral, Own May Vlif to June 4. Pi Warns against the Poor lieinur.il Bill aua presented from Pancras, Leicester. A petition from the manufacturers of Wiltshire and So mersetshire, agiaust the alteration of the a oulleu trade laws was presented. Petitions ugninst the New Corn Trade Regulations Bill were presented from Glasbow, Sussex, burro, Suffolk, Bambury, &c. Air. C URTE IS moved for returns of the 'tempos r..cei•ing pour relief from Alo)field, and three other parishes in Sussex, &c. A petit 4444 from die hop growers of Rye, &c. against the act ut was presented. Sir J. NEW PORT presented the first report of the committee on the grand jury presentments, irelaud. Ordered to lie pi inter'. Sir 1. LETIIBRIDGE presented a petition from corn growers of Dorseishire, against lime resolutions for the pro posed regulation of time c trade. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE postponed from the 30th in.t. to June 5, his motion respecting the pressure of taxation on agriculture 4 his object aas to call the attention of the House to those taxes that inure immetliateiy allected the interests of agriculture. Mr. W. S N IITII presented a petition from the Unitariau Christiros of Liverpool, complaining of ipi.rts of the marriage ceremony to which they were subjected. Mr. G. KENNET withdrew his notice of motion respect ing the printing uf certain parts of the evidence taken betore the committee un Oetlialinis, the hon. umber being understood to state that as aiiiingentent had taken ;duce which would render such motion unnecessary. Mr. B. WILBRAHAM moved for 1111 account of the ex penditure und receipts uf the postoolbee packets no the Dover station from 1511, is lading the expense of building steam vessels. Mr. RU TTER WORTH seconded the motion. Sir 1. COFFIN said, that the same fate awaited Dover that had befallen Margate ; the steam•parkets must super sede the use of the COllllllOll vessels their safety arid advantage were beyoud all praise. They mast 50011 be adopted every where, from one end of the country to the other. He knew Dover well ;an immense deal of lin; used to take place Mete amongst the boatmen; now tho•c impositions would he matetially checked. Mr. GLADSTONE said the number of passengers ought to be bwitrd, or the steam packets ought to be compelled to have boats as iu the case.of Scotland. Account ordered. -..-