The National Register. — London, England, 1817-05-05 00:00:00

4S IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. MONDAY, APRIL 28. 'Lord SlD:untrrss presented the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown, upon which die Nettie Lord's Circular Letter was rounded. SEDITIOUS MEETINGS HILL. Lord I:l4llsLEr wished to cull their Lordships attention to tko decision winch bad been come to by the City Magistrates, reslieetiai; thelieencing a certain Society, culled the Acade mical Society. Tire Magistrates bait said, the 14111 was in- Sended.to pat down and prevent all political discussion what ever: he did not believe Mististcts' construction of the Act was such ; but au opinion oo the subject had gone abroad, an 4 much alarms existed in the minds of the Public; he rusted, therefore, the Noblo Lord opposite would now say a few words to o, t these fears at reg. Laid SIDMOILT/1 was reedy to declare, that he never did, nor lid be belies. , that any Noble Lord who acted with him, fad ever intended to construe this Act as potting an end to all political dismission. Of the transaction to which the No ble Lord had alluded, he had tout an imperfect knowledge. of the Magistrates concerned, he knew nething,except their names. He should be ashamed of replying to any insinua tions which might be thrown out, imputing to him that he had a concern in the transaction, or any knowledge of it. With respect to the Act, he would entreat the Noble Lords to look at it after the House had adjourned, and see if there was a visite clause in it which marl be construed to hear the wean ing which the Noble Lord now wished to put upon it. Lord Dattsg.ev said a few words relative to the present -hog of the Petition.—Thc subject then dropped, And the }loose adjourned. TUESDAP, APRIL 29. The Royal Assent way given by Comniimion to the Irish Arms, the Irish Peace Preservation Bill, and the Cochluea/ Detyßill.—Adjournetl. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30. LORD SDIVIIUr N CULZ .14 LETI7:II. ELI GREY stated, that to Mended to Tuesday next, as Ire usderstood him, to move I'm the cave laid before the law. officers of the Crimp, email which the opinion already before the House had been givea, when tie would sebralt some oh oervations for their consideration on this most important sub• ject. In the of the law-veers of the Crown, there was a reference to an opluion gives by &eir predecessors, in VIOL in the cages of Thomas Spence and Alexander Hogg ; and as he It-listed there would be no objection to the produc tion of that document. he would now move for it. The Earl of Ltoto root. hail not sufficient official know ledge to enable him to say whether Wore was an.x such op nion in Hoe office. It might tern out, that tie oivaaofficers, in MI, had acted upon their own opinion on the subject, in the cages ofSpence and Hogg; and that there was no opinion, upon a ease laid before them by the Secretary of Slate. de hoped, therefore, the Noble Earl would postpone she suestios till the proper inquiries should he made, in order tom:certain whether there was any web opinion in the office. The Loon CHANCELLOR was not at present aequainted with the cases referred to, html it' the Noble Lord Would plot pone his motion, he would take care so Lamm himself. Earl GREY agreed to postpone the motion till Friday or Illonday.—Adjoinmed. _ _ TRU•PDAY. Nu bubineas of general iutek CAL FRiDAN, MAY 2. LORD SID MOUTH'S LETTER The LO R DTHA74CELLoR stated, th.stovo - n Inquiry he had found, that in 1801 no case had heen laid before the ikIN - officers of the Crown for their opinion ; and formerly opinion was given as to the power of naagistru es to hold t. boil fur libels. Earl GREY felt it his duty to call for the case laid be fore the I:ow-officer* of the Crown by the Secretary of State, and to bring the whole snbject under discussion in their Lord ship's Howse. He would loose for the case on Monday week, and proposed that the Lords be *unnuoned for that day.— Ordered accordingly. Al:joarned till Monday. ROUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, APRIL N. DEBTORS AND CREDITORS. r VETS. Romit.ty presented a Petition fro,n certain inha bitants of Gloucester, stating, that they had sustained grea losses, by the ewences of suing debtors confined ttlr sma. debts,and praying setae amend neut in the laws. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman stated, that the evil complained of, was lunch greater than be imagined. A letter hail been sen, to the prisoners intim gaol of Liverpool, eoutaieing realm menibeions of an agent in London to transact their unsiness. and instructions from a professional man to the debtors con fined there, shewing them how they might put their creditorv l by than pleas, to a very great expense. For the 211. 13s. by aiese sham oleos they might run the creditor up to an espalier of 3411. He thought that government ought 11. take this subject into consideration, and protect the proper; of the subject• of the Mr. Lvvrternsi said, he had a similar paper put into hi• bands last Session, tint had no opportunity of mentioning i ' to the House. He heartily looped that government would take the motter up. . • The Petition was laid on the table. ROll \N CATHOLICS. Sir H. PARNELL, rose Ps • esent a Petition from the Ro mass Catholics of Ireland, ,s o requested the particular attio, Con of the House to the prayer of their Petition ; they ha, taken the 04. 1 as icquired Its the 'serious Acts of the Legisla tare, and confot sued to other regulations imposed on thee. but stiU they laboured under certain disabilities merely f, adhering to the religion of then furrfilltets. There wan on. 4.ause in the Peisti a, tit which lie dessied the consoler. tion of the House, and that related to the security to given in reaped to we Domon.slimi .)1 . the Bishops, and th, dread entertained of the Influence ofs Foreign Power. The , pn s !touter adhere to the opinions of ChM, on the suhjeu of tb Vele, as affecting the doininatiou of th • Pope. In this ithaoze, o u t only the C.4lliulic - Clergy, hitt the whole of the coneurred. As to the domestic nomina tive. us had the authority of one of their Prelates to sta t e , that they had troy tired ?root the Pope a Cu/WO/VW ; and they are urttpared to declare and to swear, that none of she Pre f•re. sn he elected unless he is , a %Oki. et both 155 the V is .. I !.;,41 ..f• ; and an eminent person in the confidence of tits etyl, bad declared that be wooW not oppose thew mode THE NATIONAT, R.EGISTEII• of election. It would be sect:, that to give the p ositive no nn nation of the Catholic Bishops to the crown, would have the etf:•ct of destroying the religion altogether. • blomeral Morrriow seconded the 'notion for bringing op the Petition. He trusted that couriliatiou and moderation would now be the order of the day. The Catholic's were fully determined to lay aside on tidily spirit, and to throw aide all obstacles, so as to meet the wishes of the Crown. — He isopod that no firebrand would lie now found to mar con ciliation : mid that he should not heat of whit passed in the tin* of Henry or Bloody Mary; nor that longand useless de bates would impede the march of coneiliatiou ; and that no long stories of Popes and Apostolic 'Cleats, and suefi tedious tales, would destroy unanimity; but that the CiPousittie would come to a happy conclusion. Mr. WEBBER had an objection to the claim ; which ob jection was founded uu king reflection. and that was to the previous arrangements respecting secnrities. He should think that any thing which affected the Constitution ought not to be entertained isi this Howse, That iceling it was which brought bin' into Parliament. Mr.. BLAKE observed, that the only question. WEN as to the securities which they might have to otter ; and whether the House ought nut to legiilate so as to put the question at rest for ever; and not to allow it to remain as an eternal peg to Wan discussions ou t which it was said agitated the nation. The Petition was then read. Sir J. Nicitum. delivered his protest against two positions assumed by the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last; namely, that the question WAS reduced to what security could be giveu. That he could slot admit. He should rejoice, hav ing no religious antipathies. when the question should be carried ; bnt at pretest he did not see how it could. Nor was the state of Europe, as the Hon. Geneleutan supposed, Inch as to give hope that the qftweion world be amicably settled. The Petition was laid on the table. Mr. W. Storni presented a Petition from ibe Catliolies of , stfford and Warwick to the niece:greet. it viv.n laid on the table. Mr. Laurron stowed on Address Is the Prince Regent for an account of the Salary and Emoluniont of Thomas Stdeei. halo, Esq. a► f.evoy Extraordinary to Portugal, in 1814. ..„ . ,,,THE FUNDING SYSTEM._ sir. It. St mStmots girt seated a PotitiOil from Dumfries, praying fur Reform; stoning that alet war, and its continu ance, had impoverished she people • mitt denying that they had ever heard of the Spenceau SoCietles, maul Hwy were mentioned in this House. After some observations frog Lord Cochrane, Mr. Gren fell, 14orti Milton, and Mr. W. Smith, the Petition was laid on the table. SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT. Mr. Wtuseatsmace presented a Petition from the Acade mic Society, which, he stated, met iv Chancery Lane, from ihe year 1 / 9 S, for Philosophical and et►er questions °fa Po. mica! nature, not Alerting anyii ming iiablic character. The .nembers bring sue/libels of the different Colleges in the Coded Ellitarr—teat they applied to the Quarter Sessions tor a Licence and were refined. The lion. Gentleman said, he• voted fur the BO; tout Vile had thougal that a construc tion s. t 1 44, mil' COM pletancd of would have. been put on the he should not have given the out. hr did--t hear!) It was not the intention of the Legistature to prevent Liberal and tree diseossion.—c liar, Ater Mr. Gnaws-stated that the persons rho now petitioned sere of the• most respect/stole character. Sir M. W. litotes( said, he was minuted that this Petition should have oven necessary. The House would recollect, that mie of the arguments used against the Bill was, the lon ger of putting in the hands of Magistrates garb power*, which they might construe improperly, and which, in fact, they had d. me. He hoped, therefore, that Ministers would broadly 3-are what they considered the proper construction to be put on the Bid. Mr. BATHURST knew nothing attic Petition, bet from what it contained ; taking it on that allerstion--" that no meeting should be liceuerd for political purposes" lie must say, in answer to the question proposed by the Hon. Baronet, that nobody could suppose that any well construction was in tended by this House ; or that it was meant by giving that discretion to the Magistracy, that they should prohibit poli tical discussion in all cases ; but that they were at liberty to esercise a sound discirtinu , foanded, as the Urn. Baronet bail said, on Lord Alansfieid's °pie*, acting from legal mo tives. Mr. Bt. OUG HAM observed, that the Government could not euquite. fur the law was passed which gave We authority to the Magistratee. The WHOMs was then laid on the Table. Mr. BSOUGHA NI presented a Petitimi, signed, as he stated, by overly the w bole town of Birmingham. No public aotier ur meeting heed been held ; but the Petition was deposited at three different places, and within forty-eight horns, upwards of 10,000 persons, all above 29 years old, amarently, came Mrward and signed It. The Petition was then suffered to lie e day et Isiso longer, and then imwarits of 12,500 had signed 41. The Petition &toted the distresses of that once flourishing own. The average amount of the poor-rate. for the last Mee , months was 9s. ; thr the last six months lls ; for the last three months 13a.: and for We lest fortnight lai. 1.1. in the pound sterling. He trusted, that whatever relief Parliament could *herd, it would be sagely administered, and productive of onus good than he and many expected from i'. Th e 1'e4m404, was then hs might up and read. It prayed .has they might be supplied with labour, so as to earn an hie lest livelihood; their while wants being food and clothing. end shelter from the elements. It would lie better fur them - it die Wattle live; fur then they would not be subject to the .orrors of hearing their famished Milliken trying 14 food.— •till their misfortunes had nut mimed their veneration for the ,:onstitution, or their love for their King and Country. But .bey could not help thinking, that ins great c tttttt try like this, .almiir and the means of existence toiglat be f I for all. The Petition was then (mimed to lie on the table, and to oe printed. RELIEF FOR THE POOR. The Mouse went into a Committee ou the issue of Exche quer Bill« for the Relief of for Poor. VAkSIITART said, he had two Resolutions : one, that ...is Majesty be enabled to issue one million and a halt of e',..4l , titaer Lila. ILO IN vestediu Cotatinssisomes, and by then. surd to corporate bodies and % parishes, towards the comple tion of works of a pabla, mature, Oa a doe security twin_ Riven. Another Resolution was Mr a similar .rant IA 214,0001. to Ireland, roe the corapletiou of public wet ks, Imi ait.o be advaiived to parisheß in that country. It would be f, nd much better to afford relief ley employing the pour in pudic works, that by wants to the agricultuie or mercantile MAY S. interests. The Commissioners would hive under their spe cial consideration the Influettee which the work would have in relieving these who should be employed in completing it. It was generally known, that many canals, iinprovements of harbours, Sc. which had received the sanction of Parliament, were hi a state of stagnation fur want of money to cal ry them on. The sums to be issued womdd be vested in Commissioners unconnected with Government, but appointed by Parliament in the body of the Act, and acting on their own responsibility. It ought be thought advisable to confine these grants to works which had received the sanction of Parliament. such as the fisheries. He trusted that it would prove on this oc casion, that the relief afforded to the poor in this way would be effected without any loss to the country ; for the expellee of Commissioners would be defrayed out of the interest of the money advanced. As to Ireland, the only difference would be, that these grants would not be advanced for parochial meets : It would be impossible to make any grant sufficient to relieve the general agrieteltnrel distress, without adding a still further temptation to the poor to seek parochial relief.— No part of this measure was intended to apply to agricultural relief. At present be should oaiy submit his gestations to the House, and them move that they be taken into consideration sotne lay next week, as, no doubt, the subject world require much revision. He sten moved that his Majesty should he enabled to issue a million and a half of Exchequer Bills for the relief of the poor of Great Britain. In reply to a SpleWliaa &OM Mr. Poe sewer, Mr. V erisirrane said, it was proposed that the Exchequer Bills should be re payable in three year., and that the Com. ntisaioners should be empowered to receive re-payment by lomat:news; except in certain caeca of public works, and then the term of repayment might be extended to seven years. The Exchequer Bills were to bear as interest of five per tent.. and the security to be demanded would be on the property of' the Corporate Bodies, the Proprietors of the Works, or on the rolls of the Harbours, Roads, and Bridg e s. Mr. BLAZE coasidePed this as a measure Out to supersede Os poor-rake, but to redeem the agricutteral distress. It wis e b lisispision, enclosing waste leads, and promoting bird sisviiones, that these funds would b e best applied, especially in Ireland. Mr. Puittles said. be was yet at a loss what the security required was. He had said nothing as to the security to be given by the parishes, salmis it was by taking the personal hseeurity of the people is the perishes, and testy were to have IS pour-rates as a mainter *outlay. He was convinced that the relief proposed would be totally inadequate to the wants of the matenfacturiug districts. Mr. GRUNFILL wished to itimelsow this advance was to be made. He hoped it would not br nettle in large sums of 10001. but in SUMS less than MN. itPussible. Mr. VANSMTANT said, the Exchequer Bills would be Is sued by the Commissiouers, is sums of 1001. The nature of the securities to be required Would be the same as in all (Sr. nice issues of sorb Bills. Mr. LAMM trusted that it would be most fully nnderstood out of doors, that t4is plan was to supply the poor with las boar. and nut to contribute to keep them in idleness. • Lord COCIIRAts6 thought this snot should be grinned to the pew, as a part re-payment of that which had been takes' from them already. As to this proposition of the Chancellor of the E.selietpier, k was perfectly nugatory. if they wiped oil the national debt with a sponge, and throw all the Bank notes and Batik books 11110 the are, the nation in general **aid net be one farthing theAwsorer. Mr. Poteennew did not yet misdeeds's++! the Right Hoe. Geutleman's plan ; but am it Mika intended to do good, be thought it was essential that it should be done gnickly. Mr. Vanserrmir said, he would bring iu the Bill as soda ns posidloe. Lord Slivron said, that out of doors it had been unties% stood that this plan went to give general relief te the country ; and therefore he thought this conversation would be woeful to do away that delusion. sir E. Bit voc►.s was afraid that the proposed relief did not go far enough. Sir J. NEWPORT had some don /Is of the einem, of tide itirnsiire 4 hot lie wuuhl not oppose it. Mi. VA NSITT ART saitl, there would beg provision that the Clown should nut have a priority of the former creditor', ex. cant ny the consent of those creditors themselves. Tiir vein, was to be granted solely in the Alai* of wink, tenting it to those to whom the grants should be mule to fix tree wore of the work ; but generally speaking, it was to he work of a public him', such as roads and e_nals. Mr. Li TTLS.ToN was unwilling to east a damp on any thing which should have fee its object the public good ; but he must deny that the distress arose from a %%Silt of capital, but for want of a preductive mode of ensployisig it. If the Right don. Guntleinan would employ two or• three millions in some great woo ks of national utility, which wool,/ yield a return in better times, that would be intelligent enough: but be bad little expectation of good trout making of roads and canals. Mr. C. GRANT said. this relief was intended to preserve the poor from the immediate danger of starvation. Mr. VANSEETART repeated, in answer to 4111rAtiORA troim • Sir M. W. Ridley and Lord Milton, that the security to be ralptired was the same, as hail been asked on every rol MCC OrCASOoI Mlle', relief was granted of this kind. Mr. BROUGHAM hoped it wunkl be found practicable to get user lunch of the ornitacle whirl' presented itself. On the first view of this plat!, he hail nuilerstood ilia' this was not to relief parish paupers; but as much as robAilik• to provide the pour with work.. It appealed. that the relief proposed to be given to Birmingham 'souk' only minutia to alum! ii. a luau, at 10,0001. He mentioned this to prevent a delusion among the people, when they hear of Parliament granting a 'utilise and a half fur their employinestin labour. The Resolutions were. then agreed to, and the Report was ordered to be recei sett to-morrow. SAVING BANKS BILL. Mr. Rosa gave notice, that it was his intention on Friday, to move certain fiAIISCS in the Saving Banks taw ; one of which would be to provide, that money paid into the Saving Banks should not be laid out in the Funds, winch were a flitc• mating property, but that it should be paid into tbe hands of the Cioo 1111 l issioners for Redeendtogthe National Dew. Sir C. MONK stated, that it was his intention also to submit some clauses, one of which would be to give the Subset ibers to the Saving Hanks a contronl, to a certain extras', over the .1 m 1 they had thus accumulated. After some further observations from Sir J. Newport, Mr. l'ioomps. Mr. Rose, and Sir T. Haring. Mr. tiusatssots proposed a clause to this etfcct; that wire our persons had for them. years bent subscriber! , to a Saving ,lank, and dontea that period had refrained front takine any aioehiul relief, the overseer of the poor of that piirislt should . aave the power, if th e y th oug h t fi t , of making such an *Wilt ion to the saving of each individual as lie thought proimr, I rmo the parish retch—Adjourned.