The National Register. — London, England, 1821-03-12 00:00:00

Lord STAN I.LY bore testimony to the general good coo duct of the jailor. Ile, however, had been complained of twice before. Mr. H. SUMNER spoke in favour of the general conduct of their j:.11. hl r.SergeantON SLO W was against recehing this petition, slandering an individual as it did. Sir ft. WILSON ohs. rued, that similar testimonies were borne to the character of Guveruur Aria, and yet on inquiry that Individual's conduct was found to have beta must re prehensible. Mr. 110 BIIOUSE agreed in the justness of the remark just made. Whenever any individual in authority was com plained of, there were always gentlemen enough to rise mid speak must conscientiously in favour of such individuuls,- He had received a petition last session from 24 individuals, circumstanced similarly to the petitioner, but berme he could present it, he was desired to abstain from presenting it, as many of the grievances in this jail had been redressed by the magistrates; and what did such fact prove, but that the conduct of Mr. Biggins had not heel, wholly unexception able. Before they came to any conclusion unfavourable to the prisoner, they ought to ascertain whether the ullegatious of the petition were true. Mr. LAM BTON said, that the doctrine on which the pe lion was resisted was most monstrous—that the solemn alle. ga ri , and di,tinct charges in the petition were to be deemed false and calumnious, met ely ou the statement of au individual member, as to the general character of the jails. —tie considered that the house was bound to institute inquiry. Mr. LUSIIINGTON thought the house ought to pause before it Wei fered, as three magistrates had already cialea voured to redress the prisoners' grievauu•u. Mr. JAM LS added, that the jailor bad broken open a letter directed by the prisooer to hon. Was that justifiable —a as not iltat a bleach of privilege Mr. IL 1S ILBRAIIA NI observed, that there was so much falcaelund mixed up wit t. a little truth, that it was utterly now oi thy the attentiou of the house. Mr. J A NI ES repeated that the breaking open of his letter bad not heeti denied or disproved. Mr. C. 11. 11 tyrcillN 30N saw too strong a disposition to curb the valuable right of petition—a right that was more essential than ever ; and he was therefore favourable to the reception of the petition. Mr .CIII.I.YLY and Mr. BENNETT contended that the petition might to be eteived. Mr. CALC RA FT also supported the petition. The fact of opening the letter °fa member of par 'lament, was of itself a gloss impropr.ety ; and that would warrant investigation. Inquiry would enable the magistrates and jailor to come much better out of the business than would otherwise be the case. The g:dlery was cleared fur a division. The numbers were For the petition SS Against it Ala Majority against its receipt....s3 CATHOLIC lit LL.—Mr. PLUNKETT brouAlit in the Bill for thr removal of civil disabilities which now afiected the Roman Catholic subjects. Bill read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday, the Itith inst. and to be printed. Mr. PLUNKETT then brought in a bill to regulate the Intercourse of persons in holy orders, catholic priests, and others, with the Sec of Rome.—Read arrest time.—Ordered to be read a second time oil March 16. Petitions cotnplaing of agricultural distress were presented from Harrington, Comberland—liorsliam—Northamptou shire— Peterbot ough—and Dr ogle. RE rottst.—Mr. LAM BTON observed, that unless dr.." enuntances occurred over whit! he had no conitoul, lie should positively bring forward his notion fur reform on the 10th of April. This motion %scald he similar to that of %%Melt lie gave notice last year, to exited the elective frau chise to all householders paying direct taxes—to destroy the corrupt borimg,lis—and ,to restore triennial parliaments. MR. JUSTICE BILST.—Mr 11011110UsE presented a petition front upwards of 1000 person. residing its IV estinin 'Muster and Middlesex, expressing its regret that the poi- Gott ol• Mr. Davison, complaining of Mr. Justice Best's conduct had been rejected. Tiwy prayed that the case might he referred to the c einniMl tee fur the adtninist ration or justice. lie thought there could be no objection to this— for in this petition there was no couipli.int against any par ticulta individual. As to there being remedy elsewhere he much questioni d it ; hut a bet her there was or nut, the lm• saer to the recommendation to appeal 10 the ben, OS made by Brune Tooke, wits familiar to all :—•• The lass wits open to all ;Yes, mid so was the Loudon Tavel " Such :ioniser reminded him of the sentiment of Goldsmith respecting the sigiopost of the inn which ins ited passengers aho could pay." (Hear.) The power of Ihr Judge tl could nut j mad it suelt power acre admitted, if a Judge acme to hills oil pretext of contempt, a bete am Well purer to cud? Ilow *as it to be limited ? There nab tlO dcliulug. It sous power that cut only might be, but must lie abused. Mr. limit, for it stance, one oh the editors u.. The Examiner, adduced mail) woofs, us rather allegations, of out men Wising spoken much noise of the Louse of conittioo. than the put— lieu • bad done. Had thew been a pa-dim:it e and l.oliti cal Judge, the defendants must have been hiait aver and over again. lie did not take the sentillielltb of Judges for gulwl, especially is hen he reculi et ted huts they were made•. '1 hey held ninst cirtroos dinar) doctrines sum• times. for instance, had said, that nay thing was LI li b el that mould huet the feelings of one of the mints set - b.—Another had St/kith led ;hal he much questioned bethr I w riling, without publishing, was not a libel.— On the questimi for a a nil of Ilabtus t ennui, Justice Best had quote d 1;1u k•lune's I eport to sum.' t tile se•ntiment that the alit was not haat iably the right of Englishmen. lie It onsolird she• authority, a Lich arts the case of Otter spaida Ids. The is it Sills there refused yet the Judge quoted the mist. to she% t hut Englishmen a ere nut ciaillo d to the alit of Roberts Carpal—mid Si Mu he pre rrrdtd %It. Davison's peel:ma, the Solicitin Gent ral c lint gr ol Mtn a oth quoting no. ease that had not het it ahead) adduced by Mr. Cooper, a hereas, of all the cases cited, only one of them had been metal 0000 ed by that !rained I,ent lemma (Ursa.) As to the pe. mina , lie ghoul I etaileni liive.ll is sill it lc riii tic . Ile should lease it a Illt utltcu Letter informed is/ ►uggest ulterior pnrc. lsdiugs. t• et grata ONSI.OII tehtendi. if, that the coat t had the• power %Well lit,d been cm's cir.rd. and that 111 the loiSt . of Davtoon it hid been ptel 111 eaelcutd. 1 - 10131JOUSE said, the mil) iluestivii.tble rubmige wan shat the 14.titionesti hod !taint %Ili. "Uet p lee' et" the ieiwal of tie house lu i..V.t r 311. Datibut,', petition to lie !outlet', op. lhepttitiii wii then La oils. lit IT end read. HOI3HOLSL 11.411 ti ti a tht• petitivu be po uted, THE NATIONAL REGISTER observing, that there was great difference between tine and committal, because fine might operate as perpetual imprisonment. Mr. C. W. WYNN thought It was not inch a one as the house could receive. It retiired to w bat bad taken place iw the course of deflate in that house. The SPEAKER understood the practice to be, when such reference was made, not to co 111 l tenatice it. Mr. HOBHOUSE observed, after what had passed from the chair, he should beg to withdraw the petition, hoping to have the opportunity of presenting a petition not offending in form. Mr. DENMAN, adverting to the rejection of Mr. Da vison's petition, said, he believed it to be wholly unpre cedented to reject a petition without even hearing it read, supposing the case to be one that eould not be taken notice of by the house. He defied the hon. member's (Mr. Wynn) research to produce au instance contrary to what lie had asserted. Lord CAS'ELEItEAGH had objected to the petition because it complained of what did 110 t come fairly under the cognizance of the house. It plaiiied of a legal decision of the court. if the petitioner complained of ! any particular law,the case would be different : the house could notice coil-opt judges, or an imperfect law. Mr. DENMAN explained. The noble Mid had not only rejected the petition without hearing it read, but on I a statement that lie had nut heard. Petition wit lid re w it. Mr. COOtil - iilieit;ursuant to notice, ruse to move for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the causes of the pre•tnt distressed state of the agriculturists. The hon. gentleman introduced his motion by some arguments in support of it, and was followed by Mr. Wodebouse, 'who at glied in favour of the agriculturists. Mr. BENNET objected to going into a committee, if it was with a view to raise the pi ice of grain, under the im pre that the low price of grain was the cause of the present distress. 'flue real cause was the extravagant expenditme. If the landlords could have obtained pay ment of their rents, this motion would never have been beard of. . Mt. IVES — I'M:7.i defended the agriculturists, and con tended, that unless something was done fur them, they must eventitally he ruined. Mr. T. BROW NE thought the great evil of the system was, that sufficient protection isa3 not given to our agri culturists. _ . Air. BARHAM urged the necessity of encouraging the farmer, least he ulloolit cease to grow coin, and the coun try he reduced to a dependance on foreigners. iIr.T.IIILaON thought a moderate "um ease in the price of grain would !wove advantageoub to the country. fits motion for a committee was then agreed to, and a co tttttt itter, consisting of moat of the members fur coun ties, &c. was named. The other orders a ere disposed of, and the house ad join:led at one o'clock. TIIICRSDAY, )1•11CH 8. The SPEAKER came to the house to-day at ten mi nutes hetine four. The right lion. ge•tllenrau in counting the numbers as usual, reckoned 36. As the clock ap proached to the minute of four lie got into the chair and recounted them. 'there %%me only 34 pi esent, in twist guLlice of sshich he declared the house adjourned. FR ID %N . , MAUCH 9. Leave Ws4 given to bring t. a bill to enable the Belfast Buildings' Commercial Company to sue and be sued iu the name of their secretary.—Brought in, and read a first time. The Southwark gas-light bill was read a second time. The Kingstun•upuu-Hull bill was read a se cond time. _ ---- ----- -• The Antimepliitic bill wa4 brought in, and read a first time. ..... The Mile•cnd and Whiteeliapel-roads gas-light bill was brought in, and read a that time. Mr. 111 - \G brought in a bill for establishing au addi tional company to light the metropolis and the envitous wish gss —ltead a 111141 lime. The Chichester lighting and paving bill was brought in, and read a first time. The Bristol gas-light bill was read a third time, and passed. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.—Mr. S. WORTLEY con.- plalned of a breach of privilege in the Morning, Chronicle on the %elk of February, purporting to be an account of the majolity against the receikt off lr. Davison's petition, :411.1 •' in favour of Lord Cast.ereagli's admonition to the people of Eiigland slut to truisule and take up the time of the Communs wills petitions." This was a guts* false libel; there had been no such proposition—there bait been nu vote of the kind. 11. was 11111 , ml:int, it the pluck-v(1111gs of the house were noticed, that they should be ilone eultecll ; and under all the eircuu.stances, he called on the house to *indicate Its dignity. He moved, that Mr. J. Lambert, the winter, do attend the bar on Monday next. Air. U. BENNET observed, that ei hen the hots. member last 'edited any publication to the house, he got solute tither member to make it the matter of elltllplallil (3lr. Huldiolise's pamphlet); and it was How matter of (Anita that he had plucked pip courage enough to submit his owes complaints now himself. As to the states'*, He (31r. B.) believed it to be substantially true; and he was glad that some proceedings bad been exposed. Why were pe•lsons hurt at the exposure? were ashamed of what bad passed ? were they ashamed of its oi ing known %110 had actually vulva against the petition even being nod? As to the subject now so injudiciously brought top ward, lie knew not how to meet it ; lie *hyoid thereto's: lituVe, its all 41111elitlittcill, that the hou,e du ad journ. Sir R. WILSON adverted to the publication of the Latigholni address to the Kitig, which appealed in the tiazt lie, and the may in **lnch it had been treated by the Mouse; and he therefire thought that 'Winners op pin site could now allot dto be itionigeot. lit submit:eta whether it would not be advisable to *sithiltaw the ;no buns, resting satisfied with the explaiiatiuu that nail taken plate. (Hear.) Alf. CREEVEY spoke to a similar erect. He had understood we nubile lutd in the way described by the piper, but the printer had been indiscreet Its su Imaditig the :Wide. sir J. NEWPORT remarked that lie bad understood he noble lord to strottainend an admonition 11l the people of Logland ; he Itlil nut bi lie% c ir via. said adri.eol)—it Wag :mei IA aid:. d; the tc. uumieudatiuu or au admohilion etitaiiily esentied 110111 the noble lord. A. to the Pit iih) lei ,)'/• Uudltio, that tuulaiiitd a Car wore 4111 I• 1. *75 Sir M. W. RIDLEY considering that his case was one to which indulgence might be extended, be hoped the lion. member would acquiesce in what appeared to be a general wi.h—to withdraw the roma,. Mr. HUSKISSON was disposed to adsit that there was much force in the recommendation to withdraw the motion; but he could not but strongly condeam—not the publication of lists—but a publication of lists accompa nied with a statement attributing improper motives. Such course was not permitted within the house; and why was it to be endured in proceedings out of the house. if this were to be suffered, they should hereafter see all lists headed with statements attributing motives. Mr. S. WORTLEY observed, that lie had been taunted with having at last plucked up courage to make com plaints. The lion, member (Mr. Lt.) would be good enough to learn that he had courage to Jo his duty here and elsewhere. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that the libel had been pointed out to loin—a libel that was at MACe gross and ab surd; but as he was daily the victim of so many libels, be had been negligent in his public duty in not noticing this libel, the uhject of winch was to mislead the ignorant mind of the country. As to the heading to the list, it was a mis chievous misrepresentation. He had not admonished the people nut to petition the house; but he had ventured le admonish the people not to weaken the right of petition by uddres•iog the house un subjects regarding which they they could afford no relief. He had done so then; as friendly to the right of petition be would do so again ; but such misrepresentatimui ns headings, acre highly culpable. Mr. C. H. HUTCHINSON had conceived the noble lord was for reading a lecture to t be people against petitioning— a practice of which it seemed he thought the people were becoming ton food. Mr. NI ONC K thought the headiag little more than a po lii squib i—certainly it affected the noble lord only—the bourse were absolved from toe stigma. It d.d nut ray against Loin Castlereagh's 11106011, but against his administration ; the Aut.:mem was therefore correct hi fact. Mr. 11011110 U SE thought the paragraph was a political squib. 11 they pro, ceded with the motion, they might know where they began, but few of them could tell where tire practice should end. He and others were daily held up us persons desirous of overturning tae constitution; if t►e present paragraph were to he noticed, ought such paragraphs to be neglected. As to the mover, who was now so anxious to vindicate the home, and the tern, hr bad once voted them to be incapable, but possibly new lights bad broken in upon hint. Mr• s. WORTLEY is.ked whether the withdrawing of the ameirdnieut wits to be deemed a virtual admission of the libellous character oh the parmtruph. (No, no.) Mr. DEN MAN hoped built the motions would be with draw 11 j but they nil% saw one of the practical results of fusing even to hear petitions read. That refusal was in obedience to the a ish and btatt meat of tip! noble lord, which oppositieu was founded ou a statement that the noble lord had not heard. Fur the adjournment 94 Against it ....... 155 Majority 121 Mr. BENNETT then proceeded to speak ou the original motto.,, which he hoped would he witltdraau. Aftt•r some further remarks Irian Mr. Laiubton, &c. Mr. S. Motley withdrew the motion, that Lambert do attend the bar on Monday. Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from a crow n debtor confined in Ilchestcr jail, and where he had been con fined for 15 years. lie pray ed that the house would inter fere and afford him relief. Time petition i•alled forth a good deal of conversation as to the state of the prison, As:. The petition was received, and ordered to he printed. Lord PALMERSTON moved, that the house resolve itself into a co mature of supply, and that the army esti mates be referred to the same. Mr. CREEVEY upp3sed the motion, that the Speaker do leave the chair, repeating, that us -apply and redress of grievances slionlit go hand in halal, he would resist all grunts or money till he beheld ministers pursuing it very difercut system. He (Mr. Creevey) concluded by movinga resolu tion, pleclAing the pate tttttt ent :o economy, and to tbe sup pression of all useless places and expends sure. Upon this motion a divisinii took phtce, w hen the Gum bos new, for the mutton 38 against it 172 Majority against it l:14. Lord PALMERSTON then moved. that the Speaker should leave the chair, mind the house go 111th a Committee un (hearsay estimates. Mr. Oki ME opposed the Speaker lea-log the Chair. and rot ceded to take a detailed rcvien of the expenditure isf sae army, and concluded by moving a resolution, that the ;why in 1192 was o n ly 18,090,00 w it aas upwards of tso.ooo. After a few words (ruin Sir R. Wilson, the resolution WU negatived eithuut ei Mr. M. A. TAYLOR opposed the house going intu a tam saltier, at so late an hour, and declared, if the motion tor th.• speiiker leaviog the Chair was pt 6 1.1,41 in, he a 'mid movrau adjoarmortii. A fill a fear from .11r. Tor rue), Lord Clialereagh, tidom I Davies, and otherb, the comiuitter aus puidpoord till 1111ud.1%._ . . iirr O. dere A 4 ere tliblitised of, anti the house ad jua.ucd at ii.tli-pa3t t%t•lye. JEws' HOSPITAL—The anniversary of thisc ha. rity, in Mile-end-road, instituted ti,r the support of aged men and women, and the education and em ployment of children of both sexes of German Jews, was celebrated at the City of London Tavern, Bi shopsgate-street, his Royal Highness tl.e i)uke of Sussex, patron to the institution, in the chair. The company exceeded four hundred p rams. amongst whom were many of the first eminence, both of the Christian and Jewish persuasion. After the usual toasts were given, the children were paraded round the room, accompanied by the stewards, with speci mens of their several trades, and un Ode, written for the occasion, was recited by one of the younger girls. Several loyal and patriotic tutus were given, and many excellent son g s sung by the profissional gentlemen. A band of excellent music was sta tioned in the music gallery, H hich much contributed to increase Cue pleasures of the evening. The col lection after dinner, we are happy to . say, was very tantideralt:e. I I