The National Register. — London, England, 1822-07-21 00:00:00

jinpertat Varttatuttit. HOUSE OF LORDS. MONDAY. JULY 15. The Royal Assent was given by commission to the Five per C.i.f.. Re-payments Bill, the Corn Ituportation. the Scotch lb.gister tfilicvs, the Westmorland County Rates. and four prieuze bits..—The Commis.sioners wete the Lord Chisucellor, Lind Rc• asiiide. and Lord Shaftc,,bury. The Marriage Act Ann:itnient Bill, the Scotch Sprits Draw• back Bill, and the London Bridge Water Works Bill were brought up from the COllllllOll6. - GUEEK lliesenon..—Earl GROSVENOR, seeing a noble Earl in his place (Liverpool), wished to know whither any oh eetion would be made to a inotain for Sr. humble adureei to his Majesty. paying he would be graciously pleased to order that there be laid before the house copies of all despatches from onr ambateiisdor at Constantinople relative to the execution of the Greek hostages ? The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, the motion was of o much importance that the noble Earl ha I better being it on upoa pence. Earl GitOaVEN(Mt then intimated, that tie sitould move the botise do agree to the heldrees on Wednesday. 'lite I toll Prison Lew,' Amendment Bill, and the Excise Li macs Biil, were read the third time. Taaue witu Sou TII AIL ta CA....711C Marquis of LA NS DO W NE said he intimated, ten tidy*, ago, his intention of putting a question :o the noble Earl at the head of the Treasury, rye pectiag the commercial reletione between this country and the Unded States of South America. It might be known to the noble Lord, that a British vessel, engaged in carrying on trade kgalized by a recent act of the British Legislature—namely, trsde between Eike : lend aid the Settlements of South America, bad been captured by a Spanish ship of war, carried into a Spaniel' port, and condemned. It was important to the mercantile tile interest to be informed what was nature of the understanding between the Government of Spain. this country, and South America, respecting a free trade. He wished to know whether it was the intention of his Nltij.sty's Government to recognize the Leh:penitence of those States, and whether there existed any tun shneranding between this Government and Ohl Spun' to give pro tection to British vessels carrying on bona fide trade with those eolonies. He ale.) wished to know whetner measures would be taken to convince the Government of Spain of the intention tit' his Majesty's Government to hold out effectual protection to British ships engaged in that trade ? The Earl of LIVERPOOL. had no difficulty in giving the noble Manpiis explanation on the subject. With respect to the ease of the ship Lord Col!hwtentrd, to which the noble Mar quis alluded, informatioa was received voile time ago of that whip having been captured on pretence of a violation of the block ade of Buenos Ayres, unit no time was lost on the part of his :%lajesty's Government in making a representation of the enc.— If there had been a bona fide blockade of Buenos Ayres, and the Lon! CUiliograllild hail broken the blockade, the Spanish ship would have been juetnied &n presenting vessels going in ; but it appeared there was no blockade.—Communication had been !mule au the Spanish Government, and the answer was, that no infer :nation had been received from South Asnerice respecting the Sect, but enquiry would be ruede. With respect to the 'subject generally. he was desircus NI stating what eke situation of trade really was between this country, Spain, and *South Amer:ne— n...re. 'dace the question of Spanish Colonial Irdepentlence was raiser! nit 111:18 and two, this country had enjaeed a free trade wititieouth America. Until the restoration of the colonies to Ohl Simile, the trade of England to Soutit America was to be free.— The navigation act not only legitimaized trade to and from 'Mid 4e:wintry in ships belonging to the South American coloniee but the slaipa of Old Spain. As far as concerned the conti nent of South Ameiice, it was as open as the trade to any country valnuever. The Marquis of LA NSD:III' NE, in reply, said it would hive been more satisfactory to have heard from the noble Earl that the trade anti South America heal been legalized upon recent engagement; with Old Spier', and that the latter had abandoned tee colonies ; yet he was ready to Remit that the explanation of the noble Earl, stating, that the protection of the trade wits in• tended, lUttSt be eati.tectory ; lie should tlielefore only submit to the n elite Earl whether it would not be convenient to lay the torn& at condemnation attic. vessel before the Mouse. 'fir Earl of LI VERI'OOL had sonic objection to the produc tion of that paper. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then sniel lie should take the proper opportunity to move for copies of the communication • nestle to the Government of Spa:n on the subject, us soon as tte result CJUN be movie known to Parliament. The Ear tof L.AIIDEItUUALE postponed the discussion on tha Seterli Juries Lo d AUCKLAND moved the order of the day for going into a committer on the Ale Houses Licensing Bill. Earl BATH UitsT called tile attention cf the committee to the clause in prose 14. The object of that clause was, that no publi can should be deprived of his licence unless a regular com plaint WAS made against him, and that complaint sent down to the quarter sessions. Unless he was found guilty of infringing the conditions of his recognizance, his licence could not lie with belt. It would be impmeible, with the clause in the bill, for any eta; nitrate to put down a licence. The publican under the clau e bad the right of insisting upon the renewal of his licence, mid be n re Ptah:anent deprived the magistrate*, of is hokeonie controul, they °menet least to have a better sectuity for the proper conduct of publicans. As the bill stood, great ditEculty would occur in tekieg cugniz rice of complaints, and nu geed would be done by going to the quarter sessions. The noble Earl also adverted ti the incense of business it would occasion at the sessions, and concluded by moving to omit the clause. Loth AUCKLAND said, he considered the clause to which thenotee leer! tied objected the only one beneficial to the publican. If it was omit ed. the magistrates would still have the power to refuse licences. The noble Lord concluded by declaring his in tention to support the clause. The committee then divided on the question. that the clause staled part of the bill-at/se numbers were—consents, 7—not con teuts, 16—majority %aims the clause, 9. Tim clause was cone eequently omitted. The bill then passed through the committee and was reported. with the amenttitteen to the House. The other others were dis posed of, and the House adjourned. 11.1:61)AY, JULY la. Lord ERSKINE presented a pet•tion from the inhabitants of Loudon end Westminster, in &min of the bill tei prevent cruelty to animals, which was read amid laid on the table. The Mils on the teble were forwanled a stage. CUUELTY TO ANIMALS BILL.—Lord ERSKINE TOSS 011 the linter of the Day fur the second reading of the Bill to pre vent cruelty to annuals, and supported all the humane objects it Lad in view. After a few observations from the Lord Chancellor, the bill was read a second time, and Mianitted for tomorrow. levee: oe I•IsIALL 101 . Es BILL.—The Earl of CARNAR • VON stud he did not rise to object to the third reading of this WI, because he erecrtaitred some: hope that the bill would throw mall net c again tow eirculatiee, and give the country a: Iced a elience of mote prosperity than the puniic could reasonably ex pee tto enjoy under the existing state of the currency. One evil .indeed was iikely swoosh from the measure. 'f lie issue of these gates *OUP i t first Mete to great a deneuid for gold, that country baLL,r; would be hard pre,...1 to raise it. In wane initiation it would be iinpozaible to meet the demurs'. The liable Earl, ;g -enus/4h lie did not object to the passing of the bill, took that op ortuni• y te state the view he took of tie present distreesed state Lf agneotture. Tn.d distress Inol been, in his opinion, falsely . am e tated to eurtabundance. Tait doctnne, which he indeed t ) , - T!JE NATIONAL REGISTER considered a bighear, a sort of vegetable vampire, never could prealuce any &net on his mind. Ills alajesty'e ministers would persuade the country that th y had the power to cast a spell upon the seasons. Ile did not suppose: the Citancellor of the Exchequer or the First Lord of the Treasury were cuturors. but they had spoken on the subject of this upera!) und an: e as if they had power over " mountain and dell," the seasons nod the productions of the earth. With all the pride of proguosticators they explained the cuts ca of distress, and recommended the country to wait With eatience for those happy and i.anial hours, Cum every thing Lle. lig; itful was to atise out of scarcity. We haul prayeia for fine weather, plenty, and drought, but none for famine, by which the agricolturats,according to the new species of argument, were to be hennaed. At so late a period of the session, it would be childish to argue that distress was otcasioned by over production. From the tune of the bank restr:ction to the end of the war, when they prepared to return to cash payments, high prices of grab conti nued, and fell front the moarent they returned to Ilene and cash payments. He was prepared to prove that depreciation in the currency occasioned all the distress which was the subject of to mall complaint. Both bread and meat were cheaper in 1745, a time of war, than ten years after, during time of pc cc. The American war, which was the most onerous of any to this country. made no reduction in agricultural prices. Bread was cheaper In 1;80 than in 1775, when the war broke out. From 1814 the price of wheat hart risen every year. Cath payments in 1814 occasioned a failure in many country banks, and from all the circilinstatees attending the previous issue cf hank paper, it was obvious that the agricultural interest was promoted whilst there was a suspension of cash payments. In 1819 Mr. Peel% bill operated in a manner ruinous to the landed interest. The Bank had previousl; bought up all the gold in circulation, not only iu England but in many parts of Europe, and that wily circumstance led to the pre,ent (listless among the agriculturists of France, and other parts of the Continent. The loss of gold was a serious injury, and to obtain it again the land proprietors wete compelled to part with their produce on the lowest terms. The noble Earl contended trietuiiuct th pa. at s a m cl i tan n i g l c o, in the currency soon after the bank res was the real coax of the resent dis tress. Another view was to be taken of the melancholy landscape lie was obliged to draw, namely, the misfortunes of Ireland. Ile did not allude to the miway o. famine, arising out of the failure of the potatoe crops. Long previous to that calamity Ireland was in many parts reduced to a state of distress bordering upon total ruin. The resistance made by the unfortunate aieeple of Ireland to tax-gatherers and tithe collectors induced his Ms jeety's Government to apply to Parliament kw the Insurrection Act.— Ile might ask what occasioned a state of insurrection ? The envier would he, a knowledge on the part of the people in the disturbed districts, _that they could not by possibility pay aloe -1110116 taxes imposed upon them during the circulation of a paper currency. The noble Lords who conducted the affairs of Go vernment were bound to IN hew the evils; at present the subject of complaint had been occasioned by other causes than those he had stated ; but it would be difficult to prove the whole did cot piercer:Ll front a changed depreciated con ency. if they meant to give relief to the country, they must retrace their steps. It was mil ossible to go on without bringing the standard to the state it was in whin the country was not suffering under distress, which unhappily now was the fact. The whole produce of the land was not worth the price of cultivation. Men, three years ago. worth thousands yearly, had been reduced so low that they could not pay the interest of their mortgages. The present system, if continued, would go to the extent of confiscating the grea s er part of the landlord's capital. The measure bethre the House might and some relief, but it would not do justice to the landholder. The Earl of LIVERPOOL spoke in answer to all the argu• menta of the noble Earl, and, after a lung discussion, the bill was read a third time. Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17. IRISH INSURRECTION Brae:den, and others Ceara the Commons, brought up the [nth Insurrection Bill, which, on the motion of the Earl of laverpooi, was read die firA time, and the second rending fixed Mr Friday. The Ale lloases Licensing Bill was read a third time and passed. The Scotch Juries' Bill, after some amendments propoeed by the End of Lauderdale had been negatived, passed !enough a committee, and wit, reported. Earl GROoVENOR rose Cur the purpose of moving an ad. duo to his alajeety on the sun ject of the Greek hostage , cruelly butchered by the 'I inks. The Lords were aware of a hat had recently taken p!ace in the island of Scio, and the dreadful cruel ties. por (rated upon an mute:aiding people. A ll die brutal fury of the "wits haul been let loose (men wretched victims, who had been guilty of no crime. The Greek hostages taken by the Turks were confined it a braces in Scio, while others were removed to Constantinople. When it appeared that hoLtilitica was not likely to be commenced by Russia, the fatal moment was chosen to slaughter the unfortunate hostages. It was said that the British minister, as well as the ministers of other countries at Corotar• unople, had given a pledge that those cruelties should not occur. That report had not been contradicted, and it was reasonable to suppose there had been a complete forfeiture of that pledge. He was not prepand to say the bloody and cruel act of the furkish Government was a cause of war, but he contended that it ought to induce every Government in Europe . to withdraw from such detestable persons. Governments acme( upon the to; disaat holy alliance, had interfered in the :Eon of lady, consenting to a ark». renitaire upon the frontiers of Spain, and meddling in the drums made Oy men to obtain free governments. It was hard then if they could not interfere for the protection of the Greeks, a much injured Christian people, bending under the must intolerable yoke that ever diegieced btlfliTillg humanity.— If it were true that the goverment of this country had shown partiality to the Turks, it would be a lasting sigma on the British nation. l'he noble Earl had heard that a Turkish frigate had been supp li ed with warlike stores in this country. If that moon wits grounded in truth, nothing could be more perlideoua These was no man of humanity who did not feel anxious for the cause of the Greeks. The struggle in which they were engaged must end in success and extermination. Every friend to civiN • zation and public morals trust wish to see a free government in that delightful country. which once was the States of Greece. The ncb'e Earl concluded by moving, that •• An humble address be presented to his Majesty, praying lie would be graciously pleased to order that there be laid before the house copies of despatches rece.ietl from the British minister at Con eta.itinople gelatine to the execution of the Greek hostages." The Eat 7 l of LIVERPOOL said, it was impossible, in the discharge of his they, not to oppose die motion. in the case before the house. an act of cruelty and injustice had been com mitted by the Government of Turkey on their own subjects. An aer of cruelty could net be prevented by the interference of a British minister, undonbtedly representation would be tins& at all times with that view. Lord leerangtend would have been the last man to omit such interference ; he intet feted, but not on the ground of right—humanity alone was his guide. IL was too true that scenes had taken place horrible to humanity, but the noble Lord might rest assured the cruelty was not an on one Side. Vali respect to the island of Seto, the first horrors were commit ted by the Greeks. Ile did not say that, however, to palliate the conduct of the Turks. The noble Lord had mentioned that a Turkish frigate teal been supplied with ammunition in tills cout.try ; nothing taunt be inure unfounded than that report.— There was, however,' a vessel in our ports with had been a Turkish frigate. She wee sent by tbePacha of Egypt anterior ta the insurrection in the Mono. She was partly laden with met'. cnandize and curiosities for the British museum. The vessel was allowed to be repaired in our ports, but anus and ammuni tion were positively refuted. With respect to the Tusks and the Greeks, this country had stood perfectly neuter. Lord HOLLAND said, if the British minister had given a plcfge that the Waage. ihutdd be protectet4 Parliament had a . right to demand explanation on that subject, because the honour of the country was implcated. Ministers ought to do away the foul aspersion east oa their conduct by that report. Lord LIVERPOOL declared that no such pledge had ever been giv.n. The motion was negaiived without a division. On the order of the day for the third leading of the Irish Grand dory Pi esentments bill, The Earl of DONOLTG 11 MOR E rose, and enumerated va rious statements made against the bill by clerks of the Crown, patent officers, medical attendants in gaols, and others to be ma tei ially strxteil by the bill; and also pointed out how incom. plete it was respecting its own provisions in particular functions of grand juries, besides the injustice of at once affecting the vested interests of parties who were, contrary to the practice of parliament, allowed no opportunity of being heard. If the present bill went on, he had several amendments to offer; but if his motion for postponement were agreed to, jiistico might be done to all the parties, and no delay gives, fur the mains he had stated, to the actual operation 0; the bill. He concluded by moving that it be read a third time that day three months. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that he bin' presented a petition from one clerk of die crown in Ireland, who declared he ' had paid for assistance in one year a larger sum titan this bill allowed both for his own remuneratiod and usaistance. The Earl of 1.1 MERIC K must say that agreat proportion of the iniseri.s which had accumulated upon his unhappy country hail been nggravateal by the . gross transactions of grand juries; and all that could touch die jobbing propensities of such assem blies ought to be encouraged. (Hear, hear.) Ile must also say that the clerks of the Crown had their full share of the unsaid, for their habit of splitting indictments; the clerks of the peace had gone still farther, for instead of hundreds a year they looked for a remuneration of thousands—lie knew one who had 3, 0 001. a year. He hailed this bill as the harbinger of a system of con ciliation for Ireland. The Earl of LIVERPOOL thought it absolutely necessary that the grand jury presentments should be put nom a maw looting; but still he thought the details of this bill had not received the fullest consideration. He would not enter into the question of patent rights, nor how far salaries annually voted could be deemed to confer vested interests; btill the matter ought to be inquired into, and it could not be done in a better way than in that pointed out by the noble lord opposite (the Earl of Do noughtnore.) If this bill were now put oil, he would engage to bring in one precisely the same principle in the next session. The Marquis of LANSDOWN said, that the on 4 objection to postponing the bill was removed by the noble earl's pledge to bring in a measure having precisely the same object in view eatly next session. The bill was then ordered to be read a third time this day three months. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that in fixing the second reading of the Irish Insurrection Act for Friday next, he had some doubts whether they could then proceed to business, that day being the anniversary of his Majesty's coronation. Lord HOLLAND stud, that if it were usual to keep the anniversary as a holyday, they must of course do ro now. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that he must try a long way back for precedents, as the anniversary of his late Majesty's coronation never Kill during the sitting of parliament. It was then understood that the debate, if not taken on Friday, would be on Monday next. Lord SIDNIOUTH fixed the Prison Acts Bill for either Friday or Monday, in the same manner. On the motion of Lord ERSKINE, the Cruelty to Animals bill was committed, after a few words from the Lord Chancellor, who reserved his observation for the third reading.—The report was received and agreed to. The house then adjourned. THURSDAY, JULY It. Mr. Brogden and others frum the Commons, brought up the Leather Duties Reduction Bill, the kWh endowed Schools, and the Duchy of Cornwall Bill. p The Scotch Spirits Drawback Bill was read the third time and passed. The Annuities Memorializing Bill, after a few observations from Lord Ellenborough, was read the third time and passed. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in the absence of a noble vis count, postponed the second reading of the Prison Laws Consoli dation Bill until Monday. The house then adjourned. FRIDAY, JULY 19. The Scotch Juries Bill was read the third time and passed The Insolvent Debtors Amendment Bill was read the second time, committed for Monday, and the Lords summoned. The Irish Insolvent Debtors' Act Amendment Bill, and the Leather Tax Reduction Bill, were read the second tame, and also the Duchy of Cornwall Bill. The Earl of LIN ERPOOL laid on the table the second re port of the commissioners appointed to enquire into the revenue of Ireland. The noble earl recommended this document to the serious attention of the house. The Earl of LIMERICK concurred in the recommendation made by the noble earl. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, if the report pointed to to any serious evils, the same ought to be met with a remedy. Lail DARNLEY again called the attention of his Majesty's goverinnent to the stationery transaction in Ireland, and again urged the propriety of ample enquiry into that subject, which had not yet been sufficiently investigated. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved a resolution, pledging the house to a renewal of the bill for regulating the grand jury presentments of Ireland. This resolution was moved iu con sequence of a late bill on the subject having been withdrawn, ou the grounds of a want of information. The notion was agreed to. The Earl or LIVERPOOL rose to move the second reading of the Irish Insurrection Bill. The noble Earl observed that the state of Ireland made it necessary last session of Parliament to pass, not only the insurrection act, but the habeas corpus suspension act. lie was happy to state on this occasion that it would not be necessary to renew the habeas corpus suspension act. With respect to the bill before the house, the despatches on the table received from the noble marquis at the head of the government of Ireland, alleged that considerable implovetnente had been made in die state of Ireland, which he ascribed to the operation of the Insurrection act ; and the noble marquis left room to infer, that if the bill was withdrawn it would pre vent progressive improvement. With the correspondence , such u it was, before Parliament, the house would not do their duty by the empire at large, and the quiet loyal inhabitants of Ireland, if they did not give the government the discretionary excise of that power to which the security of property was to be s olel y attributed. The noble earl concluded by m ewing the second reading of the bill. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE did not feel justified in a rming opposition to the passing of the bill, at the same time 110 could not consent to give a silent vote on the question. N 1 bole c admitted that it might be a bill necessary for the safety of Ireland, he could attach no merit to it as nu isolated measure. — The noble marquis at the head of the Irish government stated in his ilespatehes that the act had the o f r e storing spe cious tYnnngnillity ; but if it were withdrawn for a moment, that tranquillity would be disturbed. There was a deeply rooted system of disorder iu the society of Ireland, which could only be removed by constitutional measures, having a direct ten dency to ameliorate the condition of the people of dint country. The people should Pei that they hail not to rely upon the micro , of any Lord Lieutenant armed with nitemistitutioual power, lout upon their own constitutional law. The noble marquis objected ___