The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-10 00:00:00

MAY 1(i•_ be able, in duty to himself or his family, to accept of office, unless the Crown had something of this sort to bestow, in addition to the salary of the office. In such a case as he had supposed, it would be evident that the existence of such offices would contribute materially to the independ ence of the Crown, and to enabling it to keep its proper rank in the Constitution. It would be hazarding a great blow to the Monarchy, to deprive the Crown of the means of calling any man to its service who was not completely indep,:ndent in his fortune. A pension, after a eer tain number of year's service, would be by no means such an induce ment, as every man of honour and proper feeling would prefer the means of providing for his family, to any provision which was to be made merely fur his own life. No man who could secure a provision i i i)r his family by his exertions in private life, would consent to accept of office, unless he had also a prospect held out to him of securing a provision for his family, which one of those sinecure offices might give him. Mr. CANNING supported the Bill; Lord CASTLEREAGH Opposed it. The House then divided—For the Bill, 134; against it, 123.—Ma pricy against Ministers, 11. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of; and the House adjourned at Three o'clock. TUESDAY, MAY 5. UNLAWFUL OATHS. Mr. Secretary RYDER, pursuant to notice, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the 37th of his Majesty, relating to the taking of un lawful oaths. He stated, that it was very notorious that these oaths were very prevalent at present, in some of the disturbed parts of the country. He then read the following oath, which was found in the pocket of one of the rioters who was shot at Manchester :—[" I, A. B. of my own voluntary will, declare and swear never to disclose the name of the persons who compose the Secret Committee, or by des cribing either by word or sign their persons,features, clothes, connexions, Ste. or cause them to be discovered, under the penalty of being put out of the world by the first person who may meet me, and of having my name and character ever held in abhorrence. I swear also to punish with death any traitors to this compact, and to pursue them for that purpose, although they should fiy to the verge of the nation." }—That these oaths, in many parts of the country, he was sorry to say, were but too prevalent, and called for some more severe Legislative enactment than at present existed. He should therefore propose, that the persons no taking or administering the oath should be liable to the punishment of capital felony, without benefit of clergy. These were the outlines of the measure proposed, of the necessity under the existing circumstances, there could be no doubt. The Right Hon. Gentlemen concluded by moving for leave to bring in the Bill. Mr. I - IctNER, Mr. Wilt rB R EA n. and others opposed it, upon the prin ciple that the existing laws should be tried before recourse was bad to those of more violent operation. Leave was, however, given to bring in the Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the Exc iiEQUER stated that he was prevented by some circumstances from bringing forward his motion relative to the East India Company this Session.—Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, MAY 6. CATHOLICS. Mr. CANNING rose to give notice, that it was his intention, before the conclusion of the Session, to submit a motion to the House upon a subject which they had already decided they would not take into their consideration, but which decision had been of such a complexion, as to persuade him that it might not be impossible to induce them to recom mend the question to the Executive Government during the recess of Parliament. He proposed to move that an humble Address be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying that he would be gra- . ciously pleased to take int o hi s R o y a l cons id erat i on t h ose p rov i s i ons of . the Penal Law, w hi c h a ff ecte d hi s C at h o li c S u bj ects , f or t h e purpose o f ascertaining what securities or arrangements may be deemed adviseable, previous to the removal of those disabilities, under which that portion of the community at present labour. As a Call of the House was fixed for the i7th inst. he would bring forward his motion on the following day. PROPERTY TAX. Sir THOMAS TORTON, pursuant to notice, called the attention of the House to the unju s t an d unequa l manner i n w hi c h t h e p ro p er ty t ax was levied. He objected to the lowness of the scale, which, unlike the origi nal tax of 1803, now b eg i ns w i t h 101. a y ear f un d e d p ro p er ty, ou t o f which modicum 10 per cent. was deducted. The mechanic who earned his 35 5. per week was also subject to the tax. So that the pressure was very unequal ; f o r th ose i n t h e hi g h er ran k, : of life paid no more in pro portion than the lowest mechanic. He had various cases of hardship to detail, which he had received in the course of the last six or seven years. he Honourable Baronet proceeded at considerable length to expatiate on the injustice of making the possessor of a life annuity of 3001. and the proprietor of a freehold worth 2001. per annum contribute equally to the property tax ; and c o ncl u d e d w i t h mov i ng , "That the property tax, from the inequality of its operation on the middling and lower classes of the community was unjust, ;Lest that the exemptions allowed to foreigners ,( . re unwis e an d i mproper. "—N u one rose to secon d t h e motion o f t h e 1-1 -nourab e Barnet, and consequently the Resolution proposed was not pet from the Chair. DELAYS; IN CHANCERY. , Mr.M. TAirLo a, after a prefactory speech, in which he disclaimed all intention of casting any censurs On the l_wd Chancellor, moved, nom.— - - -- T '2S7 " that a special instruction be given to the Committee appointed in the last Session, to inquire into the causes of the delay of su►ts in the Court of Chancery, and to examine persons practising at the Bar of, as well as Solicitors in, the said Court, touching the causes of such civlays. - -A short discussion arose on the motion, which was rejected, the numbers being on a division, for it, 20 ; against it, 84. • The CHANCELLOR of the Exc rge rit brought in the Bill against ad ministering unlawful oaths, which was read a first time. THURSDA Y, Astor 7. On the question for taking into further consideration the Report of the Regent's Canal Bill, Mr. CR EtiVEY opposed it, and moved as an amend ment, that the Report he deferred till this day fortnight. Mr. Bao U 14 ANI spoke on the same side : the park through which the Canal was to pass, was the place to which the poorer orders flocked, on their holidays, for health and pleasure, from the confinement of a crowded city, and he would not therefore consent to allow that the rich, for the sake of their shrubberies, their barracks, their palaces, and canals, should utterly overthrow and trample on the comforts of the poorer classes. Mr. POLE CAREW denied that the openness would be cut up, or the salubrity destroyed. The House then divided : Against the Amendment, 49; for it, The Report was therefore received. TELLERSHIPS OF THE TACHEQUER. Mr. CREEVEY, pursuant to notice given, called the attention of the Hotse to the two Tellerships of the Exchequer held by the Marquis of Buckingham and Earl Camden. The emoluments of these offices :[rose from a poundage on all money issued from the Exchequer, and were therefore indefinite in their amount, and augmented in proportion as the difficulties and expenditure of the country increased. Theie was 73. 6:4. on every hundred pounds issued for the ordinary service of the army, and 3s. 9d. for the extraordinary. Eightpence in the hundred for wh:it was issued for the navy, and twelvepence far the ordnance issues. But the largest fee was on pensions and annuities granted, -which amounted to two and a half per cent. The rewards granted to Lord Nelson, Lord Wellington, and other eminent defenders of their country, for their great services, were nothing equal to the revenues accruing from these two offices, for which nothing scarcely was performed. On these grounds, therefore, he considered it the.dety of Parli:iment to interfere, and reform these offices for the public good. lie con;:luded by moviilg Resolutions to that effect. The CHANCELLOR of the Exc.!' EQU 4t said, :be ri t :ht of these Noble men to the offices in qui:;tion wag allowed to 1),. a vested right, which could not be touched ; they were aticiktit legally within the gift of the Crown, and there would be much more kl:t:lger ar.d !cchiel from breaking down the barriers of private propel ty in this in: that in allowing those Noblemen to receive the torty or ilf.y thong:ohls a year, which were now the emolument 4 of those offices to which they had been legally appointed. Mr. Po N SON BY coincided with this opinion. Mr. BRA ND moved as an amendment, " That a Comn.!!-tee be ap pointed to enquire into the facts of•thce arguments adduced by Mr. Cree vey, to see how far the diminution of the fees of those offices would be warranted by former proceedings. Mr. LYTTL E TON, Mr. WHITBR FAD, Mr. BANKS, Mr. TIER N EY, s and Mr. WI LaFitroacE, spoke on the question; on a divi•ion the amendment was lost, the numbers being—for it, 3S; chains it, 146. The original Resolutions were then put and negatived witheut a di vision. THE NATIONAL REGISTER• ELECTION OF MENIBERS. The Marquis of Tnvts•rocs rose to move for leave !o bring in a Bill respecting the mode of electing Members of Parliament for Counties.— After some prefatory• observations on the neces,ity of reforming the re presentation, the Noble Marquis stated that what be had to propose went to this—that the votes of the freeholders shouM be taken on cl same day in each hundred, instead of being all tak••n only at the cos. town or place of election ; also that a special County Court should held, with proper notice, for the nomination of county candidates, pre% ous h) the election. lids he was convinced would prevent the expen. of freeholders in travelling to the place of election—and also prevent the necessity of candidates paying them fur so doing. H 1: C9nChided v. irh moving for leave to bring in a Bill for r gulating the election of Knights of the Shires. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would not oppose the motion, nor on :be other hand give any pledge of approbation to any of the Iwo posed regulations. He did not conceive in the Fresent state of thia country, the Crown wa able to maintain ;•.ny Nlinistry contrary to the judgment of the Parliament and the People. Snme prefer oth Ministers: and think that affair; would be hater conducted than th were by the present Administration, by their rivals. He was prepart to meet the Noble Lord or his Friend., on the subject of the conduct 1 ) : the present Administration: and he was convinced that they would find, that if the Administration hat{ been in other hand-, tin re wouls: have been any instance of more vigour, wisdom, stiece,s, than in t. present; or even a comparison witn them.—Leave was then ,k;iven t‘. bring in the Bill.—Adjourned. FRIDAY, ?TAY R. Mr. Blt :In, pursuant to 11,,tice, brought forward his Motion on Pia liametttary Reform. After a discus...oi,, his Motion was lost 114,