The National Register. — London, England, 1818-02-08 00:00:00

!~ • -1.% IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. SATURDAY, JAN. 31. The Royal Assent Mr:ls given, by Commivgion, to the Bill for the repeal of the Act of last Fre. , sion, enritlrd an Act for the repeal nf the Habeas Corp: Act. The c emmikNloners were, the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Sitar tAJury, and Lord Melv MoNtray, Fen. 2. CLERK OF PARLIAMENT. Earl GROSVENOtt. referring to the office of Clerk of Perna meta, observed that nothing more strikingly showed the im propriety of granting offices in reversion than what had oc curred in this case. He was persuaded, that the gentleman who lately held the other, of Clerk of Parliament would never hate asked the reversion for his son, could he'have foreseen that that son would leave tilled the situation of Ambassador to at Foreign Court at the time that the duties of his office as Clerk of Parliament required his presence inthat House. It was his intention to propose the abolition of the practice of granting places in reversion, and that the abolition should be extenilea not only to grants from the CrOVin, butt to those made by Judge:, and junked to grants in reversion of every description connected with the public service or the institu tions of the coot y. In the mean time he moved an Address to the l'rinec Regent, prating that he would order to be laid 'before.. the House an diet!Olini a all grants in rever-ion of office's held immediately from the Cu own, awl also grants in reversion of other public efliees. 'flit. Earl ut 1.1-Vi:ItPOOL objected to the general ',attire of the motion. If the Noble Earl confined it to those offices held under the Crown, he should be ready agree to it. 'l'lw Lord CitANCeLLOIL illonght the Noble Earl might di vide his mullion, it he continued of opinion that lee ought to call for information as to both species of offices. Fur his own part he should be very we'll pleased to see a statement of all grants in reversion laid before their Lordships, and probably shonld himself shape a motion calculated to attain that ob ject. His opinion with regard to offices granted by the Judges as lie had already intimated, remained unaltered.— Many offices to bestowed by the Chancellor were now In the gift of the Crown ; hitt with regard to the Judges in the ' Hiller Courts, the power of giving those offices was necessary, as a part of their emoluments arose from those gifts. Were it tcot for this, the incomes of the Judges would be totally in adequate to the laborious and important duties they lead to periorm. When the subject was last before the House, he Lad convineed their Lordships of the utility ut the oreices in the gift ut the Judges, as well as or others Or a similar nature. ' - and he had no doubt lie should be equally successful when the question came again before them. He tool, however, no ob jection to an account of all grouts in revcr.ioi by the Crown being laid berme their Lordships; and when it was pro- • duced, he should perhaps third.. it right to call for au account trf all lauded property, held in virtue of grants from the Cross n, previously to the act passed respecting the grants. Earl blitosvENOß said, that all that hadoccurred since the subject was last discussed had only tendkri to fortify hint in Lis upiuiou, that nothing coed', lee more hOurious tee the in- ttrests of the public than granting ottices.in •reversion. sayitig this he by no means meant to suggest, that he thought the Noble and Learned Lord, or any of the , Judges, were. overpaid for their services. What he objected to was not the amount of their emolstments, but the mode in which they were obtained. With regard to thernotion, we understood the Noble Earl to intimate his readiness to divide it, and to press, for the present only, the first part relative to grants 'from the Crown. The motion thus altered, was put end.agreed•to. PAPERS ON THE STATE OF 'THE COUNTRY. Lord SinnouTii in compliance with the co 11111 l ands of die Prince Regent, laid before their Lordships certain .papers welativcAo•the state of the country.—Adjourned. Ttcimm%. FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS. The Earl of I...t:nt•:naal.E-MoVed for various accounts -re lative to the National Debt. CASH PAYMENTS AT THE BANK. Lord KING had heard lately, that the supposed intention of Ate Bank, to defer their payments in specie, was attempted 'to be justified or defended by arguments which he could by ato means comprehend. What was he to think, or what was any man to understand, by the plea set tip that a negociated loan iu a foreign country, in -France, was a sufficient cause for suspending the promised payments in cash by the Bank 'of England e Public credit, and commercial as well asaational .prosperity, must languish, as long as the natural and substan tial cu rrency was obstructed or suspended, and there could be no security lir stability in the country while any suspicion semained•tbatliovernment was unable to pay its debts. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, it was his clear upiniou that Labe Bank ought to resume its payments in cash as soon after the return of _peace as possible but at the Caine time he had felt, that from the peculiar nature of the case, the moment .toned net be precisely ascertained. There might be circum stances in other countries which night operate to-occasion a ;temporary anspension of that dee m event; but there was u.othing on the part of Government, or on the part of the Bank itself, toidefer the resumption of payments iu cash. '1 he Earl of LAUDERDALE observed that tke plain English of all this was, that this most important question relating to the interest and prosperity of Ohs country, depended not on the Parliament of England, but out the Parliament of France. July next had been talked of as a probable time for the re. appearance of cash currency, but was the Noble Earl sure that some other loan, a loan for Russia, for instance, might not intervene as effectually as the loan fur France, to defeat or protract the common wish of Government and of the Bank ? 'STATE OF THE COUNTRY. The Order of the Day being read for entering on that con -siduation of the Papers relative to the Auternal State of the Uounti y, ultich had last night been delivered, sealed up by the Secretary of State. for the Home Department, to the Clerk, hard 3rnrtouas moved that they be referred to a Commit tee of Secret y. The M.aquts of LNNSIDIWNE believed it was customary on oreusirt-: irkr tLe present, that -a motion like that of the • 1•4..,1,.e Sees etary of Stole should be introduced by au express 'Message front the Clown. Viscoota SIDSIOUTH that the Noble Marquis would ..-......._ ...___ , . find, that Committom of se crecy were appointed not only in consequence ut Nlessagea fruits the Crown, but the House of 'Coalmen& 'l' he practice of their Lurdolups' Hume required •ao Allot form than that of a Difehaage from the .Throne, re.. coakplathas the talcias of a mcasurs of mature:law their -A "TITE NATIONAL REGISTER. consideration, in order to lead to a Committee fur examining the same. The Each of Crettti•VON was auxions that their Lordships should not legislate as it they were goaded lay the rigid spur of necessity ; but direct their Committee to inquire what use had been made of that high and most perilous authority on which Ministers had been permitted to stand, connecting it with that responsibility which they owed to the country. It was incumbent capon their Lordships to do something more than abide by the dicta of Ministers. in the shape of Reports got up under their instructions, and from no better sonrce.-- After all the Reports. was there not sufficient reason to be. lieve, that the late distuebances had been fomented if nut originated, by the agents of Ministers, and might be traced to the office of the Noble Viscount (Sidmouth) himself% (Hear, hear !) The Earl of. Ltvettpocit. was far from meaning to trouble their Lardships at any length. The only and simple question for their Lan dships at present to consider was, , whether they would adopt the ny,tion of his Noble Friend (Sid month) by following the immemorial and invariable practice of their Lordships' House. In all cases were a Message had been communicated with the seal of ffice upon it, a Secret Com mittee was appointed to consider it. The form of proceeding was peculiar to their Lordships' House; it had been, without ahy exception, their practice in no instaure to delegate to their Committees the power of sending for persons, records, and papers. With respect to late events, he could enlists. tently say, and this he would say, that it the Noble Lord sup posed that the result of •Ullie late tr';ils went to contradict the substance of the reports of bast year, that result had gone completely to confirm them.—(lear ; hear!) Fifty hills had been found against the accused men ; and thirty.six had been put upon their trial, who were either found guilty. or had pleaded for mercy. Mitch important information had been received on the state of the rannt ry, since the last report, and the only fair question was whether theirtordships would re fer it to a Committee, as was agreed upon then. This was unquestionably tire only conrse to be recommended to their Lordships, as conformable with Hie practice of Parliament at every stage. Their Lordships then adjourned to Thursday. Tizt RSDAY. THE SECRET COMMITTEE. Cominitteeto consider and report on the Paper relative to the State of the Country, winch had been laid on tbctitble by the Prince Regent's command, was then balloted for anti consisted of thr lowing Peers :—The lord Chancellor, The Earl of Ilarrowby, The Doke of Montrose (as Earl Graham), The Earl of Liverpool Mar uis Camden, Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl Fitzwilliam, Earl of Powis, Viscount Sidmouth, lord Grenville, Lord Redesdale. Earl G osv EN olt after deprecating in strong terms, the proposed plan of proceeding, moved, that the Secret Committee be empowered to call for and examine persons, papers, and records. The Earl of Livyn root. contended that such powers were never granted to Conmtittes appointed on similar occasions. The motion was negativetL—Adjourned. EntritY. In the morning. Counsel were heard on appeals, for the first time this season. Adjourned to Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS. SATURDAY JAN. 31. There was no basiness of importance this day. Alerioky. F 18.2. There being only 83 members present at 4 o'clock, there was oo Honse.—Adjourned. TeESDAY. CONY EVA ,it,TRS. Mr. SWANN presented a Petition from several Attorneys and Solicitors, complaining that a vast 'umber of persons, wholly unqualified, as to education or regular professional instruction, were practising as conveyancers ; and they prayed the .HOuse to take into consideration the laws affecting them, oi der to some legislative enactments which may check the abuse complained of.—Tlie Petition was react and ordered to lie on the Table. FINANCE commirrm. . . Lord CARTLEREAGII said, the House were not nnwilling, he should have no objection to go on with the motion respect ing the revival of the Finance Committee, which stood for yesterday. In calling the attention of the House to this sub ject, be trusted they would feel that whatever difference of opinion might have existed upon any particular measures proposed by the Committee of Income and Expenditure last year, no . Cominittee could have executed the trnst reposed in them by the House, with more industry and more fidelity.— After recapitulating the labikirs of the Committee, the Noble Cord concluded by moving, that a Committee be appointed to Inquire into the Income and Expenditure of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the year ending The 6th ofJannary, 1817 ; and also to state the !probable in come and expenditure for the sears 1818 and 4819, so far as they could be estimated.; and to consider of what means might be devised for the relief of the country, without detriment to the public interest. The motion being agreed to, his Lordship proposed the same Members who constituted the Finance Committee last year, to which the House assented. BANK RESTRICTION. Mr. fiRENFELL.—In consequence of the communication which had been made to the House on 'Tuesday last, by the Chancellor of theZechequer, on the subject of the resump tion of cash payments by the Bank of England, felt himself •compelled to offer to the House a few considerations upon thesubject. He was not at all surprised at the communica tion made, though he was not prt pared for it precisely at that time, nor had hc•auy idea of the grounds upon which the continuation of the Bank Restriction was to be proposed.— He knew, however, that upon soine.ground or other such a proposal would be made to•the House. He always thought -Seth a step would be 'taken when the period began to ap proach for realizing the hopes of the country upon the resump tion of oesh payments. He would now entreat the House to recollect the.promises which had been made by ever, Mew her of his Majesty's Goversiment upon this subject, particu larly by an Hon. Member (Mr. Huskisson) who was First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. These promises, w ith respect to the resumption of rash payments by the Bank of England, were given by Minist"rs, with a eolith/fence and boldness which nothing hut a moral certainty of the result could justify. The promises olGovernatent wervareompanied with the assnrences of the Bank itself. •If the protesidliobs on the part of the Bank were serious, and coming front such a respectable source, particularly from Mr. Harman, wi o was at the head of the Directors, lie could nut for a moment doubt their sincerity: It was natnral that they would appeal to the House for the purpose of relieving them from the situdCtu. lit which they were placed by the Act of 1797. By eomnn•rct•u wen it could sot but be felt "sone of comideruble kitty. ntn 4 'Vise state of the Bank was ate of complete anomaly i n th e commercial world. TLec had now stopped payment 2 1 years, Such circumstances would have brought an) other body of hankers or commercial men to ruin, but instead of that, to the Batik of England they were a source of wraith, of power, mid prosperity. The restriction was said le be imposed as iv .ineasiire of state policy, and accessary to the best interests of the country. It was a system only advantageous to the Bauk. It hail the effect of adding millions to millions in the hands of private individuals, but it sapped the foundations of the solid and legitimate sources of a cumitry's wealth. The Restriction Law had been introduced twice within the last three years by the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite (the Chancels for of the Exchequer.) The first motives assigned for it were the necessity of foreign subsidies, the war with Buono_ parte, amid the high price of bullion. &not all the grounds ever assumed for such a measure, none were so futile, so flimsy, so instilling to the feelings and to the nude, standing of the public, as those stated in the communication made to the House on f hursilay last. Was it because France, Aus tria, and Prussia requ'avil the aid of foreign loans, and at two or list ec commercial braises ; that for example, el' Mr. Baring or Mr. Rothschild had set the example of engaging in such speculations, was that a reason why the Bank Restriction should be continued? Ile lutist state it as his opinion, that wlii.e the Bank 'closed so pay in cash, such loans should be restrained. In this bit...loess the effect was mistaken for the cause. The disatlvascageoos state of the exchanges was w . s i gue ul a• the reason against cash payments; but the truth was, that so ham mu the Impel currency of the country was not convertible int., ca•li, it would contimee to turn the rate of exchange ag 'oust them, and vier versa. They were themselves, by passing and continuing the Restriction Law, the cause of the tinfiveuralitc state of exchange. It conld not be denied that a paper circulation was attended with many and great ad va.iiages to the commercial world, but all these advantages were founded on its convertibility into gold. 'flue precious metals were the why standard of value deV6ed and generally agreed upon by mankind. The sootier they revelled to this operand better svi..cies of currency, the more it would conttibute to time ads antage of the country. The Iron. :tleitibet then moved, that there be laid upon the table ems account of the total weekly aillo mit of Bank Notes, and, Bank Post Bills, its circulation, from the month of January, 1 ell', to the 3.1 ofJanteary, fluff , distinguishing the unii.unt of those under 51. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he would not at present follow the Hon. Gentleman through any of the arse. merits into whioh lie had entered upon the subject of the Bank Restriction. He had stated on Thursday last, that circumstances might arise which would render the confirma tion of it necessary. It they should arrive be would then be prepared to go into the subject. Mr. ORE:SWELL then move.l for a variety of returns from the Bank. tending to skew the amount of its issues for the last year, in the different weeks; its balances in cash on the ].Nth of taco month, the cash belonging to Government ill its hands and the amount of the unclaimed dividends. INCOME TA X. Mr. BROUGHAM wished to M. informed whether tnea.nres had been taken for retnoviogall vestiges of the Income Tax. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCUE44I tart Said, he felt plea. sure in having it now in bit power tu give sat islietory infer. :nation upon the subject. A circular letter had been sent to the Commissioners of the Income Tax, desiring that they should destroy ad papars having reference to this Tax, such only excepted as were necessary to be retained entil such. time as the accounts of the Receiver General were settled. PROSECUTION OF MR. HONE. MI. W. SMITII, preparatory to his intended motion for leave to bring in a hill to correct e.r.rfficio informations, mov ed for an accoitot of the sums paid by Mr. line at the CI own Office, for copies of the informations filed against him, under what authority they had been demanded, and to what use they had been applied. The ATTORIItIf GENERAL opposed the motion, as there was nothing new in the case to which it related, and all that was demanded, was already known. He moved the prevhns question, which, after some observations from Sir F. B ur d ett, Lord Castlereagh and others, was carried. Lout G. BEKE.IFORD, ou the lino of the Prince Regent, acknowledged the Address of Condolence, and thanked the House for the same. LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN SCOTLAND. Lord BINNING moved for leave: to bring in a Bill for the erection of distinct Lunatic. Asylmus in Scotland. He shoirld only move then that the Bill be read a final time and be printed, and should postpone further proceedings till after Easter. The Bill was then read a first tine, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Ben New moved for an account of all the pensions and retired salaries uhich had been bestowed on persons who had been employed in the Tax Office, distinguished those persons who held separate situations.—Ordered. Mr.IIENnErr presented a petition signed by soveral inha bitants of Liverpool .praying for Terliamentary Reform.-- Or dered to lie on the table. Sir H. PARNELL presented a petition from the High She riff and Grand Jury of the Queen's County, complaiuing of the too frequent use of the military im the enforcement of the civil law. He observed that it was a very grnat grievance, and one which called for the interference of the House in the most pressing manner. Mr. PEEL was convinced the House would perceive that there was no necessity of entering into the merits of the question at that moment. At the same time lie would say, and he knew he would be borne out in the asset lion by every geutlet• ae. who knew any thine of the ntiairs of Ireland, that there was no period es Ikea the interfere:l:7e ta the military was less called for or less used than within the last two or time years. Mu. V. I'►l ibERAI.D agreed perfectly with his Hon. Friend (Mr. l'eel,) that there had never been less use or less call for the seer lea of the army than within the last two or three years. lik Hon. Friend had introduced a regulation re specting rite 'Mike, which had brow followed in several bar e ni e ,:, and though the expenses of that pullet, hail been levied en those baronies, yet such IbAS the , 4lliSts,lttil)ll Of the inhabitants at the safety and pi - we'll:Ai they received, that they Il . td ee prene w il their readincs• and even pleasure, in pay. mug the expenses lints item red. Sir W. ilueout Gus thorelit, that too great precaution could out lA' Whet% against ilig themilitary iu the ex ecution of the civil lac. 'the gentlemen ou the other side of die 'louse, taking ere lit to themselves leer having refrained float oboe; [beat lately mi satin occasions, to the house,lll4l it was out liousiial to have them employed fur that tour pose. He thou g ht Use petitivu tleumulcd very Great alien" Ilea. •