The National Register. — London, England, 1822-06-23 00:00:00

Ir" HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, .;UNE 17. thitaituation of Catholic Peen , in this country. From the :time pf ehe reformation to the fifth of Elizabeth, an act existed, coin. paling members of Parliament to take the oath of supremacy. A clause was however inserted in the act, exempting trorn its operation the Peas oil Parliament. By virtue ut that exemptioa Rumen Catholic Peers eat in Parliaineat tili the 30_1i of Coatis the Sdcand. About that time came tote l'opiso plot, in waled the Catholic Peers scented to be itiiplicaied. Unaer the panic which existed at the moment, Parliament took away the right of Peers Macaw in that noose. Lord Stafford was found guilty and executed, and here he might observe, that the execution of that nobleman was some time after called a legal marder.—Such was the circumstance which drove the Catholics from the privilege to which they setae entitled by birth; but whether or not the exclu sion of the Roman Cetholic l'eera form Parliaindnt was necessary in the reign of Charles the Second, tame could say it was neces sary now. Queen E;izabatli had reposed confidence in Catholic Peers ; she was satisfied with their loyalty ; and the act passed in the filth year of her reign did nut ev tend to them. The experi ence of 100 years proved that confidence was well founded.— The noble Duke concluded by moving the second reading of the List. Lord COLCHESTER. rising to address the Ilouse in °ppm slum to the bill, featured their Lordship* that he sincerely wished to give all the rea unable and safe concessions to his Majesty's Homan Catholic subjects, but lie never could agree to give them seats in both Houses of Parliament. The exclusion of Peers from Parliament wan tepresented by the noble Duke to stand on nothing but prejudice; but it would nut he uttli:u.t to prove that the exclusion historically stood on the ',ovum, of wiwitan and &mal policy; and commenced with the actslot Q teen Eliaabetli, and the coaporation and test act., proved hoe, desirous the Mousse of Commons were to exclude Homan Catholic* from their elan members. The act of Cliall.6 11. was sanctioned ut thy revola lion by the Prince of Orange, and at the union with Szoilund it was enacted that no represemative Puts or O.IIIIIiIJ3CtS should be others [llan Pemestants. Tutu provision was annexed to the act ot union. At the distance of three succeeding reigns, namely, in the 9th of Geo. 11. Parliament continued the act of King William, and could it be said the exclusion as, not justified by polo:, Time uol,lu Duke .la._ a contended there was nu ground to entitiune the eachtsiou ; hut his opinion was, that laws made upon general principles meat ever be retained as safeguards and guardians aguioat danger. The noble Duke proposed the tepeal of these laws, and recommended the bill as one of the beet steps. The noble Daron said, lie wished to give the Catholics fair emancipation in all the rigete enjoyed by his Ifilajesty's subjects, with the exeeptina of thine restrictions, which the constitutiou had imposed for its own safety. lie was rejoiced when lie saw Roman Catholics assisting at the co o natiou.—They were properly admitted to the army, and navy. He saw no objection to giving them civil eaaployment—to admit them to offices connected with the revenue; but the safeguards of the constitution could not be violated. The noble Lord stated the views of the Roman Catholics with respect to faith, and, having dwelt on the danger w Welt would arise front passing the bil:, moved, as 83 ametalutent, that it read a second time this day three months. Lind ERSKINE supported the bill. Lord GRENVILLE, at consideranle lentil, and in a speech of much force, supported the bill. Lord REDESDALE strongly opposed it, as inconsistent with the Wets: of the Protestant establishment. Lord iIOLLAND gave his warmest support to the hill, which be observed did not go so far as he wished, lie trusted that lie should live long enough to see their Lordsuips go much further than this Dill went. Their Lordships then divided.—For the second reeding— Contents, 130— Proxies 10-90. Non Contents, 97—Proxies, 1113-132. Majority against the Adjourued at one o'clock. Mr. DAVENPORT presented petitions from Macclesfield sod Cinigleton against the Warehousing Bill. Sir R. SHAW presented a petition trout the Chamber of Commerce. Dublin, against the proposed duties on Rock 'Salt. Sir W. CURTIS presented a petition from the Watch Fiotib• ars of London, apt tat the Wsrelionseing Bill. Sir %V. LEMON presented a petition front Pilchard Curers of Cornwall, praying for the repeal of the Salt 'fax. The Bakers' Regulation Bill was recommitted. Report brought up, and ordered to be read a third time on Thursday. The report of the Weights and Meaures Bill was ordered to be presented on Wednesday. SALT TA x.—A petition was presented from the Fish Curers of Boston, Lincolnshire. Mr. CLIMES said, it was very important that the parties should know what they were to expect ; that something decisive on the subject of the Salt Tax should he made known. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, lie hoped to bring forward the Resolutions at an early time. lie named two years for the continuation of existing duties, because lie thought it would hate been a period satisfactory to terminate the duties ; but he should not now press the Resolution for continuing the Fish Curing Regulations for two years. Gen. GASCOYNE observed, that these discussions and con versations were moat injurious and unplensant ; it would be better that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should at once intro duce his Bill for the repeal of the lax ; the country would then know what was intended. Mr. BIRCH enquired whether the manufactories using salt were to he exempted ? The CHANCELLOR of the rAcHEQUER replied, as it was understood, that the exemptions were to he made of course. Mr. BRIGHT said, that be trusted the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to remodel the excise laws, pm titularly oil this subject. They were most oppressive, as the report of 1818 proved. tinny purtion of the tax were retained, it could only be for the sake of patronage ; but lie trusted that in this instance, the independent portions of the House would defeat the Chan cellor of the Exchequer.—(llear.)—Petition ordered to be printed. :11r. (Secretary) PEEL, presented a report from the c .m -goatee appointed to enquire into tlie state of the police of the metropolis. Ordered to he printed. Mr. LITTLr.roN presented a petition from workmen in the factories at Dudley, complainiug that several of their masters paid them in provisions instead of money, whereby they sus tained serious losses. Mr.LITI'LETON presented a petition from silk mantas° turves of Leeds against the Warehousing Bill. Sr Vrt: or lIILIANII.-11r. V. FITZGERALD wished to know what further measures of relief for Ireland were content- Wated by the Government t It wss a moment of suffering, and it was important that there should he the amplest information it was most desirable that it should be known Imw the money advanced for public works was to be appropriated. Mr. GUULBURN replied, that with respect to the money al ready advanced for iltd pu.):10 works, the Lord Lieutenant Lid apimiuted a cot ouittec to institute inquiry into the stite of the several distrima. They immediate'' , made the requisite coin sounicationa. It woitid also rerolLclvd, that he THE NATIONAL REGISTER duced a Hill fur the better employment of the poor in Ireland, ander which the application of money for the public works . might be promoted. He bad learned that in GOOlieqUellee se veral of the works had been forwarded. There was undoubt edly great distresa in Ireland, but it was limited to particular comities. The assistance already voted certaialy would nut guilieient ; and it would be his duty at nu distant day, again to apply to Parliament. Mr. J. SMIIII said what had become of the Government's assistance hitherto he knew not; but of this lie was sure that enough had by no means been done. According to accounts from Clare, &c. re :rived this day, and at the latter end of last week, the distress and sufferitig were rapidly increasing. Hundreds of thousands in those counties were without the means of existence ; and they were literally starving ; and if the Government iutended to do any thing more, he trusted that it would lie dune speedily. The Governmet had not dune enough; and he felt assured that that Government wan not worth a farthing that could not keep the people front starving. (Hear.) Sir J. NEWPORT dwelt on the extent of the distress, and expressed the fear that it would not soon terminate--it would sot conclude with this or the next year ; he feared that it would emend to future generations. The Goverutuent must adopt ex easier means to employ the populatiou of Ireland, otherwise little good ',mild be done. Mr. (Secretary) PEEL said, that the Government of Ireland was hourly occupied in ascertaining what relief could be af forded ; but the Governinent here had much difficulty to coil lead with, as there was danger of affecting the industry of the people, by gratuitous assistance. He added, However, that WWI. had been this day forwarded to Limerick, to he employed by the local authorities in the promotion of public works. Ile then deprecated discussion on this peculiar subject. It could nut do good if the present limit were exceeded. Bur vra SOCILTIES.--Mr. /1011110 USE, in presenting a petition, said that the Stamp Duties Bill proposed to eapose benefit societies to stamp duties, from which hitherto they had been exempted. Surely such could cot be the intention of Cu. 'eminent. If it succeeded it would tend to diminish those Grids that were set apart fur charitable porpoaes. The Bill was to be committed this evening, and tt hoped that the minis ters would then adopt the mane to remove theiropar anxieties of vat ions heneht societies. The bill proposed to ailord relief and enact eaplanationi and emendations, and yet it impueed new duties. It merited the attention of the House. Read and ordered to be printed. Several petitions from Inverness, Kinghorn, &c. against thet Scotch flargha' Accounts Bill, were presented. Mr. ABERCROMBIE wished the Lord Advocate to pout. pone that Bill for the present. The LORD ADVOCATE said, he should bring it forward this evening. The noble Lord near the ;ton. member (Lord A. Hamilton) had repeatedly desired the Bill to be brought un : he was therefore surprised at this application. Petitions read and ordered to be printed. The LORD ADVOCATE moved, that the Scotch Burghs' Accounts Bill he re-couitnisied. Lord A. HAM! L'TO?i said it would be betterto postpone the bill altogether. It was impossible to believe that the bi I would produce any ; the reports showed this fact. The bill had no remedial qualities about it. After !Mint , further observation, the Howse went into a com mittee ou the bill. In the committee several recital alueud ments were moved, which were eventually agreed to. Several oilier clauses were then agreed to. The House re sumed, and the report was ordered to be considered on a future day. Adjourned. TUESDAY. Jl'lo7 IS. There being only thirty seven memoirs present at four o'clock (forty being required) the Speaker declated .he House to stand adjourned tall to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, JUNF 19. A petition was presented trout St. Mary's, Dublin, complain ing of the assessed taxes. Sir R. SHAW moved for returns of the assessed taxes, Ire land fur the last seven years, exceptiog the hearth and window duties.— -Orde. ed. Mr. BYNG presented two petitions against the Highgate Chapel Bill. Mr. Alderman WOOD presented • petition from Ilornsey and Finchley against the seine bill. Mr. Alderman WOOD presented • petition from Mr. John Knight, confined in Lancaster jail, complaining of severe treat ment, dampness, &c. His olience was that of attending a " peaceable" reform meeting. Mr. B. WILBRAHAM observed, that the only meeting which was not peaceable was the one for which this person wan convicted; the parties bad attended armed with pikes. Mr. Alderman WOOD said, that be such fact as it might, it was no reason for treating the prisoner with cruelty. Ilchester jail was proof in support of such opinion. Petition ordered to be printed. Mr. COURTEN AY moved for leave to bring in a bill to ex tend the punishment of hard labour to certain cases that were not now exposed to such punishment; he utesnt certain aggra vated misdemeanors. Mr. M. A. TAYLOR said, lie trusted " political" offences were not to be included in the hill, Mr. COURTENAY said, the offences would be spee;fied.— Motion agreed to. Dr. LUSHINGTON moved fur a new writ for Camelford in the room of Lord Yarmouth, now Marquis of Hertford, Ordered. Mr. COURTENAY moved for an acconnt of droita of Ad miralty granted for the benefit of certain American lo)aliatc— Ordered. Cot - rary Cot; RT.—Mr. LENN ARD presented • petition from .1,001.1 persons in Middlesex, complaiaiing of their comity clerk, of taking extraordinary fees. Mr. COURTENAY condemned the petition, Is resulting from malice. If they were to blame, the Judges of the Court of King's Bench could he applied to ; and *ll4 were established the clerk would be dischar , ed. The peitioners ought lint to come to that Dowse, till t hey could show that application* to the Court of King's Bench hail been made in rain. He moved, as an amendment, that the petition be rejected Dr. LUSHINGTON expressed his astonishment that such an amendment should have been moved. The interests of tile petitioners might be small, but to them they a etc It oir. t lit to be considered by the House ; at all et ents, Cie re ceipt of the petition ought lint to be objected to. Mr, 11. SL MN ER thought there was no ground for the im putatioa of the petition: he should therefore support the einem'. ineut. )Ir. G. RENNET spoke in favour of the petition, and said that hooky ought to be in►tituted. A, to the complaints, eitmis had already liven inside to get a committee the Eppti eatimi for one bad been negatived. Win] respect to the appli cation to the Court of King's Bench, be valued it not a fiata.T. --Torre were 18,000 cases in one year, at the ra:e of 1:0 per day, and the complaiiit of irregular fei a oii.sht to he the inres ti atcd. T:.e looser of the sejeution on the pre_eut occesion be cuss:missed out lute " 1 o uslatoriel Allto:ney" of tit: covet, IDS The ATTORNEY GENERAL raid that the oase bad 'dread , been investi4ated by the court but is it were thought that jus tice had not been done, why had not 21 of the .1411.1petitiosera applied to the Court of King's Bench ? Was it to be sopposod that the court would not haveadministered justice t Me. IiUME was surprised that this petition should he ob jected to. The geotlemen oppusite were the worst irked* of the gentleman rercrred to in Lae petition ; that gentleman ought to he ansions fur inviry, since there was such serious Oilltl• plaint. list in what situation was the court plAced by tide re fusel of inquiry ? What was to be thought of the complaint if it would not hear inquiry Mr. C. W. W YNN supported the rejection of the petition. The law pointed out the summary mode of obtaining justice ia this case if there were ground of complaint. Wki, therefore. receive thin petition. 114.110BlIOUSE said, during iiis experience in that Hansa. there bad been two or three petitions rejected that ought to bave been received, in his opinion ; hut lie had never witnessed so estramtlioary a proposition tis that to reject this petition.— To adopt a common ru:•de of speech, this seemed very like carrying the joke too far.—(ll...ar , bear ! j—Tbe petitioners complained of Ike constitution of the court. They said that it was au sliuse that could :ie corre-ted only by no' alteration i 4 the law ; silly then was their .. , elition to be rejected t Could IS,OOD owl s go to the Court of King's Deitch t Instead of sup. porting this cause, this opposition wits only calculated to bring the Court and its 0111....ers into suspicion and disrepute. Coloucl WOOD supported the amenamunt fur the rejection of the petidoti. . . . . Mr..M. k. TAYLOR anid, he thonght they conld not reject this petition with safety, and advantage to the own eharactet a. •—(Hear, hear'. )--He did not likz to ace the crnstant practice there was to resist ti:l imptiry when the eourts were complained of. The langtvLe of the petition was respectful. Wuy, then, reject It was s a id, when such romilaints were wade—Ols, take rare of the Judges t Be would say—let tlicia take oars of their own characters, anti let that House teoeive the emu. plaiiits of petitioners when they were properly urged. Mr. W. :4311TH supported the petition. Mr. 12Ult WLN knew Mr. Heath, and for tbnt gentleman's sake hr iutrented that opposition might be withdrawn. Mr. CtsilliTENAY said, if the subject were to be instantly end immediately investigated, he could withdraw Lis uncad • nient. Mr. LENNARD observed, that it would be imposing a great diffieulty on him to require him to pledge himself to institute inquiry this session, so far advanced as it was. Mr. CREINRY said that the complaint was, that there was not justice duly administered. Apply to the Judges on such a matter, and they would say, like men of sense, go to Parlia ment. The ministers saw what a nonsensical opoosition this was ; it was evident that they had been saving as much for the last half hour ; but the two membera (Mr. Wynn and Mr. Coorttnay) were always in their places, to snatch petitions, sad get them rejected it possible. ',bey seemed to be anxious to establish the character of the Meuse for iosanity"—for snob opposition was nothing less—(hear and laughter.)—Wby was there all this fuss about °diner* of " a Toropeuny-halfpenny Court ?" Mr. F. ROBINSON said, as the petition complained of the constitution, and as the remedy was such as the Parliament only could remedy, he trusted opposition would be withdrawn, on the understanding that House should be ingoiry.—(Chsers from the opposition.) Mr. COCRTENAI" withdrew his oppostion.—(Hear.) The petition was then ordered to tie on the table, bat the motion for printing it was not pre,sed. LICENSING SYSTEM. —Mr. JAMES presented a petition from s publican, named Priddy I, at some parish in Somersetshire, complaining of the arbitrary conduct of two magistrates, who had deprived him of the licence of his house, which be had kept for 11l years. There bad bees no objection to him till the failure of the Bill of Pains and Penalties a ',king the late Queen, which met with the approbation of the wllole parish, with one solitary exclition. On that occasion there were rejoicings; and afterwards it was resolved to take the petitioner's license away, on the pretest that no public-house was wanted there.— Now there was no other public•house within 10 miles. The whole parish were ready to supeuart the representations of the petitioner, and to bear testimony to his good character and con dirt. The hon. member said, the two magistrates were visit. ing magistrates of Ilchester gaol. He was not surprised at what was now staled; hot the case he (bought was one of the liar est that had been mentioned. Mr. PEEL defended the magistrates, and said, that Priddy!l had been repeatedly warned to be careful, but in vain. As to the insinuation about political feeling, one of the magistrates WAS adverse to the " mode" of prc.mmtion aghast the Queen. For three years Priddell had been warned, and nothing was done till complaints were preferred b, fume the petitioner. Mr. DICkENSON defended the conduct of the magistrates. Mr. G. BENNE!' said, what had fallen from the right bun. secretary was satisfactory. If toe petitioner had offended, why not punish him for the imp, oprieties in the house ; that rni4lit have prevented the dreadful 'Dented% e of destroying the for tunes of the petitioner. Mr. JAMES said, be had only stated what was set forth in the petition. There had never been any disturbance Ito the house, except once a year, when the clergeman, churchwar dens, &c. le.d a dinner there.--(A - Petition ordered to be printed. Several petitions on the subject of the leather tax, &c. from Ireland, were then presented, anti ordered to be punted. TITO f . 9, 111F.I.ANDi—Mr. DALY rose to bring forward Lis promistd motion on this atiblect, but Mr. P. el and Mr. Oonlburn strongf. solicited him to postpone it for the preseol.—Mr. Daly consented ; wh.n Mr. HUME said, that as the motion had been abandoned by the hon. member, he should bring it forms aed. It was the source of much evil in Ireland, and it wadi not hear delay.— He !tad postponed it on various accounts ; but if i: w ere longer postponed, the prese:d sessions would pass away without the Honse and the country being matte acquainted with the grievous sate of the tythe system is Ireleed. Mr. Hume then c ntered at great lenAth into a ree iew of the present stile of the church in Ireland, and coin nented en the great ac- I cumulation of pluralities in that country, by wlacb the iseouto of soma of the clergy had become enormous, whilst many of the poor clergy (.nrates) were reduced to the lowest state of absolnte want. He :11.00,t this one of the existing evils of Ireland. lie would ow meddle with vested rights. but as the present ineunibenta, whether pci,tats or his.tops, _ . . . . . - . . died, lie would have reform introduced. Tito iris!' were look ing to Parlia:nent to tin sounething, rnd someihiag they ought to do, even thonzlo it reqnired that the honse shoald extend its sittings a month beyond the p, AO.l enntemi fated. Th• hor. member near him (.Ir. Duly) had erosentei to vti:bdisw his motion, hut he had felt himself called on, in the conscientious discharge of his duty, to move a resoluthm, that the bows should pleddo itself to go into an icquiry early ill the Less ( For contimation see page 196.)