The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-23 00:00:00

~~ FEB. 23. )od I Qf TOE NATIONAL am. • r. WROTTESLEV expressed hit firtu conviction that this Bill would a rather retard, than produce the object in view, the punishment of of fenders. He begged to be informed why, since the 428th of the King, not one offender had been prosecuted under the statute which passed ..' in that year. He co nt e nded on the authority of Mr. Justice Black stone, that until other modes of puntshment were found ineffectual, death ounbt never to be inflicted. Sir S.ROMILLY stated, that the real question to be considered was, Whether the Bill before the House would afford any remedy to the evil complained of,.which it was insisted it was necessary immediately to co rract. Undouatedly it wa s a monstrous disgrace to the country; but what prospect was there that the riots would be suppressed, by convert a- ing a use'.: terror of transportation i nto a p unishment b y death ? The great evil to be complained of veas, that the law had been converted into a mere dead letter, that it had been made only aslifeless scarecrow, from which custom had removed even the terror that might originally have seen felt on beholding it. if, indeed, the statute of the 28th Geo. 111. had been duly enforced, and these disgraceful and itagoitous proceedings bad been persevered in, in defiance of it, then indeed there might he some plan , idle ground at least for the measure before the House. The four objects to which the punishments were directed, related only to the wilful and malicious proceedings of individuals, and by it a refractory apprentice, who broke even ad itastrument belonging to his master's frame, woOld be liable to suffer capitally, since it was imperative upon him to lay an is immediately before a Magistrate. Gentle men on the other side, no doubt thoneht that they were supporting a tuesastire to secure the future tranquillity of Nottingham an.l the sur roundiug counties from these iilestal combinations; hue on looking at the wording of the Bill the ywould find themselves grievously disappoint ed, for the net, instead of being wide enough to secure all, could only catch a very few of the offeniders. What Hon. alenitter, let his contuse s tions be what they might, could say that he knew the reuse ref these riots ; wlistalcr they originated in malice on the part of the workmen against their masters for ill-treataneva, or freni a determination toic stroy machinery, which lessened the ptoeortion of manual labour ? Whether any, and what combination, had been entered inso, and what subscriptions had been raised to resist the efforts of the Legislature ? These were questions of greet importance, and to proceed without in formation upon them, would be Inghiy, .uribeconeing ohe dignity and wisdom of the House. Mr.3a - ratrasT said, that after the long continuance of these disgrace ful scenes in the midland counties; after the exultution of the common enemy ; after the impatience universally expressed by the country, that Ministers should bring forward some more efficient measure than the existing law,—the emergene7 of the case admitted no 'such delay as would be produced by going into the lung examination before a Select Committee. •• - . Sir A. Pincer admitted, that if the object of this Act had been mere • ly to extend the punishment of transportation to the breakers of laces frainta, be should have; liven it aopport, but it had an additional o ats. ject, in which he could by no means concur, viz. the making of both. offences capital. He cautioned the House against yielding to the gene ral indignation expressed against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes by passing a measure which his loon. and Learned Friend (sir S. Windi ly) had shewa to be conipletely futile. He contended that it would be an idle waste of time for the House to no into a Comnuttee on a mea- sure which would ultimately be thrown out as wholly inadequate to the • object in view. Mr. Secretary Rime& di.l not•wlh to occupy the time of tbe House at any length, after the ample observations which had fallen front him on a preceding evening. He would do justice, however, to the Magis trates of Nottingham, who had discharged their duty in a monk exema plary tnanner. Nor had the Magistrates of the county heen less zea lous; though not deriving the same success, because their vigilance was necessarily employed on a larger district. With regard to the present Bhl, the question was one of vast importance; it was one which affect ed all the manufacturing interests of the country; and if the House should consent to the second reading of - the Bill, they would conscien tiously discharge their duty to that country and to themselves. He thought that if its second reading was now rejected, consequences would ensue to the country of a nature not easily to be anticipated. Colonel tiASTAIID wished to know how any person could venture to affirin'that Government had not been supine ? The insurrection had continued for four months, and nothing bad been done to repress it.— lie could not, therefore, juin in the praise of the Right Hen. Gentleman, whose duty it was to have suppressed these riots. Mr. Wort BREAD observed, that though he ce rtainl y was not in tEe habit of defending the King's Ministers, yet, front all he could collect o i l ieir thiengtie u li b r je s c , t, and that too from those who were best able to satisfy t he was convinced that every thing had been done by the Right Hon. Gentleman which could be done. Still,however, he would vote against the BM being read a second time, becaus e he ob j ected to its principles and because he did not think that it wouki produce those be- - 2 4__ tial effects which were expected. FAA NIEtAND supported the second reading of the Bill, when the House divided upon the question. The numbers were--Ayes Noes 17. • The least India Loan Bill was read a third time and passed. Ardiourtie4. 117 lUESDAY4 Ft 1L 18. MESSAGE FROM THE PRIN..E REGENT. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE27ER brought up the following Message from the4Prince Regent, which was read by the Speaker : GEORGE, P.R. The Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, having taken into his Royal consideration the eminent and signal services performed by General Lord Viscount Wellington, in the course of a long series of distinguished xploits in the campaigns in Spain and Por tugal, and being desirous to mark the sense he entertains et servicee so houteurahle to the British arms, and so eminently, beneficial to the interests of the nation, has conferred, in the. name and in the behalf of his Majesty, upon General Lord Viscount Wellington, and the heirs male of his body, the rank and dignity of an Earl Of the Unwed King dom, by the name, style. and title of Earl uf Wellington. The Prince Regent, further desirous of granting to the Earl of WA lington a net annuity of two thousand pounds, in addition to the annuity already granted by Perliament and subject to the same limlta dons imposed in that grant, recommends to the House of Comm'"n to enable his Royal Highness, in the ante and in the behalf of Lis Majesty, to grant ant setoe such annuity, and to make such further provision as aforesaid, as may be thought !nest effectual for the benett of General the Earl of Wellington ant his family. Tae CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that this Message be referred to a Conimittee of the whule House.—Ordered. He then moved, that the Howse on Friday next, should resolve iteelf into a Committee for this purpose.—Ordered. WARD O 1 TRADE. Mr. A. BARING, in pursuance of hie notice, rose to move for se veral papers on the subject of the Trade .e:•ri::d on by means of license;, preparatory to dot impoitant dis,:assion on : r ile ,obj,!Lt of the Orders in Council, which -was soon to he ht th,- . 1:10114e. 1-L that whatt-ver opinions might be entertained by the CAl:let, or by the Board of 'l7 ratle, would venture to eetert :het the: e was no Member of the House at all connected with commerciel aftairs, et ho would de fend the licensed trade as it is now, and as it has bece tbr sonic rime carried on. NVlteti rite immenee increase of influence: it efferdad to the. Crown and: the State, of subserviency to the Minieter, to which lit reducrd the mercantile interest Of the country, were taken into consie der.oi(n; he thought the House would at least pause before it refused the document:, .for whit it he was about to move, previous to entering upon the general Imply - . His motive for moving for these Papers was, that he was informed that two cargoes of spirits had been introtiticea into this country under license, at a time when such permission wes s generally refused. One of the cargoeslad been :`old, and the owner • had derived an immense profit from it ; hut the other, owing to stole informality, unconnected with the present question, bad been seized and confiscated. There indi,,patahly was room for a great, deal of freed, and it, would he well worth hie, or any other merchant's while, to pur chase licenses for the importation of spirits ar. ati eXpense of 13,(0)1. He did not mean to say that corruption existed- any wnere, but it was not fit that such a temptation to it should be allowed. He concluded by moving, that the Papers he had referred to should be laid before sue kiouse. Mr. Rosa said, that the Hon. Member who had ju't taken seat, could not be more anxious th an h e and his codeagues of the. Beard of Trade were, that the general question o sic nses should be dlicu.seo some intelligible and tangible shape as soon as possible, and he tee.ed the Hon. Gentleman who had given a notice on the' subject, wo aid bring it forward without delay. • Mr. MARRYATr did not heli_ve that any mal-practices soul t he charged against any of the Clerks of the Board of Trade, but the wh. lc system' of licensing was moot injurious to the trade of the cmwtry. .The forgeey, perjury, and bribery on which our commerce now de pended were admitted by nearly every persoe intere-.ted in commercial transactions, and the confiscation of our 6hip;ling provided with licenses in various notations, to an error roue amount, had been the ruin of !tome of the most wealthy merchants in the City of London, beeid( s filling the coffers of the enemy with the pree!ece of the sale of their cargoes. He thought the production of the memorial from Heli,;‘,l:eld might be injurious, but before,he gave his voteagainst it, he he...ged to observe that h e ii i tirety Jisapproved of the w!iole system of Mr. bitoucitANl lwg,gtal the Ilnuse to bear in its recollection one f cr which had been disclosed in the course of ,the press nt riisces-i•m, that the Crown by Means of this traffic in licenses.arising out of at, I connected with its traffic in Orders in Council and co:nr.•, , t ,ial prohi bitions, is possessed of the power of employing for the auginenti , t.on of its defence Au.Ltat coal, these pieces of papers called Uctmes, to any extent, and the value of this power might be easily estui i .tied, his Honourable Friend (Mr. Baring), perhaps tke first merchant in tl.e kingdom, would not hes:tate to give fur one uf them the enormous ~uut of 15,0001. The CsiANCEI.I.Ox of the Exeu eet , r: a remarked thet the fact, which had been just stated to be of such importance, must occur in eve; - y where it was thought necess try to carry on trade with a nation .t o t e whom we were at war. It wa , by no means true to in:...ert, that Ge vernment endeavoured to keep all trade within their grasp; the c eitrerf was the fact. No merchant iti the country was more anxious t:iao Boerd of •Frae to see the period arri, e ri hen ail necessity for be should be removed. ,;li~:'1 to dd 13 nt Id to on of USA lief sh-