The National Register. — London, England, 1822-03-31 00:00:00

fail to give the Fulu vet his best comideration. Rend and referred 1.1 the agricultural committee. SEDITION AND BIALSPII NM T.—Mr. IiEN I) post poded, till 'Thursday, the Ittill April, his mot uu fur Lave t. Mint in hill, to repeal the act regarding srdi LIUII6 meet ings and hlasohernous Cou Y \MUMS'S moved for an ac count of the rental and parish rates in the several paris'acs to 1l oldlem X. The tmotion isnc carried. CAPT. F. ROMEO.—ITALY. Lord J.itUSSELL pecAettteti a petition from Captain Francis Romeo, a Neapolitan Autbject, who ay.ain nit. pl.:idled that ponce to ask for jmtice at their liamk, for s , rvicea that he hal been enabled to render 19 the British forees Sicily he had before Rittiriewheil that t in t hitherto in vain.lli: loribiliip then stated the parti culars of Capt. Itioncii•s services. Ile ha I ix•en employed be British officers, who gave eertifieates in his favour, to 11.. frat the schemes of thrQueees of Sicily and the French fees to destroy the British ; and iu consequenee of his success in that service. lie was exposed to the en mity of the Neapolitan government. The officers, and G: petals Alaitland, Campbell, and Lord W. Itentinek Rave certificates in Capt. It.'s favour, which al.° stated, bat they believed his services to the British were the, cause of the persecutions to which lie hail been exposed. The government had promised him a passport, and that was afterwards refused. His lordship might he allowed to say something of the events that hail recenly occurred in Italy. In 1.413, it was known that the greatest efforts sere made to unitise Europe against the Emperor of Fiaitre, and none greater than those that were made, and successfully too, in Italy. rho Italians had the enjoy ments of literature and science under the Emperor—but their hatred of despotism aroused them against the French power. The Italians were promised free institutions, lint they were delivered over to the Austrians without any guarantee for the security of Italy. Since they had been so transferred, the Austrians hail exerted every rtfort to cheek the progress of civilization and ty in Italy. The schools for !flatletl instruction had been abolished ; the free institutions had been destroyed, and the severest persecutions hail followed those who had espoused the cause of liberal institutions. At Turin, for instance, per sons had been condemned to the galleys for life, for an 1 , offence that would not a little surprise the house—it was fur being .• suspected of having a propensity towards a constitutioral got eminent." ( Hear, hear.) Similar pro ceedings took place amongst the Genoese; indeed, many of the best, lie ablest, anti the most generous individuals amongst the Italians, had been compelled to leave their homes, and were wandering over Europe with little hope of being enabled to return to their native soil. His lord obits considered that these calamities were mainly owing to the detieient negociation of a noble lord opposite (the Marquis of Londonderry.) W said he hardly knew what the real ob ject of the rou ble lord could be, since the introduction of the petition hail been 'nixed tip with oilier matters. Lie was not against the receipt of the petition, but he th'o'ught the services of the petitioner had already been rewarded. Besides, Capt. Romeo had not been the chief, he had only been the secondary agent in the services now set forth as so nteritot ions. Sir J. :MACINTOSH denied that Capt. Romeo was to be viewed as having been a secondary agent—the British officers, 'Maitland and Bentitack, under their own hands' declared that it was " chiefly" ow•itte to this gentleman that the machinations of pretended friends were defeated. Feitr Bt iiish officer,. said this much, and was the evidence of Neapolitan ministers, who had plotted against the Bri tish army, to be pm against that of our offieers ? Mr. GOULBURN considered that Capt. Romeo had reeei , ed what, on a comparison made with payments to others, was a atifficient remoneration. The government had not wily to consider Capt. R.'s case—they had to exat ii iii e what were the several ranks of the different applicants. It bail been truly stated, that Capt. Romeo was tint a suburilittate agent ; and as such was the Cate, the government tool to recollect a hat bad been given to officers who had held superior stations. lie observed, that as Capt. It. was at the time in the pay of the British army, he was bound to perffirm his best cervices; but those services having been pectin:illy meritorious, they received special reward. That reward was given after a cetlain rate; it was settled according to the rank of the parties. When his annuity of 101. was purchased fur ;;aOl. it was stated, he admitted, that Capt. Romeo might have a passport; but lie applied for a British passpott. That could taut be given—it was nut u.lllll to give Ili .tisli pa,sporta to persons similarly circumstanced. He thought that the petition did not merit further consideration. Lord LONDONDERRY said, as to Captain Romeo, according to Sir William A'Court, our ambassador at Na ples, their was no truth its the statements about the terings and persecutions having resulted from Capt. services to our army. The remuneration claimed was extruordimuily large, and it was atrinige that it should have been so long delayed. lie load IA en rewarded ac cording to the scale of office; but he was not deemed worthy of a particular passport. After some fin titer observations, the petition was or shied to he printed. Sir B. MARTIN, adveiting to the qualities of coal tar, and to its use for ship timber, called oat au hon. member to state the result of experiments that he had witnessed en Satin day. Mr. HUME said, that the experiments were of the most satisfactory nalote ; that the timber so seasoned did nut ignite so quickly as had been represented; that a pistol had been tired over it, and a candle held to collie timber, witlioot producing ignition ; and that the opinions that had been held via the subject had been completely diapioved. Mr. WAR.D brought forward the Ordnance Estimates; the amount of them was 1,2.14,0001. The witietions, as conspured with preceding estimates, amounted to 7z,00n1. He concluded with inuring r grant fur the Stf. ice of the Ordnance. Mr. HUNIE entered into au examituttion of the esti- mates, as compared %lilt those of 1792 and 1817 ; and he biablitained, that su far f there being any real realm thins, the estimates of the present year were 1,0001. more than those of 11117. Those of 1.017 were 1;23:1,0 ; those fur the present year were 1,211,C0M. and yet the lion. member and the sinus isters talked of the reductions they had made! He was, however, willing to admit, that a , compared with the tart year, much had been done.— he lion. measlier coliclaided by pi opoing, as an amend :n(4.i, that Ilia ertunate should be irdoeeti 10, 1 •001. Alt. WARD opposed the auteutitheat, ea au ea billety _ THE NATIONAL REGISTER p ro p os iti on ma d e upon guess, and without any fonndation to go on. The estimates had been formed od the lowest scale, consistent with the geod of the public service. Col. IMVI ES contended that a reduction might take Place On several parts of the estimates—he particularly adverted to the salary ef the clerk to the hoard, who, eonsidPring the tnagniticent home which had bee,, as signed to Isint,liad nit It ss than 2,u001. a year. The salary of the secretary to the Laster Genetol was also too high ; it WAS 1,5001. a year. The finance committee, in their report, had recommended it should be reduced to 8001. Mr. HUME contended that the satiny of the Master General ought to be reduced, and he moved a redaction of Icl, ( 01. oil the higher and proposed that in stead 4'35,J:i11. for salaries and allutiances to the Hoard, the sum %Wald he 15,8131. Sir R. EEIWIJSON objected to the medical staff, and especially to the salary of the I)irector Gotteral. Mr. R. \YARD defended the appointment. The amendment may ultimately neg.itived, and the ori ginal resolution agreed to Severn' oilier resolutions wet e agreed to, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. _ _ . .... 'Duo remaining orders were disposed of, and the house adjourned. TUIVDIY, M tRCII There being only 21 net;ibers pre4t.u.t at four o'clock, the Speaker declared the House to stand adjourned till to morrow. . _ WEDNESI)%Y, MARC?! 27. The Halifax Gas Light Bill was read a third time and pas.cd, after a new clause, proposed by Mr. Sykes, had been m•gatived without a division. Sir F. nuaDErr said, that lie wished to postpone the motion of which he hail given notice for this day, for an address to the King to remit the remaining portion of fir. Hunt's sentence. lie shatild bring it forward on the first open day. There was a good deal of bulky evidence which he at first desired to read, and he theiefore post poned the motion. The Speaker and Sir F. Burdett looked ihrongh the order book for some time wit h out hulling an open day and it was then declared that the motion was postponed for the present. He afterwards said he should bring it forward oil Tisesilav next. Mr. N. cALvEirr presented a report from persons attending Hertford market, praying the home to wills . draw their confidence in ministers. The petioners had not heretofore interfered in politics. retitioll ordered to lie on the table. Mr. LEN rtl ARD said, he should bring forward his mo tion fur a repeal of seditious meetings additional act, on the Btli of May. Sir R. WILSON said, petsons still continued to he fol lowed with penalties for roasted grain ; and he wished he could get some distinct answer on the s u bject. A per , on, who had been convicted with Major Cartwright, and sen tenced to nine month imprisonment, and that perinn. after expecting that an excise proseen!ion fur selling roasted grain, had been abandoned, was detained Oil a MA. penalty. If it were enforced, he toast remain in prison all his lite. Mr. LUSHINGTON stated that the treasury were still engaged in examining, the act in question. The excise board attached great importance to it. Mr. ABERCROMBIE hoped that the house would en rolee inquiry into this " fraudulent" act. Sir J. Al ACKINTOiIi gave notice, that on the lot of May lie should bring forward a motion on the subject of the Crlllllllal lii is B._ . . Mr. SN'IiES presented a Report from Richmond, York shire, signed by upwards MX) porno's, complaining of agi ienli ural ilistreAs.—petition urtlered to lie ou the table. Mr.... WO It I:LEY wished to ask an hon. secretary, as the subject wa , calculated to taint, relief to agriculture, by piwiloting the consumption of barley, whether !Mite %%unlit he any objection to allow Englibli distillers, like the Lich distillers, to bond spit its? Mr. LUSHNGTON replied, as we under.tood him, that it would be better to suggest such regulatiou to tile committee. Mr. Al ABEL:LEV moved for a series of papers relative to the quarantine expense, the expellee of Irish packets, arc —Ordered. He hoped they would be ptesented forth with; if they were not so produced, he should move to have the offending officers called before the house. Dr. LUSIIINGTON presented a petition from John Barkley, aged 1? years, who had been slinpnrin to Car lite. He Will now Silirering under the sentence of the law, a sentence which he submitted to the house was un justly obtained, fur he was tried by a jury who hod prejudged his case. The petitioner was tried by the jolly that had tried another shopinatt fur the like offence. They had found the book a libel, and how could they come to the jory-box with a pure and unbiased mind ? All that was left to them to do on the trial was to find whether Bat klcy bad, or had not, sold the book they had already pronormeed the book a libel. This, the learned member maintained, was n viol•rtion of the first pr.nciplea of Lise ; objections were made at the time by the prisoner's COllll. sel, but the Ccnitriou Se; geant os er-i tiled them. 'Ube Nieman had bitterly and most properly complained of that der isi (((( of the judge, and he condemned that conduct in the judge. It was nut upright and impartial. To skew its effect, he said the counsel persuaded the jury of their previous verdict, of the argnments he had then urged to them, and of the necessity of bring consistent with themselves. Thus the prisoner had to compete with ar guments he had 'lever heard; be was to be tiled by men who had already pronounced au opinion in his case. Lord Coke held that snch a jury might fairly be objected to; indeed it was contrary to the that principles of justice. The jury on the second case—they had before decided on the lame libel—deliberated 3 minute•; and then they recommended the prisoner to mercy. tie was sentenced to six months' imprisonment ; the other had beet' sem. tenced to two years' imp' imminent, sureties fur lifer 411 ' 1 io prison condemned to bard labour. r. hard labour' formed no part of the original sentence, but it was said that hard 'About followed, of course, 4 411 1111 l itaiient to the liaise of correction ; and yes hard labour, he tranlcrstood, had been interlined in the original sentence. He then strongly cuteleumed the Conatitution4l Association—their conduct had been fatally active—They had brought into general diasentination duct' ines and books which it was meant to auppless; dory had (like Sergeant Shepherd prosecution of Mr. Hone) given consequence to that which might otherwise have remained obscurity, and tended to produce a dame throughout the enuntry ; their labours had been most pernicious, rand they had now atter ted the trial by Jury. Tlit petition wa, hi ou,;ht up. y-- -~ --' .•••••" \ ~ 99 The SOLICTTOR 7 GENER A L said, that the teamed gentleman could not have read the libel, for env that was tante *P41010114 and blaapliemons he had sliver rend. lie then obl{Pl'veil out the colidnet of Mr. Cathie, the Mail - tier ii, winch he hail defied the laws, employed pony shopmen at low wage*, and hail at last *old the publica tions through apertures made in the shop. 'lire coital!) , had called out fur ai, end to be put to those publications and proceedings, and the prosecutions had eventually accomplished that effect. As to the libel, there could he no doubt about it ; it proclaimed all religion to he a vice, and no better than the mythology of old. With respect to the jury, the judge had no power to change them ; the rounsel felt that they had not sulileirat ground to question the jury. The sentences were bialilar to many that had taken place in the times of Lords Nlausliehl and Kenyon inr blasphemy. Dr. LUSDINGTON replied, olbierving that his senti ments soot remained the same ; he initihmiiied that the pea. Cosner had lint had a fair trial. The petitioner could not apply fora new n i :I. Petition rend and ordered to he printed. I sir?lt Asst Eq..—Sir E. HARVEY presented a petition floni the grand jury of E.seit, pra)iii:: fur the adoption of oneabut ev that wouhl secure some means of trial for LMl•ez between the Summer nod Lent absiz.s. The long tecess frequently produced peat hardship. The hon. member ltneiv that the sultject hail been tinder the attention of go vernment, and he hoped that much time would nut be allowed to elapse before something was dime. Mr. W ESTER N seconded the motion for bringing up the petition; lie hoped that it would receive the serious often. tion of the House and the Government. There was a new jail building for Essex, and it wits found, by the enquiries that those interested in such subject had promoted, that one half of those committed to prison for trial at the Lent Assizes had been committed before the Ist Jan flow con. siderably were the number of prisoners increased, and how greatly had the prisoners' punishment been added to. The accumnlation of business was similar in n neighbouring county, fur at the assizes now going on Sergeant Leos had acted as a third judge, and had tried prisoners in the no:l -b:twists' chapel.—( I lear.)—lint to say nothing of this accu. mutation of business, how exquisite must he that m)))) pain of mind, bbo, after so match punishment, by imprisonment, should be eventually acquitted. (Gear.) Ile thought the !louse could not hesitate to admit that Itomethin_ ought to be done to insure it Inure constant administrati tttt of the laws. —lle felt persuaded that there ought to be, and might he, a a more frequent jail delivery ; namely, betweeu the Lent and Summer Assiges. What objection bout(' there be to a judge attending the quarter session, to try such cases as would otherwise be postponed to the succeeding nssizes.--• And let it be recollected that sic judges would be sufficient for the jail delivery circuit. Par this additional circuit hii-iness, at least three ;Odd iiiital judges might be necessary, hut he Loped that the expense would not be deemed an un necessary ex pence. Mr. PEEL snid that the representation of such nn lin. patrol and enlightened body its the magistracy Biwa) s merited the ;mention of in government. This subject had experienced the most fictions attention Of the ministers. It wa s mai of great delicacy. and the remedy proposed showed that it was surrenn& d with dillicultiy. But the greolest difficulty is as that of milling to the judges. All those who were best aequaiided with this subject held that such was a ii ry great diliculty. if the plait of the new jail delivery were delivered, there trust he tot change of the forms of coo. ducting the regular assizes. As to the new jail delivery being 111 the (polite, sessions, it must he recollected that they omit take place within our week. Same alteration of that i t, would be required ; besides, how could counsel anima those sessions, nod be prepared to attend their ditties in Westminster Hall in November twirl 3anuore. Thew were *time of the circumstances that showed the different &thetas ties. The goverihnent, however had attended to the sutijecr, mid what he was hbOIII to commutations At.til.l shetv it : it was inteu - led, in cite coarse of the Hest winter, I, tiy the experittion of a ihitd,j dl &livery, with One ju , ;:e, for the home citron and COUUlie3, with grand and petty juries, as at the crucial assizes. 'l'hc petition was ordered to lie on the rabic. Dr. Pill LI,IIIORE brought forward his motion for leave to Iola.: in a bill to amend the marriage act. Ile 'mil sever..l times mentioned this subject to the Douse. It appeared that the lion nnbet'. first :uncoil:n.)o was, that in till l':1•Vt , where consent was required by the existing 11w. it would he competent to Oct parents rind guatdiross of the PeVCral pieties to impeach the marriage during the minority al those parties. Where the parties retdded not of the kingiimn, a suit might be instituted by the unrents Sr guardhatis, rot uflidavit that the parties bad been int mince. Also that mart :axes might he set aside t it had town .11101110 4 , 1 ill parishes u here the parties lend not resided a fort login.— Ile concluded with movitig for leave to amend the uoir• Huge nee. Mr. BROUGHANI spoke of the imperfections of the existing law. Aster some farther conversation leave was risen. Co•UnTEE OF St;PFLY.—TiI • lii•use went win a (oat !Mince of seuitiv, iota Mr. It. W AIM brought forward the reinitinher of the ordnance est incites. On the res ilutitm for voting 218,0091. for the oidnatire exit aoroinitries for the year, Mr. fIUME. as sin altienitmeet, promised to reditre the stun I.y 13 Otall. that was 10,Cbt) fur Demerara, and 30001. fur the lonian Islands. Mr. W11.510T said he was iii daily expectation of re. Cei%Olg 1111 V ice Isom Demerara Of betug pi (Tarot' to rep a y that *um ha to the I,l's lilt y were out bound to pay the military estoblishmeid. After some (onvena tio n, Mr. home co&enteil to withdraw lan mutnm. Mr. CltitEVT.l then adverted to the vote of 49001. rot. the repair of the fortdica lions of him badoes. 'lll-re woo a fend frogs which this atoll he taken, the 44 per cent. fund, but that aas all given by mintier. IN pew and it Om by this method that ministers cot.ltpled the II .me. Wh•ksuc I. votes .is pow prow,. ei u erenllupled, lit could only eitas.der this 10/ II degraded assembly. kt)rdei. order! Choir, cloth !) might be culled Si order. hot if he we r e Judie for it he would call it • cli•giodrd tei.entisly tot lung Ili ii steteed to sutra propositions. (Choir, chair 1) litt rsowlialed by'rmovitig Si, reduce the suite by this sum p.ll. pose) so he Pilpropt lated to the c•puirinz the fortili atrial of Mulhalloe, Air. %%Haim, 91 r. Bright, and others oplo sed the &newt. melt. Mr. Bernal yet &lons Bopp.ot ell meat, however, *at uegolived oo a diva.iuu It) 39 to Si hliij•irit!, 41. Several resolutio ts were adopted, toil the liou-e ad jou' tied al tacit% o'clock. . • r. 4. • ••••..., 4 - • •'••‘.yi siren :...:::_