The National Register. — London, England, 1822-04-28 00:00:00

system, contending it wa: of most Per ere operation ; it was also frequently must unjust and partial. It was ruinous to all parties—except those iiiimedfidely benefited by the extent and it destroyed all confidence. Ile hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if ke veined the commercial interests, and the maintenance of loyalty in tile commercial and twinufarturing districts, would no longer sutler u system of tapior mid violence to be carried on in the name of the Crown.—( Hem •) Mr. J. S:%IITH also strongly condemned the system of extents in aid. They were frequently issued where the Crown was not concerned ; could it he desired that su violent a system should he continued ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the subject should receive the amplest consideration both in and out of the House. The diilicully was to make alterations in this subject without inteiteriog with site ancient prerogatives of the Op% 11. The Court of Exchequer, how. ever, ails perfectly competent to interfere in any case of marked abuse. Mr. W. SNII7II condemned the system of extents in aid in the strongest tei tit.. Ist ./ tomo, he thought, could persuade it Oterlf, after sending the report on ti.e suliject. Ilea the sy tem one which ought to continue. lie dclied till I..tur to the proof, wit, titer throe was one of the extents issind within he last year where the interest. of the Crow!' cut HI any wt y coucertied. Petition cut at ually tottered to lie on t he table. Some °thee petition, were presented, and several of the tilde's were afterwards disoosed of, which comiderahly delayed the main motion that stood on the warn. MF. HUNT'S SENTENCE. Sir F.III.II2DETT, at an advanced hour of the evening, (the gallery however still continuing very full, and the gallery door locked), brought forward his motion for an address to his Majesty, to remit the le:mining portion of Mr. Hunt's sentence. He took a review of the treatment which Mr. Hunt had experie n ced, and said it was most unworthy of the parties ct.ucetned is it. If it were not placed beyond all dispute, much of the conduct that had taken place would hardly be believed. It reflected such diaeuedit OH the magistracy; and what could be thought of such magistracy, whet' it was remembered that clergy men foamed portions of it? What, however, be now asked for, was au act of slow but requisite justice. Mr. /hint had already experienced more punishment than the court had intended to heap on the prisoner. He asked not for mercy, lie asked not for indulgence; all lie ieynireJ was justice, although it would now be ad ministei ed in a tardy manner. The hon. baronet, highly comp:imented the Mriititile and perseverance of Mr. Hunt, and said that the greatest benefits had resulted, and would remit from the exposures accomplished by Mr. Hunt, And from the sufferings that individual had been most unworthily exposed to. As to the conduct of the visiting magistrates, particular)) , of thin Hey. Dr. Colston, it was most extraor dinary. Rivas no defence to say that the magistrates had no pay; if there was to beim) re sponsibility because there was no pay, then lie would say, let the magistiates be paid.—(Hear.)—As Mr. limit had suffered more than the court had contemplated and awarded, and as the court had interfered as tar as it could, lie thon4lit the amuse could not object to his uno• tion. He emorloileit with moving all addiuss to remit the retnainder of Borth b sentence. _ Mr. DAWSON opposed the motion, and commented in strong teams on the conduct of Mr. Hunt, whom be de scribed as living iu adultery, and otherwise deserving, by his conduct, all the restraints under which he had been placed, and all the severity of the regulations which the magistrates adopted towards him. Mr. Hunt at une time himself thought differently of this gaol ; and it was hut till his conduct bad drawn on biro some severity and re straint that lie changed his opinion of it. He also con tended, that Mr. limit had at all times experienced all the indulgence which his own condect would allow of. Mr. 11011 HOUSE defended the conduct of Mr. litint, and strongly condemned the severe rules adopted towards him, lie agreed in all the arguments brought forward by his laou. colleague, and gave his %rainiest support to the motion, which the house would du itself honour by adopting. Mr. DICKENSON ►abutted the charges brought for ward by the hon. hart. and his colleague (Mr. Hubbouse) of cruelty towards Mr. Hunt. He denied that Mr. Hunt had ever been subjected to soltary imprisonment, and contended that all the restraints to which be had been subjected originated in his own conduct. Mr. TELL would not agree to this address. lie con sidered that to sdupt it would be a most dangerous and most unconstitutional interft rence with the prerogative of the crown. lit declared, that such was his upiuuu of Mr. Unit's guilt, that no comideration, nut even tire re street he had for the decision of the house, should they adopt this motion un.tuiuwusty, should induct hint to re eotramend to the clown to remit any part of his sentence Alter a long debate, Ilse mutton was negatived. house adjourned. TIIPRSDA V, APRIL 2.i. The Speaker was enabled to take the chair at four o'elm k its cuitsequeuce of the atteudauce of opposition members ; w•e did not at that time observe one member uu the miui.•terial Hide of the house. Petitions se' re presented trout Cornwall, Fastcrn part of Sussex, Salop, Rothe' ham, Barnsley, Radnorshire, and Len-ester; complaining of agricultural titsucss.— Ordered to be printed. Mr. RA MSDEN presented a petition frern iinddersfi Id against the bill permitting the importation or nool:en goods fur the purposes of txpintaiium—Ordered to be printed. Mr, M %UEULEY moved fur accounts of all clei Ls who have limn admitted to mill offices, aunt 151.., to the lot ed January last, and of all clerks discharged since the Period. dklinguishing names, ages, &c.—Ordered. Sir R. WISON moved lur vat tons papers respecting the excise proaccutiuns for aching breakfast-powder. Ile adverted to a prosecution that lied been comet need fur s. Mug " Broma," some Ileitis that were considered of medicinal value but it was colistdered as imitative of breakfast powder. Sat ely the revenue did not require the support of ouch pruseentioc% Mr. LITSIIINGTON said, that the subject was tender the consideration of the treasury, end that it was iiitentled to riopuse a plan for icsuing licences for the halt- of such Inlieltsb, concluded however in such terns* u* to protect eseiseable ai ticks. - l'apc u s ordered. Mr. PF.I.H AM presented a petitisin from Lincoln, pray ing for put liansentary reform. Sir It. 111:kON raid, that it was agreed to at a II reeler I,lo ..liste, whit tie the parties properly aohsensbled, not sup. I,:ted with disloyal a.aea , hat ptucte dhoti .11; chhaire.t— THE NATIONAL RE( t ISTER " constitutional coninsion."—( langl9.—The petitioners had heretofore been contented with their lot, lint seeing thellhiClVCB surrounded with menacing distress, they were driven to look at the cause of such threatening ruin.— They saw it was in the present rept esentat• of the people. They had been that house ((Honig a deaf ear to the complaints, and scorntiilly rejecting propositions fur relief, and they now thought that there was 110 hope but in a reform iu the Coloolollb . 110" C! Mr. JODDREL approved of the petition, and bore testimony to the respectability of the meeting that had adopted it.—Petition ordered to be !united. Lord EBRINGTON presented a similar petition from Ciediton, Devonshire. Mr. HOME moved for returns of all patents granted for printing, for supply of stationary, &c. of Alderman King's supplies of stationary in Irel.ind.—Ordered. Mr. O. BENNET gave notice, that on May ti , he should move fur the printing of 'the evidence Wien in the upthal. mia cominittee. The Marquis of TAVISTOCK presented the Redford petition for reform. The petitioner, did not ....si t u:et that their petition would have any effect, but they felt it doe to themselves once more to implore that house to set in motion, route way or another, the pi hiciples of reform. It NUS not to be expected that any pally would willingly resign power—but he felt essitted, that without a idiom throe was no hope that the cowl , rs,'s ilitilculties would he relieved. A right hon. gent. tailiiing), who had just gone to his seat (a laugh), had sJiii that the country was nut turoutable to reform. If by rite country were meant those who were interested iu the present system. then, indeed, the statement might be correct, but if allusion wee made to the mass, and to the intelligence of the people, the statement was most incorrect. lie wished the right lion. gent. and those who thought with him, would only meet any one county meeting. He thought such persons would coma away with a very different opi nion. --(Hear, heat ! ) Mr. M'UUEEN observed, that he W•IS informed that constables were placed at the hall door to prevent pet sons from entoing who were miltiendly to the objects of the ineetinr.--(Hear.) Mr. F. PALMER said, lie was placed near the door, and that such statement was not founded in • ruth, a more respectable meeting he never attended in his hie. the hall was opened, there was no want of " constitutional confusion but no one was refused admission.—(clear.) Petition ordered to he printed. Mr. COKE presented a similar petition from the Hundred of Garrow, in the county of limfolk.—Orderixl to be printed. REFORM OF PARLIAMENT. Lord J. RUSSELL rose. pursuant to his notice to move n resolution, that the House would take into consideration the state of the Representation of the potpie. Ile deemed it of great im muse- If he succeeded in establishing the importance of enquiry into the state of the representation, he should then apply for Lave to bring in a Bill to amend the representation. Ihe question was of the greatest consequence. l'arhamentary Reform, according to sonic, invalved the ruin of the country ; according to what he deemed the majority of the nation—and he numbered himself amongst thcm—on it depended its salvation.—(Hear.) As he had served an upprenticesnip to the cause of Reform, and therefore to whatever other charge he might be exposed, be could not now truly be taxed with rashness. Some of the greatest men produced by this wormy had supported the ne cessity of Reform, and many counties in England had petitioned fur it during this Session. He thought the time was peculiarly favourable. There was external and internal tranquillity—the period was most favouralila to the calm exablination and decis ell of the qutaiiun of lieform. lie thought too it was most suds factory to kiwis , that none of the petitioners asked for any ex clusive plans. There were not now general demands for annual Parliaments and universal suffrage. But all these schemes and theories he rejected at once ; he asked for what the Constitution said the people ought to have. Above all, he rejected a theory that bud bhen avowed even in that House, that the Common ' House ought to contain representatives of the Lords and the Crown Orwell as of the people. This was wholly theory. It we.; calculated to give to the King aad to the Peers a majority in the House that professed to be exclusively the people's. li this were to be, what would become of the balance of the Constitu tion that was to protect the people ? Tile indite Lord then pro ceeded to argue, that most dangerous abuses had crept into the systein of the people's representation. They had arisen from a variety of causes—the change in the state of the country, in the incre..se and employment of property, in the growth of manu facture, and in the great and general dissemination of know ledge. This latter catenate and improvement could not but be apparent to till. Such was the extension of learning, and the encouragement given to literature, that one author alone was to have tuade nu,oisol. by his works. 'l'here was, too, one pub. usher that annually sold 3,enthcoho copies ; that employed brio derks ; that expended 5,1001. for adveruseinents ; and that gave employment to itiki bookbinders. shell was the trade of one house. There were upwards of too circulating libraries in London : there were many all over the country ; and beside: those there were Book clubs. There were many reviews and scientific works, and the most valuable standsad works were in numbers, though suhli sale had been limited by one of the S,x Acts for the Suppression of Knowledge. Pi lineal knowledge had also bee) *tatty increased by means of neaspapers, According to the last acturns there were annually about twenty three millions of newspapers, eleven millions of which were London daily newspapers. Tho se p a p ers h a d doubled within the last 20 years. Had the government kept pace with the in. telligenee of the people ?—for no govenmient could be stable Nut did not du so. lie submitted that it had not. The noble Lord then went onto an extended argument, to show that the in crease of wealth, and the progress of nianuractures, like the ad. vancement 01 knowledge amongst the mass of the people, called for e revision of the representation of die people. Tory writers and Tory Statesmen opposed the principle, but it was found supported by the history as well as the constitution of this country According to the present state of die Representation, it could not be said that there was the requsite sympathy between that House and the people. It was known that the aristocracy had great influence in the return of members ; it was also known that the goveinnient eontrouled many return, ; and as dial was hot the repreentatioss eontempLeted by the Constitution, and as he contended that Befoul' alone could save the country, he felt the mon earnest in pressing this motion on the serious attention of Ithe House. lie concluded, amidst loud cheering, with moving, as a rtsolution, "'!'hat it was e:pedient to take into consideration the state of the reptueenteeion." Mr. TW ISS followed, opposing the motion. Lord FOLKSTONI?, supported the motion, and entered at length into a review and refutation of the argumuns corium - el in the celebaed speech of Mr. Canning, delivered by him to Constituents at Liverpool, wane time ago. lie treated the doe trine as balancing the three estates of Kin g . Lords, and Curti nna,!„ in die Ilouse of Commons, as MUM alssurtl. r• sa you, .Me. F. linbm •nn, veal Me. (;arming, of cont.:, opposod the umotion. after which, Lund JULIA ItUS!"1.:1.1. hill.rtly replied. TilV want of egret: meat inn hst milk plan had been objectul. I%w stone objection, if vhlid, ought to nave been ilitsh w the Rcvautaat ; for Inad not been two members whim would boar asoersl in the uhi•ct tar w Lela the Paha,- in it.atiit. wt... to 1)... col ' OLI 4.0,1 . 1111 Mr. l'E El, 11..4 nut to expl..in iiw.iy or retract what he sibil last night, hut to repeat, that lu would not be the instrument of a measure which he did not rur.ci ntiuu.ly approve of. It was not from disrespect to the lionw, but from ranxientioui con viaion that Mr. Hunt was not a proper object for the royal mercy. The House divided— Ayes, 164 I Noes, '469 I Majority against the motion, 103. This result was received with loud und repeated cheering by the opposition.—Aeljuumed. VRIDAY, APRIL 26. The gallery seas crowded, ce.u.ritit ore of the ex pectation that the agliculluiai que,tiou would be brought forward ; but the farther consideration of the Report on Agricillture was postponed, last night, during the absence of strangers trout the gallery on the dtvisivu, till Monday next. Petitions complaining of agricultural distress were pre sented Prow Cork, Waterford, and South Ethertoo, in Suntersetblaire.—The two termer were referred to the owntittee, and the latter ordered to be printed. Mr. WILLIAMS (the barrister) took the oaths and his ‘eat for Lincoln. Mr. M A. TAYLOR gave notice, that on the 47th May lie should submit a motion respecting the appellant jai is diction of the Conn of Chancery and the House of Lords. lie also gave notice, that in the course of the next session he should propose to introlloce a grand jury into the cri minal proceedings of Scotland. A petition was presented from the tanners of Glamor gen, praying for the repeal of the leather duty. Mr. YNG presented the Middlesex reform petition. —Ordered to be printed. Dr. LIJSIIINGION presented a petition from Mr. Clark, the publisher of " Queen Mob," complaining of the conduct of the Vice Suppression society in conducting tile prosecution against him, and of the proceedings res pecting the recogniz.inces.—Oidered to lie on the table. Mr. LUSHINGTON moved, that the house at its rising do adjourn to Monday next. Mr. HUNII'. !sieved, that various papers illustrative of the expenditure of 51,0001. be referred to • committee. The items were varied—charges for printing, for clerks of the Lord Lieutenant, drc.—Ordered. ....... Mr. S. RICE presented a petition from Limerick against the Irish window tax. The to. Cher consideration of the reports of the Re ceivers' General bill, and the Superannuation bill, was pustponi d. l(ir. G. BENNET asked, if the agricultural question were nut brought forward on Monday next, whether the committee of supply would be proceeded with ? Mr. LUS HMG lON did not doubt that his noble friend (the Marquis of Londonderry) would be enabled to attend in his place on 111..itilay. Mr. HUME ask, d whether the Government had given any orders respecting the supply or non-supply of gun. powder or aniniunition to Greece or Constantinople, and liether sir T. Maitland had issued any proelaniatiou 01 the subject ? He knew or sonic shipments. 51r. WILMOT replied, that a proclamation had been issued, and that the shipments were made in ignorance of rush regulation ; but they bad been stopped, or should be stopped. The Committee of Supply, the Silk Lace bill, &c. were postponed till Monday. LONDON BRIDGE. Sir W. CURT( moved the second readingof the Lon don BiidKe Water-works bill. . - Sir W. DE EICESPIONY trusted that the proprietors would he protected; speaking for himself, lie was pre pared to acquiesce in tile proposition that had been made. He, however, spoke only as an individual. Ad he con tended for was a fair mid equitable compensation; when that was promised, lie should withdraw his opposition. Ile understood 10,0c01. only had been uttered. Mr. H. SUMNER observed, that the dilapidation% of London Bridge hail been frequently complained of. The committer had been ut the unanimous opinion that there wile no means of is-moving the dangerous obstriletion• of the river without taking down London Bridge. As to the present bill, all he had to desire was, that the reports about the bridge, as well as the Southwark petition, i should be referred to the committee on the bill; lie then should have no doubt that such prom-tiling regarding the bridge would be recommended as were advisable. Mr. DE ISON cunciiired in this made of pout:ceding with the bid. The proseik bridge had been most pru peily complaint ti of. \hi. Ald. WOO!) would oppose the bill, if he thought it would prevent the building ut a sew bridge. It would nut. It was necessary, at all events, that the water-works should be removed, whether or nut there was to be a new bridge. Tile bill was read a second time, and ordered to be re. (erred to a committee above mails, to winch the reports respecting ',melon 1!, edge %tura referred. Mr. H. I , t'AINElt moved that the Southwark petition be refilled to thee committee. —Motion agreed 10. Tice remaining orders having been disposed of, Mr. BARHAM noised for returns of lic e nc e , granted to vie I ttailer. and ut applications refused, since lull. by the magistrates of the stud other dust stela ~ —Orduret. The haulm Bleu adjoin tied to Mooday. It is expecteil that some notice will be taken in Parliament of the state of the accounts of the trea surer of the County of Middlesex, fur it is a very great hardship that the county should be obliged to wake up any deficiency that might have arisen by the misconduct of others. The latter ought to be investigated to the utmost, for never was u country that has snared so much as England by public de flutters. There should paro,:hial meetings held immediately to petition Parliament on the subject, to institute au inquiry into recent proceedings. A tenant of a gallant Baronet, residing in the neighbourhcxxl of Bury St. Edmund's, lately applied to his landlord to inform him that he could nut go on longer, and wished the latter to enter upon the pre iniws and pay itttoself for two years rent which were then due. The landlord insisted that he 'hull not leave his ; gave hint a receipt in f. 4// for his rent; and reduced it, in future, to 20s. au tesre!