The National Register. — London, England, 1816-02-25 00:00:00

f, : much greater prospect of this police being permanent than many other <l tubers. The occupation of the whole of the French fortresses on the frontier by the Belgian troops, ss mild rot ha" e given so much security to the Netherlands, as a strung alliance like that which now protects her front any attgre‘sioll that France might be disposed to put upon her. The depres sions at present felt in this country he cousider ed as temporary; for they were only of the nature of those usually felt by every nation on a return to a state of peace, after a lung and expen sive war. Mr. Howse,: would not have troubled the House, bad he wet wished his opinions on this great question to be distinctly understood. Whateser opinion he had, and still did hold, as to the origin of the war; or as to the late negotiations, no one would doubt that he felt the highest exultation that the galkud defenders of this country had, in valour, exceeded all former precedent. This gave us a military strength of as extent of %which we were never conscious before ; and which he fen utt ly prayed might be employed for the defence of the country; not in the quarrels of the Continent, probably for projects of unjus Millar ambition. His main objections to the Treaties were, that they did notiprodnee that security which they had a right to expect, and because they had at last disclosed the project of forcing the Bourbon Government on France after it bad been di-avowed, in violation of the faith of the Crown pledged to Parliament ; for last year, when the idea of forcing the Bourbons ou France was pressed on the Noble Lord, he over and os er repelled it, us un unnecessary interkrenee on oar part with the internal affairs of France. Many Members then voted for a renewal of the war against Buonaparte, placing more coof.dence in the Noble Lord's words than lie did , namely, that it was to be a war for our own security, and that that security would not depend on the restoration of the Bourbons. That pledge was given to •the People of France, as well as to Parliament ; and it was too late now, by je nitieal examination of the words of the Treaties, to whew t1:.1? the restoration of the Bourbons was intended at that time. !lid it was denied in the Declaration of the Allies ; and, in consequence of that, many virtnow persons in France exerted themselves to keep down the rising spirit of the people from joining the man whom be believed they hated, to prevent their country being invaded by foreign troops. It was a lamentable thing that such a breach of faith bad been committed by this roman . . The Treaties had not now for their object to keep back linonaparte, the usurper, but to maintain the Bourbons on the throne of France ; and that was to be done by support ing a large standing army, and by a military alliance. There was another mode of supporting that object, and that was by raising large sums flow the people of France, whirl, the Noble Lord (Cagleteagh) had called a tran q uillizing policy. If we could judge of the kelitigs of the people of France by our own, the raising heavy pecuniary contributions was any thing but a tranquillizing policy. But he hoped that Parliament would take care to prevent those sums being appropriated as droits of the Crown, without the consent of the Legislature; part of it was to be given to the Pope to enable him to bring borne his pictures ; or, perhaps, to erect a Monument to King Henry IX. For his own part lie wished that the present Go vernment might continue 111 France, not because they were Atnireens ; lint in order to restore peace to that country Mir r MO many llVlAlltiOng. BO to have that Government supported by foreign armies was the ;mildest degradation that Frunee could endure. Constant irritation must be the consequeuce ; and should there be a national most:meta of France against this foreign force, the overwhelming power of the Allies would overwhelm that unhappy country, mud totally dismember it. He admitted that the necessity of security, or of self de fence, would justify interferenee with the internal affairs of another country ; and nothing else would justify , such an iti terference. They had been told by the Noble Lord, that the :Sovereigns regarded speeches made in that Boost , , in favour of liberty, with a jealous t•ye. Ile hoped the Noble Lord had not given his acquiescence in that conduct hut it was a sad proof of had company and foreign trawl to hear the NOW Lord state such a fact in a house where he had gained so much re putation. It showed what the people of Eutope were likely to gain by a set of military despots, when they could be jealous of a few speeches made by an obscure minority, while they bad the Noble Lord and his triumphant majority to support taco. He considered that our real means of security were, the preser% ing the territorial integrity of Franey; and the establishing such a Government iii that country as would pos sess coufidence of the. peopk. There nus MO chance 1.1 permanent repose to Europe without obtaining these two peat ends. Mr. C. GRANT dt fended the Treaty in all its brandies. Titers. nese'. had, he was ready to contend, been a Treaty con cluded which bad dom. so rus h to raise the honour of Cleat Britain, and to consolidute her power in every part of the old as this had done, Au lion. Friend of his (Mr. Horner) bad said that the terms imposed on France would tend to els grade the Bourbons in the eves of the French nation. In his Mr. Grant's) opinion it world hate. a contrary effect. The French people could not be ignorant of recent events—they could not have forgotten the terms of peace granted to the Bourbons in 1814, and if they bad non a harder fate, they could not fail to see, that to litionaparte, and not to the Bourbons, they were indebted for that fate.( Laud cheering from the .11i-' Benchts.l—The lion. Gentleman concluded, by giving his warmest support to the Address. Mr. PONSIIINLY opposed the 'Freaty generally, but more par ticularly that part of it w bieh bound us to support a force of 30,000 men; but stipulations having been entered into, he wished to know why our contingent should not be formed of continental troops, rather than British troops. He particu larly objtcted to thus ks...plitg, as it were. an advanced-guard of the British army ; and contended, that this masa system less likely than any which could have been adopted for indocina the Powers of the Continent to reduce their military cstainish mats. Ouc effect it would base ; that was, giving to the Crown of this country act imluenee dangerous to the liberty of the subject. Lord CASTLER Lm.it replied to the variOllS arguments urged agaimt his motion when Sir C. Moarii iii vain attempted to be heard—The House then divided -For the Amendment 17 — Against it 240--The original Motion w ;lb then care ied. EDNESDAN, tlit. 21. There being only 38 members present at the usual hour, the house adj•iurned till to.morrow. _ Tut itsti.sy, Frit. 22. Mr. LOCKHART 'HOU:Zia in a hill to regulate the sales of Farming Stock.--kcal a first time. Mr. Goners presented a petition from one of the hundreds of Suffolk, signed by a thousand persons, complaining of agri cultural distresses, asking the relief of parliament, and parti cularly pointing out the liard.hip of the malt duty, and the Camels' horse duty. Ordered to lie on the table. iy. PILLORY A 1101. 1 .'110N. Mr. M. A. TAYLOR thought it nuot occur to every urntle man, that, in submitting this motion, he need say very little af ter the unanimous WA.' of last session. The bill si as delayed In the other house b) the indivosition of the noble lord on the THr. NATIONAL REGISTER. woolsack. Some persons wished the continuance of the hay for the punishment of fraud and perjury; but he should offer his bill in the sante state as he had done before. This punishment was left wholly to the caprice of the multitude. and ought not to remain on the statute-books. Certain horrible crimes were punished by the pillory, ym public decency shrunk from such exhibitions. Men who. in the Taut of part), and with a desire to pull down a minister, were foetid guilty of a libel,.sv ere punished in the same manner as a m retelt whose perjury might hose affected the life of his fellow-creature. Could any man approve Ot . this? The Malt who committed a violent outrage on morality might be hailed by a molt? and the political libeller, owing to party tidings, might be almost pelted to death. We had never heard any body say that the law ought not to be revised, ;11111 in most I:34('S the punishment abolished. The difference of opinion was generally as to the extent of Vac alterations that were desirable. Some would confine it to perjrtry ; others high in the law, would go fur titer ; but yet they bad not stated their arguments in a tangi ble shape. In proposing the total abolition, he should wish to substitute, in small cases, tine and imprisonnient ; and in higher cases transportatiomparticularly for certain detestable offences. He then moved for leave to bring in his bill. Sir R. Htmov imant to offer an amendment to the hill, but rhoulti not mess it,if it appeareil against the sense of the house. Certain otiences hail of We much increased, nod, he feared, 011$11g too much to the vrevailing mildness and indulgence. All who attended the nssizes lutist know bow difficult it is to convict capitally offenders of this nature. Es idenee could ge nerally be got only by the suspicious testimony of an accom p ice. Convictions were chiefly for assaults with an intent. As to transporting these persons, it might subject others trans ported to punishments worse than what the law inflicted. If such crimes were effectually checked in upper life it wonld have a great elfect. The disordered wretch, who stood In lit tle fear of imprisonment, pillory, ur death, might perhaps be affected by the terror of perpetual disgrace and scorn. Leave was given to bring in the bill. COURT OF SESSION. . Sir Jolts NEwenterealled the attention of the House to a nun-compliance with two orders made in the last Session of Parliament, for a return of fees taken in the Court of Session in Scotland. An Address had been voted to the Prince Regent on the Moth of April, for the production of these accounts, and another on the 21th of May; and yet, although the House con tinued sitting till July, the return was never made. In order therefore, to assert the authority of the House, and convince every court in the kingdom of the necessity of obeying its orders, he should move an address to the throne, representing that the papers in question bad not yet been laid before the House conformably to the Prince Regent's directions, and praying that the proper officer be directed ffirthw ith to produce them, with a statement of the reasons, if any, of the delay which had taken place. Mr. WA - tel.:ll4s would not attempt to justify the court, if he conceived that the delay proceeded front any disrespect to the House. A return might certainly to have been made as to the alleged augmentation of fees, even though that return should have been ^ nil." There was a commission now in existence for in q uiring into the fees taken in courts of justice, and the herds of sessiou had fallen into the misapprehension that it was to these commissioners the return might to be made. Ile hoped, thei cline, the I fon. Raronet would agree to leave out the words expressive of censure, which could only Terse to les sen the dignity of the court, and by these means to lessen its public importance and utility. He might add, as a fact, that the second order had missed its way front the Secretary of State's Office, and had never reached the court of session. Mr. HORN Ell 01011Zilt the last mentioned circumstance, if true, sufficiently exculpated the court from the charge of eon tinacy. lle apprehended, however, that the lords of session had, by what was called an act of solemn', exceeded their powers, in assuming a legislative authority to raise the fees of the court, which was in fact taxing the subject. Mr. Bunt nuAM expressed his hope that the non-compliance of the court would be timid to have originated in misconcep tion, not in obstinacy or the insolence of office. After some further conversation, upon the suggestion of Mr. p 0 ,,, w 0 g , it was :agreed, that the words implying censure should be 'tied, as the cause of the delay was at prescut un known. The question was then put and carried. INCOME TAX. Mr. Ifinnutinxm presvnted a petition against the property tax, Firm d by 172 M persons, inhabitants of Clerkenwell. I Inn. Metulit r observed, that the petitioners humbly bitt warm ly represented that they bad cheerfolly borne the tiecessary burthens of e ar, anti had exulted in the glorious success by which it was brought to a termination, but that a tax on income in a time of peace would not only he oppressive, but altogether intolerable. They concluded with an observation which he conceived would he te-echoed through the country, that if the imposition of this tax was to be the result of all our exertions, they would be led to question the utility of those splendid victories with which the anus of the country had been crowned. The petition was then read, and ordereilin lie on the table. Mr. It .uric observed, that the country was at present very generally preparing to petition against the renewal of this tax. Under these circumstances, he conceived the house ought nut to be called on at so early a day as Monday to a vote which would commit them to the peace establishment. (I/car, &dr.) 'The public might he expected to express its sentiments within a very few days, and he could see no necessity for pressing the discussion. A delay of ten days or a Stir toighut would produce no inconvenience; and he should ti t er, f ore , if t h e were brought torn and on Monday, object in limint to the no ble lord rut,i inc upon it. Mr. H. Matu'ltll rose to muse for an nce ,y nn t o f a ll pro . cesses issued flom the embryo r for the recovery of taxes mil arrears °luxes since the Ist January 1413, distinguishing those issued for debts under 51. This process was by writ of kturi facia-, and was attended With great expense 10 the defendant. Fit t : cases had come to Isis Lliersledgt., in which this process had been taken out, where the debt was in one instance fifteen and in the other seven shillings. (Mar, hear.) He was sure, that when this return should be bailee the house, it would speak volume , as to the extent of individual distress prevail ing in the count' y. A fuer somc con% ersation between the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, Al. W. Smith, and Mr. Thompson, the motion was agreed to and the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that an enquiry would be made, whether a more summary and less expensive process could not be employ, ed for the recovery ut small rums. _ . - - Sir SA NU El. Rot4tLl.v brought in a bill to amend the 10th and 1111 i of R illiam 111. so faros relates to taking away the benefit of elei gy from persons convicted of stealing in shops to the va. lue of .7.... Itc act a filst time, and ordered to be react a c ,, econd time nu Nioncia:c next, and to 1w printed. Lord Cot !MAKE gave notice, that oo Wednesday nest, he should call the attention of hmise to the charge gic en I.) the Chief ,ju•tiee of the Court of King's Bench to the jury, m the me of Dr Berenger mad others. PETI. 25, The .logy acsideucc bill neat through a committee. puraed. rnioAv, FEERVATLV 23. IN CON' TAx. Petitions against the eontitioanee of the tax on property were presented from Yarmouth, Alahien, Il.lth , Stilliing, and otiose places, and were resimetitely 1 tderrd to lie on the table. Mr. By xi; present, it a similar petition flout the parish of St. Luke, Middlesex, sigt,ed by 3,500 householder:, and pray ing the house not to sanction those unconstitutional measines for the inerease of a large military establishment, whirls could alone render necessary the re-imposition of so unjust, partial, and oppressive a burtlien. 31r. BN NG iiii,C%tiAe presented another of the sante nature from the parish of St. Mary, Islington. Ordered to lie on the table. Sit JAMES SH ‘l4" presented petitions ozninst the property tax Crum the wards of Portsoken, Altkute., and Itkliopsgate. Sir WILLIAM CURTIS presented petitions to the Aatne effect from the wards of Candlewick an d Farringdon Without.—Or ilertil to lie on the table. Mr. (ions: I...‘siurox presented n petition containing the like prayer from the inhabitants of the city of Itatli. Sir 'lutist As ACKLAND presented a petition, signed by 500 land.owners, cultivators, and renters of land. in and about the city of Exeter, prating relief under the present s)stein of taxation. The petition was then ordered to ikon the table. Sir Dom ss ACKLAND presented several other petitions of the same description, which were ordered to lie on the table. A new writ was ordered to be issued tOr the borough of I'ar• mouth, in the Isle of it ight, in the room of Sir Henry Mont gomery, who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. The bill for the abolition of the puni•l u oent of the pillory was brought in and rcad a first time.--Ordered to be read Second time this day e'nnight. Leave of absence, on account of urgent business, for one mouth, %vas grauted,aftersnme objection. to Mr. Grattan. tiEN ER Mr. JONES inquired whether the expense of the monument to the memory of the late General Picton was limited to 3,000 guineas% He asked the question, herause he understood there were in St. Paul's moimments to officers of the rank only of rust-captain, which had cost 4,000 guineas. Mr. Lost: said, the subject belonged to the department of the treasury, which had limited the expense to 3,000 guineas. One cause of the difference in the expense allotted to by Jim Hon. Gent. was the great alteration which had taken place in the price of marble, which from Aix guineas had fallen to two guineas a foot. General 3loore's 111011111114:11t hail cost 4,000 guineas; but it was to be observed, that when Gen, Moore fell, lie was the commander-in-chief. Mr. JONES was not satisfied with the Right Hon. Geutleman' explanation, and should therefore take an opportunity of bring Mg the subject before the House. LORD ELGIN'S MARBLES. The CHANCELLOR of the Exesexnegit rose, in pursuance of his notice, to call the attention of the House to the collection of marbles in the possession of the Earl of Elgin. Towards the close of the last session of Parliament, the Noble Earl had presented a petition to the I loose , pra3 Mg that an inquir% migll be made into the valve of his collection, which he was desirous of telling to Government for the use of the public. 'l•he cir cumstance.: under which the Noble Lord had become possessed of those matchless productions were so ttcll known, that the Right Hon. Gentleman would not trouble the House at any length on the subject. They were acquired by him, in the course otitis mission to Constantinople, with the greatest ex ertions, and at a very considerable expense, and might be justly considered as the most valuable works of art that had ever been brought from the western parts of Europe•. Every perm n acquainted with that Noble Lord must be sew are, that his ob ject had been solely directed to the advancement of the arts; but being unable,frnm circumstances which itwas then unneces sary to t epeat, to futill his munificent intentions. he was natural ly anxious that the public should enjoy the ads :image ufhis la bouts. As to the amount of the remuneration to be given to his Lordship, the Right Hon. Gent. wished to lease it to the judginent of tin. House. 'l•he collection was too well known to make it necessary tbr him to reWr to the opinions of the most eminent artists ; it was, beyond all question, the most an cient and genuine that had e% er appeared, and the country would be naturally proud of possessing a mass of models for the arts, whkh the united collections of Europe could hardly pro &tee. The committee, however, fur which he intended to mos e, would be enabled to call proper judges before theta in order to ascertain the value. It was agreed, On built sides of the House, that, in the present situation of the country, it was in the high est degree desirable to avniu any unneccomry expenditure ; but it should not be forgotten, that it' the present opportunity were missed, it alight nes er occur again. He saw no prospect but, in the course of x short time, these exquisite works of art must be dispersed, or disposed of to foreign purchasers. The House had before an opportunity of acquiring a vahiable vol. lection, and they had, for public purposes, and on public grounds, availed themselves of it. They bad now tiw otter of more splendid collection ; and it was certainly one of the must wonderful events of the day, that the works Of should become the properly of a native 1.1 l•uledonia. The desire of conterring honour on the arts, as well as on the arms of this country was the *yet of his motion; for, of all die :me, scalp tore was at present the least flourishing w England. lie should therefore move, That a select committee he appointed to in quire whether the collection of the Earl of Elgin ought to he purchased ; and it' so, what price ought to be attired for it ? alid that the said 1111 l ittve should adjourn from plaer to place, that they might have power to examine the works of art, and to call proper persons before them. Lord Ossel.,,TUN thought the house should consider whether an ambassador ought to he permitted to avail himself of his official character to possess such valuable muunmcuts,•aud at to convert them to his own us e . 31r. BA NKES conceived that the committee ought to inquire into the foamier in which the noble lord became pnsses•ed of these works of art, and the expense!. %%hid% lie hail incurred. Much would depend n the result of that investigation tin• it would then appear what degree of % ested right in those mar bles the public had already acquired. In his opinion the noble lord had obtained them iii his character of ambassador, and not as a private traveller; if so, his lordship had no right to dispose of them out of the country. Mr. Anultt Rosin's: agreed that it was a matter of public duty not to hold 11111 a precedent to ambassadors to avail them selves of their situation to obtain such property, and then to convert it to theironu purposes. 31r. Grin DON would not enter at all into the merits of lord Elgin on this subject, but thought that the present state of the country did not justify the tight Hon. Gentleman in making his motion. Hon c% ee desirable these marbles aught be for the promotion of the arts, it would be %cry imp - dine and improper at this time to incur any unnecessary e%pendi tui e, tic therefore wished the right lion. Gentleman to posi-