The National Register. — London, England, 1817-05-12 00:00:00

146 as‘igned'why both the Post-masters General were to be re tained. The office of Keeper of the Great Seal in Scotland was to exist still, hut tke salary ttas not to exceed 20001. stud similar regulations were to be made in the Oakes of Lord Privy Seal, and Lord Justice General in Scotland. '1 Its Commillee,towever, did not cotidescend to give any reasons for these recommendations. The proposed saving which arise from adopting the recommendation of the Coin dttee would be about 50,0001. out of which, according to the Noble Lord's fitutrrnesit, pensions to the amount of 30.0001. or 42,4391. was to he vistaed, leaving 00091. or 10,0031. at most ; and how much of•this wneld he saved when it was considered that die board of 'f reasury would have the yower of inurrasinp, the salaries of Deputies to an equality with those.of principals? So much for the economy of the measine, with respect to the increased intiue nee of Ilse ,Crow n, he was our of those who thought it had increased ; ,and, what WAS more important. that its intlitecea was not ,contim•rt to the House of Commons, but that its influence Aesteneled to the it lection of .%lembers of Parliament before they came into the House. 11 Slit revert to the present mo tion, he shonld not oppose it, as he considered it as of little ! consequence wbeihei it was e.srriesl or not. Unit CasTi.LnLAnis said a few isfirtis in explanation. Mr iksufaxnx spoke in lissom- of the Repot t. Stu J. NEWPMCI CUiittlllitl,itiA• the Committee, after sit 'Minx three months had done nothing snore than adopt the lid introduced last session by the lion. Menilser for Corte Castle (Mr. Banks); whoa lt Bill. boa ever. the y had su aitered. :15 to fender it, it' adopted, entirely useless. The objections to 1114 tep.4rt of the Committee now was not, as had been stated, that it went too far in the work of retienchinent but that it did not go far enough. Mr. NI 4ir vArr complained of the meamre of Sinecure Of fice., in th e C o loni e s, s spectalls in the Island of Demerara ; in whiten, slut ing the lime it was tinder the controul of the lintel', there vitt, slot a single sinecure office Now the expenditure of the !Amid had •inci eased so h, that he was told by a gent tematt this 'training, who had an estate his Demerara, that till. log the time the l)titch had possession of the Islam!, his taus were Iole mule than 20J1. a yr, ar, whereas at present the , : exceeded 7001. Mr. Itontssok complained that it was unfair, in a debate like t h e present, to quote individual cases. The Hun 6en tlenivit had complained of persons lioldin4 Offices in the Co lonies who never were there ; did the Hon. Gentleman forget thst a Bill passed, three )ears ago, rendering residence neves- aary. Lord MILTON said,his objection tothis Report was, that it neither a ent fir enough, not did it proceed upon any sound, general principles. Mr. 1). GILBERT said, the Committee bad adopted, as nearly as possible, one of the Reports of a former Finance Committee. Mr. TistisEV said, that if there hail been any real wish for Irmo( netiimmt in the Ci• tire, their Omit m n might hale lead the Report when he pi esented it to the House on the 911,, mid then have moved fur have to tiring in a Bill to abolish Sin. cures. He weut our day to this Committee, and found an HOll. Co-11110111111 snowing certain prop er Resolutions, that all Sinecure O ffi ces, and thos- executed by Deputy, should be abolished; het the Noble Lord (Castlereach) would not con sent to it ; anil he moved, that certain Offices be abolished ; and when he (Tierney) asked him for his reason, he refused to assign one ; Paying, it was dangerous. Accordingly the peopuslunu of the Noble Lord was carried in the Committee, un a division of 16 to 3. He was afraid, that by the course the Committee were adopting no good would be done in the preeet Session. The C 'tier ought to have looked to the Pension List, which amounts to 210,0091. a year. and then bare seen whether they might not have saved at least 10,0001. They hail recommended 20001. a vehr to be given to the Vase Pic sident of rte Board of Trade; now hr wished to know why the Master of the Mint, or the TIT3bUIVE of the Navy coui.l not perform the duties of that I Wire. One Postina•ter too was, in his opinion, sufficient for the ditties of the Once. The Committee il, have made its Report in a month after its fen illation. He affirmed, without fear of contradiction, that there vomit be a deficiency in our income of ih mill' for the seat t which held out so horrible a prospect, that his opinion tine Committee ought to enquire into every branch et useless expenditure, and recommended their immediate abolition. 1311104% the Peace Estahlishinint were reduced notch brlow 19 ntillions. the country must be bankrupt. He hoped this Report would be adopted, although in his opinion there never was a Committee that deserved less the confi dence or approbation of the country. The Resolutions were then agreed to, for leave to bring in Bids to abolish the offices of Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Chief Justices in Eyre, the Auditors of the Exchequer, ixe. TUESD AV, MAY 6. 11Ir. P. Lewta postponed his motion for the appointment of u Wool Cminnitzce till the next session. ME. BENNETT pre.cotit a petitim, from J. Hammond, at present in the Fleet Prison for contempt of the Court of Chaucer), It appeared, that this person had been confined ever since the month ut November. 1611, and might continuo there flit the whole course of his natural life, tl •h t ap peared he hail t omplicil widi the orilms of the Court, anti had made the returns ill the Lord Chancellor, the itlilodiling of %illicit aas the imputed contempt for which he was confined wrid he ucw remained a prisoner because he could not cleat Ins contempt, that was, pay his fees. Sin F. BURDETT expressed in strong terms the indignation f. it at a person being thus as it at re illt• fa l'.•f • r.ticit for life. Alr.Wveng and Mr. i.sstsx thought a clause might he in troduced into the 111101 Vent Debtor's Act for the relief or per sons in this situation. Mit. CANNING 's MISSION. Mr. LA MISTOW, pursuant to his notice, rose to brine for war.; his motion on the sobjtet of the late Mission to Lisbon. He should on this occasion content himself with a detail of facts, and should nut consider it as an attack on the conduct of a private individual, Lot as an investigation of the conduct of Ministers. The Hon. Gent[mai, then proceeded to read various dispatches connected with the appointment of Mr. Cauniug, winch, he said, it was pretended, took place In con,equence of the expected return of the 1 1 1 ince of the Brazils to Europe. Among other documents, be read two letters front Lord Stratieford, one dated the L'.3l of April, 1814, and the other flat, d the faith of Atieus', of the saint Je-dr t these were the letters upon which Ministei s pretended to found their expectations of the Prince of the Brazils re fill n, though be contended that they afforded no room lot all Omen expeetat on; awl even if there Itail been room fo r ;i d s awl; xp eta ion, Ministers had still conducted this !Eamon:. lion with a in ist blamable profusion; for the Right Honoura ble Gi in. was appointe.l at least six months before the Prim. 4.'0.'41 to any possibility have arrived. That Miirodeis re! edscit•ti, once no doubt could exist ; for ten day: before amatioticent of the Right lion. Gent. Ministers n rote a * Ms . V, at 144 t a ut our Luttoy at Liaboo, roues& THE NATIONAL REGISTER. mending economy to him, and telling lino that he must con fine his ex pences within his allowance, year. These were the Noble Lord's prudent instrtictious to Mr. Sydenhatti, vet within ten days after, Willthlit 7114 V i:Ith1111:16011, the No ble Lord and his Colleagues appointed the !tight lion. Gent. Ambassador Extraurdiiiary to Lislion, with an allowatic of 14,00111. a year. Here, with this allowance, the Right lion. Gentleman continued at Lisbon, till lie had ITCCieed 18,0001. of the public motley, for doing nothing, except, indeed, making a neat speech to the Factory at Lisbon. Here he contioned till the eyes of the pnbtic were completely opened, and till the Right Hon. Gent, Was still better provided tar.— After some further oleic' vations,, In nhich the lion. Member imputed to Ministers a wish to withhold information on this subject, he concluded by moving three Resolutions, the firm of which was put by the Chair, and stated, that on the I fdli of July, 1314. Lost% casttereagli, by ha Royal Highness's it tote to tel Sydenham, our then Envoy at Lisbon, communicating 40 hint his Royal Highness's commands, that he should confine the expense of kis mission withili the limits of his oisnal income, 52:101. it year ; awl stating, that at pre .cut his Royal Hightie-s foresaw no probability (daily cir cumstance occurring which could call l'ur any increase of ex penditure on his pat t. Lord CasTkEttkaGit said, the question to he discussed was, as lie understood it, whether the appointment o f his Hight Hon. Friend had been necessary ; and Whether it had been a la-islt expenditure of the public money; and if the ease stood, really, as the lion. Gent. had pot it, then indeed it was what he had called it ; but he trusted he should be able to give it a very diffetent feattne in the eNpiattation Whills he should have to give to the House : and first, with respect to the salary which had been assigned to his Right Hon. Friend, it had been stated at 14,1001. whereas in fact it was only ti,atial. the remaining sum was taken nominally as for contin gencies. Mr. Sydealtam was a minister of a second-rate, Mr. was a minister of the first role ; Mr. Spit:nitwit was Envoy to the temporary Regency of Portugal, Mr. Canning was appointed ,liiiliassailor to the Sovereign of the Country, mid sent to welcome him on his iettien to Liirope. It was therefore 11111hill' to draw a comparison between the two ap• pointinents. With respect to the return of the l'rince Regent of Portugal, it was at this period very much desire el, from political motives, as his absence very much embarrassed the um , ements and politics of the Europe: .n Powers. It was held by his Majesty's Government liolitie and rieiii, that a compliment should be paid to the Prince Pegent of Portugal, to congratulate him on his return. Would the lion. Gent. argue, that his Alajesty's :Ministers had not an expectation Of the Prince's returnr would they say, that it came within the pounds of probability. that his Majesty's servants should think it necessary to appoint his Right Hint. Friend an Ambassador, to fit out a fleet, and to send it a-cross the Atlantic, with no other ob j ect than that of obtaining the aid and support even of Ins Right Hon. Friend ?—a Ice gh.—Wottlil they have adopted such a coarse to gain Iris support ? It was an idea too ridiculous to argue. - !bar, hear ! It had been asked, but why did the appointment take place at so early a period ? Should it mot lit recollected that some time was necessary far his Right lion. Friend to make his preparations; with it' con. trary winds and weather had not intervened to prevent Ad miral Berest . ord tiom sailing at the time his orders called on him to sail. his Right Hon. Friend would not have had too muck time in reason for making his preparations. The Noble Lord concluded by moving the previous question. Sir F. Boomer was not at all satisfied or convinced by the explanation of the Noble Lord, %lei, with all his great talents at confusing subjects. hod tailed to cenfuse Ibis, which was a tratisactimi clear to every one's perception. With respect to to the Right lion. Gentleman a Ito sat next the Noble Lord, he (Sir F.) recollected, that on one occasion, that Right Hon. Gentleman hail told his Constituents, that on no terms could he come into office with the Noble Lord, consistent with his honour. Now be had always been led to believe that what a Gentleman tun not do consisteot w ith his honour, he could not do at all. Hut the Right Hon. Gentleman had some how or other got over that diffienlity, and bad even forgotten, or excused the incapacity of the Noble Lord of which he had previously talked so 1111 l ch.—//air, hear I The fact vi as, how ever, that the Noble Lord wanted the Right Hon. Gentle man's services, anti the Right Hon. Gentleman had services to dispose of. Fortunately at this period the Noble Lord had a place amongst the Ministers of the first order vacant, and the Right Hon. Gent. had talents at the Noble Lord's service, and wit ready to till up the vacancy. --(A laugh.) The only un fortunate ciremnstanee was, that when the Noble Lord came down to night to explaiu the transaction to Parliament, he failed in every point. The lion. Baronet contended, that the appointment was considered out of doors a most scandalous job ; and varnish it as Ministers would, an inch thick, it was a scandaious peculation on the public tease. He hoped the eyes of the country would be open to the necessity of putting an end to this species of jobs ; and for this reason he should support the motion. Sir J. Beaeseoeu stated, that the Prince Regent of Por ingal had desired him to wait at the Brazils. lo rug desirous to go to Lisbon whenever opportunity offered, for lie soon ex pected all arrival. After waiting snore time the Honourable Officer again applied to the Prince to know when he would be ready to go. It was not till the end of April the Prince gave hi. final answer. Mr. CANNING began by saying, that with respect to the Hon. Barmiet's. assertions, he trusted he should be able to convince the House that lie was not guilty of the charges so broadly stated, The Government had been clrirgiri as i l k having, for certain fraudulent purposes, availed themselves of the pretext that the Prince Regent of Portugal ititemieil to return front the Brazils (to Lislem ; and, secondly, that the Mi -sion with which he ball le-en tetresteil, was cite of im mense prodigality. The Right Hon. Gent. lime (amed into an examination of the Doetteneini furnished, and now on the table ; and referred to the dispatch of Lord Bathurst, in re spect to the expected return ill the Prince Regent aunt she Brazils. On the 2Stit Aug. tic received the letter from Lord Liverpool, at Ma nehester, intimating the intentien, and ex pressine the eindident belief, that he would really return. At tha' time he (Mr. C.) eetertained Ito doubts of the proba bility of the Prince Regent's return. tie had, to be situ., he:u•d doubts in the city, on the sultject ; Lint when the Prince desired a certain Commandi r to tonvoy him home, then, if li e had any lituld. they wwild have been removed by - the testimony. of Lord strangford. Beside-, Government were in toossessio:. of previous information. of the 2 1 1tli Feb. by an autograph letter ti•onn the Prince Regent, winch kit tin doubt tin th e 'nimbi or the British Government as to the wish of his R o y a l Highness. 'the first cotnimmieation he had with his Noi r k Friend on the subject was, he believed, on the 9:1, Aug. and the next intimation war, as he already stated, on the 28th Aunt. In the month of Sept. indeed, he was a private sup pliant at the Admiralty for a ship, to carry his family lo !Am non, and a p,ivatehUllSe was taken for him in that city. He Mid aliallso UN Howe UM Ilia iinincuian „Wb Ming Utat MAY 12. the Poore liegCllt %oft return to Lisbon, and he had re. ceived a communication through the Poi tognese Guveinment to the same ethict. Oa the tith I.f 31artil., lot the first thee, that doubt was removed, and un the t Loh of April he I eceiredl his recall. If the Punier. Regent had returned, lie believed he could have effected sonic good, particular, ly on the subject of the Slave 'l'rade ; for he carried out with hint instructions iroin Government, and exhortations out of number from a re spectable Friend, a Member of this House, a warm advocate for the abolition of the Tiade in Slaves. lo failiog in the object of his mission, the failure arose flour the incapacity of the Power to grant the demands. The Hon. 11...ronet had talked of every 111:111 having his price; but how %viand he judge of the c :st of an Embassy ? Experience ea the one hand, and rapt!" intent on the other. He (Mr. C.), before ac cepting the mission, had applied for a definiti.in of Hr mid it letter from liiinse;f to show that be had dime so, isesiring that his es peaces might be limited, and not placed upon a par with the expenditure of Sir Charles Stewart whose oir•goi ogs, though large, were not more than neeessai y. In April 1812, and endinz April lel3, his expe Imes were ex tramiliontry, 26,/001. in addition to a salary 0152001. From Apt il 1815 to April 1814, the expences of * Sir Charles were 31.2001. Mr. C. then stated the expenses of 31r. Sydenhain and Mr. Casamajor ; the latter Gentleman living in a private manner, keeping no suite, and yet spending 1001. per u et k-- so said Mr. Sylleitham. When he (31r. C 1 got to Lisbon, Mr. Casainajor resided in his house, so that he had two Casansa jors, which made up the 10,0001. per autumn of the money ; end yet Mr. Casamajor was an eciniomical man. Tilt' Right Hon. Gent, here complimented the 111(.111ely of Mr. Seden• ham ' the Painee of Economists as he called hnu : and read the letter of that Gentleman, which is aiming the document , . that Gentleman lived for three weeks in the same retired manner as Charge d'Affaires, and reveived hallo years saiiity 15001. for outfit, and 11001. for his journey to Lislimi, and terwards for losses 20001. The total of Sir C. Steam t's ex pences was 32,0001. and for the half year intervening between Mr. Syilenhani and Mr. Canning something mole than :1001.11. He then went into an explanation of the mission immediately connected with himself. Having proceeded to Lisbon, under die restriction of 60001. per annum allowance. WllllOlll know ing how far tlv.t sum would ; but with a desire to try— this, with an allowance of a Water sum, made the whole slim no minallyB,2ool. and this sum he intemfed should be sufficient for till purposes—so help him God ! But lie Could there were deductiona at home mountable to the late of 28 per cent.: so that he was compelled to forego the line Nhich he had chmkt d not for himself. The total amount of the allowances was 11,7001. His Agent haul received one (prat ter's allowance of the 6,0001. which he directed should be returned to the Trea sury without any previous knowledge that his mission would form the subject of Parliamentary cut - wiry. Aitout the be ginning of April he revels ed Ulf' first of a series of loose Intl-. mations of the improbability of the Pi incea retni n ; and the e on the loth of April he wrote to the Government at home in that respect, tendering his resignation, shooed the fact to- n out so. lo answer to this letter, he' was deiii ed to remain; and here be wished the House to recollect that the war then broke out, and he stood on a different footing, for he might lay el^iin to the whole oldie-sum recommended by the Committee. 'Flip battle of Waterloo took place; and Portugal and himself being secosidary considerations, his rein' II 60111 Ins embassy became a matter of rimiest.. Having stated thus 111111'11, lie Would sit kletvo folly satisfied that the House is otlid ;myna kimi. He then distended Moist It !tom tie. imputation of hay ing accepted uthee under his Noble Fin-aid, and ask, el the House if the reconciliation of private enmities ought to Le the ground of public accusation.—(f/ear, la, !) Mr. UaoeoitSM had no objection to separate the two questions, and he was prepared to spew that Mame was imputable to his Majesty's Gove, Innen!. It urger was 11. e iiitention of those who charged Government to intim t ei to them the practice of a fiction in respect to the 'elan ii of the Prince Regent ; but that, in making the appointment, it W.!' a job, and a blunder; and from which it bill dell was played on the shottlileis (tithe Public. Lord Mwros hail listened to all that had been said on both sides, and he could not agues to the censure !nowt by his Hon. Friend against the Right Hon. Gent. at the saute time he could not thuds it a transaction entirely creditable to any of the parties. Mr. WA.? I), Mr. GonnoN and Mr. ABERCROMBIE were of opinion, no Ambassador wits nrcessai y to be sent to Lisbon at the flow the Right Hon. Gent, was sent there. Mr. TIERNEY would vote for the :notion, nut loom personal hostility to the Hon. Gentleman, Intl merely tiloling rank with the teuvurnment for an inni,lcessary appointment. Mv. LvrTLETON dui not think th.tt the appointment of an Anilia.sailor to Lisbon at the time in question %NUS jusli• Sir J. NVINTosIi considered the Resolutions as censui ing the appoint:tient of the Ambassador to Lisbon ; not the Am. hussallor ael voting of the appoitittot 01. He should there. fore vote for the Ilesolutiohs as a censure on Alinisteis. Mr. LAAIIITI)N, in reply, said that his inoti.at wue merely our of eensnre on Ministers for iiprointing all Ambassador to l'ortintal at a tulle when !ROI an opportunity teas totally un necessary. The Ifense then divided—for Mr. Linithton's motion I.:g— at:mug it, 270—tuajority, 114—Adjoutuet1 at Tartly, o'clock. WEDNESDAY, MAY 7. The Speaker acquainted the flutist. that he had received a letter front Lord ViNcolint ))))) ith, mit-fusing one from Ad miral Von Cfliellen, acknowledging the cominnuicat.on of the ThArds. ut the lloww for his sr' t 44..4 at Al g i, 'rile London Clergy Bill was ordered to he read a second tine• this day six w eeks. A new IV I 7 'it uas ordered for Dorchester o. Sir S. Shepherd, appointed Attorney • General. ARRESTS IN SCOTLAND. Sir S. Rostit.Lv presented a Petition from a person named John Monlguuu•ry, who was arrested on the Vol. of Feb. at (ilasgoo, in hit bed, ott a charge of sedition ; c; rrit d to pri son, anti confined in a itat row anti dark cell for three (la)* and lola Melds. aid %% as ihtli lilt ti;:lit ht tine the In a 11110e pole 4 11 Ilia Iluu he was kept mahout lomi. HP 111.'111PS ill his petition that be had ever at t tooled any seditious meetings; and Sir Samuel stated, that he had Feet ired vat ions testimo nial: lions respectable p. ru n ', as to his chat utter. The case he ohsersed , was one etit,;:eil to the seriusts ctor•itletation uf the Howie, for there were no grotto:is fitr the ChAlges against him. Ott his bring confronted, awl the ansoicts to the guts• limas 'tut to him taken, he was immediately discharged. Mr. FINLAY was not enabled to give ;my atswer to the complaint ill the p, lition . Tile Holt. t tut t •t• tett. That he had iiitioireol into the motile or am rant. in Neonatal, ;.1 d found that it was usual to direst persons without the Chit- r Sian &tame of the accused bch ; Whetted to the vi artout.