The National Register. — London, England, 1811-02-24 00:00:00

make the Regency permanent, then the House would take into its consideration what was best to he done, hut that it was, and had been, the uniform wish of his Royal Highness, not to heap :itly additional burthens on the people, he was well assured. COLVILLE TUE PRISONER, IN COLDBATH-FIELDS. The CUANCELLO ft of the Eaten eQu ER moved for the appoint ment of a Secret Committee to inquire into the circumstances respecting Colville's confinement in the Coldbath-fields prison, and to report the same to the House. Mr.Yurct said that he had inquired of Lord George Stewart with respect to the inveigling of Colville on board his ship, and was assured by him, that the assertion was false. The following persons have been appointed as a Secret Committee. Mr. Dundas, Sir F. Burdett, Lord Folkstone, Mr. Long, Mr. William Wynne, Mr. Lamb, Mr. Wilberforce, Air. Holme Sumner Mr. Paine, Mr. Lester, Mr. Coulborne, Sir Arthur Eqpt, IVIr. Ellis, and Mr. Bulnian. INDIA. A debate of some length took place on the subject of the late Mutiny ia India, which was produced by .a Motion'Of Mr. CREtvEy's, for some additional papers. '1 he Hon. Gentleman ascribed the late agitation in that country hr a great measure to" the condi:ct of .;ir George Barlow. Mr. C. GRANT and Mr.WALLAcE defem!ed Sir G. Barlow, whose conduct, when it came to be investigated, would be found teille deserving the approbation of the country. Sir THOMAS TUR roN said, that India, which seemed to some persons a jewel of the Crown, seemed to him a dead weight : India had been gained by our crimes, held by our injustice, ar.d would be lost by our folly. Lord A. Hamilton, Sir H. Montgomery, and Mr. Howorth, also took prrt in the discussion against the measures of Sir 0. Barlow, whllbt Mr. R. Dundas, Sir John Anstruther, and Mr. Parry (Chairman of the Court of Directors) defended them. — The conversation ended with granting the papers moved fur. .... :1 i I . THE NATIONAL REGISTEI PENAL LAWS. Sir SA.muer. ROMILLY, pursuant to his notice, rose to call the attention of the House to this subject. The object of his present Motion was to obtain leave to bring in a Bill similar to that whicli he had brought in during the last Session of Parlia ment; namely, to repeal so much of the 10th and 11th of William and Mary, ae took away the benefit of Clergy from persons convicted of privately stealing in shops, warehouses, &c. In 1808; he had first the honour to tiring under the consideration of the House, the state of the Penal Laws of the country ; and in the course of the last Session, a Bill which he brought into Par liament for repealing so much of this Act as made it a capital felony without benefit of the Clergy, to steal property privately from•the person. That Bill passed into a law, the effects of which ttere found extremely beneficial. He should have been glad to have given the House the most accurate information upon this subject, but as far as he was informed, the effect had beeu, that there were many more persons brought to trial for offences of this nature, than hi the same period of time before the passing of that Act, and that of these so brought to trial, the greater proportion had been convicted, and if his information was cor rect, a more decided proof of the beneficial effects of such a law, in his humble judgment, could not he well conceived.— He had proposed three other measures on the same subject, in the euurse of the last Sessions, viz.—lst. As to stealing privately from the person ; tad. Privately stealing to the value of 40 s . i n a dwelling-house ; nd ;,a. Privately stealing on canals and navi gable rivers. The ft passed through the House without a division. The sec as lost by a majority of two, in a very thin liotue ; and t ird being postponed from day to day until the close of the •ssion, never came under discussion at all. In maturely considering this subject, he was confirmed in the solidity of the grounds and the importance of the mea sure, and he was more deeply impressed with the import ance of that duty whicfi he conceived himself to be discharging, as it was not from light motives he was induced to make altera tions in 60 portant a subject as the criminal laws of the country. thought ft the duty of every man to promote the well-being comfort of his fellow-cit‘.zens, and he knew of no tvay in' ich he could make himself more useful than by promoting ie !present' measure. Lord Coke considered every man who succeeded in his profession as owing a debt to it, and by comparing those eminent works which flowed from his pen, he had thought that the best way in which he could discharge the debt he had so contracted. From that prosperity which he had enjoyed in his professional career, he conceived he had con tracted a very large debt, and the best mode of discharging that debt he thought was, by endeavouriug to remove elme of those which appeared to him to be defects of.the law, and to increase the comforts and happiness of mankind. Upon these grounds he undertook the task, and should not easily be discouraged.-- It was not however his intention to persevere in any measure in which the sense of the public might be against Dim, but till ITT r' { ~ he was persuaded that he was wrong by a much greati.r majority of that House than had opposed him on a former occasion. . : When before the House in the last Session it was observed to him that he entertained projects much more considerable than . those which he really had in view. The present was a measure not of any considerable magnitude, but proceeding upon ttfe, same principle with that which was passed into a law in the last? Sessions. He concluded by moving for leave to bring in a Bill ;! to repeal so much of the 10th and 11th 01 W'illiani andNLry, aAe. took away the benefit of Clergy from persons convicted of privately stealing in shops, warehouses, stables, &c. to thir.t value of five shillings. The CHANCELLOR of the Excii EVER did not rise to oppoie the motion, and whatever credit he thought due to his Learned Friend, he did not think that should influence his opinion. But his Learned Friend had given a degree of prejudice to his opinions, and so equivocal a proof of the beneficial effects of the , former Act, as to him might be directly demonstrative of 1 contrary effect, for offences of a much greater magnitude might' have been committed, inasmuch as there t was less terror of tne capital punishment. Mr. DAVIES GIDDY wished someintermediate mode cad he adopted. Mr. PONSONSY warmly supported the measure:, The SOLICITOR-GENERAL opposed it, on. the gronnds, tri . at the law as it now stood was applicable W all its purposes. Sir SAmort ROMILLY, in explanation, disclaimed all merit in the line of conduct he had pursued. lie was rather surprierd to hear the measures he had the henour of proposing attrihuteti to mere humanity. He begged it might be distinctly understood . that he had acted solely from a feeling of duty, 'lnd froin consciousness that he was consulting the general. wishes of the country. Leave was then given to loing 'in the Bill, according to the motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman. Leave was also given on two subsequent motions made by Sir Samuel Romilly to bring in Bills to repeal so much of the Act of Queen Anne as made it death, without benefit of the ,. Clergy, to steal to the value of forty shillings in an out-house or dwelling-house ; and to repeal certain clauses in the Act of the 24th of George 111. relating to capital punishments. 0 i*NO FRIDAY Exa. U. Sir W. Pl. umrit presented a Petition from the City of Lon. don against the Western Junction Canal Bill. Ordered to lie on the table. Sir CHARLES PEICR brought in a Bill to enable the Phenix Insurance Company to sue and be sued In the name of their Secretary.--Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time. POPULATION BILL. Upon the motion of Mr. Ruse the House went Into a Com mittee on the Population Bill After some conversation between Mr. Rost: and Sir JOAN NEWPOx a., the Resolutions were agreed to, and the Report or dered to be received on Monday. SUPPLY. The Committee of Supply was postponed to Alonday next. Mr. Le SIIIN o•ro N brought up the Report of the Scotch Cre ditors' Bills. The amendments ware agreed to, the Rill ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time on ;NI unday next. Mr. ROSE brought in the Silk Regulation Bill, which was read a first, and ordered to be read a second titre on ivionda. Mr. Wit.Lism WYNNE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to facilitate the Discovery of Bribery and Corruption in Elections for Members of Parliament. WAYS AND MEANS. Certain papers respecting the Consolidated fend were rot ferred to the Committee of Ways and Means. The House then went into a Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. WHARTON moved the following Resolutions for hie Majesty's Supply. 856,760, being the surplus of the Consolidated Fund remain. ng it . the Exchequer, after.paying off.the 4,500,000- Exchequer Bills uf 1810. 8,000,0001. War Taxes. 1, 500,e001. to be raised by Exchequer Bills, for the service Of Great Britain. 10,500.0001. by Exchequer Bills fur the same service.—The Malt Duties.—The Pension, Sugar and Excise I)utiel4.T. • 1,000,0001. for the service of Irel and,. to be raised. Treasurf Bills. • The Resolutions were a s reed to, and the Report ordered to he received unMondily, oti.which day the Committee obtained leave to sit agaiii. ane. Goulborne preiented a return of the number of ma les t r e rnides convicted, and Ordered fur transportation. Ordered to lie on the table. I