The National Register. — London, England, 1819-05-23 00:00:00

r~ 1(2 :i)litytrtai Varttament. north OF LORDS. NON DAT. MAY 17. CATltot.lc CLaitts..—The Earl of Doworatt. .n•t Order of the Day Err tithing into eonsiderittion cliche Claim-A. and alter a short speech, in which lie urged 11 1 • ("r"^: .K the Roman Catholia in the most strenuous manner, sirm.st, " !hat this llou e do resolve itself into a Committee of she whole Idiots, to cnnsideet the state or the laws (with a view to re•Nulati)a) which refer to qualitestitm fur the etijsnment of mil office, so far as relates to lioman Catholic sultirets. and • Lether it would be expedient to allow or modify their claims to teirticipstion in the privileges enjoyed by Protestant subjects." The Iltshoo of ‘Voaccters:ti. disclaimed ill-will towards per sons who differed from hiau in forms of worship. He respenod every man who offered up pc-Ayers to the author of his existenx yet lie could not go the length of saying the Legislature ought to give up to Cie Roman l'atholics resniction ncees..iry for the safety of th•e Established Church. lie hell it to be a principle ittlinitted in every !itntc, that those who het•l Vie notes in the State should he of the established religion. lle could not 0011. ent to grant the claims of the Boman Cutholies upon another ground. la case t•tey obtained the object they men had in view, they trould not be content, but .igo on to obtain the establishment of t.itir religion and the subversion of the Protestant Church. The Hu lop of Noitwicir deprecated the attempts made In excite alarm by crying the church wa, in danger. 'fbere could he no danger to the church in granting civil rights to one fourth his Majesty's anlijects. The chriwian church could never be in danger while its Ministers acted upon the principle of Chris tianity ! While they said, do ..unto others even as you would have othas do unto you. The church was not to be surported by Test and Corporation Acts. Reason was every day gaining growl.: said benevolence with respect to Sectarian principles. A remark able change had taken place in the minds of people within a tew 'errs past. In this ever changing scene ut human life reason would ever prevail. Its dictates should be obeyed. We should by a generous and wie policy abandon persecuting Statutes only tit to bind demons. The Bishop of PrT aBORCHUGH raid. if the question had been one of toleration, he should willingly have ogre , tl to it. but it was a question of pot cy. He cotdd readily admit, that men who helieved in tmtkubstantiation, might bear ullegiance to his Majesty King George ; but if at the some time they obeyed the antinomy of a foreign Potentate, they could not bear the same till...leaflets to the King that a Member of the Established Church would bear. He trusted the decision of the Home that night would remove all cause ter apprehension. The Loan Cities:el:lA.oa opposed the motion. He found no sacurities—nothing that could reconcile the l'totestant mind to the doctrine of the Pope's Supremacy. Looking hack to the sear Hitio, down t !Oda, lie found the effirt of Homan Catholic tenets, and if those tenets wete not dangerous, then the Act,' which had been passed were all instances of the greatest imposition ever practised in this or any other country. In 111368, a solemn compact was entered into between the people of this country and the King. for the support of the Protestant interest. We were to have a Protestant King, Parliament, Lid Governor nt. By the great principle of that compact, no man who folloas that God who Beeps us all could be persecuted in this country fir his religious opinion. On that pnncille no man could sit on the throne without being a Protestant. It was a proviso that he was not to be assisted by Roman Catholic advisers in Council. The laws were not to be adnunistered by Boman Catholic Judges, and he a.. to be supported by a subordinate government, consist ing of Protestants, to enable him to make good the compact and redges, and if he had not made them good, every pan in the c , untry would have been re based from his allegiir. The compact the King could not make good, if Government did not enable him. The Noble and Learned Lord then adverted to the argument, which went the length of dispensing with the oath, denying the Pope's supremacy. He observed, we live in times of wonder, but it I had heard of the discovery of a North-West psoage. and perpetual motion, I should not have been more surprised than to hear that a man could sit in Parliament without taking the oaten. ll' you Call find any Lord in this House who has not taken the oaths you may impeach me this night. The Lord Chancellor cited the highest law authorities, proving that the constitution etraid not adtuit the repeal of t' ose important restrictions which supported a Ptoteststat Govern mMt. lila duty to his Sovereign, to Parliament, and the King's subjects, together with his oath taken us a Privy Couneellor, did not allow him to accede to the claims of the Boman Catholic Petitioners without tho.e securitie, which would satisfy the people of England. The Church of Houle had given up nothing, and the Country felt that the security ofiltred was insufficient. Earl Gil E r said, that none of the disabilities now proposed to be removed were to be bound among the securities taken for the Punesitaid religion at the revolution. All of them were imposed either before or after the revolutioa. None of them was to be tiund in the Rill of Rights Of in the Act of Settlement. If, then, he could prove that all those disabilities were oceasionaLthe whole arg,iiinent of the noble and learned Lord went to the ground. The amstitution, the noble and learned Lord would admit, was Pandamenially and essential!, free. At the revolution securities Thad been taken to *uard the national freedom.. The Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement contained those securities. Yet the noble and learned Lord would be the last to contend that those vieciaritits were so essential and fundamental as to be inseparable from the constitutior, and that they could not be altered. The purity of Parliament was provided for both in the Bill of Rights and io the Act of Settlement, and it was enacted by them that no islitzeman could have a seat in Parliament. Yet a few years ulterwards this proibtion was npcaled. A similar repeal had taken place of an enactment of equal authority respecting appeals to the privy council. At the revolution it had been provided, that Parliameats should be frequently holden. Two years after. wards it was enacted that the other house should be elected every three years. Yet it was well known that by the let George I • this act MA been repealed. The septennial act MKS one of slaubtful red, which be thought justified by . the neoessity and defter of t..e tunes. But now that the necessity and danger ex isW no 'urger, ils continuance was injurious to the character and constitution of Parliament. In like manner the right of peti tioning oat provided for in the Bill of Rights. Would the noble and (earned Lord, however, say that this right could not in any circumstances be made the subject of qualification and restriction ? The noble and learned Lord himself had laid his unhallowed Lands or. the most sacred security of the constitution, when he suspended the right of every man to enjoy personal liberty, or to Lave a fair trial by hit country ; and yet they were now stopped Mom any further application to their Lordships, on the ground Cunt whatever had been established at the revolution was mental and eesential. Dr those laws which were now coniplatned or, the first was the corporation art, which had been passed in the trst year after the resioration : its object was to exclude from Parliament. not the Catholics, but tl.e siippoiters of Cromwell, who had overturned the ;overtiment and tie tonstitution. Ihe !text law was the test act, in the 25th of Charles 11. 'That law Lad been chromed against the Catholics, but particularly against. the Duce of York. The Dissenters, who heal zealously sup. ported this measure, were hardly treated, sire they had this act still suspended ov.r them. But the occasion of this law was auanifeet umporary. The next law teas the 30th of Charles 4. \‘' THE NATIONAL nr,GISTER. to exclude Catiudits from both /louses of Parliament. 'the noble and learned l.ont had strongly stated thm nothing could surpri4i hint ; but it w.is with the most unalfiet.si surprise that he had heard a lawyer of high eminence say that this law of Charles ILwas an set of deliberative wisdom and prospective coi tion to gtuird the constitution. It was notorious that the origin of the law was the plots of ()Biel and Hemline, which no human being now believed. (in such a foundation rested this set of deliberative wisdom and presriective caution ! (A laugh.) These laws bad passed before the reeolu : f(nitliatl had their origin in plots which a Lord on the that de, op m . 4 Norwich) had justly characterised i diabol 1 upon their Lordships. Exclusion, when it was AO 0 eSfary to the constitution, must be injurionip to it. Thogee d ibeeti another art against the Catholics, which he had neg to mention, whose provisions were the severest of all. It was the act 1699. now happily repealed • but it illustrated how our ancestors had legislated upon this sub ject.l This act precluded Catholics from devising property, and impos.Nl a penalty liir eve!) , pertinmanee of mrs 4. Their Lordships could now see with what deliberative. wisdom this law bad been passed. The representation of Locke's doctrine of exclusion had been answered so ably by a noble and learned prelate (the Bishop of Nerwie,h„ on a former occasion) that he vat ashamed to take up their Lordsnips' time with re marks upon it. He asked whetbor the noble and learned Loud was prepared to adopt the whole of Locke's opinions which he had studied so much ? He asked whether, if he wits so prcpfred, the bench of bishops, which was so crowded to support his views of the question, were prepared to follow him ? Mr. Locke had contributed more than any writer to enlighten the age in which he lived, and to free the mind foal) prejudice and delusion ; but the noble and learned Lord had fastened upon Wh.! rubbish which this „evert writer lied still retained , and held it forth as the qtly valuable part of his writings. As a aommencement of conciliatory and remedial measures he cordially agreed with the proposition this night brought forward by his noble friend. The Marquis of Lansdown spoke m favour of the motion ; the Earls of Liverpool and Westmorland against it ; the Earl of Camarvon for, and the Duke of Wellingtim against it. Attcr a few words fruits Lord Darnley in Loma of it, the House dis ided ontents Present ... 7l)—Proxies 36—Int; Non•cwnuc.W Prkx.ent ... 97—Proxies 50—147 MajoritT against the motion... 41 Adjourned at half past one o clock. TUESDAY. MAY 18. On the motion of 1..0rd AUCKLAND. the House went into a Committee on the Chimney Sweepers' Regulation Bill. Several verbal amendments were reeointneaded by the Lord Chancellor. Lord arid Lord Lauderdale. The Lord Chanallur observed, that the Bill prevented bo s s going up to sweep chimneys, but they might come down chimneys. There was also a sort of blunder in preventing the use of Female Girls, which the Earl of Lauderdale pointed out. The Bill, however, passed through the Committee, and several ainenti mcnts being made, was ordered to be reported to-morrow. The Exchequer Receipts Bill passed through a Committee. Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, MAY 19. The Iloval Assent was given by commission to the Claims on France Bill, Alkali Duties, Quarter Sessioas Carnatic ('ommissioners, four l)ivorce Bills, and a number of Private and Local Bills, in all 69. The Commissioners were, the Lord Chancellor. Lord Melville. and the Earl of Shaftesbury. The Chimney Sweepers Regulation Bill was reported, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday. The Earl of LAIT DE DAL E advert:Ll to what he considered a misstatement in ire Bank Report. It went to make gold appear at less price than it really was. De contended, that the circumstance proved how necessary it was to ianit.ire into lirc state of the metallic currency. The Earl of W EsT MORL AN 13 said, he was not prepared to give the Noble Earl explanation on this subject, bat intimated that he would mention it W his colleagues. The House eskjourrurd to Friday. FRIDAY, MAY 41. The Earl of I.strbiltl,ALl. said, he had a Petition to present, signed by four or five hundred Merchants, Bankers, and resnetx able Traders in the City of London, corn.,laining of a Plan, 'thick they said was about to be inforced tbr the iojury of the country. The Petition was then read. The petitioners srattal, that the proposed plan wouldaduee the value et laud, as well as other property, injure trade and commerce, and withdraw a great proportion of emolument derived front industry. They, therefore, prayed that the restriction on Bank payments in cult might be extended to a period which will nat embrace so much inconvenience. The Earl or LAUDERDALE said, he was infor.ned that a com munication had been made by the Directors of the Bank of England to the Noble Lord at the head of the Government. ex prriaing their opinion upon the plan to be brought before Parlia ment. Ile wished to risk if any communication had been made, and whether any explanation could be given to Parliament •r The Earl of Lie ERNOOL said, it was true the communisation alluded to had been made. This morning two persons at the head of the Direction of the Bank put into his hand the semi. menu of the Court of Directors upon the plan thin before the llon-e. This was given to Lord Liverpool to be laid before his Royal Highness the Prince Regent by the Aliniaters. The Noble Len asked if they might be permitted to lay it before Parliament ? They said they laid nu wi4h it should. Lord Liverpool told them, if any prestion was put to hint upon the said communication, he should riot feel justified in withholding the contents of it from Parliament. The document, after some further observations, was read. The Bank Directors, in a very hoig statement, communicated that they had taken into consideration the Report of the Committee on Bank Affairs, and had thought it their duty to lay before his Majesty's Ministers their sentiments for the information of Par liament. In the first instance, they considered it impracticable to return to Cash Payments at the gale stated in the phis. There was no prospect of advantage under the proposed plan. This Directors of the Bank would be the last persons to object to return to Cash Payments on their own account, but they had to advocate the interests of the Pu.die at large. On the whole, they endeavoured to impress upon his Majesty's Ministers that a re turn to Cash Payments at any given time would be injunous to the Public. The Pet i t ion and the Pipet Last read were then laid on the table. The Earl of BULKELTY. seeing the Noble Secretary of State for the Home Department in his place, was desirou, of asking the Noble Lord whether the scandalous scene, which occurred some time since, namely, the conte3t between the tshentr and Police Officer, for money belonging to a convict in a Court of Justice. had been brought under his observation. It appeared to him (Lord Bateley) to be a transaction disgraceful to a Court of Justice,.whoever had a right to the property. Lord Viscount SliumouTil said, in answer to the question put by the Noble Lord, that he had no information whatever on th 3 subject but that which he had derived from common report.—He had received no rept (actuation to which he could turret his atten tion, consequently was unable to give any explanation. RANI REPORT.—The F.arl of iiAllllOWIly then rose upon the Older of the Day, to consider the Report made by tl.e Com mittee co the Affairs of the Book. The Noble Earl, after stating $4, I:\ MAY C 3. the variety of opinions which prevailed on the important question nripecting the Bank lteatriction, expressed his own per ssioit that :t would be unwise and it-juriotts to the Public to rush sud denly, as it were, to mush payments. Ile sit.:Aested adherence to the recommendation contained in the Report made by the Coin. tuittee. observing that gohl at the time mentioned for payment io specie ntizlit be brought to the mint price. and the Bank would then open its payments without risk. The Noble Earl own:du de! by moving the Resolusions, in substance that there had been an over issue of paper, which made it impossible for the Bank to resume Cash l'ayments. It vas therefore nece,,try to contract these Jostles. and regulate the issue of gold to enable the Bank to rtuunte COS!' payments at is definite period. The Earl of LatinctinAtx expressed an opposite opinion, and contended that the embarrassment in which the country was placed did cot proceed IVoin an over i sue of notes of the B ink of England. The Noble Earl moved a string of seven counter Re solutions, proving that the exchange hail been favourable to the country during the greatest issues of Bank notes, to it did net apper.r.that the issue of paper had on-aliened a rise of the price of bullion. The Bank co phi not sanely return to cads payments un 1 the price of the two metals was regulated, and both toads iaiusl. onw alteration of the Nfint circulation was the tonioary step to restoring the coin to a salutary state. Earl Gn urged the neoessity of putting ed. the theet,,,i en to Tuesday se'naight. to enable the House to form a better opinion upon the snlkiect• 'The Earl iiO3SLT:7 wa3 also an advocrue for further time. The Earl of 1.1 uPoot. intimated that hutch inconvenience had.alrcady been felt in consequence of su-pense with respect to the qoestion. Ile therefore pressed the Home to proceed, and entered upon a statement of the principles on tyhich the Commit • tee had formed their Report. There were tht nie questions t—The The tir.t was. whether it was expedient that this country should return to some fixed standard of value with respect to the arcubi. non The next V/33, whether it was a practicable expedient for the country to return to the ancient standard ? The third was. what were the best means of effecting that standard ? The Noble Earl argued all Vie above point, with great ability. and ulti mately drew a cencluaion that the House ought to adopt the Resolutions Lord Grenville and the Marquis of Lansdown spoke at Co:Mil der-Able length in favour of the que , tion. The rcisslittions prorcried by Lie Earl of Lauderdale were then negat ved without a division; and the original reastutionc wire carried with only two or three dissentient %vices. Adjourned at two o'clock. HOME OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MAY 17. LONDOX Gas LIGHT BILL.—Mr. P. Monty moved that the London Ows Light Bill he read a third time and passed, On which the llouse divided.—The numbers were—Ayes 134 —Noes St.—Majority against the Bill 103. SrAT E OF THE NAT lON.--Sit .1. SEBRIGHT suggested whether his Right Hon. Friend would not do well to ptit; un.: his motion. fixed for tomtorrow, till after the Report on the Bank Secret I:ono-Mum had been disposed of. Mr. T I e:HNET said, he could net postpone his motion; bring it on he must; he must do his.duty to his country. Bethel not want to forestall the Bank question ; he should express no opi nion on that stirject ; and to postpone it till after the other qu.s.- tion was disposed of, would be in fact to abandon it. Mr. BEI:BLIT resents! a Petitiod from a Post-Captain Munchen, complairan,r of Mr. Lushington Lid P. for Canter bury), that he abused the powers of his office, misapplied the public money, and made appointments to preserve political influ ence. In this spitit the Petitioner was removed, and another person appointed in his stead. Mr. 1.173/lINGTON said, the only blame that he felt attest:ell taxlie cause was, that the Officer had not been dismissed before ; and stated that the officer, applied to dispose of his place, de siring that it be •• under the rose." and that above all, it should not be made known to Mr. Lui.hington. The ground on which the officer had been dismissed was, that he had endeavoured to sell his appointment. Mr. Bkior ETT moved that the Petition do lie upon the table. Mr. LUSHINGION observed, that lie thought this motion could not be agreed to. After remarks front Mr. N. Calvert, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, Mr. Lushington, &c. the motion was agreed to. B AAAAA APLE.-.-Tht Report of the Barnstaple bill was brotigin up. Sir R. %WILSON moved, that the Report be re-considered this day six mont6. After remarks from Mr. Wynn, Sir J. Newport,. Mr. Waith.. man, Akiemian Wood. he. the !louse divieod—For the amend. went, pi—Against it, 110—Majority against it., 9a. Mr. V. BLAKE proposed to extend the right of voting to " in habitant householders" instead of " froehoiderb." Amendment negatived, and the bill ordered to be read a third time tn•tnorrow. LICENSED VICTUALLERS—Mr. BENNETT said that on account of the lateness of the hour, and understanding that the measure was lik:ly to experience considerable opposition. he should more that the Licensed Virtivulers' Bill he read a second time on Friday'ntxt ; and he was the more &urine's to press this postponement as the Bill was of great importance. and as there ought to be opportunity for ris full discussion. (Rear.) Bill accordingly ordered to be read on Friday next ; after which the (louse adjourned. TUFSDAY, MAY 18. Mr. Et-clans/ presented& Petition front tradesmen of Lincoln against the renewal of the Insolvent Debtors' Act. lived and ordered to lie on the table. GAOL DELIVERIL;.--Nfr. WESTERg gave notice, that on Thursday, the 276 inst. he should bring forward hi: mouoa for a more frequent Gaol Delivery : he should proceed either by an Address to the Crown, or by moving for a Select Committee. Mr. DENMAN presented a Petition from solicitors at Notting ham and the County of Nottingham, complaining of the facility with which persons could be qualified to practise as Convey ancers; and praying that the Howe would adopt measuies to remedy the same. Head, and ordered to lie on the table. LONDON CLERGY HILL. — Sir .1. GliAllA3l moved that cer tain Property Tax Returns, regarding the City, be referred to the London Clergy 1101 Committee. Alderman Woos said, this was a most extraordinary proceed ing, returns which nail been produa4 having hero got from the Property 'fax papers—papers which the Chancellor of the Ex chequer had assured the House were destroyed. The returns, made more than seven years ago, were most fallacious; and he trusted the Howe would resist this application. (Hear.)__ Mr. Cm.wiewr coincided in opinion with Alderman % food. Sir J. NEWPORT, without touching the question. whether the Clergy ought to have additional remuneratam, protested against this use of papers in question. tht understanding being that all such papers should be destroyed. Sir J. Gnanast thought there was some misunderstanding on this subject. He belie-ed that such papers only had been de s•royed as affected mercantile profits, not real property ; and he tliouAht such papers only had been destroyed. Sir M. W. HUME Y apj ealed to the llouse whether the pledge of Government ha not been given that all the papers con nected with the property tax should be destroyed ; (Hear, hear . !) sad he trusted that the House would tuugaituously reject tat ;~ N