The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-04-29 00:00:00

THE STATESMA7*;. months ago since the state of the t rad .2 is that p a rt of 34.111101'611AM ;novel fur a Itethrn of all Funds the cou•a:ry was rt•pttaentcd in its extremrst depress at the •li'po'al of the I run n, and not usually deemed slot% in thin House, ■nd then• were theta taught to ex. to be und.•r Cie ►outioul of the Honse, for the two pert Alle% of tl.at distress, simply irons the r.•ars Its I and 1.20. He sai.l, that the paper al progr. ss of tithe Alone. 11 7 hen, therefore, much time res4lh on the table did not inchwe these two years. had passed away, 3nl without producing the reset► 31r. 111;31E thought this m o tion connected with then contemplated ; when they were still told to look one which he hail made, an•l he could state to the to time, and to time only, fur the same effect, he telt House that the ►none►• reeehe.l from Gibraltar tone, it his day to suggest wine remedy, which would during the 1.. t.• reign', amounted to 1:.!1,11011/. Ile its- Tartl;', at least, remove the e vil. lit the Se..sion tritfle.l r,. -ttloinit a ►notion, to Ascertain the sums le%ied hef.•rc last 1141,01)0/. Wass voted bt• the House (.1- the nit the in!lahitants of liihraltar. purpose of enabling emigrants to settle at the ear of Mr. ItItIWIIIIAM said, flirt his motion was only 1,0,.d !lupe. His Majesty's 31inisters (-mall not but for the .. nut of the. Nods in question. He should remember that a slwilar object had been volitymplati afterwards move fur an account of their ■pl:licatiun.— b► the people who were suffering under the pressure of The tasui.•tn was agreed to, sad distress in Scotland, and which was *lgo know to the dlr. 111i0 U 611.131 then Iliovral for an account show- Member connected with Perth. It was also known to ing the apnlication of th• se funds. that lion. Member, that this was a question which A conversation here took pyre between Mr. Iluot•o. coild not be deferred much longer. There were, in ItAM, the ( . !IV4rELLIOR of the E sctintera, and Mr. uh, a large portion of the population in that part of Nest►. The latter 31ember steed, that in the tenth . . . the country who looked up.ni existence as a burthen whicli they cold.' hardly bear. They could not sup port themselves nor their families, situ according to the represertations made to him (Lord A. Hamilton), they were in the last stage of distress. lle hail urged his 3lajesty's Ministers, many mouths ago, not to over look the opportunity which they hrd of conferring a signal benefit on a large portion of the population of Scotland, and to adopt the system of emigration as the most effectual, as a ell as the cheapest mode of prevent ing a recurrence of the evil. He was afraid, however, that as it was then, it still continued to be the spirit section of the 39th and 19th of his late 51ajesty, it was provided the if his llajesty left nu trill, the private property w!iich he might lease should be rendered available to the public funds. Ile wished therefore to know if any private property WWI left, and if so, whether his :Majesty had left any by which it was disposed The tIiANCEI.I.IIII of the EXCII EQ14:11 replied, that he h l l DO official knots ledge cf any will of his late Majesty, but he believed he dial leave a will, in which he iisposed of the principal part of his private property. act temper of his Majesty's Ministers to underrate the numb rs who were distressed, ;.iid the extent to n hi. they suffered. fie was afraid, that they imputed a Lager portion of the disturbances which had taken place to the spirit of disaffection than to the pressure of distress; that by 4pplying a remedy to the former they would never alleviate the latter ; and that such a course would only smother disaffection for a while, hut would nut eradicate the causes that engen dered 4.-01,4, hear hoped he should nut be After a further explanation of the grounds of his motion, by Mr. 1/11011:11A M. it I . lali agreed to. Mr. TIERNEY said, he übsened in the accounts relative to the l'i►il List an excess of 355,1100!., created diming the late rei g n. above the 1;0,0011/. a year which was allowed for the I rivy purse, and which was at his Majesty's uncontrolled disposal. Ile therefore wished to I►ave frosts the Right Hon. llentle -111211 opposite (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) some satisfactory explanation on the subje••t. - _ r•ipposed as delivering this opinion for and• other pur- The CIiANI:EI.I.OIt of the OCCIIEQUER raid, p ise than that of assisting those persons who were in distress, and of sluing what he conceived to be his duty. What he wished particularly to ask the Right Hon. Gentlerture was, whether he was prepared to in farm the (louse how far his Majesty's Ministers, in I caking at the state of the country, were disposed to call to their aid the remedy which they hail already partially applied? And he could not help expre►sing Lis ai prehension, that any delay in applying the saute remedy to the distresses in Scotland, would be (Baas- Lous in the last degree.—Olear, hear The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that he bad nu wish to throw any obstacle in the way Of the object which the Noble Lord deemed so de sirable; nor would he anticipate what measures his Majesty's Ministers might adopt, in considering the means of giving relief to the distress alluded to. That every disposition favourable to that object was frit, he bored was manifest; and, indeed, lie could inform the House, that in executing the plan of emigra tion to the Cape of Hood Hope, an expense had al ready been incurred, w hich exceeded the suns voted by the House, live thousand persons had been ma barked for that destination, and be had intelligence that they had already performed a good part of their voyage in health, and with every prospect of a fat our able termination. With regard to the wishes which had been referred to, s h .viiig been entertained by a ionslderable pert' of th population of Scotland, he was afraid that the Nub', Lord did not sufficiently appreciate the information which had been received relative to the emigrations to America. That iutelli genre had been known to every person, as it was en titely of a pubic mature, and it was from thence col lected that the unhappy persons who had emigrated to the United States, so far from having found em ployment, were soon after their arrival reduced to a lamentable state of distress, and that the manufacturing part of that country was suffering under the severest misery. Under such circumstances, to transpo:t emi grants to Anwrira would have been only to remove the scene of their privations, and to consign them to 'learnt-Hon on a foreign shore.—(Hear, hear!) —To those who hail gone to the British settlements of North America, grants of hook and every assistant., sire given, hut those provinces hail been so overloaded with emigrants, that strong remonstrances against further emigration thither, and especially to Canada, had been made to the Ilovernment at home, in which it wits stated that the number and wants of the cull &Intl had caused serious infonvenienee to the re s nieces both of the Uovernment and of individuals, and that to transmit more emigrants thither would be etinally disastrous to themselves and to the provinces. In inch a state of things it would have he••n premature and' unwise fur the tiovernment to hold out any ge neral plan of indiscriminate emigration. They wished t•a afford every relief in their power, but they were disikseliaed to adopt any wives hastily.—(Hear, hear As to further emigration to the Cape, lie thought, at least before a fresh colony went out, it would be wise to wait and see what the first colsiny had dour.—(Hear!) They had, it was trite, every hope of success, but until that hope was actually realized, it would he neither wise nor humane to do any thing hastily with a view to further emigration.—(llear, hear !)--Ile hoped that the N..ble Lord ■nd the House would do his Majesty's it was certainly true that sums hail been paid into the / privy purse f time to time. These sums came from the Colonial foods, and did not exceed 1;0011/. a year during the late long reign, which might be con sidered a %ray moderate surplus above the 60,000/. a year that was all owed. Mr. TIERNEY ceneeneled, that all money vested in the Crown. was so vested in ri :lit of the l flown, and foul.' nut be optionally transferred. Rut the pricy parse was quite different, as the King bail the free disposal of it ; yet it appeared that the Ministers in the instance. alluded to, had applied the Ifroits of the . Crown to the purposes of the individual, and he de sired to know upon what principle such a measure / could be justi:leil ? '1 he CIIAM ELLOR of the EXCHEQUER s a id, it was upon the principle of immemorial usage. Mr. TIERNEY insisted that this was no justifica tion whatever. Mr. 1I1'311.: was at a loss to know from what co lonics the sums in question came, and wished the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Excheeiner would state them specifically. He had heard that from sto 9000/. had some from Demerara, and been applied to the privy purse, and he desired that a list of all such SLUM should be laid before the House. Mr. TIERNEY said, it was quite certain that a sum amounting to 305,0010. had been paid into the privy purse, of which the Right Hon. Gentleman could give nu satisfactory account. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQI'RR ob served, that doubts hail in some rases arisen whether the whole of that sum lead been paid into the privy i purse or not. There was, however, nu other account of its appropriation. Mr. BROUGHAM said, if his Majesty's Ministers persisted in their intention of not introducing a Le gislative measure to vest this fund in Parliament, where it ought to be (allowing the Crown, at the same time, a suitable compensation), he should himself feel it his duty to bring forward a distinct proposition on the subject. '1 his he should do on Thursday next, it being understood, however, that the report relative to the Civil list should have first been brought up. Mr. ; HURS moved, that thee.' be laid be fore the House an account of all Private Rills in p/o -gress through the House up to the 20th of February last. distinguishing such of them as had not received the Royal assent.—Ordered. Mr. OR ENFELL moved for certain weekly returns of Bank Notes and Hank Post Bills up to the 2lst of December, 1019.—i/tiered. Mr. Mit/UDEN gave notice of his intention to move, on Wednesday next (as we understood) fur a Committee tee inquire into the expiring laws. Sir JOHN NEWPORI' moved fur leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the office of Clerk of the Peace in Ireland.—Agreed to.—Adjourned. THE PROGRESS OP PUHI,IC 0R1.Y.14.1 ON PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. 14.. VIII. (ALDERMAN 111AWRRIDGE11 MCNEAL MOTIONS /OR lIMORTININU THE DDRATIOA Or PARLIAMENTS.) The unequal representation of the people, the corrupt state of Parliament, and the perversion thereof (rum its original institution had, under the deepimpressions made by the disasters of the American war, been deem ed by th- citizens of bondua, according to their public vote, to have been the principal cusses of the unjust war with America, of the consequent dismemberment of the British empire, and of every grievance of which the nation complained. Having asserted their opinion that these grievances could never be removed until the right olds.. people to their constitutional share in the English government should be re-established by a fair and equal representation in Parliament, and a frequent election of their Kepreeentatires, according to ancient usage, the citizens bad appointed a ►ery as 'serous and respectable committee to correspond and' co-operate with other public bodies, in taking the most eactual method. for obtaining these desirable ' ends. Among other zealous advocates of these senti- i menu in the Corporation of London, was Mr. Alder , man Sawbridge ; and in the character of Representa tive of the city, be wan equally distinguished for in troducing sail supporting them in the House of COOP laosui, as in the meetings of his constituents at Guild- Ministeis the justice to believe that they would nol with hold any means of assktance which they could give, bat it was incumbent upon them to proceed a ith caution. Mr. PINLAY agreed generally iu the statement which bad been made by his Noble Friend. The people of Scotland were prevented from availing them ,..lves of the opportunity which had been held out of I emigration to the Cape of Cood Hope, because the rules upon which that experiment had been formed required the payment of a certain sum of mouey. He hoped, therefore, that if that experiment should be re peated, no rules of this kind would accompany it. He believed that the grantor a stun of money would go a great way towards relieving the distress in Scotland. The Report was then read a first and second time, and agreed to. It was ordered to be presented by the whole House, and that such Members as we►e Privy Councillors should take his Majesty's pleasure when lisarould be pleased to receive the Address. 'The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the House of Commons do take his Majesty's Speech into consideration to-ssiorrow.—Agreed to. Lail. Ins escrtiors in this import a nt pork. entitle itoleed, to inure especial notice and respect, trum his having been the earliest, the most uniform, and th• tp v ing of any Parliamentary characer in the eau3r of ParliamentAry Reform. At a pe.iiol when the iniportauce of the object was but little understood, and the views even of the friends of liberty concerning it were neither comprehensive. nor clear, our consistent, nor operative, Mr. Saw bridge had commenced that discussion which has since become so generally interesting, hut in which few pers..os were at that time prepared to Pei concern, or disposed to take a part. Before any of those move men s were made which originated in the rublic re monstranees produced by the disasters of the American war, he introduced a motion jute the Vonse of Cum mons, which for a long time lie annually repeated, for shortening the duration of Parliaments. Con tracted anti impelled as such a measure might now be esteemed for accomplishing the purposes of Politi cal Reformation, the fre9uent agitation of it, anti of the points to it hich it was related, were effective means of attracting a more close and general attention to its ultimate übj•cts, and of regulating, as well as accelerating, the progress of public opinion respecting Parliamentary Reform. In such a sketch as this it is unnecessary to recapi tulate the several debates to which the annual motion of Mr. Sawbridge gave rise in the House of Commons. Connecte.l, howetrr, as it became, from the coinci dence of time anal cireunistaeces, with the plans of Mr. Pitt, it may be expedient, in this review, to no tice the manlier in which it was supported and re vived, on some one of the occasions on which it was brought forward. Ihe discussion which may be the most appropriatrof any fur this purpose, that which took place a few days alter the debate on Mr. Pitt's first plan of Reform in the representation of the people. On the 16th of May, 17t43, Mr. Alderman Saw bridge brought again before the House the subject which lie had so often previously been presenting to the public mind. tin former occasions lie had traced the progress of Parliaments through the early history of the kingdom till the enaetment of the Septennial Hill; and from the facts he then advanced had argued, that by the Constitution, Parliaments ought to be called annually. 'I he Triennial Hill, which had been introduced after the Revolution in the reign of William 111., he treated as an encroachment on the rights and liberties of the people, and the Septennial Act, as an innovation most unjust; for the representative body had by those means arrogantly assumed to themselves a power which was constitutionally vested in the hands of the people. He hall contended, that the more fre quently the power of election 'everted to the people, the better would it be for the general interests of the nation ; for if Members were aware that their consti tuents would have a full opportunity of judging of their services, and pronouncing on their conduct, an nually, those services and that conduct would he more guarded—the influence of corruption would be check ed, and the Representatives of the people more disin terested and upright. From these views lie had been led, formerly, to wish to return to the first principles of Parliament, and to pass a law for Parliaments to be chase's annually ; but having gathered, as he said, on this occasion, experience from past defeats, he was resolved that his motion then should be as little liable to objections as possible ; and if, after all, his motion should miscarry, at that time, as it had in former years, he declared that he was determined to persevere in making it annually, as long as lie had a seat in the !louse, or until the measure should be adopted in Parliament. Alluding to some hyperbolical fires:ions which had been used during the discussion of Mr. Pitt's plan of Reform, in praise of the British Constitution, Mr. Sawbridge observed, that the British Constitution, till he death of Charles I. was a system of the severest despotism. Antecedent to that reign, the Horernmeat was at one time a monarchial and at another an aristo cratical tyranny, to which the people bad been uni formly induced to yield in the most blind and abject manner. In ancient times indeed, there had existed violent feuds and contests ; but they were merely contests for power between the King and the Barons, in which the people had no interest. It was notorious, he asserted, that the people never roused themselves, nor in aired after their rights, and much lees showed a spirit to assert them, till the reign of the tyrant Charles the First. It was therefore, in later time* only, that the dame of public liberty had il!uniined our Constitution; and it was indisputable, that it had beret brighter and brighter by degrees, fee: as Me people begeta to learn time awl uiu.e what their rights were.—For these reasons he was led to desire that the public mind might be kept awake, by making more frequent appeals to its judgment re specting public men and public measures; bat in order to afford room for as little objection as possible to the mode in which his wishes on that import •nt point might be accomplished, he meant, he said, to make his motion as general as he could. Ile should propose no specific form. He should move for neither annual nor triennial parliaments, but merely o for leave to bring in a Bill to shorten the duration of Parliaments ; " though if that Bill were suffered to be brought in, he had no doubt, he added, lie should he able to suggest such a mode of shortening the duration of Parliaments as should meet with general approbation. 'f he opponents of Reform, relying on their numeri cal force, were disinclined on this occasion to display any imposing show of argument. One Member only spoke against the motion; while, on a division, there appeared in opposition to it 121, and in favour of it only 56.—1 n nearly this proportion the numbers were opposed to cacti other at the several times the motion was made. Its supporters, notwithstanding the im portance of their objects, and the popularity of their spirit, could ariptire no additional strength or emote- Iragement by their efforts. Atter the early trials, the interest it excited in the House was evidently dinsi-1 ntshed and decreasing ; and on some of the last ocea sions it even failed in producing a debate. In the year 1789, before the riots in London, when the House di vided on the motion, the number fur it was 99, and against it 182 ; in the year 1781, after the fear of popular insurrection could be employed as a political usantruvre, the camber in favour of it was eoly !9, anti in opposition to it 39. In the year 1780, it is also to he observed, as a circuutstauce which might have had nu small effect, . t • I that 31r. Burke had, in a mast elaborate argued against Mr. Sawbridge's motion, with a vies to show that, if it were carried, it would pr- ipitay - one of these two consequenees —either that the( roes, by its constant seated power. intlitenre, and rem eune, would wear out all oppommition in elections ; or that • violent and furious po,.n!ar spir;t woithl arise. •1' .. e Pill. be asserted, had no sort of tewleury to in. mise the Integrity, or public is .iri! of the electors, no• ' limit the gain of intln •n •e in the e roira, o: counteract its 0 eration ; nor to abate the inter,; inclination of 31 hissers to app:y that induene e to t:..1 electors. Congealed as a Ifonme of Consume:is i , at present, he demstistrated that, if fregn•nt took place, ministers would 1,.• the Inure in !aced, 4, they sought to have a majority iu Parliament, to crease the n n •ans of their indw•n:e, and sharpen the.: dexterity in i:s application. l'an litlates, on tlw °dm.: bend, who shawl to.tia on the erouni of their persoual preentions, and their private furtun.•s, would b.! cu,. sequently home down. " Imi almomt .411 the elections, said he, " w•ith which I have heels a.•quaint.,l it i, ten thuu4and times moo e mry :Or a Cantliduc show himself a Man of power, than a man of integritm Elections, therefore, bec one a wate r of hea►j r. . prose; and if contests are frequent, to many thee will become a matter of an expense totally ruinous whicim no fortunes can bear; but least of all th.- landed tom tame, subject as limey mostly are, to a variety of en cunabraners. 'I he chargs, therefore, of elett:ons amen never to b.! lust sight 4.f, in a miu stiou roneeroing then frequency ; becau,e the grand Object you seek is lode pendence. In lependence of mini will ever h c rumor less influenced by independence of fortune; and it every three years the exhausting shah es of entertain• meat, to say nothing of bribery, are to be periedi• cally renewed, I see that private fortunes will he washed away, and every trace of in.lepenience bum down by the current. The expense of time last elec tion has been computed (and l am persuaded that it has not been over-rated) at 1,3011,1100 C Mr. litirLe alletiKed, that constituted as the tepee sentatire body is, and as the elections were them actu ally conducted, the shortness of a triennial sitting would have the fullusring ill effects:—lt would make the Member 1110 re shamelessly and shorkinirly eurrapt; it would increase his dei:ett.'enre on those who cuiea best support him at his election ; it woeld wrack and tear to pieces the fortunes of tho•e who stood spas their private interest ; it would wake the attn.(' more renal, and destroy the sobriety, the integrity. the simplicity of all the runic, and undermine tits deepest and best laid foundations of Cie emulous wealth. For these reasons Mr. Burke regretted the opposi tion he was compelled to give to Mr. Sawbridge's mo tion. The terms in which he e ortd his speech art:, on account of the teniFer he she, wards et Meet' towards the friends of Reform, too courteous to he altogether unnoticed. —" The Ilun. Gentleman sees," said he, " that I respect the pri.ieiple u:ma which he goes, as well as his intentions and abilities. He will believe that I do nut front hiie wantonly, and on trivial grounds. I hope he sees and feels, and that every Member sees and feels along COI him, the ilitfeteace between amicable dissent and civil discord." THE LATE RIOTS .--1-77-Gt.ISCOM The following is an extract of a letter from Olas gow, dated April /1, 1820: '• You have no doubt heard a great deal about the Rod ads In this quarter—it is exaggerated to a great degree. Yoe nest not henrys: a word about assenfaetatieg elf pikes or nightly drilling. You ueed not wonder at the oemulles of the lower classes, when you think of thirty er key Gov wand of weavers and others, with their familia% reeeivial es an average not more than ls. 10d. or h. lid. Family. now can you be surprised ut their grumbling / Theyder Into ning to emigrate, such as can, in great members; and It is proposed to apply to liovernmed for a grant, to enable Om most destitute of titer to go to Cooed.; for although the passage money is no more than three guineas from this to Quebee, that is a sum beyond the reach of the balk of tit starved population. as they have to provide their oatmeal besides for the voyage. In sec* a state of tidily' so won der that trade is so bad, the lower classes ca e with the great est difficulty keep bi.Jv end soul together. and therefore thee Is no money to lay out in tea and sugar. or other 'sported's. Unless the Government do something this Perttement. either by commercial treaties or otherwise, to help thew nufacturiag iaterests of this country. the distress eel dr election mast inereave, and the number of wretched lives sacrificed to the laws of the country, increase also—fee lo 'Gramme nerd not fear always having the victory; fer re far from their being any cause for alarm. I am persuaded that a few, say a tenth part of the forte they now hare, would be quite sufficient to keep all the Radicals it the country in awe. I was In Greenock a few days after the af fair there: had the scene of 'lawgiver bees in Raglan!, it would have made to ice the noise c% en of the celebrated Mu cheater busineva ; but in this country the authorities are so corrupt, and the liberties of the snhject so notch less thee :a England, and those few they have, so disregarded. that It's thing is not stated iu half Its real character Is the newspa pers, and every means is taken to hush up the matter; there are no Coron.rs' Inquests la Scotland—no Habeas Corpus Aet, for people are taken up on the slightest ssopecler. and liberated when the Magistrates Fine, so es the time does not exceed thirty days confinement; them is am opportunity, as with you, to bring en action foe MN hi* privoriment. lam proud to think yon manage those :It dlsturbanees tweet' London than imy wherm•tesa same moderation been evercised at Greenock. Its Oboe tleards displayed in Piccadilly. those few Ms threw* s'ones might have been repulsed without the leas efflOisob of so many innocent people. I counted eight bulleelhollesta two atijoinin; panes or glass io a wittiest at ! What a pity that these uproars are not {sato the rooks or salty to quell, who so perfectly uoderstood it." SI 111131110Y6 or THE NATV.—Yesterday the Astaire sary Dinner of the St.ciety of Medical Oesdespea is the Navy, was held at the Frerniasons Tavel. is the air.ence of Mr. Croker, prevented from 'Media, by sickness in his family, Mr. Serie, the head of Victualling Board, was called to the Chair. it rat gratifying statement of the funds of the Society ess made, and we gathered generally, that four years hew every Surgeon's Widow in the Navy would have he annuity of 401. doubled out of the mesas se gelseffeal provided. &syrinx Pent tosts.—Petitions against the re• turns from the following places will be preassiell within 14 days from this day :—.Bortraghlfridg* UI linens, Petri-afield, Leominster, Bishop's Castle, Net tingham, Berwick, Tregony, Camheidgs Tetra, *0" stone, ipsw:ch, Chester, and Poe: month t and kk r necally understood that the whole of them will Mt es eeed O. It is thought that two days in each sr will be appointed for the ballots of Election Csmoli• tees, and that Parliament will not terminals its oitdor until the beginning of Aegust. • i 4 (I II II II tl -ii a el 0 A d b tl 1 a r s i I I ,~