The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-06-21 00:00:00

.1 • 1• I e ' a I t • • • .4i ' M ' IMPERIAL PARLIAMIINT. -.or 110U9R 07 LORDB.—WRomssoLY, Juxl2o. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, as Chairman of the 4:crinoline, of Privileges, reported that the Claims of Lord Donets'le to vote for the Elation of Irish Kerry en!stive Peers, were allowed. The Woollen Cloth Stamping Bill was read a third One and passed. tit' F. DAMAN NUT, Mr. CH lETWTND and others, brought vp :cum the Commons the Thames Lestage and Ballast. age Bill, the Rum Importation Bill, and several print. 11,111.—Read a first time. Mr. WALPOLI, from the Treasury, presented an ac count of all Wines imported into Ireland from 1785 to I/NO.-IAM on the tab's. The Earl of DARNLEY presented a Petition from John Dufresne, praying for some amendment in the Bankrupt Laws.—Laid on the table. The Irish Prisons Regulation Hill, the Poor Employ ment Bill, and the Irish Stamp Duties Bill. went respec tir.ly threw Committees, and were reported. Adjonrued. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Ifurcnt:ssox, from the Bank of England, presented an Account of the Bank Notes now in circulation.—Or dered to lie on the table. Mr. Jonnsox, from the Office of the Chief Secretary of Ireland, presented an Account of the Expenses incur red for printing Proclamations in Ireland.--Ordered to lie on the table. Admiral SOTHERON presented a Petition from the 'hur4hwardens, isc. of Radford, in Nottinghamshire, against the Poor Laws Regulation Bill.—Ordered to lie en the table. 31r. EVANSpresented a Petition from the inhabitants of IVem, in Shropshire, complaining of the severity of our Criminal Law, and praying that the lionse wonlii di vert its attention to the sinbjeet, with a view to render punishments less severe and more certain. Mr. COKE presented a Petition from a place in Nor folk, praying for an alteration of the present Law re specting the Settlement and Relief of the Poor. Mr. SWANN presented a Petition from the Rev. Mr. Milton, praying the attention of the House to a plan which he had to suggest fur conveying the Mails at an increased speed of one mile per hour without distressing the horses.—Referred to the Committee on the Extra Poet Bill. Sir JAMES GRAHAM presented a Petition from Peckham, and Mr. C. ORANT a Petition from Christ Church, in Surrey, praying that the Donee would adopt some measure for the punishment of cruelty to Animals. —Laid on the table. Mr. C. GRANT moved for an Account of the Imports and Exports of Ireland, for the year ending the bth of Jan. 1821.—Ordered. Mr. CALCRAFT moved for the productions of the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee ap pointed on the Claims of General Desforneanz.—Or tiered. The Coal Drawback Bill was read a third time and p3ssed. The Bill for altering the Laws relating to Vagrancy was read a third time and passed, en the motion of Mr. CanTwirN The Consolidated Fond Bill was read a second time, a-ti ordered to be committed this day. The Scottish Malt Duty Relief Bill was read a second V me. Ir. C.%ECRAFT said he should have moved an Amendment for extending the benefit of this measure to Er:gland; but he feared be could not rely upon the support of the Scottish Members, lest that support would endanger their own Bill. Ile trusted how ever they would on a future orra•Enn •rapport wl.en be should propose other reductions of the general expenditure. Sri J. MAJORIBANKS defended the BEI. The :otch Barley in generator" he said, of less ratite by eu pf 4 rent. than English Barley. and by that amount the IY alt was less able to bear the duty. :Air. CALVERT said there was an inferior sort of Eiglish Malt, called Brown Malt. As this was o f n o greater value than Scotch Malt, hr saw no reason fnr dent itig the benefit of this Bill to the consumers of 3lalt at tl: tt description. CURWEN said he should not oppose the Bill, tint e thought it was a hardship in England. ;The Bill was then ordered to be committed this day. The Scotch Distillery Drawback Bill was read a se cond titne, and committed. Mr. WILBERFORCE presented a Petition front the Ini.abitants of Buil in favour of the Bill for punishing cruelty to Animals. A message frow the Lords annonneed theirtordships' Ascent to several Bills.-71ieir Lortiohips also requested that P. Ifinestrkt.t., Esq. be permitted to give Evidence L4ore their Lordships' Committee on theDoneraile Peer age (.4aiee.—Ordered. • HlidE.calledtheattention of the House to a too- ti-sc belted made for a Return relating to the Land Tax. The Return• for which hr hail moved embraced a period of tett years only. lie now moved that the Return be ex *tided tri twenty years.—Ordered. iiir.Bll. - ME moved for certain Accounts relative to the . fl efn n ded Debt.—Ordered. BRICiIiT presented a Petition from Bristol for irepealof the Statute of Anne, which allowed persons • din places under the Crown to sit in the House of . • . ~,A, t . . tr..BRNNET said, he heartily concurred in the meet of the Petition. Be was determined to bring OltsnLject before Parliament year after year.—The Pe- Olen was then read, and orderd to lie on the table and bet sOed. vaiwn 80L1CITOR4IRNERAL presented a Petition flea Ashhltiton, in IJevonsbire, against the Poor Laws • ttqolition Bill.—Ordered to be printed. . • Mt. "ft GORDON presented a Petition from the Brew evil Of Aberdeen, complaining of the mode in which the . pi Liiiii • were tarried into execution.—Orderrd to be rOiled.. • . itiltweELLOß of the eXelteQegft*Mored tiii'iwkind eVaillikg of the Tohaecii Ddtles tin. Me. C. CALCRAFT opposed the Ilili. postponing . postponed . The Loaa Bill, the Irish Treasury Bills . the Submits, Bills Bill were read a third time Oa a motion for receiving dropped Orders on Tuesday, Sir J. NEWPORT, Mr. BENNET, and Mr. DaaMAN, complained of the practice which bad prevailed of bring ing on important pebHc Bills at a late hour. The CHANCEI,LOR of the EXCHEQUER said a few words across tbe table, and a conversation followed, which led, as we understood, to an understanding that the practice should be discontinued. BURNING OF WOMEN IN INDIA. __ Mr. F. BUXTON called the attention of the Mons, to the dreadful practice of hnrning females in India. lie admitted that the Governor of India had done mach to discountenance this practice, but they had refrain ed very much from interference in general. lest it might be conceived they wished to control the religi ons doctrines of the natives. It appeared that in the four last revs no less a number than 2336 females had been seen to mount the funeral pile, in the Presidency of Fort William. Many of them were mere children ; some were pregnant ; some had been made intoxicated; and not a few were forced to the sacrifice. Ile relied in some measnre upon the.disrretion and resolution of the Governors of India, but he thonght the (louse, ought to interfere. The Mogul Government had abo lished the practice, and many others bad rendered it less frequent. lie therefore thought we ott;;;Itt et once to prove our detestation of these • abutninable executions. It was worthy of remark, that many of them had taken plare in direct violation of the laws of the natives. Those laws declared, that no female un der lti should he sacriiced; yet it was a fact, that girls of Id, 13, 12, and one of J ye.irs of age, were snhjected to this brutal sacrifice. Force als.. was pro- Whited by the Indian law ; but very often it was had recourse to. amid the struggling and shrieking of the i victims. The Hon. Member stated several instances of this description, and observed, that whatever might be the opinion of the House as to the propriety o f in terfere”ce in general, there could be hut one opinion nn the justice of confining the native to the letter of their own laws. The lion. Member concluded mov ing for a re urn of the number of women sarrificeil is India on the funeral piles of their husbands within the last fonr years. Mr. BATHURST dill not oppose the motion : but he doubted the propriety of European interference. If any mode were ad .pted by confining' the natives to the letter of their own laws, au 0111,ter of iintope most superintend the dreadful execution. lie there fore doubted the policy of any interference and it by no means followed that we 01 ( :lit to adopt a par ticular measure merely became it had been adJpted with success by a Mahometan Government. Ihe practice, he said, is not allowed (idler in Madras or Calcutta, and the consequence is, that the victim is taken and sarriliced out of the boundaries of those - owns. Every endeavour was made by the °dicers of the East India Company to prevent the execution without the fee consent of the numan. Ilterr wes reason to hope, that the indoence of 11(verionent, disseminating uselnl knowledge among the natives, would have a 11111(.1t more beneficial effect 111.111 forcible interference. The ml,leet had been fully tliilrussed through the medium of the Press of labia. The diseassion was attended with a good effect, but be thought it would not be proper for the Om-eminent to make itself a party to the dispute. He trusted the, Honourable Member on reflection would rot think of pressing any measure on Parliament on this stviie t i. especially as the Otheers of India we r exerting them selves in the most laudable manner to put down the practice. Mr. WILBERFORCE. was glad his I'riend had brought the subject before the House. tie admitted the exertions of the Indian Covet-nom to abolish the dreadful practice, and he re l ;retted that those exertions had proved so ineffectual. Pro vided Hiss- did not insult the prejudices of the sect, be was convinced that no people in the world would he more willies to tier,* to instroction in religion .and manners than the Ilindoos. Indeed, by •prop.nr at tention to the essential poiws. he h al no doubt of the practicability of the conversion of these prop:P. It was a mistake to suppose that this tractice of im molation was voluntary. There were very few eases in which it was so. A reluctant consent was ex torted, but when the unfortunate victim of reli,jost• superstition came to the pile she shrank from the consummation, but not till it srui too late, the priests preventing all retreat. In most cases this was effec tually prevented by the woman being tied to a log of wood. There was no people perhaps on the face of the globe so anxious to receive instruction in European matters as the Hindoos; and that beitii: the case, it was really surprising we should be so kick ward in enlightening them. The most unobjection able plan for the purpose of bringing ahead their conversion would, he thought, be to establish a College in some part of our ludian dominions, to in struct Missionaries in the most effectual mode., Mr. HUME wished to know to what the motion of his Hon. Friend tended. When be wail at !Wares, in Bengal, it was his impression, as well as of those with him there, that this practice was almost entirely discon tinued, and that that uas caused by the steps taken by the Cowpony to discountenance it. The usual way in which these matters were brought about, was by the party interested in the property of the ttlfinW. some Bramin to persuade her that she would immediate ly go to !leaven by sacrificing herself. This being the ' case, he thought the most effective means of stopping the practice would be, to force the parties to take out a licence to the amount of some thousands of rupees for the privilege of burning. He knew that this insiht ap pear at first sight ridiculous, hut it would he fontld to he a most feasible plan, as it wonld strike nt the very quar ter whence the evil sprung, viz. the individuals to whom the property of the victim were to revert. He was sur prised to hear the !Celt Hon.lientlemau (Mr. Bathurst) opposite denonocing this as a subject not tit fur Parlia mentary discussion. He was surprised to hear the Hon. Member for Bramber (Mr. Wilberforce) tall; of tie vic tims being tied to a log of wood in undergoing the a.t critice, as he believed th at part 'of the practice hail loitz been discontinued in the Company's territtkies. Nor Mold he agree with the Hon. tientleman in his propo sition for erecting a College in India f st thy purpose 01 converting the Ilinaloos, as be thought that the hit tlvitme to be resorted to for that purpose. It %you'd Gds the immediate . e/r.sct of aws!al.:•itii , the je4l , :trieVilf people, 'and in all probability def Fat the benevubstfeltl ':lttittlts of - the founders. • •r .• geed , Lord BINNING observed, with respect to win. Mai frog, the Hoe. Mewls* fst Montrose (Mr. Mame) with reference to his Kight Hon. Friend (Mr. Bathurst) that be had not represented this question as one unfit for Parliamentary discussion. He •merely said It was one on which a wise discretion shonld be used. He per fectly agreed with his Right Hon. Friend in that semi tent, being satisfied that the interference of the Com pany hitherto in this matter had only tended to maim things worse. Ile feared the Hon. Member for Mon ' new (Mr. Homy), when he saw the papers which were eisoud for, would find there was too much reason for theassertion of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Wilberforce) rela tivito the victims being tied to a log of wood. Mr. CANNING said that, whatever shades of differ ence might exist with respect to some parts of the pre sent subject, there were two points on which every gen tleman appeared to agree. The first obviously was.. l that it would be in the highest degree gratifying to every feeling of humanity if this abominable practice were eradicated ; the second, that it was extremely de sirable that the attempt made to attain this object should not be any thing like a coercive interference on the part of the British Government. —(ilear. bear.)—The only matter for consideration lay therefore between these two extremes; soil in going over that ground he begged geutlemen to bear in mind, that of all the exercises of human authority and of human discretion, the most dif ficult and delicate was that of an interference, at once ef fective and at the sante time divested of the harshness of,power.—(llear, bear.)—The problem which the East India Company had to solve was thins one of great diffi culty and delicary; and though he was glad that this silbject wan brought under the consideration of the donne for disrnssion, he could not agree with those who thought that the immediate and necessary effect of dis cussion here must be greatly to facilitate or to abridge the tank imposed on the Indian liovernment. Ile ra ther thought that the effect of any hostile discussion (none such. nuiloabteilly, hal occurred on this occasion) or of any serious interference or dictation on the part of Parliament, nvould not tend much to stimulate that thi verninent which, in fact, wanted no such blittiills to en gage in this work. I t would, perhaps. rather alarm the natives of India ; and, in consequence, occasion some re laxation on the part of Government with respect to the course which they itrig!it have thought proper to per sae. for the pur p ose of removing a•Treliension front the minds of the rople of In dia. lie did not mean to say, that ultim Italy the effect of discussion might not be good : because the hands of Government would certainly be strengthened by the opinions collectively and iniliv dually expressed. Butt that would not be the imme diate effect. In a former Session, when the lion. tient. stated his intention to snake a Cron of this kind, he (Mr. ('anning) earnestly hut civilly dissuaded him from his purpose, because the information was defective in one material point. namely, that though it was impos sible then to say that the Governor-tieneral was inatten tive to this object. or that he had not pursued it in the most proper manner, vet they hail no meant of forming a correct jo.lg rent of the effects which had been pro. direct. He would ask his Ilon. Friend (Mr. Buxton) whether, if he was legislating as the conqueror of a Ca tholic country, he would think his influence well exercised under these circumstances. Let him suppose one, out of the ninny cases which wottlil occur, of young females offering themselves to take the veil !retire their min:ln could either be well made op or accurately informed with respect to the nature of the engagement they were about to contract; would his Hon. Friend think that his influence would he we:l exercised I'c sending Ilene one to inquire for the victim at the cloister or the monastery, in order to examine her, and to tear her —upon her manifesting the sliglrrst hi sitatior in answer to such inquiries— from the sacrifice that she man on the point of per- 1 forming The feelings of the Ilindoos were not le-s acute upon such subjects than would be those of the dentin:A nun in the imaginary rate which he had joist been citing. India was to be regarded as a country rettining, by the habits of education as well as by our own policy, all its ancient institutions. The Hon. G ' ent. motion, tion. and of whose speech he (Mr. Canning) was sorry to have missed any part—so much had he been gratified with that portion of it which he had heard—had stated (not invidiously to be sure, but in a way that mightsure, be open to such a con- 1 ntrnction) that other conquerors in India, whom we' had superseded, had found no difficulty in extiognish itig similar superstitions rites and sacrifices. But the I lion. (lent. must have forgotten, that by a singular an:l unprecedented indulgence of colonial policy, we had left the religious apical of India as we found it— (Bear ;)—that system wan not forcibly invaded by ns, hut merely placed under a snore efficient protection than it had previously enjoyed. That protection, se cured by us alone, tne rulers of an empire which con tained upwards of an hundred millions of inhabitants, without there being one amongst us who might fairly call one foot of the territory his awn, was, perhaps, one of the most signal and splendid effects of human wisd.on And human fortune whit'h could br named.— The lion. Gent. had said, that it was to gradual means. such as those which lie bad mentioned, that we must look for the improvemeut of these people, anti that the diffusion of inatisviedge was the sole legitimate and effective mode of subduing ignorance. He (Alr. Canning) concurred in this opinion; but be thought also that this was the sole legitimate means ofaubduing superstition. The Hon. Gent. lead seemed colloid out the conduct of the Mahommedan conquerors rather as in example to he followed by us; but the Hon. (lent. well knew that the great distinction between the two religions professed by the two races of Conquerors was, that the: one -was the religion of arms, and the other of persuasion ; that the one had fought its way with tit-- swore, mid that the other prevailed in spite of power ; and that this latter and parer faith must he left to win its silent way among those nations be tore the total extirpation of their frightful sacrifices woold be looked fur. Col. MONEY eras fully satisfied that the laying of these papers before - Parliaident could not be an inexpe dient ruelsure. but would rather satisfy the friends of iinivanitt• that there was a feeling in P'arliainebt which was is unison with their own. lo 1605, •Lord Wel le-ly had espees•cd his earnest hope that •eomething j tttig!:t DC dune to extirpate these dreadful sacrifices. might be put down by force. If the satires were s e open to onderstand our good intentions. what told prevent their seeing that coercive measares were tak es for their benefit? Mr. BUXTON- shortly replied. He *ogler e a Right Hon, tientleusan opposite was wrong, whoa h e stated that there were no instances of force bein g sa e . ployed to pat down super4itioe. The murder of th e Ragpoots children was made a capital crime its Lodi % The Cooab also was made capital. This Casale...d i the case of a native having a strong aversion for say person in power; in which case he would makes law pile of lighted wood, over which he would put tir e animals, one of which wail a cow, and_ the o'her an ell woman. The suffering of the latter be would pret t i es t as lung as be possibly could, under an Impressive that the object of his resentment was suhjetted to the same torments. Even the sacred penile of a Breslin hid been violated, at some bad been hang. And, on oar occasion, the great god Jaggerant himself. with his car, had been seised upon and kept in paws, till the payment of some arrears of revenue were putt The question was then pot, and the papers ord ere d to be left' on the table. MR. OWEN, OP LANARK. Mr. MAXWELL gave notice, (as well as the mai* prevailing in the Louse would allow nto m ik, et), that on Tuesday nest, the 26th of June, he wonWa ire for the appointment of a commission to investigat e the arrangements which had been entered into by Mr. Owen, at New Lanark, fur the employment of the poor. e The CIIANCIII.LOR of the EXCHEQUER a fow tamilthnten soil Ile I Verde semi the table, for the purpose s we believe, of fonsiatiott relative to the practice Of oostponing the Bill.—lt was postponed recordierly , a loot from good authority. The Loan Bill, the Irish Treasury Bills Bitt, and Lon' BINNING observed, with n • . . • . . . . I ." )..: 116 !ftgen 01 fte mbmws ....." 1 4 1 tftteEkilltimi No w in bad ihtesived bib tu- Mr. W. IMITH al -71111.11"111 1 1. reed with the INO.Sookbei wh o eying the vietiost to spoke l ast, a thinking that these alatesiaable practices lei:4kt be oat .for s k. f. ... tr.L_ _ _. STAVE TRADE. Mr. WILBERFORCE, at the request of the liar• guess of Londonderry, postponed his moti o n on ! hi, 4objert till Tuesday next. The lion. Member :dlo laid on t-e table a Petition, the tnatier of which we were unable to hear from the low tone in which the !lon. lieutber spoke. GAOL DELIVRRIEM. Mr. BUXTON asked if tiovernment 101 l come to any decision on the subject of ►wore trequent Gaol Deliveries. The Marquess of lAINDONDERRY sail that his Majesty's Government had not yet derided. They ivishoot to have the opinion of the country on the soh j-ct I),fore finally deciding. The increased expense to the counties formed the principal ground of objec tion. Colonel MONEY moved for a return of the timber Nrpors who Isaol been apprenticed at the Cape of limp! 'lope under the Slave Trade Abolition Art.— Ordered. The 11arquess of LONDONDERRY, in reply to a torstion put by Sir R. Wilson, said that he should rot oltjrct to allow the consideration of the Poor Relief Bill that evening to sapersede the Coututitiee of Supply. Mr. SCARLETT wished his lion. Friend (Mr. ilutchinsou to postpone his motion. STATE OF EUROPE. Mr. C. HUTCHINSON said, lie had to often vs:- potted his motion at the request of others, that he could scarcely he expected to yield to the wishes of the lion. and Learned Gentleman on the loon, on this •e -casino. The present situation of Europe he conceived to he tremendously awful—it was scarcely rssiblet that the confusion could he greater, or more repre hensible principles prevail than what at present es isted in the different Courts of En.ope. He thoight no one was better acquainted with the spirit which per vaded them at the pr sent period, and he considered the Noble Lord opp site a most etreetive partner in the reprehen.ible and dangerous principle upon which these Courts proceeded. If, therefore, he did not io. te• puce his influence to overt the treatened dangers, ttttt noting to all appearance to a total disorganisation of society, he would be viewed as highly culpable...-. The Noble Lord stated, when he last had the honer or solonitting a similar motion to the lions% that the 60,000 Russians them adverted to not been pot is •notion for the subjugation of Europe. Bet if the /louse wool(' remember that the French war was an- dertaken under the pretext of putting down military despotism anti ambition, and that ended in tle.: peace of spoliation signed in 1814, the truth of the Noble Lord's proposition would not be so evident. Hs knew the Noble Lord would sty that this Oovernment was no party to the Holy Allianee, and therefote not an swerable fur its acts. lie had, however, often been the apologist of those acts, and had always declared that the views of the Allies were not views of aggran disement. But could any one who regarded the con duct of Russia for the last 100 years say, that it hod not pursued policy of argrandixement ? Its territory now extended 9000 miles in one direction, and 4000 in another, and it could command 600,000 wee in arms. Though Great Britain was not a party se the Holy Alliance, he thought the course pursued it this country for some years under the austices °Noe Noldt Lord was such as might justly alarm every lever of five dom. He thought enough had not been done to oppose the principles of the holy Alliance ; and indeed Mei*. tens at home, in a minor degree, had, as it *tweeted to him, acted on a similar system. One proo: of this was furnished by the refusal to enquire into the pence'd• iogs at Manchester. This view of the subject was fOr ther cnhtirmed by the espiokage which had beer 'sec tioned by Government, and by attacks made on the pub lic Press, especially by an Association of mail,' metes of high rank and character, and others to prime what they considered to be libels. The Alien X111'" regarded as another proof, of the disposition cf the liorerarnent of this Country to act oat list ciples of the Holy Allies, as the effect of that liras"! was to snake the Noble Lord the chief Police Ofic't of this conotry, in order that he might the Ingte effectnally promote the views of the Despots of the Continent, by refusing an asylum to those who ta li( 't seek in this country a refuge from oppression. . ge particularly noticed the case of an ag ed !ta k en Priest, recently from St. Helena, who iris &sled permission to land in this country, with a lira' Of refreshing himself by a few days repose, a , ' ,l west to another country where he had been deta i ned by the police. The eoorse pursued with respect to that ;a diviinal seemed to convect this cou ntr y with. t he police of other nations, to favour particular I) d vies's .. . He noticed the course which had b e e n pursue,. nib bal respect to Naples. Those la that country wild eorapiaietl of grievances, lad• who called tor a re kris, were desceibed to be taereti the Carl:ore IA a V I 1 1 1