The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-02-26 00:00:00

7*••• opinion of the 'Directors of the Bank; but it Lad hem retool necessary to sire them a sort of dis t:re:ion with respect to prosecutions, which ought not to legal vie* be given to that body. The har ing a forged note might incur 14 years' transports tino. Though great discretion was given to the Bank of , Eegland, as to prosecuting fee a capi tal offence. he believed they had taken a bossing view trf elicit-cases: bet tee 'desired effect of great severity had been lost, and .. the evils of uttering .forked stoles restraistrel. --414a-baliered that- the muse and (Neil's; of the People of •Sugland wereagainst the the punishment of death-10r forgery; and•that per: haps, in this respect, the strongest instance was to uP s,sund of the e•etsloo of.the People, of this .coup-; try to trey particular brooch, of theism, On ,that- very &vitro young lads were to- haveheen execoted '„tfor t forgeiy,;.and.liad.it r oot been for proper,comme nicatioes hiving been made, their fate would Alt .'worming have heap irrevocably sealed. •l lt was clear ...that the !verity of. the punishments had not. pre. 'vented the crimes. The , Act ;of .the present reign 'stated in the preamble, that the crime of forgery had • -grettaly increased.., It should be considered,, that if, mingoitiary punishments did net destroy or diminish the,evils, they would be.presiective.of very bad con , sequences. These were..tre he found not merely in • 11.. th p lamentable lose. of lives, bet also in the effects produced by horrid spectacles. It was the duty of a Leg's.. Wore to inculcate end proninte the. best feel. Isis of tturrttinitc. . There was. great danger to the ertor;el feelings of the People in lettieg them see that there was a light regard paid to lives. hr. Berke had •elequently Impressed .his opinion on a subject 441411.6%i° ship, when . he • said that politica) crimes . should Dot bepunisiterl by inflictions on a great num• •lver et mantis; for such eteentioni iocreased the fe rocity of the human passions, aryl led men to regard life lightly. The great trolley was to make men eon - sider their lives of much importance, and not to be Sacrificed to passion, but only under the regulations of the duties of morality and of the public law.— [ Hear!]-lle had read something in the Newspapers of that day which he could not avoid noticing. It ap peared, according to the accounts,' that- a wretched spectacle had been exhibited to • a creed ; the Mast. gled and bloody core of a suicide bad been ele vated before the eyes of eyery . body, with tbe instru." went by which stilf.merder• had beed ennnitted, and every other circumstance to make up a horrible • teshibitien.* Such a horrid display could have ne other than an 'unfavourable effeCt on the gazing Mule titode. It might he very •dastgitrous to women end to children. He could not rinderstaed .aoy 'autho. city far such a bloody ezhibillen. The verdict es. tended only to the burying of such an offender in the highway. The punishment was not to presume the commissien of another clime, though perhaps of that there. -could be little doubt. It, .watt. a matter of Wt. • portance to consider whether Sheriffs or others were • justified in taking upon themselves the direction of • scenes so dreadful and revolting. He well recnem • bered when, upon a formai occasion, a Gentleman, now no Tore, of the greatest talents, and in words much better than he could mie, 'airiniadverted. in the House on similar prirceedingi et the intertneot of • wretched end criminal suicide. trh. Learned Genii ttearian 'Boded here to the observatious of the late Mr. Sheridan, on the raposure of the body of the wretch Williams, with the. fatal maul, &c. hy'which he murdered the Marrs and Williamsons, a few years back.] lie should conclude by Moving for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal those parts of the 10th anti 1 nth of William 111., which took away H qu efit of Clergy for stealing in houses, da. Mr. JOHN SNIFF,' did not wish to say any thing which could take off the effect of what had fallen from the Learned Gentleman. Circumstances en abled him to give added confirmation to what he had, said o n some points, especially as to only three or four convictious on the Bankrupt Laws. The in• stancvs of concealments fraudulently made in bank ruptcy cases were indeed innumerable. They were numerous every year, and he believed that it could be proved to the House. As to the crime of forgery, it had increased (luring the last four or five years; 11,•1 he betievvd o- , seral persons were now waitiog to take t!:eir trim! for this offence. He believed that neitner tt , a Houle, nor the country at large, were %s aa re of the numerous o ff ences of th is kind that were compromised avid hushed op. Bankers were perpetually liable to the effects of this crime.. They. bad indeed formed an Association, and appointed a Solicitor for the prosacutioe of offenders; but they 'were very often moved by pity, and acted contrary to the principles of their association : Quite enough, he thought, had beets said for impression on the mind of the rouse. Sir J. NEWPORT 'said, that a strong cage had been 'made nut ; he trusted that. his lion. Friend would persevere in applying the principles of wisdom and homanity to the reformation of our criminal code. 'Awe was then given to. bring in the Bill. Sir C. hlONCit said he understood a Constitution had been agreed on between the Nur great Powers for the lonian [eland,-ststilince farmed. The nature of it might furnish an - object of jealousy to this House. He therefore desired - to know whether it was to be submitted to Pailiament ? Lord CASTLEREAGH believed the Constitution had been framed, and was in existence, but he had received nct commands to lay it before the House. Sir C. hIONCIi gave notice that he would, on T u esday neat, submit a motion to the house for an Address to the Prince Regent, with a view to have it laid before the House. Mr. Balfour brought up an Account of the amount of Fees paid by every individual on being admitted a Licentiate of the London College of Surgeons. On the motion of Sir J. NEWPORT, accounts were ordered tube laid before the House of the gross and net amount of the produce of the Duties in Ireland, on servants, horses, harness, and carriages, two and four-wheeled, as also of tobacco, sugar, spirits, wine, &c. from 1790 to 1818, specifying the rate of duty on each article. On the motion. of the Hon. 'Baronet, en account was likewise ordered to he laid before the House of any- order or notice that had been given in Ireland by the Cemmissionera of Excise and Inland Tiles, allowing windows which had been closed to avoid the tax to be opened in_the case of contagious fever elistiog in those houses in which they were situated. 011 the mntion °Mir W. BURROUGHS, e return vs; ur;:.e;ed to be made ttk the Rouse of an Fames . names, ages, places of abode, and occepanon of t, parties, as far is the same was knoon. Alio i re tortt-el the different pieces in which they were first confinel and those to which they were afterwards removed ; the authority by which .they had been re. leased; the dates of their various releases;.distinguish igia those who bid been compelled to enter.into re .toguixances, the time when those recognizances were discharged, &c. Sit G. CLERK .presented a Petition from the Tanners of Messelburgh against the Leather Time , — Ordered to lie on the table. MR. ROSE. Mr. MACDONALD noticed the eircuitotance of no new Writ having been moved for Cbrkichureita and wished to understand the came; and adverted tilL the office of Clerk of Parliaments. •, • . Iford.CASTLEREAGII, almost inaadibiy, sail s that he "should make, some enquiry into 4ho sebjeit. Sir M. W. RIDLEY moved for a new Writ for the town of Southampton, in the room of Mr. G. H.' Rose, who had accepted the office of Clerk. of Par liament: Lord CASTLEREAGII observed, that the play of . Clerk of Parliament was, a patent place, bat ho presumed that some act must be done by the present party, in order to avail himself of the grant. lle could not say that any such act had been done. After a few words from Mr. Ti ERN EY, Lord CASTLEREAGH expressed his wish, as he had no particular information on the point, that any discussion on it might be adjourned till Friday. Sir J. NEWPORT remarked, that it was a con. giant practice to move for a new Writ, when Mem bers had taken, for instance, the Chiltern Hundreds, and yet there was no idea of an adjourned debate upon it. Could the House entertain any doubt upon the present question ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.' said, he was not-aware of any thing having yet been I done by the Honourable Gentleman alluded to, to avail himself of the grant. At present it was a matter 1 of surmise. Sir M. W. RIDLEY said, he should take no re. spowibility upon himself.—lle could only say, that he bid beard. - from pretty good authority, that the liononnble Gentleman bad already appointed a de puty, and that nothing was wanting but a mere for mal act. Lord MILTON adverted to a case respecting Stamford, in the instance of the Earl of Lindsey. `There was then a doubt as to his succeeding to that Peerage.; the S%rit was, therefore, superseded, and no injury was done to the representation. In this case they were deprived of a Representative, and it' might be presumed that the Lion. Gent. bad taken rho , reversion of the grant. Mr. ABERCROMBIE said, that under the cir cumstances which had been stated, he would recom mend his Hon. Friend to allow the matter to stand over till Friday next, in order thit it might he as- 1 Certidoed in the mean lime whether Mr. Rose had aceepted the Office of Clerk of the Parliameat.— Illear, hear !) The quastiuu was then pot from the Chair ; and it was carried that the debate should be adjourned till Friday. NEW WRIT FOR CHRISTCHURCH. Mr. M A.CDONALD moved, that the Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown fors new Writ fo► s Member tow's, in this present Parliament, for the Borough of Christchurch, in the room of the late George Rose, E.q.—Ordered. 814100-110,1F.Y. Dr. plijimmoitg begged to inform the House, that he was. Member of the-Committee who had been appointed to 'Amine into the state of the prisons in the city of London ; and that, in vi%iling the prison of Newgate on Moriday•last, he had received information that three men, of the names of Brock, Pelham, and Power, who had been tried at the Old Bailey, and consicteti of the crime of having seduced three un fortunate Irishmen into the commission of axspital .offence, in • counterfeiting the coin, in order to get the rewards for the di4covery and conviction of such persons, had received a free pardon, and here dig. missed from that prison. He now wished to know whether that statement was correct ; and whether any objection would he made to the production of the judgment on which they were condemned, and the tree pardon by which they recovered their liberty He had heard that, on a previous trial for a similar offence, a doubt had arisen in the mind of the Judge who presided, respecting the operation of the late in bitch cases, and a point was reserved fur the decision of the twelve Judges, who gave an opinion, that the person in question could not be executed • and, se. cordingly, he received a free pardon from the Crown. That opinion, it was stated, hod influenced the Offi cers of the Clown its the case of Brock. Pelham, end Power ; and they had been discharged from custody.l This was a matter which required explonatioo ; for he could not eonceive any-thing more horrible in its consequences, than that such blood-hounds, who had been guilty of so enormous an offence - , shoeld be let loose upon society, and have the opportunity of se. docing other persons into the commission of crimes. -,—lllear, hear!) Mr. B. BATHURST said, that the information w hich the Hon. Member had received as to the free pardon of those men was perfectly 'correct. The Law Officers of the Crown, how sreatly leaver they might wish such criminals to suffer the elocution of the law, had found that they could not be brought to punisher/at. He was glad that this matter had now been agitated, es it was desirable that the Public Ishould know the ground on which those persons had been liberated. At the same time, he begged to .state,*that the Law Officers had been desired to take into consideration the necessity of introducing an .Act for amending the taw in that respect. With re. !Feet to the opinion of the Judges, on which these men had received their pardon, it did not exist in such a shape as to be laid before the House. This wet all the explanation which hi was enabled to give .10, the statement of the Hon. Member. I Sir FRANCIS BURDET'F could .not refrain from- expressing his. surprise that these villains had been soffered to escape from the punishment due to beim_ prodeced. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL mid, that the case had been argue* ingto.-Escbetlew-chamborr, and the Learned Jedges were it opinion that.the offence did not come within the-ordinary laws of she land. He hadAisme applied blp,usiod to dm sebjrct, but he found some difficulty in treating so Act to reach such cases. The prosecutionrtgains.t Brock, Pelham, and Power, had been carried on by the city of London with great assiduity; sud with respect to the Lew Officers of the Crown he .could assure the House, that there never esistt:d a more serious and ansionv r 'desive of bringing persons to justice.—{flear, hear!) --But when the law came to be discussed, and most ably and gravely it wvs discussed. some very nice -points arose, and the Learned Judges were of opi nion that judgment _could -not be esecoted. The offence was enoimoes, end could ,not fail of being -held in tke. greatest abhorrence. The persons, he admitted, deserved to suffer the most condign pu nishment ; but the law was defective; and, under such circumstances, they were pardoned. Lord STsist.EY was proceediegt, offer some ob.! levitation*, *hen Lord CAS I'LEP.EAGII row, to order. There was no motion, he said, before the House; and no benefit could a tiae from preloogiug the eeneerse ti,,,,,. Mr. BROUG II AM *idled so ask a q.uesiion of the Right Hounuratile Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Eachequer. respecting the retort's made under the Property Tax. 09 a former occasion he had in troduced this subject to the notice of the House, and it hid been stated that all the papers which related to that odious Tax had been destroyed. He now wished to know *bother the Right Honovrable Gentleman could undettake to state that-all the copies had been destroyed ? • • The CHANCELLOR of the' S;XCEIEQUER said, that he lied made further enquiries since the matter was last brought forward, and be found that all the original returns had, been destroyed. lie believed, however, that some . 'bliuk returns might Still exist in the office. • • ' • Mr. BROUGHAM begged the Right Honourable' Gentleman to bomore explicit. Did he mean that those blank returns contakied the names of the places, parishes, &c.? - The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. gave no answer. Mr. BROUGHAM then gave notice, AO on Wed nesday nest be should submit a motion to the House, on this subject, unless some &Ether esplanation, were previously giten.—[llear hear!) Mr. PETER MOORE moved, that a Select Corn. mittee be appointed to enquire into the state of the law as it now stands, with respect to Clock and Watch-makers, and that the Report of the Commit. tee who were appointed to consider this subject in ties last Session be referred to them. The motion was carried. an:l the Committee were returned, consisting of Mr. Moore, Mr. Butter. worth, Sir William Curtis, and several others. UMW-MON EY. Mr. BROUGHAM rose to request the further at tention of the House to this subject. It had been stated that Brock, Pelham, and Power had received a free pardon ; but he wished to know whether they were not to be indicted for a conspiracy? Mr, BATIIURST said, it .was not In his power to give any further esplation on the gas e of theta persons. Lord MILTON wished to know in what manner this case had come before the twelve Judges. He conceived this to be a mast imporlant *paint, and it ought to be distinctly stated. • The ATTORNEY-GENERAL slid, that an'ob-- jection had been taken by the - prisouers at the trial, and the point was reserved in the usual way. The case was then argued by Counsel, end the judgment of the Court was delivered as the judgment which de. sided the case. • . 7 . - Lord MILTON said, that from what he had heard, the same point bad oicurredln a Prevloos•case; and • it struck his mind that it was irregular to'grant a par ' don to these men, merely on the opinion which had been given on that previous - occaiion.' • * The ATTORNEY-GENERAL repliel, that the opinion of the twelve Judged of course . decided t ha t ease, and it became the dot/ of those who were ion awned foi the Crown, to take tistY chat those who had been convicted of a &fifer offeniravere - eat eit ticuted, however thoit:inight abbit'tbe Crime of which they had beiotconekted;" ' • - . Sir F. BUR DETT ass sheltie 'offer his opinions' en this case, when ' Ithe CHANCELLOR iat th e eXCHEIVER to order. rose to Sir r. BURDETT said,' the Right Hbn. (Unite. man would not glib any thing bithilmndiof pro. needing ; for, In a Very few . wattiOre mild make a motion which would detain the Ilitese r twirhouts..— He wished to , know why these pergola' bad dot been indicted for a conspiracy to take away men's lives fur money ? Mr. BATHURRST would merely stile, that he bad given all the information in his power. Sir JOIIN NEWPORT moved, that a Committee be appointed to enquire into the Reports of the Com mittee on the state of the Courts of Ireland, and that they report their opinions thereon to the House. —Ordered. Mr. MACDONALD rose, and begged to 84 s qoestion of the Right Honntirable Gintleman oppo site (Mr. Bragge Bathurst), whether the Report of the Secret Cammitleiw would be presented this evening? • Mr. 114TnURST, in reply, said, that a point had arisen late in the day, which had prevented the Corn. mittee from coming to a conclusion. Ile thought it probable, however, that the Report would be pre sented at the nest sitting of the Bowe. Mr. MELLISH moved the second reading of the original Bill. Mr. DICKINSON, Mr. Ccstwvl, and Mr. Suiw LEstgaz, opposed the tneasoie: they considered it most unnecessary, and trusted that - the Hon. Member would not-prey; any farther proceedings. Mr. P. M 0010: perfectly cwocurred with the Hoootgrable ligation!' who bad preceded him ; verg. MIMIC!IntI charges. If this Bill were suffered to pass, the Imo sort of practice would be carried into ether Parts of the country. . The sinestion was then celled for, and strangete wtre ordered to withdraw. On 11,division the numbers were— For the wool moist g 13 Apia.' it 3J i M4j oily 17. The Bill was thus lost. The • Annual Report of Roads and Bridges csr.. Lrying on in Scotland, was brought up and laid on tbe table. - Dr. PIIILLIMOILE postponed his motion re. spec/ j ag SWoish Ckimants, who have &rained n. resin .f restitution of vessels engaged is tha Stave Trade, till Tuesday nest. •S e rjeont ONSLO %ti fisod his motion reapecting the laws for tie regulation of Usury, for Wednesday, the.Bth of April. Adjourned at alphlt flelf 7 ,mt Sia o'Clnek. !MIRK PRIZES OF THIRTY Ti 10134 ‘Rli POU'Ank • ONE HUN DE C Ptrkt.S.—Tvl ELVKIDIP• 'll or I PORT.—WI Esokir I.3tr, 4in 01 HAltta LOTTERY GRANS. PRICK OF STOCKS TM' Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Be& 80}} 3 per Cent. Consols 19ii Canto& far Ace. 74} 4 per Cent. 9911 3 W Y AT OS 1: (YCLOCII. 5 per Celli. Nroy 10 ij tolialltinds 9) 96 p • Stock Long Ann. 20; 21 Eseisequer Bills 15 20 p • . .: 'thi STATESALI* • • • LONDON: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1818. • .~ In the House of Lords last night, the Ministers* Bill of Ind'intuit/ was brought in, and reads► Brat time. This is whit the Suspenders have been driving to obtain. The provisioni of the Bill were not stated, 'bit the flame of It is sofficient to indicate its purport. An objection was made to proceeding in the Bill by :Lords LAUDERDALE and HOLLAND, founded upon a principle of great constitutional and judicial pro. priety, namely, the evidently unjust and loco*. gruous situation in which the House of Peers must be placed in regard to the House of Commons and the administration of impartial justice, in passing a Bill for the protection of Ministers before the Repot of the Commons' Committee was before them, and in case, which we fear is not likely to happeo, the liven of Commons should agree to impeach the Secretary Of State of the H ome Department, for these eery acts or which, by snowing. the progress of this Bill, the House of Lords ,would in the mean time have ezpressed their approbation. This objection, however, was not . allowed by the Ministers to hue any weight, for a Committee los already decided on the innocent merits of the Suspension Acts, and the 11111 stands fora second reading tomorrow. The Committee of the Commons. seem to have 'stumbled upon some puzzling difficulty, which his very lately presented itself to them. To a question Irons a Member last night, why the Report was not fortheatiffee Mr. BRAGGAI BATUURST staled, that a point had arierit late in the day,which had prrentel the Committee from coming to a conclusion baits I thought it probable that the Report would be re sented;st. the nezt,sittitig of the House—that ie, not till to•otorrow evening. What this point may be, es know not; but we shall OW glad to find that vitae ;dew light has penetrated their secret darkness, socket may show something of the horrors and iniquity of the proceedings which hare stained, under legislative sanction, the history of the nation, and doom 41 so many individuals to lasting misery. Has it been re• solutely contended by some.stubborn Member on this Jury, that altogether to overlook in the notice of Miele! terial acts,Such'eopalliptand apparrently uedeniable circumstances, in the black catalogue of oppressioas under the Suspension., as have recently come to uoi- Weisel light,end otarsioued univers►l ezecration l e omit beiglcets the public feeling into the loudest indigos! bas it been found necessary to pauseinep• wooing such a Report as thatlaid before the House of ' Lei*? Has it thus suddenly slatted into the minds of ilia Committee, that something like an esplaustion ittjustification of the numerous acts of horror mow tieed in the elucidation of the other Tribunal mutt really be attempted, end that they are actually de ciding upon awful responsibilities, before a !valid* and investigating People? The pause augurs coati• ' titration, and may teed to something. The result is the other official instance puts us in mind of tie " Long Story," without meaning—the Castle whit windows that exclude the light, And passages lead to motboot." An interesting, though brief discuesion took place last night in the House of Commons, on ' subject of the pardon which Ins been so sirs and with so little respect to public feeline, est to the abominable wretches, !frock, Pelham, Power, who, along with the Officer Vaughan, ,a year and a half ago, as most of our Wedert recollect, for the sake of blood•money, entered a conspiracy to take away the lives of several ignorant • Irishmen, employed by them in col and afterwards convicted on their •evidence• nrchinations of these wretches having been . . , . • ft"' • ) I • ! r ...» )4 . 1 ) .. . , . . . THE STATESMAN. $ .. , , •„. . , , . .. f • ii • appreb ended sod detained-on Tralsonobitichngda . ill their-s.rillsear.ife ihnotist k fasposall4 .tirat there and 411111111 4 227644L , to t an fiber discussion , he moved. the fear 4817v.dlatingoisbing gUirof appiohandid • fot;..sbotild.lsit tail law in . our. crkiturjerisprtidentie that the Ib e a secid time' n day t i e High Tpascro,. orphrtholektso srifipiillin of Treirao.n, to siseot.stedi cow of Illood.sisosep.l .11 wet highly months. a%9 , 01-Ir4tal*thoso irlPOie.heqdedibr rev frumithar oxpediMit HMCO. opitti?rt bt tip Astiges rut .this General THORN ON rose trim° this mo. Secretary of •State, and tOrtWapprabended by war- .abject should be laid biters the House • and he tion. Two years e g o b e found that In ques t s had rants from- Jismices of tits Pesos; and stating the hoped that - the • Hun. • nimbly w . ped..indit on its been Holden without any occasion for them, and that .....• Amps_ Wallet of abodes and occeoasion of the' being produced. • . the county had been subjected to verg.unsecessary _ _____ ____-- .. .. . ..._ ..L..... If •hia Rill were suffered to oast. fie ammo on the t ngely, 'toled n end s hoot If will 'rd into tt 0 0 " • The sigoet 4t„~•