The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-05-17 00:00:00

MI lllvie ever, he had to observe, teemed never to be of any c onsequence, as it generally happened, when the iglu:uses were to be defrayed by toe public purse—the frequency of which was one cf the ne cessary calamities of a country removed to a marl derable distance from the seat of power. Sir ARTHUR. ‘VEI.I.C.3I.EIt said, his a uraisvre had, scarcely any reference to the ballot, aud reittired the immediate attention of the House. Mr. WIN DUM4 disclaim :Al all ►nerits iinfinted to him for the introduction of the Militia V otuateer MU last year. lie had nothing to doµ th it ; but had merely, in the execution of hi, oiiii.i.d titi, followed that up which had hem put in tram by Ins predecessor. The Bill was then read, and drilered to be printed. Mr. WHARTON brought up the report of the Committee on the duties on copper ; and on the motion of Mr. Itusc, leave w ar given to bring iu a Bill accordingly. _ _ It Is a mn. PALMER. Mr. WHARTON also brought up the report of the Committee on Mr. Palmer's applications for remu neration fortis services. Mr. Bets Kee rose to assure the House he felt he should not discharge the ditty he owed the country. should he sutler the present application to pass without its comment. lie was s Luse; cd t;:at it was unjustifiable, and nothing could ha. e induced the House so fur to have supported ii, hut the sur prise in which it bud foam! the most part of the Members. He applauded the conduct of His Majesty's Ministers, and profs:mei he thought it was their duty to dimaiirasse, is prieripias such ap plications to Parliament. It was at least a part of the prerogative of the Crown to prohibit such grants by a veto to au application for leave to dis cuss the merits ; and certainly the Ministry should assist the Crown in this as in most other of its du ties. It was not singular the report was such astlutt before the House, since the active persons on this Committee were particular friends of Mr. Palmer. The present report had far exceeded that of a former date • nor could the allegation of the preseut be jus tified beresortieg to that of the former. As far as Mr. Pith's evidence went, andmone could accuse him of waist of liberality in the public service, there appeared no pla'm or distinct ground for the present liana ; nor would it he fair either to give i int:heir cre dence to every thing stated by the Cientlemsn in his own defence; thoogle as far as related to his own eriminatioa, his own evidence was directly against Isiah and louts, be decisive with the House. — The argument so strongly urged, ae imperative on the country, was one said to be verbally made be tween two persons, one of whom the country had to laineet the tries of; while the other was a person on whose testimony there should be placed no reit . ant+. Any evidence adduced to prove this agree ment, he conceived weak an d unsatisfactory ; way, he thought the applicant's evidence proved the reverse of the inference be should be glad to draw from it. In vain had be endeavoured to divide the salary and the per tentage. They were intimately united, mod .both dependent on his combo Mugu, assist tits country. It would be thought rat he r • singular resolution to 'mine to, that, though there had men much malversation is offices a baegain was a bargain, and no conduct of one party sit sold empower the other to break it. The application Caine, it should also be recollected, at a dregolie iieswid, near fourteen years after his removal front his situation, though it MIS true es application had, iii that interval of time, been made, which had been unsucceesfel, partly through the. represeatatious of a man who was act only the eldest Minister, but also the fittest rerson to deenle on the propriety of the vote. there was sotnethine more than buspicinn attach ing to Mr. Peter: before his suseeesnet. It would be found, on reference to ter evidence that Mr. Palmer load • been eu-leavouring to throw the busi ness of the Mice into coufusiose by the late deli- Veer of letters and other irregularities. It was not only the right, but the duty of the House, to con sider the whole ease. It was not bound by lily en gweement, but was perfectly free to discuss the, title of the party to the enormous compensation which he elaimest. It was not a 11111 SN of justice or e. i nity, but one iu which it wit perfectly at the discretioa of the House to give or nut to give, as it should think proper. Ile •dia not approve of the coliclect of the Committee. They advanced many things in favour of Mr. Palmer, but nothing against lain. After dwelling upon his integrity, they ad.!. thit a prodigious increese of expense had occurred immediately after hi, removal ; hut they did not inquire in what this originated, and whether the increase would not have hap pened, although he should have enatinuect in office? In any or lmary case would soy one think of teaming a specific remuneration noon the vane an-I unsatisfactory erounds sallezed in support of the preseut chain ? No. llud the Committee exuunised, the iiierense of ex pense might have been traced, upon to some cause tetally diiierent from the waist of Mr. Palmer's stieerintending care; and as in the inereese of reveline, of which they gave ben the whole merit, it was only whet might be eepecte , l fret the increase of commerce, am: the proerce eivry extending relations blila activity in the mercantile world. Where so many olivions causes presented themselves, it was mensi rem to attribute the whole of the increase t., Mr Palmer's management and yi e emice. lie the ogle it therefore impossible that the llnn,c shmild pro coed upon the principles 1,4'1'1 down is the teem. Mr. Palmer, he admitted s e e ail leeful serve: but there were many oilier eirctenstanc s to taken into consideration, before it v oeld a - such an extravagunt and tinge-a:Med d e leted, lieu:arty in a case where there was it trig upon the public.. Cutler such & lieu:west he hoped that the House would proce ',lse rat principles, but he deprecated, their septic in estravagant demands. Mr. WINDHAM said, there was one 'ileum which he wished to guard against, an,: • Some Cretlemen had Like's it into that this is a party cpiestion, a eery deed he thought fur Ministers to would have been perfectly ridicule'' , his friends to make it a party %me te, ,; en Is deed of party was there in it, that h.- seine t o th e Hense by mere accident, v. eet ke how those Gentlemen, with when he e ss i Latlt of acting, were likely to vote, ur having him %lir(' self any °Aims at ail Upon. tl:e 604,0. Any thing then more clear from hi; itica of it party 111.!3 sure aenever knew. hit tie ineiviurr tiad been already discussed, and litivinl received the sanction of a majority u that Boise, a majority b.l Loge in number, a n d such a composition, he thought a much stranger case miist lie made out, Liefure the House could be railed upon to reverse the opinion which it had already girea. ( Hear ! Hear!/ This WWI all lie tlina•.;ht net—wavy to say, for those who i..fre present at the limner elevate; but fur thaw who hat been absent, he proposed to recapitulate 'the nr:7ltineiits. The question had beea debated upau two grounds--tst, nu the footing of a It.irgsi.i ; aced secondly, upon its independent of any stipulation or preys- One it4recaseut. TilLie ten grounds, it would be ohs , ,rved, were directly c.ritritry ; and the latter, if foufided in fact, would destroy the former—but that was not the ease, for, in his opinion, there was a bareat.i. It tippea;eil to him that the ljentle- Inca who o moa-I the i i meZion, set out with ad mitting u ti irgain, and then the only question to consider was, how far diet bac; tin was Set Wilde by matter .e.ieliteitt ? It was said, anti admitted, that soiref•lii•ig sholi!d be given to Mr. Palmer, as coin;ien.itiiiii for his ser:ices, and there was be sides a oargaio of •2 1 , per centar on the savings; of all toe modes of • o.ll:venfration ever know:4 this was perhaps the most uneKeeptionable. In any case of siseeidation, its any uew plan or experiment, where the mode of reward becomes the subject of arrangement, a ; enariii would, in every instance, give the preference to a payment upon the protits. It is a proposition by which a inan may win, but can lose nothing. The erceeetor has nothing for his labour, unless his like succeeds, and there fore it is the most just and fair mode of remuneration that can be conceived, and the best and safest sort of bargain. These circumstances being admitted, the next thing to be considered was the interpre tation of the bargain; and here the evidence stated, that the compensation consisted of two parts, one for service, amd the other for salary ; but it is ob jected that it does not specify with rufficietit clear ness how much for the one, and bow much for the other. For his part, he saw no difficulty in the case. The 1,5001. a year was evidently as salary, and the per centage for remuneration for the bene fit arising from the management to the public.-- If, however, the compensation was not defiued with sufficient explicitness, that was no reason why it should be refused if the right was apparent. Take the case of wilts, for instance, there was nothing more uncommon than for a Court of Justice to give a party an interest under a will different from that which was in contemplation of the testator, merely' because the technical words conveyed that particular interest, and not the one more obviously intended by the Testator. There was nothing, then, to exclude the House from entertain ing the die whole qnestioii, or that could overrule the claim of Mr. Palmer. The per centage was given to him absolutely. lie had his option of it long before any other reward was thought of, and the plain sense of the bargain must overhear every thing else. That plain sense was, that Mr. Palmer should have so much for salary, and so mach for service ; the latter being a per centage of two and a half. But it was said, that Mr. Palmer had iniseonducted himself, and it therefore became a question how much he should forfeit. '1 here was no difficulty here. la his opinion he should be considered as hawing forfeited the salary of £l5OO. Mr. Windham next proceeded to complain, that a run had been origually made against Mr. Palmer, by the publicutiou of confidentiel letters, and other means to excite a prejudice against him, and he was astonished to hear it contended, that be bad relinquished his claim by any offer which he might have made in such a situation, as a roan under such circumstances must be glad to take any thing he conid get, without any reference to the magni tude or extrat of his right. The question now is. in what proivortion is Mr. Palmer entitled to corn pensatis., I , f Upon that point," said filr.Winilhaut, " I do ant think be ought to abate one jot of that eugageel to him beyond the £ two s-year. In justice I say that ; and I uext say that it is unfair to attempt to make him accept so much short of what they would have been originally glad to pay." The arguments against the claim, Mr. Windham. is continuation, said, were founded upon the most unworthy and discreditable principles; for, if the II per tentage was now to be called in questiou, it would be, in fact, to make a new bargain. The advice Rivets to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the Right Honourable Gentleman was the strangest that he had ever heard. That the House of Com.nons should be debarred from fulfilling its enzagetnent, and that wheie a man felt himself injured, and applied for redress, it was the duty of Ministers to preclude all appli.:et.on upon the sub ject, was contrary to every idea awl principle he had ever eutertaiitcd. In the pri:sciit case, how ever, the advice was prepo-tarsus, time Chancellor had not precluded the application. The question had alretely conic befory the ilatise of Coinnions. —lt had cone before an impartial House, and received a full dehheration. The Committee, of whose celiduct the ltie!it I ton. Gent. (Mr. Betakes) colaphineri, might be wrote'', het they could not be suspected of having acted from prejudice. Mr. Pa:ine; surely could not he supposed to be able to intlivince the House of (20i11111011S, and that in op position to the Nliaister. as to the ohiection to the claim on the ground of long standing, there we.; a f eoceileat in the Duke of Athol's case; of ivh;cll, tlioneh he did not approve the merits, yet the &iicetiaiii net hating been admitted ii. that case, lie did not see with what propriety it could be urged against the preient claim. Upon the whole, then, it del ap o rar to hint, that the Geittleinini opposite had not au Mehl of ground to stand upon, or even a plausible pretence to refuse the executiou of the barzai.i. .Ir. Ppt.r.Eß defended the pretensions of Mr. Palm .r, thoag6 he thought the elognence of the I j4 . Member had nothing to do with the gnestion. 11,• art-A his riot** and gone fiiend hail not ria the probability of Mr. Palmer's so far .• a 3.1, when he perceih.•d the immense o he wit., likely to receive by his invention, he he Inv( gone to far, and, 'wing frightened, retrai•terl. The letters were not written for the ~,o,he eye ; a.rl were it not for the villainy of a fellow who, like Judas Iscariot, hail hetrwveil him for lucre, they would never have Leen exhibited, kitgliiv.l-s-In rattle h'4 beets deprived of toe right* app . :far:o has. sot item this view of its: tnecits, he should implied she cans ttu utglit, as he had thaw trefote: judging it just to act always lb coaforthay•to ties w ed % ,, netailit of Hoiacese-. 4 Non inkr filue.l , -(l.A.nd isughtsiz)—:u.• hatter antiet:s."--(!Jana. , taitsk fur and :jeer) sas c.asfusion.) . Mr. Ouse ,aid, it was the duty of His Itlaj , :sty' , Ministers, ebute ali ethers, to preveut the waste ur luvishiuent of the pa:ille funds. lie wished hot only to warn the against voting an enormous sow iinprovidently for the public, bait also against remunerating an officer for the grossest :I ..1 1110 st disgraceful liegteet and atinin.• of olfirisi situation. The duties of his situation us Comptamiler-General of the Post-Office accouuts, though specified by tlic terats of the warrant, ill% e4CIUg lIILU With that si tuatinu, 11441 been totally ne 4 lected, and the whole syetctu of the office overturned, ur heedlessly van hated. lie couridered the House boned to support the former deterinittatitm of Parliament, in the ye ar 179 u, when the circurnstaotes and facts were more recent and better knots u; and Mr. Pitt, the foamier of the bargain, was himself present, net winch occasion there iv as a di t isiuu aguiust the grant of I la to 23. WURTI.ZY Rai decidedly of opinion a bar gain had been made, and that the bargniu still re mained in full force and cogency : but could not see how the salary ana the per rent. allowuuee could be separated, particularly es conueetca by the terms of the evidence before the House, inertly ou the ground of remuneration, not for his former exertions, but for the continuance - of his aosistaaoe in beuelitting the public. This duty, it was evi dent by his letters, he was unfit to perform, and hence with justice lie was displaced from his situa tion. and of course from the emoluments via:wip ing by the terms of the agreement to the situation. Ile thought it necessary to say thus muds in defence of his conduct iu voting against the claim this night, for which he had through ignorance of the evidence voted the night before. Sir T. Tearox professed himself incapable of being influenced by those motives %Inch perhaps had made the last Honourable Member a prose lyte. He had been surprised at the statement of the Chairman of the Committee of Finance. Ex cept he made more clear statementreon the public finance than those he had made as to the merits of the application of an individual of singsilar inge nuity and merit, he much feared the House would derive little profit from the labour of thet-Com mittee. 'flied been said, that the House had been taken by surprise, though the notice bad been before the House for six weeks. The per tentage and 15001. per amused had been given hint in lieu (tithe original agreement. and hence, when he was deprived of the emoluments of the secoud agree ment, perforce, he had therefore a just right to me turn to the origival agreement. These consider ations had their weight pith the Committee, and the report had been drawn out fairly, and all pro per deduction made from the oriental claim of Mr. Palmer, presented tothis House, andattended with a recommendation of his claint. which could only be cousidered as a just discharge. of the duty they owed to the merits of an injured individual, and the character of the country. Mr. Loma stated, that the Committee had put very few questions Lo bim. He thotight he could haveliveu them considerable information, but in the situation be was placed as a witness, he mold not illustrate, he could only give answers to the several quiritious suggested to lain. V% lien he stated to 'the Committee, that Mr. Palmer had a right to expect tentage, he gave the evidence from a conversation with hie ever-lamented fiietal, Mr. Pitt. But it never was his iteration, t h at the Com mittee should conceive that the restage should last longer than Mr. Painter held the office. Lord DIILTON was surprised at the inconsisten cies of the Gentlemen on the opposite side, for instead of arguing on the hargaia, which they all adMit, they dew to the misconduct of Mr. Pal mer while in office. The impropriety of Mr. Pal mer's conduct in office he was not a supporter of, bat he would submit that the conduct in office bad not any thing to do with the original bargain, and ought not to interfere with the present question. Why did they not meet it when it was before the House for the first time, and put a stamp on it ? That would shrew the public Mr. Palmer had no cluitn ; but instead of doing so, they gave it a half assent, a half dissent, :aid at last threw it by and got rid of it, by moving the previous question.— If they had put their stamp of disapprobatiou on it, he was assured Mr. Palmer would never have urged his claim further. There had bsen a vast deal of obloquy thrown on the report of the Com mittee; he saw no argument adduced to warrant it. He believed the Committee consisted of as honourable and as good men, withont exception, as the House could produce. He could not pass over the subject without saying, that the Cots mittee bad been hardly used. Mr. S. Bowes • observed, it was said that this was not a party question, but it was singular that all those persons opposed to Ministers did on a for mer eight vote in favour of Mr. Palmer. These were the Gentlemen who boasted of being the ad vocates of public economy, and were now willing to lavish away thotetauds of the public money on a private individual. Ile did not wish to say any thing derogatory or hurtful to the feelings of the Committee; but a Committee who had such letters as they had in evidence, and could report there was not a particle of blame to be attached to Mr. Pal mer, and that after a decision, where there was a majority of moo against the claim, he could sot commend. The evidence that was given before the former Committee he would not go into, for he thought the result of the House of Commons, when it came before them, gave it a sufficient stamp, and proved that Mr. Penner could have no claim. Sir Faexcts Bums:err confessed, all he had heard in opposition to Mr. Palmer's claim, that night, had only strengthened him in favour of the grant. When he looked at the benefit that had aceruesl to the public, and the smallness of the sum asked, lie felt astonished that Ministers should he sitate one moment. Ile would be happy if they experienced the same kind of uneasinessais oth e r occasions, and felt the same qualms when they were lavishing the public money on worthless db jects. Sometimes they said it was a bargain, at tle did Icnod• . show to defille thierposirarpoiesoftneir %Apurimas would he sorry to he branded as the squandervit of imulic iiim)ey, but tha advantage of the piaii of Mr. Palmer was so great, that he thought the country could not ut:ike it.ra suffi.ieirt compeissa tiom. Thrre wt•re ninny Committees he did hot ra.y attention to; lint Mr. Palmer could have rin %millrace over the Committee its questimi. lie huill i..) public coetracts to give them; and if thereever was a C rare had rulalk 1 the trust reposed in tircut. it was the Committee thut eat ma Mr. Palmer's claim, mid which would reit.et ho.. Ilqdr on th .;:t the isonaluder of tlwir lives. .. Air. 110 , .:".11:1.) contended, that the eentar was• a part of the agreement for Mr. Palmer's services, and that he was mit entitled to it loager lima he held his allee. _ . ..... M. Miami:it! stated, that nothing was more common thin for Mercbaate to captor Clerks, and allow ditto eentuge iwitead of lairry. but when Chit; rervieeti ceased, the ceutage, no longer eoatinued, mud he conceived the prewist Moe to be exa. tly in point. 'Air. Sunssa contended) that the Hinds? ou : .& not to come to a deciaion, until they hue* what evidence Cie Committee had farnittd their report on. He then moved that the 'debate obould journed until Friday next._ On Cie motion hein; put the Howe dirided.— Ayes Noe* )13,j .xity agaiast Misist47B . . The re - port'w.; than received without * division. On oar re-admission . to tbeGarery o thesrZAKte was puttiug the qttestion whether a resolution should be referred to a Committee of the whole House on Friday wit; from &desultory conversa tion that took place between Sir Tarim AS Tv RYON. Mr. PERGC VA L. Mr. GEORGE POMO* eY. Mr. T 11; RN li Y. and Mr. Huai, we understood it was for finding out to what extent Mr. Palmer wus su e.- tied to tentage. The question was cariCad. • Major l'A LVEII moved, "That the evidence which had bears produced to - the*Committee on Mr. Pal rner's petition. should he taid before the HOWf and printed," which was agreed to. The Committee on the Local Militia Bill was postponed until 11'el1neselay. The Assessed Tuxes Consolidation Bill was 'tad a third time ivid plowed. • The several Orders of the Day were posteetwA. and. the (louse adjourned at IllkLff PAST TWO CIoCII. LOCAL MILITIA BILL lIVADS Of TIE BILL, AS AMENDED eV l',111: COM MITTEE. His Meierty empowered to establish and elliisstain a Local Fevre for tie defence of the realm Not to cseeed six time militia quotas anclading Tobin leers. Deficiencies in effective Volunteers to be supplied by Militia under this Act. pun receiving order to knot um, Lieutenant and De, petty to appoint general and subdivision meetings. .Countira may be divided into divisions. _Powers of Militia Acts extended to this Act. Alen to be ballutted out of militia lists, or ne w lists easy be mails. Persons of bodily inability shall be excused. Exensming liceonsd Teachers and Senical saes. sail Persons o tin have veered, or Omni Ouhatitstes, or paid Fines, in regular Militia, ur Army of Reserve. Certnio Persoins, tbouJiexempt from Militia, nut to be ex empt (torn being be:lotted and trained under this Act. ,Peron., enrolled, to ss rar al'eg•atire to H. Ju elp, mid Neat they: will scree use the apace of four years, unless s..untr discliarted. Penalty on Persons not appearing. Person claiming exemption upon payment of smaller Fine, tu nen a declaration On eaglet.; to serve, without pay, in Volunteer Corp., port of the tin to 100 rt witted. Penalty un such peisoas, nn being returned non-effective. Persona claiming t 'tempt:nu upon payment of liens, to In sumuioned to swear that they leave not insured. Quake' a to he exempt. on payment of fine. Regulations restos-cling Vonantecrs euralling tbentsehres. Bounty to per‘uns enrolling themselves voluntarily. Volunteer Corps may teamster tbeniselvesinto Loral Militia. Volunteers to swear tlrit they have not other beauty. Allowances for neeessani s. Persians serving be be entitled to exemptions. Pcrsinis insuring for providing substitutes, or volunteers, subject to penalty. How tu be formed and officered. Volunteer Oaken transferring themselves into time Local 11 Adis, to hold the sante rank. Local Militia may be placed under General or other Of. errs. Training and exercising Militia tinder this Act. Militiaman removing into another county. In ease of invasion, may be embodied and marched to any part of Great Britain. %%lin training or sasibodiesl, to be under the Mutiny Act and articles of war. Estitled to same privileges and allowance as other Militia forces. Same relief to wives and families as to those of Volubtecis under 44 Gco. 111. c. sa. May enlist into army, navy, or marines, except during pe riods of exercise. Vacancies by enlisting to be supplied. Fine for men deficient. Renew of fires alien men found. Connuaneas•!l shall transmit to the Getters' Quarter Ser. nous, catifieates, and lime Justices there saseabted *ball lumen '5l. for each man certified to be debt Mist. Pines to be remitted to Treasurer of comity, oho is to lay accounts before Justices earl. QlNttifir Sessions. If lines, &v. paid into the Bank sot sufficient to pop bounties, 64...Mi1ey to be paid out of county rate. Penalty kik, of sob-division nasetinp ntairiug Mu ni y. Clnks of meetinp to keep book of fines a:AI peralti+ s receireal. Clerks of sab.division meetings to transmit sc.-ousts to Semler) at War. Clear of sub-division meetings to transmit e,titn.ite f rains requirrd Cor moyntent of penal Les ieus‘tttcl t Ito. SL cretar) at War. Application of penalties. Cinque ports. Stamm/tea. Exteutling pruclsions relating to comities. to rid; the, 10 Isun.lrede mud to coral:4111m to other plans sag Act may lie altcrcill in flail' stieises. An Account, she., ing what has been reeleemeri . f the National Debt, the Laud Tax, aml lospenal Loan, to the let Mar, 11'MS : Redeemed lir Anneal Million, kc L Co,-.4n,e; 6 Ditto on aro:mat et Loans 6 ..O - 0.,1 11 Ditto by Land To. cynic, ik. 1- Ditty lay 11 per Mat pee inn, on Inaraltroal Lain 10 6e,T; 7 Taal L ukost,vs7 The sum to he expeuded iu tht: eusulug Su,tetsr, is It i to3),3litd. 4s. Id. kith- !OIL- Ir 4 TIT y th ■ II:. II iu ei II g ILI etr. 13;LIN! •( •63 tiA, lACOIA .ace naril 111 1.1. e It d te c7e u hi( IJ nrdtu ru t.i 4 rd! '~~; u P 1: c 11,0 I