The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-04-23 00:00:00

. e. ~. - I , I. ( t • I I>' Mr. Oldfield, who stood in the light of a King's evidence, which could not be believed ►n courts of justice, without being confirmed by other testi mony. He then went into the history of that evi dence, saying, that a meeting had been held at the house of Mr. White Parsons, at Castle Cary, where a conversation took place, in which it was proposed tharthe bomugh of rlchester should be purchased ; that to effeft this, it would be sufil cient to corrupt thirty poor man, at 301. each. That Ale. Hopping, as agent, was to procure the money to build the necessary houses ; and that Mr. Davison was present and contented to it, though it was aJmitted, that he afterwards withdrew that consent. He represented Oldfield to be a professed dealer in boroughs, and a propagater of corruption, who went over to the adverse party, and sought for other principals after Mr. Davison had expressly withdrawn. There was no proof of any connedion between Mr. Davison and the sitting Member ; that the former attempted to bribe, or that Hopping was his agent : if the plan which Oldfield mentioned to be suggested in the conversation was carried into effed, it d.d not follow that Mr. Davison was to blame. Mr. JOHNSTONE said, it was generally ad mitted that the Attorney-General should not be or dered to prosecute unless upon very strong ground; hut he would ask the House, if that ground was made cut at present insisted that it was; and that Oldiield appeared throughout a sus reions characler. AU these conspirators, he said, were low people, not qualified to be Members of Parliament themselves, and therefore more culp- Lie in euernpting to corrupt, than those Candidates could be deemed in the hurry and bustle of elec tions. The first Resolution was then put and agreed to. The second Resolution stated, that Mr. Alexander Davison, and Mt. Thomas Hopping, had been con cerned in the said conspiracy. Sir M. W. RIDLEY opposed this Resolution on his former ground. Lord COLE maintained that sufficient proof was given before the Committee that Davison was an eleelion broker ; and Oldfield an agent, who was usually employed by him, and had been sent by him oa that errand to the west of England. Mr. SHERIDAN confessed that he had not heard'all the evidence given before the Committee • stir any paiticular attention ; but as far as it went, he could find no proof whatever of the guilt of Mr. Davison ; neither did he feel nay part of that high indiAnation expressed by an Honourable Member at those low creatures, because they may not be them sL!ves eligible to seats •in Parliament, presuming to cablate their betters in the arts of corruption. He ' knew of no gleater ci iminaiity in their dealings that * Lelline Dukes and great Noblemen who sold returns for boroughs for - 4,0001. He feared, even admitting the truth of the charge, that Mr. Davison was not sinetilar in such corrupt prailices. We had too flagrant proofs of that in the large sums; paid to Lords and Nol.lemen, as compens.itu n fr.r the loss of their borou,::is, at the time of the Union. Allow ing even that Mr. Davison did entert.aia cerrupt • projeCts, yet the House should also have some proofs of acts founded on these projects ; for no thing could be more utijatt, nor more agaiust law, than to punish a man for r.rerely Lis intention. These intentions may be bad, and he might there fs.re blamelessly have abandoned them. In that case, it was also natural, that the same agents should fly about the country, and apply for ether cm. ploys. Oldfield might have had Davison's con currence in his plan, hut according to his own evi dence, the. latter had given it up three mouths afterwards, which induced him to apply with his pian to a great man. Supposing the houses to h..ve beets bolt, and the remainder of the plan to have been followed up, as it appeared to have been, • he „would wish to know if it was Davison's money - that was embarked in them did he levy them, and seas he now the proprietor olthem At all events, it %%cult! be unjibtifiable to order him to be prosecuted, • without hearing what he had to offer in his defence. !:r. N. VANSITTA la remarked, that though D.-.vi,on abandoned his plan to Oldfield, yet it must be remembered, that the buildings still went on. After all, however, in his mind, there was not proof enough of bribery against that irdividual, but there was abundant proof of the conspiracy. As to Mr. Davison's not having been heard, the reason of it wrs that he had not applied for it. The MASTER of the ROLLS said, that ac crue:A.l;l to the least judgment he was capable of forming in this case, it would he neither neces.ary nor proper for the House of Commons to discuss, or to deliver .rr.y opinion at. all upon the evidence. He knew that there were doubts of the propriety of that Hoarse, ordering any. prosecution at all under the statute law upon its own authority ; but it was also notorious, that the practice had been established since the Revolution. These however, in the generality of them at least, had been insti tuted in eases where the great interests of the State, or the Conuitution, ;appeared to be at stake. They were severally libels of a public nature, and not having references to any individual; they were such cases, as, if that House did not prosecute, would not be prose toted at all. There were usually strong rea,oas, why the House should not enter upon any :.reliminary discussions, throwing the whole waight of its opinion and au thority in the scale against an individual. He knew of only one instance on the Journals of a common law prosecution for a libel being ordered by the authority of the House'}} and that was under cir cumstances of a very singular nature. The com mon law in it , elt had imposed very severe punish ments upon bribery, but Carly in the reign of George 11. All Act WAS p used, allowing half the penalty to go to the i!tforrner. In the Bill of Geurge H. as passed by the Commons, this penalty was fixed at SUL what followed upon that was extremely worthy of observation. 1. he House made an amend ment in the Bill, which seemed to mark their dislike altegetber, which was an amenelment in the Bill, increasing the penalty from 501. to • 5001. According to the ptevaeges always claim ed by the Hotly! of Commons, such an amend ment must have proved fatal to the Bill ; it was expelled to have done so, but contrary to all espeelation it was adopted Isy the Commons, and rheas it rested to this day. He begged the House to recoiled, that a prosecutiemnt their instance did not aversedesi the certmon-laW proceeings. Certainly, ..:ien such a measure was andartalcest by the Attor ney-General, he had it in his power to proteet his • a case by tir.g his soli prosequi to stop any f cern; ; but hem he wai not enabled to 5',' ....W • • 01{ interpose his poe-er, as the informer may be before hand with him, or start at the same tinie, ana go on side by side with him. Let the House mash the &fed of unseasonable interference. The C.asrt of • King's Bench allowed the accused to plead the sta tute of limitation if no pmsecution should be instituted against him before the expiration of the term of two years ; and to . prevent double prosecutions, would set itself against any information during the time that the informer might come in. It the House of Commons there fore did not wait till that , time was expired, it pro ceeded at great disadvantage. The House on con vidion would exiled a sentence suitable to its weight and dignity ' • but the Court would feel itself in duty bound to inflid little more than a nominal punish ment, lest the statutary penalty, still much more se tre, should be sued for afterwards. The Court at present would End itself peculiarly in that predica ment, for while the House was occupying itself in this discussion, penalties to the amount of 48,000 i. were already claimed against Mr. Davison, and pe nalties also against another of the parties. He must therefore object to proceedings, in his view, im proper in themselves, but at all events tending to prejudge future discussions pending other prosecu tions. He knew not of any precedent for a pro secution at the instance of that House for a conspi , racy, though there had been many for bribery or ; and to put an end, at once, to any further proceeding on the suhjel of this resolution, he moved the previous question, which several gentle. men immediately rose to second. On the motion for the previous question being put Mr. FOX said, if it was not clear to the House that any thing had appeared tp warrant the pro secution of Mr. Davison, moving the previous ques tion was the most proper mode of getting rid of the business for the present, as it left the business open to Gentlemen fir future discussion. Strap; ei s were ordered to withdraw ; when Mr. ISkA E GG rose, and said, he had no objec tion to leaving the previous question open. The House had already come to a resolution in which they agreed, th.:t gross perjury had taken place; and though the punishment of the crime may be left to individuals by aCtions, yet it would not be ad vistal.!e for the House, nor consistent with its dig nity, to let out of its power the punishment ofa crime they had noticed. He had no objedion to the proposition of the Honourable Gentleman, to postpone the further consideration. Mr. VANSITTART agreed to the same propo- sition on the same grounds. Mr. GREY said, the principle of the previous question went only to postpone the consideration of any question. He only got up to observe on the situation in which the House would be placed after having adopted the resolution, that gross corrup tion and bribery had prevailed at the Ilchester election. The Hon. Gentleman thought, that after such a resolution the House should not lose .sight of the business. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman, but if those aetions did not succeed, the House could not proceed further, and yet the resolution would appear on the Journals. He thought the Com mittee would have aded more consistently if,linstead of reporting against individuals, they had come to some resolutions to redify the state of this Borough, by extending the right of voting, or by disfranchise ment, or any other means that may be thought pro per. But it certainly concerned the dignity of the House not to lose sight of it. Mr. BR AGGE explained. 'I a previous question was then put and ne gatived. INI., last. Mr. SMITH begged leave to observe, that he was ignorant of any anions having been commenced ; the ln.4)ery w. 15 glaring, and he should repeat his motion. The original question was then put, when 1 is:: CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the House had committed itself so far by agreeing to the resolution, that he thought they should adhere to it, so far as. to determine to take the report into consideration on some future day, and certainly some recorded intention was neces sary fur the dignity of the House. He thought it may be done without passing an opinion on the in nocence or guilt of Mr. Davison. He begged leave to observe, that he gave no opinion ; indeed, he took the report of the Committee without much examina tion of the evidence. The original question was then put and nega tived. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then moved, that the report be taken into further consideration on Monday fortnight.—Agreed to. The I louse went into a Committee of the whole House on the Clergy Residence Bill, when the re port was received, and ordered to be taken into fur ther consiieration on Tuesday se'nnight, and the amended Bill ordered to he printed. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that pre% ions to the Easter recess, he had the honour of presenting to the House a survey of the Highlands of Scotland, and the report made by a confidential person appointed to take it. Improve ments of every kind, and ou every occasion, were of the greatest importance, but in no part of the United kingdom, more than in the distrias inhabited by that loyal people ; .nd he hoped the encourage ment meant to be given to manufa&ures and com merce, would rat a stop to the spirit of emigra tion which had lately appeared there. He then moved, that the report of the survey be referred to a Selth Committee, to examine into the merits of the same, and report thereon, and that five of the Com mittee should be a quorum. The other Orders of the Day were then read and defer red. Adjourned to Monday. T HEAT RE-ROna, DRURr-L AVE. TIIIS EVENING will be prewntetl a New► Comedy called THE MARRIAGE PROMISE. Charaarrs by Mr. C. Lemble, Mr. Dwyer, Mr. TBsw ton, Mr. Honing:worth, Mr. Bannister, jun. Mr Palmer, Mr. Pope, Mr. Puwoll, Mr. Purser, Mr. Evans. Mrs. Powell, Miss Mellon, Mn.s Jordan, Mrs. Sparks, Mrs. Mai Mocks. The Prologue to be spoken by Mr. Dwyer, To which will be willed, BLUE BEARD. • 771EATRE-R0191., COVENT-GARDEN. EV F.NING will be performed a New Comedy called JOHN BULL; Or, AN ENGLISHMAN', FIRE-SIDE. Tu which will he added, A TALE OF MYSTERY. • A New Musical After-Enact is is preparation, calleJ The Fair Fugitives. • .~ :~. - TO CUR RESPONDENTS. Carreortaent 4. are requtsted to a(ltlreis their Communications thig Paper to the Editor, at the Office, Salia'itirpaquare. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, SATURDAY, ARIL 23. The 3 per Cent. Consols, which lift off on Thursday at 1;71, opened-Testerday morning at 66:1, and fell in the course of the day to 65.1, and were, at the close of the market, 66. This depression of 1 per Cent. was generally imputed to the explanation which the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave in :he House of Commons on Thursday night, of the communication promised on Tuesday last. We thought at the time that the explanation would make an unfavourable impression upon the Funds, but we did not think the OM would have been so great. This anxiety to repress the order of the public mind might manifest his caution and delicacy; but it could be no proof of an encreaseel confidence in peace. As such, therefore, its effeCt, if any, must be to lower the Funds, but nobody supposed that the depression would have been so great. Various .other causes were consequently assigned for the fall in the course of the evening. It was reported, that some Dutch East Indiamen were stopped in the Chan nel by our men of war. It was also reported, that ten more sail of the line were ordered irrm_!diately into commission. Neither of these reports, how ever, appear to have had any foundation, nor to have produced any effect upon the Funds.— Indeed, they seem to have followed, and not preceded the fall of the Market. The de pression is, we believe, to be imputed to the CHANCELLOR of the Exciirour It's observations on Thursday evening, accompanied with the circum stance of 'he delay of Mr. HUNT 1:12, the Messe nger, expeCted from Paris with the final answer of the Fiittsr CONSVL. The weather has been very boi sterotis for these three or four days past, and it ap pears, from our Dover letter of Friday, the wind was so violent no rt:ssels could attempt to cross the Channel. Some speculators consider this a suf ficient cause for the Messenger's delay ; but ethers fear, that some difficult:es have been started up in the way of that answer, which the CHANectLoa of the EXCHERVER manifestly expected before this time, when he hoped on Tuesday to make a com munication to the House in a few days. The ins.' portance of the dispatches would, no doubt, tempt Mr. Ht - NTen to make all possible expedition in his return, and try every possible means to effect it. No Paria Papers have been received since Sunday The Duke of BEDFORD, and Sir H. FETHER• STONHA dined yesterday at five o'clock at Brooks's Subscription House, in St. James's-street ; and at seven o'clock, they set off in a post-chaise and four for Dover, on their way to Paris. They were attended by the Courier, who went with Mr. Fox to Paris.- 2 His Grace', travollimg landau with five servants in it, left town a few hoars before. The preparations in fitting out the ships, Scc. seem, within these few days, to be very much relaxed. The orders which have been received are not so urgent, and indeed every department is comparatively pas. site. There have been no gangs from the ships of war this week to interrupt the noaurnal perambula tions jf proteaed men, and render themselves ob noxious to the inhabitants. On Wednesday last his MAJESTY, after the Levee at St. James's, signed an Order in Council, extend ing the bounties for seamen to enter, from the 30th inst. to 3 Ist of next December. A detachment of thirty men, four officers, four serjeants, and two corporals, from the Rith regi ment of foot, arrived in Athlone on the 11th inst. for the purpose of being instrufted in the cannon ex ercise. Similar detachments front every regiment of fcpt in the western distritl, arc under orders for the same place, for the like purpose. Friday se'nnight fifty-four ammunition waggons , la.len with military stores, were sent from the Castle yard of Dublin to the country. Commodore Hoop gave, on the morning of the lit of February, on board his Majesty's ship Bien &ins, dejeuni to Lord and Lady SF.APORTH and their family, to Lieutenant-General GRIN. r i so') and his. Lady, and other distinguished guests, who were received: under a salute from; the ship, with her yards manned, and were entertained with music, and every refreshment which could render their a patic visit pleas:ant and agreeable. It is mentioned, among the articles of Faris news, in the liambuqh Correspondent, that among others, an English Officer, wearing t:ie insignia of the Turkish order of knighthood, was lately presented to , the FIRST Corm t, at one of his public audiences, by Lord Witrowur u. BONA ID Aa TE asked the officer, " where he had earned that honour ?" "At Abou kir," replied the officer. BON AP A RTE answered not, but turned away with looks strongly expressive of dissatisfaElion. A letter from Stockholm, dated March 29, says, " The Secretary of the Court, CHARLES BOREM AN, whose arrest was mentioned some time back, ap pears, by the papers found in kis possession, and now acknowledged by himself, to have been a chief in strument in a very extensive and dangerous plan, all the parts of which, however, are not yet disco. vered. Ile was member, it seems, of a secret so ciety or order, which took its rise in the South of Germany, but spreading so rapidly as to draw too much attention, it was found convenient to change the name and places of meeting. The view of the order seems chiefly political ; they pretend to unli mited power over all Governments ; and all the members are sworn to strid secrecy, and to implicit obedience te•ualcaown chiefs." i ~, % 3 P , I 0 F..ISHIUM The ItTarchionegs of HEAnrozr have, In Thqrs. day evenin;,; last, her second granJ Rout this sc,t son, at her house 'in Stanhope -street, which was attended by near 406 of first raiik and fashion. Among the Company we ohsflrvzil the following, viz. Dukes—Orleans, Leinster. Meteorites-I.nm, IYougtac. . Lialkeith, Kenmore,' Camd , M, an 4. Aboyne. Viszount Ranelagh. Lords—Adair, 'Sapling, F. Spencer, G._Rerosford, Put - - and chestier, Macdonald, Vilhers, Coley Sire.—J. Kellc~ G Cornwall, awl 11. Da.liwood. Generals-- = Taylor and Thornton. Caprain•—%Voodfor4, and J. P. li-resford. )sirs--De Gray, Pierrepoint, Macdonald, Allen, Adger, Muntgnmery, Robinson, Moore, Cuthbert, Leeson, Neville, R. Walpole, T. M-thuen, R. Laurie, Staley, Walpole, F. liammersley. P Methuen, Glover, Quin, Harvey, Lewis, W. Stratintri, C. Craven, W. Craven, and Harryniore. Decliews—Wancheiter, and Dowager Lzinster. Marchtossemee—Downilsire and Waterford. Countesses--Carliampron, MaceleAfield, Caniden, Antrim, Ros..hcrry, Dowager Cork, Portarlington, Dalkeith, Kellum's., • Mornington, Limerick, Uxbridge, 1.4.i0if4. - rl, wad Carlisle. ”icotrittoari.—Newask and Wer.tw ort i. Baroness Crofton. Latiee—Bilin lig, Asliburnham, F. Spencer, A. Bingham, G. Seymour, M. Primrose, Allan, two liwresfords, Dor,:etts, L. Stewart, Purchester, E. Talbot, A. Ckrpenter, F. BzrEs fords two Townsliends, Musgrave, C. Lennox, L. Curry, C. Jenkinson, Huggerston, Perceval, C. Douglas, Tankusille, G. I lowanl, C. Howard, and W. Russell. Alistretatvi—lionfuy, Tuekned, St Ledger, DT Gray, 80. Wilson, Cuthbert, Leeson, Methuen, Coleman, Cockerel!, Clive, Stratford, Salton, Ktng, Baryon, E. N alpo e, R. Wal pole, and Howard. :Viva—Maclean, Bouverle, Callander, two Ncrths, Mho, two Croftons, two Ellerkers, Dcwglas, Fitzroy, Ciementr , , Crofton, Cornwall, altd two Shelly's. CountessWo n o NZ 0 w's Ball and Supper, on Thurs day evening, at her father's house in Harley street, was attended by about 150 of the most fashionable Visitors and Foreigners of distinction in London. The Ball-room in the front of the house, was lighted up in a very elegant manner. At 10 o'clock the Ball was opened by Barcni Newav and Countess Wo aoszuw, to the tune of Allan Ramsay ; follow ed by Lord Grantham Miss Farquhar General Caratoff Lady F. Haan. Cai.tain Gregge Mi. Guinn. Viscou:it Fitznacris Mist C. Jonline Costal Pahien Mr. Gumn At 12 o'clock 100 sat down to a most sumptuous supper, which was served up in the parlours. At one o'clock the dance was resumed, and at four o'clock the company departed with a great deal of reluc tance, but not without a confident hope of soon meeiing again. Among the company were noticed, Lord St. IL-lens, Lad: liwykesiiure, Lady C. Jenkinson, Count d. Pont, Prince Cistleeicala, Lord and Lady Malmesbury, Lord Fitzharris, Ladies F. and C. Harris, Mita Knight, Lady Douglas, Ladr Aidm, Mr. and Lady Charges, Miss Tate, Lady Grantham, Mrs. Robinson, two Miss Farquhars, Miss Guminings, Baron .Newby, General Caratoff, Genrrt l Craig, Mr. Deruff, Miss Bancroft, Count ?alien, Lord Grantham, Miss C Jordine, and Mr. Guinn. Their MAJESTIES did not, yesterday, as some of our cotemporaries predifted, visit the Royal F.xhi bition at Somerset-House. His MAJESTY left the Queen's-House at eight o'clock in the morning, and, on his arrival at NN indsor did not hunt, but soon after took his usual ride in Windsor Great Park, at tended by Gen. Gwvsisie, the Equerry in waiting. Her MAJESTY and the PRINCESSES, with their usual attendants, left the Queen's-House about twelve o'clock for Windsor. The Duke of You: leaves town this morning for Oatlands, where his Highness will remain till Tuesday. Mr. LEE, M. P. and family are returned from Bath to their house in Jermyn-street. Mr. COCKEREL L'S Music Party on Thursday evening at Hyde Park Corner, . was both numerous and fashionable. After the music '2OO persons sat down to an elegant supper. The Marquis and Marchioness of Btasnronc. returned to town last night from White Knights. The Duchess of GwiooN i s Villa at Barnes, is un dergoing a thorough. ',repair, preparatory to her Grace's return from Paris, front whence she is ex pected on the firseof May. The christenhig of Mr. Sr. GEORGE CAUEFIELb's infant daughtek tvill take place this afternoon at his house in St. James's-square. The Marchioness of 131. asaroan ! and the Marquis of WATERFORD, are announced as sponsors. Lady GIBB ‘ S' 'Rout, and Mrs. CL ARKE'S Con cert, an Thursday night, were crowded with beauty and fashion. We are, sorry, to announce, that Lady M. NIEL BO RNE lips dangerously ill, at her house in Upper ymour-street. Mts; I BOONE'S Music, in Berkeley-square, oa Monty next, will be attended by all the amateurs in the Metropolis. On Tuesday lest, di ?t1 after 49 hours illness of the influenza, at her house in Baker -street, Mrs. ' DUNLOP e, universally regretted; she caught the dis order on Sunday morning, and in a fit of coughing on Monday evening, burst a blood-vessel, and ex pired in a few hours after. Sadler's Wells every night . boast a bumper. These Wells are on inexhaustible source of amusement, and present a constant overflow. The Circus every night prelims a splendid circle, AST Let's Amphitheatre, .ays popular, isun comrnonly\prodative this A most curious carriage, rteid in town, the property of Mr. Roainso a. It is of Irish menu fasture. Lady MILDMnY gave a Children's Ball on Wed nesday evening at her house in Stanhope -street, May fair. His Majesty has been pie t 4 appoint Ei.rii is- STONE PIGGOTT, Esq. late At ' cal of the Island of Tobago, to b.: his Aton~al tithe Island of St. Vincent. ct. He has also been pleased to appoint CSIA RE ES GRANT, Esq. formerly Coliedor of the Customs in Martinique, to be Colledor in this Island. No trial of any interest took place yesterday at Hicks's-Hall. The Installation of the Knights of the Garter, Bath, and Thistle, is fixed for the 19th of May. It is reported the French Ambassador has been heard to say the chief points in dispute have been settled, and that only some inferior matters oT detail remain to be explainocl, respecting which, it is sup posed, the next Courier will - bring satisfaeitiry and final advices. •.. 3.04117 ---~