The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1821-06-15 00:00:00

• he found the labootiof tile. tommittite had _en frustrated, and the expectations of the people of Srot hind disappointed. Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS mid, he was one of the. 'hers of that Committee, and he was perfectly.. ,Jble of the abuses that existed, and of the tie. ,cessity of providing • remedy ; but he should not 'hesitate to ray, that if the recommendations's:of tliF premed Committee were .carried into effect, everp, ctical evil would be remedied. Mr Hong said, he had been a constant eaten* ' g oat of that committee, and he could say she corn ipiaint of his Noble Friend was well-founded, in resnect of not being treated with courtesy. But he (Mr. Hume) was not hurt ; he was accustomed to he in a minority, and he stuck to his post to the last, although his friends had deserted him. They bad-the fullest admissions of the existence of ,these abuses, and a remedy should be provided. ,He was sorry to see all the practical advantages which he. in common with the people of Scotland. had fondly hoped from the three years labours of the Committee, completely frustrated. Mr. Wit. Minims wished the House to palest until they had the Report. Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON said, his oliject in causing this discussion was, that the attention of the House should be called to the Report, and that the minutes of evidence might he produced. The Report was then ordered to be printed. Captain O . GDADT discharged the order he had obtained for some papers relative to the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, and moved for a series of papers—fig • certificate, signed by the proper of ficer, of the propoitton in which fees were paid to the Commissioners of Affidavits--of the mode in which Sheriffs were sworn—and also for returns of the number of equity causes in the Court of Exchequer in the years 1817. 1818, and 1819, upon which no decrees had been trade.—Ordered. Mr. Passim presented a Petition from Devizes and its vicinity, in favour of the Bill for the protection of hones.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. CALCRAFT presented a Petition born the parish of St. Giles-in-the• Fields against the Poor Lines Amendment Bill. On the motion of Lord Mit.Tort, the Woollen Cloth Stamping Bill was read the third time and passed. Lord Nit LTON seeing the Chairman of the Agri cultural Committee (Mr. Goods) in his place, wished to know when it was his intention to lay be fore the /louse the Report of that Committee. Mr. Goucti said he should bring it forward as soon WI possible. He complained of the Noble Lord having before @skid the same question when he wits. not there to give a reply. Lord MILTON sahl lie had all hi. eyes about, but had not the gond rortutie to see the Hon. Gentleman. Mr. DICKINSON presented a Petition from Hatton, in Somersetahire, in favour of the Poor Laws Amendment Bill. m r . WILLIAM WI LLI A MS presented a similar Petitiur from Battersea .—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. WYNN brought op the Report of the Welsh Jury Bill. It we not his intention to found any measure on it. Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW presented a Petition from St. Mary, Newington, in favour of the BiU to prevent the ill treatment of hones.—Ordered to lie on the table. On the motion of Mr. SSARLETT, the further consideration of the Poor Relief Bill was post poned to Wednesdoe next. !SUPPLY OF WATER. Mr. FIEMANILE raid, that in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the supply of water to the metropolis, he wished to state it was not Ins intention to press it this Session. It was to be u temporary measure only, of four years standing, when► the public and Companies would have a full cyportunity of joriging of its practical advantages. The proiluction of the evidence which had been produced before the Comtnittee, would oily lead to further discussion. It contained such volumes of calculation, that all the mathematical precision in the country could not settle the matter. It could only be decided by practical experience, He should therefore move— " Forleave to twine is a Bill to regulate the Sappy of Wider in London, Westminster, and t►e places adjacent, north of the Thames." Leave was granted, and the Hon. Member brought in his Bill, which was read a first and ordered to be read a second time this day fortnight. Mr. Hume said, he should reserve for another opporinnity the observations he had to make upon the measure. Mr. Alderman Bait:rags said the Bill should have his approbation, and eulogised the manner in which water had been supplied to the metropolis, and the advsntages resulting from it. Mr. Hulas sin& in rising to submit his motion to the House of which he had given notice. lie could not concur in the eulogies of the worthy Alder man. The object of his motion was to produce the evidence token before the Committee of Water works. The House should have the fullest in formation before them, and in the absence of that evidence they should not proceed to make • blis five enactment.—[The Houourable Gentleman then read part of the Report of the Committee.] —He bud attended with great anxiety to the evi. deuce produced, and he believed Gentlemen who had attended would agree with him that a greater mass of contradictory evidence never was pro duced. This he considered one of the stroegest reasons why the House should pause. They hail the declaration of the Committee, that none but interested evidence had been produced, there. fore the introduction of the Bill without fur ther evidence was at variance with the recommends. lions of the Committee, which stated that no legis lative measure should be founded on any but that of disinterested and scientific men. Up to 1810 the profits of Water Companies were considered fair; since then the dividends of the New fiver Corn. pony hail diminished. In the mean time the Com mittee which had sat had come to a resolution that the benefit of competition promised to the metro polis by the establishment of new Companies hail been frustrated. The expenses of supplying Lou don had been diminished by the adoption of iron pipes, and yet the profits were decreased. Instead of advising the establishment of higher water rates, As . Committee should have recommended some measure fur doing away the conventional monopoly upon which the Companies laud ■greed. lie was of 'opinion that the House should call for the evi dence produced before the Committee. He was aware that there were 1,000 pages of it in manu script, but they would occupy a very inconsiderable space its print. He complained of the very 'high diaries mattilif some of the Complitietremmyor.d with the others, and concluded by moviritifor the production of die evidence fidgets before the Com mittee. Me. flostiopst haying attended the Committee, thought that there could be no objection to the evidence being produced, and cordially seconded the motion. - Mr. Wiutatcr would not object to the motloh. but justified the conduct of the Committee. If the Report of the Consuitibirsieie to he rejected and the Bill proposed by These ‘ were to he thralls out, the House rioght to re-appoint the Committee to go through soother examination of the evidence, to the production of which to the House he had no particular objection. Mr. Alderman BRIDGES said, that for the last eight years one of the Competes-a had not made a farthing profit. He then spoke in praise of the extent •ud inefolums of the ostratigenients of the sevemil'Companies. He agreed to the production of the e v idence, as it would sliew the meritorious labour which the Committee hid Roue through. The motive was agreed to without a division. AGRICULTURAL HORSE TAX. Mr. Cvawax roar to fulfil hi. motion relative to the repeal of the Agricultural Horse Tax. He re gretted that the lateness of the Session compelled him to proceed in the absence of the Noble .Lord. Ile had already de s erted to the Noble Lord, and put off the consideretion of the subj•vt, on the understanding that the attention or the Govern ment would be directed ki the distresses of agricul ture. lie had formerly felt himself bound to propose a substitute for this tax in case of its re peal ; but at regret he felt hiroself absolved from that duty, as the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite, no less than the House, ~lust be aware, as a Committee of the . House han determined, that the country was in a state of unvarolleled distress. Parliament would be estimated •by the dcision to-night. It was impossible for the kfri cultural Committee to propose any measure of re lief this Session. He would then put it to the Gentlemen who had shortly to re'uru to their con- stiluents, how they would he tibla to account to them fur measure of relief not having been proposed for the agricultural difficulties. It was impose slide to suppose that the country would return to prosperity, while agriculture, the heels of all na tional greatness, ass declining. Ilad the Esti mates which had been voted been proposed at the beginning of the year, with a full know ledge of the distresses which were now known to exist, they would have been considered profuse, and not ut all fitted to the state of the country. Ile thought thst this tax was a very trifling Boon to grant to an interest so depressed as agriculture. As to the 'artifice proposed to be made on the part of the landholder, by the reduction of rents, he had no objection to it, provided public salaries and annuities were cut down according to the diminu tion of prices. as they had been increased on the rise of them. It was well enough to talk of keeping faith with the public creditor; but wus it possible to conceive, with a diminution of 70 millions on the value of agricultural produce, that the country could go on paying half its iu come in taxes? It had been said that the tax was a mere trifle on each acre; but it fell chiefly on lands least able to pay. He expatiated on the great injustice of the principle of this tax, and the oppressive manner of collecting it. The collection of it went contrary to the law of the land. which held every man innocent until proved guilty; where as the agricultural collectors began by supposing every man guilty, nod proceeded to • surchar r ,oe without exam . g the grounds of the case. He complained of the iniquitous imposition of a double tax on some farmers' horses, as beasts kept fur pleasure and agricultural purposes. He in stanced • case of oppressive surcharge made upon a poor woman at Berwick for keeping en occasional gardener, merely because she gave a man 6d. for pruning a fruit tree, the neighbourhood being obliged to subscribe to rescue her from the ruinous expenses attached to it. The House would be amazed to find that there were no less than 99,000 surcharges in one year. He concluded by moving fur leave to bring in a Bill for the repeal of so much of the 43d and 52d Geo. 111. as related to the deities on horses engaged in agriculture. Mr. Goocti had not altered his opinion as to the general conduct of his Majesty's Ministers. But the question was, if they could not consent to re peal the tax, whether it would not repeal itself by the increasing inability to pay it. He was aware of the necessity pleaded for keeping up the establish ments. But really the country was so distressed that it became a question. if they could not make the income rise up to the expenditure, whether they ought not to bring down the expenditure to the income. And here he must do justice to the Hon. Member fur Aberdeen, by declaring, that he had done a great deal of good by the comae lie had taken upon the Estimates. Ile concluded by seconding the motion. Mr. DATINPORT felt the greatest repugnance to the tax, because it toss a tax on the implements of husbandry. He did not know of any tax which was so objectionable, except perhaps that upon salt.— (hear, hear, frogs Me flpposirion.)—He gave his entire support to the motion. Mr. Coax said that it was perfectly delightful to hear the Hon. Gentlemen opposite. lie himself bad always entertained the highest opinion of the services of his Hon. Friend the Member for Aber deen. lie bad never known so laborious and useful a Member of Parliament ; but it was the highest gratification to hear it acknowleged by Gentlemen who had supported Ministers in every step of their expensive career. He had al ways opposed Ministers, because they had persisted in taxing the country to its clot ire destruction. As those Gentlemen had inv.- i viably supported Ministers, it was itstooishing that they could cume down now with such a pluusible pretest for withdrawing those taxes, the imposition of which they had never once opposed ; however, he was glad of it, and would vote with them as he would fur the repeal of soy tax whatever. This was his plain reason,that as lie was opposed to Ministers, and they to him, and be could get them to give up aothing, he would take from theta whatever he had an oppor tunity of getting. He did nut believe that thee . tux was of 'half the importance to agriculture us the malt tax, but lie world support any motion fur the diminution of tram Mr. Giros said that he would support the moo (ton because le thought the tax ought to be re. AS qll,. \ i , J.. Pealed, Ina Ise heti White proposed a substitute for it, namely, a tax upon the transfer of stock.-- He had since discovered that such a tax could not have been levied. as the Loan Bill of ISIS would prevent i►. He inn not of opinion, however, that funded property ought io bear the same weight of taxes with that of Isod. He believed the country . at were now convinced that the low price of corn was ruionos.--(Hear, hear.) --Fie would repeat it, that it was his opinion even the labouring climes would be better er tiefied to see farm p►oduce at a higher price. —4le thought the Corn Bill, at the time it passed. wet an eseeedingly good mestere, bet so improvement might be made on that system : it would, in his opinion, he attended with the most beneficial effects, if the importation price of wheat were reduced from 10s. per bushel to Ss. a bushel, and then a protective duty of St. a bushel to be laid on-- Mr. Banton rose to order. He begged to remind the Hon. Member that the question was not on the Corn Law. The SPEAKER said, it was for the Hon. Member to way how his observations applied to the question before the House. Mr. Gars—Adterling to the tax under cooai deration. he would imp, that if the House could do no more, the agriculturist would receive the re. peal of it with gratitude ar a great benefit. Mr. BARING said, that having done his utmost in frvour of economy. by voting for every retrench ment which had been proposed, but without suc ceeding in any one, he did not feel it to be his duty. after the House had passed all the extravagant votes which they had, to weaken the revenue by voting for the repeal of this tux. lie was surprised that any Gentlemen should think of returning with a good grace to his constituents, after voting for every measure of extravagance which had b een proposed.— (Hear. hearj—Though there might be a difference of opinion as to some items of ex. 'sense which the Hon. Member for Aberdeen (Mr. flame) had proposed to retrench, yet, notwith swirling the Hon. Gentleman's (Mr. Gooch's) ge neral zdmiration of his conduct, he had not thought p ro p er t o support any one of his propositions. He did not think. under such circumstances. that general expriss:;ons of approbation would be con sidered as equivo;ent to active support. Every one of those Gentlemen would in a day or two have a much better opportunity of re.leeruing their cha racter by voting for a general measwe of economy, which his Hon. Friend intended to brie.. forward. He would say it was the first duty of the House to look to the expenditure, and he was sure what ever feelings the country might entertain on that head, they would scout the opinion of those who through a long and expensive war had voted fur every extravagance of supply, and them should bring forward, as their measure of relief. • propo. sitiou to take from the property of those who had assisted them in carrying on that war. From what the Hon. Member (Mr. Curwen) had stated, so tar as the authority of the Agricultural Committee went, it was aga inst the repeal of this tax. As so much had bee n said of what hail passed on that Committee, he must inform the House of some thing more. There would not be found in the minutes of that Committee one word as to the re peal of this tax. In that Committee, it was true, one Gentleman was asked if the repeat of this tax would be of any service to agriculture ? His answer was, that it would be so trifling that it would be hardly worth mentioning ; that however would not be found on the minutes, as it was judged prudent not to place it there. The Hon. Member express. ed his anxiety to limit this entirely to farming horses, but he could not so frame his measure as to exclude those horses which were only occasionally 1 so employed. Had the repeal of thistax been @hewn to be a great relief to agriculture, he should have thought it his duty to have voted for it, because no man could be more conscious of their distress than he was, and he was equally conscious that it was the duty of the House to remedy it if it were remediable, but he was convinced that the distress must be left to itself, and al.o that the relief by this measure would be quite insignificant. In re ply to those who had talked of diverting the Sinking Fund, lie would ask if any thing should occur in Europe, if any threat, or any alteration should take place in the state of France or Ame rica, and we should be obliged to make an arma ment, bow could that be done but by loan ? and would any rational man think of lending his moray if were to go on in peace without making any pro vision for the repayment of that which had been borrowed during war ? Sir W. W. WYNN spoke, but from the noise in the gallery we were unable to collect what lie said. Mr. Ban ETT concurred with the Hon. Gentle man (Mr. Baring) in reprobating the conduct of those who voted for extravagant expenditure. He opposed the tax on principle, without looking to the question of what relief would be ■Horded to the agricultural interest by its repeal. He would oppose it, as it was a tux on an implement of in dustry, which must raise the price of brew), and that advanced price must ultimately be paid out of the pockets of the consumer. He had presented. lasi Session, • Petition from 8.000 Weavers and Showmen of Wiltshire, the prayer of which was. that the House would he pleased to put a stop to nnuchinery,'aeid he was actually requested to make • motion to that effect. Had he done en, would not every Hon. Gentleman acquainted with political economy have thought him insane ? yet this tax was. equally repugnant to souud principles, and must in fallibly, as he before observed, raise the price of bread to the consumer. It was the duty of ►be House to look to every interest ; reuts had already partly ceased, which must occasion a diminution of taxes, and if that were the case the fundholder must he affected. He hoped there was sufficient honesty in the country to maintain the public credit as long as poesible; but according to the vulgar adage, " You eats't strip a naked man of his shirt." For these reasons he ►hould support the repeal of the tax. Mr. %V. Buustst.t. opposed the tax, not because he thought it would afford ass , great relief to the agriculturist, but because he thought it most un just. He instanced the case of two farms, one of 000 acres paying 2001. a year rent, and one of 200 acres paying the same rent, was it not manifest the the pressure of the tax was moat iiequal, pressing heavily on the poor lend, winch must employ a ~. __~_ Pardee@ sad Owens** of the Poste of the Pariah of Deasy, in the County of Worcester, against the Poor Retie Bill. Me. LUSHINGTON presented • similar Petition from ca isterhury. They were ordered to be printed. M►. S. RICE moved Hut • lineage he seat to the Lords, requesting their Lordships will be pleased to direct that there he leek before the House a tope of the Report of their Lord. shipe' 7 Conanittee ear Private Trade to lathe and China.— Cli dared. The Snipe HIND. Member then moved for an account of Feeshalid . Entolitomento received be the Usher of the Court of Exchequer is Ireland, which was also ordered. The Miasfes of &ideate heard by the Land Tax Com mittee were pre voted sod hind on the table. 4 Rehire was also presented from the Load Tax Office, of the exposes interred In the collective of the Laud Tax. The Silkiest Reed Loan Bill was read a second time, sod ordered to be committed to-morrow. The Exelnieser Bills Bill was also read a second time, and ordered to iiveoramitted to-morrow. The Irish Treasury Bill was also read • second time, and ordered to be committed to-aurrow. MOCK CONSTITUTIONAL ASSOCIATION. Me. HOBHOUSE rote, and retreated the attention of the Hoare to a Petition from as isdieidstal, coinplainiag of the /widows of Out Associate.. of which so much had been heard of Isle, and which, in this iostaare at least, hail sanc tioned a specie, of proceeding which moat subject it to Ilse censure of every honest maa, whatever his political feelings might be. The Prlllioa was from as individual of the wino- of Kiug, against whore an indictment had been pre fees cd, DU the teatirensy of a single witneu named Orton. Of the intention to prooreate him he heard nothing until he Yarned from a newspaper that the indictment against him Lid Veto 'brown out by tie Greed J my. This indiination led lOW to publish a statement of the case in the ',naval/era, which AMR forth an affolorst from Otiose, COlStainilbC • statement, the filitehood of which, in several particulars, antuented, at. lb a lath to the legal offence, perhaps, yet certainly to the marsh guilt of perjury. He stated, that he called on King is artier to ascertain 'the same Dribs pablishee of the pamphlet, for which the isdietessed alluded Is wsspref. rrrd; but he must hare lumen the same at that time, for it was the 1111 day of Met, sad as imlietaret had bees pie frreal by the Association on the Nib, against • person armed Dolby, as the publisher of the work tit q.iestiou, and his name was also misted on she cover -Of the publitatioe. it appeared, therefires, that this Orton must have Mrs seisereed by some persoe bolo the swearing of an affidavit which chwely resembled perjury. Ding had committed no armee, fur lee had not eves the publication its his pessimism, and consequently was nut in the slightest degree blameable for its existeoce or its sale, until he was repteateil to procure it by Orton, who thee tempted rim into the consetiasioe of an offence to furnish grlNltld for a prosecution, The object of the Petitioner was, 'hal surer mnu. might be devised by which he might get at Ike names of the Committee under • how directions Orlon had acted. This ease wa. one of the mom atrocious nature. It was an attempt to bring roinnpos a tradesman, not for dealing is an improper publication, because the affidavit of the int . ..rine, himself proved that be hail not the publica tion in his possess t', hot was employed liy him to procure it. Tr be pant on his defence was •lone sufficient to ruin a small tradesetatv. He had even an advertisinteni from the Snciely fur the Suppression of Vice, from ts 'Orb it appeared that the expense of • iwoseciation, against • man named Davisoo, amounted to 1701 ; if it cat so 1111101 to prosecute the House Might conceive what would be the 'monist of expense to which an iodivividssal most he put fur Isis de fmce. In the case Of ars informaihns or indictment ley the Alioniey.G I, ilar prom colitni was always dropped if not proceeded in within a year; but this Society was lOUs obliged to priierial within any gismo time; it might keep a proaecu. Moo open led libiline.•sot an individual, might thus be ruined by • perhaps groundless OM esaws,t brio( kept hanging over Isis bead. A her vireo antaare which greatly aggravated the int of a proarcutimi by this Society was, that whereas is per secution+ by the Croats, is was directed by one of the six Acts, that office come. of the indictment' and informitioa. should he furnished to the Defendants gratis. In the cace of a pro aeration by the Society, the Defendant could not procure such copies without paying for them, and that locum M I • charge of about 201. It was also • great grievance, that in case or-failure of • prosecutton no redress could he hail, 'them- being no -visible prosecutor who was amenable eves to 'Unbar of public ineiniste; for what redress would it be to airy man to be referred to Mr. S. B. Sharpe ? In Crows pro.- locutions there was always the satisfaction of tracing them to their source—a responsikk public officer. A still greater hardship, however, was bs she power of this Society at pre sent to inflict. Hy the !Sib clause of the Libel Ad, it was reacted, that it should " be lawful to hold to bail, for good behaviour, as 1.01 as to answer the-charge in cases of libel;" by Use modern iaterpretat ion of this clause, the Courts deemed it to be imperative to hold to bail as described, and on the finding of a second indictment the recognisance. for good behaviour on the Scat became forfeited; the eoettequence of which was, that bail was not to be forted, for few me* were willing to give a recognisance which it was in the power of a malicious proarcolor to entreat by preferring flesh indict vatenk. As to She legality of the Association, it was not his .duty at that time to go into that questiou ; he would, boars 'der, correct • Mistake which bail been made on • former evening by one of the Law Officers of the Crown, who said tows the Judges of the ..Ceourt of King's Bench had re cognized it sia. legal. The case was nut VII; but, when the Counsel, Mr. Blackburn !tutted fur a list of the Amneintion, he did not say it well illegal, because that would have hoes a good ground for refusing his application, inasmuch as the Court could cot call open persons to fur. nisi, a ground of eviraination against themselves. Therefore the Counsel studiously abstained from any mention tif the illegsli , y of the Society, and inasmuch to the question of its IV.. .Raid) , was not the matter before Ike Judges for their consideration, it was quite natural that they also should abstain lions say elseereation as to its legality, which they accordingly diet. A. attempt hod b.eis made to defied She Associatioa by refoence to Societies fur prosecuting felonies, bat there was • tide &91-Felice bet wren the two cases. In a case of felony there was at since a corpus &fief!. no doubt could be entertained of • crime having been committed; but its cases of libel it wsa • question fur tips Joey to decide whe ther soy offence at all had been committed. The ar gument. therefore amosiuted to • complete non sequitur. aVisetbirr ,the Society wail legal or nut there could be no doubt et the ttpretteissible nature of their mode of proceeding. If to puuish and suppress improper publications were their real object, they would becormet %bee they found a pets. lidarr, but they sought out venders also, as objects of their reageance. The rigour of their proceeding •lior, so slight degree, relayed the spirie by which obey were actuated. When nutter was sewed of a Special Jury, it was the rule in ordinary ..... to allow a fortnight for what was called re. (truing tlteJury; but it' the prow - cations by this Society, only fury-eight hours Notice had beam given of the reducing 4.4 the Jury! . Au excess of teal also, if not • rapacious ap. petni fur proserstiag. had bees displayed in she entering of promicutions against Newspapers, fur expressions, or words used iu the heat of political feeling, which might he a little litieloas, perhaps, but swat as might well be overlooked. On the ocemrion of the impriaostnint of his Hon. Colleague, • meeting of his coestituents was held, as which ati address you agNad to, some parts of which, perhaps, were aoincishat strongly worded; hat the A itorisey.Geseiral had not deemed it des/vying of prosecution; bg bad thought it might be passed veer without any legal visitation. This Society, however, thought differently, and, sr if they meant to reproach that Livened Gentleman wok a oeglect of his official duties, they had taken upon themselves to make good his de ficiency, and constuenced prosecutions against the news. piper. to which that Address was published. If it were de amain, of presort-shoo, iliey should have prosecuted him, as int signal ure an attached to the Address as Chairman of the Meriting. lie wished they had so done. They had, how ever, scut Lim a teller, soliciting a suborriphou—whether that was a boas or mit, he resold nut tell. As to the Gentle moo sad Ladies who had subscribed to the Amocialtion, be was unwilliag to make soy obwrvatiolis upon them. Leery roe know, that. so England there was a grim charm in a subscription list, strikingly beaded, and arrang ed. I. atpludatical urdrr. Many of she solleeriptions, lesesraer, is the hiss of this Association were ettanyineus ; among which be had tabseirred eve hem s widow of SO/. but sorely such subscribers never *veld have melee to furnish . Certainly I, osier Iniejdoidironiditive Id* inierty that it was destined to be employed by /Ir.& & Sharpe to striver, be bed almost sold le sabots *they Orton, or to en. trap • w MID the conemiatine of *wiser which wow to }ay the greeted fur prosecelieg him to hie ruin, The natural tee.. dency of the Society emit bd to leewaye the rancour of poli tical animosity, which was bed room% in the degree bi wiieb it already prevailed eves in that Horse. It ought, however, to be conned so it, and not to be carried u a braid of discord hue private society. Unless the Alec( of the Petitiniter could be eceomplished, unless some mesas were afforded of draggiog to light the names of this acting Committee, it wood be in the power of this Society to esta blish a wows without • remedy, which was contrary to the spirit of the Enelish law. The Petition woe ordered to be printed. • SCOTCH BURGHS. Lord A. Hastivrox brought up the Report of the Committee on the Scottish Burghs. The No.. ble Lied said the Report was not concocted by him, nor had it in any manner his assent or con currence; but it came to the House from a Com mittee which had been appointed in consequence of petitions on a most important subject, more nu merous and urgent than he had ever kiwi.° before, and from individuals scattered over Scotland, and having no concert or communication with each other. But a. it was opposed alike to his views and the wishes of the Petitioners, he could not move that it be printed without stating his opinion upon it. The complaint he had to make was, not that the majority of the Committee differed from him, and his Hon. Friend behind him, but that it had not reocceded according to the imtructions of that House to inquire impartially into the subject of the Petitions—that it had thought proper to de cide, but not to investigate them. He did not mean to stay that the Report contained any false statements, .or that it contained any thing which might not properly be brought before the House, but he must repeat, that the Committee had not taken the proper steps .to inform themselves fully on the subject. .It would be in the recollection of the House that • few" weeks back he bad obtained leave of absence for ten d Iv, on bushiest; which he was necessitated to attend ; lee procured, however, the atteuttance of a person to take up his duty in the Committee, and pledged himself, if the Com mittee would in the mean time proceed with their Misers, that he would lie ready with a Report in a week utter his return. He *es, however. much sur prised on his return to find t h at the Report now on the table way already made out and submitted to the Committee for colisideration. Ile only mere tinned this to justify himself in haviug departed from the usual practice of Chairmen of Committees ou presenting Report.. by expressing his entire dis-eat ' from it., and to file* that his so doing wus the roe. ces.ary consequenceoff the situation in which he hail been placed by the Committee. His objection to the Report was not ro much against what it co i tained as against its omissions. He should move that the Report he now read, and if that were agreed to, he should thew move for the production of the in ttttt tes of evidence before the Committee. Lord BINNING at some length defended the can diet of the Committee. He shroud have acted in consirtenily if he lied followed any other line of conduct in the Committee, having decidedly op posed the motion of the Noble Lord for its appoint ' ment. He had no objection to the production of the minutes of the proceedings of the Committee, hut he could assure the Noble Lord that it would be found a perfectly harmless and useless docu ment. The Noble Lord had taken quite • new view of the duties of a Chairman of a Committee. He (Lord 13.) was not aware of any rule of the House which made it imperative that the Report should he drawn out by the Chairman. He was aware of the courtesy which generally assigned hint that office ; but be was not aware that it wessttsuid for a Chairman to absent himself from a Committee and expect them to proceed in his absence as if he were present, and when they had conclud ed their inquiry, to wait his leisure fur the drawing up of their Report. The Committee, however, had no desire to take the Noble Lord by surprise. The Report was not laid before it, until the Noble Lord's return, and then Reconsideration was adjourned for a week to give hint time to be come acquainted with its contents, and to bring down a counter Report, if he thought proper.— This Null not the proper time to enter into the con tents of the Report. He trusted the Committee was now fairly concluded, and would not be re vived again. If the suggestions contained in the Report were adopted, it was his opinion, and that of the majority of the Committee, that aim effec t ail remedy would he furnished for such abuses sad grievances as actually existed. Mr. ABERCRolilly said he was not a member of the Committee, nor much mete/lilted with its pro ceedings; but he had heard the statement of his Noble Friend, and the observations of the Noble Lord opposite, and he wus decidedly of opinion that the complaint of his Noble Friend was well founded, and even borne out by what had fallen frens the Noble Lord who spoke last. Lord BIN/HIM explained. Sir G. CLERK said, the minutes of evidence be fore the Committee were in the appendix to the Report. The minutes which the Noble Lord in tended to move for were those of the proceedings or the Committee from dry to day, which would afford no further means of judging of their pro.. eeeding than was furnished by the Report itself. He should be prepared to defesid the conduct of the Committee whenever the Noble Lord brought it regularly before the House. Sir R. Faiteusost said, as he had been one of those who withdrew from the Committee. be hoped the House would allow him to state the reasons why he did so. Its 1819, • Committee had been ap pointed to investigate the abuses that existed in Scotch burghs, and that Com tttttt ee had fairly done their duty; but Minis.ers, not liking to have these abuses too much exposed, uppointed another mittee, composed of their adherent.. He did Hot mean to cast any Ideate on three Gentlemen; they must at least have the ctedit of consistency, for on that, us well as on other occaitious, they were dis posed to support every abuse. •Resolutions were proposed in that Committee to investigate these abuses by means of mail testimony, whkli were nee ga'ived. He, therefore, felt it his duty to retire, 1 'anis lo be emploptil as these hail hen. moa any lota Its)in believe that asfilinehioes•iniiirialual whammies ow la the .b e , en hat, whose Narritoeloor and didiagaliebral nervising hid drawn •_ f 42... from the remoras of the people of E l wood so a pt ee did so d . •""-' libtral a rewiring se bed bees bestowals o ilkl l / 2 could have Air intended by • srlierription to the feeds d this Aseotiation, Well to furnish the WIMP a carrying terror , and perseerliora into permit the domestic veinal of the poor trarleenean y. Certainly the cebe it •-.7 'a-7 —0 ten.tit--....:—. ---- ,__l - ....a __s_•-- ► a_l_ --_ Lt. :—s.---, •_