The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-03-25 00:00:00

s The Hon. Mettler was the easeluding • s•iifin: , a infiroll t when 11,- : 4 E A Y. ER observed, that the most regular e- seotOd be to appoint a future day to take i. t •-•.:,•riAilit into C.9l , aderatton, and to move that ri c•s:s he orelerfot to attrod I,lr r said, that the sooner the matter was v"' the httter ; ha shnold, therefore. move, ‘. That Mr. Al:ock and the witt eases be ordered t atters.l th. 11 , )4‘. to-morrow, and that the said attune:lint he than taken into consideration." • spoke in favour of this Geotle tr. an, Mr. Alcock, who, he said, was a h iend cif his, and to VI hum acknowl,dged _himself under the restest ilattaran. Now that he bad lost all can not:lion v ith the borough, he cc:uld not, on this oc casion, avoid rating, that the eleSions there were over cousiosled by Mr. Akock with the greatest im partiality and justice. Toe Hon. Gentloman had made some vent plain allusions to forgeries having brae corntr.ito .1 in the saturants ; he shoold. there fore, hope, that Mr. Alcork should be heard in his &knee ; and, for that pur!...se, fof thought the con sideration of the complaint shoteld be postponed to some future day. Mr. ci 1 URGES BOURNE said, he did not 'Wok it ought to be postponed, as the Witnesses had ahea.ly come from a great distance. There were two ballots to take place upon Thursday n-xt, and then it would be necessary to adjourn for the Holydar ; and, therefore it would certainly be ;wire draftable to hear the evidence to •morrow, and so allow Aft. Akoek a further time to prepate his defence. Sir JOHN NEWPOR'r thought, that, consist /111y with the former arrangements of the public M•.: en, it would be impossible to proceed with this matter to-more, w. He had state-d, yesterday, that 'the Loan few Ireland- was 'fleeted ; and that certain Resolutions as to that . Loan, and as to the Finance II that country, were to he moved to M-n row. He could not think it would be fair cr rig'.t to poct pose these matters of public interest, on account of aloe business now uoder discostion. Mr. 5. 4 pou it add.d, that it was not his lvish to postpone the publ'e businesson account of iltas inveiligation. The hweaor Should have the • 1" . releten: e. Mr. TIERNEY said, that all'he was afraid of, Os, that by its coming oa 10-1130170 w, Mr. Aleock wight nr t he apprised so proper time, so, as to pre pare his Ye it nesses. Mr. DEN r stated. that he bad nn ohjeaion en make his motion conditionally, se thaP et might come t‘,, tn.:morrow, if eitctimstances suite& motion was then pot from the Chair and allied to; and also sev,ral persons named. were Wa r , e . s i it, attend to-morrow, as 'Witnesses. Lori 110 WICK iittiniated, that it was I.is inten tion, to-m-orow. to prep-es the further postpone mNtt of the Aberdeen Eredion Petition. ReVEWSIONARY GRANTS. Mr. BANK Ei lose, and spoke upon this stilled a. follows I rise. in pursuance of a notice I gave .yesterday, to submit a Resolution anal Motion to the flow.. found- I upon the previous Resolution. of a .Committer of Founea In doing this, I shall not loons -ccasion to detain the House long. It is in he xecntirslieti of the flour., that a Committee was • Ireele d to iona;re into the state of Public 4 .01es ; of ow Committee I have the honour to be Cf airman. and therefore I have it more llama. di: My in my power an state the purport of part of th.iyovestigation. It struck that Committee, that itte granting of places rn reversion, although sot , Lithe: to much abused. was a subjed eaceedinglyft to be Wormed and altered. The papers already lisetoe tae klouse will chew the extent to which these revel eisios have gone in this coactry. By our con straion i-h Ireland. as lately formed, this predict, of granting reversions is carried much clothe'. than • I.rmerly. I shall not enlarge upon this topic, but merely add, that after the House shall have agreed to the Resolution of the said Committee, it would be necessary, in older to re train the prat ice, before it rises to a great allure, to bring in a Bill for that purpose. This if. therefore, the • plan I propos e , aftsr submitting the Resolution to which I allude. for llhe acqtriescetice and approbation of the House." Mr. I3ANEE then moved. "'that there be a Acvlutien of mit I - 1 -,use, in conformity with that of the Committee of Isioenee and Ir.quiry into the &ate of Public Offices, that no office, place, em- ploy ment, or sdaey. in any part of Ills Istijesty's mulnisms, ought hereafter to be granted in revet sion.r Mr, VC RE E—" Sir, I most confess that I feel ery;sider a ble difficulty in assenting to this motion, being vr. y doubtiul as to the propriety of ma ki ng an alteration of this kind, in this country ; the mote etpiettaily, who n the Hon. Gentleman himself states that co consbierabie abuse has exi led in regard to retiersionaty graots. 1 am exceedingly hoots to thing. t e accuAcroed praftice in this particular, without . very str u ng reasons being assigned. With out gotr.g to agitate the coettino fully. I will only , say,!that this power in the Crown, in granting oli•ots in reversion, has been long enjoyed without aosse—i t has been enjoyed, for the purpose of IC* wardirg the setfices of those who have distinguished tl.cin.elves in their ex-rt ions for their country'ssood. principiet. i should by us means wish to take away that poorer from the Crown, the more so, as in my opinion and view of the &Mika, it is an admit saving to the State, that such a prac tice be Continued. The public are, at present, paying one person, by granting him the emolu " .nents and salary of one reiSce at a time ; whereas, by the proposed alteration and innovation, they would. in cases of meritorious services, be under • the necessity of rewarding one person with two or mote offices, sp as to compensate the ser e'en he may have rendered. Notwithstand•ng this being the case. we are now called on, at once, or op en a notice merely of yesterday, to take a, ay from the Crown part ot its prernsts tive. That notice was so given. that I declare I • did not know whether the Hun. Member had post ' ported a Malicia, or given notice of one, when I came down to the House this day. I should re-, con-mend, at all events, that the House should take more time to consider of a mater of such ma terial importance. I think it is y very grave and gt 4 .;•41.4 mater, and ought not to be decided upon, without mature ennstdorattico." Aritctrunt HOW1::.1:.1 Sir, I rise to state, that this motion has my most decided 'omen. I canton think it statuary to pottpone the consideration cf such a Resolution to a future occasion. Ilse no tice WAS given yerterda h , in a full linage , end was. I remem ber, pariictilatly marked by my Ghsereirhg, that I would support it. The pre-cut Administra tion, far from being inclined to grant reversions, have only granted one, and that wits tiedlr certaiish circumstance. There liai beetta revinhion given a certain Lew Officer in the Court of Chancery, and in that case an application; was made mi me- diately to the Crown. the Lord Chancellor ha. obtained-His Majesty's permission to grant two small places in reversion to a very old and meriim inus servant, a man who had long been clef k to and enjoyed a very comfortable and lucrative situa• tion, till that Noble Lhrd came into office ; at which time it became absolutely necess.ny t provide for him. Tie ad iitional reversion which has been thus created, is the 'relict-thin al that Court. As to the propitety of the m^tinn, I do not think that the mete statement of any usage, howe ver old, should ioduce the House to continue it, if it is found not to be conducive to the pun lie se vice. I think, that no useful end CASS be attained by it, and I never riser woh a difference of opinion upon the subjed. When the Bill is bionght in, there may be future stages e in which further aigu meats may be gone into ; but I cannot think, that in any point of view, the present motion, a. to the House agreeing with the resolution of their Com mittee, and allowing that resolution to be entered upon their Journals, can be in the smallest d glee ohjettonable. The Right Honourable Gentle. man has observed, that it may be is. cessary to grant double appointments, were such reversions put an end to ; whereas, the public are at present only saddled with one ; but, I think, S r. that the case is perfeily the reverse; and, therefore, I am inclined to suppose, that that Right Honourable Gentleman must have only looked at the matter slightly. Grants of reversion have been often given to persons unfit for the situation they hold, and not given merely as the rewind of services ; while the public is thereby saddled with additional expenses. Upon the ground alone of this measure tending to prevent a double burden coining upon toe public, I should be inclined to suppi rt the proposition. The Right Hon. Gentle man teems to disapprove of the mode of bringing the matter forward ; but as to that point, I have only to observe, that as I approve of the measure, so I approve of the method by which it ha; been brought forward; it being founded upon the Resolu tion of a Committee already appointed by the H; use. I approve, very much, of that Resolution standing upon the Journals of the House; for when that is the case, no Miniver will ever take upon himself to grant any Reversion, contrary to a standing order, even although no Bill was alually brought M. As to insinuations which have been made in this House, relative to more Rever sions having been granted of late years than for merly, I am not prepared to answer ; but this I may stater-hat, undoubtedly, the praCtice has been carried much too far t both in this Country and in Ireland. Upon the whole, Sir, I have only further to observe, upon the present occasion, that I wish this Motion had gone a little further, and had been accompanied with a proposal that there should be a declaration of the decided and general opinion of the House, against the prailice even of granting any places for - life." (Lead and puerile cross of Hear! hear ! Pent all all pert: of Orr Home). Mr. PLUMES., as soon as silence was again restored, rose and said—ii 1 wish, Sir, that this measure had been brought forward forty years ago. This has beets bithetto my sincere desife ; 'and I, therefore, give the Motion, now made, my most hearty assent. Having said thus much upon the measure itself, I cannot help embracing this oppor tunity of paying a compliment to the present Ad. ministration (I say present, upon the supposition that they are still in office), as I really think they have shown every disposition to benefit the country by their judicious measures, and their avoiding the pradice of former Adminis. trations.-vet granting terethions. Upon this occasion, too, I have another observation to make, which is this : in coming down to the House this day. I hate beard a report, which I am very sorry to hear ; I have heard, Sir, that the new Government which is now forming, or to be formed, have agreed to give to a Right Hon. and Learned Member of this House (alluding to Mr. Petceval, who was not then in the House) an appointment to the Chaarellersbrp of the Dario" of liairroshe far life, in order to tempt that Gentleman to take a place in that new Government. Upon this, I may observe, that it men of great abilities are not satisfied with the rewards attached to the situations which His Majesty t'ahsses to appoiht them to hold in the Government cf their country, if they do net think the usual cornpensae tion sufficient, they ought not to accept of offices at all. I Lin, however, at all events, eater my pro test most solemnly against the measure of giving a man a situation for lite, in order to entice hint to occupy another, which may be more fleeting and temporary." (These observations of Mr. Plutner were followed by loud marks of approbation from the majority of the Members present.) Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, that if this plan of *Within reversions had been brought into the liaise two or three yeses ago, the Houseivolshil not have been en the situation it now is, in regard to certain offices in Ireland, such as the Colleetnr ache Customs in Dublin , &e. fur which reversions had been granted, previous to the Bill which had been lately brought in for the abolition and better regulation of 'erne of these offices. Mr. JOHNSTONE—is I very much approve of the Motioes that has been made ; but, at the same time, I must say, that the observations of the Hnn. Member below me (alluding to Mr. Plum), might have come better at some future period, if lie could have had better authority to proceed upon, I than mere rumours. As to the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman to whom he alluded. I can venture to sae, that his whole conduft has shown that be is one who will never aft from any nthsr motive than a strict sense of public duty to his So vereign and his country. ' Those are the most loud against such measures, who, at the same time, have 'hewn themselves reit:ad:es% of the public economy. I wish that such a measure as the present had been proposed sooner ; for we should then not have found one Noble Famil y alone, vs se. singsituations amount ) itig to about 60,0001 per Annum. I am glad to fiat n sw. that the Gentlemen epposite have thaaish itprver and expedient to clraugie their trine." t.fr. PLUME& lb answer t • the alNFaioti Mai% by the lam • Speaker. to what• lie had' ohservel, added. V.v.. he WAS prrfealy aware. that a pe•son c.s.ring into the Hosse s ,conid not, upon every occa sion, be j irtifi,d in making important observations unnu mererutunurs heard out of doors; but, upon this occasi.on, i.e had in addition heard something .corrnismaiive of what he had stated, irons a Nohla Lord. since he came into the House. At any rite, he might further °list -fire, that. even granting the rumours were fate, what he had said would de fli harm ; if trite, he was cinvinced such observations might he of some use. Lord HENRI , PETTY—" I rise, sir, to say one word in my own justification. for not having brought forward a motion of this kind myself, as I had formed precisely the same opi"ion which the Hon. Mover has stated. I certainly did move fir the papers which are now upon the table of House, with the iiitotitirn of proposiqe, a Bill si milar to that now to be suggested, and I had the assurance of the sown tof the Noble Lord who is now Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, as Well as that of another Noble Lord, where family emoluments have been animadverted upon. I was may waiting for the proper opportunity; but, although it has not hitherto been put into ezecuthen, yet I can safely state, that no bad consequences have otiginat• ed from the &lay. The Noble Lord at the head of th • Treasury has shown, by his conduit, that .e has abstained from abusing that power which he pas ! 'rued. in the same manner as had been done by his predecessors. That Noble Lord has been lay. ing down that rule in praftice, which his I-ton. Friend (Mr. Banker) was now proposing in theory ; yet, the t feet of such a condu.2 was to call forth •evere animadversions. It was, indeed, from my knowledge of the determination cif tbat Soble Lord, that I delayed claming forward with a similar motion." Mr. HENRY MARTIN here rose and sairlz-- Sir. I rise, on this occasion, to give notice, that I shall to•mnsrow move, that an humble address be presented to His Majesty, praying, that he may be g►aciously pleased not to grant any offices, not at presalt held for life, for any longer term than now held " General GASCOYNF. said, he certainly had come to the House, vrithon: knowing any thing of this Motion ; and he had to observe, that it was brought forward in the absence of almost every individual who was likety to compose the New Go. vernment (at least as far as tumour goes), who he believed were perfeAly unacquainted with any such Motion. He did not think it was candid to propose such a measure, without givit.g a longer previous notice. Mr. FRANCIS HORNER said, that as "a member of the Committee alluded to, he begged leave to answer an observation made by an Hon. Gentleman opposite, whe had thrown cut ins. auctions. The propriety of stopping Reversions had been a question before the Committee from time to time; and, therefore, it had by no means crigi. nated from recent circumstances. He could info, m the }lease, that, besides such a Rill being the rust objeff of their conglderation, the very Gentleman who had first suggested it in the Committee!! was *tie who was likely to be a Member of the new Ad. mini Az ation Mr. SHERIDAN could not consider the obser vation of the Hon General (Gascoyne), that the objed of the present motion was to restrict the in tended Administratioo r ne any imputation on the lion. Mover, or His Maksty's present Servants. The imputation, strong and gross as it was, was cast upon their immediate successors to office. He never indulged in political animosities ; and, there. fore, he would endeavour to rescue the Ministry, now forming, from the foul ch a r ge o f t h e H onoura bl e General. What, could it be supposed, that men, avowedly coming into office under the direa pre text of guarding the Royal Prerogative from violation and infringement, were yet so remiss to their duties, tad so inattentive to the noble, ge nerous, and disinterested porposes, for which they originally interposed. as to suffer such important considerations to be intertupted, and their execution retarded, by cavilling, buying, and bargaining, for this specific place, and that particular reversion ? Does the Hon. General mean to insinuate, that the intended Administration will allow the prerogative al the King to be invaded, his conscience to be forced, and his most serious interests to he crippled, determined not to interpose their proteaing influ ence, unless some are compensated by peaces for life, and reversionary grants are insured to caliers?— (Hear / bear Another lion. Gentleman (Mr. Johnstone), had alluded :o the place held for lite by the Noble Lord at present at the head of the Tree. sury. There was no necera:ty in that House to speak of the services of that Noble Lord, and of Ns family. The distinction they had obtained, and the situations they held, were for services aftually per formed; and, therefore, it was impossible to make them the precedents for any pre ant and intended disposal of grants and cfliees. It was the usage of the country. and the duty of the legislature, to re ward great and distinguished setv.ce,, by well de served and appropriate compensators ; but it never • Wal in' the eontempletiern oftessy-swearesument, to con sider the commencement of services as worths- or entitled to any remuneration. He trusted the Ilan. General would no longer stigmatize the efiar..Cter pt the succeeding servants of the Crown, whom he affeaed so highly to approve, and that he would endeavour to give them, when firmly seated in place, a more effectual assi.tanee and support. Mr. HUSKISSON expressed his willingness to relieve the Hon. Mover from any suspicion, that in submitting the preserst Resolution to the Hots*, he was situated by any party considerations. He (Mr. Hoskisson) was consci_us. that the objea of that Resolution had is a great degree engaged the at motion of the Committee of I.:nage*, and that at the commencement of their inquiries, such a mea sure was determined oyes. With rasp et to the observations which had fall:n from some Hon. Members, as to the conduit of the present Admi• nistration, relative to the disposal of places, he had oniy to recollea, that one of their first acts was to I legalist the holding of two situations (alluding to the Act for empowering Lord Grenville to hold the office of Auditor of ILechequer, with the place of First Lord of the Draw pi which were previously incompatible. An allusion 'h a d h em make by Hon. Member op pos i te , (Mr. Hornet), lir prett l m, to him, as to any knowledge he in'e'd pones: c the component parts of th- .ir ratittenn. nt . I( cotild assure the Homo- t:Gil li•• knew no InEte 0 1 . the passing rumours of the day. It was. imp., for him or others to have stop coriefl iniotmai as he was inclined to believe, that it was n— • submitted to the approbation of the hiebes: q• it:% ; Mr. WHITBREAD said. he 51i.44.1 nor into a review of the early part of the debate, almithl rather confine himself to the 05ot-rats-I which had fallen from some Han. Members en opposite side The Right lion. Gentleman spoke last, had elides/oared to enurpne tbe pointment to an l'ifit'e for lie, which was rutn,t o ,, ; to have been in conremplation, with the AA •., which a Noble Lord, at she head of the Toasts.. WAS enabled by Parliament to continue in a s:tuai, which he had held for a long time formati o n of the present sidmieistrs.tion, art WAS g;VAII at a remuneration for serv;ces performed. But there was a rule ditrer eote* lateen the adoption of a measure, making it I-wa for the Noble Loral to continue in that office. 4.4 the conversion of another into a grant for which was usually held during pleasure. Ant y: ( Honourable Gentleman had asserted, that hold such offices was incompatible with poin:cal purity. In rich In opinion. he could by LO rata-, agree; indeed the efiarafter for integrity and peodence of the N.•ble Lord alluded to (C Grenville), made it impossible to • maxi ibe t 3 sae, a position. And surely the House could not cot. ceive it-a very graceful introduflion of such au tee Man, by the friend of the Hnn. and Learned Gra- Roman, whose name had been so frequently 4,44 to that night, when it was recollected, that a hey great and lucrative office (the Registrar of the Ci,..t of Admiralty) was aftuafly held by one persica; he earns of Perccval, and the reversion of the same s,a/ e secured to Smother Perceval, the brother of .t. former. When ate present mo- ion was antiblitsd to party motives, the Hon. Gentleman appeared t, forget who the proposer nth iris I for it WAS in• poss;ble in the whole House to selea any one Nle - a. bee so entirely free from such a bias, and from •: an influence as the Hon. Gen t le man w h o t h thought it hi at s duty, as the Chairman of the (' mince of I'inanc.e, to subm: t to the consideratio Parliament the present motion. It was Amok , ,!,. necessary for him to say, it had his most firm st.t decided support; as • also wculd the pintn;se,l n.-. tirn, of which notice had that night been giver:, Wive to an Address to the Throne. Mr. PARNELL was a friend to the Meshes, from the experience he had of the had efirefts of re versionary grants in Leland. The question rf Union was first negatived in cons :hence of the neutrality of two very great political inureess. In the course of two years, this neutrality WAS ars vetted into an adive support. But. in %hat m..iincr procured? The reversion of the ClerkAip of th. pal s , in Ireland, was *acute.] so tii• sun of one of these parties, whilst the son of the other was pro moted, not altorther to a reversionary grant, lot to the fiat vacant bishoprick which ensued (A kepi). Mr. JOHNSTONE explained. The Resolution was then put. and almost upani mnusly carried, and leave gra n ted to b r i ng fa ?ea accesedingle. • Sir JOHN NiCHOLL gave notice of his ;nut. tion to propose on tomorrow a riser to the dicihas Prize Bill. Sir JOHN' NEWPORT moved for leave a bring in a Bill, empono ring the bafons of the Coutts of Exchequer, Common Pleas, and Kills Bench, in Ireland, to app o int officers rf :%eletrit spellive Courts in that part of the United Kingdere: Granted. Mr. Sheridan'bron; , ht up the report of• the 13.;11 for regulating the otliee of Tleastirer of Hi' jesty's Navy, w:tielt wits ortirred to be taken iota fetcher conadrration to.mt,t tow. Sir JOHN NE W POLL r 'slaved for leave to brig in a Bill to amend the several acts for the Coile of the Malt Duties its Ireland.; also tcr lease ti bring in a bill for regulating the issuing of Liceeses for vending Spirituous Uquors in Ireland; also, for regulating the Collection of the Duties on To. baceo in Ireland; for the better regnlation in grart• ing Permits, and for regulating the Collcaioa of Wool, Silver Plate, &c. in.lteland. Leave au panted accordingly. pnn clic reading tif the Lords' aniendmmts tr the Sierra Leone The SPSAKBR observed, that the Lords Las . made divers amendments in a Bill, vestipg cei lain lagds in the Crown, which was similar is prin. ciple and effect to the venial; of money; he ;to prehended that ft was contrary to the rules of Me House to. twee to cunt an amendment. _ _ Earl TEMPLE then moved, " That this Bill be laid aside," which was agreed to, raw. con. • tad: TEMPLE gave notice, that he shottil move to-roorruw for the House to gn into . * CIT. rniitee, to consider of the several Ails 10r reguls • ing the colony of Sierra Leone. Mr. VANSIT EMIT sa,d, that as Chairman tf the Shrewsbury Committee, he rose to tetiorst lE formation, whether, in consequence of a Member , f obev.C.tabatiae• accepting a place of trultlP= 4 'r tie Gown, and vacating h.s seat in cnomqu:- thereot, the Committee could proceed in unit ert vestigation, in the absence of such Member he SPEAKER o'iserved, that although sin; Member most VACA:e his P.trliameotery duty, under such circumstances, it was not unusual fc: an Eiefliun Committee to proceed in the ablate or such Meml,er. S;r Jahn Newport brought in a Bill for ri gc'•at;r the Wages of SaVlll33 in lreianel, which *AS feAti a fiat time. The S..lt Duty Bleaching B i ll was committed. a►d the Report ordered to be received to-morrow. The Irish Stamp Duty Bill WAS re.,' a second time, and fled-eed to be committed to-mom:iv. The Coffee Warehouse Bill was lead a thitsl and passed. The House, in a Committee, went through the Eill for lig: .ting. cl-ansing, and wats.hing the Chita anti Towns m Ireland, and the Report ordered to be received to-mi rr The Comtism... on the Land Tax Commissioners' Biil. was postponed to this day three weeks. The Irish Cummissionors Continuance Bill, tl.e ~•~ ~: i i ;‘h ! r rt i:cnA 17 14 ' tow of tt been pave kr