The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-07-03 00:00:00

^ , l===r"_ : ! • /3f t . PARLIAMENT: ! " HOUSE OF I.Oti3c—Trit:isnal, JUST : Their Lordships met soon after four o'clock, when several petitions of a private nature were pro. tented. Lord HAWKESBURY brought up a Message front His Majesty, requesting their Lordships to enable him to grant an annuity of 1,0001. per ann. for life, upon Majot-General Sir J. Stewart, as a re ward for his gallant and meritorious services in at tacking and conquering an enemy, of superior force, on the plains of Maida. Ordered to be taken into consideration tomor row. l'he LORD'CHANCELLOR having quitted the Woolsack, brought forward his several propo sitions respelling the revising of private Bills, ac cording to his Lordship's notice on Tuesday last Alter a few preliminary observations, his Lordship proposed the following resolutions— .. That a Committee be appointed to inquire into, and report upon, all Petitions presented for Private Bilia nut finished in the last Parliamant, in order to ascertain whether they were the mine Petitions no which the proceedings in such Sills were founded, as far as such pruceedinp had b=ee carried " That the time between the second reading of such Bails, and of ref•oring the same to a Committee, should be shortened and reduced to one wwk, instead of a fortnight, which was the usual time. " That the minutes of evidence taken before former Com mittees, should be received as evidence before future Commit. tees on such bills, with a reservation that such ev.dience should not be deemed conclusive upon any such future Committee, either es to the evidence of wilnesiet formerly committed, or any other evidence such future Committee should wish to ob tain upon the subject.' After a few observations from Lord HOL LAND. which his Lordship spoke in so low a tone, we could not hear, but by which we colleZted his Lordship's assent, the Resolutions were severally read and agreed to. Lori REDESDALE obtaired leave to bring in a Bill emplsrering Copybolderstoappearits County Courts and Courts Leet, by their Attorney. His Lordship observed, that at present the Copyholder was obliged to appear in pers•n. which frequently occasioned very great inconvenience to him the objeEt, therefore, of this Bill, was to remedy su.di inconvenience At six o'clock the House adjourned until tc• morrow (this day). HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Dogdale brought in a Bill to enable His Majesty to grant Letters Patent for the erection of a Theatre at Birmingham Read a first, and ordered to be read a second tim., to-morrow. Mr. FEBGITSON moved for leave to bring in a Bill for enlarging and improving the harbour of Peterhead. in the Comity of Aberdeen. Leave gi7en. Mr. Byng brought up a Bill for supplying the inhabitants of Stratford-le-Boa, in the County of Middlesex, with war-r. Read a first. and ordered to be read a second time. Mr. Bathurst brought up a Bill for improving the harbour of BristoL Read a first, and ordered to be read a second time. A Petition was presented on the part of William Henry Fremantle. Esq. complaining of an undue Rerun for the Borough of &slush, which was or dered to be takes into consideration on Tuesday. the 14th of July, along with the other Petition pre sented from the same Borough. A Petition was presented from Wiilliam Sergison, Esq• complaining of an nodes return for the county of :susses. Ordered to be takes into consideration on Wednesday. the ad of July. Mr. CREEVF,Y gave notice. that, upon Monday met. he would move for the produCtion of Copi-s of all the Ethpatelies relative to the unfortunate Mutiny at Vellore SMUGGLING. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER veer, and moved " for leave to bring in a Bill for the more effeaual prevention of Smuggling." In doing this, he made a pasticolar allusion to the smuggling of spirits from the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey ; a praClice which had too long existed, and which a late A.ft had been passed to prevent. By that Aft no ship was allowed to clear out from these Islands with spirits, unless contained in casks of certain dimensions, for the purpose of preventing smugglers from having tin opportunity of disposing of their spirits to small dealers, before reaching their destination. This provision, however, had Men evaded by smagglers carrying nut with them s quantity of multi casks, ieto which they emptied the kap ones no their passage, and dispose/ of the spirits contrary to law. This new Bill was intended to Gloriae that practice, and also to require those ships coming from Guernsey and Jersey to give bond at the Custom Houses there, for the purpose of insuring the delivery of their cargoes at the place of their destination. Besides this, at was intended to offer rewards to the Military on these Islands to encourage them to detedt smugglers ; and to amend the former Ails in various other particulars. Leave given. On the motion of Mr. HUSKISSON, it was ordered that there be laid before the House an Account of the numoer of Ships that cleared out with Spirits from the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, in November, December, and January last. ARMY CLOTHING. Mr. ROSE stated to the House that he had, dur ing the late Session of Parliament, moved for certain Papers respeeling the clothing of the Royal Ve teran Invalid Battalions, as it had occurred to him as a matter wor:hy of consideration, whether or not it was possible to make any saving in the expense o: that article 3 At the time be left the -.itnation of Paymaster-General, the clothing was furnished by a contractor, considerably under the price charged by the person substituted in such contrails by the Noble Lord who had succeeded him. 'This change understood had been made under the pretence articles so famished, by the former cots , were not equal in point of quality or fabric ,se furnished by the subsequent contrattoe. allegation was made, although during the held that office, every suit of clothes was examined and approved of by the Iwpm:tor-Se ' as well as by the Commanding Officers of battalions, both in England and Scotland. former contra/tor was a Mt. Courtney, who turn,hed a suit at one pound three shilliogs. while -son wha was appointed iu Ins place charged IL 4s. 91 for each snit. The minntes which had been formerly produced by the Noble ' Lord opposite, (Temple), pursaat t to the order of the House, relative to this subjeEl, were far from being satisfatiory ; the letters which that Noble Lord had received, disapproving of the articles furnished by Mr. Courtney, being the only ones laid before the House. It appeared that the Noble Lord, after coming into office, had written several lettet s to the commanders of some of these battalions, requiring them to state their opinion of the clothing fur nished by the contraaor then employed. The al.- over he had received from the commander at the Tower, made no complaints as to the quality of the article, but only stated that the suits were rather of a small size, a disadvantage which, upon being represented to the contraetor, was immediately remedied, by others or a larger size being sent instead of them. Another letter states, that the commanding officer saw no reason to find fault with the clothing s and adds, that it was regularly its speifted, and found to correspond wt' the pattern. These, and other letters that were sound in the office, bore testita.nly to the quality of the workman ship and the mateti•ls. This, he could assure ihe House, was no small matter of con-ideration, and it was with a view of producing a future saving to the public, that he was now troubling them upon it; because, were the clothing of the whole army to be furnished by such a contraCint as the pet son alluded to, the difference would be found to amount to more than a hundred thousand pounds a year. — His prin , ipal objea was to effea the produEtion of sach doctiments as appear to have been withheld, notwithstanding the order of the House ; for he did not mean to make it the subject of any tormal com plaint ; because, when this inform ition was laid before them, it might be a fit matter for .the in quiry of the Financial or Military Cimmittees.— The Righa Hon. Gentleman then cencluded by moving, •• That there be laid before the Hause copies of all minutes and letter. transmitted to the Paymaster General. respeeing the clothing of the Royal Veteran Battalions, and all order. as to the price of such articles, betwixt Ist August, 1804, and Ist Jane. 1807." Earl TEMPLE said, that it would not perhaps be thought necessary for him now to enter into detail upon the snhjeft, as an atter opportunity would mem ; but the statement the Right Hunotn able Gentleman had made, created at least the necessity of his stating a few tads to meet it. He could not help noticing the extraordinary manner the Right Hon. Gentleman had taken to bring for ward this charge, at a time when a Niilitary Com mission was sitting, and a Committee of Finance so lately appointed, both of whom were likely to pay attention to the affairs of the Pay Office. He should have thought, that if an evil, such as the Right Honourable Gentleman had stated, a&ually existed, it would hot es:ape their observation. The Right Honourable Gentleman had taken upon him self to assist them in the duties they had to per form, a task, which, in his opinion, was far from being enviable. Upon a former occasion, when this subject was before the House, he had stated to him that ;here were many letters, adverted to in the minutes, previously before them, which prevented the necetsite of producing other copies of roe origi nal cotrespandence ; as the doing so, without reser vation, would be producing many duplicates. There was nut a single letter to which the Right Honourable Gentleman had alluded, that was not adverted to in the matures already Wore them. If he (Mr. Rose) inipetied these minutes more rniuotely, be would 6ud even those very re ports of Ccatmandir.g (Akers of B tttalions, upon which he seemed principally to found his accusa tion Besides this, there was at that time other infor mation which he had received as to the improper clothing of the Veteran Battalions, but which was not communicated in such a manner as could justi fy him in producing it. From that difficulty he had since been relieved, by receiving certificates from two of those persons woo had formerly com municated with him privately by kites. Mr. Box, the person who is now the contra/tor for clothing the Battalions alluded to, had, at the time of the Right Hon Gentleman's coming to that Office, fulfilled these contras for a period of 15 years. At the time he (Lord Temple) succeeded to the office, he ri c.tived many complaints respelling the qua lity, size, and workmanship, of the clothing fur nished to the Veteran Battalions ; in consequence of which he desired a suit to be taken at random, from those so lurnis'led to these Battalions, and brought forward to be compared with those fur nished to other corps. Upon this comparison, the first observation he made was, that they were of a very small size, of bad materials, and very impro- perly male up. This, joined to the complaints he had received. encouraged him to take away this clothing contra& from Mr. Courtney, and give it back to the gentlemen who had performed it for I:, years. Upon inquiry. he found it was perfeSly true that Mr. Courtney did furnish the clothing at a lower price than some other clothiers ; but before he gave it to Mr. Box, he got a comparative state• ment of the prices charged by other respeEtab:e clothiers, such as Mr. Box; Mr. Pearce, Mr. Beaufoy, &c. He found, that although Mr. Box c'iarged 11. 4s. 9d. for what Mr. Courtney furnished at 11. 3s. yet the difference of quality did not warrant him in giving the contrail to the lose est. By the accounts which he held in his Land, it appeared that the sum expended or* Mr. Box's contract was 12,4961. while that in Mr. Courtney's contra& was 11,5 .4 51. making the excess of the for mer above the latter amount to 1,6 u IL Here the Noble Lord read a letter from the Costrnaading Officer of the second Royal Veteran Battalion, wise had been in that situation for three years and a half, io answer to one of his letters, stating, that lie (the officer) had had an opportunity of ascertaining the paints upon which the inquiries v.ere made; and that he felt nu hesitation in swing. either upon his hunuur or upon his oath, that the cloth ing furnished by Mr. Courtney was far tide. rior to that furnished by Mr. B ; and that the other was perfe.tily unsuitable, both on ac count of smallness, quality, and vela. :atanship, to afford that comfort which was tercescary for an old soldier. Besides this, he read t certificates frosts other persons, which were both equally ex pressive of the pr opeety of main:. a change, on AC• count of the badness of the a-. "les furnished by Catattney. He should appeal to the House, if they did not think he teal J tirg no.hiis mere than his duty in altering the contraor ? and he might I Appeal to his successor in office, whether, in I point tef fa, he had not received several letters I from oflisers, wishing him not to change the cloth ing ? Upon the whole, he could not think that the country would grudge the sum of 15(111. when the objea WAS to add to the condo' ts of those who had grown old in its service. With respea to the Gen tleman alluded to, Mr. Courtney, he might state, before sitting down, that he was far from having any desire to injure his trade or reputation as a dealer ; but if any exposure had been made, he had to thank the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite. With fovea to the manner in which the Right Hon. Gentleman had brought forward the charge, he should only as sure him that it provoked very differs:lit feelings than those of apprehension, for the s esult, whether he (Mr. Ruse), thought proper to prosecute it fur tner, or to leave it to the Committees ahead) , ap pointed. M. LONG stated, that it was very true that he had received applications respeeting the clothing of these battalions ; but he did not feel himself at liberty to comply with the requests made, as the different commandune officers have been directed to advertise for contraors to clothe their iespeaive battalions. He trusted. that this question would undergo some further investigation in the Commit tee of 1 7 inance. The Noble Used had read vat ions letters and certificates, but he could assure him that there were several others found in the office in direct coutradiaion to them. The Noble Lord had left documents which give quite a different colour against him. After writing his Letters of Inquiry to Com manding Officers, he had nut chosen to wait for their answers. After receiving no one answer to seven letters, he makes a minute, stating, that, in conse quence of the complaints made, as to the contra& ter clothing, it was to he taken from one pet son and given to another. Tilts could be easily proved, by a reference to dates. He uaderstood too, that the Ouches furnished by this Mr. Box, at 11. 4s. 9d. per suit, were au ually made from a pattern at those furnished by Mr. Courtney, at 11. ds. Upon these grounds he was exceedingly unwilling either to do a thing so injurious to a private individual, such as Mr. Courti;ey, or to be so regardless of the pub- I lic interest, as to allow such a sum of money to be thrown away. without investigation. Earl I'EMP LE explained, that with respect to the returns made by Commanding Officers, and alluded to by the Right Hon. Gentleman, they were such as were made at the time the articles of clothing were sent to the respearre regiments, and not such as were made after those clothes bad been exposed to wearing. Viscount HOWICK argued, that this Was an un fair proceeding on the part of the Right Hin. Gen tleman who had brought this matter forward, be cause he did not seem to do it for the purpose of proposing any subsequent motion, so that the Noble Lord was to hear all the accusations that might thus be aside against him, without having an oppottn sky of calling upon that Right Honourable Gee- Oman to substantiate it by proof, or to call upon the House to hear the evidence which he him self had to adduce in his defence. It was a matter which naught have been taken up by the t:ommittee of Finance, without his motion. All the Noble Lord could desire was, that the matter should he investigated. He thought it would now be the Right lion. Gentleman's duty to proceed Wither, and make a distinct proceeding to follow the pre sent motion. From the evidence now before them, he really thought that the Noble Lord bad done nothing but his duty. He knew nothing of this Mr. Courtney, but he did remember that there were formerly great complaints as to the marine cinching. and he suspeeted that it was that Geode man who then furnished is. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that this proceei.ng aatrally arose out of the Noble Lord", iown conduct. It was true that the Noble Lard had brought forward documents firm his pocket tending to his own vindication, by shew ing that charges and complaints had been made against the clothing, but the singularity of the case was, that hr had forgotten, he had left letters and other documents in the Office, which not only did not support these complaints, but adluatly nege tient' them. It appeared that those minutes which were produced last Session, were completely fal sified; so that if he (Earl Temple) experienced in- convenience, it was entirely owing to his own con. dud. There appeared to be a suppression of that which justified the whole proceeding. It mattered not whether there was a reference to the letters in the minutes, it there was not a reference to the substance of them. Mr. WINDHA hi observed, that it might be argued the Noble Lord had proceeded injudiciously in leaving tetoss letters oust of view ; but the question Was, Cntlld that justify the Right Hon. Gentleman's proceeding in bunging this matter forward, and then saying that he will abandon his charge to any other person who may choose to take it up ? This was not a proper mode of proceeding. If it was meant at all as a charge against his Noble Friend, it was not right that it 'bassist be so abandoned. He ( Mr. Rose), might be right in what he had done, but tile question was, was he right in not doing more? A conversation of considerable length ensued uOn this subject ; Mr. Johnstone. Mr. IVilbertorce, Lord Henry Petty, General Tarleton, and Mr. Htiskisson. each took a part.—Motinn agreed to. Sir James Pniteney presented the Ordinary Army Estimates. Viscount HOWICK wished to know whether the Extra-Estien ties were comprehended within those produced? and whether it was not usual, when a new expense was incurred, to produce it under a separate item ? Therefore it was that he considered it a more regular proceeding, that the Estimates applying to the appointment of Inspecting Field Officers of Yeomanry, and the additional pay to the Volunteers, should Le separately presented to the House. __________ - . . Mr. HUSKISSON admitted that the expense arising from the branches of service alladed to, wore included in the sum total ; but, at the same time, it was competent to move for a return of thou,: heath of charge. Mc. WLIsIDHA VI thought it necessary. that when a new disposition was made, and a greater expenditure incurred, the fullest intormitiln trJuld be laid Were the House. The SPEAKER observed, drat it of Parliament to receive the enirnati total, the manner WAS left to the CrOV course to the future investigation of the Viscount HOWICK said, the sum estimates amounted to one million four ninety thousand pounds. Consideri that a great part of that expense new. but in direct contradiftion to t opinion of Parliament, he was de move for the separate estimate of the The CHANCELLOR of the EV said, it was impossible, under the cumstantes of the case to ascertain much remained upon Conjeaure ; /et I not, when in his power, refuse the prods details. Indeed tt would not hecor had so often and so ineffettlually calls pets, when at the other aide tithe Hot in office to oppose the motion for pt He proisosel that the general estimate , Mtn cons4l,:ration on to- morrow, estimates with respeft to the volunteer should be made the subjen-matter of fur General }TM P A 'l' RIC K thoug I m. rtion necess iry en either side of the' would be the fullest opportunity I and discussion, when the Resolutions moved, founded on such estimates. were ordered to lie oa the table. Mr. Ashton presented the Ordinal' Rstimates.—Ordered to I,e taken into t to-morrow. • Air. ROBERT VOARD presented t. Navy Eatunates, and declared his intention of mov ing certain resolutions thereon to-morrow.—Ur dered to lie on the Fable. MR. PRRCEVAL's CHARGES AGAINST TIM LATE Mr. ADAM rose, and expressed his regret at nor having been in his place when the Right Hon. Ger.- t lemon indulged in his charges against the late Ad ministration. Hid he been present, it was meta ingly probable that he would have saved the titr.e of the House, or it least, guarded it from Or.. pensions which had no support or validity, eh! in fad or supposition. Much stress had be.:; told, upon that occasion, upon the divisioc of the Shrievalties of Sunderland, Clackmantian, and Kinross, (turn the Counties of Stirling sect rife ; but a little consideration was only arm sary to ansier the charges which Ministers had made. In the first place he stated, that the Office of Sheriff Depute was one of very serious importance, one which inv:,l veil very great ano pressing duties. He was nr.t rooly a retcraiog Officer, but he aped in a jodicial capacity, and was the administrator of justice to a very great Jr(' • portion of the county population. Indeed, money could not be better bestowed, than in remu nerating the man who filled offices so generally and locally berth:W. But what was the complaint? it WAS this, that the county of Sutherland, com prising a population of ::1;,000 souls, separlit , from the county, under the jurisdiaion of wirus, Sheriff it had been placed, by mountains almost impassable, had received a Sheriff Depute for itsed. and the great burden upon the country WAS only 3501. per annuTP. a proportion cf which went to compensate the Sheriff of another county for his resignation. In the counties of slackmanaan and Kinross a similar appointment had taken platy—' appointments, he resisted, n few imaucoe., b•JJ arising from actual necessity. In these last contr.'s, the administration of justice was so culpable OT si negletted. that even there was not a gaol for the confinement of malefattors, and men who had to complain of a violation of the laws, had at least to travel 70 or 80 miles before they could obtain even a hearing. It was idle, indeed it was unfounded, to as cribe such appointments to Parliamentary influence. They arose out of the necessity of the country, and were but the extension of privileges and rights") those counties which stood so much in need of them. A more del.cate subject he had next to touch upon, lie meant the grant of a pension to Lord Cullen, a Lord Justiciary of ffcutland. When that subject, WAS introduced, he was not a little surprised, and he was (see to confess that he now adverted to it' with pain, inasmuch as in his regard for the con fidence which was placed in him by that learned, able, and enlightened Lord (Cullen), he had still a duty toper form in releasing the late Adnsinistrs tion from the attack and the stigma which were attempted to be attached to it. Ot Lard Cullen he could not say too much, his womb aad talent, were appreciated by abler and more powerful men. le consequence of the charaEteristic greatness of intLa talents, he was called to the Bench by the Lord Rosslyn, and the Duke of Portland.- In fat, the pension alluded to was • the latter Peer ; it was made in the had the ltoyal pleasure, though the not made nut. Soon after, that went out, and the late one succeeded. Ministry Lord Cutlets was well knot assured that it was equally wieong hom those embarrassments which from devoting his own official revenue, thirds of it, to clear off the debts or the late celebrated Dr. Cullen, so in the medical world. To talk cc granted with a view to Ministerial mentary influence, was to talk nonsense argue upon its being a grant , was equally nugatory. From its be a grant for life, for otherwise dude in the Memorial no reversion Independent of that to grant to t pension during life was a perms in the teeth of a positive ad of Pa. the late changes, he had the honour cation from the . Duke of Partland• of the Noble Duke to see him on ' was unwilling. in these days mony, to subjett himself even to obloquy, and therefore he declined lingtoa House. Of this he was cot Duke of Portland was not acquainted charge ; and fart:ter, that if the Messed sent back by the Baron' of the Scotch T would hate been guaranteed by that He concluded by moving. that with respeft to the appointment in the Counties of utherlsnif and the other referring to Lore be laid upon the Table of the Noble Le he under that the ttaftor, to those 6 'lles ali t tithe h examinec oval, al th,le ba The for' tornishec the pc:: was the nave to of the stth i c( nen, siihje:t ~t a :he House. e rn total of the ur hundred and ring, therefore, s: was not only the exprAssed determitml to e increase. .XCHE'VEit, to present Cir. n the expense, it still be would vdation of the woe him, who led for such pa- onset, now when producing them. ; should be token and that the er establishment uturedistussic.. ght no .petit., r House, st there for explanation ions would be !s. Tne Papers Mary Ordnance to consideration ed the Ordinary the promise r: M w o 4 r. , enhgoes lA wdt rd oonee, t dn : r itt. taie i hr t: l B eied.ssri least t ' a jc, E ttil it d , e. so well karat ilk of its brw aerial Of WI nonsense; and during . is nature It rise it wool: to Mrs. Cult... a Scotch Judr t nullity. It' 'arlioment. our of a COMM.:" d. it itra the t h at point ; of point zal o the rstlAll ICJ the visa ta c onvsolda. l aointed bleinotiol hal icotch 1131't Noble Vt. :hat the Ma ..t Shoat .1):i I and Clack " lem Cuticles Pe