The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-03-20 00:00:00

*heath /if FAniary4tteo, since that time, the Com mittee. to trknot it we, r. (erred, was never applied to for the aecettaiiiivent el the truth upon which a 1.4. founded. Ana sorely, it was lIITC*S try to chew, the eviineds for a proc.eding, which, if allowed, world ells, hit a case of ericioachnient and injustice, unparalleled wince the reign of Charles IL The Peiitiooer, had applied to the Privy Council, with out giving him notice of their applictiticu ;they ap plied for a Charter of Incorporation, in direct op position to the report of the Attorney and Solici tor-General, to whom the case had lures, referred; a saspition of their integrity, a doubt of their ve racity. After having received that report, which reprobated the injustice of granting their inner, they then came to Parliament with a news ig to their bow, and applied for the same thing upon the lad Jay for receiving private bills; and their excuse was, that they had not got the decision of the Privy Council. These proceedings should have been ...Tried on with a gentlemanly sincerity. It had 10,.en represented, that this prowl r proceeded from L'mrd Mayor and City •1 London ; inch • state- Inept was ungrounded ; for the City of Londou had tin corer& whatsoever with it ; and if the Lord Mayor 'was concerned, he was his Lordship's boilable servant, but plain Thomas Smith should have been subscribed to the Petitioo. It was not his intention to enter into a consideration of the propriety or inexpediency of granting more patents for theatrical exhibitions than existed at present. Indeed, some people might say, that there was a necessity for more Banks of England. He did not admire that trick, which - promised but to d.ceive, which held forth assnrances of correcting immo rality, when it carried along with it thelandirguised face of impracticability and absurdity. Ile roil tiered at Mr. Combei land's censuring the morality of the stage ; and supposed - that the new one, un der his patronage. would, if allowed, be appropri ated to the purposes of rhorches and chapels. Under these impressions, he hoped the House would look with a guarded rye upon the present application. 81, Juan SHAW said. he had no share or interest whatseevets in the preierd establishment ; and hopzd. that nothing di ingenuous would be attri buted to him. Mr. SHIRIDAS said, that his conduct had secured bim against tiny suspicion, as it was moiled by rill crroy and canuoar. Mr. E. liaowtte said a few words in favour of the motion. After which the (driller leave of Rix weilcs wu grt►ntcd to the pe!itionesa to bring ia their Bill. ItCHELDT ENQUIRY. _ _ _ Sir JOHN A lESTRUTHER staled, that he ited.two papers, which he W. 14 to pot into the pos ses-i in of the Hoii.e, but was not sure what method was be-t to adopt to accomplish that desire. The CrA Mit4 a letter from Sir 11. Popham, of the nth of March, la to, which came auto his hands, as Chair-. than of the Committee of Inquiry ; and the setoff In. a letter, or explinution from General tinot , :z i , who considered some smpicion an horn% been thrown upon part of his conduct, with regard to Vie seisore of some money front the enemy.-. This part of the fvidr_..wr he was anxious to have prope►ly explained. Under these circumstances, l e 'Mowed to botthese capers on is •a e, Fa - Mary tutglit - be octavo IS the minutes of evidence. /lc wished :dm to move, 4. That there he laid before the house, the answer Bow the Secretary of State to Sir Eyre Coote's let ter, ro•stainiog iueloard the propositions, &c. of the Mayor of Vluahing . ." The ger Alt ISR observed, that the course propos rai by tbe Sion. Baronet, was unprecedeutel in par liameotary proceedings. The only way the Om-, seuld emue into possession of batch atom mascots, was through their own Chairman. and out ditou4lt the Vh.nettian of a Committee witleh had cussed. The CA AXL ELXOR of the EXCHEQUER .olcrfled that the House might resolve into the Committee of Inquiry, fir the purpose of receivimg these papers. The SPEAKER approved of this meal., which w kept open in case any thing of * th a kiwi should occur. The II +use then went into the Committee and rec.:teed the paper' ; after which the House resum eis received thr report, and ordered theta to be visaed and addea to the minutes. LOCAL MILITIA. _ • .On the motion of ►Mr. Secretary RYDER, the Local Militia Acts were catered as read. • Mr. ItYPILK then stated, that, in bringing iu e law to amend these Acts, it was oouece•sary fur him to enter into moth explanation. The system of Lewitt Militia, sinew it hal hwn introduced by his Noble friend (Lord Castlereagh), was su uir verssily approve-I, that nothing vva iron men wary brit to correct it fere error., and obviate one or two iinistrfection-, which it was imeoschle to foresee or guard sgaidst. io so ci m.dicated and 'eternise a ntessure as this. Io considering the objection that bad beet urged against the system, oh account of the tap-nsc.ilta A;sjesiy's Ministers bade• &wear& to d.► it away by diminishing, as far as passible, what *, •r parts could be dispensed with, which were ex pensive to the country. They had made regolitions with that view by which the number of noti-coininis sinned officers was reduced one-half, and the num ber of days training from IN to 11. By the first of . there regulations a dimilintion of expense was ef f cted to tbrunnunt of 19%0001., and by the latter • farther diminution of 346,00:11., bring together alsoirt now-half of the whole of the present perma nent e-tablislimeut. He au aware that the regu lation with regard to non-commissioned officers was received in inauy parts of the country with corer de able disepprohation, and vow thought by many to lie injurious to the efficiency of the corps, dud hard upon those who had reliminished the lane, to •rater auto the staff of the militia. He was hippy. larwever, to lw rade to stale, that there was no teressdatiou fur the latter suppositinn, as no injury whatever merited to Iverson* from the regulars in eo 1-cptonce of that regulation. With respect t* it, dirninis'ilog the rfficaei:cy of the core*, he trusted tart that was not the can• ; and the more so, same oat of the regulation• to be adopted was to give the nlowswitaissiorsed officers sewn days' trai ii ii pre .lotl.l to the unsnarling of their respective districts. Gowl diwipline, he hoped, would be further pro nr.t•d hypriox power to the local militia to in crvas•. the number of non-commissioned office' _ ipwe this increase he did out mean that any (Jr. the? expense should Le incurred than what was al ready allowed by law ; but if, fur instance, they could have serjeunts at Is. instead of is. lid. a-dsy, they might augment their numbers without any • additional cost. Another regulation wa. to give powers to courts-martial to commence their sittings, or to sit, after the (trysail teas g had expired. on offences committed during that period. Late events had shewn the 'necessity for this measure.— Another regulation was to reduce the number of days for volunteers going out, in order to keep their time in proportion to the local atilitis—and thou the load militia being reduced from N to 23 days, he also proposed to reduoe the volunteers from N to 19. Another clause would go to suspend the clause in the old act, which subjected parishes to penalty of 151. for every men deficient at Easter. This was hard on perishes ; as by it they were sob. jected to a fine before they had it in their power to ascertain their liability to it ; and he therefore would suspend the infliction of the penalty till a limited time after the days of training. when the parishes could know what their deficiencies were.— These were the principal features of the bill he wished to bring in, the rest lacing merely verbal or uninteresting alterations. He concluded by moving for leave to bring iu the same. Mr. Galas regretted that the Bill was so limited, and that the Right Hoe. Secretary, now he was upon the subject. did not. rather than patch up the old Balls, bring in a Bill to consolidate them altogether. and place theta in one point of view. This would be high y beneficial and agreeable to • those who were, compelled tit wade through no fewer than six acts, iu order to know what they must do in their concerns with the Local Militia. He•therefore earnestly recominanded to the Right Hon. Secretary to consolidate these acts. He did not wish to enter upon the subject of the Bill now ' moved far; hot since the subject was started, beg ged to say a few words ou one or two points con nected with it. The exemptions fro:n the Local Militia were the same as from the regular Militia. This he considered as improper, as the two services were altogether different; time first being to be com muted for money, the other only by furnishing a sulistitute for service. He could see reasons why a medical tuna should not be liable to serve, but he could see none why he ought not to be as liable to pay his money as the carpenter of the parish. Ws of the clauses in the old Local Militia Act, stated, 4 . That they should be subject to the Mutiny Act, while train•ng in time of war." This, he conceived, wanted alternation; for if continued during peace, they must be meant to be equally subject to that Act. He disspproved of verying so much in the regulations. It took away and destroyed that coo. falence in the system, so necessary to give it effici ency ; rather than reduce it in parts, and curtail it by new regulations, it would have been much bet ter to reduce its numbers; and it would be found, (the existing body being too numerous) that a re- Auction of one-third would have been advantageous in every respect. With respect to one of the clauses in the new Bill, to train the nun-commissioned offi cers a week before the men met, he was sore it would never answer. They would never get corpo rals vrhrise pre-emscv was to be attained by a months' training bile the privates got off with three weeks. AblYfittirom thonght all the disuses proper ; but joined with the last speaker in strennonsly re commending the consolidation of the Local Militia Acts; and, until that was done, the publication of an abstract for the use of Lords Lieutenant and others interested in their administration. Mr. WHITISICAD was of the same opinion, and noticed how troublesome it was to hire so many nets to consult, and reconcile to cad) other. He slso called the attention of Gentlemen opposite to the subject of the qualifications of officers. In massy counties, the law on this head was totally dis regarded; in others it was eluded by nominal qua lifications, and other means. As it was impossible to act top to the law, lie hoped the law would be re duced to a pructtcabic scale. Mr. Hvtitit said, he had consulted those best able to give an opinion on the expediency of conso lidating the Local Militia acts; and. as the law. as it now existed. was well understood in the country. they had adtised the pmtpontinent of that mea sure till next Session. by whirl' time the system would be so well estAblished as to require no further alterations. He agreed with the hints thrown out by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Whitbread) as to the qualifications of officers. and would turn his attem Iron to that subject. es well as to all the other mat.. tens touched upon by the otherflonourableGentle. man (Mr. Giles.) Leave given to bring in the Bill. MR. SHERIDAN'S MOTION. MC WHITBREAD rose to request of his Right Hon. Friend to postpone his motion. which stood for Friday, on the subject of the war in Spain and Portugal. The !louse had been long engaged iu au anxious inquiry, the discussion on which would be a very laborious one, and was appointed to MD. metier on Monday. It would. therefoie, be better. that, previous to this important debate, the naiads of Merubers should be left as free from other im portant considerations, as possible. Before sitting down, he would more for another paper. necesiary to elucidate the subject of throe compaigos—the indructions given to Marquis IVellisiley. If there was any obj-ction to the audios now, he would give notice for to-morrow. Mr. Sarasota readily eerptiesced in the re quest of his Hon. Friend. and the more so, as, by pootpouiuitig his motion till after the Walcheren business was deopooed of, he would. et the sortie time. be obliging woollier Noble Lord, who had made a 'bailie request. Seeing, however, that by this menus. Friday would he an open day. he would take that opportunity of bringing on his motion respecting the bye-lasts of the Society of Lincoln's lain. The Committee en the Embezzlement Bill was postponed till Thu's(ley. Mr. HENRY THORNTON moved for en account of ilie total amount of the sums paid out of His Ma)'esty's Civil Li 4, for Scotland. for the years ending 9th Januar!, 1808, 9, and 10. Also, for the particular grants since 9th June, 1808, with the dates of the warrants, &c.—Order ed. Mr. W. Poza moved, a ' That the Report on the Petition of Mr. W. O.klrv, relative to Ardglays Harbour, should be referred to the Committee of Stop!)ly." Sir Jogs NEtilittat approved of erecting a pier at Ardglasm. but complained of some -misapplica tion of public money, voted for a similar building at Da ndruns. .• . hlr. W. l'oris explained the circumstances of the billet case, and the anturta via, agreed t". The Royal Marine Ninthly 11, and the Salt Duty. Bill, acre severally read a third time end probed. PUBLIC ECONOMY, The reports of the Finance Committee were en tered as read, and the same referred to a coonnett e of the House, to consider thereof. The flutist hat ing gone into this committee, Mr. MAIIITIM said, he rose to discharge tie duty he had imposed on himself, of bringing under the discussion of Parliament, the third report of the Committee of Finance. In doing this, hr woe g lad to know that no opposition would he made to the principles on which he set out ; when they iecol lected their writhe:4.es to the throne on two diffeient occasions, mid their pledges on the subject of pub lic economy, he was sure there could be no iodis posiri„n iu uny individual, to assist, asfar us lay in Isis power, in the task of reaming t;.est asourare es to practice. That economy was necessary, no one would venture to deny ; that it was necessary for our own political system ; that it sous necessary front the aim of the enemy at our finaticial resources ; that it was necessary, from being the wish of the people, was obvious to every one. lint s even if Parliament had not been pledged as they were, if any one looked at the immense expense, diecluserl by that report, in sinecure placer, there was enough to induce a determination to reform. From the report, it appeared that the amount of sinecure places arid pensions was nearly 1,300,0001.-01 this stun it was but fair to say, that a great many of the pensions were necessary, as having hems granted by Parliament, in reward of publie services; yet, even the amount of these. held as ne cessary, was an arguineut in favour of removing those which could be done away without injury to individual rights, or the legal prerogutive of the Crown. This 4300,0001. it west also be recol lected, was independent of the Duchy of Lamas ter, which was not included in the Appendices to the Report, and of which Mr. Burke bad said it pro ' duced a revilitie of 4,0001. nod patronage to the amount of .10,m/01. a-year.. All these MUDS it was to be reeiembered, were either raised by direct taxes, or by fees, which operated as rates. When they considered the remainder and weight of the taxes paid by the people, they would be anxious to avoid any thing that could reader it necessary to bare recourse to new and additional burdens. At the time he first proposed his resolutions, he had been extremely anxious VI have them carried into effect with all possible speed ; but be was happy to think, that no injury had been sustained from the delay which had talsen place. Since that period, the declaration of a Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hus kisson) had deservedly called for the most earnest attention of the House, and to public expenditure and public estimates more attention was now paid than had ever been paid at any former period. If they wanted other reasons to induce them to per severe in a system of reform, they would be found in "Ant passed out of doors. They would he found in the ci rcumatances attending the defalcations of a Trealurer of the Ordnance and a Paymaster wf the Marines. In mentioning the last, he should merely notice, in pawing, that this was one of the offices specifically pointed out as no longer neces sary by the Finance Committee of 1796. Though the principles on which he stood were not objected to, yet there might he, and was some difference in their application. had Right Hon. Gentleman, (Mr. Perceval) had proposed a double set of reso lutions, framed to his view of the subject. These lie did not think went far enough. Another Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Banker) had formed a third set of resolutions, as amendments on both the former, amid with these as far as he had seen them he generally concurred.—He was not wedded to his own opinion. with too mach perti nacity, but would cheerfully adopt atiy others that might appear better calculated fur the public ser vice. Every thing that had passed since he framed his resolutions had convinced him, however, that they ought to be made stronger, rather than be weakened. • He was happy to are the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Banker) again taking an active part in such discussions, as, from his knowledge of the subject, his past services. and the promise of still greater benefits to be derived from his labours, he was sure the country would reap great advantages. The Honourable Gentleman then entered into an explanation of some points, on which he bad been misunderstood, when bringing forward his Resolutions last session: He had never sail that nothing hid hems done for time reform of public offices; on the contrary. he had stated, that mush had been dime, but that utore was still pos sible. In 1796, after the recommendations of the Committee, great reforms had taken place in the Courts of Low, but since that period *not a step had been taken; many of the sinecures were again tilled up amid granted as they had been before. Ile had also to notice the case of Judges and Chancel. Tors. Their salaries soil peusions on retirement had been increased ; but note of their perquisites had been given up, in aniseipuisee of that increase. . - This fu considered as improper ; and Parliament, when granting • better income, ought to have de manded from them some of that official patronage which had been granted to them of old, whets they were removable at pleasure, but was now uncalled for, since they were independent of the Cinwn, and fixed for life. If the suggestions of the C 'ttee of MG, on this subject, had been attended to, tlq far from Judges, &e. bring • burden ou the pub lic, there would have been a fund, not only fur the payment of those who retired, but of the sala ries of those in office. The Chief Clerkship of the Court of King's Bench, too, was an office which might well have contributed to this fund fur the general good. It would lse much better so. than falling as a kind of lottery to Chief Justice* with their aiffiev. and depending upon chance 'whe ther they would have the benefit of it or not. lu fact it had only been five times vacant since the Re storation. In saying this, he wished to be undet stood not to desire to take away from throe patties say of their right and just emolument or perquisites, brit only to cave the public as much as possible in mAin t r, provision for them, by resuming the patron age granted under other circumstances. There Was arotlier part or the ltdittie EXooedilur.. called loudly and imperion.ly for the enosi.t el of the Ilouse—he meant the peitoi s th e ptereptive of the Crow°. lie might tot a iiblic.,tion well known out of do,us, fi n pen a 111 Lt lit Finn. Meinh,r of that Flouse, ffn i e) ; mot 'ten after weighin g th e k nown ci th.o lion. Gentlemen, hi s eellitdi is with tnil:+4, in which lie lord pas S e ll 11 1 , part of a life, and his ne eesa re. of ilifotu.ltion, be se:•s rash euoligh th a t man s - of his positions we re erroneous in eoutr.itliction to tl:e whole t enor (I t' tl at he would uudertalte to prove to th e ll out the 11.0 w-tier of the Crown hail er.ormm tb i irmitlgly I lea ed. Whi•thr they I ist the amount of the public debt ; lookesl at the'army, at the nary, a t t i wooer, at the pensions; they must be the inn inoie eoileii:eed of this ; and he challenged t l lon. b rut. to the discus-ion of su opnotsre n l lie did not meats to go at length into the now, but would shortly notice these saran:, In the first glare then, the prerogatite of arts increased by the increased revenue tai of the suliject. riia was out of their a. From the mode of collection anti the tiara expenditure, would the Rt. lion. say, that in this retthect the intlne,: c e Crown was leK4 110 W, 1111111 it W. 15 :I time the celebrated u-bertiop was made 1, , Donning? From pipers pr:dercd to the i the reverse could be bitevio. At the of Mr. Dion ii ioo ? the total public debt and n was 144,830,4141.; the interclass, and rap inanausug which, was 5,560.910 i. Ou January lust, it amounted to 7:44,552,000! the interest calculated ou 20th June Is 49,992,5361. Titus, in this branch, the h hail been above five time; the original IMO With respect to the Establishment of the in Mr. Diiimiog's tine. though ei,,s g ed •with France, Spain, Holland, and Ainern number of our voilal and field-tar, r. It was now U 03.2 Our expenditure a; 6,589,0501. Now it was 19032.0001.—S;111 create in expenditure and influence h a , in the Ordnance. At the former period pence was 1,270,0001. It was It ow, areor, the estimates given in, 3,01910001. In Ili the total number of Consmiesioneci Off( I 13, t bry now amounted to °pa l e : d i , Their expense had beets ti,742,:titi. ur 1,500,0001. to pay off the navy debt ; last year 1947801001. The same provosts. observations held with respect to the ut debt :• That of the N say was Of an the other - • Boit what wait the previa tuns total ? The Navy Debt Oostandiag Esebripier Bab - it was true, the Minister in ended to fun. millteneof this sum ; hut tins would cost Ws mil lion of further esp. me. These were ar,,u,neliti agoiust this Right Hon. Gelid , man's position, th., the isfluetsce of the Crown hit diminished r.i the time of Mr. Dunning, which could nut eloir be whited. But iadepeadeut of these inuirr.mt additionoto that influence. in the enormous gtcoth of utabliihed sources, there had been others en• . ted since that period. Did the Bight lion. Genii . man forget the Barrack Department—did he far. get the Transpoit Board—did lie forget the Board of Controul. (described by Mr. Burke as the tint. bed where young statesmen learnt. at 10.001. per annum, to serve the state its other ofhLet, hot trouble. at a greeter salary,) all of which added, most materially, to the power and influence of the prerogative ? lu those days of which they were speaking. Sir Grey Cooper brought up to the Howe a return of all the civil officers sprouted from the year 1775 to SO. Would the lit. Hon. Gest. do the same up to the present day. and satisfy the House oti this important particular? The 'report, toe, au conclusive evidence ou the subject of the lin:weed influence of the Crown mi the matter of pen•irsi Only look at the Appendices Not. u, 9, 10, 11, I:, 13. 14, and they would see them filled wilh Vie various description.. tiers' the Hon. Gentleinis enumerated them, and in particular called the tention of the Home to those on the 41 per cent. fund, which he contended had been pervert,/ :0 the increase of the prerogative, from the into, for which it war originally destined, o.z. no erection of fortifi c ation'. He then being appropriated in pensions to Lord Kiai.o. to Lord Chatham, and to the Doke of G oices:•r. and the pensions of the latter bring t-iioscerred to another (the consolidated) fund, wink other pet, limbers were saddled 01 these. He did not meet to enter into a minute discussion, nor to riti;el re pensions as to the persona on whom tiiry bestowed, but merely se increasing the inthr:•re of the Crown. They had sprung up with the other points he hail mentioned. since the 11:111 of Mi. Burke ; and how then could the infiiteriec said to have decreased since that period? He objected to the granting of pension% on pub hi: places. The Crown ought to have no power to grant them, as Buike'o Bill limited the gran ts to 90,0001. f then it was thought that the ',woo tire was too limited, it would be better to come Joan to the. House and ask for itr extension, rather thon come by subterfuges. and, do it in a way the le:" lity of which might well be doubted. It wes wish that every year an estimate of the Pe"'" should be laid before the Home. that all should placed upon the annual list, and voted 'nasally and he was sure. that no deserving officer wou suffer from such a regulation. It was WWI" that r o considerable reduction would take p' at the rust adoption of this system, bat that was ro reason why they should not proceed to reform 1 1 hoped after what bad passed lately in the I • that this was only the prelude to other coriUdri.b •- i riving, which a little time would realise: lie 1 1"1) . that they would not separate that rilzht. An t eing his itesolutioos, or such of than a' ;reared necessary and etleantageons. He mg!! ih that in the former session they seemed so i n,tiez lee to the subject. ar.d feared, from the prereot ante of the House, that %Ley were tile): to Ire !' too careless. lie 0111 11111111.4 in adopt the to • and second resolutions of the Chaticeller of Exchequer, as there woo in re.dits on little - rence between them n o d hi.. own, hit , the Ow •I • solution of the Rt. Hon. (teat. to n • .61 Its P ter 2)4,h . 2 1 3 etatin to I,y ter 1.0 , Io set th e his 'Pt tio talein e the int an „ of gren, r tht mr,„ he for ; " .4 dis it w or k, lel sly to 10, h61 it' of the r ,•,t, 4re ;,,, ( 1 the It% i o apiniol, fel bt ' 4 .l" l de • 0 ;Cum se.' ma 1, , '• Gm, or the It 'lie t h Y:r, in le 'lute h' revenue pause t, the s y 1: )!. ; stul nst n,e inerrioe mod.— .'. Arms ; re 1:1 a war e: the st , 4+ the, el Id riven it the ex. Wing to al I Of lulu'', 4 tc it 'sac t 1 ions sad to( uLded 07 9,543,144 1i ',W of tl 10,112 i, ul e,414 %Ira mil. .:,u.nentt loth th.it 3 hied !s c! tot eloic o growth eri erte- . Genth , i he fee. he Board s the tot. 111001. per 4 Icts h added, ice of the [hey were Hoose I from the la. do the House oo Ito, was int:typed 0, I I, I!, I h tht krllletnl2 d the per cep?.