The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1826-05-06 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF LORDS, FRIDAY, Mai li. At half.past three o'clock, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Winchester, and the Earl of Shaftesbury, took their seats as Cam. °liniment, to give the Royal Assent to several Bills which were upon their Lordshiew' table. The Speaker anti other Members of the House of Commons hav ing appeared at the Bar, the Royal Assent was then given to the Exchequer Bills 8.000,0001. Bill : the Assessed Taxes Bill; the Irish Fisheries' Bill; the East India Jurors Bill: the Bill for Regulating Duties 04 Pensions ; and several Private Bills ;--inak login all. eighty-six Bills. Shortly after, the Speaker withdrew, and Mr. Brogden and other Members of the House of Commons brought up the Bill for regu lating Bounties on Fish In Ireland . • the Bill fee providing County [falls and other accommodations for the Judges throughout Eng. land and Wales; the Bill to amend the present Customs Laws and seven' private Bills, which were read a tint time. Several white Bills were read a third time. PRICE OF WHEAT. Mr. Critter, from tl;;Fressury:l;;Oniniup an account of the average price of wheat In with from 1670 to the present time. -11 VPIIi, h.. SLAVERY. lord DE DUNSTANVILLE presented petitions from two parishes in Cornwall, praying for the abolition of slavery. The Bishop of BATH and WELLS presented a similar peti tion from a town in Somerseothire. . . _ - ..... The Marquis of LANSDOWN presented similar petitions from Wareham and Bambridge. HI. Lordship also presented a petition frein certain persona in the vicinity of Charing.cross, praying to be heard by Counsel against the Charing.ernes Improvement Bill. Lord DUDLEY and WARD presented a petition from certain rhabitants of Bristol and its vicinity, praying for the proteciloa of West India property. CORN LAWS. The Bettor MALMESBURY rose for the purpose of postpon. tne his motion respecting the Corn Laws, from Monday until Thursday. His Lordship stated as his principal reason for th' post. ponement, that all tt.e returns which he had moved for had not been placed on their Lordahip's table ; and such as hail been presented could not be printed in time for a discussion on Monday. Hit Lordship therefore moved that his motion should be postponed from :ilonday until Thursday next. Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that he had heard with great regret the determination which the Noble Earl had come to. The subject of the motion was so important, that he thought any delay of its discussion would be most mischievous, and would therefore wish to have the discussion brought forward on Monday. No measure had ever been introduced into the House which produced a more unfavourable sensation than that of the Noble Earl at the head of the Treasury, for tittering the whole system of the Corn Laws, and be hoped that no delay would take place in setting the yuestion at rest. The Earl of LIVERPOOL had no objection to the motion tang brought forward on Monday ; it was not on his account that any postponement was to take place, as he was equally ready to enter upon the discussion, either on Moodily or on Chtivday ; bat he wished to know whic h day it would come on, that there might not be any disappointment on the subject. The Earl of MA LSIESBURY said that the postponement MIS saigested entirely on his own opinion, and that was formed upon the absence of those documents which were necessary to a right tirderstar.ding of the subject. His Lordship coold not see how the delay from Monday until Thursday would be peotluctive of any mischief: at the same time he would leave it entirely to the House to determine upon which day they wished to have the discussion. Lord ELLENBOROUOII said he had not insinuated that the postponement had been suggested by the Noble Earl ao the head of the Treasury. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said it was entirely immaterial to him whether Monday or Thursday were determined upon ; but he wished it to be understood, that whatever day was then fixed upon, the discussion should not be further postponed beyond that day. The Earl of MAL3IESBURY wished to be guided by the failings of the House. The Earl of LAUDERDALE thought that it was necessary to have all the documents which had been moved for laid on the table, before their Lordship,' proceeded to the discussion of that Important subject. The feeling in the public mind would be very unfavourable to any premature discussion, or to any decision with. out a full inquiry ; and for these reasons it would be moat desirable to hare the documents laid before them before the discussion took place. The Earl of MA LMESHURI" was anxious to comply with the wishes of the House, but lie wished to remind the House that the account of the average price of wheat had been only just laid on t!...; table. The consular reports had not been et presented, and Si-. Jacob's report also required time to consider it. There were a:so several other papers which had not been laid before the House, hut which were necessary to any knowledge of the subject which was to come under discussion. After a few words from the Earl of I.II'ER PIIOI, and the Ear! of •LICDERDALE. the motion of the Earl of MAL3IES r.uRY was postponed from Monday unt I Thursday. Earl DARNLEY wished to call their Lrrdahip'a atten tion to a subject which he had on a former night mentioned to the House; be meant the state of the Coast blockade. *hilt was en tirety distinct from the Preventive Service. His Lordship had as certained that the number of seamen in that service was greater Eian he had at first supposed ; but the greater the number of sea. men, the more injurious to the naval service, inasmuch as such emplorment made them worse seamen than when they entered the coast blockade. Hie Lordship did not intend, at that aliment. to enter upon any discussion of the blockade system. hut he would at a future day, probably In the course of the next Sc.sien, bring the subject before their Lordships, when he would prove the entire Inefficiency of that system to prevent smuggling. His Lordship raid he had a letter from a respectable person on the coast of Kent, which stated that smuggling was carried on in th.st quarter to as great an extent as ever ; and he observed in the ICratirs Herold an account of the landing of a cargo of smuggled goods. on Good Fri. day last in the middle of the day. The best remedy lie sutugglieg was to be found in a reduction of the duties. Lord MELVILLE said he would be ready to iliseuss the sub. irc► with the Noble Lad, at any date that he might bring it t•wwartL MANOR COURTS (IRELA NO) BILL. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY moved the second reading of the Manors' Court (Ireland) Bill. Lord ELLENBOROUIfIi thought the best remedy for the abuses of the present Manor C)117104 in Ireland would be the entire abolition of those Courts: and he did nut think that any serious benefit could be derived front any attempt at a revision of them. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said the subject had occupied the mient'an of the Irish Government. There had been an opinion tl.st the abolition of those Courts would be a desirable course. Rut, after a full consideration of the subject by the Irish Governs mint, it was recommended to alter and revise these Courts, in preference to abolishing them. Alter the passing of the present li:11. it would be quite competent fot the Noble Lord tampons the abtAition of those Courts. (BANK CHARTER BILL The Earl of LIVERPOOL moved that the amendments made by the House of Commons to that Bill should be considered. Ilia Lordship did not intend to enter at any length into a IN- C:P*100 of those amendments, which, though extensive in their number, were principally of a verbal nature. There wan, however, one which woe very essential, and which was suggested in the other House of Parliament by persons who had great experience in banking, anti were the most competept judges of those regulations by which banks should be directed. The clause to which he al luded was that which allowed to banks established under that Act the.appointment of agents in London to pay their notes. As far as he could form an opinion, that clause would 1 . 1 . 111.1Ve some obstacles which otherwise would greatly impede the winking of the Bill. There was another amendinent, which obliged hanks to glee ■ rrusm of the names and number of their partners, to which his Istedship did not anticipate any cbjection. It was satisfactory to perceive that, since the lint introduction of the measure, the Bank baa recognised the principle of establishing branches; and also that some of the most respectable bankers in England had determined upon forming themselves into joint-stock companies. There remained but one private bank in the south of Ireland, and one or two in Belfast. He saw no reason why the system of joint-stock banking companies should not become as general in this part of the United Kingdom as in Ireland. The Marquis of LA NSDOWN did not rise for the purpose of oupuslng the amendments, as they might be necessary to give eifiert to the Bill ; and his Lordship approved particularly of that clatise which allowed the appointment, of agents in Landon for tioi purpose of paying the retell 91 companies established in the omntry. He thou,tht the joint-stock banking companies, together with the branches of the 11.1.1 c of England, would establish a vs.toleviin.e circulation throughout the country. His Lordship wilted to ask the Noble Earl at the head of the Treasury, what was the amount of the advances made, under the guarantee of Go •ernmetit. by the Bank of England to trailers and manufacturers; and also the extent of the applications which had been made to the Bank ? He was aware that the question was one of considerable importance, arid he would not therefore press it upon the Noble Lard, if there was any objection to his 'lowering it. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said that he could not give the Noble Marquis an exact account of the sum advanced, but he was authorized by the Bank of England to may that midi advances did nut amount to 400.000/. The exact sum might be something be. tween 370.000/. and 400,01101.; and he could not confine himself to the answer, but must acknowledge the great liberality of the Bank on that occasion. The deputations from the principal towns had been met by the Bank with a candour and liberality that reflected great et edit upon its Direemra. The Earl of LAUDERDALE thought it would be of great 'Deviance if hanks established in Ireland were allowed to appoint ateote in Dublin for the purpose of paying their notes and u such a nnv.lege was granted to banks in England, be saw no reason wt." the hanks in Ireland should not have the same advantage. The subject was one of considerable importance, and he suggeetcd to their J,"rdships the propriety of taking it into consideration. CHARTERED SCHOOLS IN IRELAND. The Bishop of FERNS moved that certain letters relating to the Chartered Schools in Ireland should be read; which being done pro Pixels by the Clerk, his Lordship said that it became Ids duty to diked the character of those who managed the Cosner's.% Schools in Irehod. Iron - . the aspersions thrown upon them by the Report of the Commissioners of Education in Ireland. His Lordship then entered into a long exculpatory address, to the course of which he slated that, of the only three indictments which had been preferred twaiest masters of Chartered Schools, two of them had been imme. 44ateJ, acquitted, without the Jury eves turning round in the box, and the other was abandoned. Ilia Lordship said, that the Report I of the Committee conveyed s very grave charge against the Corn. mittee foefeonthieting Chartered Schools in Ireland known by the name sof the Committee of Fifteen from its number, and which was not borne out by the evidence contained in that Report. The Tem poral Government in Ireland had required that the Curate (Watch parish should be called on to attend the schookand a book was kept for the purpose of his entering any observations therein which ap peared worthy of novice: an attested copy of that book wns sent to the Committee of Fifteen every half-year, as well as the Report of the local Committee of the neighbourhood, specially appointed to imp's' , the progress of education. On a late occasion, he had seen 926 petitions for admission to those tichools, out of which number 662 were orphans, and the proportion of Catholics formed one. fourth of the whole; and from the year 1732, when the Chartered Schools were established, up to the present time, there had been between twelve and thirteen. thousand children apprenticed. His Lordship concluded by observing that his object, on the present occasion, had been to weaken the effect of the Report of the C.oin missionersof Education Inquiry in Ireland, by showing that the Re. port was hastily drawn up, and that if it had been more maturely considered and compared with the evidence, it would hare been essentially different. Lord KING said, that he must beg leave to offer a few ob servations on what had fallen from the Right Rev. Prelate. One part of his observations had been directed to show that the rules which were made for the regulation of chartered schools had been complied with. It appeared that, according to one of those ruler., made on the 23d Slay, 1796, the catechist was to visit cacti school once in every weak. It appeared, however, that that system had fallen into dusreputen though he found the regulation main tained in January,lllol, when it appeared that a quarterly gratuity of 21. Ills, was to be allowed for the weekly report so to be made. According to the Report of the Commissioners which he held in his hand, it appeared that in some instances an occasional fetter, agreeable to that regulation, had been received, but in other that one only had been received in nine months, and from others none at all; so much for the catechists ! The RiAlit Rev. Prelate had found great fault with the Report at large, and said that it was not in accordance with the evidence; but he (Lord King) must be per mitted to say, that the Report reflected the highest credit on those who had framed it. The Right Rev, Prelate had no doubt a great portion of his time in Ireland, and therefore, per grossed , lie was not aware that it was not now the fashion in Eng land—and in using that phrase, he did it on the authority of a Noble Lord of that House—it was not now the fashion to justify the misuse of the public money and an extravagant expenditure. It appeared that 1.600,0001. had been expended on those schools; 1,000,0001. of which had been voted by Parliament, and the remaining 600,0001. had been obtained from other sources ; and the number of persons apprenticed out appeared to be somewhat about 7,900. Ile thought there was the most disgraceful neglect on the part of the Committee of IBIS, and he begged leave to say that there was a great deal of difference between the clergy of Eng land and those of Iretund. The clergy of Ireland were placed, as it were, in a missionary country, and they were bound by the duty of an oath to perform many duties which did not attach to that of the Church of England. The oath administered by the Bishop on the ordination or presenting to a living was, that the curate ' or incumbent should endeavour to learn and instruct his parish ioners in the English language, and to form a school for that pur pose, taking such a stipend for the same as appeared to be neces sary. It the tithes belonged to the clergy, it was their duty to in. sliute an inquiry, and see that the school was properly kept up. Some paltry eubterfnee had been assigned as to the sum of forty shillings being insufficient for the purpose ; if that was so, and they could not get them at that price, they ought to raise the sa laries, as they had r a i se d th e t i t h es , and not call upon Parliament for further assistance. Hi s (L or d King's) complaint was not so much against the subalterns of the Irish church as against the spiritual staff of that country, in reference to these establishments, because it was their duty to ace that they were properly managed. Of the whole number of schools, ten only had proper schoolhouses, three had very indifferent ones, and twenty-one were totally with. out, whilst the amount of subscriptions of the Irish church amosmted only to the sum of six hundred pounds. The Report stated great neglect on the part of the entral and local Committees; that they had connived at great and crying abuses and malpractices in the chartered schools. In that of Sligo, the children were sub. jested to positive slave labour—they were worked. not taught ; and yet it was said the Catechist had there done his duty ; but to show how that duty was done, it was necessary to refer to the Report. The Catechist was to make a return of the ages of the children, and It would be found, on reference to those returns, that almost ex traordinary peculiarity existed as to these children. According to the returns, it appeared that one boy was 14 veers old for three years, then he became 16, and at last went back to IS. Another was 16 for four years. Another was 16, then 15, then IN, and then only IS, and that wits all, because the master might have the benefit of their services. Vet it wan said the Catechist had done his duty. He (Lord King) did not know whether he was the same person, described under the name of the Rev, Villiam Artnetrong, who spoke to the discipline and healthy appearance of the children, an they moved to church in a manner which was grateful to every good Christian. He (Lord King) considered such a representation as mere cant ; more particularly it' he was the same man who per mitted such falsehoods to be stated as he had read. Then, in some of the schools, great ignorance existed ; some of the children did not know who St. Paul was, while others had never heard of such place as Europe; and yet the Catechists did their duty. In Strad. bully, as in other places, cruelty had been inflicted on the children, and yet the usher had been whitewashed. Indeed, he (Lord King) recollected very few instances of cruelty being punished ; there was, however, one about twenty years ago, ;bat he remem bered, that of General Wall, who was hanged. But captains of ships and slave-owners were never found guilty ; neither were ushers at schools found guilty ; and yet he was din. posed to give about as much credit to the one as to the other. ' There was another r ise which marked the character of the com mittee of inenagenient, which was, that the master against whom a charge was brought was remunerated before trial. That individual, it appeared, stated, that a air. Leslie Foster had made charges against him three or four times; and that was the way lie spoke of that gentleman, well knowing that the Board would protect him ; and they did, for they appointed him to a better situation before the day of trial. The Board rewarded their officers without know. ing what they were about, and took upon themselves to direct without knowing any thing of the character of the ease. Sir J. Fitzpatrick. Ale Howard, and Mellisney, agreed in their evidence, that the object of the chartered schools was to take the children from their Catholic parents. They were elected to the schools, and the Irish clergy did not do their duty in supporting those friendless children, whether orphans or not ; they had no natural guardians, but the resident clergy, who ought to be their protectors. Is a great number of instances he must say that the Irish clergy lived in habitual neglect of their duty, in defiance of the laws, and in contempt of their oath. After such information as the Report afforded lie doubted much whether they could be enabled to per suade Parliament to give them any more public money. They found the officers of the Society combining with the officers of the Charity—the one lending the other money, the object of which was ably to cloak abuses. In ogre Instance the wife of one of the parties was a contractor for the clothing, and there were very many other abuses which existed, as it was proves!, with the know ledve of the committee, but which had not been communicated by them. bin by a stranger. Under all these circumstances he was not eiposed to grant one shilling more of the public money for the chartered schools in Ireland. Tie Bishop of IN and FERNS explained. The Marquis of LANSDOWN said that he wished to offer a few words but did not mean to go at larg e i n t o the su bj e ct o f t h e ChartereeSehools. With respect to the papers, he must, in justice to the Committee of Eduettion in Ireland, say that the accusation against them by the Right Rev. Prelate, that they had led the public to entertain the opinion that the Chartered Schools were im properly managed by the Catechists not having done their dote, was completely negatived ; for the documents moved for by the Right Rev. Prelate fully proved the truth of the poaition they were intended to refute, The exculpatory documents before their Lord ships proved that Inv many months together not one toter had been received from the Catechists of those schools, and the Right Rev. Prelate could not say but that they had been very generally ne glected, The lams that had been sent front time to time were on indifferent Rehire's, and did not enter into the state of the schools. If he had read those letters only which came in exculpation, he should have formed the very worst opinion of those schools. In 'lie very first page of those exculpatory documents, moved for by the Hight Rev. Prelate, he (hoed Lansdown) thund that a person had been recommended to a situation who was a reputed thief, and upon a remonstrance bring wade, it was said at the school, though Nine acts of the sort had been committed, that they had not arrived at such a height as to bring disgrace upon the individual. In another instance the instructress of a school said she could not e irry on the school because she had not been furnished with any books. In another instance a person was called upon to recommend two girls, and out of 74, the number of which the school consisted, only tour were pronounced to be eligible; one was deficient in teet h, another had sure eyes, and the two remaining ones were pronounced to be so deficient in talent and education, as to be wholly unfit for the ' situations fur which they were required. In another place there was a statement that one school was without knives and forks, and another without linen. All the letters went to stow the most ex traordinary state of ignorance of those to whom the power of ins es tigation was entrusted, and their Lordships would not find in the ex culpatory documents one single document that did nut throw addl. tional disgrace on the management of the Chartered Schools in Ireland. Certain he was that they could only bring down disgrace on the systera, and he hoped that the result of the inquiry would be such as to insure a more useful application of the funds for the education of the people. Ile was bound to state that the Com mittee of Education bad discharged their duty most accurately and honourably, and he was bound to say, that if those letters now before their Lordships had passed through the hands of that Com mittee, they would have enabled them to leave made even a stronger Report than that upon their Lordships' table. • The Earl of DARNLEY and Lord CLIFDEN bore testimony to the conduct of the Committee of Education Inquire. The Bishop of BATH and WELLS said, that he did not doubt hut that great fault haul Ix en justly loured with the manner in which the Chartered Schools had been conducted in Ireland ; at the same lime be doubted if similar circumstances might not he found in other places. But he trusted that good would come from the Report, and that the Clergy in general and the Patrons would devote their time more earefu.'y to the object before their Lord. ships. At the same iinie it was Ids most anxious hope that nothing that had been said that night would prevent the work of education going on in Ireland, fut there was no place where religious educa tion was more wanting. The difrerent Bilk on the table were then advanced one stage, and their Lordahifis adjourned at a quarter to eight until Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY, MAY & At • gustier to foor o'clock the Speaker was summoned to the House of Lords. whew the Royal assent given by Commission to several Bills; for which see Lords' report. BIRSIINGHA3I AND LIVERPOOL RAILWAY. Mr. LAWLEY presented a petition from the owners of land in the Intended line of the Liverpool and Birmingham railway, praying that the Bill might sot pass into a law. Ile took that op portunity of stating that he believed it would be better to withdraw the Bill, until the prejudices which at present existed against it were removed. Under this impression, he would move that it be read a second time that day three months ; which was agreed to. PRISIM LAWS' BILL (IRELAND.) Sir J. NEWPORT presented a petition from Waterford, pray ing • clause In the Prison Laws' Bill might not be suffered to peas, which elmres reload to the attendance of physicians at those prisons. Mr. ELLISON presented a petition from the shipowners of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, praying that a protecting duty might be placed upon foreign shipping ; and that such other measures should be taken to protect the Interests of the petitioners as should seem proper to the House. Lord STANLEY presented a petition from the inhabitants of Llewellyn, praying that the duty might be taken off coals and culm.—Ordered to be printed. Sir T. ACLAND presented a petition from the Inhabitants of South Melton, playing for the abolition of slavery in the Colonies. MACHINERY. Mr. HUME said, that he held in his hand a petition from the machine.makers of Alsochester, and their workmen, which he deemed one of the utmost importance. The petitioners stated that great numbers of the men employed in the manufacture of ma.. elsinery were actually starving, and yet that their employers had orders enough from abroad to employ them all, if the prohibitory laws upon the exportation of machinery were removed. Foreigners, Wits were engaging Bose workmen by hundreds, had actually stated that they would not take them away if they could get the machinery. Titus the country was depriving itself of great advan tages, for the sake of continuing a mistaken line of policy. He was aware that great prejudices existed on the part of the manufac turer, of the country, and that they would be disposed to imagine that Government, by shesbrogatfon of the laws prohibiting the ex portation of machinery, were encouraging foreigners to enter into competition with the manufacturers of this country ; but neverthe. less those laws were incompatible with the system of free trade, and °welt to be repealed. It had been his intention, in the early part of the Session, to have submitted a motion to the House for the repeal of that lisaN width was the only remaining one upon the sta tute-book opposed to free trade; but, on consulting the Pre sident of the Board of Trade upon the subject, he found that the Right Honourable Gentleman was afraid, in the present state of the manufacturing interests, to meddle with the ques tion. Ile regretted that he had been guided by his advice, for he felt that no class of artisans were of more importance to the country than machine-makers. He also regretted deeply the recent proceedings at Blackburn which were calculated only to do mis chief to those who suppo sed that they were rendering themselves a benefit by those outrageous proceedings. He did not think the power-looms were by any means an injury to the manufacuttiring classes, because various artisans were employed in their construe. tion ; he hoped those deluded men, who had committed such out rages for the destruction of those machines, would learn the 'nix. chief and folly of such conduct. He would yield in wishes for the prosperity and happiness of the operative manufacturers to no man, but he could not approve or countenance conduct which must be most injurious to thaw persons, and add to the calamity which already existed. He hoped Ministers would, even at that late period of the session, devise some measure for the relief of those persons, which could only be done by attending to the prayer of the petition, and removing those restrictions apinat the exportation of ms. chinery. If those restrictions were removed, he thought, front all he had heard, the effect would be that our artisans would not be in. doted to go abroad as they had done, and carry to foreign nations the knowledge which they possessed in the construction of those machines. These persons had often been induced to quit this coun try and to go to Francs Machinery should, in his opinion, be placed on the same footing as other articles of manufacture. lie could not, for his part, discover any good reason for their being excepted. This line of policy was injurious to the country, and served only to shackle our own energies; and, in his opinion, the prayer of the petition was entitled to the attention of the House. Mr. P. GRENFELL said lie regretted the petition had been brought forward in the absence of Ministers, because he was con vinced their opinions on the subject of the petition coincided with his own and that of his lion. Friend. There were at present 150 men employed in the manufacture of those machines, who were se riously injured by those restrictions; but the most decided proof of the Impoltcy of continuing those laws was tile fact that they did not prevent the exportation of machinery ; for if it was not smug gled out of the country, they contrived to smuggle the artisans. They were seduced, as it was called, to go abroad. The conse quence of those restrictions would be to induce foreigners to get mto the fabrication of those machines. There could be no doubt but France would soon establish manufactures for the purpo-e, to the serious injury of our own. So long ago as the conclusion of the American war, Government prevented the exportation of copper bolts and nails. France, in consequence, established manufactures for those articles at Rouen, which was injurious to similar establish ments in this country. The petition was then ordered to be printed. Mr. 1111:3IE said he had a similar petition from the operative machine-manufacturers of Manchester. The petitioners complained that, in consequence of those restrictive laws, they were unable to find employment and were in a state of starvation, and prayed the House for a repeal of laws so injurious to their intereats.—Ordered to be printed. ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. Sir WARRENDER presented a petition from Jedburugh, praying for the abolition of Negro Slavery. LORD NORBURY. Mr. SCA KLETT said he btd 1;;(i some meiime in his possession a petition front a gentleman of the Irish Bar (D. O'Connell, Esq.), complaining of the inefficiency of the Right Hon. Lord Norbury (Lor( Chief J ustice of the Common Pleas, in Ireland) to perform the duties of his office. He had omitted to present the petition until the present period, in the expectation that some circumstance might arise to preclude the necessity of its presentation; even then he felt con. siderable reluctance, end would have felt more satisfaction had it been in the hands of some Member for Ireland, who would have been better acquainted with the circumstances adverted to in the petition. The petitioner stated that the inefficiency of the Noble Lord proceeded from the infirmities of age; that he was afflicted a ith deafness and a lethargic stupor, which rendered him unable to attend to the evidence produced in Court; and he instanced a case of murder, which was tried at the AMISCS for the county of Westmeath, during which his Lordship fell asleep, and the Counsel reenwimeaded the Jury to take full notes of the evidence, that it might he laid before his Lordship when he awoke. The petitioner added, that he considered the Noble Lord incompe:cnt to pay that attention to the evidence which is necessary. for a fair administration of justice. It was a matter of notoriety, that such was the infirm ststd of the Noble Lord, that the petitioner states that lie would refer to any of the Noble Lord's colleagues, or to any gentleman practising at the Irish Bar, to corroborate the allegations contained in his petition. He (the petitioner) was influenced by feelings of a public nature to send forward the petition ; his private sentiments were not in uni son with its tendency. Mr. Searlett said, as he-was unacquainted with the entire circumstances of the petition. he would not found any motion upon it. The Noble Gard had arrived at a great age, and Time, who was a great innovator, might have deprived him of the exercise of those faculties which alone could mnhe him an effi cient Judge, and the loss of which might induce him to resign his office, should such a resignation he considered necessary. Mr. GOULBURN said he did not think it necessary to say much on the subject, as the lion and Learned Gentleman did not intend to found a motion upon it. It was scarcely necessary to call the attention of the House to the position in.which the petition placed the Noble lewd; and it was likewise to.be considered that it was signed but by one individual, who, ho w ev erees p ecta bl e , was not to be eonsiciered to repro • I the general feeling. He could not pretend to point out the precise age at which a man was rendered incompetent for the discharge of judicial duties, but he would assert that there now were Judges exercising their judicial avoers tions with advantage to the country, who were as advanced in years as the Noble Lord. He had had frequent opportunity of convers ing with his Lordship, and he never discovered anything in the 'observations of .his Noble Friend which could warrant en opinion that he was inadequate to the performance of his duties. lie had not the honour to be I practitioner at the Irish Bat, but lie could give some idea of the opinion entertained of the Lord Chief Justice of the Common.Pleae, by the authority referred to in the petition, confirmatory of the allegations of the petition. At the last Session a case was trietLbefore the Noble Lord, at which, he diffited in opinion on a point of law from the other three Judges who sat with him; that .point was afterwards submitted to the twelve Judges, and they decided in favour of the view which the Lord Chief Justice had taken of It. lie;thought that fact, in the ab sence of any proof in support of the statements of the petition, quite sufficient to satisfy the House that the Noble Lord was com petent to the exercise of his judicial duties. Parliament might. perhaps, think proper to interfere, and to enact a law which should ' define the age at which a Judge would be incompetent to perform the duties of his office. The petition 'was then read, when MeNORTH addressed the House— but the lion. Member at first spoke in so lop a tone of voice that we found it very difficult to catch his observations—as well as we could collect them, he paid, if the questitin was put to him, as an Irish lawyer and an Irish gentleman, whether the Noble Lord WRY cnmpetent to discharge the duties of his office, he would say, that having advanced to the. age of US, it could nut be thought invidious' to impute to him a want of sufficient energy to perform such important duties. Ile thought that at that age he would have consulted better his own case, and the wishes of his friends, had lie retired from the toil of judicial duties for himself, he hsd practised for teeny years in the Court in which the Noble Lord presided, front Whom lie had in variably received the Utmost courtesy and attention ; lie had wit. nessed the talent and acutenesa with which he • hail ilischerged the important duties of his high office. When, from the intinnides inse prrable Rom old age, lie should retire from that office, lie could as sure the House he would leave behind him the grateful remem brance of the coiirtesy and kindness, which those who knew him always experienced, long alter time recollection of his infirmities were buried in oblivion. The petition wasticriordered to Ile on the table. IRIS!! NEWS PAPERS. fIUME presented a petition Irian the proprietor of the Dobbs Weekly Rerisfer. complaining of a partial and un. fair distribution of Oovernment advertisements ; lie stated that he wax ready to prove at the Bar of the !louse that what he (Mr. ~ 1 _ .SY'37.. R' r • , - THE BRITISH PRESS. Hume) had said on a former occasion relative to the Hon. Gentle man opposite (Mr. Ellis), when the subject was before under dia. cussion, was correct. Mr. ELLIS. as we thought, offered to address the House. The SPEAKER said that any thing said in that House could not be referred to in the present way; he thought it was better to hear Mr. Ellis than for Air. Hume to press a petition which con. mined statements which could not be received. Alt. ELLIS then said that the selection complained of had taken place 20 years ago. The Cm-respondent paper, which re. ceived the Govantnent advertisement; advocated the Roman Ca. tholic claims, and was conducted by a Roman Catholic. The Weekly Register was a paper lately established ; while the Correa. pondent advocated the Catholic claims no objection was taken to the insertion of the Government advertisements, but when it took the advocacy of "the Protestants, then those exceptions were taken ; he selected the Correspondent because it was the paper of the Court of Chancery. The petiuon wasthen laid nit the table. CORN LAWS. Lord STANLEY rose to present a petition from the inhabitants of Bury, in Lancashire, against the measures contemplated by Government, In relation to the Corn Laws. In his opinion it would be better to impose a higher duty, and send it to the Committee, that they might apply it to the relief of ti(e distresses of the ma ' nufactunng classes. Mr. HUSKISSON made an observation which was inaudible, after which we understood him to say, he would offer a few remarks in reference to what had taken place last evening ; but he should do so with perfect good humour, being fully satisfied with the re sult of that part of the discussion to which he alluded. An Hon. Baronet (Sir T. Lethbridge) stated last night, that he had re ceived information of there having been considerable activkv in the corn market at Liverpool, on the Saturday preceding the Monday on which Ministers intimated their intention of introducing the present measures. He felt satisfied lie had divested the Hon. I Baronet's inied of any impression that such information could have proceeded from him (Mr. Iluskisson), and his principal object in now addressing the House was, to put the Honourable Gentleman on his guard against those from whom he derived his intelligeeee. He did this more particularly, because it would be recollected the lion. Baronet stated he had received his information from the best authority—from a source on which he could place the most perfect reliance. The letter which he (Mr. 11.) last night referred to, and which he then said he received from the gentlemen corn-fac tors in Liverpool, was dated the 25th April, which was the Tuesday before the Saturday on which such activity was alleged to have taken place. The letter (of which the Right Hon. Gentleman read' a part) suggested that considerable advantage might result to those distressed, if Government would purchase the bonded corn in that neighbourhood, and allow it to be re-saki at a free duty. The lc. ; ter went on to state, that the price of corn in the market was Is. and 4s. ca. per bushel. (Hear, hear.) The letter was signed and IValwiesly." Now he held in his hand the returns 1 from the corn market on the Saturday, which, after stating that there was little doing in the market, gave the price of corn at 40. t and 4s. 3d. So that there was on this Saturday, on the very day that the Hon. Baronet wax informed there was such extraordinary activity, at this very time there was a depression in the market to the amount of threepence per bushel. (Hear, hear, hear.) On 1 the foreign mart, too, the corn and flour in bond continued dull up to the last quotation. He made these observations in perfect good : huntour, for he was quite satisfied with the explanation of the • lion. Baronet. His object was to set him on his guard as respected the authority, whatever it might be, on which lie had placed so much reliance. (Hear. hear.) Having stated so much, and not 1 wishing to detain the Howie, he would conclude with saying, that he should, with great pleasure, put the documents to which he had • referred into the hands of the Hon. Baronet, for the purpose of affording him an opportunity of looking over them. After the ex planation he had given, he trusted he stood.acquitted. (Cheers.) He would add, he was sure he did. (Hear, hear, hear.) He could assure the House he was not unworthy their confidence, because! he represented a large, respectable, and intelligent class of indivi duals. (Cheers.) Sir T. LETH IDGE.—He had said yesterday he was quite satisfied with the explanation of the Right Hon. Gentleman, and he did not think he would have thought the matter of so much im- portance as to render it necessary to produce the documents which had been before the House. He (Sir T. Lethbridge) was ready to admit these documents were more powerful, and more likely to be correct, than the authority on which he had rested. (Hear, hear.) 1 While he conceded this, however, he must say he had no doubt the person from whom his information was received did no more than state that which he at the time believed to be true. (Hear.) The petition was then read, and laid on the table. Mr. J. HEATHCOTE presented a petition from Gloucester, against the two measures contemplated by his Majesty's Ministers. The petitioners prayed the House would not alter the present Corn Laws, and stated that a duty of 12s. would only put money inns the pockets of dealers in foreign corn. They thought the duty should have the ss. provided by the law, in addition to the 125., which would make the duty 17s. They were great holders of corn, the greatest in the county, and had entered into extensive engagements on the faith of the answer given by the Rt. Hon. Gent. to an inquiry made la) the Hon. Member for Shaftesbury (Mr. Leycester), as to whether it was the intention of Government to set tree the bonded corn this Session. The alteration now proposed would so operate on the engagements they had made as to cause the petitioners' ruin; it would almost amount to a confiscation of their property. They stated it to be their opinion that the present distress neither pro. ceeded from a scarcity of food nor a want of demand for manufac tures, but from an absence of that faith and confidence so necessary to the prosperity of a nation. The Hon. Member said he would only observe, before sitting down, that these measures were a fur. then proof of the vacillation of Ministers. lie should reserve any other remarks he might have to make for the period when the ques tion would undergo more extensive investigation. After a few observations from fir. Leycester, Mr. Benett, Col. Johnson, Sir J. al'rottesley, and Mr. Birch, Sir J. SEBR IGHT said that the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Secretary Canning) had referred to the moral effect it would Nye to act corn free which was shut up in great quantities within sight of those who were suffering distress. So tar the principle might be good ; but he did not see what world be the moral effect of suddenly changing that which was understood to be the deter. mination of :Ministers, merely because some riotous individuals had broken up and destroyed power-loom. (Hear, hear.) The ques tion was, to what degree would the present measures lower the price of bread ? Would they lower it one penny in the loaf ? When the corn was diffused all over the country, it was not likely to do more than this. If he could being himself to think that letting the corn out of bond would benefit those who were now aufferiug, lie would vote for it ; but in his opinion the mea sure would not have the effect of sending the corn to the distressed. He before asked, would it lower the price of bread one penny ? would it lower it a halfpenny ? lie could not say exactly to what ex tent it would go, but in his opinion they wanted employment, not bread. lie would not give any opinion on the question itself; what he now objected to was the indirect manner in which it was brought forward. He was sorry it should have been introduced at all, but he was still more sorry it should have been introduced by the present Administration, because there was none for which he ever had a greater respect, and none in which he had placed greater confidence. lie had no doubt, when the question came fairly be fore the House, to be able to agree to the amount of duty Ministers would propose. After a few words from Mr. T. WILSON, which were In. audible, The petition was ordered to be printed. LORD CHARLES SOMERSET. A 51 EMBER, whose name we could not learn, said, seeing the Right lion, the Foreign Secretary in his place, he wished to give him notice that he should make a ;notion on Monday in relation to the conduct of Lord Charles Somerset. CORN LA WS.—COM STITT EE. Mr. Secretary CANNING moved the Order of the Day for the House resolving itself into a Committee on the 3.1 Geo. IV. c. 60. On the question that the Speaker do leave the chair, Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said, he still retained as much hostility to the measure before the House as he had before expressed. As it might, however, be a matter of convenience that the Speaker ' should leave the Chair, he should not object to it, but would re serve his opposition till the proposition of the Right Hon. Gene denten was before the House in Committee. Air. CA Lt RAFT said he did not rise to object to the mode of opposition suggested by hie lion. Friend, thought he could not think that there would have been anything unusual or uncourteoua in adopting the other course. The first measure (said the Ho nourable Member) was agreed to and ordered to be reported ; for all he (Mr. C.) knew, it might have been reported yesterday. All that remained, then, was the second proposition ; and he hoped to this there would be a most stubborn—(hem hear,)—he would repeat it, a most stubborn opposition. To the proposition no qualification, let it be of whatever nature it might, would reconcile him. Haring stated this, lie would not further object to its being brought under the consideration of the House : but when lie so said, he wished it to be 'most distinctly understood, that he did not in any wav pledge himself as to the course he should afterwards pursue. That any modificatioo the Right Honourable Gentleman might propose in the Committee could meet with his approbation was impossible, his objection being to the way in which they were, he might say, deciding the Corn Laws. (Hear, hear.) Ile was even now ready, if the Right Honourable Getitlenten would change their course, to go into the discussion of the whole question. (Hear, beer.) He was ready tide Session to come to a final judgment ; and this did seem to be the best course, not only for the House, but for the country. (Chem.) lie compromised his opinion on a former occasion, at the suggestion of the Right lion. Gentleman; but he could do so no longer. His present opinion was, that a free discussion and full adjustment of the measure would be the best mode of settling those sorts of disagreement, which were setting in opposition to each other two great and important bodies—the Ina nufacturing and agricultural interests. Sir K KNATCH BULL said he had given It as his opinion to his constituents, that there would he no alteration in the torn Laws this Session ; but notwithstanding that he came to this con. elusion in consequence of declarations made by Ministers, they came down, and, without any explanation, were proposing mea sures of the greatest importance. For this reason he was not preparel to go into the question, or consent that the Speaker should leave the Chair. As a matter, however, of practical convenience, he would not persist in his opposition. Indi viduals were placed in a most unfair situation by the mea sure being now introduced. Those who made up their minds to change their coerce, might imagine they had sufficient reasol ; but this was no justification with those whom he repre sented. No class was more ready to relieve those who were dis tressed than his constituents. lie concurred in the proncoltion which went to free the bonded corn to the home market, hoping it would be productive of some particular good ; but be objected to --to o Iplacing that di scret i on , soug h t b y the ot h er, i n the hands of Me, Meters. A MEMBER said he ondenoood the Gentleman who had jug sat down was disposed to withhold the bonded corn front the des. tressed districts ; he wished to know if such was his meaning ? Sir E. KNATCHBULIe said he never conveyed soy such meaning. No Member was more anxious than himself that thes e distresses should he relieved. Mr. Secretary CANNING Paid, the observation which seemed to have been mistaken fettered to others, not to the Honourable Member's self. Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY ma l e a f ew o b servat i ons, which were Inaudible, and The House thee resol ve d it se lf i nto a C omm i ttee o f the whole House. Mr. Secretary CANNING b egan b y o b serv i ng t h at i t was on. usual to offer oppo s i t i on to consider In Committee inatten decline glanced as the present case was. He was therefore s ur p r i se d at the proceedings which took pl ace a t th e o pp os i te s id e o f the H ouse In that respect. He wa s a n x i ous to c l ear awa y some o bj ections that had bmn made, b e f ore b e procee d e d to t h e su bj ect more particularly to be discussed. For were h e to a ll ow suc h c h arges to continue without contradiction, he wo u ld ne cessa rily b e un d er t h e i mputation of considerable blame, which, es it was not dese rve d b y hie Mae jesty's Ministers, he thought it but just to reb u t. I n the first place the Government had been accused of a brea t h o f f a i th ie bringing forward the present qu e sti on , b ecause , as was alleged, they had pledged themselves on the first day of the Session not to discuss the subject of the Corn Laws, and recently, on the nigh t when the motion of the Honourable Member for Brid_gnerth cane before the Home. the pledge was renewed. It a 4 now objected that the Government had forfeited the pledg e which they had advanced on these two occasions, when they had asserted that the present Session was not the proper time ter making any alteration in the Corn Lase. He freely admitted that auch was the avowal of Government, and that it wax the principle by which it still continued to be actuated, and from which they did eot mean to depart. But when he used these expressions, he was not aware that his Majesty's Ministers could fsirey be charged with Inconsistency ; for if there was any one thing which, more than art. other, entitled them to that character of consistency with the loss of which they had been upbraided, it was the very nieaeure that was reprobated. It was of such a nature as to enable the House to remedy the mischiefs which might result during the recess, without infringing on the principle of those laws the consideration of which It had been agreed to postpone to another Session. Ile fully ad. witted that it Mittiaters endeavoured to propose the adoption of any measures which should prejudge what the consent of the House had deterred toe subsequent period, such an attempt would be a breath of faith. Ile would go Wither, and confess, if measures, not directly, but even incidentally. tending to prejudge the question of the COll Laws, were introduced on this occasion, that breach of faith might be justly imputed to their insidious introduction. But at the same time that be candidly avowed the blame to weich such a course of proceedings would subject the Government, he totally disclaimed the intention, either directly or indirectly, of bringing the nieres of the Corn Laws before the consideration of the House. The measure which he meant to propose was, it his opiniott, Met par, titularly calcul a ted to effect th e desirable object of remedying cone tingent mischiefs during the recess of Parliament, without! in the slightest degree compromising or affecting the principle of the Coon loess. Ile hoped to convir ce the Hon. Members opposite, before he resumed hie seat, that his proposition was most particu larly directed to a view of their interest's. (Che-ri.) When he said their interests, he of course meant the inteteos of that dos of the community—the agriculturists, for whose concerns those lion. Gentlemen seemed more especially anxious to provide. When, however, lie disavowed any intention of prejudging that general question over which those Hon. Gentlemen watched, and whtn he censured tie introduction of any nteasures to that effect by open and undisguisel, or by incidental and indirect means, he hoped those Hon. Gentlemen would• allow hive credit for looking to all those classes of the country whose interests the Corn Laws might be supposed to affect, and who constitu al, in fact, the entire cost. munity. Though the agriculturists might appear to be more im. mediately the object of those laws, it could not be doubted that every other class of people in the kingdom was practically con. cerned in their operation. He wished to call the attention of the House to another subject, as it had been made a charge against the Government. He referred to the answer which his Right elonourable Friend gave to a question proposed by the Ho. nourable Member for Shaftesbury (Mr. Leycester), to which the Honourable Member for Bridemorth had alluded. The question was, " Whether the bonded corn would not be liberated ?" and the evasion of • direct answer had been objected to as a cause of great censure against his Right Honourable Friend. Not hay. ing been in the House at the time the circumstance occurred, he could not state precisely what were the terms of the question and answer; but if the answer was such as the objection alleged, as leaving the inquirer in doubt, he saw no reason fot imputing blame to his Right Honourable Friend for a mode of reply which did not afford tither assent or denial. He was sure the Right Honourable Member for Shaftesbury did not ask the question with any improper motive. It was probably dictated by curiosity, or by an srder.t zeal for the cause which he advocated. But was the Honourable Member for Shaftesbury so ignorant of the consequences which might arise from such an unlimited answering, as not to know that it direct reply would produce a most powerful effect on the commodity which was its subject. Such an intimation as was revered from his Right Honourable Friend, of the intentions of Government, would affect the article of corn probably 20 per cent. Ile was well aware of the mischief which would arise if the practice of giving Information on the numerous questions which might be asked were to be adopted, Questions of that description had been frequently proposed to himself, and he recollected that he had been frequently asked to express himself upon pecuniary points, when a compliance would have made a very serious diffee recce. lie did not blame the Honourable Member for Shafts. bury for proposing such a question, as the usage of the House im plied that the injurious consequences of a direct reply were not always contemplated by those llonourable .Members who required such information. But when his Right Ildnottrable Friend (Mr. Ilitskiason) was acquainted with the tendency which his answer might have to affect the commodity of corn—when he knew, it it was in the affirmative, that it would cause an increase probably of 20 per cent., and if in the negative, that it would be reduced in a similar ratio—he did not therefore think the evasion el his Right lion. Friend obnoxious to the censure of the HOM Gentle. man ; on the contrary, if there was anything to blame in the cone duct of that Right lion. Gentleman, it was that he did not alto. gethrr preserve silence. But it was not to be inferred from that answer that it was intended by Government at one period to post. pone the discussion of the Corn Lassie and afterwards that they would endeavour to introduce the matter by a sick...wind. It was not intended to favour an inquiry into the merits of that question' Whatever they might be, it was determined to let them test until the matter should be agitated in the next feiveiament. It was not his intention to connect the present question with the measure of liberating the bonded corn, so inseparably as to conclude that, be cause the house had approved of the one, it must necessarily adopt the other • but if the House had any reason to think that the Go vernment had in the former instance proposed what was worthy of approval, then it would in the present case be supposed to act on the same principle which had before been approved, and was deem , ed to be serviceable in its effect on the country. The account of their decision reached Liverpool on Wednesday, and letters had been put into his hands during the day, not written to him, nor by any inhabitants of Liverpool with whom he was acquainted, and who might be supposed to be influenced by the same cause which had induced then' to support him when he was connected with that town, but the writers were gentlemen of great character. The Right Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to read an extract front one of the letters, to the following effect :—" That there had been eon:. little improvement in the business at Manche. ter,before the adoption of the measures taken by el inistere was known ; but after the ac count of that event had arrived, there was an advance of 5 per cent. That effect was to be attributed to the confidence which was ceded among the people, by the disposition evinced on the pert of Go. ' vernment to alleviate any distress which might occur in the country; and the people were thereby encouraged to hope that they would be enabled to get over every difficulty." (Cheers.) Another letter, of the date of the 3d of May, was then read by the Right Hon. Gentleman. This aloe, he stated, was not addressed to himself, but came from a respectable individual. That letter stated, that the news received there that day had brightened their prospects, and had excited such hopes in the holders of co:ton that they were anxious to reserve themselves, and did not evict.* the same anxiety to dispose of their stock as they had manifested be- fore the • intelligence arrived. The Right Honourable Gen tleman said that the letters appeared to him to be valu able, on account of the pr oo f s t h ey a ff or d e d o f t h e good effects I produced on' the feelings of the people by the disposition of Ministers to interest themselves in their behalf. He therefore thought that the Government had great encouragement to persevere in the coulee which had been marked with such felicitous results. lie did not. however, mean that he indulged in all the sane gnine expectations expressed by the writers of the letters. His ob ject in mentioning the effect of the former was to torn an analogy between the two measures, the first of which had produced such salutary effects. But he was willing to take them distinctly, and to place the present on tta separate ground. If he was called on to make choice in the dilemma, whether the Corn Laws system should be permaitent, or. on the other hand, whether it was proper, in the present time, to pmduce an excit emen t, lie should say, that his opinion was hanged, and whatever he might have thought before on the subject, that the present circumstances had indite d him to the adoption of the alteration. It was his opinion that the Cora Laws should be gradually suffered to change. He believed that no Member of that House wished that the Corn Lima should go into full operateon. lie had never heard any Gentleman express an opinion to that effect in the discussions which had token e late on the question ; and if such expression had ink single biome been advanced, it would have made a material alteration. But there was no one who, under the circumstances of the country, would not regret that their operation should be pushed to Its full extent. ICrie3 of " Hear, hear, hear.") The !Immutable Baronet haul naked what circumstance had occurred since the mo- tion of the lion. Member fur Bridgnorth (Mr. IVliitmore) which required the difference of opinion. There was the difference that nix weeks of en increase of prices was experienced without any close to the cessation of which they could look. Anotiter reason was to be deduced from the state of the harvest last year and during the present. The harvest might now be calculated to come in a mouth later than the preceding, and thus the people had to depend on the stock for fourteen months instead of the usual time in ordi nary seasons. These two considerations did not otter themselves at the time of the motion of the Hon. Member !for Bridgeorth. Ile did not mean to allege that such causes must infallibly operas; it was sufficient that there was a probability of their contingency. A fortnight of mild wind and weedier would undoubtedly makes dif- Ferenc°, hut he took the matter as merely contingent on either side. In the year 1816 the change was the offspring of one night, and the - :~.~