The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1825-03-12 00:00:00

IT I _~ `. the sum which will he wanted to defray the ExtreorOinary El - of the Army for the year 1825. Mr. HU3IE was dceirous of knowing what bad been done with the large sum of money which hell been voted last year to be paid io tte Cape of Good Hope. Had Si. OW* *twist received it ? I and it hereceiyed iR bow had ft bees opplled Mr. W. HORTON slid, that Commissioners bad been appoint ed, who were examining into the mode dim application. As far as the Horrrnitent were in possession of w hat had been clone, it had bees properly disband. hir. H UE directed the attention of the House to the Cape of Good Nape; more particularly on account of the system of mis government /eloped there. Our Governor there was in every way unfit and diaqualdied fur the situation. He had by the course he adopted outraged the feelings of the people there—his administra sato had been productive of manifold evils—he acted with uppers tioll towards the press. and his whole course was calculated to prove his *Mime* for that situation. Mr. W. HORTON begged to call to the recollection of the Honourable Member that inquiry wet at present prosecuting there by the Commissioners to whom he before alluded—their Report bed net yet appeared. It was but fair for the Hon. Gentle man to postpone his judgment until he had the whole evidence before him. The statements that had been made to him were all erparte statements, and did not form a ground of accusation. The Hoe. Member on a former night bad stated that many persons who considered themselves aggrieved were treated with indifference and contempt by the Colonial Department. Now be defied the Hon. blentbar to state a single instance in which due sod prompt attention had not been made to every complain: that had been preferred by any individual at the Culocial Office. Mr. lILTME was ready to repeat what had fallen from him on a former night. Ile had said it was an outrage on the feelings of the populatiou of that country to mantle in the Government of it a p riots who had proved himself so unfit fur the situation as Lord Charles Somerset. Ills continuance there was at variance with the expressed opinions, the wistes, and the interests of that popula tion. He spoke from statements which had been made to him. sod 03 which he had reason to rely. As to the treatment which tvu.pLlicacts had met with at the Colonial Office, there was the the instance of a publisher of a newspaper, who had since been per mitted. to return, but bed not, be believed, been remunerated for the hardships which had been unjustly and cruelly inflicted upon him. Mr. W. GORTON did not deem it necessary to reply to the ge neeal censure of the Hon. Member; if he would SUM a specific case, he would undertake to meet it. Mr. RUM E objected to the item of 4,4001. for the island of Mauritius. We were given to understand that the Colonial Re venue of that island would be sufficient to defray the expenditure of our establishment thcre. He was desirous to know when this charge would he likely to cease. 31r. W. HORTON could not undertake to say precisely when it would cease. The Commissioners, who were now at the Cape of Hood Hope, would proceed thence to the Mauritius, and from their Report the Committee might know when that period was likely to arrive. It was but justice to the Governor of the blauri. ties to say, that he made every exertion to diminish the expendi tom, and that he even anticipated the Government in many respects from the real and anxiety he evinced to do so. Mr. HUME objected to the item of a charge for the private se. eretary of the Governor of Bermuda. The private secretaries of ether Governors had none, and he saw no reason why an exception should be made in favour of one. Mr. W. HORTON said, that the salary of the Governor of that island was so small that he could not afford to pay a secretary ; besides. it 'was necessary in this instance, and, as it was necessary, so the reason that made it so was immaterial. Mr. 11U3IE wee desirous of noticing the omission of the return of the Custom duties of Newfoundland. If they had them, they rrdght then perceive the amount of these Customs, and see bow far they fell short of the expenditure of the colony. Mr. W. HORTON said that hitherto the Customs had been trawsfereed to the Consolidated Customs of this country. It was the inter:don in future to apply them to meet the local expenditure of the colony. Mr. HUME next adverteil a he a charge of 4,0001. for certain in spectors and militia-men in the island of Jersey and Guernsey. There were revenues accruing in this island which were given to General &Telford and others, who had no right to them, and who shil no service in return. These revenues ought to defray the charges of these inspector% and ether persons who were utterly use less and gave no valuable services for the salaries they received. Resides if the charge were a necessary one it ought to come on regu larly in the Army Estimates. Lord P.tLM ERSTON said, that the charge could not be in troduced into the regular Army Estimates. Some of the service, to which this money was applied were for the hire of vessels, the repairof ships, &c—charges which were unconnected with the Army Estimates, and which it was his duty to submit to the House. On the question being put that 27,6301. be granted for the pay. meat of the Officers of the Houses of Lords and Commons, during the year 1025, Mr. IlUblE observed, that this sum was 6.11001. above that which had been required for similar services last year. 31r. BERRIES replied, that the augmentation was required in coosequence of increased duties. A sum of 16,5721. was voted to defray other expenses connected with both Houses of Parliament, and in reply to 3lr. Homo, Mr. HERRIES observed, that several alterations made in those bteldinge rendered such an expense necessary. The next vote was a sum of 93,11791. to make good the deficiency of the Fee Fund in the offices of the Secretaries of State for the Home, Colonial, and Foreign Departments, and the Treasury. On the vote for 6,2001. for the payment of Commissioners en gaged in the Inquiry into the state of the Revenue in Ireland, and in some t forts of Great Britain. 31r. UNIE inquired respecting the progress these Commis- Wailers ad made, and the probable duration of their inquiries. Mr. WALLACE was of course unable to say how long the business of this Commission would continue ; but it was his earnest with that their labours should be brought to a conclusion with all practicable expedition. One or two other ite.ns were then passed without observation ; after which, Mr. IW3IE rose for the purpose of calling the attention of the House to the imperfect and complex manner in which several im portant departments of the Public Ac.ounts were kept. They should be kept by the simple debtor and creditor mode, so as to show at a glance how the financial affairs of the country stood. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that it was infinitely easier to discover defects in an ancient system than to tarry into operation an adequate remedy. Anomalies he should rather call then than defects. However antiquated the system was by which the Accounts adverted to by the lion. Gentleman were kept, perhaps in use two or three centuries, yet he would be averse rorn pulling down a venerrble structure before he was fully satis fied as to the merit of the improvements thus proposed to be made. lfe zoomed the House, however, that he had the subject much in his consideration, and therefore, with the assistance of those in his department, he looked forward to considerable improvements. After the Resolution granting a sum of 16,7401. fur the payment of Commissioners, and other O ffi cers belonging to the Insolvent liehtois' Count, the question was put upon a Resolution, granting 20,0001. for the Penitentiary at Millbink : upon which, A 3lember, whose name we could not learn, tose to require in formation respecting that establishment, and made sonic observa tions relative to the prevalence of ague therein. Mr. PEEL observed, that the Select Committee which had been appointed last Session could not conclude its labours without in quiring into the circumstances of that establishment. The ague, 1 e said, was not owing to the site, for, by judicious changes in the economy of that Institution, the experiment of again inhabiting it was tried with such eueems, that no case of that disease occurred. (ht the former occesien, the severity of the season, and perhaps the nature of the food, had considerable influence in bridging on the disease. Since then, material alteration has been made tr. the diet, and favourable results have ensued. Sir J. MACKINTOSH inquired how long the convicts had been placed in that prison. :dr. PEEL replied that they were there about four months. The question was then put on the above Resolution, and carried. On the grant of 12.2541. for allowances to certain individuals of site French nation who had rendered services to Great Britain dur ing the late war, Jar. HI/31E inquired if there would be any attempt made to re move this expense. tu The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that the sums in question were paid for special services rendered to this country • and although they were French Royalists, yet they could neve nothing to expect from their own Government, however strong their claims might be upon ours. Mr. HUM.; again rose, and expressed h;s opinion that the /loyal Fonikly N of Franco ought to per these individuals. The CHACELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that if the French Government were called to make these payments, they might inquire wlint had Leen done with the ships taken by us dur mg the war, and which have since been used. The settlement of each an endless account was one of the question. Mr. HUME contended that it ought to be settled. If any ship remain they ought to be tenoned. The question was then 'put and carried on a sum of 18,1301. tot the purpose shove stated. .4 Resolution to grant 3,0001. for the National Vaccine Este hflishmera teas next proposed. Mr. PICEfa tin reply, as was understood, to inquiries from Mr. Hume, which were not suditle in the Gallery) said, that if lie did not think the sum propoeeil absolutely necessary, he should be far ft im supporting the vote. The advantages derived from this esta blishment were fully commensurate with the expense. The pre juitee against vaccination was strong and extensive, and it was ne. ceseary to a successful resistance of that prejudice that there should 1- in the metropolis a number of the most eminent medical men _in correspondence upon this important subject with the moseflistart parts of our possessions. These distinguished pro f-ssional per 0: s give their attendance weekly, and it was not to be ouestioried that arch individuals should receive adequate remu. iteration Could two go Incas a-day for attendance be conoitlered suffi cient for such a man as Ste H. Ile ford ? Were we to expect that such services would be given gratuitously, or ovttltt the public to sever them upon such terms ? Ile thought that all public services ought to Ise fully paid for. N it Henry Helfand expressed a wish to hint (?sir. Peel) to be relieved front the duty in queerion, in consequence of thelnadevate remureration ; but he felt bound to say, that as the public or the. Government had no ``articular claim upon Sir Henry, he ought, and be *Would be suffieiently compensated. The fact was, very considerable prejudice existed in the remote dietrlicts of the kingdom against the aystent of vaccination, and it was accessary that throe erronecue notions Amid be counteracted, which could be best effected by its going forth to the public that hone but professional Mee of Mincers were etgthectea with the I nstitution. • . . • ~, - - 4- S t' e . ~~ THE BRITISH PitES im • I mo • No I I NE Ei Mr. lIU.NIE was desirous that the three individuals whore it was really necessary to employ should receive an adequate re muneration but he must protest against keeping up a larger oda blishment than was reqiii,iits. The Board consisted of eight Phy sicians. receiving 1001. per annum each ; a Director, whose salary was 2061. t and • Registrar, who enjoyed MIL lie (Mr. Hume) was clearly of opinion that three Physicians, exclusive of those two last-mentioned officers, would be sufficient to answer all the purposes of the establishment. After an observation from Mr. PEEL, the Resolution was agreed to. It was moved that the sum of 50001. be granted for the contingent expenses of the Refuge tor the Destitute.--Agreed to. On the motion that 98,2401. be granted to defray the expenses of printing, stetionery, binding, &e. in the various Government offices, and public departments, Mr. HUIIE objected to the sum of 14501. which formed the item to defray the expenses of printing for Chelsea HospitaL This expense, he supposed, was incurred in getting up the pla cards in which notice was given of the days appointed for the pay ment of pensions quarterly or half-yearly . He thought it would b.: the better mode of proceeding to tit a day permanently for the payment of pensions, and by that means gave the cost incurred by placarding the town with those notices, and adrertising in the newspapers. Sir CHARLES LOSU said, as we understood, the notices the Honourable Member for Montrose alluded to were relative to Examination-pensions. With respect to the pensions in general, they were paid as near quarter-des yas was practicable. A great inconvenience would seise from fitting a particular day for the pay. ment of pensions, on account of the great distance to which the money had to be forwarded, and the difficulty that would arise in procuring currants for its payment in proper time. Under all the circumetancen of the case, he thought no mode could be more be netieial to the parties concerned than that at present adopted. After a few words from Mr. HUME, the Resolution was agreed to. On the motion that a sum of 52,0001. be granted, to covet the loss attendant upon calling in and re-coining the silver tokens cis-1 culating in Ireland. Mr. HUM E said he wished to know whether that sum would ,be sufficient to cover all the loss incurred by the alteration in the currency of that country? Mr. II Eli Itl ES could not tell the exact amount of outstanding tokens: 52,000/. was the estimated expense of the measure for the present year ; but be was not prepared to say that would be the final expense. After a few words from Captain 31ABERLY, the Resolution was agreed to. ' It was moved that a sum hot exceeding 8,000/. be granted for the prosecution of persons unlawfully counterfeiting the current coin of the realm. Mr. H1.131E wished to know the reason why the present esti mate exceeded that of last yea!' bv 1.0001.? After a few words from Mr. WALLACE, the Resolution was 'reed to. It was moved that the sum of SEBOO/. be granted for furniture and other expenses of the two Houses of Parliament.—:Agreed to. It was moved that the sum of 78,1471. be voted fur the Civil contingencies of Bermuda.—Agreed to On the motion that 33,000!. be granted to defray the expenses incurred at home and abroad for the abolition of the slave trade, Mr. HUME said no possible advantage was derived front this enormous expenditure. Other nations persisted in the traffic,' in defiance of every stipulation to the contrary ; and this was nu less than an useless waste of money. Mr. W. SMITH made a few observations. Mr. BERNAL concurred in what had fallen from the Hon. Member for Montrose. A vast cum of money had been ex pended with very little beneficial effect upon the cause which he, in common with many other Hon. Members, professed to have deeply at heart. He was prepared to say, that since the exist• ence of the treaties between this country and Spain and Prance, the horrors (tithe slave trade had increased ten-fold. 'We had many gallant officers employed on an unwholesome coast for the pre vention of this cruel traffic—we had spent large sums, and were called upon by this vote to expend a still further sum of money in bounties to our sailors for the same purpose. In spite of all these exertions, slaves continued to be imported into the Brazils, the Hay.mnaii, and various other settlements, which were profiting and thriving at our expense. Ile thought, if it was desired to give an effectual check to the slave trade, that object might be forwarded by our occupation of Fernandez.po, which would afford an excellent harbour for our cruizers engaged In the at tempt to extinguish that disgraceful trade. It was dear that under whatever pretence excuses might be urged, whatever might be said of the right of search, it was the determination of America never to consent to the actual abolition of the slave trade. The Southern States of America required slave labour for agricultural purpose. : and this was the secret of her acquiescence in the conti nuation of the slave trade. After some observations from Mr. P. BUXTON relative to the insincerity of the Powers in Europe and America who had con tracted together for the abolition of the slave trade, the Resolu tion was agreed to. It was then moved that the sum of 17,4561. be granted for the salaries of the Commissioners for the prevention of the slave trade. Mr. HUME objected to the vote. Mr. W. 631 ITH said the Havannall Commission had never produced any advantage to the proposed measure, at all propor tionate to the expenditure incurred. Mr. W. HORTON said there was no indisposition on the part of his Majesty's Government to adopt any practicable im provements, but he doubted if the present were one of that nature. Dr. LUSHINGTON supported the vote. The Commission at Sierra Leone had fulfilled the purpose for which it had been originated. Were it not tor the course pursued by the Commission, the slave trade would have existed in a still greater degree then it did. He concluded by passing a high eulogium on the conduct of the naval officers of the service. The Resolution was then agreed to. It was then moved that the sum of 13,0001. be granted to de. fray the expenses of the Special Commission to Spanish America.— Agreed to. The sum of 36,000/. was then voted for the salaries of Consul, Vice-Consuls, &c. to the South American States during the current year. The sum of 120,0001. was voted for the public service in the Colony of New South Wales. Mr. W. HORTON moved that 3,477/. be granted to defray the expenses of the Civil Establishment in the Bahama Islands. Agreed to. On the motion that 800/. be granted for the expense of the civil establishment in Dominica 31r. 111'31E did not see why the people of this country should be put elan expense which he understood the inhabitants of our foreign possessions were themselves willing to defray. Mr. HORTON had na objection, it the people of Dominica were content to do so; but the individual who received the salary performed judicial functions, for which it was but just he should be remunerated. gr:/Itibik understood the individual alluded to received 2,000 f. from the island, which was amply sufficient for his services. Mr. W. HORTON explained, and the vote was agreed to. Mr. %V. HORTON moved, that the sum of 8,2491. be granted to defray the expenses of the civil department in Upper Canada. Mr. 11U31E—That colony possessed funds arising from the sale of lands amply sufficient to meet their necessary expenditure. He would never consent to vote away the public funds in that manner, though he should singly have to take the sense of the Committee on the Resolution. Mr. W. HORTON would bring in a Bill on Tuesday JIM to create a Company for the management of the waste lands in Upper Canada. Mr. 111.731 E acknowledged that would effect an alteration in the mode he intended to adopt. Lord M 1 LTON thought the feu and expenses enormously large.—Agreed to. 1 helium of 5,1 l I. was voted to defray the expenses of the civil establishment in Nova Scotia. Mr. W. HORTON moved. that 5,104/. be granted fur the civil establishment in New Brunswick. 51r. HUME understood the Custom-house alone, if prJp;rly managed, would more than meet the expense.—Agreed to. Mr. II ERR I ES moved, that the sum of 3,010/. be granted for the civil contingencies of Prince Edward's Island.—Agreed to. On the motion that 10,5134 be granted for the colony of Sierra Leone— Mr. HUME informed the House that he intended shortly to bring forward a motion respecting that colony, for the purpose of determining whether the laws relative to it should be altered, or be continued on the present footing.—The Resolution was then agreed to. The sum of 11.01111. was voted for Newfoundland. The sum of 23,931/. was voted, on the motion of Mr. W. HORTON, for the civil establishment of New South Wales. It was moved, that 2,4111. be granted for the contingencies of the colonial service, formerly provided fur out of other funds.— Agreed to. The sum of 15,0001. was then voted for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts. The Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again on Monday next. The House then resumed. NV BILL. Ppen the motion that the House do resolve itself into a COM. mittee on the Mutiny Bill— AIr.SVKES rose to inquire whether any alteration had taken place to abolidi the. cruel and degrading practice of flogging ? As this was an annual Rill, he thought it his duty annually to object to it, until a clause should be introduced abolishing this most shameful practice. Flogging he knew was not unknown amongst the armies of the Continent; but he believed it was not generally practised ; and in France, where the largest army was maintained, it was certainly unknown. Ile could not conceive what there was in the constitution of an English soldier that should make :t necessary to punish him in a manner more crud and degrading thon wss prac iketl towards any other soldier in Europe. It had been said that many of our soldiers were brought up in the manu facturing districts ; but it did not appear that persons brought up in those districts required mote severe punishment than any other. persons. lie had never heard any thing in favour of this practice but a plea of necessity, a plea which had never been proved, and to which the !louse should not subscribe. The Honourable 31em bet said he di 1 not mean to deny that sumnutry punishment was necessary before the enemy, but in time of peace he thought we should make the soldier's life comfortable, and endeavour to' diminish the severity of our military law. The necessity for con tinuing the practice of flogging was supported on the ground of provident dttuikerntss amongst the soldiers. B u t bow wss this? a-u'L. ~- ••.. . We make these unfortunate mu drunk to induct them to enlist, anti when they have ciliated we punish them in this horrible way because they commit this very awe. (Hear, hear.) Colonel JOHNSON begged to offer a few words on this question as it was a military subject. Ile thought the practice of flogging might be abolished ; anti he was the more inclined to adopt this opinion because of the great inequality of severity with which the lunishment was now inflicted. In some regiments one hundred ashes were equal to, or exceeded in severity three hundred lathes in other regiments. Every military man must accede to this state ment, and the House could judge how intolerably unjust it was. Lord PALMERSTON begged the House to believe that he and his Hon. Friends had no partiality for this particular kind of punishment. lie thought on some occasions it was Indispensable to preserve good military discipline. He did not defend the fee qnent use of this punishment ; but on some occasions he thought it necessary, anal that the House would do ill to deprive the Crown of the power. The Frerch military law. he had reason to think, was practically quite as severe as the British military law, whilst the conduct of the French soldiers was by no means se good as that of our troops. One fact he would take leave to mention : it was, that in the regiment which was commanded by the Adjutant-General, the o ffi cer whose peculiar province it was , under the Commander in -Chief, to attend to the discipline of the army, during the last year and half not a man had been flogged. He only referred to this lcircumstance to show, that no fondness for this practice existed in the Military Department. Mr. II ITaIE thought the fact stated by the Noble Lord showed that the practice might be altogether dispensed with. Ifin the regi ment commanded lry the AdjutantAleneral proper discipline could be preserved for so long a period without Bonging, it might be abo lished altogether in the Service. With the Noble Lord's remark as to the bad conduct of the French troops. he (Mr. Hume) could not agree. The French army were, generally speaking, well conducted, and if lie did not mistake. General Orders had been issued more than once by the Duke of Wellington, calling upon the British troops to imitate the Food conduct of the French. (Hear, hear.) General HOPE %aid, the Hon. Member had truly observed that idrunkenness was the crime which most frequently called for the in fliction of the objectionable punishment. He had the pleasure to state, however, that this crime was likely to be much diminished in the army, by the introduction of a new regulation which would add greatly to the comfort of the soldier. There would in future be a settlement of accounts weekly, and not monthly, which would prevent the receipt of a large sum a: one period, and thereby dimi nish the temptation of drunkenness. Captain MABERLY recommended that the tread-mill should be substituted in the army for the punieliment of flogging. Mr. GURNEY thought the principle of enlisting solders for life a very objectionable one. AUGMENTATION OF THE ARMY. Lord MILTON rose to express his surprise at the enormous in crease which was proposed in our Military Establishment. Our standing army was already very great, and notwithstanding the mysterious mode in which the lion. Member for Southwark (Sir R. Wilson) had alluded to it on • former evening, he (14. Milton) could not be induced to believe that the consideration urged had any thing to do with the question. In 1819, a like increase was pro posed and agreed to, and the very same reason which induced the Government then to apply, now acted. Ile knew the source from which the proposition originated. It did not come from the ad ministration collectively (it he may be thus allowed to express himself), it emanated from the military part of the Administration. He almost lamented the prosperity of the country, when he taw that it was made a pretence for heaping on it new burthens. if the national burthens were as heavy as they were considered some time ago, Bon. Gentlemen would never consent to such an augmentation of the army as that now proposed The House would remember the difficulty that wax found In inducing Ministers to consent to the reduction of' the military establishment, as to diminish it to sixty thousand men. The standing army was now about to he increased nearly half this number. He slid not think the circumstances of the country warranted any such increase. In 1819, he thought the pretences for an augmentation of the army extremely frivolous, and lie now considered it hard, when the country was beginning to breathe, that such a burthen should be imposed. lie was sur rounded by lion. Members who had presented petitions for the repeal of the Assessed Taxes; but how could the Chancellor of the Exchequer diminish taxes when such an augmentation is contem plated in the military force ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer's financial system, he would readily admit, was beyond all praise ; but by taking off those taxes, he did not do sa with a view to dimininish the burthens of the country, whilst an augmentation of the army was proposed. He did not mean to find fault with the reduction of taxation, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer pro. posed. Ile thought the reduction of the wine and coal duties would add to the public revenue ; he anticipated an increase of the revenue from the reduction of these duties, but he felt that the Chansellor of the Exchequer could not intend to relieve the country from its burthens so long as a great standing army, unne:essary from the state in which weave placed, was kept up. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER felt himself called upon, in consequence of what had fallen from the Noble Lord, to trouble the House with a few observations. From some mystical allusion, he apprehended that the Noble Lord meant to convey that the proposition for an increase of our military force proceeded from some quarter in which he and his Right Hoo. Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs were not Influential. Now, on his part, as well as that of his Right lion. Friend, he assured the Noble Lord, he was never more iniataken. The pro posed augmentation was decided upon with the full approbation of him and his Right lion. Friend; and if the proposition was wrong, there was as much blame to them as to any individual of the Ca binet. There was no such view as increasing the patronage of the Government; nothing like the view of erecting this into a military government, as was hinted by the Noble Lord. His Majesty a 'Ministers thought it an imperious duty, in time of peace, not to expose our foreign possessions to danger. We are now in peace, but no one could be bold enough to say how soon we should be again involved in war. Every year brought us nearer to such a ca lamity. lie wondered lion. Gentlemen did not perceive that, under the new circumstances which had arisen, it required an aug. mentation of our army to defend our foreign possessions from sud den aggression. Without such an increase of our military force, how could we expect to maintain our power? It was not, as his Majesty'a Government declared at the commencement of the See. sion—it was not for Ireland--it was not from an expectation of a continental war—it was solely from the new situation in which our foreign possessions were placed, that his Majesty's Government recommended the proposed augmentation of our military establish ment. lie thought the Government would have abandoned its duty if it neglected to submit such a proposition, and for his part he was willing to take his full share of the blame attached to it. Mr. ROBERTSON could not see any reason for the proposed increase of our military force. The Chancellor of the Exchequer talked of the peculiar situation of our foreign possessions; but he (Mr. rt.) did not perceive any thing in the present situation of our foreign possessions calling for an augm en i ation,t hough he saw much calling for a diminution of our military establishment. We were at peace with all the world, and likely to continuo so ; and what had we to dread whilst our navy continued so powerful ? Ile would say opposition to the advice of the lion. Member for Aberdeen), built! ships, keep up your navy, and reduce the army as low as you can. (Hear, from the Opposition benches.) The House then resolved itself into a Committee on the Annual Mutiny Bill. Mr. II UM E inquired whether any alteration had been made in this Bill ? He had not been able to procure a copy of it, and there fore inquired merely to procure information. Lord PAL3IERSTON said, this Bill was a transcript of that past last year. lie proposed the insertion of a clause respecting the punishment of men engaged in the militia service. A militia ' I man, enlisting in the Line was now guilty of a punishable offence, and was subject to imprisonment. Ho proposed that militia-men, when their regiments were disembodied, should be allowed to enlist in the Line, but that they should not be sent out of the country, and should be returned to their regiments, if those regiments were re-embodied. The Bill then went through a Committee, and the report was ordered to be received on Monday. MARINE 1111:TINY BILL. The House resolved itself into a Committee on the Marine Mu tiny Bill. Sir E. KNATCHBULL wished that the wives of the marines should get a pus to send them bach to their parishes. as was the case with the wives of soldiers. This was a great expense to the parishes from which marines embarked. Mr. CHOKER thought the cases of the military and marines distinctly different. The army were embarked and re-embarked at various places, and absent God knows how long. The marines were embarked and diumbarke2 at particular places, and kept on service for a certain period ; these places served as a domicile, and when they returned they knew where to find their wives. As to the expense upon those parishes, the Honourable Nlember should recollect what a large sum of money was expended by the marines. Sir E. KNATCHBULL explained. FLOGGING IN THE NAVY. Mr. HUME thought it an intolerable hardship that awn should be flogged as they are in the nave without any trial. lie meant to propose a clause in the Mutiny Bill to remedy this obvious de fect, which was contrary to all justice sad to :he rights of English men. Mr. CHOKER rose to order. Ile apprehended that the lion. .Member for Aberdeen was not taking the proper counie to procure the abolition of the practice he so strongly reprobated. The Bill berme the House related to marines ashore, and nut to marines afloat. It was under the 22d Geo. 11. which was a perpetual Act, that marines were subject to punishment on board ship. The lion. :Mender's encase would be• to propose an amendment to, or the repeal of this Act. Mr. HUME said lie had inquired, and learned that the present would be a favourable opportunity for introducing the subject. The CHAIRMAN did not conceive that the clause proposed by the lion. Member referred to the subject now before the House. HUME coincided with what had fallen from the Chairman, and gave notice that he would call the attention of the House to the subject at a very emly period. The then went through a Committer.—To be reported on Monday. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS BILL. Mr. R. MARTIN moved the second reading of the Bill to pre vent cruelty to annuals. Mr. HEATHCOTE said that he felt it his duty, however, highly he might condemn all unnecessary cruelty to animals, to op pose the Bill now before the House. Until a few days back, he had never witnessed a bear-baiting ex hibition, hut In consequehee of the observations of the Honourable Member : for Galway, be had been induced to visit the Cock-pit in Duck-lane, where, however, there were only t bears kept. He saw one of those bears, and a more hopeful bear, or more thriving cubs, he believed, never were exhibited. He understood that bear had been baited for nearly six years, and L e d tow be= obliged so give up the amusement, be. • cause, it had grown so fat. and was unlit for it. The Honourable Member (Mr. Martin) had stated, as a fact, some circumstance relative to cruelty to dogs, but the correctness of this statement had since been denied. In his (Mr. Heathcote's) opinion, if it were cruelty to bait bears, it was cruelty to bunt or to wow. Ile would ask it bear-baiting and stag-bunting were lint equally cruel—but they were both ainusenients,—and the only difference between them was, that one was the amusement of the poor and the other the aniusetnent of the rich. In the latter, the magistrates themselves, ' almost universally indulged, as well as many Honourable Members of both Houses of Parliament. He would say, that those Who op ' posed the one must in common consistency appose the other—or else they would be enacting one law for the rich and another for the poor. In his opinion, the sport in either ease was allowable ; the amusements of hunting and shooting added materially to the en joyments of country gentlemen, and induced them to keep at home to improve their estates, while it benefited their health. He would, therefore, give his opponent° to the Bill. and would conclude by moving that it be read a second time this day six months. Mr. C. WILSON supported the Bill, but spoke in so low a tone as to be perfectly inaudible in the gallery. Mr. PEEL said, that from the speech of the Hon. Member who had just sat down, he had gleaned that the greatest evil this coun try had to apprehend was from the syneui of poaching. That lion. Member had spoken on the subject of the present Bill as he had no doubt felt ; and in so doing be had done his duty— " Homo sum nil humasn a me alienum puus.' Bur he (Mr. Peel) would ask the lion. Member (Mr. C. Wilson) ' why he did not bring in a Bill to apply expressly to this evil ? if I evil it were, and then there would be a degree more of reason in his argument. He (Mr. Peel) would ask that lion. Member, and ' the lion. Member for Onlwa, , why, if they sought to be con. sistent, on what principle they avoided making the Bill more general? Ile should be sorry if there were unnecessary cruelty practised to allow that practice to continue; but that was not the question--the question fur the House to consider was, does this torn a fit subject fur legislation ? The Hon. Member who brought in the Bill should have !evened it against all sports of the nature complained of, and in his (Mr. Peel's) opinion, there were sports far more caul than bear-bating that were not roticed in the Bill— stag-hunting. for example. In die one case the bear was left to fight his battle in possession of all his natural vowels ; but in the other the horns of the stag were taken off to prevent him from effectually defending himself. On the same principle ought not the barbarous practice of pigeon-shooting to be abolished ? Was it not more cruel to collect a number of inoffensive little birds to gether in a cage, from which one was selected to be shot at, at a given distance, by a gentleman who bets with another gentleman that he will kill the greater number of birds in twenty-five shots? Those gentlemen were certainly not so unoffendlng as the bear bakers, and why should not a law exist for preventing the eon. tinuance of their cruel sports ? Why should bears and monkeys be selected for legislation, and stags and foxes be left without that protection to which they were equally voided ? Ile could not conceive any reason why those animals should be excepted. There was one clause in the linll which,if the House were satisfied to let it pass into an Act woe Id gis e opportunity, he would no: say of tyranny, hut of exerting a tyrannical disposition, to an extent certainly never before given by the House. That clause would enact that if any ma gistrate saw any individual engaged in bear-baiting, or other cruel sports, he should be empowered, without trial or conviction, with. out asking for any proof to be laid before him, to punish hint as it he had gone through all those necessary forms. What a power then would the Magistrate have in his hands, and how greatly l i might lie not pervert it ? (!{ear, hear.) Such a measure would do neither mere nor less than place every individual in the country under the controul of the Magistracy. The Magistrates, if such an Act were permitted to pass, need only say to an individual, we sow you transgressing the law—they nerd not call either evidence or jury, but immediately convict the offender. Would the House see to what effects this would lead ? If a Magistrate returning front fox.hunting to his dinner on crimped-cod, with the intention of sleeping on a bed made of the feathers of geese, saw a poor man who was wantonly—as he might assert, for he would not be called upon for the proof—wantonly ill-treating a domestic animal. lie might subject such an offender to a very heavy punishment. To what flagrant abuses would not such a system lead ? Why did the Honourable Member for Galway (Mr. Martin) in his tender. ness to the brute creation, so far forget those of the class to which he himself belongs, as to place so large a portion of that class at the mercy of the Magistrates. That Honourable Member had on a former evening alluded to Dr. Msjendie, and had affirmed that certain experiments were made by him, which he. the Honourable Member, highly reprehended. If domestic animals were wantonly ill-treated, there would be certainly great reason to complain ; but in his ( Mr. Peel's) opinion the blouse should, in such a case as that to which he had alluded, interfere with much cane and caution, as those experiments might lead to results the most beneficial. Ile would not, if the statement made by the Honourable Member for Galway had been true, be one to interfere in such a case ; but he had seen the circumstance denied b' the Learned Gentleman against whom the charge was made. He telt assured that in experiments of such a nature, animals were not in one case out of 1,000 exposed to unnecesary pain. In 1820 the HMI. Member (Mr. Martin) brought in a Bill to prevent cruelty to cattle, be now seeks to make it more general, and extend it much further, and there was no certainty that the Hon. Member, if some similar grievance struck him, would not came down to the House and ask for a much further le gislation, after having informed the House that they had recog nised die principle in going as far as they had gone. He (Mr. Peel) would advise the House to consider if such a subject was a fit one to legislate on, and if not he would advise the House nut to prohibit such pursuits, and not to givesuch a power to die Ma. gistrates as those to which he had alluded. Sir JAMES 31ACKIN'f OSII said that he could not be satis fied on this occasion to give a silent vote. The Right Hon. Gen tleman (51r. Peel) had indulged in much pleasantry against the Bill; but the real opposition in the present case would not be against the Bill, but against cruelty to animals. It there were any thing in the arguments of the Right lion. Gentleman, the Legislature had already committed an error in passing the Act which was passed on a former occasion to prevent cruelty to cattle. He (Sir James Mackintosh) would pass over all the pleasantry and criticism that had been directed against the Bill; but the true question was, whether or not Parliament, icy this act of legisla. tton, had done wrong? No one was more an enemy to trivial legislation than he was ; but he had had experience, and so had the ceuntry, that in so legislating the House had acted tight, and had not acted wrung. lie commended the exertions of the Honourable Member for Galway (Mr. R. Martin). The law which he had been the means of passing had already, in a great degree, diminished the number of those cruelties that had formerly so frequently shocked the feelings of every friend of humanity. All persons held that needless cruelty was a fit sub. ject for legislation, and every man ought to be punished who wil. fully and wantonly inflicted punishment on beings capable of en joying happiness and of feeling misery. He was sure that this sentiment was now daily sinking more and more into the minds of the people ; that it would hereafter fonn part of their education, and ;hat an improvement in every point of view would be the na tural consequence. In his opinion there were matt' vim that were fit subjects against which public opinion should be directed, but were not lit subjects for the interference of the law ; gaming, for example, was one of thern. lie watt sure that all the penal Acts that had been passed for the suppression of gaming had never pre vented a single shilling from being won or lost; yet the Legislature had endeavoured by erery means to suppress It, and a fine of 5,000!. was levied against a keeper of a gaming -house, while, at the same time, the person who actually transgressed, was sub jected to a much lighter punishment. The sports that the Bill now before the House sought the suppression of were not national sports.--An Honourable Member (Mr. Heath. cote) had said that there were only two bears kept for exhi. bition in London. It was plain that it was' not a public sport founded on a public custom. They only afforded aulusement i then, to a few wicked and mischievous individuals, and what the House wonld have to do would be only to prevent those individuals from thus any longer amusing themselves. Ile would then vote for the second reading, because any objectionable clauses might be omitted, and if there were any that gave too great a power to the Magistrates they might be left out. lie would be Forty to vote against it, or to speak as a Right lion. Member had done, because he should fear that the plaudits that followed his speech would be succeeded by thescreania of 3UfferiDg thousands. His lion. Friend (Mr. Martin) had not only brought this subject before the House with energy and spirit, but he had conducted himself with great caution in prose. cueing it, and haul on all occasions used the greatest exertions to bring it properly into effect. Ile (Sir J. Mackintosh) was most anxious to prevent e:tac.;:y to animals, but he would not extend his Aim. tions so far as to exclude all right of experiments on animals. If there were any case in which it could be justified on a principle of self-defence it was that of experiment—experiment made for the purpose of inquiring into the nature and the torus of man, to remove ' disorders, and to preserve life. Ile would not shrink front the Oi -1 loquy attached to this opinion, if these was any obloquy so attached. In such cases the means might he !mesh, but the results most be neficial. lie felt that lie owed a duty to Dr. Majendie to state his opinion of that gentleman's sympathy and humanity. His fame as a physician hal spread over Lurope, and those who were the best judges of his merit ranked hill' meat high as a physi ologist. He (Sir James Mackintosh) had been attended by Doctor Majendie during his residence at Paris, and always found him kind, and tender, and amiable, and lie was con vinced thee he would never inflict wanton suffering on any living thing. Doctor Abernethy. and many of our first surgeons were of opinion, that such experiments as those thee had been alluded to were necessary to science. In his opinion they should be left to die consciences of this individuals who made them. Mr. U. LAMB said, that he would read a play-bill of the days of Queen Anne—the play-bill advertised that at the pit of I lockley in-the-Hole, on a certain day two dogs would fight, and that a bull would be baited, covered all over with lire-works, and with two or three Ws tied to his tail. lie did not, however, read this to show that lie approved of such exhibitions ; lie only read it to prove that in those days it wax not deemed necessary to enact laws to prevent them. In his opinion time nbolitinn of such practices ahould b.: left to the progress of education, and to the progress of religion, amid he thought that the people had better have such amusements than have no amusements at all. Mr. W. SM ITH said, his °alnico was directly opposite to that expressed icy the lion. Member (Mr. (i. Lamb) ; and thought that rather than allow the people to hem amused, he would never have them amused at all, until such exhibitions had ceased to exist. If any lion. Member doubted the effect these cruel exhibi tions had on the public mind, let him look to Spain ; let him look at their bull.fights, and isle himself what was the impression on his mind when he witnessed them ? For his own part, he was con vinced that it was the demoralising tendency of such exhibitions which prepared the Spaniards for, and enabled than to hook on an cult, do fr. Sued a progress in cruelty was beautifully illustrated in the Footings of Hogan)]. That inimitable painter represents in his first scene a parson spinning a cockchafer on a pin, and after moiCirsawfoi , L.9.diriloPsofiebiegos. , • leading hin on through • series of cruelties, each exceeding that former in degree, exhibits him at last killing the woman he bad seduced. - Me. MARTIN rose to reply. Ile said *very strong appeal bad been made by the Right Ron. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Peel) in favour of every animal but those included in his (Mr...11.'5) Bill. He complained of the cruelty to hares and to stags. Was that an argument against the Bill ? It made rather in its favour. Instead therefore of his being taunted, he would taunt the Right Honour able Gentleman; and would press him, as he wished to be con siatent, to advise his 31ajosty in an easy and quiet way, as his Constitutional *deicer, to dioxins' altogether the stag-hotin2s. Stag-hunting in reality was more cruel than any other species of hunting ; it ought not to be considered on the same footing, sad therefore he called on him again to advise the dismissalof the stag.hounds. (Laughter.) ll' such a course was adopted, perhaps a Noble Lord near London may be induced to follow the example. He (Mr. Martin)Jelt in bringing the question forward, he was doing a (nvour to the lower world. (A laugh.) he Hon. Gen tlenian went on to describe some cruelties lately practiced in the metropolis, on which occasion some persons actually cut dugs in pieces to try their spirit. (No, no.) Let any Honourable Member answer hint, but not interrupt. And suppose these sports were not cruel, let the cruelty be put out of the einestien, did not these scenes tbrm as it were a neeleva for pickpockets and every description of depraved persons ? het the question be put to all the Aldermen of London in that House—let them be asked their opinions seriatim, and their answer would be that these scenes promoted crime. The 31aleistrates of Westminster were of the same opinion, and nig. out of ten of the Magistrates of Ireland would join them. He did not propose to force a law on the people. The people them selves called for it ; and he claimed it on the put of' that portion of them still uncorrupted—still uninitiated in crime. (hear, hear.) Petitions were forwarded from Mancintster, frcin Liverpool, and almost every parish in London, in favour of it. Objections were that night raised to his introductien of domestic animals into his Bill, dogs and cats for instance. lie would consent to leave them. out, though he saw no reason why eats ought not to be protected as well as other animals. Ile was told a story about two boys, who lock a cat and flayed it alive. (A laugh.) The story might be a subject of mirth to some, it was no joke to the cat though. Now, 1 he would offer a few remarks with regard to what lie had stated about Dr. Majendie, and would repeat, that he had perfo r med ex ! periments the most cruel that ever were witnessed. He (Mr. Mar •ln) did not deny that experiments may be necessary ; it may be fair to try an experiment on an animal. If an operation were to be performed on a man, suppose for aneurism, it may be necessary to ascertain by an experiment whether it was practicable to take up a certain otiery. Dr. Majendie had gone further than that ; lie had come to this country for the purpose of me king a dramatic exhibi tion. Let it not be said that he (Mr. Martin) was actuated by any hostility to science, or that be was acting without the concur rence of profepiontl gentlemen. Ile had the sanction and authority o the Remit. Professor of Anatomy in one of the Universities for thymus* he was miming. That distinguished individual had thanked him for t .e awakening the attention of the public to the subj,ect. (*tear.) Ile would be content to be called the maligner of Ih. slajendie if he did not convict him out of his own work ; an I how did he meet the present charge ? Not openly, but by quibbling as to the price given for the dog. The dog too may be a spaniel ; ar.d indeed he had heard that it was a spaniel, and that that species of dog was selected as having the finest nerves. Ile was aware that anything said in Par liniment cannot be made the subject of trial • but he was prepared to go to trial, and would put a plea of justification on the record, and meet the charge openly. lie had that slay gone to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and re-asserted what he had before 'Latest—so that lie had furnished evidence enough. As a specimen of the humanity of the Doctor, he would mention a fact connected with his experiments in England. Whilst ha was dissecting the dog, be put his cheek to the dog's mouth and said, " Rests: traliglatle" ! and then tutning to the spectators, said, "II serail plus trastquelk s'il entendait Franey:is !" laugh.) The Doctor's defence reminded him of a circumstances at which he was present. Ile once went to Newgate (hear, hear), to see a man convicted of murder ; he was by when the man protested to the Ordinary his innocence of the crime of which he was convicted, namely, the deliberate murder of his wife. The Ordinary asked if ten or eleven witreeses did not prove the fact ? the man replied, They perjured themselves, and I ant innocent ; they swore I killed her with a mallet, whereas it was with a poll.: axe I committed the murder." (Great laughter.) Mr. W. HORTON opposed the Bill, though he had supported the former one introduced by the Hon. Gentleman. That Bill went to put down cruelties unmixed with amusement. The present was aimed against amusements as well as cruelties. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT declared It gave him great pain to witness the attempts made by the Right lion. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Peel) and others to throw an air of ludicrousness over the pre sent question. It wu monstrcus 'to talk of comparing the cruelties complained of to fox-hunting, and other such sports. In the one case cruelty unmixed with amusement was the object—irethe other amusement was the sole object ; the cruelty was merely incidental. No man could in justice think of comparing those gentlemen devoted to fox hunting, and those sports calculated to give in creased energy to the mind and body, and to promote health and noble enterprise, with those beings who stood coldly and cruelly by whilst two animals were tearing each other to pieces. Besides, the Gentlemen who opposed the Bill left quite out of their considera tion that which was the most prominent feature in the question-_ the moral effect of the practice. They were not then legislating fur brutes, but Par man, with a view to his moral improvement—Glean —those who generally composed the crowd to witness these de moralising exhibitions—those who may with truth and justice be designated the nuisance of society. Through the House may not agree to the details of the present measure, still he thought they ought to go into a Committee on it, if they approved of its prin. • (hear,) and as to its principle he would beg to remark, that it was in strict accordance with the common la.. The common law went with it—the common law already punished cruelty so animals; and it was owing to the extreme difficuly of get ting at the abuses that made the present Bill necessary. Some Hun. Members objected to the measure through tear of the oppres sion that may follow its enactment and in the enforcement of its pro. visions; for his own part he rather thought it likely to fall into disgrace; he thought that after a feu years it wottld become a dead letter, unless the Honourable Member for Galway could appoint a successor of the same hun.anityand the same indetatigabie perseverance. (Hear, and a laugh.) la conclusion, the Honour. able Baronet said he thought the House ought to go into a Com mittee on the Bill ; if they did not be feared it might cause a rot action in the public mind, and do away all the good produced by the former measure. (Hear.) Mr. F. BUXTON supported the Bill to show the good effects of the former Bill. He begged to state that thirty of those who had signed the petition presented by him that night in favour of the Bill had been convicted under the former act. Sir M. W. RIDLEY opposed the Bill. Sir T. AC:LAND supported the Bill. He thought there was no resemblance between bear-baiting and fox-hunting, and con tended that the cruelties they had heard detailed that night were not only of a demoralioing, but of a brutalising tendency, and such us were the most likely to furor those who had concerted the con spiracy of Cato-street. Mr. ROBERTSON briefly opposed it. The House then divided, when there appeared—For the Amend ment, 50—Against it, 32.—Majority against the Bill, Di. l'he other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House Adjourned at ONE o'Caoc tr. PRICES OF FORERIN Austrian Bonds Ditto Acct. 984 Brazilian Bonds 88. Ditto Scrip (1825) 34 pat Buenos Ayres Bonds 92 Chißan Bonds UN 4 4 Colombian Bonds 92t a Ditto Bonds (1924) 92 la J t A Ditto Acct. Sl French Mentes - 105f. 50c. lOtif. Exchange 2.31. 10e. Greek Bonds 55 3i 4 Ditto Aect. 55 A 3t 4 Ditto Scrip (16'ff5) la► 34 2 dis Ditto Acct. 14 a 3A 2 ait dis STOCKS rEST E II nAV. Mexican Bonds 8I 80} 1 Ditto Acct. 811 i i I Ditto Scrip (1825) 31 i 1 pm Ditto Acct. Zj ii + pm Neapolitan Bonds Peruvian Bonds 881 8 Ditto Acct. 88 Portuguese Bondi 90a Ditto Acct. Prussian Bonds Russian Bonds (1822) 934 i i Ditto Acct. 93} Spanish Cons. NI i iii Ditto Acct. 241 4 1 I):!to Cons. (1023) 19 , 4 it i 4 Ditto Acct. PRICES OF SHARES YESTERDAY. A6SUBANCE COMPANIES. Share. Paid. Per Share. 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