The Sun. — London, England, 1807-02-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF PEERS, THURSDAY, FEB. 26. The Irish Quit Rents and Aue - tion Duty, and the Turkey Tobacco Bills, went through the Com mittee. The German Yarn, and one Private Bill,, were brought up from the Commons, and read a first t.me. on the Motion of the Archbishop Of CANTER— BURY, the Thanks of the House were voted to the Bishop of EXETER, for his Sermon on the. Fast Day, preached before their Lordships in 'Westminster Abbey. Counsel was heard in the Cause " Merckle v. Dick ;" the further consideration was adjourned sine die.—Adjourned till to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMOATS, THURSDAY, FEB. 2C. MALMESBiJRY ELECTION COMMITTEE. R. Fergrson R. Morris • Lord Mahon - H. Swan 1. lliiwkins I. Baker T. R. Simmons Buller, of West Loc W. Wingffeld T. Stanley M. PI Andrews "Lord Mar Shim " -S. Botidity , ton • IL Joddrell.: On the Motion of Lord H. PETTY, the Thanks of, the House were voted to Dr. Marley, for the ex cellent Sermon. preached by him before the House yesterday. • WESTMINSTER ELECTION. Lord FOLKSTONE, amidst the universal silence and attention of the House; in expectation of the Petition which he was known to have to bring for ward on the subje& of the Westminster EleSlion, presented a Petition relative to some Road.—[This disappointment produced a convulsion of laughter, which could not be quieted -for some minutes.] — This Petition being disposed of, Lord FOLKSTONE said, he held in his hand a Petition, which called for thd particular attention of the House, inasmuch as it related tba . hreach of- the Standing Order which had been made to prevent all tampering with the witnesses summoned `to giV6 evi dence before the House,, or any blitSCounnittees. He first Moved that the Standing Order be read. (The Standing Order, declaring such tampering to be a High Crime and Misdentkaalor,.and a High Breech of the Privileges of the House, against which the House would preCeed with the utmost severity, was read by the Clerk at the table).- e -Lord Folk stone, in continuation, stated, that 'the Petition he hl'ld in his hand charged Mr. Sheridan with tam pering in that improper manner, by himself and his agents, with witnesses summoned by .Mr. Paull to give evidence before the future Committee on the Petition now pending before the House relating to the Westminster Ele&ion. Mr. Paull, the Peti tioner, threw himself upon. the House for such pro ceedingsas in its justice towards' him, and in its re gard to its own dignity, it should think fit to adopt ; and prayed to be heard at the Bar by-himself and .Coun- Eel, and witnesses to prove the fad. The Petition was brought and read at the table in the usual man ner. It complained of the undue interference of Mr. Sheridan -in tampering, by himself and his agents, with divers persons summoned, on the part of Mr. Paull, to- give evidence before the Com mittee of the House of Comatons which shOuld be appointed to try the merits of his Petition, claiming to be duly eleded for Westminster in preference to Mr. Sheridan. Mr. Sheridan was particularly charged with having endeavoured to corrupt and de ter one Thomas Drake from giving an unbiassed evidence, or any evidence, before the said Com mittee. A conversation was adverted to, in which this Drake stated to Mr. Sheridan, that he was un der-some apprehension as to the possibility of evading (he summons served, on him, and the mischief that may betitll hint in consequence. Mr. Sheridan ensTvered—" Leave that . to rte--I will get- you a place abroad--I will provide for your father also—, you shall have money enough, only keep out of the. way ; " —Mr. Sheridan was further charged with havingr by himself, offered money to this Drake, for the purpose of g,etiing possession of a letter in the hands of one Emanuel Harris, 'and ordered to be, produced befure .the Commi;tee in evidence. - -Mr. bi;eridan was further charged with'havinor, •by his agents, Henry Burgess, JamessWallace, ellexander Johnstone, and Frederick Homan, tampered with several other persons, in order to induce them. to keep out of the way of giving their testithony— stating to them, that the delay ofthe Order for. the consineration of Mr. Paull's Petit:on to the 14th of Aftril, was intended to afford time to give them the opportunity of absconding, and that they had ab sconded. The Petition prayed such relief as the House in its justice should think proper, and de fired to be heard by himself, Counsel, and Wit nesses, at the Bar, to represent his case, and sub-, stantiate the fads.—The Motion that the Petition• should lie on the table was seconded by Mr. ihuatoasT, and • was agreed to without -any dis- et:tssion. . . Mr. SHERIDAN supposed, that a Petition so gravely written, and so gravely presented, would be followed up with some specific Motion. - He would reserve his sentiments on the Petition till that Mo tion should be made. Lord FO LKSTONE gave notice, that to-morrow be should submit a Motion on this subject. Mr. WILBRIIFORCE observed, that another im portant-business was fixed for to-morrow. The SPEAKER thought it right to state, that matters . of privilege superseded all other business. Lord ,Howtott thought, that in respeet, of the priority the House always allowed and affixed to matters of privilege, a charge of Breach of Privilege of so grave and important a nature . ought not to be .ciihmis,ed without instituting some proceeding upon it this very night. Lord FOLKSTONE, so far as respeaed himself, _ _ was not unprepared to address the House on the slbjeCt of the Petition this night :, but regarding. it as the settled praaice.of the House, that - no tion that was likely to cleite discuss al should he brought forward w,; hoot previous 11-)tice.; and un dermanding that this pradice was more necessary in proportion as the matter under consideration was more important, he had nor. come prepared with any , specific Motion, nor was he instrucled as to what Motion be should make. He hoped the House would accept this excuse, cud allow time to give no tice for to-morrow. Mr. SHERIDia allowed the Noble Lord had • done no more than his duty in bringing forward the Petition which had been put into his hands, and in making the statement w hich had been put into his mouth. The accusations contained in the Petition were of the same cast as many others p - referred against him during the course of the West ininster Election. If he were merely to consult the opera tion of his own feelings, he might be disposed to speak of such charges in terms of resentment and indignation rather too strong to be uttered. in that House. All he shoUld say now was, that be wished all the matters charged to be inquired into as soon as possible, by evidence upon oath. It was per haps hardly decent for him to say plainly what lie thought of the charges contained in the Petition. But every one who knew him was, be was sure, already convinced that the whole was a 'mass of rank falsehood. All the Witnesses to be brought forward against him were suborned, and he wish. ed to enter into _the proof for the purpose of shewing that. Lord HO WICK thought it wrong that the House should separate without- taking some -pro ceeding upon a Petition of this nature. He re gretted that notice had not been given of the in tention to- present ,the Petition, as then the House would be ready to proceed at once. He • should move now to refer the Petition to a Committee. of Privileges, .and the time when that Committee, should sit may - be fixed. He thought it right, however, to state here, that one thing prayed in the Petition was wholly, inconsistent with the usage of the House and with all propriety, he meant the bearing of Couhsel on the matter in which the House wa4 to judge of its own Privileges: When the fads were ascertained, the House would do what became it. Lord FOLKSTONE had never before.: heard' of the introduaioty of a, motion by previous notice. Lord Folkstone repeated that he was not now pre pared to offer any tnctiOn. It would be nugatory to call witnesses now, as none were in attendance. If there were any proceeding now, it would stifle the investigation at its birth.' Lord 1101 PICK understood that the Petition having been laid on the table, 'it was contrary to order that any other motion should be made' that night. But he wished that no misunderstanding should go abroad. The' Noble Lord said, that to proceed now would be nugatory, and. that it would stifle the investigation in its birth. - He' Ni 7 i ified the' matter to be brought to proof at the Bar as 'much as the Noble Lord, and when he expressed, : an opi nion 'of the propriety of referring it dire my to the Committee of Privileges, be did not mean that Com mittee should sit now, but that it should beiiXed for as early a day as possible . '• a View to the fullest investigation. As th- - ., Eurne business 'fixedkr to-morrow, which coofti not conveniently be de ferred, he thought it ' . might be best to understand that the . House should go into the Committee of Priyiiieges on Monday. After some further conversation, LOrd FOLK STONE agreed to bring forward his motion on Mon day, and notice was entered to that circa. In answer to a, question from Mr. 4.13,vm, who stated that this w;ls a question of a Breach of Pri vilege of the highest order, and wished to 'know what proceeding the Noble Lord meant to insti tute—Lord' FOLKSTONE said, he 'had intended to move that Counsel be heard : but as he was told that was irregulilr, he should inquire from thpSe who were more experienced than he, whether it was. His objea generally was, that. witnesses should be examined at the Bar in support Qf the fads: • . PRIVATE PETITIONS. The SPEAKER represented the propriety, at this time of the evening, of putting oil' the private busiH ness till another day, or at least till after the public business of this evening should have been gone through. He thought it right at the same time to state; to-morrow would be the last day for receiv ing private Petitions, in order that Gentlemen May regula:e their condna accordingly. , General GAscovNE hoped that if the ballot should 'not be made to-morrow, another day shOuld be allowed. • Lord FIOWICK said, certainly, another day would be allowed ; he understood that another day would be allowed of course, if the ballot should not be formed, though he hoped it would be. - FINANCE. , Lord CASTLEREAGH, before. be proposed to nanie another day fur the considcration of the Financial Resolutions be had laid before the House, wished to take this opportunity of submitting three other Resolutions Which he proposed to brtng under the consideration of the House. He. did .not wish to enter into any detail that could provoke discussion or call for reply. His object was, simply to state the object of the new Resolutions he meant to, pro pose. He,felt himself called upon to bring forward these Resolutions, in consequence of what passed in the debate on *the NoWe Lord's Resolutions, and particularly. in consequence of certain .expressions which fell from an Honourable Gentleman (Mr. H. Thornton), whose 'opinions were mach looked up to on all suhjets, but particularly on subjects of this nature.. * That Honourable Gentleman had cool pHained that his Resolutions (Lord Castlereagh's) in stituted a comparison between. the Noble Tord's sys tem and the old mode. (Mr. Pitt's), of raising the. expences within the year, and not with either ofthe plans he proposed to substitute, and that, this was not fair-at a tune when, it was universally agreed that further taxation ought to be abstained from. ,Two of the Resolutions he had now ,to propose, were to spew that the Noble Lard's Plan would bear as lit tle comparison whli the Modications of it which be had proposed as with the old system. The third Resolution was to show, that, by the Noble Lord's mode of managing the 401 ki ng Fund, More injury would be 'done to the Stockholders, than by the former system;* or either of the plans proposett .by him. He wished to make a few verbal amendments in the Resolutions now before the House,- in order to put tie House fully in possession of his views.— Upon-the tulle,' consideration, he saw no. rcasonlo alter the opiiiion heliad at first formed of the Noble Lords Pian, and his objeftions to it were ratlit:r con firmed and increased, than diminished. The fin titer Consideration of all the Noble Lord's Resolutions was then deferred till Monday fOrtnrght: The C'utninittee on the Slave Trade Aboliti6n Bill was, on .the motion of Lord HowlcK, put off till to=morrow. Mr, TIERNEY supported 'the printing of the Papers, in justice to the Noble Marquis im plicated in the speech of the Hon. Baronet, al though he, regretted that the subject had been brought forward. He laMented the Hon. Baronet had not pointed his objeal distinEtly. At present it was impossible to say, against whom his charge would : be direEted. In his, present_ situati on , he thought : it but proper. to withhold his opinion on tv ; .,.pat:t,,_ of the, transaftion. TO. the Motion for some,of the Papers he had this objeaion, that it wuulc.l be difficult, if 'not impossible, to produce them ; and .if produced, he could not conceive in what Way they Would be applicable to the question. There were many parts of these Papers which ought not to be laid on the table, and he wished the Hon. Baronet to delay that part of his - Motion which 'respeeled these particular • P a p ers , an d to CALL OF THE HOUSE. Lord Howicx then moved that the House be called over to-morrow, witha view to enforce the Call. The SPEAKER thought it right to acquaint the. House, that the Call of the-. House would occupy three or four hours, and that Gentlemen would do well to regulate their business accordingly. NABOB OF ARCOT. Sir THOMAS TURTON, - pursuant to his no tice on a former day, rose to moVe for the produc tion and printing of certain Papers 'which had b.lcn laid before the last Parliament, on the motion of a person not then a Member of that House, relative to the Affairs of the Carnatic. The House would TecolleCt, that in the year •1802, on the deattrof the state the •dates of them; in order that it might be Nabob of Arcot, his heir had been depoSed, and an itscertained'whether ,or not they could or ought to inquiry ought to be made into the cause of this des. l'il!Yii - b'duced.' position. The question had beet) brought forwsol Lord - FOLK TONE defended the conduct of - the by a Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) 'whom lion. Baronet who brought forward this question ; he then saw in his place, and whom he,believed not eiot rerlied to some of the arguments of ail, H on . to have given it up from any interested motives. Conceal opposite. He was glad, however, that he was to have the zeal: . ' Mr. HUEY ADDiNGTONUrgeaI the necessity when oui support of that Right Hon. Gentleman. He any Motion was made by a Member of stating his thought-it due to the charaeter.of the Noble Mar- distin& (shied. . . quis, whose conduct was implicated in the question; - Mr.. •GRANT explained. and to whose great abilities he bore testimony; that Mr. SPENCER STiIIITHOPE thought . it most the inquiry should be instituted. He trusted that =extraordinary to call on the . Hon. B aronet So state no opposition would be made to his motion, and his specific . charge untillie had examined th e Pap ers , be, pledged himself to bring forward 'A motion oonwhich would afford him the mean s ofjudging ,against the subjeet 'within a month 'after the Papers should . whom the charge ought tolae directed. ' He did not be laid upon the table and printed, litiletii it should thiuks the controul of the House of Commons in appear that a longer time would be necessary. He Indian Affairs wits at all adequate to the objeft, •H e then moved, that all the Papers 'relative to :the Af- ; had overturned more Princes in India than ' Bona fairs of the Carnatic, excepoVolume 2d, which had ; parte had done in Europe. . ' • . been laid before that House in the Sessions of 1802 Mr. H. Aniline:Ton explained. . • and 1803, should be re-printed. . ' • • Sir T. 7 . URT ON maintained, that what h a d •.. Mr. SHERIDAN seconded. the 'motion. lie passed that cloning must convince the House . of the eXpedieocy of accedi ng t o his motioo. 'He thought the Hon. Baronet did him justice in sup-' replied to the arguments that b e e n urge d aga i ns t posing that he was not influenced by any inkiest him ; and in answer to the, question, what was his ed motives in declining to bring' this question for-: apecific ohjea, stated, that the Papers therhs e lves ward ; and if the Hon. Baronet had not been in the' must sufficiently shew, even to the H onoura bl e G en - House when he stated what he considered.satisthc; . tleman by whom he was questioned, th e o bi e d . a t toffy reasons for his , conduct, whenever th e q Ue s tion 1 .which he aimed; but it was impossible f or him to should be before the House,' he should a ga i n r e p ea t those reasons. ' When he had taken up the h os i n „,; • Wtle himself disavn to any specific motion until he he had moved for one volume of .Papers, relative to sribund what; Papers were granted. The nature o f what he considered an inhuman proceeding of the his objeet was, to submit i t Motion to the H ous e, Government of Madras. Other Gentlethen, ' who, 1 .committing the Hou se t o a re p ro b at i on o f t h e E ast wished to defend that Government, had moved for • s s lndia-Corisisany and th e i r S ervants f or t he assump voluminous Papers, to spew that the Governthent of 1 . tion of the Governm en t o f t h e C arnat i c, a trans- Bengal and the Court of Directors were parties to the ale annals. of East, Indian delin q u enc y. He dis his hands ; and here he wished to give.the '.,telion which, in his opinion, w a s never equa ll e d in .' proceeding, and thereby took the proceeding out of, H i m ; Ala any views but th ose .o f su b stant i a l justice,. Barohet warning, that he had a similar interroption_. -I :`,: n ". his duty, and he should ever p to apprehend. Phis ncotirage the discussion of every subjea in which. ,dine to enter loco the. - e sqie-ftiblic character was implicated. H e d we lt at consideration of the subject; he should therefere . . morel strive length on ilia unhappy state of the late Nabob y repeat , that whenever the question shout .: , -;br'the Carnatic, who had been thrown into a be brought forward, it should have ' his zealous - , dungeon, and:which he never left alive, support. . . . 'Sir A. WELLE Nabob SLEY denied that the had ever been confined, or that his death wa s to be at , Sir'JOHN ANSTRUTHER desired to be in formed by the Hon. Baronet what part he Meant to tributed . to any bUt natural means. pursue in- the ' event of his 'motion being: granted, Sir T. TuaToN explained. He never meant to against whcim he meant to'proeeed, and What was insinuate that the death of the Nabob was to be the object of his motion ? Many charges had been , attributed to any but natural means.- He main urged in the course of last Session against the Noble , ' tamed, l\lrr .. is !. I.TH I oLLßvetteAts-i said repeated would ae ‘htveed.lliasdfi words. r m been co n i v i i t Et T i r o i n s o t t l i e l d a : Marquis, his Friend,'. but this had - not. been one of : winch the Papers ° wo'uld confirm. N them. He wished the Honourable* baronet,. there . . the young Prince alluded to had not died a' Ira fore, to state whether his accusation was to be,. di reaed -against the 'Noble . .I\flareuis, against Earl : Powis, or aga;list the Board; of Controur? The con- rural death. In saying this,. h e did ,riot mein to . duet of the two fbrmer had been approved of - by their 'throw. the slightest imputation on the M 1 arqui S . Superiors, and if such a proceeding. as :this were: to : Wellesley, . . . be encouraged, the situation of Public Officers ' After some .observations from the Hon oura ble . . - abroad would be rendered peculiarly etnbarrassing. 'W POLE and Mr. W. KEENE, the m o ti on was The transactions in the Carnatic had been approved agree d to. of by the Board . of. Controul, and acted upon by the ,The Irish Sugat Drawback Bill was re a d a thi r d Court of Direelora, and• ought not; therefOre, after time s , and passed. . . abe,Dublin Paving Bill passed through a C orr y a lapse of time, to be made a subject of inqi:ii- • . ry with respet .a to the Executive Officers. , `W'h'en,hrit h 7 ' . tees; the report was ordered to be receiv e d to ever charges of that 'description Were to• be brought . • Jgogo. t''',:)“ r,',o 2 )4 . .. aI B B L'ilT gave notice, that he would to-mor forward,- they should not be suffered. to lie over fort seven or eight years. w e in .the Committee on the Slave Trade Abolition Hr. CHARLES.. GRANT, on general principles, Bill, propose a clause of compenSation. He, how was a friend to inquiry. That House was the last ever, abandoned his intention. on the Speaker's de resort for the complaints of British India. - But he claring that the proposition -must first be considered had a more particular reason for wishing for the in- by a COmmittee of the whole HoUse s and that, as quiry, because of the share the Court of Dire6tors it related to a grant of public money; even that step had in it; and here he begged to deny that the ' eould.not be taken without the ,recommendation of Court of Direaors had ever either recommended .: the Crown. pr approved the transactions in the Carnatic. He ! Mr. HIBDERT afterwards gave notice, that, he regretted that the inquiry had been so long deferred ; N:vOuldte-tnorrow move for a Committee to consid er but he thought' the matter ought to lie .investis 'of a c lause of compensation, and that he would th e n gated.- He always was of opinion that that House consult his Ma j est y 's Ministers on th e subjeCt ' . ' and was the prcper guardian of the affhirs and interests jhe Irish Excise Inland Duty Bill, the Pel of India. ' • • . ;.. ham HouSe Bill, were read a2d time, and ordered Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER expl a i ne d. , to be committed to-morrow. Sir. ARTHUR 'WELLESLEY was disposed to I\elr. HorixonsE brought up the Reports o f th e P Sierra Bill, and the South Sea Bill ; which', pursue' the same line he adopted last Session ; and were agreed tos The former wasordered-to be read was,' therefore, willing to acced e t o e very Motion for Papers that could enable the House to decide athird time on Wednesday, the latt e r to-morrow, upon the whole case : neither would any friend of Adjourned: his Noble Relatibn give any opposition to the produc tion Of such inforMation : but it was his opinion that all the Papers should be te-printed ; and with that view he should feel it his duty to move as well for those omitted •by the Hon. Baronet, as for any others that may be necessary for the. elucidation ; of th e tran sa cti on . He wished the House to consider the situation of his Noble Relation with this Charge hanging six years over him. It appeared by the Papers that the Court of DireCtors had sent out ins struetions to take' possession of the Carnatic at_ the commencement of the war with TippooSultaun,aod not to restore it to the Nabob. It was rather ex traordinary, therefore, that a charge'. should be brought for a transaction -commanded and approved of by the Court of Directors, andsanetioned by His Majesty and by A6t of Mr. ROBERT' THORNTON hoped that Gen tlemen Would form no opinion on the subject till the Papers should be before the House. He thought the attack on the Direaors not made in a candid Manner. . He lamented the lapse of time, but that was not to be charged upon the Hon. Baronet, or upon him. It was not right .far Members of- the Court of Direetors, who were parties, to come for ward in that HOuse to criminate. He fiSlt that it would be desirable that the inquiry should be brought 'to a termination, and should be glad if .the Noble Person should come clean out of it ; but be begged broadly and roundly to state, that neither the Com pany nor the Court OfDireetors had given any . sant:- Lon to the Revolution of the Carnatic. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. ERLANGEN, FEB. 3.—The following Letter is from an ithvartialperson on the troutiers . of Galicia " The affairs which took place within a fortnight preceding the close of Pecember have had various results. From the uoth to. the 24th the French 'were by no means Successful ; their passage over the Bug and the - Narew proved very difficult; . in some places they Were partly , repulsed ; and even where they suc ceeded, they sustained a great loss of men. on the 24th -a French corps was actually compelled to re passthe Narew, and was pursued nearly as far as Jtthlonna and Tarehomin. In the night between the 24th and 25th, another French corps advanced and passed. the Narew, 'near Sierock, and drove back:the Rus,ians; but they fell into a rlior , tas, where they could neither advance nor act. Here they were at tacked by 'a part of Gen. BENNINGSEN'S corps, and obliged to give way. On the same day they were rather more fortunate in other parts of the country, ,where they made a number of prisoners. On the 25th ,and tt . ith the French were mere concentrated, Bos4PAHTE put himself at their head; when, after variduS,Charges, the litissians were obliged to give way,-:hoth. Sides losing a great number of men, in killed; 'Wounded, and prisoners, among whom were many Generals, and other Officers. At first, it was reported that Gen. KAMIXSKOI was among the numb&—but it proved to he one of his relatives, why had received a siv4. l 7e contusion on the head.—