The Sun. — London, England, 1807-03-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF PEERS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. The House rnerat half past ten in the Morning, vhen-the Royal 'Assent was given by Commission , to the Slave Trade Abolition Bill, the - Irish Li icence Bill, the Thanes' Police Bill, and two Private Bills.' The Commissioners were the Loan (2H ANCELLOR, 'ords HOI4AND and'AUdifLAND., The House then adjourned, and met again a quar ter before four. Earl BATHURST took the Oaths and ,his Seat. In the Appeal, " Fordyce v. Gordon, Bart." Mr. ADAM was heard for the Respondent, and Mr. A4E;(ANDER . in repry.—Fortlier consideration to= dorrow. Mr. Hobliouse,, Mr. Lygon, and several Mem bers of the House of Commons, brought bp the 'Royal Family Annuity Bill, the Coffee Warehousing Bill,' and , a private' Bill ; which were read a first• time. Lord AUCKLAND said a few words in a low tone d voice, which we could not distithly hear. We understood his Lordship to give notice of his inten tion to make a motion after the Recess. CHANCF OF ADMINISTi:ATION. Lord GRENVILLE (who sat with his friends on the Opposition Side of the House) gave notice, that to-morrow, On, the motion of adjournment for the Recess, he l ibOuld state such explanations as he deeM ed consistent with his duty. to-his , Country and to himself; respeaing the circumstances which had led to the present situation of publioaffairs, and of the Country. ADMINISTRATION OF iusocE IN SCOTLAND. Lord GItENVILLE Moved. the 'Order . of the Day for a Committee on the Scotch Judicature Bill. The House having resolved itself into a-Commit tee, Lord G!IENVILLE moved several Amendiments in that part of it which related to the Chambers of the Court of Session and to the Court of Review. He had, no obje6tion, if it was thought necessary, to the introdu&ion of Clauses enaCting that the persons to be so appointed . should have all the requisite qualifi cations. ' • ' After a few observations from Lord ELDON and Lord GiteNVILL2, in explanation, the Amendments proposed by the latter Noble Lord were agrieed In the progress of the Bill, .Lord GLENvuti'stated, that upon further considerati6n, it had beerrthought inexpedient to prohibit altogether Appeals from In terlocutors ; . :and therefore he proposed to give a power to the Court of Review to receive Appeals from Interlocutors, and also on receiving an Appeal from final judgment to call for all the interlocutors in the cause. . - An Amendment was adopted to this eftea, and the first part of the Bill, relating to , the Chambers of the Court of Session and the Court of Review having been separated from the rest„ the House resumed, and the Report was ordered to bit received to-tnorrow. Lord ELDON moved for the Appointment of a Com mittee to inquire where the Judges of the Court of Session should be placed during their attendance on the House, and to search for precedents , &c. His reason for moving this was, that the Judges of the Court of Session claimed the right of sitting within the bar, they having formed part of the Council of the Parliament of Scotland. After some conversation between Lord Grenville, the Duke of Montrose, Lord Holland, the Earl of Lauderdale, Lords Eldon and Kinnaird, the ['notion was agreed to. The Committee to meet to-morrow. A conversation took place on , the third reading of the Fife Road Bill between the Earls of Morton and Rosslvn and the Duke of Montrose, on a motion maile.by the Earl of Morton to leave out a part of the Bill which rendered the decisions of the Quarter Ses sionS final : the House divided. • For the Original Clause standing part of the Bill, 18-- 7 Against it, 2---Majority, 16. Adjourned till to-morrow (this clay). HOUSE 'OF COMMONS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. Mr. BATHVItST reported from the Newry Com .mittee, that pursuant to the provisions of the Act they had issued a Commission to take evidence in Ireland ; after which they adjourned, as the law di re&s. The Report was given in at the. table„ and, in coulequence of some special 'Matter contained tberein,.which we.could not colle6t, the.Committee obtained leave to adjourn, until they should be re assembled by the Speaker's warrant. Lord G. H. CA V EN:M*6I4 reported from the Com mittee appointed to determine the merits of the Pe, tition complaining of the Lanerk Election, th:it Char:es Ross, the sitting Member, had -beenduly . elected, and that'the Petition was not frivolous nor Vexatious.. A new Writ was ordered, on the •Motion of Mr. LONG, for the Eledion of a Member for the Bo rough of Plympton, in the room of Lord Castle reagh, mik), since his' eledion, had accepted the Office of one of his Majesty's Principal . Secretaries of State. • A new Writ was also.ordered for the EleiStion- -tyf $ Member for the Borough of Newtown, in the Isle of Wight, :in .the room of the Right Hon. 'George Canning, who, since his eleolion, had accepted the office of one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State. . , 'Lord HOTUCK, understanding that the adjourn- Meat for the holidays was to be moved to-morrow, Was desirous of submitting the exPlanatiOn he' ad promised on a former occasion to the House, before it should separate for the recess. As lie had . rnow permission to give that explanation•tO the House, he took that opportunity of giving notice that he should tb-morrow give the eXplanation he had be fore promised. Sir JAMES PULTENEY put off the Motion of which he had given notice for this day, relative to , the Defence of the Country, to Monday fortnight. . The Order for taking the Aberdeenshire Petition into consideration to-morrow was discharged, on the motion of Lord Howicx, and fixed for Tues day, the 21st of April ; and on the motion of Mr. RUSE, the consideration of the Edinburgh Petition was put off from to-morrow to Thursday the 16th day of April. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY obtained leave.to bring in a Bill for making the Freehold Estates . . of persons bable to the iLarupt . Laws; who might die indcbt- . ed, assets for the pay-meA ttf their simple contraA debts. IRISH BUDGET. Sir Jortar NEWPORT Mk/Millle Order of the Tay for the HO'use going into a Coinmittee-Of Ways and Mealls,' for . iranting a supply to his Majesty. ..The House went into a Committee accordingly; MT. HOBHOUSE in the Chair. • Str.loll.lV NEWPORT said, that arduous'as be felt the duty inip6se4 upon, him, he was not the less . ready to fulfil it, in calling the attention of the Com mittee 10 the points he proposed to submit to them, on the subje& of Irish Finances. And here he. must begin with recapitulating the state of the Irish Supply for 1807, which are as follows IRISH SUPPLY FOR 1807. Interest, Sinking Fund, Management on the Debt in England and Ireland, as it stood on sth fa.: • I • nuary, 1807 - - • kz,t86,554 Unfunded Debt, liable to be demanded, but not probable, being out-standing Lottery Prizes, Old Treasury Bills, long since due, &c. - 3,7,000 Fot Inland Navigation (suppose) • - - • t00,,00 2-17ths of Contribution Account, 5,545,6771. Bri-' . tish. „ - . 60°7,816 Interest and Sinking Fund on Two Millions Bri tish, borrowed as part of English Loan, at about 61. ss. 6d. British per Cent. - - - 141,916 Ditto, on 1,500 ' 0001. British separate Lean, In- Stalments to be paid in . Ireland, at 61. Bs. sd. British - tos,olio Ditto, on Treasury 13114 issued to Bank of Ireland, at most - 4:7„000 X 9.561,286 With regard to the separate L6an of 1,500;0•001. British money, which had been recently negotiated . with individuals in this country, he had to observe, that it had been contrafted for at a rate somewhat .:exceeding Is, 94. per cent. more than the preced ing Loan of the last year. The rqason for .making this separate Loan arose out of the , circulmtanee that it had been his object, that as this million and - a half would be wanted for the imme diate service .of Ireland, he therefore feti anxious `that the money should be in the-Bank of Ireland, without the Irish Government being " obliged to sustain the inconvenience of the Bank of Ireland beirig•obliged to draw Money at an exchange in a Way unfavourable ' however, the terms which w er e - proposed by 'the Gentlemen who first' bid - for the Load, not admitting of an agreement being made, he was therefore under the necessity of resorting to the former system, and of offering the'Loan for Ireland to the Gentlemen who.had,contra6ted for the English Loan, and, to form,this agreement at an advance of about Is. 9d. ; Thus the Irish Supply for 1807, it would appear, amounted,to the sum of 9,561,2861. He then proceeded to state the amount of the produce of The additional Taxes and Regulations, at 300,0001. viz. • One-third of the increase on Distilleries, in part ' of the produce of Tax'es for the, year iSoj - Z tze,ooo Drawbacks of iCi per Cent. taken away - - 80 000 Duty on• Hats, levied at Custom-house, and pass. ing from inanufaClurcr to retailer - . 5,043 House Tax, on new model - - - - :Z o ioor) Hearths augmentation, taunting Cars, Horses, Ser vants, and new regulation of - Collection in that Departinent Paper, by regulation, and rating Vats as well as Engines • - - - - Customs, Vinegar, Timber, Dye Stull; &c. Auctions, new regulation of Duties - - Stamps, some additional Duties, and much Regu ' lation WAYS AND MEANS. - 40,000 S,ocio lu,ooo S,OOO 10,000 k 3 0 )000 He would next proceed to state the Ways and Means-for the year. Revenue taken at same rate as last year . - • ‘3. 38 2,790 Surplus of Consolidated Fund on sth fan. 18°7 SOOOOO From Grand Canal Company, for Treasury Bills paid oil' - - . _ - ! 10 54 Irish Proportion of Lotteries for 1807 - - 14 9,543 On Treasury Bills from Bank of Ireland - 11,000, 000 New Taxes, and Produce of Additional Regulations 300 000 Loan, 3,j0e,0001. British - - - 3,79 t,666 9,655,093 9661,2u6 Leaving a Surplus above the Supplies of - ‘ 12 3,807 He would now proceed to submit to the Committee the-State of the Revenue of Ireland, for the . past And current year, as far as the Accounts could be made up. With regard to the a&ual produce of th e Revenue, be 110 the . SatisfaLaion to state to the Committee, that it had, during the respetaive guar- . tors of the last year, been gradually increasing to the amount of upwards of 400;0001. for the year; notwithstanding the;Sugar Duty Bill had not then had its full died.. TheDatieS" 'on Customs, indeed,: had somewhat decreased dutiQg the last year, which ! was occasioned, by some of the older duties falling, off; and 'other incidental causes ; but the Duties on . Exports to foreign.CountrieS . had increased above one. third beyonll last year. Revenue colleaed january,f4flc6: - - ,C 3,364,136 Estimated predud of Intifier Taxes not collect edloo,ooo Taxes laid en in Session i8(.6, with produa Uf a's=4''36 Restilatlon, taken at 300 000 3,82403 6 Adual Projucc of Revenue, to January, 1807 3,846,88/ 22,745 Thus it appears that . the Excise -of 1806 bad in creased over that of 1805, 154,7 421 . and that the increase in tbe.Christaas quarter, 1806, as compared with the Christmas, quarter, 1805, amounted t o 65,6001. 'whiCh was m or e than one,third o f th e increase in the preceding July quarter. But the prosped for the present year was still more satis faaory. Payments of Revenue in Branches of Customs, Excise, and Stamps, from January 5, to Mardi 9, tBo7, amounted to—Customs and Excise - ,C 683,700 Stamps IIi,o:o 794000 Te stri&est measures had. been adopted in order to secure the outstanding haltmves in the , bands of the Collectors, so as to suffer as little loss as pos sible to the Revenue. With a view to the farther reduetion of expences, he had also submitted to the House, in the course 'of the present Session, a Bill for the regulation and abolition of offices in the revenue department in ~ H.land, sixty-tbur .in wan,- ber ; of which number thirty-eight were to be en tirely abolished on the deaths of the present pos sessors. Orders had also been issued, to carry into effe6.l the recommendations of the Commissioners of Inquiry ; and he trusted that, upon the whole sur vey, it ,would be found that his Majesty's Govern ment in Ireland - had not been detia7i;mt in- their duty towards the 'public ; and he Could not but be sat'- pine, -that, with proper care, the Irish ;mune 'would stilt continue to • flourish inerease. He • would now proceed to point out the presentstate of 'trrEtle in Ireland. ; ropolts 18o; . a 6 , - ( 5 82,1 94 %71),5•964 ,C37 6 ) 2 30 C. 3,4 3 6,933 9,314,8i4 STATE 'OF TRADE. - Decrease Exports ISos - rBO6 - • Increase - 877,921 The Rate of Exchange on London had fallen to gi per cent. which was lower than it had been for several years past ; all these circumstances and statements combined, were unequivocal prooth of the growing prosperity ofireland.. . Sir Joing NEWPORT then concluded with moving the following Resolutions : " That, towards raising the Supply granted to His Majes ty, the sum of t,500,0001. British currency, be raised by way, of Annuities for the Service of Ireland; • " That it was: the opinion of the Committee that 'every Contributor to said Loan should, for every tool: sterling sub- . scribed, receive 1601. tzs. rrAt. 013 per Cent.'Consols, and the usual discount to be allowed upon . the several instal ments ; also, that the duties, drawbacks, anti botinties, on the exportation and importation of certain gopds, wines,'auct merchandize, to and from- Ir e l an d, cease ; and that pater du ties, on the following articles, be paid in lieu thereof ; " That there be charged on every pound weight of hops, • one-penny farthing, I rills currency ; on every bushel o'f•winte salt, imported fromany part of Great Britain to Ireland, as, Irish currency; on everylon of tock salt; imported into Ire land, the produce of Great Britain, ;I. Irish currency ; upon every ton of coals, the produce of Great Britain, imported into Ireland, is. od. Irish currency." These. Resolutions were severally agreed 19 . , ,and the House being resumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow, DISTURBANCES IN INDIA. Sir PHILIP FRANCIS, aware of the. interest ing and important business that was to come on, should not' offer himself t o th e House, if he was not convinced of the very great importance of the. sub feat to which he xi, ished to call the attention of the House. Seeing a Right Hon. Gentleman in his place (Mr. Tierney), he wished to ask him a few questionS respecting the state of 'lndia. He knew not_ wheth er or not that Gentleman w as i n office, but he was the. .only person present to whom he could look for an information. The first question he wished to a s k was, why the Indian Accounts, upon which the India Budget was to be founded, had not yet been laid before the House ? The House would recollea, that three years had elapsed since an India Budget had been brought forward, and-that consequently there was an ,arrear of two years. But that was. not the principal objet of his rising.: he wished to ask whether any advices had been re ceived respe&ing the unfortunate transaaion at Vel: lore, which was not only melancholy in its imthediate effe9te, but dangerous in its probable consequences ? That transaction he looked upon as more dangerous. than a Battle or ten Battles lost. Advices' had . been received in town, ;he did not kndw whe- - ther they were authentic; stating, that the Carnatic, or the provinces adjoining, 'were, in 'consequence. of that transaaion, in such a state as to cause no small disquietude to the Government at Madras, froth which au order had been .sent to Gen: Maitland; to send all the European troops WhiCh he had with him at Ceylon to that Presidency. He wished to know, therefore, whether Government or the East India Dire&orS had received any Dispatches on the subjeEt ? If the information were true, it would go to the very ciistence of our power in India. He had determined not to be forward with respect to India alnirs, but this was a British question-, just as much as a Rebel s lion in Ireland would not be an IriSh qtiestion solely, but a British question. The Hon. Gentle Ma - was proceeding, when , called to order by Mr: HUSKISSON, who thought it irregular for any. Honourable Member, when he rose to put questions, to enter into any discussion on the subject to which they related. THE SPEAKER did not hear the Call to Order with surprise, as the Honourable Member had certainly been pursuing a course which was contrary to the established usage of the House to permit. Sir - PHILIP FRANCIS had intended only to justify himself for bringing the subjeuSt under the conSidera= tion of the House; he had therefore nothing further to say, .but to ask for some answer to his questions. Mr. TIERNEY was ready to give the Hon.. Mem ber ever information in his power. With respect to his first question he had only to say, that no ac counts had been received froth India, and the Budget could not be brought forward until they should be received. He might ask ' that Hon. Member in his . turn, how the .Budget could be brought forward at so early a period of the Session, if the accounts had " not beenyeceiVed by the Oaoher ships ? One year's accounts were ready to be produced to the .How.e, but he, had thought it' but fair and candid to leave the whole of the 'business to the discretion of those who were *to succeed . him. He was cer - taro there were no accounts in • this Country ..that would give the Honourable Gentleman the information he sought for. With respeCt to the second question of the Honourable Gentleman, and the subject -of the melancholy business at Vellore, he could inform him that ther6 were , sufficient Papers at the India House to form a judg ,ment upon that subject. • If• the HO.. Gentlemen wished for the information, he might make a Motion upon the.subje&, and then it would be to be consi dered how far such a Motion could be complied with consistently with the public interest. As to the question of the Hon. Gentleman, he was happy to state to the •Hon. Gentleman, that the privae inthr matton, respecting an application having been made . by the Government of Madras, for all the European troops at Ceylon, was. incorrect. An application had - been made by an individu2il Officer in the South of the Peninsula, who found himself in a situation of difficulty, for a small force, to the Governor of Cey lon, and General Maitland, with that zealwhich he •on every occasion displays iii the service, had thought 'it right to communicate the circumstance. But no Dispatches had been received on .the subjea— Enough of 'Papers, however, had been received with respeiA to the unfortunate business at Vellore.. MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS TO HIS MAIESTY - AGAINST GRANTING PLACES FOR LI,FL. Mr. HENRY MARTIN rose, pursuant to his notice, to submit his Motion to the House.; and he had to regret that this task had rot fallen into abler bads than his. He felt that he had little claim to the con,ideration of the House, and trusted that some Gentleman of greater talents would,come for ward to support the question which he looked upon it as his duty to bring niiderithe consideration of the .PrrittSe: But before he should enter into the grounds Of bi'eMetiOn, prof the propriety of bringing it forward, he Wished to clear away every suspicion that he was aetcated by any motive of hostility towardS t he Right Hon, Gentleman who was the object of it. With that Gentlemap he had the pleasure and the honour of, being long aciprainted, and he entertained the highest 'resped for his abilities and charaCter. Much afs'he 'was- attached to the honourable persons who 'Composed ,his Majesty's late Admioistration, he could assureehe House, that,in bringing forward this motion he Wes a6tuated by no party motive.— ,He - wishedalisi'tteshew, that he was not doing any 'thingthat would trench upon the prerogative of the Ottewn: Frorri the year 1660 'to the present time there appeared bet two inStatices in which the office of Chan cellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, to which hi; es t ee m particularly applied, had been granted for life: The result of the inquiry which he had been able to make was, that it had not in any other instance been grant .ed for life within that period of one hundred and forty-seyen years. This would satisfy the House that his mOtion for an Address-, that his Majestii would be graciotisly pleased to grant this place ac= cording to the usual practice, would not interfere svith s the Royal Prerogative. The first-instance in which it had been granted for life was, in 1717, when it had been granted to a Noble Lord who had fora look time filled the office of Attorney-Ge neral. He shOuld establish the differencebetween the cases. In that instance, the person had been raised to the Peerage when all the avenues to hiS profession were shut ageinst him, and it was thought right to give 'hire .some provision for life in reward for ,his services. The next instance was in teeie, when the Place of Chancellor of the Duchy of Laiicaster had been granted for life to Lord Ashburton. 'He was anxious 'to state .all that he had been able to find on the subjeet. Gentlemen must not suppose him ignorant of the cases that bore upon his motion.— But under what circumstances had that Noble Lord received this office ? He had filled the office of Soli citor General; had been long at the head of hiS pro fession; and had,distinguished himself in that House as much as the 'opposite, but in a far different manner: - He had distinguished himself in the'support of the rights . ofthepeopie, and of the authority of Parliament, in which way he bad never heard of the Learned Gentleman havingdistiogeished himself. That Noble Lord having got e- Peerage, when all the law offices^. were full s it had been thought right by the .persons with whom he had acted in Parliament, to , give him the Chancellorship of the Deadly of Lancaster 'for life. But it had not been granted to him to induce'him to accept another office of honour and, emolument. 7 It was greeted - for services - already performed. These were all the cases that he could find of such a g i ant ; and;there fore, the motion for an Address to his Majesty, to make the grant in- the usual lanner, co u ld not in terfere with the prerogative'; -and-there was a pr'e cedent-of an Address, the same in substance, though not in. form, with that which he proposed to moi That Address had been Voted 'on the' 23d of December,. 11.83, on the occasion-of a ru mour that-it was in his Majesty's contemplation to grant. this place for life, or for any other term than - during pleasure, up to a particular period. He was aware of the difference between that Resolution and the Motion he intended to make, but at that time a report was expeCled from the Committee of Offices and Accounts, which might - re&)mtnend the abolition or modification, of the office. He was not, however; so wedded to the terms of his Motion, as not to consent to medif) it in any manner that the House might think proper. He did not know whether the Committee at present inquiring into what of fices ought to be abolished or regulated, might rot be of the same opinion as Mr. Burke, that this cf.. five ought to be altogether abolished. But he did think that.it Would become a question in that Com mittee, how the grant of places for life ,was a griev ance. For his part he looked upon such grants as equally grievences with the grants in reversion, and was Of opinion s that no person should grant places except during his own life, Unless for distinguished services. In such cases, he would adinit the pro priety of. grants for life, as a remuneration for the services performed. But the Honourable and 'Learned :Gentleman was to have another situation, which was in itself a plaCe of great honour and emolument, and therefore could have no claim to the grant for life of such an office as that of the Chan cellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster. 'Were the Gentlemen who were to become his Majesty's Mi nisters to be tempted by such means, to accept Of fices, which were generally objects 'of honourable ambition He did not mean to confine his Motion to the particular case, but'rested it upori general prin ciples, to extend to all sugh otlices pending the extst enee of that Committee, from whose-labours he was convinced the House and the public service would derive so- much benefit. His motion would not, at all - events, be liableto the objection made to a Resolution :moved yesterday by the Chairman of - the Committee, and recommended by the Conunittee, that it was an innovation, because in the course of one hundred and forty-seven years there appeared but two instances hievhich the 'place had been granted for life. An Address 'had also been voted of a similar nature on a former occasion, with which his Majesty had com plied, and had been graciously pleased to reply that he would not grant the office for 'life, and he had ne? . ei since so granted It might be said that he bad taken the House by surprise. It ill became him to speak'of himself, but every man who'knew must know that he was incapable of taking the House by surprise. The'Motion had arisen out of the dis- cussion yesterday„ and the delay of a few hours might have rendered it nugatory. It might also be asked, why he - had not brought forward the motion u d d er the late Administration ? To this he sbould answe r , • they were incapable of any such proceeding, because they had - Shewn no disposition to grasp at every thinT they could secure, because they had shewn the disin terested principles upon whichthey aaed,by abstaining .froth granting places in reversion. The Hon. Gent. concluded by moving, " That an hUmblekddress be presented to his Majesty, that he would be gracious ly pleased not to grant Che office ofehancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for life, nor any other office at present and .usually held during pleastire." The Hort: Mr. WARD rose to second the Motion, •to which he gave his full and cordial approbation. The Motion tOr the Address to his Majesty was re commended- to the House by every principle of rea- sun, and all the authority of precedent. The precc data shqwed incontestibly that the Motion would '1