The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-03-05 00:00:00

Mr a~ I: HOUSE OF COMMONS ..•••• jeition, than the 'mere naked one, that he should become liable to a civil suit, provided he became not liable to a criminal prosecution. Of this rub, he entertained no doubt whatever ; there could be no difficulty at all in framing a declaratory Ad, founded upon such general rule. The allied of such an , was to declare what the law is ; and, for this, they had the opinion of a great majority of the Judges. It was therefore proper that the law should be declared, that a witness so circumstanced could not aa so demur on the single naked ground of objeCtion he had state I. Such a declaration, of course, could not ineapacitate a witness from demurring upon other grounds, which may be legally admissible ; the principle of tech an Aft would be on the ground, that the witness, when entitled to no other objedlion, was not, upon the single account alluded to, competent, to demur. He did not think it eventu ally appeared, that the question proposed by his Noble and Learned Friend had been too gene rally framed, or even that the explanations of the Learned Judges were unsatisfaaory. Such an AR as he alluded to may be rendered unobjeCtionable, by proper provisions ; he thought the gro u nds which he had stated sufficient foundation for au A& of Parliament. Lord ELDON, in coneequence of some remarks which fell from the Noble and Learned Lord on the NVisolsack, made vitae observations upon part of the opinions delivere I by the Learned Judges, and spoke in explanation with reaped) to some for mer parts of his arguments. He deprecated all hasty decision upon the subjea, and recommended the mat deliberate consideration as to any course of proceetling the House should take. The LORD CHANCELLOR spoke in explana tion. With respea to the proposed Bill, he thought such a measure would be considerably benefited by a proviso framed by his Noble and Leatned Friend ; ' the whole, he seemed to think, nerd not occupy much of their Lordships' time, in the course of its discussion. Lord,. HOLLAND and ELDON severally spoke in explanation. Lord AUCKI.AND stated his opinion, that it •ae proper something should be done, and with as little delay as possits!e, clearly to explain and settle the law upon the cn , jeEt ; and seemed to express a wish, that the Noble and Learned Lord upon the «'o-ilsaek would persist in his intention of coming forwaid on the occasion. The LORI) CHANCELLOR again quitted the Woolsack, a..cl expressed his readiness to undertake that, which appeared to he the desire of many of their lordships; and he doubted not, but with the assistance of his Nnhle and Learned Friend, lie should be able to produce that which would prove satisfaaory to the House. The Order of the Pay, respelling the above ' obsotioned bill. was then discharged; end, on the nation of Lord Holland, a sim.l4r Order made for Friday ; for which clAy their Lordships were ordered to be summoned. Adjout tied till to-morrow. Lotd .1. Townsend and Colonel Beaumont took the oaths and their seats. worri.t.EN TRADE. Mr. WILBERFORCE presented a Petition from the woollen manufaelurers of the county of York, praying for leave to bring in a hill for the regula tion of that trade. He stared, that thottigh the sig natures to it were few in number, yet those repre sented a very numerous body, and may be called the donsestic manufafturers of the country. He wished to apprise the House, that it was a distill& Petition from that presented on the part of the fi nishers. and others ; and, he had to say, in behalf of the Petitioners, that they only wished for the p i;ient attention of Parliament, and would then be c.mtent with any measures the Legislature, in its wisdom, might think proper to adopt.—Ordered to he on the table. Mr. MOORE then presented a Petition, signed by between 5 and 6,000 Waoilen Manufafturets of York and Lancaster, and which would have been signed by 50 or 60,c00, ii it had been allow ed to remain for signatures. It complained of various violations of several Mfg of the l.egis!ature; and had, he said, been already four times before Patliament. His Majesty's late Ministers had pro mised them redress in the course of the present year, but the change of Administration had, he supposed, rendered their pledge nogatory. He had only fur. ther to state, that the Petition was now brought forward under the authority of office. Earl TEMPLE sail, that this Petition had been submitted to the Privy Council, and by them re igned to the 11.tard of Tiatle. After much and mature deliberation, His Majesty's Ministers were resolved to give every facility in their power to the satisfaCtory regulation of the trade, and therefore meant to propose a temporary suspension of the envies laws, trot for the put pose of setting them aside, bat ht ender to give those hest acquainted with the subjeft, an opportunity of devising And pro posing such measores as may he thought most be arficial. It was the opinion of the Privy Council, final no one NI wotlel he su ffi cient to accomplish i n the acerssaty and JitEcult objects. Mr. H LASCII.I.LES expensed himself mush pleased with what had fallen trom the hiob!e Lord, as he thought there were nn means of settling the irdiereuces betweets the several parties, but by His and Leurimod Friend upon the woolsack, had given bi• • , beet atte.ntion to the stNa.9 ; one thing:how. ever, fell Molt the Noble Lord oppo,ite. on which it was incumbent on hi,n to rent trk ; if the Noble Lord meant a declaratory hill that would produce the lime Ore% upon t r procerditi , 4 to which it te ferred, a, was intended by the indemnity 6:11 now before the House, to such a declaratory bill, s t far oi it should br prortuelive of such an elfed, it was Lis perpose to objeCl upon the same grounds. •I•he LORD CHA.NCELLOII ohserved, that wit 2.) respel to the framing of a declaratory A. he did not perceive these diffictilties, which his Noble and Learned Friend seemed to entertain upon the sub jea I it would be resnllefted, that, including the Noble Lord. a Member of that Home, eight of His Majesty'. Judges,out •f the twelve, had declared their opiniont of the ►aw to he, as a general lute, as he conceived it himself, viz. that a witness had no right to demur on questions relative to the mat ter in issue, when there was no other ground of ob . Majesty's Ministers taking die business into their own hands, upon a large and comprehensive scale. Ile Doubted, however, the effeft of what had been suggested hp the Nohl-!. Lord, as there were ia ex istence a number of obsolete ads, which, since the improvements made in machinery, could he only app!ntahle to such a state . of the manilla:Lure, al could now and no sale in any part of Europe. He hoped that some measure would he adopted in the presentries.ion, as there were certainly very great differences continually subsisting between the mss. ters, the workmen, and the middlemen. Mr. C. BROOKE said, he was so sensible of t !.. necessity of some effeetual regulations, that he was willing to give every assistance in his power towards a revision of all the laves upon the subje.f. Mr. H. LASCELLES wished to submit whether it would not he proper to appoint a Committee for revising the laws relating to the Woollen Manufac ture in general Earl I'EMPLF. replied, that he did not know of any objedtion to it. The SPEAKER thought it might be right to remind them, that the prastice of the House, with the view of convenience, in such cases, was to ap• point a Committee of revision, in preference to bring ing in a number of diEerent bills. The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table; as was also another Petition to the same egret, from the Manufadtuters of Wilts, Lancashire, and Glou cestershire. Lord OSSULSTON gave notice that he would tomatwrow move for an accosnt of the debt of the East India Company in Great Britain. bdr. WM. SMITH presented a Petition from the Merchants trading to Sweden, which had been laid before the Board of Treasury, who approved of its being brought forward. These Gentlemen were, in the year of scarcity in this country, examined before a Committee of the Privy Council, which sat upon that subjedt, and were encouraged to embark in a scheme for importing Swedish Herrings to this court• try, which, it was thought, would afford great assistance is the people of this country. For this, °Nett, they immediately dispatched a vessel to Oct.. teoburg, to make purchases, before the knowledge of the circumstance should reach that country, and. enhance the price of the article. In that unslertak ing they employed an immense capital ; but, owing to the circumstances of the times, arising from the Northern Confederacy, the Ministers of the cis • thought it their duty to impose an embargo oa vessels bound to the ports of the Baltic ; and, as a similar measure was taken in Russia, Sweden, and the other Northern Countries, all intercourse was stopped ; and though the Petitioners used such means , as were in their power to bring the herrings to this country, and male all the advantage they could of them, yet, owing to the circumstances alluded to, they were losers, by the speculation, to the amount of 3:5,0001. The Petition was ordered to be referred to a Committee. Mr. Johnson, from the Chief Secretary's Office, in Ireland. pursuant to OrJer, presented an Ac count of the Kimber of Writ', acc. issued from the Courts of Law in that Country.—Ordered to lie on the table. Loan COLLINGWOOITS ANNUITY The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of the Day for the further tenni deration of Lord Coßingwood'. Annuity ; which being agreed to, he said, that the circumstances of Lord Collingerood's family made it necessary to re vise what ha I been before proposed, and he had it in command from His Majesty to recommend that revision. He then moved, that it should be recom mitted for Friday nest ; which was agreed to. His Lordship nest m o ved, that the House should to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee to con sider of the circumstances of Lord Cullingwood's family ; which was agreed to. The foreign soldiers' enlistment bill was read a second Lune, and committed for to-morrow. IMPEACHMENT OF LOID VISCOUNT MELVILLE. --- Mr. WHITBREAD, in pursuance of the notice he had given, rose to state to the House, that the Committee appointed to prepare articles of im peachment against Henry Lord Viscount Melville, bad, in the progress of its enquiries, made many new and important discoveries ; in consequence of which, he moved, that the Committee should have leave to report such further information as came to their knowledze ; which being agreed to, he imme diately brought up the Report. It stated, amongst a mass of detailed and complicated matter, that since the articles, which were already submitted to the Nouse, the Committee proceeeded in its investi gation ; the result of which pointed out to them the necessity of preferring an additional article or ar ticles of impeachment against that Nobleman. It then went on to state, that in Lord Melville's first treasurership, and before Mr. Trotter held his late situation, he, in January. 1;86, appointed Mr. Doug las paymaster of the navy. The Committee wishing to examine into the transauflions of that period, found that a considerable number of the accounts remained in the hands of Mr. Douglas's widow ; from looking into which, it appeared, that en the 20th of Oanber, when Lord Melville first received the Office of Treasurer, he appointed Mr. Douglas his Paymaster; who the neat day paid 10001. into the hands of Mr. Drummond. Lord Melville's private banker, on his Lordship's account. It then went on to state, that Douglas deposited various sums, to the amount of 10,5001. in an iron chest, for which he received Lord Melville's receipts, and received a discount. The sums, the dates, and the names of the persons by whom they were paid, were then enumerated, together with the best account the Committee Could collect of the manner in which they were applied. horn the rapid manner in which the report was read by the Clerk, it would be impossible to state the details with any degree of precision ; but the general result seemed'to be, that on the Sth of April, 1791, Lord Melville had applied different sums to the amount of 23,0001. and upwards, to his private purposes, but by subsequent payments had teduced it to 7.6(10t. of which the Committee could not find any traces of repayment. The teport being ordered to lie on the talele, and to be printed, together with its Appendix, Mr. WHITBREAD, then, thinking it necessary that no time should ba lost in proceeding to isiut on this hu•iness, said, that lw was informed the report wou!d be printed to-muaow, and gave notice that !le en* ffsmorrow, frame for its beirit taint intd consideration cn nista)! neat. Earl TEmeLk, in movift the OrJ-r of the Day for tilting into cOnsiderAtion the to'ffi of al lowing Wool to he imported into the Cloned King dom from the British Colonies ill America, wished to observe to the Horse, that the importatioa of this Article was already allowed from t..e ilaie.ed States of America, from Spain, and other c .untries, and that what he now proposed was tin mars titan an extension of it to our own colca.i.2s. _ Nil. HARR ISON v i shed that die provisions of the Bill should be confined to a Ir-iited time ; to which Lord TEMPLE replied, that he could have no material objeOion. The Resolution to that etrea was then :weed to ; and a Bill ordered to he brought in upon it. The Marine Mutiuy Bill went through a Com mittee, and WAS ordered to be committed tomor row. The Reports of the Committees of Supply and K'ay s and Means were agreed to, and Bills ordered to be brought in upon the latter. Adinirned till to-morrow. coPr OF .1 BILL PRESZNTED RY EARL STANHOPE, AND READ A FIRST TINE, IN THE 'tout' or LORDS, LAST SATURDAY listituted, "Au AA for the more rtfeAual Discovery of Truth from Witnesses." Far the more eff.ctual discovery of truth from Winnow, be it enatied, and it is hereby enacted by the King's Must k:rcwi_ lent Nlajesty, by mid with the advice sand comer[ of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in 0118 present Pa::iainent assembled, and by the authority of the same, that, from and after the passing of this Act, whenever any perom sha'l have 'aeon examined as a Witness noon oath, 10 ups.' hrs nr her solemn affirmation (as the case may be), either any Court whatsoever, or bets c any Megisti ate or Qtly per sin authorized by law to tender such oath ur affirmation, the evidence which shill have been given by such pecan, shall not, under any pretence whatsoever, be prielueed against him ur her, in any criminal pismocutioti, or in any action, suit, sir process, in any Court of Law or Equity, or otherwise how soever, except only in the cam of a criminal prosecution living !nought against hue or Mee fee lime Criltle of wilful Mill curl upt perjury, on account of the evidence so given. THE BRITISH PRESS.- LONDON, WEDNESDAY, M•IICH 5. Mr. WiIITIREAD, last night, in the House of Commons, presented a Report fi am the Con:tnittee for managing Viscount MLivit Les Impeachment, stating the necessity of an additional article of charge, upon the ground, that they had di.covered that, on the sth of April, 1 793,Viscount M 1. a had applied different sums, to the amount of 23,0001. and upwards, to his private purposes ; but by sub sequent payments had reduced it to 7,6001. of which the Committee could not find any traces of repayment. A letter from the ir in Madras /arley, , _ Roads, states that Hut t was in such considerable force, it was ,thought advisable to send the troops which went out on board that vessel, and the other India men, arrived at Madras, to be landed at the port nearest to the theatre of his operations. The ;Farley, and the other ships hound to Prince of \Vales's bland, had sailed from Madras for that place. The A 5.1 for the suspension of the Habeas Corpou in Ireland expired yesterday, and we can positively state, that it is not the intention of Government to revive it. A Dublin Paper of the 28th contains the following article, which we have reason to be lieve truly discloses the system of policy which the new Ministry mean to pursue with resped to that country: " Lord SnaterssuaY, the Premier Earl of Eng land, and chief in rank amongst the Catholics of the Empire, with becoming 2n/device and spirit, took an early opportunity, after the new Ministerial Arrangements were completed, of desiring, for himself and Mr. Scuate (another member of the late Deputation from Ireland), a conference with Mr. Secretary Fox upon the subject of the Catholic claims. 'lie Minister readily complied, and, in the course of a free conversation, stated to them various considerations, to recommend that the Catholic Petitions should be deferred for the present. He rested this recommendation chiefly upon the pub lic prejudices uhich prevail in England, and which have been, of late, widely and adively diffused. He said, that though the Ministry have not any legislative relief in their immediate contemplation, the Catholics of Ireland may be assured of a just and equitable spirit in the new executive depart-. ment—the existing laws in their favour shall be faithfully executed in all respells, and especially in the army—that the tone of puSlic officers shall be more liberal, and the administration of justice such, as to ensure equal prot•.9ion to all, without distinc tion of sea or party—that the relief and improve. ment of the lower classes shall be particularly at tended to—and, finally, that the high and honour. able persons, about to assume the government of Ireland, are stedfastly attached to this system, and sincerely inclined to promote the general prosperity. by the rtio.t conciliating and beneficent measures. He repeated his cordial good wishes towards the Catholics, and trusted, that they would perceive the propriety of deferring their Petitions. " Lord SURLMSOCIT and Mr. SCULLY replied, that they could not presume to anticipate the detc. minatioti df that great Body explicitness of his declaration, The ho,tiiity of the Dui (Hon is easily accounted . mi:a.iure, a Printer in Ireland works of every description, The Irish Printer being thus of the copyright, and labour cheaper in Ireland than in r cu:n,rances operated strong' in Ireland, and a consequent The Union, by securing his . lish Printer, took the principal away ; and, of course, tended sumpti Is of paper in Ireland. were to be indemnified for , portation of their paper into large quantity was lately sent irregularity in the marking sir pelt of it was seized by ficers, and is now in their have deputed a committee , case to Government, and take but the result of their application It is not yet decided who to the Cape of Good I that General S: mcos, who St. Domingo, goses now Chief of that Settlement. Sir DAVID BA IRD,it is said, As Commander-in-Chief, rice comes home with an immense ally six Irish Members Opposition upon Mr. S. STA. House of Commons, on Moods , FOSTER, Mr. C•NNINO, Mr, M. LOMOEILI.D, Mr. W. STEWART. Yesterday,the Loa° MA Bread to be continued at I 1, A Court of Common Cow Friday next, for the tlisparch On Saturday last, the first giment of Dragoon Guards, from Birmingham ;and their route for Dirchebter, by the remaining divisions tarday. The 6:h, or Innit,l6lling the New Barracks, at Lewes, orders; and will, in a row di route for Ipswich. They are Lewes, by the 6th Dragoon I ExtraEt of a letter from St. -" The Nay, one of the , Cork, on the 12th of Decemi ships, arrived at Antigua - been dispersed, four days part of the Brest dee." The Co/uted/o. GIMP( ' . York, was totally lost, near 4th of January. The Betsey, Kew' ; the the diverts, May Rica, from _ Seas, were well at the Gallapigos I I ih of „September last. Lieut.-General Nuoit Commander-in-Chief in Jamaica, in Engl .nd, after having put ,! respectable footing, and the c..mplete state of defence. 17 family are now on a visit at the seat of ions °sooner, ! The Earl of St. Vista Monday afternoon from his •,r, and yesterday set of Ludship will hoist his flag expeaed to proceed to sea to-mono. Letters are said to be reeeiv.' Indies, stating Admiral Do blocked up the French squadron of, in the island of Islartiniqr- The Citizens of frentnn, York, lately gave a grand city. Among the toasts drank .‘ c 0... hltOre aura wan fareign oat then Lie sword, and be the distance By Mr. CHARLES EWEN, " May Great Britain be speedily requ red to ritbdia• sham plea tortoise n it. ce of trial." By the second Vice-President, • May the American stare never ma in the 0, By the President, • Neutral rights. Modern 4.cted;rat'ons cannot r' We have much pleasure in contradini, in an English paper (7'4e Traretier), of t. of the Nelson, Captain II t.v, from this London. That vessel was obliged to put terford, after experiencing very severe ws was yesterday riding securely at anchor, at point, in that harbour. (Cork MeantBk C4r. Pd. 26.) The First or Royal Regiment of Dragoons, or; mantled by Lieutenant-General Gager is, commvoi .. their march on the 28th of February. in live doe lions, from their quarters at Norwich, Ipswicllrsai Woodbridge, on their way to Scotland. This 6 and well-disciplined regiment, consisting of troops, fully complete in men and horses. Is slt. posed to be destined f or D u bli n , i n t he courica the summer, in compliment to the new Vieero7. Captain WILLIAM Daunt', of His Majest's slur Dr,ke, died on the Jamaica station. on , the Si nd . 08otser, after a short illness, of the fever raw to that climate. He was son of Rear-. diana DR I'll*. On account of the great mortality in the W Indin,and three General Officers having lately losa i captured on their pas.age thither, several Gen' ll Offic-rs are immediately to proceed to that gam, where nu:- affairs might o:hersvise be in 4 My tical situation, should the French succeed in serials/ out another expedition. In the Court of Exchequer, in Dublin, on the 2: 11 , lust, Miss M a Foicruse obtained a Vcid.cl ol I ,suol. damages, in an 40ion for breach or prornoa marriage against JOHN CONNOLLY, Esq. 11s Plaintiff is the daughter of a relienahle fruit-Sr at Criapvl.zocl, near Datilin, with tiool. formic, taa Defendant a yowl geaileman of 0001. a-year. lodY thanked hie ration, and Dublin Stationers ted for. Pse v i,, u , reland might pirate • on, printed in En thus free f rom th .. labour and pa ii , 7 I in this country ; j 3ngly to enco urage went consumptio n o f his copyrigh t to tl e incipal of these ade :ended to diminish th e land. The Irish S for this loss, by n ✓ into this country ; r sent over ; be- r be-, og cf it, the whole Cr by the Custom Ho, eir possession. The ee of three to represent d take steps for its r pplication is not yet k rho is to go out as Co Hope; but, it is re ; rho formerly commas , iw out as Commas s said, will proceed u rice Lord Lscc, mense fortune. bert voted with the ST•l4ll.OlPet motion Monday night ; via Mr. BAG weLt., jun. W. Pos.a, and Sir ' MAYOR orderqil the • t I IW. the QtPArtern Council %sill be he parch ni public busness first division of h, lards, arrived in Glouc . I this morning they pe ester. They were for iions on Monday aal ing Drsgnons. station .ewes, are under me sew days, proceed on ry are to be succeed • icon Guards. in St. Kitt's, laced the fleet which sailed iecember, and six la la on the 13th inst. he is after they left Cork, in, from Lisboa, fur.' near Egg Bland. os the Voltrry Eggi 03411; corn London; for the Se Gallapugos Island., os awe, Lae Coversor Jamaica, is daily e ; put the Militia on the the Island every way' The General's Lady , I at Melchet Park, H ' at, Etq. • PICLNT arrived n town his seat ar Rockits, in of for Portsmouth. flag this reJrning, an! to to-morrow. e received from the W DUCKWOR tit's Er squadron be was in par inique. ton, in the state of N and entertainment in t:. drank after dinner wer. eign notion.—Fwat negne..l..• distance stioit taetereea." EN, ev.iily vertu red to +intuits* h resident, 6 never tia in the 0 e.:.. - iiii:cd;rat'one cannot alter tar re in contradining a repo" ie Traveller), of the ear. II cy, from this port ; ras obliged to put into We ig very severe weather, all urely at anchor, at Check.