The Sun. — London, England, 1823-06-03 00:00:00

Aeration wtittelte`seesary upon either of these -cases. The Noble Lord hOetritered into a long detail as to the mode in which Scort# elections were conducted, but the House were not to be infoinled of the stratagems to which recourse was had on English Elections for the purpose of keeping the poll open ; and asi to the expence of a contested election for an _English County, he believed the Noble Lord opposite, the Member for Yorkshire, could give the House every necessary information. In short, there was no evil complained of, as existing under the Scotch system, which did not apply with tenfold. force to that of England ' . The conduct of the She riffs, to which allusion had been made by fie Noble Lord, he (Sir George) believed to be, in general most inipar tiaL The Noble Lord had said, too, that there was a po litical bias in the Courts of .Justice in Scotland, whenever cases Were brought before them 'respecting elections-- Ile (Sir George) however, thought the experience of the Noble Lord in his own election cases brought before the Scottish Courts the particular individual case of the Noble Lord to -which he had alluded, was one which went to the Jury, on a charge of attacking the character of the Noble Lord ; and the Jury gave but a shilling damages. It was the Jury, there fore, and not the court who were to be blamed by the . Noble Lord, if blame could be applied to any one. With regard to the remedy proposed by the Noble Lord in the Resolutions, he did not exactly understand it, There were instances wherein the superiority and the beneficial right were in the same per son; and it did not appear how the Noble Lord proposed to deal with these. He (lid not believe, however, that the :Motion would confer any benefit upon the landed interest of Scotland; or that some of them would be satisfied with any thing short of what was proposed in a former Session by the Member for Durham, on what was Ito often advocated out of doors, the .doctrine of universal Suffrage. The common-place observations in which the Noble Lord had indulged at the expence of his own .countrymen were unworthy of him. Ile (Sir George) believed i the landed Gentlemen of Scotland were ntelligent, and as in dependent as those of England. He did not think it necessary to touch upon any other parts of the address of the Noble Lord especially as much of it related personally to the Noble Lord himself. As the first firer resolutions proposed by the Noble Lord related to matters of fact, he should move the previous question upon them, and should meet the other by a direct negative. In conclusion he would warn the House not to assent to the motion of' the Noble Lord ; for if' they did, the cause of reform in England would have advanced a most important step. The Ilan. Baronet concluded by moving the previous question on the first resolution. Mr. KENNEDY supported the motion, contending, that an adoption of it would not affect the feudal law of Scotland. —The system complained of, was that which made the nia. jority of the 'Scotch Members subservient to the existing Government, be that Government what it might. The whole property of Scotland was liable to be overwhelmed by those who possessed the ideal right of superiority. The average of voters for each person was but ninety-six ; and that of the populatiOn was as much as 60,000. In fact, lie really thought the principal merit of a Scotch County was in any case wherein the election could be managed like that of a close Borough.— Whenever there was really a contest, it was one which chewed the most degrading species of electioneering Intrigue. He never knew a contest to be one of real principles with regard to the public conduct of the Candidates. There was no such thing as a county meeting for the expression of public feeling; and he was justified in saying, that such a meeting was what a county meeting had been called on another occasion, " an arrant farce." Ile did not advocate the entirely throwing open of the elective franchise; but he did object to its being kept too close. There should always be an 'outlet for the expression of popular feeling. .111 r. TWISS opposed the motion. He thought it aimed at a violation of the Articles of the Scotch Union. He did not in tend to argue that every one of those articles was immutable ; but he thought the one which would he affected by this motion ought nut to be disturbed. The Act for abolishing heritable jurisdictions had expressly reserved the right of superiority; a circumstance which chewed how 'careful the Legislature of the day was, not to Interfere with the existing represeotative system. Much stress had been laid on the circumstance that, under the present system of Scotch county representation, many of the voters possessed no property. This, however, was no greater evil than that which prevailed in English boroughs, the right of election in which was vested, in the freemen. In these cases, even a beggar who might get any one to, pay for the stamp on which ills admission was engrossed, was entitled to vote. Sir J. MACKINTOSH said that the presentinothin no more led to any extensive measure of Reform than did the disfran chisement of a ilelimptent Boroupt. The lion. Baronet had Justified the present system in hendand, by reference to a few isolated abuses in English Representation. The broad feet was, that the great body of Freeholders in English Coon tie i elected the Members, hut in Scottish Counties the system was founded upon a, principle having no connection with pro perty at all. The, analogy of the case of Scottish Freeholders to English Copyholders could not be.maintained with reference td the present question, for it must first be shown that the Copy holders were dependant, had no real property, and never even visited the place for which they voted to send MeMbers to Parliament ; and yet this was often the case with the Scotch Superiors, as they were called, the paper Barons. He objected to the treating of Scotland as a district of the country at large, tar this could not be properly done unless the levet of England were the same as those of Scotland. The Scotch County re. presentation could never be called a security for . godd Go vernment ; for Scotland would have as much security as she now had, if she were to have no elections at rill. He was sur. prised at the argument of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman re. tweeting the Act for abolishing heritable jurisdictions. That Act was an intenneddling(according to law), with the rights of pro. perty ; and if, therefore, it was a violation at all, of the Ar ticles of Union, it was a much greater tharethat contemplated by the present motion. Indeed, the motion of his Noble 1 riend wont to the security rather than to the taking away of any right. The present system could not be defended, even on the ground of antiquity, for the right of Election for County Mem bers was admitted by the itecords of the Scotch Parliament. 'Pie lion. and Learned'Oentleman here referred to the Act of the Scottish Parliament, passed in the year 1427, during the reign of King James the First. This Act was confirmed in wri ; and at the time of' the Revolution was presented to William and Mary with the Crown of Scotland. It formed part of the Articles of Grievances. An Act was passed after wards reciting that part of the Articles of Grievances, declar lag that two " or more" Members should be sent from each county according to its largeness, no more than two Mem bers being sent by any , county before ; and thus, by the el. fact of this Act, twenty-six Members were added to the former nutithers of the Scottish Parliament. The object of this Act was declared to be " to give the lieges a more equal re presentation in Parliament." This Act was most material in its effects, for it diminished the sulfrage of every Scottish Peer. Thus the law stood until the Union, and the Scotch ne. go:istors on that occasion had deprived themselves of all clahn to respect, were it only for 'overlooking the people's rights as they were established by this law.• The motion now before the louse sought merely to redress grievances of a character similar • to theteif those which had been redressed several centuries since by the Scottish Parliament, and to adopt a principle which formed a part of the constitution of that country as well as of this. A more unfortunate example no reasoner ever stumbled upon than that of Ireland, quoted by the lion. Bart. opposite. It was the undue extension of voting there that was the cause of all its defects in representation. It was the system of creating nominal voters, who were brought up to the hustings like driven cattle, and who did not vote from gratitude or habitual attachment, which he hoped would ever bind the Gentlemen of England with the peop le of England in indissoluble bonds, that the miseries of that country were in a great part owing. As a native of Scotland, although he might not again reside' there, tile might be allowed to say that - he yielded:nothing of his attachment. He had passed his life in England, observing arid studying{ he operations of her free Constitution ; and he' desired extbnd the same institutions and advantages to his own country. When-they were reproving every other coun try in the universe for not assimilating its laws and govern ment to those of England, it was redly too notch in the same breath to say that the moral and intellectual people of' Scotland were unfit to receive its benefits, or unworthy to enjoy them. Moral conduct lie always considered as the test of the proportion of liberty a people were entitled to or able to enjoy. Mr: Burke, who surely was not rash in adopting principles, said that it was the province of good government to ascertain how much, not how little, liberty the State could hear, at the same time that he described liberty as the stirnu. hint to every talent, the parent of every virtue, and the source , of every excellence. He wished to hear arguments against this proposition, not in favour of it. His Noble Friend's motion was only the diet= approach to that state Scotland ought to enjdy. It was not Parliatnentary Reform, nor did it pledge sr./ one who voted for it to a support of' that theorise:; whilst to refuse to accede to the reasonable request of his Noble Friend, would he unjust towards Scotland, and unsafe as the permanent policy of England.—(hear, hear f i , Lord BINNING contended, that the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who had just sat down, could not support the argu ment lie had put forward, maintaining that the present question had no connexion with the general question of Parliamentary Reform. A measure to change the whole face of representa tion, was compared by one of its advocates to the punishment of sa delinquent boroughs. On the contrary, he (Lord Binning) considered the proposition then before the House as involving one of the greatest practical changes ever proposed in that House. Such a measure never was proposed upon such slen der grounds. There was not even a petition ; and he took leave to say, that if the people of Scotland felt the griev ance put forward for them, they would take care to let the House know it. But the fact was, they had no grievance to eatimplein of'. They .were a perfectly free ,and intelligent people; hall 'liberty of discussion, It 'free press, and freedom in every shape for practical enjoyment. The Noble Lord went into an argument to shew that the propositions'of the Noble Mover tended to introducit a change founded upon the prerogative of land. If it were so :the Noble Lord forfeited the very ground upon which he claimed the assent of the House to his present motion. He admitted th at ..he could not defend the system of Scotland in theory ; tin practice it was so bound up with the Constitution, that it had become an integral part of it. He therefore called upon the House to reject the motion of the Noble Lord. The words of the Act of Unicn against this change were plain and.decisi4e, and itbecome,the House to consider well ere it made any change in the Consti tution of Scotland without knowing it to be for the benefit of the . people. They had not yet heard upon ,this subject the voice of the Scotch people, and that was an important argument against their entertaining this question. He repelled the gratuitous assumption of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman opposite, that, in opposing this motion, he stigmatized the people of Stotland as unworthy the, boon of liberty. He was of opinion, on the contrary, that the peasant of Scotland was the best description of character in the world. Babe consi dered they had every practical liberty, and therefore, and also, as they did not demand it themselves, he opposed the corn prehenvive change which the Noble Lord would periunde them to adopt. Mr. J. P. GRANT gave hishearty concurrence and support to the motion of his Noble Friend. Connected as he was with Scotland, he could not but feel a deep interest in a question which involved their dearest privileges as a people. It was ' lamentable to see the vast difference that subsisted in this ad vanced age of civilization between the state of Scotland and England, in point of popular rights. He thought it impos i sible for the English House of Commons to refuse extending to. k their Scotch brethren the same privileges enjoyed by their con stituents. The LORD ADVOCATE said, that the people of Scotland were satisfied with their present state; and it therefore became the House to pause before they forced upon that country a change of system contrary to their taste, and contrary to the express articles of the Act of Union. The Gentlemen of Eng land could not perhaps so well understand how the system Could go on well in Scotland, because it was not founded on popular principles and institutions. The fact, he admitted, was so. The system was founded on property ; it went on exeeedingly well as such ; anti on that ground there was no reason to change it. Hut how, he asked, did it happen that the Scotch people had not sent one single petition to that House although their attention had been called to the subject for the last three years by the Noble Lord's motions, or promised' motions ? Let those Gentlemen who thought no good could spring from such a system as that under which Scotland was governed, look how Scotland managed her tithes, her poor laws, and her game laws.—(Hear, hear !)—He begged of those who cried down his native country, to look at these things, and take a lesson. He hoped the House would not allow itself to suppose that this question had no connection with Parliament ary Reform. From the experience which he had of former oc casions, he was convinced that if this motion were granted, it would be used in aid of the general question of Parliamentary ßeform. He would not go th rtherinto detail than to observe, that according to the Noble Lord's own system, he must in volve himself in difficulties, as to the limitation and valuation of land, almost insurmountable. • Lord MILTON gave his support to the motion of his Noble Friend, as one, which affecting Scotland in the inrPortant point of Representation, was important and interesting to England. He should rather desire to discourage that disposi tion which had somewhat manifested itself in the House, to treat this as a Scotch question, affecting Scotch interests, and requiring Scotch advocates only. It was, in his opinion, essen tially an English question, and as such he hoped the Eng lish Gentlemen would regard it, and treat it in their votes. Lord (ILENORCH V joined his Noble Friend who had just sat down in hoping that the Gentlemen of England would con sider his countrymen as entitled to their consideration in a question so closely connected with their vital interests. The Scotch people wanted nothing but fair and equal representation, and such, he hoped, they were destined to obtain, if not now, on some future occasion. Lord A. HAMILTON briefly replied. The House then divided ; the numbers were— For the Motion . - - 117 For the previous Question - 1152 Majority --95 The other Resolutions were then put, and negatived without a division. Lord MILTON said, it was a satisfaction to know some. thing had been gained by the debate. The people of Scotland would now have some hope of Reform. Sir J. SHBRIO lIT, who had been locked out during the division, took that opportunity of declaring he supported the resolutions of his Noble Friend. Mr. WILLIAMS, in the absence of the lion. Baronet, the Member for Westminster, gave notice that the Hon. Baronet, on Friday the 12th of this month, intended to bring forward a motion, respecting the Enquiry into the conduct of the Sheriff of Dublin. SALE OF GAME. Lord CRANBORNE rose to move the second reading of the Bill to legalize the Sale of Game. Mr. li. SUMNER said it was too late to go into discussion on this Bill. If the Noble Lord did go into the discussion, he should feel it his duty to move the House do adjourn.—(A cry of " No, no ; go on. Lord CRANBORNE said, he felt that he had the sense of the House with him, and he should go on. Mr. H. SUMNER said he did not wish to interrupt other business, but he could not consent to discuss the Game Bill at that late hour. Mr. H. BENNET said he had never found the Hon. Mem. ber for Surrey object to the lateness of the hour, when the Public money was to be voted. The House then divided— For the second reading of the Bill Against it Maj ority - e - 170 Lord CRANBOR NE then stated the object of the Bill ; he called the attention of the House to the increase of poaching, and expressed his belief that the Bill would destroy that nefa rious system, and restore men now deeply criminal to the habits of honest industry. The Noble Lord said that the books of poulterers would prove that game was now sold to a large extent. One poulterer sold in the course of a year 22,490 heads of game. Another sold in .one season to a Gentleman 524 heads ; and, in a third instance, 111 heads of game were sold in three weeks. He had no desire to go into the details of the measure, but reserved himself for the Committee, which was the proper time to discuss the clauses. Sir JOHN SHELLEY opposed the Bill. If it passed into a law, it would drive the country Gentlemen from their °tees, and make England like France, where a man could not enjoy a day's sport without the consent of the Commune. He, for one, anticipated the worst effect from the Bill. It was to in. troduce novelty, which would be injurious to the country. He was disposed rather " To bear the ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of." In order to mark his opinion, he should move the Bill be read a second time on the Ist of September.—(A Laugh.) Lord DID ERHURST begged to second the motion of' the Hon. Baronet, Member for Lewes, and to observe that in his opinion whenever game was " legally sold " its destruction would decidedly follow. A measure of this nature had been introduced in 1816 by a Gallant Colonel opposite; he (Lord Deerhurst) had opposed the same clause in that Bill s which he did on the present occasion, anti be conjured 'the House to go along with him in so doing upon the introduction of the pre. t ent measure. He would not go into the detail of the Bill, sufficiently convinced, as he felt, that if that clause lega lizing the bale of game was permitted to stand; the de tail became childish and absurd, as you would be only legislating to protect what you were destroying. To prove that there was always some collateral means by which the poacher was discovered in the illicit traffic in which he was en. gaged as the law now stood, he should state what had occurred in Worcestershire.--A set of persons had poached the game of many of its inhabitante—they were not to be taken in the field, though all means were adopted to do so—but fortunately these men, dealing with other rogues in Birmingham,. were paid by them in false Bank of England notes ;—they (the poachers) be came the utterers, and were taken up accordingly and lodged in gaol. Here they proved the fact, that they had not been the fabricators of these notes, or the intentional 'titterers; but that they had them from other rogues in the illegal traffic in which they had been engaged.—(bear, heart)--Their discovery as poachers was consequent • no means could have taken these persons in the field, so droit were they in the pursuit there of their mode of plunder. He mentioned this only to show that something or other always hung over these characters in the trans. fer of their illicit commodity. Once legalize houses for the sale of game, and you may also write on the same sign, " Safe depot for poachers;" for you absolutely hold out a boon for crime.—(llear, hear i)—So then those careful of our morals will find that the; will fail, and only produce more wicked and dissolute persons than now exist, if this Bill should pass. Ho (Lord lleerhurst) conjured the House to view this (the agri cultural part of it at any rate) with a jealous eye, as an intru sion of the monied interest upon one of its last surviving plea sures. If those persons rolling in wealth complain of not being able to have game at their tables, were to lay outesome of their treasure in land, they would obviate all reason of complaint, and be sharing fairly with those who derive their revenues from land, and who have been getting with difficulty 3 per cent. from their tenants, whilst the monied man has been taking 5 per cent. free from trouble or anxiety for his, and now then wishes to annihilate this last remaining pleasure attached to the land. Are we to have the bitter pill of landed revenue driven down our throats with all its nauseous particles? with the very rhuharb sticking to' our lips, without a little honey, a little sweet, to make it palata ble ?—(A laugh !)--It will be no satisfaction to have, when this Bill faibr in its effects, another introduced to rescind it— We have been 10 years in establishing . the Game, and persons after 40 do not attack things again with the same vigour, the same energy, as they did at an earlier period.— (A laugh.)—The Insolvent Debtors' Acts were thought good—, so, in theory', they might be, but how, in practice, might be seen, by, the petitions under which the table of the House has daily groaned, during the present Session, in opposition to their tendency.—( Hear !)--Ile (Lord I).) begged of the Government support on this occasion ; it might be considered by some as a trifling question, but it merged, he thought, into a very serious consideration—" Whether Gentlemen were to be driven from their country-seats." Look at Ireland,—were not her evils in a, great measure arising from the desertion of her soil by the perrasns of landed property ?—(Hear, hear !)—lt would be the grossest impolicy to sanction this measure, against which he should conscientiously give a vote this night. Mr. W. PEEL opposed it. It would not only destroy shoot. ing, but do away fox hunting. Mr. POYNTZ wished to say a few words as a Magistrate and game preserver. He did pot go into the crimes of despe rate poachers. It was sufficient to know the crime of poaching had increased, and would increase. The increase of crime was to be attributed to an excess of game, and the want of employ ment among the working classes. The (lame Laws were un constitutional ; so much so, that no Magistrate or Judge could enforce them without reluctance. Persons had no means of supplying themselves with game like the manor-holders.--This he considered a hardship. Mr. WHITBREAD could not give his vote in silence.— The Game Laws had become unjust and oppressive. :Mr. BROUGHA3I concurred with the two last speakers in condemning the tresent system of the Game Laws, and would be willing to, approve of any thing that would ameliorate that system. But he could see nothing in the specific measure now under consideration to entitle it even to a doubt in its favour. Ile hoped Gentlemen would not be led away by an idea that it was desirable to break down the present system ; for this bill did not break down that system, but went to perpetuate its most odious features. , Instead of legalizing the sale of game, it con.. (hued the existing. monopolies, and established one monopoly, itiaddidon to those now complained of, more offensive than all the rest, as not an article of game could be boughtbut by virtue of te license from a Justice of Peace; anti the influence of Justices of Peace, he was decidedly of opinion, ought not to be extended. He considered the measure so radically imperfect, so fundamentally wrong, so inconsistent with itself, and so at variance with all sound principles of legislation, that he must 'oppose it, but always abjuring as unworthy of support the present system. Mr. S. WOItTLEY defended the Bill, as he conceived that any measure which went to alter the Game Laws was most important to the morals of the people, and the first step to be taken with a view to correct the evils of the present system was to legalise the sale of game. Ile, acting as a Magistrate himself, agreed with the Honourable and Learned Gentleman, that the powers of Justices of Peace ought not to be extended; on the contrary, he could wish them to be limited more than they were at present. The market was at present well sup plied with Game, and he thought legalizing the sale, and throwing it into respectable hands, instead ofleaving it where it was, would be beneficial. Ile therefore wished this Bill to be tried as an experiment. It would be madness to expect that it would at once put down poaching altogether, but he thought the trade would become so much less profitable than it had been, that the young men who were being initiated into it would not think it very well worth following. He was of opinion that the sooner they came to the law of Scotland which allowed any person holding land to admit others to shoot on that land, the sooner would they arrive at the true principle on which the Game Laws ought to rest. This principle he had supported in the Committee, and he would not suffiir the Bill to pass without making an attempt to get it adopted and em. bodied In the present measure. Mr. Secretary . PEEL, after mature consideration, felt it to he his duty to support the Bill. It might be a partial im provement In the law, but lie was not disposed to reject it on that account, provided it were an improvement at all. The Bill gave the party who was at the expense of rearing game the right of selling it. The question then was, whether the sale ought to be subjected to any restriction. He was of opi_ nion that sonic restrictions were necessary, and he was there. fore disposed to favour the provisions of the Bill, not to extend the influence of Magistrates, but because he now lh w e i subject knew of no other means by which the restrictions necessary to regulate the sale of game could be enforced. The mono. hile tw o e f n j t us to t correct poly to b- sanctioned by Bill was only that nionopoly which was already a i sa lr werethe p parties, ties complaint. 'Within the last five years there had been 6,050 prosecutions under the Game Laws. So many offences com. witted within so short a period, and offences of this description, proved something to be wrong in the system, and proved some alteration to be absolutely necessary; he therefore supported the present Bill. 31r. TENNYSON opposed the Bill. Sir T. ACKLAND anxiously wished for the adoption of some measure to improve the present system. He hoped the second reading would be carried, even it they foundered in the Committee, to mark the sense of the House of Commons that sonic change in the.system was necessary. Lord CRANI3ORNE briefly replied, and the House then divided, when the numbers were-- For the second reading - For the Amendment - 60 Majority . - —22 The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be com mitted this day. The other orders of the day wer e disposed of, and the House 'adjourned at HALT-PAST Iwo o'C LOCK this morning. PAIILRMENTARY PAPER. HIS MAJESTY'S CORONATION. An account of the money expended at his Majesty's Corona tion, stating the amount, under the several heads, expended, and from what sources the money was supplied Lord Steward, Expenses attending the Banquet £25,184 9 8 Lord Chamberlain, for the Furniture and De corations of Westminster Abbey, and West minster Hall ; for providing the Regalia ; for Dresses, &e. of the persons attending and i performng var i ous duties - - - 111,172 9 Master of the Horse, for the Charger for the Champion 0. 0 0 0 Malan of the Robes, for his Majesty's Robes, &e. &c. - - - - - 24,704 810 Surveyor General of Works, for fitting up Westininister Abbey, and Westminster Hall, Platforms, &e. - - - 1)0,367 9 ' W. I). Fellowes, Esq. Secretary to his Majestys Great Chamberlain,' for Expenses incurred - Hire of the Theatres - - - Master of the Mint, for Medals - - Sir George Naylor, for Expenses in the Earl Marshal's Department Sir George Naylor, towards the Publication of the Account of the Ceremony - - Deputy Earl Marshal, usual Fee - . Sir ke ' e r p . e r r l u iT iou hit s t.„ e o f f o Lo r A rd l s esseng .. ers Sir R. Baker, Expense of Police - - and .. Door. : Messrs. Rundell and Bridge, for Snuff-boxes for Foriiiim Ministers • - - Earl of Kinnoul on Account of Pursuivants and Heralds in Scotland - 2,500 0 0 3,504 15 0 4,770 5 4 2,500 0.0 3,000 0 0 800 0 0 981 18 10 173 2 6 0,205 15 0 234 7 7 t 238,230 0 2 Note.—A few Claims are still unsettled, the amount probably not exce eding £l,OOO 0 0 Paid out of the Sum voted by Parliament, in tine Session 1020 - - £lOO,OOO 0 0 Paid out of M oney rece i ve d from France on Account of pecuniary Indemnity, under Treaty, Anno 1815 . 1304311 0 2 £238438 0 2 J. C. IIERRIES. Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, May 27, 1823. TRINITY CHURCH ST. M A RY, NEWINGTON. --The ceremony oflayin_g the f oun d a tion stone of the new Church was that Pu rpose, performed yesterday morning in a plot of ground set apart for Church, Southw a rk, a n d Horsernonger-lane gaol.—At about 12 Tose, in Suffolk-street Last, between St. George's o'clock his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury arrived upon the platform (which had been temporarily erected), preccedcd by the children of the different Parochial Schools, to the num ber, as we were informed, of 400, and attended by several of the Reeerend Incumbents of the neighbouring parishes.— The services were commenced by the children, who sung the Hundredth Psalm. The Rev. A. C. Onslow, Rector of St. ,Vary, Newington, delivered an appropriate prayer. The Se cretary to the Trustees for building the new Churches then de posited the usual number of coins, after which the ceremony of consecration was duly performed by the Right Rev. Father in God, anti the stone being g r a dually lowered upon the founda. tion, some cement, white as alabaster, was laid on with a silver trowel, and the necessary formula : a prayer and a psalm, ter minated the ceremonial. The procession then went to St. Peter's where the ceremony was repeated. 1113 HI 8 PRISON DISCIPLINE. Yesterday a numerous and respectable Meet ing of the Society for the Imptivement of Prison Discipline took place at the Freemasons' Tavern, the Duke of GLou- CESTER in the Chair. His Royal highness entered the room accompanied by the Bishop of Chester, Lord Caithorpe, the Prussian Envoy, Sir James Mackintosh, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Buxton, &c. &c . .— The Great Hall was crowded with Ladies, amongst whom were Mrs. Fry, and a number of others of the ociety of Friends. The SECRETARY read the Report, which stated, that not withstanding the efforts of the Society, many of the Prisons of England exhibited deplorable instances of the neglect of the lessons which were so frequently published, that the persons confined in those prisons were still treated in the most merci less manner, the agony of bodily infliction being aggravated by -the incessant attacks upon the moral principle. The mad, the dissolute, the suspected, and the calumniated, were mixed to gether, uninspected, idle, and almost unclothed. There were various instances of the confinement of boys and girls for light offences, and of their return to prison for heavy crimes. There was no effectual separation between male and female pri soners in those prisons, and no religious instruction or visitation practised, or even recollected. The advantages of the tread mill were highly spoken of in the Report, which also described the powerful influence of the Female AssociationS, and the com plete reformation of the Newgate system, as well as the opera_. uons of the Continental Associations for the same purpose. The Report particularly dwelt upon the necessity of taking care of unfortunate boys who were exposed to temptation, and to the horrible contamination of a prison. The Bishop of CHESTER moved' that the Report be received. Lord CALTUORPE second the motion.—Agreed to. The Earl GROSVENOR moved a Resolution, respecting gra tification at the increasing prosperity of the Institution,, but pain at the fact that a great number of prisons were still with out classification or employment, and ,called imperiously for the interference of the Legislature; and that it was therefore with solicitude the Society looked for the completion of the. measures before Parliament on the subject. . Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH seconded the Resolution, and urged the necessity of radically correcting the prisons, which had been alluded to, in his opinion, in toe delicate a manner. If any were stern enough not to feel, he hoped they would not be stupid and foolish enough to keep up those schools of de pravity for perfecting the rising generation in vice. He wished the report had stated the names of those detestable places. which were instituted against the lives and morals of men, and were infallible in producing all that should be avoided. —He dwelt upon the number of capital crimes recognised in j our code, and hoped that all punishments would be cast away 1 that were not adapted to the degree of the offence. He hoped, that by the efforts of the Society, the character of the nation would be vindicated, and that good men would find such a change effected in the state of the Criminal laws, as would Li duce them to promote the prosecution of offenders instead of dropping all thought of it. He concluded amidst l ou d c h eers, after having stated that the funds required the prompt assist ance of the Society. Mr. WILBERFORCE moved the thanks of the meeting to the ,Magistracy, for their co-operation. He particularly dwelt upon the helpless state of the boys who were sent to prison, where they were infected with a moral disease, degrading them below the level of the species._ After some observaiions from Sir 'l'. Ac LAND, Mr. Bus- TON, and others, the thanks of the Society were voted to the Duke of Gloucester, who, in returning thanks, expressed a hope that the objects of the Society would soon be fully accum plished.—The meeting then separated. SPANISH LIBERTY. Yesterday a Meeting was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of nominating a Committe e , to communicate with that already established at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, as to the propriety of calling a Ge neral P u bli c M eet i ng on the earliest day possible, to take into consideration the best mode of assisting the cause of Liberty in Spain, and likewise to act in conjunction with them for the fur theringof that great and praiseworthy object. The assemblage was not very numerous. HENRY flumT, Esq. was called to the Chair, who proceeded to address the Meeting.—A great deal, he o b serve d, h a d b een said by the Press of the treachery of one of the Spanish Generals, but he could assure the Meet ing that there were private letters received in lowa, which, from their contents, convinced him that the cause of Liberty in Spain was not to be put down by the treachery of three, ' four, or six Generals. He remarked upon the delay on the part of the Committee in calling a General Meeting, when, to his knowledge, they had come to a conclusion the last time they met, that it was absolutely necessary to call the public together to consult on this important subject. He regretted this the more, us he was informed, that a vessel had been lying in one of the ports of the channel for a considerable time, for the purpose of taking out arms and ammunition to Spain.— They were, therefore, in consequence of this delay, met there to-day, in order to appoint any number of persons they might think proper to ferns a Committee, in order to ascertain what the intentions of the Crown and Anchor Committee were, and to act in conjunction with them. • Several Resolutions were agreed to-unanimously ; amongst which was one, resolving that a public subscription on a small scale should be entered into for the purpose of purchasing a handsome sword to be presented-to Sir R. Wilson, in token of his brave and manly conduct in taking up the cause of Spanish liberty. Nearly 71. was immediately collected, and Mr. Burt, o t e l l !u subscriptions.tisell-str e Russell-street, ,Covent-garden, was appointed to receive fur. The Chairman and two other Gentlemen were appointed a Committee. The Cit Alnico :. said, a gentleman in the room had kindly come, forward to ofi;:r two muskets as his subscription, tat he (the Chairman) was of opinion that it would be better to defer takin r l any subscription until after the next public meeting should be held, when he would recommend to all such persons who were in the possession of arms or ammunition of any kind, to come forward with them for the service of the Spanish Pa triots. He had also that moment received a note, inclosing one pound from an anonymous person, with these words— " Front a Young Girl out of her earnings for the Spaniards." It was then agreed that Mr. Hunt should act as Treasurer for the present ; aftcr.which the Meeting separated. ENGLISH CATHOLICS. Yesterday a numerous meeting of the Eng lish Catholics took place as the Freemasons' Tavern, for the purpose of forming an Association to forward-the views of the body for the attainment of civil and religious liberty. the Duke of Noitrot.x in the Chair. Amongst those resent were, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Honourable - Metre, Sir George Jerningham, Mr. Butler, and several of the most respectable of the Catholic Clergy. Mr. PETnE, atter some observations upon the claims of the Catholics, and the privations, which, notwithstanding the pro gress of civilization, they still endured, moved, that an Asso ciation be formed for the future regulation and management of the affairs of the body, with the view to attain the above men tioned object. Mr. LOUGIINAN seconded the motion, which, after some conversation, was carried unanimously. By this Resolution, those Lay Catholics who subscribe a guinea annually become Members of the Association, and the Catholic Clergy become Members without subscription. A Committee of fifty . was appointed for the purpose of com municating with the friends to the cause, and suggesting what ever might tend to advance it with the Legislative Body. Mr. Br.ouwr (the Secretary) took occasion to draw the attention of the meeting to the great efforts made by the Ca tholics, when the liberties of England were in danger from fo reign invasion. It was, he observed, a proof of the goodness of the cause, that those who were most interested courted, nay, challenged discussion. He instanced the conduct of the Catholics in Canada, who stuck to the English Crown in the American war, and were the only distant subjects of the King, who were favourable to that cause, which, no doubt, they se conded from mere loyalty. He called upon the English Ca tholics to submit to no compromise, and congratulated them upon the gradual disappearance of that bigotry, which looked upon the sin of thinking for themselves, as a sin never to be forgiven. Mr. KELLY moved that the Committee should not mix up any political subject with the great question affecting their rights. This motion was opposed by Mr. MAuotr, and rejected by a large majority. After the appointment of the Committee, and a vote of thanks to the Duke of Norfolk, the Meeting separated. DEPRAVITY OF THE HUMAN MEND.---A female who attended at Clifton Church, on Wednesday last, the ceremony of returning thanks for her safe deliverance in child-birth, on quitting the Place of worship, actually stole the key of the Church door ; for which she way obtained sixpence upon its sale at an old iron shop in Denmark -s treet ( Bristol Journal.) PARES PAPERS. PARIS, MAY 30. [From the Journal des Dads.] The following official notice was published at Madrid on the 23d : The Commandant of the detachments of the army of La Mancha has sent me from Toledo, under this date, the following dispatch, which I copy literally : " Conformable to your Excellency's orders, I have to inform you of the entrance of the troops under my command into this citylToledo) on the 20th, after having on the preceding day maintained a brisk fire against the Constitutional troops, a great part of whom we made prisoners. ,Had we been supplied with provisions and ammunition, and had not the troops been fatigued, I would have pursued them vigorously. I.hope to receive reinforcements from your Eicellency, seeing that I have made many prisoners, and some are daily brought in here. " Chaleco is rallying the dispersed soldiers of Abisbal, and he already has a considerable force, with two pieces of artillery, at Ztlanzanares. " I am this moment notifying the surrender to him, u your Excellency ordered ; but that monster yields to no considera tion. I wait for your orders to march in pursuit of him, and I have no doubt of our having the glory of exterminating these enemies of order." communicate this to the heroic people of Madrid, in order that they may rejoice. So long as I shall remain at the head of the valiant inha bitants of La Mancha, the enemy shall never ,have a moment of rest until I exterminate him. JUAN SANCHEZ CISNEROS+ Commanding the Army 'ma Province of La Mancha. Madrid, May '23. ( From the Moniteur. ) ARMY OP THE PYRENEES. PROCLAMATION. HIS ROYAL ITIOUNESS THE DUKE D'ANGOULEME, GE NEIIAL-IN-CIIIEF OF TIIE FRENCH ARMY, TO TUE SPANIARDS. SPANIARDS—Before the French Army passed the Pyren nees, I declared to your generous nation, that France was not at war with it. _ I announced to it that we came as friends and ... auxiliaries, to aid it in restoring the altars, delivering the King, and re-establishing in its bosom justice, order, and peace. I promised respect to property, sathty to persons, and protection to the. peaceable. Spain gave credit to my word. The pro vinces I have passed through have received the French soldiery as brethren, and the public voice will have told you whether they have justified this reception, and whether I have kept my engagement. Spaniards-If your King were still in his capital, the noble mission that the King, my uncle, has confided to me, and that you are acquainted with in all its parts, would be already ac complished, I should have only, after having restored the Monarch to liberty, to call his paternal solicitude to the evils his people have suffered, to the necessity they have of repose for the present and security for the future. The absence of his Majesty imposei other duties on me: the command of the army belongs to me, but whatever may be the bonds which attach me to your King, which unite France to Spain, the provinces delivered by our troops cannot and ought not to be governed by foreigners. From the frontiers to the gates of Madrid their administra tion has been confided provisionally to honourable Spaniards, whose devotion and tide ity are known to his Majesty, and who have acquired in those difficult circumstances new claims to his gratitude and the esteem of the nation. The moment is arrived for establishing, in a solemn and stable manner, a Regency to govern the country, to organize a regu lar army, and to concert with me on the means of consummating our great work, the deliverance of your King. This establish ment presents serious difficulties, which &an - bless and loyalty do not permit us to dissimulate, but which necessity must con quer. His Majesty's choice cannot be known , and it is no t p ossible, without painfully prolonging the woes which press o n the King anti the nation, to call upon the provinces to concur in it. In this difficult conjuncture, and fur which the past offers no prece dent to follow, 1 thought the properest measure and the m ost national, and the (most agrgeable to the King, was to convoke the ancient Supreme Council of Castile , an d the Su preme Council of the Indies_, whose high and various powers and authority extend over the kingdom and its foreign posses sions, and to confide to those great bodies (independent by their elevation, and by , the political position of those who compose them) the care of selecting the Members of the Regency. I have consequently. convoked these Councils, who will. make their choice knoWn to you. The persons who shall be honoured with their suffrages will exercise the necessary authority until the wished-for day when. your King, happy and five, can occupy himself with the con solidation of. his Throne, and securing, in his turn, the happi ness of his subjects. Spaniards ! Take the word of a Bourbon for it. The bene ficent Monarch who has sent tne to you, will never separate in his mind his vows for the liberty of a King of his blood, and the just hopes ofa great and generous nation, the ally and frtend of France. At the Grand Ilead-quarters of illeovendlls, May 23, 1823. LOUIS ANTOINE, By his Royal Highness the Prince Generalissimo, The Councillor of State, Civil Commissary of his Most Christian Majesty, DE MARTIGNAC. 2 [From the Pihne of Sunday.] PARIS, JUNE l .—The Etoile of yesterday says —" Every measure is taken in order to surround Mina, so as to compel him to tight or to throw himself into the sea." It is an admirable thing that the measures of which the Eloile speaks are to have so decisive a result. It appears to Us, however, that before we compel Mina to fight or to throw himself into the sea, it is necessary to know where he is; and as, up to this moment, the place of his real abode is still a problem, we are at a loss to conceive what measures cart have been taken to realise the hopes which the the Etoile give us. For several days past reports unfavourable to Gen. Morino have been circulated. It is pre tended that he has betrayed the oathi he took to the Constitution, and gone over to the side of its adversaries. We have never placed any reliance on these absurd suppositions. Gen. Morino •has given too many proofs of fidelity to his word, for such assertions to find the least credit with who know him. They (his friends) recuil.•( that, at the time when he was lighting agui.ist Bolivar, lie refused the offer of a million of piastres (about live million francs), together with a command in the American national army, to quit the service of Ferdinand. At present we learn that, far from having the least idea of quit ting the Constitutional cause, the General has just sold his property in order to pay his troops, whose pay was greatly in arrear. Such conduct is worthy of admiration, and still it does not sur prise us on the part of Morillo. BAYONNE, MAY 24.—The Archbishop of Tarrazonas Grand Inquisitor of Spain, who has for eighteen. months been living at a charming country house in our neighbour hood, has received several orders from the Junta to go to re sume possession of his august functions. Not being in hags to obey, a last warning has been just addressed to him, bearing that it was necessary for him to repair to Spain at all eVents. ENVIRONS Or ST. SEBASTIAN, MAY O.—The Comman der of Santona, Palarea, has ordered a Chief called Guorge, taken by him in the sortie of the 15th to be shot. A rein te: rFement was demanded by the Chid of the Army of the aith in Biscay from Vittoria, which was refused him, as no troops could be spared from the garrison. Besides the deser tion which has taken place among the troops of . Longa and Zabala, it is asserted th a t th ose o f the Cure Gorosyli have also gone over to th e C o n s tit ut i ona li sts , as they were unwilling to sub mit to any regular discipline. If the above Chiefs cannot make any proselytes they themselves will follow the torrent. Ac cording to an Order of the Day, all the officers of the French army are to receive an increase of pay (the minimum 50 francs a month), On amount of the high price of provisions in Spain. A hundred head of oxen , which were going to the army in Spain, have fallen into the hands of one of the Constitutional uerillas.