The Sun. — London, England, 1819-05-07 00:00:00

HOUtE CWIAIONS. -[Contitmi from our preceding Columns.] REFORM OF TIE , . SCOTCH BURGHS. Petitions eve.re presented by Mr. Hump. anal Lord A. HAMILTON, horn Aberdeen, the - Poo gh of Anstrtober, and several other places, praying for a Reform in Scotch 13tirghs.—Ordered to he on +he table. Lord A. HAMILTON, in again bringing die si tuation of the Scotch Burghs before the Ileuse. disclaimed for the Petitioners all intent ioe of de in:tech fig a Parliamentary Reform. Their object was merely- to obtain a reform of the system act ed upon with respect to the Scotch Borghs. Teat system, he coetended, was one of injustice ; and t h e gr i evan c es of which the Petitiouers were of a nature that demanded redress, and in every point of view it was m o st desirable that the subject should he sent to a Committee. He referred to the Petitions on the table, and read from them various alleged acts of injustice and corruption, and appealed to the House if they could stiffer such statements to lie on their table without making them the subject of a setious in quiry. That the evils complained of were great he could prove even front the records of the Council of Aberdeen, in which it was stated that the system 1.73 S such, that no man could, under the present system, administer the affairs of the Burgh with credit to himself, or with jus tice to the community. With such a body. of facts before the Manse, detailed in the Petitions already presented, and in the Report of the Committee of the House, lie could not believe that the Home would refuse to it pire into the subject. The whole coosiituted a case of such magnitude and enormity, that for the sake of sound policy, and even of . estice, it called for inquiry. One of the aegemeuts against it was, that the A r ti c l es o f the Union prevented .any thing of the kind. But be maintaieed that there was not a show of rea son for this aesertion. It it was an i n h er e n t r i g ht in the Borceighs to go oe in the present. system of fraud and injustice, and if all this must he ceder ed, then, indeed, the Articles of the Ueion might be insisted on. But the case was evidently one .which the House ought to entertain, and thus the question came to be as to the mode in which the House should interfere. fie was .not prepared with any specific plan. But the outrage upon the large part of the population was such, and had existed so long, that the House could not, consistently with its duty, pass it over any longer. He coucluded by moving, that the several Peti tions presented front the Royal Burghs of Scot land be referred to a Committee: Mr. w, Dermas said, that he should not have risen to a;hlress the House at this thne, if it were not that he was so situated that he conceived it his duty to stibmit his sentiments to the House. The Noble Lord had been particularly tintortu nate in saving (while he admitted that his purpose was to make the Elections mote powder) that he -meant nothing like reform. The motion now before the llouse was neither more nor less than for a rattle:li reform. Now, though lie opposed this motion, he would not be understood as ob jecting to the removal of any evil which had cut iota. the system ; but he could not agree to do that which went to the destruction of the whole system iteelf.—(l3ear, hear !)—The Noble Lord, indeed, took up the argument against his motion derivsd from the Articles of Union, but he dropped it very soon. The truth. was, that the Articles of the Union, as confii ming the settlement of 1469, most he wholly overthrown be fore this motion could be agreed to. But thee it bad beets said, that die system of Borough Elec tions had been much corrupted, slid ought to be reformed. This was a question which, as it re ferred to England, had often been discussed in this House; and the abuses of Old Sarum, and other close Boroughs, had afforded a theme for many a fine declamation on the degeneracy of the deice. Yet the House had never been induced, by any of the many speeches, arguments, and mo tions of this subject, to consent to such a reform as was called for, or to drink that it could be at tempted withoet danger. If such then had been the decisioe of the Ilouse, and if the close Bo roughs of England had not yet been subjected-to the innovations radical reformers, he saw no reason why the Royal Burghs of Scotland should be delivered over to such dangerous expel-inters ters.—(Hear, hear !) Mr. Patmaosa maintained, that, the object of the petitioners was not a Parliamentary Reform, but only a reform in the election of the Corpora tion by the But gesses. The- late Lord Melville, when Lord Advocate of Scotland, had reformed the Constitution of the Bergh of Stirling in this way; and the present Lord Advocate, following that example, gave tn.YAliontrose a Cmistitirion similar in principle. It had been objected, that it would be dangerous to enter into such a Com mittee as was moved for, because it was against the Articles of Union. If this were true, then it was to be observed, that the Government, in the cases of Stirling told Montrose, had acted its defiance of the Articles of Union. It was, however,- to be observed, that the Articles of Union reserved to the Scots Ilerglis all their lights and privileges. Whoever looked at the Act of 1469, must see that before that time it was usual to have an annual election of the Council, who, according; to the Learned Lord, were eligible for lite. It was not denied front am quarter that the fiords of Scotch Burghs had beer squandered. The property of the Burgh was hi fact the property of the Burgesses, and all that they now asked was, that they might have some controul over those who matiaged that Pros perry. Lie knew that giving this eontrohl would lieve the effect of extending the elective free chise, and of producing a change in the Parlia aneutary Represeteatiou, Ile was not afraid to siy, that this was one of his re,asaris tor the toetion. Mr. W. DOUGL:AS said that he was anxious to Cate the r,easons why he should vote tor the too- Hon of the Noble Lord. He was not one of those sivho entertained viiionary or extravitt;Ant notions on the subject of Parliamentff.Reform; but so ' many erroneous opinions prevailed on this sub ject of the-Scotch Burghs, that the only eray.in, which it appeared to him that those errors could J be corrected, and the mob satisfactorily ascer tained, was by referring the Petitions to a Com mitter. it was I►lainly the opinion of the Go vernment themselves. that the merely passing a Bill for auditing the Burgh Accounts would not redress the abuses that existed in the Scotch Burghs, for they had granted an entirely new set for the Burgh of Montrose. Mr. linswv.t..l, thought it very strange that Hon. M em b er , w h o were at all acquainted with th l . bearings of this question should persevere in holding out hopes which rhey must know could never he realized without danger. He thought that alterations in the set of Burghs were not eonsi , tent with ti)e Articles of Union. Mr. J. P. GRANT thought, that when ail the evils complained of in the Petitions befote the House were fully considered, the possibility, re mote as it was, that a compliance with their prayer might ie some small degree affect the pre- Seta system of Parliamentary Representation, was no reason tor rejecting them altogether. All that the House was called upon to do now was, what the House had done in 1793. All that was want ed was, that the incorporated burgesses should elect their own officers, and that the officers should not elect themselves. Whoever could see in this any thing like Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage, or a Westminster Elec tion, must have a mind very strangely consti tuted. The most learned Lawyers in Scot land had given it as their opinion that the bur gesses were liable for debts contracted by the cor poration. If this then was the case, he would ask whether it was not a sufficient reason for the petitioners coming to Parliament without imput ing to them mischievous intentions on the subject of Parliameetary Reform. Lord BINNING thought that the question ought to be set at rest by negativing the motion. Al though the question was no doubt of interest in Scotland, lie did not think it had produced any degree or agitation there. He believed that the great body of the petitioners were Parliamentary Reformers. They did not profess that their ob ject was Parliamentary Reform, because they knew it they stated it to he such, their petitions would not he attended to by the House, but they hoped by their assumed moderation to gain the attention of those who were not unwilling to favour an amendment in any partial errors which might he proVed to exist ie the administration of some particular Burghs. Such were the rno tive,z, lie thought, on account of which many of the e petitioners concealed their ultimate designs. He thoaght that there were strong motives ; and he could not but be surprised at the simplicity of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. The petitions complaintd of the existing system, in which grievances certainly existed, for many Burghs lost their estates centuries ago. The Lord Advocate had brought in a B:11 for the removal of the grievances which were admitted to exist at pre sent, to which much opposition and a cross fire front the Gentlemen opposite had been made. — Poll election of Magistrates seemed to him bad ; but a poll election of Auditors seemed to him to defeat the object of their election altogether, It was petfectry easy to prevent the dilapidation of the Royal Burghs without the motion of time Noble Lord being granted. What was the ne cessity of recurring continually to the state of-the Royal Burghs centuries back ? He maintained that the antiquity of abuses was not a ground for their continuation.—(Cheers from the Oroposi tion.)—Such was his opinion, and he would will ingly coincide in such a cheer ; but he also saw no reason for changing the Constitution.—(Cheers Irons the Ministerial Benches.)—Was the notion of vox poputi vox Dei, to be carried so far as to infer that the desire of the people was always cor rect ? All evils have been referred to this system ; but was it not easy to point out a subject, and - then say every misfortune arose from it ? However much he thought the Bill of his Learned Friend might remedy the evils, the chief motive w;,ich caused him to oppose the present motion, was be cause it was intimately connected with the question of Pat liamentary Retorm.—(Hear ! front time Op position.)—Would any one . say that thequestion was not connected - with the question-of Parliamentary Reform ? The - Hoe. Member for. the Burghs of Inverkeithing boldly avowed his conviction of it, and he honoured him for his open and honest atetwal. The question of -Reform was the most pleasing which could perhaps be proposed to the consideration of Some other Members, who were not so willing to avow their speeches. He called upon the English Members, who wished to avoid the dangers of anarchy ; he called upon the ene mies of . Parliamentary Reform; upon those who wished to support the Constitution as it was, to op pose a motion which was to be attended with such evils. The Gentlemen opposite might wish for some change ; hot he preferred the Constitution as it existed. These were the reasons. which in duced him to give his decided •pposition to the motion.' Mr. W. WYNN said, the great objections to the motion arose from the dread of causing a viola tion of the Union ; but if this was the case, Pen ryn, Barnstaple, Salisbury, and all the English Boroughs which had been altered since the Union with, Scotland, constituted violations of the Union ; for if it was Doc proper to alter Scotch Burghs, neither was it proper to alter those of England. lie always opposed the wild schemes which had been offered to the House by visiona ries and enthusiasts, because they always began with pulling down, without leaving any thing re maining. There was a competent Tribunal in the House for a removal of any existing grievance, and he hoped, when necessity required, it would be put into execution. Were there not evils ex isting in the present system in Scotland ? None could deny that the evils there required removal. He was not desirous of having a Committee on every-occasion ; but when admitted evils of great ►magnitude claimed attention, he thought that at tention ought to be paid to them, because such was the desire of a people who sought relief, for their grievance demanded it. The remedy pro posed by the Noble Lord was too cumbersome; lie wished that the [louse would enquire whether any means of remedy which could more speedily be adopted could not be discovered. On these grounds he would not oppose the motion of the Noble Lord. Mr. CANNING said, that he thought it due to the interests of the country, the Burghs and re gulations of which were under the consideration of the House, that the question should meet with ample attention. As only one English Member had spoken on the opposite side in favour of the motion, he hoped he would be permitted to ex press his sentiments on the subject. At the ob servations of that Hon. Member, who would, be trusted, not be- displeased if he called him his Hon. Friend, he could not hilt feel surprise and asto nishment. The Act of Union, as hi! Hon. Friend expressed it, prevented English Boroughs, as well as Scotch, from being regulated as the House thought proper ; but „ such was not the case ; for the Act of Union, on the part of Scot land, stipulated, that the Itoyal Burghs should always continue to enjoy their rights and pri vileges as before the Union. The Act of Union, therefore, precluded' any alteration in the Scotch without mentiOniug the no roughs of England. There was a distinction which was evident Ireiween the malversation of the Burghs, and the mal-administration of the revenues.— Though the House, by the Act of Union, was preVented from interfering in the privileges of the Scotch Burghs respecting elections, yet it was not prohibited by the same Act from in vestigating and regulating the abuses connected with revenues of the Burghs. For that pur pose the Lord Advocate of Soatland had brought in a Bill to remedy the_ evils attendant on the mai-administration, but which could not interfere with the principles of election. The House had, therefore, two choices : the first, a Bill which was a remedy for the evils deserving to be remedied, and the second, the acceptance of a regulation which would be attended with a train of evils. Would the House, therefore, hesitate to declare which of the two modes it would adopt ? Would it sanction a mo!ion which would be at ended with all the evils of the wild schenics of Reform, which had been alteady proposed in coarse, broad, gross, tyrannical, and insulting shapes, but which, when touched in the House by the spear of truth, &splayed fully the native hideousness of the monster ? The [loose would not, therefore, he hoped, hesitate in making its selection, and would avoid plunging the empire into dangers which would eventually produce the greatest evils. _ Mr. FoilsEs was warm in his defence of the Borough of Aberdeen, whose Magistrates did not deserve the blame that was generaly attached to their conduct. He believed that their means were equal to any supposed deficiencies of funds. He held in his hands a document which would prove the truth of this allegation.—(Here the House was uncommonly loud for the " Question 1 Question': Question I")—The Hon. Member then said, " confess 1 ant no orator ; but I insist upon my right of being heard ; and, notwithstanding every effort of opposition, I shall deliver my senti ments." 'I he Hon. Member then resumed the same strain of argument or assertion in favour of Aberdeen, and concluded by saying, that if they committed hostilities against Aberdeen, they might as well commit hostilities against Malt-nes bury. Lord ARCH IBALD PANIILTON had proceeded sentence or two in reply, when " The Question" was so" loudly and generally called fn . r, that his Lordship, from respect to the feelings of the House, sat down abruptly. • The Gallery was then cleared, when a division ensued, and the numbers were— For the Motion Against it hbijoi ity . When Strangers returned to the Gdiery, the loudest acclamations resounded from the Opposi tion side of the House.' The CHANCELLIR of the EXCHEQUER moved for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the Pay ment of Monies into the Exchequer, in the way `of Debtor and CreArtir, from the Custoins and Excise.—Ordered. BOSSINEII ELECTION PETITION. Mr. GRBNFELL presented .a petition from . Sir Chailes Blount, praying that the consideration of the• petition which he - had presented on Wed nesday se'nnight, against the return for Bossiney, might he postponed, The Hon. Gentleman moved, that the present order for taking the petition into consideration on Tuesday next be discharged, and that it be postponed till the Ist of August. A discussion then took place between Mr.Stnart Wortley, Mr. Tierney, Mr. liftskisson, Mr. Wynn, Lord Castlereagh, Sir J. Newport, and Sir J. Mackintosh ; and the latter proposed, as an amend ment, that the further consideration of this ques tion be adjourned till to-morrow (this day), on which the House divided, and the numbers were— For the Atoriitiment Against it 5!) Majority 30 The original motion was then put, and nega tited without a division.—The House adjourned at Two o'Clock. . On Tuesday last his Majesty's ships Hecla and Griper were taken down the river by the steam yacht to Northfleet. _ _ _ The Lords of the Admiralty have ordered an 84-gun ship to be built at Bombay, to he called. the Bombay. The Bombay now in the service is to be called the. Blake. An Account has been laid before the House of Commons of the total weekly amount of Bank notes and Bank Post-bills in circulation, since the last return, on the 19th of January, 1819, to the 27th of April, 1819, inclusive. The greatest amount is that of April 20, 27,4565001.; the lowest, that of April 6, 24,409,7701.-- Hence, we see that, within the short period of 14 days, between the 6th and 20th April, there were three millions withdrawn from circulation; a fact which may help in some measure to account for the extreme pecuniary distress experienced among commercial men a few weeks ago. Within the last week the amount in' circulation has in creased to 26,775,4401. Letters and Papers from Gibraltar to the 12th ult. state, that the disputes which bad arisen be tween the Officers of the 64th regiment and those on board the Urle, United States sloop of war, which we. mentioned a few days since, had been pur an end to through the energetic measures adopted by the Curamanding OfEcer. LAW INTELLIGENCE: COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAY G. THE MERCANTILE CONSPIRACY. THE KING V. JOHN KINNEAR, LOUIS LEVY, 14 ° 5r LEY woot.F, and OTHERS. '6 3il Mr. GURNEY moved the judgment of the iti e on the defendants, who were found gullty'et' t ie r last Sittings in Guildhall, of conspiracY t° ' e r fraud divers dealers -in Scotch and Man cheo goods, by taking their property and paYing /39 hills for the same. The defendants appeared in Court, Lou is Le g having previously surrendered to his bail in case of Ladbrook v. Levy. • - The CHIEF JUSTICE read the whole of the egii dence, which occupied a considerable portion a, the day. • • The defendants then put in affidavits to In ttce el the Court to inflict lenient punishment. , 0 1: 4 ,. 1- f r complained of erroneous statements in the . 3 : 4 ";„ ( t papers and hand-bills, which had been circo ni `e by those who conducted the prosecution, f 0r ::6,1 purpose of exciting prejudice against them , be added, that the Jury had tried them- oaer e prejudice thus produced. They stated their lot. inin of circumstances, and other p ai r : cidars, to obtain mercy of the Court, Severe' be spectable persons made affidavits, stating tha t defendants had borne honest characters In a- t i years previous to the offence of which they a t° • convicted. ail s " The defendants finally made a joint au` 6- es pp• complaining that they had been confined in .1 1 -- .oy gate with -the worst prisoners, and - particil e% %vitt) sixteen persons convicted at the Midd ies Sessions of shocking propensities. The Attorney for the prosecution also roa — i n r affidavit, in which he stated that he had tuad e „ a a quiry into the affairs of Meyer, the principa l e ; as . spirator, who absconded. The result was, 3 b : d i cuvcry that Meyer had accepted bills to the 9 111° %d of 50,0001. which were all out against biro at I time he absconded. •ntli The Court having perused this affidavi t, mated that it came too suddenly upon the (eel lemlants, who were not perhaps prepared to W oe it, they therefore remanded them to be broug ht again on Monday next. tett, The Officer who had them in custody s ta ; that the inconvenience the defendants cOmplateZe of was occasioned by the crowded state of " Jail. writ& THE KING V. THOMAS ELLIS, ESQ. AND Atc-- le o This was a c:iminal information against tb e i l Pendants, Captain Thomas Ellis, and John arrh.o tti Esq. for challenging General Kinsey to " ti g - , t e tl duel with the former. ,The defendants WO ; e judgment to go by default, and Captain Ellis Ol e up to receive the sentence of the Court. hotli The COURT, after hearing the a ffi davits o n - 0 sides, were of opinion, that as protect ion 1 ( , violence seemed to be the only obiect of the 6° ,eej ilerta, the justice of the case wo uld be satis" e ; by calling npon Captain Ellis to enter into curity to keep the peace for two yea"' himself the sum of 1,0001. and two sureties in 5001. ocihe which he Was ord e red t o fi n d to -morrow. 111 mean time he was suff e r e d to g o at large. Id COURT OF KING'S BENCH, DUBLIN, MO i. CRIMINAL INFORMATION. 110 1 Mr. DRISCOLL moved, on the p ar t of .1.1 0 -1, 0 ). Warner, for a ,conditional order for a eri° l o l information against Mr Carrick, the PrnPri etcl „ - Al The Morning Post. The application was gr7; l o ed on an alleged libel which appeared in T1ie ) "“ ) ,. 0 4 ing Post, respecting the Court of Conscietic e ,' l i c e Alderman Warner, its President. The 1 ) rill (ion complained of, consisted partly of a g ee i bie attack upon the Corporation of Ouhlio ; b d `f thing objected to was the repiesentation transaction at the Court of Conscience, i" Mr Charles was one of the parties, and th e 'otti menis thereon.—,The conditional or der ‘, granted. rtlef Mr. Druscott, then moved for a similar ulti~ against Mr. Magee, the Proprietor of The- v [ o tti Evening Post. He read hut one paragoP h that , paper, in which this question occurs- - doesliot the Corporation abate that nuisanc e : 0e Court of Conscience ?"—The Court glO te6 conditional order in this case also. if Of On the 3d of March, in a severe squall °— Ati Island of Malta, several fishermen perished. 1 0 English Play was subsequelitly performed a t t o Theatre Royal La Valetta, amate urs, if et i. benefit of the families of the unfortunate s ulie l r- 6 b Old BARNET, the pedestriAn, who is in Of year of his age, has bee'n backed to go 51% , ; ',' hundred quarters of miles in sixteen hundr e " , ; cessive quarters of hours, at Ipswich. 1" 11) at present five to three against hint. l O6 13ow-sTilEET.—Yesterdoy Goorge 1-lerber . %. 4 .) a coachman in the employ of Mr. Wilson , ° it t o rister in Lincoln's-inn, was committed iq r on a charge ,of defrauding him of lIs• by, afto4s nufaCtured bill and receipt, pretending to ' 4 a farrier, 'for shoeing 8 horses. BIRTH. dad) , ibee ()II We dnesdPv, in Lower Brook-street, the e l log lion. Thomas Erskine, of a daughter, which 000 birth only a few hours. - T ia A u I g IRIED. - .........,—........--- _, born,On Tuesday, toi,,iis s s w a i t it, q ui t 1 er:„,:„11 Ifi)/#, , - • Andrew s, Mr. Hooper; ice, place.h On Wednesday, the sth instant, iit'eof aNtiffi.StSwift, James ' s °7.4C. e l. :; Piccadilly. the Rev. Thomas Fuller, A. M. Fellow - 11 ; o ftb` John's College, Cambridge, to Sophia Mary, daugh ter late William Paterson, Esq. of the Island of Jalll'aiCa• ee sr9 DIED. On Tuesday last, at his Parsonage-House, in his t36t.b,,,,biL` the Rev. Durand Rliudde, D.D. Chaplain in OrtlinarY t OI Majesty, and Rector of Brantham with East jrg*" ' Great Wena RI, Suffol. ' ft i° At Edinhu h igh, in on tire 19th of April, Mrs. Ferguss°l;te ot . of John Hutchinson 'Fergusson, Esq. of Tro chranet Calcutta. 94' , On the 3d inst. in St. James's-place, Richard LYst er e , for Rnwton Castle, Shropshire . , one of the Rercsentatib Shrewsbury. f O%P r4 On the 3d inst. at Brighton, Mr. John Ir win, 0 - ford-street, aged 61 ire 4treel' On the 5th=10.rriet.............01, of Dc v° " °l Portland-place. ,--- __., -- t -- - , - 0 G el" - - - - --- • _ LONDON : Printed by J. B. CARSTAIRS, of No 'iar. A_; Ormond-street, Queen-square; and published 01 _ 5 s t ria SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South Molton-street, at m ot ders, OLedittceer,,, &c, No. 112, Strand ; where Adveitisenlent3, (post - paid) roust be aldrc.lsed. (/