The Sun. — London, England, 1816-05-22 00:00:00

I I PIMIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORD, TORSDAY, MAY 21; ROYAL COMMISSION. The Royal Asetit was given by Comniission to the Irish Supply Bills, the Annual Itttlehmit'st .the Scotch fi',;ise, Officers' Indemnity Bill, the !tin - Iteciiers'' Allowance Bill, the Customs' Duties 4;311, the Wrilneht•Gootli Bill, the Germtin Prunes Bill, the Batik Restriction Bill,. St: George the Aluityi's Glut clt Bill, the:Tonnage Duty Bill, the Loral Militia Bill. Yeomanry cavalry Bill, and Private Bills. Commissioners--Earls - Bathurst and Shaftesbury mid the Lord Chan cellor. DIVORCE, Xtt Ahdy's divorce case .the hearing of evidence :tv,is finished, and, the Bill read a second time .10 .Dvott's divorce case the proof as• to the fact ttf tididcety wa : concluded ; but the Loup CHAN cnt,t,ott haviniz stated, that be observed that in the Ecclesiastical Court shade testimony had been given .11b to bad, m.age by General Dyott lower& bis wire, and.having thought it right that some evidence should he given to the Hot= to contra : diet or explain that, the further hearing of evi dence. in (hill (Mlle %% a' adjourned till this day 'week. Mr. Jackson, counsel for the lady, having stated (hat, notwitb.standiug what had been said in the House by the trustee, the:lady. was still in great distress for money, Harman, the trustee, ;was (Weird to atrendJO-tuorrow. Tlie Malt and Beer Duty Bill was committed, and reported, , . The County Rate Bill, and a great many pd. ;te-Is, were brought from the. Commons, and read a first time: The Dnke of BRAUPORT presented a Petition in favour or the: Bristol Small Debts Bill, which was "" the tHble , lie then moved the second reading , of the. Bill. The LoaD CHASCIMLOR 530 he' had no nbjec ,tlon to the second reading of the Bill now : hut he • understood that a Noble and Learned Lord, not now present, had some observittion‘ to male upon it when it should come to the Committee. The 'Bill was Alien read a second time.--Ad journed. TiousE or COMMONS. The House went to the Honse of Lords to re ceive the Royal Assent to severs, Bills. A Petition Was presented from the tanners of Dungarron, and was referred,to the Committee. I,OCKH titT brought in a rim to regulate Sales of Farmers' Stock, which was read a first time, and ordered to br re , ed,a second time On Thursday. The Irish :rand 'levy Presentments' Report was received. Returns were presented respecting Illicit Distillation in Ireland. The Gaol Fees' Abolition 13111 went through the Commit ter: Report to-morrow. Lord (4. lIEHESPQRD reported the Answer to the Ad dressee, tee the Prince Itilent. for the Accounts of the Num ber of persons contioe , l under the G4lllO Laws, &c. &C. Mr. 14OLVORD obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Penitentiary Act, EDUCATION IN THE METROPOLIS. Mt. EtiOUG4tANI MOVed for a s...ommittee to in. quire into the state of eitteation in the metropolis. This subject was of the greatest importance to the state of the lower orders in London, Westmin ster, and Sotithwark. He should not dwell on. details, as he understood there would be no hp. position to his motion. Alany. respeCtable per , sons had endeavoured ,to promote the public edit • cation, and by the various societies instituted on the most benevolent principles much good had been done; 'rota heir ;nullities bed, disclosed scent's of ignorauce, misery, and vice. An estimate had been formed'of three districts, one froM St. Giles's, one from Covent-garden and the Strand, and an otittr (where the inhabitants were rather of a omperior sort), from the Strand towards Nor thomberlencl-hpuse. A particular examination ban I) , Th made, and ins district containing 3000 houses it was found that 3,380 children received education, and 4,465 were totally without the means of getting it. Jr %vas a remarkablecircumstance, that `Aroong the pooreSt people all of them showed great aoxiely to procure education for their children.-- , It+ the schools in Sr. Giles's there were only 110 children,. Looking at Sonthveittk, Shadweli, and St. George's .fields (which comprised 200,000 per sons) there were no less than 14,000 poor Irish Raman Catholics, mostly engaged on the river.— Among these there were only 89 children educat ed, though the number of children were, eltoge ther, between 3 end 4000. Taking the pork lion of the metropolis and its immediate vicinity at 1,050,000, it appeared that there were about 90,000 children uneducated. The benevolent vo luntary contributinit3 had been greatly deficient in acenmplishing their objects, though indi‘'aidaals bad exerted themselves to their utmost. : Mr. Jot seph Fox advanced 3,6001. towards the schools ; and there had been many otherliberal contri butors, who could not be too much praised, parti cularly as they haul got the better-of all particular feelings respecting other Inttitutions. Their ex ertions bad been great and laudable. The British cod foreign stboolsociety hnd 5 schools for boys and three for girls, nod taught, and were capable of rea,Aiiit:,; SON, but at present had only The three national schools could instruct 3000, but they had only 'about 2000. The feet appeared to be, that there were from 85,000 to 90;000 children left uneducated wholly. He thought these circumstairces 'furniihed sufficient grOunds for a Select ComMittee, to inquire into the ease, and into the management of endowed schools, to sec that they complied with the wills of the ‘found ers, and to consider how far- it was fit to 4010 the modes of publie . education. It might be good to begin with the metropolis, and see how the system prospered, and then to extent/ it to, other places. At Manchester, on an examination of parish registers for six years, it appeared that 9,756 persons were: married who could only make their mark. Schools for the education of itchoolmesters might also be desirable, iteligious differences occasioned some difficulties in the way • of general edireation 'Great care should certainly be teken, on the (We iatfd,not. to offend the feet. • • • • jogs of religiotta individuals , and, - ou the`other band, not to invade the just privileges of the nsa... florid church. Tire Government in Ireland had adopted an equitable principle on this sobjeet. Ile then moved for a Select Committee to inquire into the stated the education or the lower order!: of the metropolis, tvliiclt, after a few words from. Mr. Wrottesley, General 'Thornton, and. Alder man Atkins, was agreed to, and a Committee ap puitited. consioing of Mr. Brougham, Sir S. 1t0... milly, Mr. Ber.net, Sir J. , Mackintosh, Sir F. Bur dett, Lord Oiitilston, Sir H. Parnell, Mr. Hortier, Mr. Milord, Sir T. Ackland, and several others. INCOME TAX. Mr. 'BROUGH 1 .11 postponed his motion respecting the de= st roving of the Records a the Income Tax to Thursday next. The Landlords' Bill was Frail the'third time. Mr. FRANKLAND . LEWIS gm notice, that he should wake a proposition in the Agricultural Committee on Friday respecting Wool. - tionie Petitions respecting Tithes were pretented from places in loses and Devon lONIAN ISLANDA. Sir CHARLES Motse. rose to submit his pro mised motion with respect to the lonian The floe. Barinlet detailed the circumstances iii which these islands had been placed at different times in the course of the war. Ile particularly dwelt spout the establishment of the independetice of the lonian Repel)lic, ender the guarantee of Russia and the Porte, atter the first expulsion of the French from those islands, and the acknow= ledgement of that independence by this country apt France upon he Pea.ce of AftlieHS. lie als o disenhsed the conduct of this country towards those Islands, upon taking pnesese;ik of them al-. ter the last expulsion of the French. That pos session, it appeared front the dispatch °Mord Col lingwoml and the proclamation of Our officers, was avowedly taken, with ai view to maintain the inde pendence of the Septinsular Republic. Yet after all those pledges which bound the honour of this cottn try, what wee the conduct of the Noble Lord (Cas tlereagh) at the Congress of Vienna with respect to the lonien Islands I Did he there press, as it was his duty, the guarantee of Russia, and the ,tic knowledgment of that independence by this coml.' try and France ?—Had the Noble Lord no recol lection whatever of the proclamation and, pro mises of our (Ahem to those Islands, upon -taking possession of them I Surely principle and national homier ought. ,not to be disregarded upon this subject; and on the score of principle the lonian Islam's had strong chin's upon the h on our of our Government, as well as upon that of the .ot her great Powers to which he• had referred. Here the llonourAble Baronet adverted to the con duct of the. Commissioners sent to the lonian. Islands, under the Treaty by which these Islands were *ceded to this. country. Among other things provided by that Treaty, the Commissioners were empowered to direct all the proceedings, a regulation which placed the lonian Islands in a state of thraldom, to which even our West India possessions were not subjected; yet, that was what was called national independence. We alto claimed the right of garrisoning all' the fortresses, and commanding the troops; bat it was in 'vale to possess the fortresses of a country, unless the hearts of the people were also possessed. The Honourable Baronet then animadverted upon the oppressive conduct of the Provisional. Govern ment, and concluded by moving fOr the :appoint teem of a Committee to inquire into the present political state of,the Cooitto Islands, and to report, their opinion Iller4oll. Mr. L. FOSTER bore testimony, from personal experience, to the character.orthe inhebitents of the lonian Islands : he had - been among them. and be perfectly concurred in all that bad fallen front the lion, garonet. With, respect to the in dependence which they bad a right to expect, he apprehended the whole course of their history, trom,the earliest periods, would prove that their present condition was highly favourable to them. For many centuries they were•under the dothinion' , of Venice, but at the breaking out of the French Revolution, emissaries of Jaenbinism were seat among -them, and were but too successful in the objects of their mission. The ineabitants warmly and enthusiastically entered into all the preposte rous doctrines of the Rights of Man, anti the con sequence was a:civil war hetween'the Aristocracy and the Democracy. In that State they con tinued nearly till the conclusion Of the Peace of Andens ; and it was a relnarkable fact, that *bola a year before the Signing of that Treaty, the island of Zante had determiued to send a deputation to this country to make an offer of placing itself un der our protection. It so happened that an Eng lisk °dicer was at that time upon his travels, or rather his adventures, in that part of the world, and seizing the opportunity, he eepresented him self as being sent opt by the British GoVeretneut, to :fulfil the Wishes of those islanders. Accord ingly, he took possession of the island, and performed every function of a goOd Governor, except in not communicating With this country, for the space of eleven months. At the end of that.' time be fourui it prudent to abdicate his authority, in consequence of the appearance of a combined Russian and Turkish fleet off the islands. The Peace. of Amiens followed ; and by that compact the in tegrity of the 'lonian Islands was gertrAnteed, lie (Mr. F.j•happened to be there at the dale,. and' Witnessed the joy'and exultation manifested by, the people, whet* they heard that they were hide pendent. After the minute of the peace, the events of the war which fellowed placed those islands ender the doininion of Russia, who .subse-, quently transferred them to France, and in' which condition they remained until we obtained poises- Sion of them by the,rights of conquest., He should be glad to know, therefore, wheCclaim they'hatl to a greater share of freedont,than they now possess ed. The truth-sees, they hid ins taste for More : they had, indeed, never enjoyed so much in any former period of their history. He believed it its ould proVe, a most, fatal gift, because. they were not able, to protect themselves, and would be exposed to that calamity which most of ail they dreaded, falling under the yoke .of Turkey. It was not to supposed they would prefer the feeble security. of a gnatantee by treaty, to the stronger one of being actuall.y under the protection of a powerful country.-- The only question therefore was, what country , they would select. Russia and France they had_tried, and he would venture to affirm they had no wish to belong again to either ; while, on the contrary, - he believed they were most anxious to place themselves Under our protection. It was certainly their interest to be placed muter a Government where-the civil authority prevailed, rather than under one which ruled by military' force. He had no doubt, if a and libctal cours-e of policy were pursued, the inhabitants of those isl a nds would become the most attached subjects of the British Empire. Sir C. 11 , 1oNcic briefly replied, when the motion was negatived without a division. TRINITY-HOUSE. Mr. Btecu noticed the government of certain light-houses, under the Northern Light Commis shiners, and the revenues arising to the Trinity House from, a duty of Id. per ton on all vessels passing those lights. There were:nine of these Northern Light Houses, which produced 25,0001. The Trinity House, had, 21 under their controul,• and they charged various rates, front one half'- penny to three. He made.various calculations, to show - that the revenue 'must be enormons,, and enumerated the different sources. Froth surplus pilotage alone, within the last' five years, they had received '36,0001.. Ile thought some re lief. should be given to the Shipping Interest in this respect.. With respect to the Trinity Cor poration a decree of the Lord Chencelfoi North, ington, in 1764, respecting their Charter, was made, in which he observed, that they were only supervisors, over their concerns. The Hon. Gen tleman complained of the manner in which the re venues had been expended in magnificent , build ings such ns the Trinity4inuse, and of their sub scribing to the publicloaus of the Ministers. He wiot,..t whnt had become of 27,500/. re maining in hand on the 31st of December.— Though the revenues were large, amounting' to 174,0001. the net income was very small, end this was owing to the henvyexpence of maintir ing the light-houses. Jwsome respects 10 per cent. anti in others as high as 25 per cent,. were paid for collecting the dues; this was sufficient to create inquiry. The whole of the ports, parti cularly the out-ports, were very much interested in the question. • The only benefit he knew de, rived front the revenues was the great turtle and venison 'teas s,.whir-h the few Gentlemen having the maaagem'eat of the concern, iu common with the 11 , ght lion. Gentleman' (Mr. Rose), were in the habit of partaking of. The northern 'light houses were conducted on a more economical plan. He then moved for a Select Committee to inquire, into the income and expenditure of the Corpora. tion of the Trinity-house, and to report their opinions. • Mr. Rose admitted the House. had a contront over this awl every other Corporation in the king dom. .With respect to , the erection of certain light-houses , on the Isle of • Mang a survey had been made, but the expense was not such as had been described. • In 1805 the revenue 'was 29,0001. in 1816 it was 60',0001. afteraying the. charge far the lights, fete. The Right lion. Gen . dental) defended the Trinity CoMpany, and stared that their salaries amounted to no more than 10001. a year, the rest of their funds, which the Governors had been accused of wasting, was em ployed in charitable purposes, in the support of decayed masters, alms-houses, and in the educa tion of a great number orchildren. Mr. BARHAM supported the motion. Mr. W. SMITH did not Mean to impute blame to the Trinity Howse Company for the election of the Trinity House, The light-houses 'he : thought were as well managed as they.eould be. He still thought, however, as the funds out of, which these expellees were defrayed were levied on the trade of the country, that inquiry should take place, to see if less money - would not do for a ll these purposes, and the burthens on. the pub lic be lightened. Mr, Cuttwart was in'favour of inquiry. Mr. .13tadit said a few words in reply, and the motion was afterwards withdrawn. " ENOLTSH CATHOLICS. • MI% ELLIOTT said, he held in his hand . R Peti tion from a numerous and most respectable body of his Majesty's subjects, the English Catholics, a mongst whom might be found some of the no blest lamilies in .the Country—some men of the first importance in point of property—some of the rank of manufacturers, who by their talents and la-. boors had a(hied much to the wealth of the EMpire, and all of whom,. of.every rank, had been distin ! . guished lor their attachment to the Crown and the Constitution ; that the Itowan Catholics of Eng land incl u ded persons of this description, would appear plainly when the names attached to the tition lie was about i to present were read. Though it was not now his intention to propose any other than the usunl motion, • namely, that the Petition should lie on the table, he coot;i not forbear to state what was the situation .of the ,English Catholics compared even with that of the Catholics of Ireland. The latter tvera admit tett tg many situations of trnst in.the Civil Departments of the State, and to a cer tain standard of rank in the army and at the bar, whilst the English Catholics were excluded from all places of trust, rank,. or profit. Even the Duke of Norfolk could not 4. ct as a Justice of the Peace, or vote for a MeMber of Parliament at an elec tion. The Right Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to enumerate the several disabilities under which the English Catholics labour ; and observed, that in his opinion, the present monstrous sit nation of things could no longer stand ; we must either go for Wards or backwards on this simbiect. The objec tions to granting indulgences to the Catholies,w hich had formerly been used by the opposers of the tnea sure, existed no louger. Formerly the Pope possess ed great temporal power ; that power existed no longer. Formerly we. had 'a disputed succession— that cause of objection no /longer existed. We had. now a Throne firmly established, a powerful Aristocracy, and a Ciergy united and connected with both the CroWn and the People. One great and glorious opportunity of granting the prayer of the Catholics had been lost—he meant the time of the Union with Ireland. Ano ther opportunity had:now arrived, namely, the ar rival of peace, after a long continued, severe, and, f u his bpinion, just and necessary contest ; in which time Catholic population of thia. end the Sister Kingdom had shed its best blood most pro- fusely, Now was the time whet; a boon might with most glace be conferred on the Catholics of both countries, who came forward, not to demand an equal' participation in the liberties of their fel low-smthieets, but to request that Parliament would legislate for them, and grant them all which, con sistent with the safety of th e P rotestant Cburch,, could granted theist. The Petition was read, and ordered tcr 1 .- /a go the table. CATHOLIC CLAIMS. ..11r. GRATTAN said, his Right Hon. Friend Inul argued so ably the question of emancipation; in; the speech which he had just made on presentint: the Petition from the Roman Catholics of Env, land, which had done him and his country sa much honour, that he had really left him (Mr. Grattan) very little to say on the subject. Oaj various occasions he had had to present the Peet titions of the Catholics ; and his thanks were-duel,. to the House for the extract dinary kindness IOW', they evinced towards him, in condescending fel listen to a repetition of the same arguments which he' had so often urged before. The Catholics of Ireland he stated to he willing to concur, no t itt . form, but in act, with 'any measure that might be thought necessary to secure the present Church Establishment, and the Protestant Succession'ta the Throne, that was not incompatible with the principles of their religion. In proof of this, he read part of the Petition lately presented, and di rected the Clirk to read the names of some of the Nobility and Gentry who had signed it ; wool which ‘vere those of Lords Shrewsbury, nig"' Kenmare, and French. The Petition was signed by above 900 pertons. He contended the deck" ration contained in the Petition, thus subscribed. was that which had been formerly demanded as a preliminary to Catholic Emancipation. One great objection therefore 'he held to be remov. ed, since the terms had now been complia with, which those who formerly opposed this (flea" sure had dictated to the Catholics. He had an ' other document to refer to, an authentic letter from Cardinal—, Written by command of his Ho liuess the'Pope, on the subject of the Veto. Thi s paper_ set forth three oaths, ve r y nearly the sta te as those oaths which the Cath o lics :were now r e. qnired to take, which might be adapted for the On this satisfaction of the English Government. important question he (Mr. Gr a ttan) had "P ea there was some prospect of coining to an accom modation. The letter went on to this effect—that in the opinion of the writer any one of these ()Ohs would he more than sufficient to satisfy the Go' vernmeat of • Great •Britain, yet that his Hanes° would moreover permit a list of candidates for the' vacant Bishoprick to be shewn to the King's GO' vernment, and allow them to point out the names of any candidates of whom they might disapprove, and that they wouldsbe expunged front the list ; that if the Penal Lel:8 were repealed his Holiness would also send a brief to the Catholic Bishops of Great 1,31 Rain, in which be would publish to.the universe his sense of gratitude for the generositY and liberality of the great British Government , exhorting them to loyalty, and to conform to. the regulations which the safety of the State might render necessary: The Right Honourable Geo. tleman then pursued the subject. It had bee's often with justice said to him on former occasions, when he had brought this subject before the House, that be bad come to ask for co ncession ; ► and to offer security,' but where - was his ple n What had he to propose for the security of th e Church—for the security of the Protestant sue' cession—fer the security of'the Protestant re: Henn? With much anxiety -he had ende.avour e i to arrive at *hat might be satisfactory to all parties, Bud on this great question he had th e satisfaction of knowing the sentiments of the Pope. His Holiness had said, that be had done all that was in his power towards making an °" rengement, and that the rest must be done L Parliament—why , did they not legislate viva well askecL If the House did not legislate now., (hey would not merely refuse Catholic Emancipation, but refuse their own terms 00 their o-vp securities. Where were how the oh' stacks ? Was there an outcry in the country against any concession to the Catholics ? Had tit* Honse been requested by any part of the ;people to refuse to accede to these claims ? He.beggea that the Petitions presented to the House t his Session, against the claims of the Catbolich should be read. There was none—not one. NO' V .then, it was reasonable to presume that there 'was an acquiescence. He did nut meats by,this to es; sort that all the people in th e kin g doth wish e " that the claims of the Catholics - should he ac" ceded to ; but at least this mtreli was evident, t h at the spirit of hoitility against them was - much sob' clued. Those Petition's' which bad formerly been presented to the . Hotife against them, did not c%. press their opposition absolutely but conditionally , requiring that there might be no Catholic emao ciliation unless there were Protestant security. It could not he said that the cause of the lethal lies bad not now many enemies ; but this might - he said, that in the present state of things there was sufficient cause to go on. Sonic Catholic! there might even be who objected to the proposed mode of nominating their Bishops. , But what was the tact as to the great and respectable boae of the Catholics ? In 1793 they signed Well Resolutions stating that the Veto was con s isten t with the principles of their religion. .But let (b.. 'Home only consider this question. It Was possible that the Veto could be inconsistent lit" the Catholic religion. Neither Synod not Agr a : gate were to legislate, bat that House, and the 7 were to legislate not only on principles of pettic a ' ear good, but also on principles of general seer ' rity. This was all that they had to do. He :nig': new say melt more, but he felt it would, be al: most unnecessary. He might sheer what :It grievances of Ireland were—he might enter ittta the whole detail, and endeavour to skew r i ! s i grievances were commercial—what were iiinanc l e a —what. were politi ca l. To state the- 00' 10 ; 4 generally was only to open the wound ; ent4 was therefore on the last'occasion that tliey PP, properly been discriminated. That which 00 7 came more particularly under observation Wt. Penal Code. He was not afraid to that by removing this, cone great cause of ab b e tatibn would be taken away. By repealing. tb „ Penal Code, , those who now .excited dis tur b antes in Ireland would be reduced to a inere 4 " n " ditti; they would be left without a p r etence' to. they would have no means of applying to reign enemy, therefore they would die frnin:l)/, junity of the principle by which they now exist He was sure, it was the wish of the Hon sc was without doubt their duty to serve the pe°,P on, If `moos of the people expressed dissati 2facu id e e they heti principle enough to meet it ; 10 c"",' its cause ; if possible, to relieve it /le di" charge the Chief Governor of Ireland with blem4