The Sun. — London, England, 1827-05-23 00:00:00

until the month of last November. Now, lithe Houle Would permit him, he would state, that in his opinion, the Bill in question would always disappoint the public. He did not disagree with the Commissioners on any material point, and he apptawed of many of their euggestions, though not of all ; but he certainly felt, that to make those suggestions the subject of a cumbersome Bill in Parliament, was a proceeding not useless in itself, but one that would disappoint the public. The present Lord ChancellOr Woo was only the organ of the Commissioners, felt, he knew, as (the Attorney-General) felt on that question._ The present Lord Chancellor was of opinion, and it was his opinion also, that the specific points of improvement noticed in the report of the Commissioners, did not require any Act of Parliament for carrying them into effect, but might be made by the autheriv of the Lord Chancellor in his own Court. He knew nothing farther about the Bill. He was not aware that the Learned Lord who introduced it had requested any other individual to take it up. He put it to his Hen. and Learned Friend, whether, under the present ciocumstances of the Government and the country, to which he would not allude more particularly', it would not be more decorous to pause before he called upon the House to take this matter, important though it was out of the hands of his Majesty's Government. He owned that the motion of his Honourable and Learned Friend would appear to him, even though he v - ere to approve of it much more than he did at present, to be premature, and uncalled for under existing elect:instances. He felt no alarm legit the duties of the Court of Chancery should he found, too great for the performance of the head of that coins and the two learned judges by whom he was assiated e He knew that Sir Samuel Remilly had given it ? his opinion that the Lord Chancellor did not even require the assistance of the Vice Chancel'. ee ; and he could say, or his own personal knowledge, that though that great and illustrious man might 'slave lent himself to the forwarding of improvements in the practice of that Court, he had never deemed it necessary to give addi tional assistance to the Lord Chancellor for the discharge of its business.—(Criss of hear, hear.) His Hon. and Learned Friend referred to the evidence taken before the Chancery Commission, in order to show that the Cons enisaieners were of opinion that the Lord Chancellor did want assistance. He by no means intended to dispute the honesty of those who had given evidence kefore that Commission, and least of all the honesty of that gentleman who had declared that three angels could not perform it._ He (the Attorney-General) was of opinion, that when they had infused flesh vigour into that Court, and had intro duced more celerity into its proceedings, the business of it evould be performed, not only by three angels, but by three men of ordinary talent and industry. He had now stated the grounds on which he intended to oppose the motion of his Hon. and Learned Riend, the Member for Durham. He received what his Hon. and Learned Friend had said upon this occasion, as he did upon all other occasions, with the most perfect conviction of his honesty and sincerity.— He differed from him with great pain, as he had always been accustomed to look up to him as a great authority upon this question. But he was sure that his Hon. and Learned Friend would do him the justice to recollect, that from the very first moment in which the subject had been mooted in Parliament, he had always differed from him as to the pro riety of giving additional assistance to the Lord Chan cellor ; and it was upon that ground principally that he felt bound to meet the motion of his Learned Friend with his most decided opposition._(Cries of hear, hear.) Mr. D. W. HARVEY commenced hi? observations by complaining of the inconsistency of the professional gen tlemen on the other side of the House, who now declared that Biil to be utterly worthless and unavailing, which they had feemerly praised as calculated to remove most of the delays, and grievance's to which the unfortunate suitors of Hen Court of Chancery were exposed. He wondered what new light had beamed upon their understanding, an made them see no importance in the various reruns anendations propose." by the Chancery Commissioners.— .. the whole mischief in the administration of the bankrupt laws was now to he got rid of, not by legislative enact ments, but by a few regnlations to be made by Lord Lynd hurst, and the two learned personages who assisted him in that Court. He damned it quite impossible that such a crying grievance could be so removed; and he corrobo rated his opinion by reference to that of Lord Eldon.— His (Mr. D. W. Harvey's) object wee not so much to dis sever bankruptcy frern the Great Seal, as to simplify the administration of the bankrupt laws. The first thing which he would have done would be to provide for the publication of the bankrupt's insolvency at the very earli est period ; the next, to collect the resonant of his shat tered fortunes with as much celerity, and at as little ex pense, as was practicable ; the next, to divide that rem nant, as soon as collected, amonget his creditors; and the last, to reward him with a small portion of the property so recovered, wherever his insolvency had sprung out of inevitable misfortune, and to punish him whenever it had arisen from dishonesty or extravagance.—(Hear.)— He did not wish to speak with disrespect of any one of the 72 gentlemen who now officiated as Commissioners of Bankrupts; but he must say this, that a more incompetent tribunal could not easily be imagined. It was his firm belief, that what between capacity with inexperience on the one hand, and experience with incapacity on the other, there were not more than fire or six Commissioners out of Z 2, who, were able to discharge their duty as they ought to do. He wished that any of the Hon. Gentlemen opposite Would go down to Guildhall, because he was certain that they would see the necessity of supporting any measure which tended to the removal of such a nuisance as the existing teiburals in bankruptcy. There were 14 petty courts, in each of which there were five Commissioners, of whom three must necessarily attend to transact the bu siness. These Commissioners were not paid as they ought to be, by pee rnarent and adequate salaries, but by fees aris ing from their ingenuity in making out business for them selves, to the injury of the bankrupts creditors. The manner in which they ran after their fees—the impatience with which they looked at their watches to provide against their staving longer than their two hours, and the anxiety with which they sought to pocket another guinea by de vising another meeting in Quality-coura was one of the most disgusting scenes that any professional man could witness.—(Hear, hear.)—lle had no hesitation in saying that this mode of administering the law was not more disgraceful to those engaged in it, than injurious to the suitors whose property was at stake. There were gene rally twelve or thirteen causes under each list, and scarcely any two of those causes arrived at the same stage. At one moment the commissioners had before them a creditor try ing to prove a fraudulent debt; at aeether a bankrupt un dergoing his final examination ; and at a third another bankrupt claiming his certificate. All these cases--different and difficult as they were—were to be decided within two short hours, amid the clamour of a court, where there was no presiding judge, nor guiding rule.—(Hear, hear.)—He did not know of any terms sufficiently strong to express his abhorrence of so disgraceful a system. It had been said by the Hon. cod Learned Gentleman who had been recently exalted to the office of his Majesty's Attorney-General, that no plan had yet been suggested. To cut away that argu ment from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, he would ven ture to suggest the following plan :-_That instead of there being sevenps.two judges, of whom one half were inexpe rienced from youth, and the other imbecile from age, there should he five judges with liberal salaries, whose time should be exclusively given up to adjudications in cases of bankruptcy. Instead of there being fourteen courts, with five judges in each, there should be five courts with one judge in each. The bankrupt causes should be brought under his notice individually, and so well were the principles on which those canes were determined un derstood by commercial men, that he would venture to affirm that there would very rarely be any appeal from the decision of that individual Judge. In cues of appeal, however, he should suggest that the appeal, instead of b e i ng made to the Lord Chancellor should be made to three out of five Commissioners; and then, if the parties were still dissatisfied, should be from the three Commissioners to the Lord Chancellor. Under such regulations he would venture to predict that there would not be ten appeals in the year.—(Hear,hear.)—lt would appear, from what had fallen from his Majesty's Attorney-General, that in the en suing recess, the Noble Lord now at the head of the Court of Chancery was to concoct a small neat system of bankrupt laws which was to put an end to the ruinous expellee now complained of; and was to devise some intelligible code of official arrangement, by which all the clamours of the country were to be stilled.—(Hear, hear.)—The Judge was to be changed, but the practice of his Court osas to remain almost unaltered, and all the splendid denunciations which had thrilled through every bosom in that House and the country, were only to be considered as party tactics, and looked upon as the result of disappointed ambition. —(Cries of hear, hear. )—Nosv:that the object of professional advancement was obtained, those who had been most loud in their attacks had become the eulogists of the late Lord Chancellor's merits.—(Hear, hear.)—And the House was now told, that if, in the vehemence of debate, any thing had been said calculated to injure his character, Amounted to nothing, and was only to be considered as the accidental effusion of party spirit.—(Hear, hear, from the °PP°'ite benches.)_ Suitors were now to he satisfied that the Court would in future move on with the utmost cele rity and harmony ; : h that they would no longer have their hopes withered— forts destroyed b y 4r a prospects blasted—and their com forts and expenses ; that they would no longer be consigned Lremature grave, or entombed alive in mad ness in NOM g --Clieers from the Opposi tiou.)-41 such we re ttea cases et would be well to place a couple of learned gentlemen at each end of Chancery-lane, to point out to every passenger the road to the Court of Chancery, and to proclaim in the streets that all its ways were ways of pleasantness, and that all its paths were paths of peace.—(Hear, hear.)—A greater insult than such a de claration could not easily be imagined. The abuses of the Court of Chancery still reigned in all their pristine defor mity. The country was inclined to place confidence in the new Government, and the new Government ought therefore to recollect that much was expected by the people from it. Though there were some questions which might be deferred without injury to the public interests, the present was not one.—(Hear, hear.)—lt was his opinion that if the new Admi nistration had not been formed, he bill which the present Lord Chancellor has introduced into that House, for the im provement of the Court of Chancery, would have been car ried by acclamation. But now that it was formed, Par liament was told that it was a useless measure,—that scarcely one of its provisions was advantageous; that the 188 propositions of the report, which had 188 eulogists, were to be abandoned; and that all that was necessary to simplify the Court of Chancery was for the Lord Chan cellor to make certain regulations tinder which all expenses and delays were to cease. If any man had a judgment so weak as to place confidence in such a statement, he thought that he ought to he placed forthwith under another branch of the Lord Chancellor's jurisdiction,—he meant the juris diction in lunacy.—(A laugh.) The system, he repeated, must be reformed.—(Hear, hear.) He held in his hand at that moment a document which justified the House in proceeding warily with professional reforms proposed by professional men. It was a tabular view of the officers of the Court of Chancery; from which it appeared, that out of 393 officers belonging to that Court, all but 12 were in the appointment of the Lord Chancellor. When such was the case, he thought it was evident that gentlemen still en gaged in the active duties of the profession were not likely to be the most impartial correctors of abuses. A commis sion of inquiry, to be thoroughly useful, should consist of counsel and solicitors who had retired from business, and who, by their experience and independence, would be able to understand the bearing of the different grievances and remedies which might be brought under their consideration. Such a cemmission would have full employment in this country for some time ; for sorry was he to say it, abuse and law were in England synonymous terms.—(Cheering and laughter.) The country, he repeated, was law-ridden. —(Cheering and laughter continued.) He used the expres sion law-ridden advisedly : for what else could be said of a country which had 6,000 certificated attornies, each of whom, upon an average, received 1,0001. a year ?—(Hear, hear.)—The House would see from that statement, that 6,000,0001. of money were annually expended in low.— (Hear, hear.)—lf the Hon. and Learned Gentlemen haul not changed their principles with their seats, they would see that something more than a mere change of men was expected in the Court of Chaneery. A change cf system was also requisite ; and unless it was effected before long, they would have nothing to congratulate either themselves or the country upon in the ensuing Session of Parliament. —(Cheers.)—The Hon. Member concluded by supporting the motion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL could not have sup posed that there was any man whose mind was so weak, and whose judgment was so slender, as to believe that he could have said that a change of men ; and not of measures, was all that was required to sweep away the abuses of the present system of the Court of Chancery. He had not said that a few regulations would sweep away those abuses, nor had he said that the aid of the House of Commons would not be asked to effect that desirable consummation. —(Hear, hear.)—He had never thought of entering that night into the general question of the Court of Chancery. He had confined himself simply to the question before the House, and that was—ought the business in bankruptcy to he severed or not from the jurisdiction of the Great Seal ?—(Hear, hear.) Mr. G. BANKES denied that the Commissioners of Bankrupt were young men without experience, or old men without practice, or that they were appointed either from Parliamentary influence, or from motives of charity. If he opposed the motion of the Hon. Member for Durham, it was solely in reference to the time at which it was brought forward, and to the declaration of Lord Lyndhurst, that he had in his breast several propositions for the remedy of the grievances now existing in the Court of Chancery. He wished that he could force an inquiry into the charges which had been brought, not only against the form of the tribunals in bankruptcy, but also into the man ner in which they were conducted. Dr. LUSHINGTON would state at once, that he rose to give his most decided negative to the present motion. He knew that the existing system of Bankrupt Laws had produced evils in the metropolis to an extent which it was dv'plorable to describe. He knew that the Hon. Member for Colchester had not exaggerated the fact, that not merely hundreds, but thousands of individuals had been reduced to ruin, not because there had not been pro perty to divide among them, but because it had been wasted by the mal-administration of the law, which had been prostituted to the basest of purposes.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—He would never give up the opinion which be had formed upon this question. He acceded to every thing that had been said by the Honourable Member for Peterborough; but he could not accede to what had fallen from the Honourable Member for Colchester, who had said that the commissioners protracted business at their different meetings, in order to put money into their pockets. Such was the evil, and such the iniquity of the present system, that he defied the commissioners to do justice by all their exertions. The Honourable Member for Colchester had eeggested the erection of a Board of five Judges. Now the Honourable Member must not be allowed to take the credit of that suggestion to himself. It had been discussed by the Chancery Commissioners : all the difficulties which had occurred to the Commissioners had been put in the shape of questions to the witnesses whom they examined, in order to see whether they could or could not be ob. viated ; and the reason why the Commissioners had not made a Report on that subject, was because they were of opinion—erroneously as he thought—that bankruptcy was not one of the questions included in their commission. It was also thought that the Commissioners ought to examine how the tim of the Chancellor could he saved. He thought that such a scheme would be abortive, and he had nobody on his side but Sir Anthony Hart. With regard to the administration of the Bankrupt Laws, he knew that it was a pressing evil. If his Hon. and Learn ed Friend, the Member for Durham, would propose any specific measure to reform the Administration of the bank rupt law, he would willingly support it; but to go into a Committee of the whole House, to read the statute of Queen Elizabeth, which not more than seven individuals would understand when read, and to read subsequently the other statutes in bankruptcy down to the present day, ap peared to him to be a practice as useless as any the hue gination of man could devise.—( !Lear, hear. )—lle thought it was proper that the country should have some statereent, in order that it might undergo discussion at present, and be submitted to the House in the next Session of Parlia ment. He was convinced that nothing but legal enact ments could remedy the evil. It was therefore absurd to expect that Lord Lyndhurst would devise a remedy for that which nothing hut an Act of Parliament could re medy. He was of opinion that bankruptcy, in the last resort, ought not to be taken from the Lord Chancellor.— He was ready to wait till the next Session of Parliament ; but when it came, it would be neeeeeary to lay on the table of the House forthwith, plans to alter the Law of the Court of Equity, and also that of real property, and when those objects were attained by legal enactments, he enter tained hopes, though he had also doubts, that the three Judges would despatch their business with all necessary and requisite celerity. One thing above all others he de precated. He deprecated any attempt to diminish, without due notice, the present number of arrears.—(Herr.) Mr. BROUGHAM rose and addressed the Speaker : Might I so far trespass on you as to beg you to read the motion to the House? The SPEAKER having read the motion, Mr. BROUGHAM spoke as follows : I thought, from the words of the motion of my Hon. and Learned Friend, the Member for Durham, and I was persuaded by my re collection of the Speech with which he introduced it, that his object in bringing this discussion at present before the House was, to moot a point which he had often before brought forward, namely, the propriety and expediency of separating the Bankrupt Laws from the Great Seal. The Motion embraced no scope greater, or went into no wider field, and therefore I was not all surprised that my Hon. and Learned Friend, the Attorney-General,should have confined himself to the subject matter in hand. As the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had the misfortune to differ from the Mover of the questions, he had confined himself to the arguments by which he had sup ported his proposition. I was a little surprised, that as soon as my Hon. and Learned Friend had taken his seat, the Member for Colchester should go into observations upon a question which, whatever its merits might be, was certainly not the question then before the House. The Bankrupt Laws may be of permanent importance—they may require revision. The mechanism of the Bankrupt Commissions may be extremely injudicious and cumbrous, but this subject is not embraced in the proposition which the Member for Durham had brought before the House. It is exclusively this proposition on which I give my opinion—it is this—shall the Bankruptcy Jurisdiction be or be not taken from the Great Seal—shall the House, with a view to consider this change in the Jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery, or of the person presiding in that Court, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House upon the Acts of Parliament which gave that Court that particular jurisdiction ? This is the proposition which the House is called on to consider. This is net an unim portant limitation of the debate, for the Hon. Member for Colchester has deviated into remarks which can only, by the most perverse ingenuity, be brought to bear upon what has fallen from my Hon. and Learned Friend. I will maintain, that it is not in the least inconsistent in my Hon. and Learned Friend to vote against the separation of the Bankrupt Cases from the Great Seal, although he may have voted, on all former occasions, for the proposed changes in the constitution of the Court of Chancery. Did my Hon. and Learned Friend ever, on such occasion, give his opinion that the Bankrupt Laws should be sspaiated from the Great Seal ? He did not ; for that argument was never mooted. I was told, in coming into the House, that the most extraordinary change was observable in the opinion's and principles of those who had moved from the opposite to this side of the House—that we were now against all changes in the Chancery Court, and were satis fied with every thing as it exists, although front theta had been poured forth, when on the other side of the House, torrents of fiery declamation against the proceedings of the Court. Mask the fairness of this attack. The only Member who had uttered a sentiment on the subject, when this attack was made, was the Attorney-General. What torrents of indignation had ever come from him, when on the other side of the House, on the subject of the Chancery Court—on the system of that Court—on the arrears of business, or on what are commenly called Chancery abuses? I do not recollect my Hon. and Learned Friend ever having taken a part in these debates. I myself bore on this question a most prominent pat t, but can I be charged with inconsistency ? How did the Hon. Member for Colchester, or anybody else, ascertain that my opinions upon the subject are changed. As yet I have tittered no opinion whatever. Have I been inconsistent on any other subject? I call upon the Hon. Member for Colchester to state on what measures of Government—on what chapter of policy—on what affair of State—on what part of the jurisprudence of the land have my opinions—my conduct— or my language changed since 1 came to this side of the House ? I demand who accuses use of changing my prin ciples. Let facts be stated openly. If there is a vi'', das tardly, contemptible mode in which slander can be lavish ed, it is the form which it assumes of paltry insinuations, when it skulks from day, and will not advance an open de claration. Men may change sides in this House without changing principles. Other men, peradventure, may fur nish examples of acting upon no very well defined princi ples, if they act upon any principles at all. If those who have changed from that side of the House to this (a move ment which I know will never he forgiven by some Gentlemen) do oppose this measure, be it recollected they have never uttered an opinion upon the subject, or as yet have come to any vote. The question of the severance of the Bankruptiee from the Great Seal, has always been one upon which those who were most for reform in the Court of Chancery were must doubtful. I, for one, never sup ported that measure. I concurred with my friends in the House and out of the House, where my opinions stand re corded. I mean by my vote in the Committee on the Court of Chancery, to which I had the honour of belong ing in 1811, that the Lord Chancellor should undertake the Bankruptcies in the other jurisdiction of the Court. I retained this opinion, and it is greatly strengthened by the changes which have since taken place in that Court. I should be acting contrary to the doctrines which I always entertained, and flying in the face of opinions which I re peatedly and uniformly gave, if I did not oppose my Hon. and Learned Friend's motion. My Hon. Friend in fair ness and candour will admit this when he calls to his re collection what has passed upon this subject. What was my argument upon the constitution of the Vice-Chan cery Court ? My Honourable and Learned Friend had said, " You see Lord Eldon is not to blame—no man in his situation could get through the business." My an swer was—" is it so—if the business be increased since the days of Lord Nottingham, Lord Hardwicke, Lord Thurlow, and Lord Loughborough, the means of doing business is also increased by the appointment of a Vice- Chancellor." My present opinion is is . 7ollary from toy former opinion. I said, you have never given the Vice- Chancellor fair play. Instead of having an efficient Chan cellor, Vice-Chancellor, and Master of the Rolls, you have always taken care, by appointing an unfit Master of the Rolls, or an unfit Vice-Chancellor, to leave the Court pretty nearly with the same means of doing business as it possessed before. With respect to Sir Thomas Plower, in 1823 and in 1825, I spoke of bins with all possible re spect ; but if I said that he was able to do any consider able degree of Chancery business, 1 should have been fly ing in the face of what I knew to be the fact, and what every member of the legal profession was able to contra dict. At that time you had not a Vice-Chancellor, but only a Master of the Rolls and a Chancellor. Sir Thomas Plower afterwar►ls succeeded Sir Wm. Grant, and a most able Judge was appointed Vice-Chancellor. This remedied the defect as to the Vice-Chancery Court. You had then a Chancellor of great talents and learning, though not able to go through business in a manner proportionate to his intellect. I repeat the praise of Lord Eldon, and will not be deterred because another artist has taken up the trowel. Lord Eldon was then at the head of the Court of Chan cery, and you had a most efficient Vice-Chancellor in Sir John Leach, but had you then an efficient Judge to suc ceed the Master of the Rolls ? No such thing. I say that the office of Master of the Rolls was not efficiently filled up upon the resignation of that Right Hon. Gentleman. — This opinion I pronounced upon all former occasions, and to this opinion I still adhere. After this retirement of Sir Wm. Grant's successor, a Noble and Learned Lord, since dead, was appointed to fill his place. To the appointment of that Hon. and Learned Gentleman, I objected in his lifetime, but now, that he is no more, I shall not dwell much upon kis unfitness fur such an office. But this I must say of him (the late Lord Gifford), because justice to his memory demands it, that lie was a man, who in pri vate life, possessed the most amiable, the most endearing, and the most honourable qualities—(Lear, hear;)—that he possessed great legal talents and acquirements—talents which, had he been allowed to remain in the Court where he originally practised, would have adorned that Court. But he had been suddenly, and, I may say rudely, trans lated from that Court into a situation, in which his ta lents, great as I admit them to he, could not be put In competition with those of Sir William Grant, or of the present Vice-Chancellor, as an Equity Judge. Now, these have been my arguments upon all former occasions, and, Sir, it will not do to tell me of any admission that the system is in fault, when my complaint has uniformly been against the men.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—l say, let us give the Vice-Chancellor's Court fair play, let us try what can be done in it when ably presided over, and when left un fettered, and if we do not then find that it answers the end proposed, in the name of God let us alter it.—(Hear, hear.)—Mr. Shadwell, in his evidence, stated to the Com mission, that not only three men could not, but even three angels could not dispose of the business of the Court of Chancery. Now, Sir, without at all doubting that Learned Gentleman's accuracy upon the point, I feel inclined to think that Angels, like Gods, ought not to be called in to untie a knot unworthy of them, but we should first try what could be effected by sublunary Judges. For myself, 1 nmst confess, that I think it would be the wisest way first to try what mere flesh and blood can do, before we resort to such celestial aid. Let us, I say, try what three honest and efficient men can-do; and if they fail, if you shall find them insufficient to discharge the duties, then, in God's name, appoint other Judges in addition to them. What do Honourable Members want of me beyond this assertion ? Is it pretended to be asserted that my opinions ripest the sub ject have changed ? I say, Sir, that there exists not the slightest ground for• any such assertion.—(Hear, hear.)_ What I hare declared to-night, I have uniformly declared upon every occasion when the question has been brought under discussion, and I am sure that ray Honourable and Learned Friend, the Member for Durham (Mr. M. A. Taylor), and my Honourable Friend the Member for Tre gony (Dr. Lushington), will do me the justice to recollect that such has always been my line of argument. I say, Sir, that we have now, for the first time, an opportunity of try ing the efficacy of the Bill appointing the Vice-Chancellor's Court; you have nosy an opportunity of learning how far three able and efficient Equity Judges are capable of properly discharging the business of the Court of Chan cery.—(Hear, hear. ).—And first, I must observe of the pre sent Master of the Rolls, that whatever may he said in praise of him, must, be it ever so ample, be altogether inadequate to his great merits.—(Hear.) ---I say, Sir, that his conduct, during the whole of his official duties, not only gave im plicit satisfaction, but was of a nature calculated to excite wonder bordering on disbelief.—(Cheers.)—We have all witnessed the exertions of that Right lion. and Learned Gentleman while labouring under the most severe bodily distress—exertions exciting the highest admiration in the minds of those best capable of appreciating them.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—lf, then, that Right Honourable Gentleman made such praiseworthy exertions (hiring a period of ill health, surely we have a right to presume that new that he is (and I am happy to think that he is) nearly restored, that he will make equal exertions in the discharge of the dirties of Master of the Rolls. Of Sir Anthony Hart I may speak, seeing that I do so in the presence of his friends. The late Attorney-General (Sir C. Wetherell) whom I see on the other side, is one of the oldest colleagues of that Gentleman in the Court of Chancery, and, of course, knows that he (Mr. Hart) has, from his length of experience and his extensive practice, brought to his present office such a great knowledge of law, and of the general practice of the Court of Chancery, as might well compensate for the absence of other great abilities, of which, however, he has no want. Does any man doubt that the present Lord Chancellor, although not educated in the Court of Chan cery—a circumstance which I admit, and which, in ad mitting, I must also regret—does any man doubt that that Noble Lord, bringing as he does, to the consideration of that Court, his strong and manly and independent mind; bringing also his great knowledge of law, and that wonder ful power of simplifying business, peculiar to him ; I am now speaking from my own personal knowledge, derived from long practice, both with him and against him, par ticularly in cases of Appeal—and I say, that I never met a man (to use an observation made upon him in Westminster hall) so perfectly dexterous in splitting the hush and getting at the kernel, as the Noble Lord ;—Doca any man doubt then, I ask, that that the Noble Lord, with such qualifi cations, will not sufficiently discharge his present duties ? --(Hear, hear, hear.)—l now, Sir, come to say a few words of that profession which, it appears, is at present to be alluded to only to be ridiculed. We have been told by the Hon. Member for Colchester that that profession has! its honour tarnished—that its Members were guilty of tergiversation—that they were slippery—that they were a turning, shuffling, backsliding set—that they were guilty of breach of faith—that they were untrustworthy ; in a word, that there was no faith or confidence to be placed upon them. Now, notwithstanding these denunciations, I feel pride and pleasure in stating, that I have the honour of belonging to that renowned profession—(Loud cries of hear, hear. )—I eat:, Sir, if you are to take the character of that high and honourable profession from book-makers, magazine writers and sentence-makers, and paragraph mongers, and the thousand other scribblers of this descrip tion, then such will be the description given of it—(Cheers and laughter. )—I have already admitted that the present Lord Chancellor had practised Common Law in Westmin ster Hall, but there be had been distinguished for the clear ness and comprehensiveness of his views, and for the very great saving of time which that clearness and comprehensiveness made to the Court. This, Sir, is the Noble Lord's character ; and it is one which will amply make up for his only defect. In using the word defect, I feel that it is the Noble Lord's misfortune, not his fault, that he has not been edu cated in the Court of Chancery; but that the qualities I have described will fully compensate fur this deficiency I entertain the most sanguine expectations—(Cheers.)— Well, then, these are the grounds upon which I rest my confidence in the Court for the present ; but in saying this, do I assert that Bankruptcies are to be attached to the Great Seal irrevocably ? Do I state that they are to he interminably united, for better for worse ? Sir, I make no such assertion. All I say is, let us wait for one year. Let us give a fair and reasonable opportunity for the exertions of the three Equity Judges, who are now for the first time in a situation to give fair play to the existing system of the Courts of Equity. We have been given to understand that my Hon. Friend the Attorney- General has proposed to introduce a salutary alteration in a department of the Court where it was most grievously needed—l mean the endless system which governed the taking of affidavits. As at present arranged, the files of the Court are groaning under their weight, whilst the suitors are groaning still more piteously, for theirs is the pressure caused by the weight of gold which they , have lost. All this will, I trust, be set aside by the ar rangements of my Hon. and Learned Friend, who pro poses to fix certain days beyond which affidavits on the one side and on the other are not to be received ; a rule which is not to be departed from but in uses of the most urgent necessity. All this may appear as trifling as did the prin ciple upon which Columbus made the egg stand on one end, but the result will, I hope, turn out in the end to be of as much importance in Equity, as were the discoveries of that great and enterprising man in navigation.—(fear, hear.) I say the present judges are men who wish to be Judiccs a Judicando, and not Judices nose Judicando. I say, too, that before we had only two Judges, and that now we have three efficient ones. Let us give those three Judges but a fair trial ; and if at the end of the veer it shall he found that the abuses complained of are not remedied, I for one shall be ready to agree with my Hon. and Lear ned Friend', the Members for Durham and Tregony, in thinking that the case is hopeless ; and shall then, but not till then, be ready to join with them in supporting the measures now proposed.—(Hear, hear.) Before I sit down, I feel called upon to say a few words, in answer to what has been stated in this House with respect to the con duct oflawyers. And first, I think, I may as well as others, state that I entertain—l do not wish to use an upper liamentary expression, and therefore I will not say feelings of unmingled contempt ; but I may say, feelings of uu tunsgseasaeoljefeeenee for those observations. Personally, I disclaim them ; they were not meant for, nor can they ap ply to rue.—(Cheers.) —But when I see an attempt made to impeach the high character and untarnished honour of my Hon. and Learned Friend (the Attorney-General) be low me—(Hear, hear, hear !)—I, who hare known him in public and in private for the last quarter of a century, feel called upon to cast heck the imputation with the feeling which it deserves.—(Hear, hear.)—Sir, every man who has hail the pleasure of knowing my Hon. and Learned Friend ; every fri e nd of his—and he has the satisfaction of line-m g many who are proud of that title—agrees in ac knowledging his great excellence; from his enemies (for even he has enemies) has been wrung the acknowledgment which I heartily delight to join in, in favour of his great abilities, high character, and undeviating consistency through life.—(Cheers.)—Long may my Hon. Friend hold the situa tion which he at present fills ! But be he placed as he may, be will still hold his present title to the esteem and regard of hie friends, and must look down with contempt upon those who attempt to assail him.—(llear.) My Hon. and Learned Friend, though long at the head of his profession, has led a life of seclusion ; he has not sought for power ; his abili ties have been always exerted in the most honourable and successful manner, but still he has been excluded from those honours and preferments to which he has been long and justly entitled—and why? Because he never did, and never would, condescend to abate one iota of his political principles.—(Cheers.)—l have repeatedly heard it used as a kind of household phrase—a phrase that was said to be in every man's mouth, that the law was a low and de graded profession. What !is the profession from which the Judges of the Land, the expounders of law and justice are chosen, to be thus held up to the country ? Sir, I deny the unfair and unfounded assertion.—(Hear, hear.) —I will tell the Hors. Gentleman who makes this assertion that the greatest men of this country, in its best days, have felt proud to bold a fellowship with lawyers.—(Hear, hear.)--Nay more, I will tell them that to lawyers are owing many of the most valuable liberties of England.— (Cheers.)—Am Ito go back to history in support of this assertion ? This House must be aware that Sir E. Coke —a name which was said to be rather law itself than con nected with law, as the manse of Tully was said to be elo • quence rather then connected with eloquence—that gieat and Learned Judge, after having filled the highest judicial situations, descended from the Bench and took his seat upon the Opposition Bench, where my Hon. and Learned Friend now sits. That great man was followed by Maynard, by Lord Somers; and after the Revolution, by the Yorkes, the Talbots, and the Finches. Amongst whom, there were shades of difference, to which I, as a Whig, could not reconcile myself ; yet, I say, that to these men England owes a debt of obligations which she never can repay. Ain I to come further down? Further I need not go; but I shall allude to the celebrated names of Glynn, and Romilly, and Pigott—men who lived in our own times—whom we had the happiness to know, and under whom we were most proud and happy to have the honour of serving.—(Hear, hear.)—Men, too, be it ob served, who conferred the most essential benefits upon their country.—(Cheers , )—Sir, when I hear gibes and imputations cast upon a profession which has produced such men, I can scarcely help thinking that they corns from those only who are in a situation to be transplanted into the hot beds of corruption—(Hear, hear,)—and who are unfit to harbour any pure and disinterested idea. I de clare this aspersion upon the law, and through it upon the Bench, to be as vulgar, gross, sordid, mean, ignorant, and unfounded a calumny, as ever was hatched in any quar ter.—(Loud cries of " hear, hear, hear.").—l have said so much in answer to what has been said by Hon. Gentlemen on the other side. I feel that the character of a public man is matter of public concernment, but I also feel that when my friend (the Attorney-General's) character is un justly assailed—when even his distinguished name and un blemished honour are made matter of public attack, it be comes, on my part, a matter rather of public than of pri vate duty, to pay the humble but honest tribute of my testimony to its merits.—(Cheers.) Mr. M. ANGELO TAYLOR replied. The House then divided— For the motion • 37 Against it 134 Majority COVENTRY MAGISTRACY. Six J. WROTTESLEY rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to give concurrent jurisdiction to the Magistrates of Warwickshire in the city of Coventry. The Hai Ba ronet proceeded to read some of the evidence produced on the Coventry Election Committee, to show the nature of the violence which had been used. Some laughter was ex cited wiwn the lion. Baronet came to that part of the evi dence which described that one voter had been tarred and feathered, and that another had had the *than; of a steep stuffed down his throat. The Hon. Baronet said that at present be should move, in obedience to the instructions of the Committee, for leave to bring in a Bill to give the Ma gistrates of Warwick a concurrent jurisdiction with the Magistrates of the city and county of Coventry, _ . _ Mr. WARD trusted that the Hotße urotM deal with this matter according to the motion of the Hon 0. Baronet. Lord W. RUSSELL thought the measure h ardly strong enough. On the motion being put, Mr. R. HEATHCOTE rose, and after observing upon the unpleasant situation in which he found hit nself, said that he would not fellow the example of the Hon.. Baronet in going through the evidence, but, taking it as it stood, he would contend that the evidence being equally cr edible on both sides, a case might be made out on whichever side it was required. He believed that one-half of the witnesses would have been committed for prevarication if they had been examined in any Court of Justice ; and he was sure that no contested election could have been condo eted with more tranquillity, or with less personal violence, than the late election at Coventry. With respect to the A Eeyor, who had been the subject of so much animadversion, he would venture to say that a more respectable man in his station of life could not be found. He conceived it would not be just to inflict a stigma on 30,000 persons, who were free holders of Coventry, for the improper conduct of two or three persons. _ _ Mr. FYLER declared unequivoczdly, and npon, his ho nour, that he had not received one farthing. from the Cor poration of Coventry, either before the election, or after the presentation of the petition which followed that election. He thought it would be an act of the greatest injustice to punish the magistrites of Coventry„withont giving them the means to 'defend themselves. If they committed wrong, the laws of the country ought to be applied to. Mr. PEEL was favourable to the primeiples of the Bill which the worthy Baronet intended to introduce. He would not, however, pledge himself to give the measure his future support, unless be Wa3 fuhy satisfied in his own mind that the facts stated to-night could be fully borne out by evidence. The final opinion of. the House on the mea sure of the worthy Baronet must, in a great measure, de pend on the decision of the committee appointed to try the Coventry election ; and he advised t'ee House to withhold any opinion on the Bill until the evidence taken before that committee were examined.—(Hear.) Mr. S. BOURNE said that the case had already under gone a full investigation, and it would therefore be only oc cupying the attention of the House to no purpose to have the evidence examined. After a few words from Mr. 11. GURNEY, leave was given to bring in the Bill. SAVINGS BANKS. Mr. C. PALLMER moved for leave to bring in a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to Saving Banks. Mr. HENLEY EDEN obtainel leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Bankrupt Act. Mr. GEORGE BANKES postponed until this day, his motion for leave to bring in a Bill to relieve Roman Ca tholics from a double assessment of the land-tar. Lord J. RUSSELL moved for a return of criminals convicted within the last year in England and Wales.— Oldered. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter-past One o'Clock. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. NOfICES OF MOTIONS FOR THIS DA.V. 1. Mr. Solicitor-General—Bill to prohibit Arrests on Mesne Process for Debt under 201. 2. Lord Viscount Althorpe—Bill for registration of Free holders in En:land ac.:' Walss. 3. Mr. Vesey FitzGerald—To present Petitions respect ing Grand Jury Presentments. 4. Mr. George Bankes—Bill to relieve certain persons pro fessing the Roman Catholic Faith from double Assess ment of the Land Tax. ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR THIS DAY. 1. Constables Presentments Bill—Sesond reading - . 2. Dissenters' Marriages Bill—Second reading. 3. General Turnpike Act Amendment Bill—Further con sideration of Report. 4. Larceny Laws Consolidation Bill—Committee. 5. Remedies against the Hundred Bill—Further consider ation of Report. 6. Malicious Injuries Bill—Further consideration or Re. port. 7. Larceny Laws Repeal Bill Further consideration of Report. S. Criminal Justiceßill—Further consideration of Report. 9. Supply—Committee. 10. Ways and Means—Committee. 11. Grahame's Divorce Bill—Report. 12. Foundlings (Ireland) Bill—Committee. NOTICES GIVEN YESTERDAY. Thursday, May 24, 1. Mr. Henry Grattan—To move for Returns from the Commissioners of the Paving Board, Dublin ; also, from the Commissioners of Wido Streets, Dublin ; also, from the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, in Ireland. 2. Mr. Moore—To bring under the considetation of the House the Petition of the Mechanical Operative Classes of the City, liberties, and vicinity of Dublin (presented 12th April), and praying the establish ment of a Loan Fund. Friday, May 25. Mr. Secretary Sturges Bourne—Bill to amend the Gene ral Penitentiary Act. Thursday, May 31. Mr. Hume—Bill to repeal Act 60 Geo. 3, c. 9, subject ing certain publications to the Duties of Stamps on Newspapers. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.) FROM LLOYD'S. DEAL, MAY 22.—. Wind S.W.—Arrived the Rosehill, from Jamaica ; Margaret, Westwood, from London ; Sotheby, from China; Prince Regent, Hosmar, from Ben gal; Anna Robertson, Johnson, from ditto; Orwell, —, from China ; Wildman, from the South Seas ; George Canning, Braniteil, from St. Domingo.--Arrived from London the Eliza, Sutton, for Bengal ; Walworth Castle, Legg, for 'ditto ; Charles Brook, for St. Vincent's; Sal town, for Madeira ; Dorothea, Cuff, for Grenada ; and Katharine Stewart, Forbes, Chapman,. for Bombay,..._ The Fairlie, from India, is expected this evening. PORTSMOUTH, MAY 22.—Wind W.S.W.—The Han nah, Robertson, passed from Calcutta ; sailed from thence Jan. 6, from the Cape March 17, and from St. Helena April 1. The Atlas wes at the Cape, and was to sail in five days for Bombay. The Britannia sailed the same day from the Cape, for London. The Mermaid and City of Edinburgh were at the Cape repairing damage ; the former would be ready in ten days to sail for London. The Valleyfield, Johnson, sailed on the 16th of March, for London. The Aurora, Earl, passed this morning from Calcutta ; left there Dec. 30, Madras Jan. 23, and St. Helena April 27. Also passed, the Fairlie, from Bengal. FA LMOUTU, MAY 22.—Wind variable.—Sailed, the Prudence, Eloise, Santa Martha, and Sandwich packet, for Lisbon ; Lord Hobart packet, for the Leeward Islands; and the Dove packet, for Buenos Ayres. The Ocean, Grubb, from Riga to Montrose, was on shore near Rattrap Head on the 18th inst., but was ex pected to be got off. The Monmouth, from Shicids to Bengal, is lost on the Coast of Arracan. The St• Laurence, 111‘Dougal, from Greenock to Bay Chaleur, was carried into Loughswilly on the 14th inst., with eight feet water in her hold. THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.) CORN-EXCUANGE. The arrivals of English Grain this week are very moderate, and of Foreign Oats there is another good supply. Wheat re. mains very dull in sale at the decline reported on Monday. Bar ley is so extremely scarce, that 41s. per quarter has been given for a small grinding parcel this morning. Beans and Pease are unaltered. Oats find so dull a sale, that they are expected to go rather lower, the quantity of Foreign Feed Oats being so consi derable. No alteration in Flour. ARRIVALS. I Wheat. Barley. English Irish - Foreign i 2,050 Oats. Flour. 1,300 qrs. I,2soscks. 1,600 1 20,100 FISH-MARKET, BILLINGSGATE. The supply of fish at this day's market was rather short, but more especially of the finer descriptions.—There was no fresh Salmon in the market. Turbots sold high, the prices were from 10s. to 255. each, according to size and quality ; Mullets from 245. to 30s. per dozen ; good sized Brill, 4d. each ; fine Whitings, 6s. per basket; Eels, per five lbs. 3s. 6d. ; Mackerel not over plentiful, the prices were from 48s. to 725. er hundred ; fine Guards, 20s. per hundred. Lobsters were rather numerous, they sold from 105. to 255. per score; Crabs of large size, 2s. 61. each ; Prawns, 3s. to 4s. per 16. ; Shrimps, 2s. 6d. per gallon. There were no Soles in the market worthy of notice. In the prices of other fish no alteration. LISBON, c PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. (Extracts from Morning Papers.) , In no long period Don Miguel and his party 'Meet gel into power. Perhaps the only circumstance that cold ° prevent this would be the arrival of Don Pedro from th e Brazils. This, however, is not likely to take plac e till affairs have reached such a pitch there that his life might be in danger, when probably he would desert his new e Dj. pire, and take eltelter in the kingdom of Portugal. Ft ° all accounts, the wars which he is waging there are ruine ll in the extreme, and give great dissatisfaction to his subject s ' If he ever quit Rio Janeiro, to make the Portuguese sol i ' low the Constitution, he will find, if he attempt to retor t !' that the Brazilians can dispense with hi s services. This matter admi:s of little doubt, and few here expect to him except for good and all. The Constitutionalists at!, now in the highest spieits. Every concurrence seems to c ea . spire in their favour. The Princess Regent is recoveril: the mutiny at Elves has been completely defeated, and,,, 3 Canning and his party have gained the aseendant. latter circumstance has thrown ell the rest into the sill ier mr In fact, they are quite in an ext a cy o f j o y, rubbing% hands, congratulating one another, and exclaiming, ie have now nothing to fear." Th e la s t p a cket, wl e brought papers up to the 2Sth of April, and arrived on !3c 11th instant, was looked for with a s much anxiety as i f d, fate of Portugal depended on the news from Engl an he Many of them, however, are not a little anxious abuto result, and believe that Mr. Canning will have a, game to play. They can find no na m e s o f an y note thea new list. The affair at Elves, too, has given them g re ,l satisfaction ; and th e y r idi cu l e th e bli n d, eage r, stay rage of the Apost o li ca l s , i n ma ki ng an a tt em pt o n sites important fortress without have laid their plans Elves is the strongest fortress in Portugal, and is 01 1 . 1 , Y lit few miles from Badajos, whence every assistance have been expected, without almost any d a nger nf " 1 0 6 f covery ; and had the mutineers once got possessioa of it, there would probably have been a general rising tet the Apostolieals throughout the country, which, and, present circumstances, would have gone far to 01 :,`",; throe , the Constitution. All the officers have months' pay due to them—the prieate soldiers two. 11 7, are ill fed, ill clothed, and, consequently, ready listen to every demagogue, and desert their standa, e r for better pay. The soldiers and the mob were cone', masters for twenty hours. The General thirst not tittl e them for fear of the infection spreading through the and only recovered his authority when the misguided titude saw they had no leader, and began to retreat 1 .0 the scene of action. Had Chaves been with them P I would, in half an hour, have been in the hands of the re; bell, and Villa Flor would have had some difficulty bi wresting it from them. One is only astonished that t poor half-starved soldiers behaved so well. Measures art: pear to be now in a better train. Saldanha, the grand' e t , of the famous Marquis of Pomba!, one of the greatest 0.0 that Portugal has to boast of, is now actively employed 1 , managing the War Department. It is extremely nr °b o ' d ble that he had some intimation of the intended r evolt, a immediately adopted means to counteract it. One thing!, certain, that symptoms of discontent had appeared for rn previous to the 29th. It is equally certain that moneY fl d been distributed among the soldiers and the peasantry , that the noted Subserra, who joined the French in their d i t vasion of Portugal—who was Governor of Coimbra 10 der '0 Massena—who aided and abetted Don Miguel, ( If reeelt against the late King—who aftericalitg resisted the son, and became Prime Minister to the fa t —and who is now the avowed coadjutor of the Fr e Le party, passed through Badajos and Elves only a few t ."i/ before the mutiny. Those who would acquit him blame say that Don Miguel is his most inveterate ene'-oiti and that in case of his return to Portugal, Subserra "l in t be the firet victim. It is well known, however, ,titt, tyrants are sometimes appeased by peace-offerings. ' toe , semi is now living in retirement at his country b ° which, I believe, is iu the neighbourhood of Villa Er ° , t he Saldanha is believed to be a determined supporter ot to bete, Constitution, and it is not at all improbable that, owin: l ,g, his remonstrances, means have been adopted for Pay ta the arrears of the troops. The Bank has contractet half the loan sanctioned by the Cartes, and the other the it is said, is to be taken by a c e l e b ra t e d M e mber ot . 05 London Stock Exchange. The l a tt er , however, reg u ; is confirmation. The Bank takes it a t 80 p er cent., a nd ' the not likely that 68 or 69, the highest s u m offered by 4.0 other, would be accepted. If Sald an h a i s accepta bl e:o the Liberals, he must, of course, be hated by the re' party. Indeed, they make no scruple in saying slimed the portfolio illegally, and that be is bent On nee with Spain. The story, as it goes, is this—he had v Ito poisoned some months ago, by some secret agent of i a enemies, and was obliged to retire to the Baths of C a ' t e n for the recovery of his health. Xavier was appointed a ing Minister of War for the time being. Saldanha , p 0 h is covering his health, gave notice that he would resume d to funtions on the Ist of May, and on that day proceede os the War Office for that purpose. Xavier objected, be,t a oe t be had been appointed by the Princess Regent, and di ta e consider himself justified in resigning his office withon;oet order from her to that effect. Saldanha went to the P a , re ps that be is ' .o in order to obtain an interview ; but after making dn' e e attempts, and finding them all in vain, he at last for.:110, the resolution of resuming his former situation at all f,,„soa The other party compl a i n m u c h o f thi s —f or n o good 1 r that can he discov ere d. If th e i n t er i m Mi n ister Ir a ' i} o lie pointed only to act during his illness, there could be a° t eer jection to his resigni ng th e p or tf o li o as soon as the 8 5 to was fit for duty. But the smallest trifle here gie el ie r :erP' disputes and intrigues. I can compare t h e ac t ua l u ° " e. , 0 0 ment only to schoolboys without a master—they tir head to look up to, and every one follows what ou ts ve? pears most agreeable. The Foreign Ministers too, tend ° t oe, alive the dissension among the parties. Each, of cocs to favours the views of his particular Court, and conT, C iner find some party to join his views—and till some 14 S„,ee' of the Government takes a decided lead, or till the d j e , reign comes to the country, this state of disunion an trigue will probably continue. re' The energy which Saldanha has displayed since ' dei ce turned to office might excuse the informality or imP tu tt ° which attended his return. He has sent a reinforce in f: re' the garrison of Elvas,---he has urged on the trial of b ees bels,---he has taken the necessary steps to reward theiverit vices of the faithful troops ; and on Tuesday last h „ e teoc ° to the Palace of Ajuda with two measures of inV" - o ede r which he had got his colleagues to sanction.—.one , a ti o t he to pay the army its four months' arrear of pay (allieratie. beginning of January) ; and the other, a decree noni'Pds el the Marquis of Angeja, Count Villa Flor, the ga t , ,q c t r eor s Valenta, and the Count de Lumiares, Military-G, (l l ,OeP of the respective provinces of Tras-os-Alontes, e srr): Beira, and Minh°. The commissions necessary ` .° llB o o ° ' into effect the latter measure, her Serene nightie ° , r ha s yet been able to sign ; but the order for the form already appeared in the Gazette. u pda t e In every thing that does not require the sign 0 0 the Ministers as present act as if they were in (111 , 4 c o ra e nication with their Royal Mistress. They tak e her whenever it suits the convenience of their office' 00 40 ° In a former letter:l stated that the inhabitants of oit and the Guards app 1 eared to be on the best term s ' ado` was fully verified when they left that place o n ve to ° se'miight. While they were drawn up in line 4 1 o f th e t the principal streets, preparatory to marching out d A bet' place, great numbers of the inhabitants crowded file; them, passed along the line , shaking hands with son' o i l of quaintance or other ; and having followed them town for a considerable distance, gave three cheers, vat were readily returned by the soldiers. An eye-Wi tli t e- o ecl f or med me that the people in that quarter, on a ll , t t :, taus, showed theta the ut mos t kindness, and t'it ea; parting at last did great credit to both partici. Of sorry to say that, in some i ns t ances , one or two , c ve oa, officers have not merited th e same p ra i se . I will g!itb.lo:l instance, without mentioning names. A General, u n ti l; lady, received a billet on a family of great respeeta h , e . wealth, in a small town in the interior of the c 0 unt v ri( 6 0 10 their arrival at the mansion, the owner, w ith his 1,4 the daughter, were ready to receive them, and show; 08 every attention that a Portuguese can show. he s t ali t , have visited them know that nothing can excee" ' h ot a lit , lady, however, did not relish the company of he r O a ' his family, and the next day, no doubt at her inst?gi3rigtheLiii, order came from the Juiz de Fora, or Mayor, require ite d t i nt to give up all the hest apartments to the Genera' o nthe ll ' t lady, and prohibiting them from entering thle thonoetc his permission. They submitted, of course , b oo n tr, l t i, it hard that they should not only be shut ou t .„ ro on own apartments, but not even treated with ente set t lite', for when they afterwards took a country rt° etlel ha e as t tllO 4 fo is kindness, or even taking leave. le" ti s e l ha t p al left their quarters in town without thanking th is g e w a s ) so distressed at this treatment, that he c° nlO - ,1 G e nera ..ete rn, eire t taste food for three days, he excused the only his lady, and requested my friend, if lie to h Stif ii to—, not to take a billet, hut come and be should find every attention and kin""tion a o 'n i/ t rea tment as that does m ore to alienate the affe c ol d o , aware, es ci, t natives than our countrymen are p r obabiy eer o o e not at all unlikely that their conduct o n a form a e.9 when Lisbon was in o3ses sion of the British, a s tb tow. , influence as the Luke warmness of th e natives ~001100 Constitution, in making cur troop s b e received their landing. p