The Sun. — London, England, 1821-04-13 00:00:00

Pt . ti:. o •.• • . , Lmgdopded to Ireland.--Lave wAs givo,~o bring . . • BILLS OF E±CITIANCITA. 6 , Nr. Sergeant ONsLow next moved for leave ..tying in a Bill to regulate Acceptances of Bills t. o Ptohanae.—Mr. SCARLET: seconded "the .mo- BARING thought the bill very desira . Ale, as the common mode of rignlitidg bills of .tiv,ohnge rendered the . ;valld'ity of those docn :Ments • insecure.—Mr. SCA R LETT and I‘l-E, F. p,,M i PBELL said a Lew words,after which . the tides, ,ton, was pnt, and the motion agreed to. WSFRANCHISEMENT OF PERSONS - IN ORDNANCE. , - • Mr. Hume, pursuant to previous notice, moved fo-r•le•ave: to bring in .a Bill to disqualify persons olding: situations in the , Ordnance Department fTani - voting at elections. Ile wished . that this subject had been-taken-up . by - any of the other • • .oentlernen in that:House, who -vvere..so much • more• Competent than himself to: the discussion of constitutional :questions. However;-• as.• it : was • • ,left. to him, - lie should endeavour to discharge his 0 - oly in the best manner .he was 'His at •tu.ntion had been called .to -the-subject, from in • : Oicies he had made respecting'. the: ex.penses of 'Ow ordnance establish:tent: l The nature of the • - i - 4.oposition which he had-qo submit • was two fold ; the first involved a constitutional - zinestion - trt to the influence exercised- by the. Crown in . sending -Members -to that-House, .and the second ielated to the system of extravagance which had zep carried on in the. Ordnance for : the pdrpose of creating that influence. „It would be in the recollection of. the Douse, that he had recently !had occasion to advert to the- Borough of Queen borough, when he had brought. forward his mo . Mon respecting the expenses'of the Ordnance. It appeared from the information he had . received, 04:: persons from Sheerness and -other places had been made electors of Queenborough, and from certain returns which had. been laid •on the table, he was prepared to -verify : all he had said as :o individuals from that borough having been ap pointed to places in the Ordnance Department. Indeed, -it was a well,kno-v.vn fait, that several -meritorious persons had been turned out On pur pose to make, room for them. An unnecessary addition was thus - made .to. the superannuation list, which -was already so large.. He wished to prevent persons, holding such ..situations, from 1;1 . at elections, by the same- rule that persons in other departments.. were not allowed to exer cise the- elective :franchise.. There were three desc-riptions of statutes on the subject. The first referred to.the eligibility of Members; the second -to.-the disqualification of persons .. as -voters., and tie third related to -the. prevention -of interfer ' •_i2e.ace .at -elections. The manifest- principle - of • tv2se Statutes,. was to guard against -improper ir!fluence. The Bon. Alember then proceeded thew, - .that persons holding aiiy. situations un .('..ar the in:mediate control - of the Crown ought not • te. - beal lerwed the elective franchise. This rule had been observed-in most ofthepublic departments, in .the g;-xeise, the. Customs, and the Post-Office; The .7 7 tIrand Bth-of William and Mary expressly de fined •the , quAlifications of. electors. The Act of .,ole;Wd of Geo. I it. had been agreed' to by a •t it majority-; and:whenthe Bill had been • to the Lords ) not less than a hundred..Mem- A , ora wont • wifh it. It-that Act, •chap..4l, it is Trovided that no individual being a Commis , sioner, Surveyor, Gnager,.or, holding any other .otuation E.xcis.ei-.sliall.vote at -elections ; • t : indthe'sarne'prohibition was enacted with respect the .{7.4l.,orris, , theStatrip . Office,-and to the Of- fer,r4lecting the-duty .on salt,-soap and win- The - xneasure he now -proposed. - did not any--novel - change, .the principle .of • it,had 'long been-. recognised.. • Neither the Post • E'aster:-. - G en eraf, nor the - clerks in ha t esta b I ish .-orerlt, °could -vote .;: nor •.cotklid the Captain, Mate, - er any other persons employed.in the packets for thernielves -of the.e.lec e. franchise.= c veefition Was made in •.fu- , 'v - ew of the .Cornmissioners,of the ...Land Tax, • Atd - -of those who held patfert places. The Corn ' svissipil&S.of. the , Land: Tak were: not precluded frorn—ioting, becituse , it was presumed they re.; • ceilte;lbrioialiries,und,consequently-were not liable tn. beinfluenced bytheGrowm - flu t it would be-said; ' What, will you deprive men of their.ConStitu tie rikhts.rrArely because they:happen 4o hold..pa titular situations, which- they are .not prevented . • Iron: holding brany legal enactment ?" He en - •;tisiely-obilected to. this. mode - of reasoning: The .treaSmelle-proposed- would not deprive then of t.helesitul - rtions; it would only ..4ave: it -condi, tkorra 1 with ;thou: either to.re ti re and vote as other ;iesisin piece and not vote at a Ll. 22d .of Ge.o.:IEL to Which . hatl adverted, - passed on the 1 dth , of April, 164. the. nu rrrbers ,vz ere. 87. to 12 on th e third The principle of the .rneasure heitg thus established iby the strong sanction ,of 'the • i.,tgislalere,•lse could not atrticipate. any, opposi lion in-the present instance:, involved a ques ticn_uf .fair. „constitutional jealousy, By the-4311 of Geo. 111., the Operation :of the .2241 of the w.A-trie *int- 17-as-iitxt4ended-Ao• Ireland. ilhe'.Lion. Meltn.her titien iited certain statutes passed in the re.4tns -of William and Nary, and of Anne, pact itsc -p.rbLiistStuus -to the preceding with re - gpert - persons.lolding .places pub)Lc esta; blislunerrts .nn465%. the:Crovrti. lie -would . net y Mir an Ade al& rtnairig rf ol,pie.rsoes. slkoull 1)e in the .order to affOrd neces, ' siirsP infortriition. But, 10kifir-bat'A•tcthe severa3, ithrefercilfce . terTlissubk.bt,he could. net hut:ASS - eve that a-g4;akijoatiit,isy WaS at! a ti roes • f -Virlia.riien't. with ik igfir -to exc.l(ule Imp ro, 11 Wit 41 '1U.;•• pattiiala "ly cal • tiie a ttgritit#l#""'tSe' Anne, wl44ll'ex.cl4-(l.el'f eoni•"•tk•Wfi'ouis•e al l l - y . irf n iee--td tor - • -- tioifalje4lousElifiecti - :had • Ofi . e. to ry(ap t6d' Waffokn Allat prtreifie . .to the' electors;: liniroe• t4lllOl had - bet,n - exer'cised !firtbe pcjite 'Ordnance; I:e 7- tecert'# ii , 44;the election: ror (1%.14 - sbb . i.bu . gbln , t sot. tables on that occasion • were turned agalnei:the[Go vernthent by means r persons etnpliiyed lei tthp Ordnance, bnt what was the conliecrtience.?--not err of those persons was subsequently employed is the Ordnance.—(hear !)—lt was a pretty good .iSr.bof of .the'eteht to which. influence wa carried in that borough, • that,:nOlfew'er than 190 ~• .persons connected with Queenboroitgh had situa tions in the, Ordnance, or in the Preventive Ser . vise,. or in some otherdepartment. . He gave . in stances of some : individuals of the , corporation who .held sinecures of a very advantageotis ha •ture... In making some of his inquiries ilium this ,subject, he had met with many obstructions. 7— (Hear !)—He was glad to hear, the cheers of the Master of the Mint. W.POiE rose to order. He conceived it was not orderly. to be pointed to by. name, mere ly because he had joined in a pretty general _cheer at his side of the House. The S.PEAKER did not conceive that there was any thing in the allusion of the lion. Member against the usage of the House. Mr. HUME said, that he did not intend to al lude to the Right lion. Gent. in any other way than. he had frequently observed adopted by other Members. When obstructions were given to such inquiries as those of which he had been speaking, it was a ground for suspecting very strongly that there was something wrong in the department... He then proceeded to enume rate the names of several individuals belonging to the Corporation of Queenborough, whO held either sinecures or offices on the whale exceeding 14,0001. a-year. It was by this list of individuals, who were all freemen of Queenborougb, that the two members for that Borough were returned: He here stated as a fact, to show the value whiCh WAS set upon the freedom of this' Borough, that se= veral persons sent their wives to be confined there, as it was necessary that all the freenien should natives.—(A laugh.)--Now, he would ask, how was it possible that .such persons, who held their situations at the pleasure of the Crown, should exercise their elective franchise.indepen dently of Government influence ? He then re;- ferred to the charges which en a former occasion he had made against the establishment at Sheer ness, in consequence of which a regular conimis sion was sent down. Not a tenth part of those charges had been investigated, yet several of the officers there were dismissed. The House, how ever, would be surprized to learn, that those indivi duals were re-appoirited, and this injury to the pub lic service took place, he had no doobt,through the baleful influence of the freemen of Queenborough. —(Hear, hear !)—The grossest case, however, of all the gross cases which he had ever met, was that of a Mr. Thomas Akid, who had been store keeper at Sheerness, and who at the age of 72 was superannuated on 5001.. a-year. In his,place was appointed a Mr. Pennel, of the age of 74. —(Cries of hear, hear,hear!)-He would leave this case •to make its own impression on the House.. He added, that, taking into account the expenses of houses, and coals - and candles and gratuities, the freemen of Queenborough cost the country on the whole a sum exceeding 25,0001. a year. He instanced the case of several per sons who were dismissed from the Ordnance' service to make room for freemen -of Queenbo rough ; and it Was an additional grievance, that those fresh substitutes were appointed, although they were above the age fixed.in a eircular from the head of the department. Seeing, therefore,. the jealousy. which had been manifested in the . whole.course of' the statutes which suspended the Elective . Franchise in persons. likely to be influenced by the public money, he. hoped the house would assent to his bringing in a Bill to . effect his object.. If they would not assent, he, for his part, would give . every.support. to any Member who would bring in a Bill yyhich..would enable the Lerch of the Treasury to elect a cer tain number of Members of Parliament themselves. --,(flear,hearl and a laugh.)—They would thus at least save 25,000/. a-year. He assured the House that his 'only object was economy; and when he began .to inquire into this Sithject, he had no more notion of meddling with the freemen of Queenborough, than with the.. Bishop of Rome. He concluded with moving for leave to bring in a Bill to disqualify certain .Civil Officers con ,nected with the Ordnance, and others, froth vot-._ ing for _Members .of Parliathent,—(ll ear,. hear !) B- - Eit . seconded the motion.. IIIe ac-. )ceowledged that the Goveinnient must, and ought, ,perhaps, .to have.a certain degree of iri fluence. All he wanted to see was, that the cur.,. rent of that influence , should, not oVerllOw. He hcped that his Ihin. : Friend .would succeed in his .object, and would afterwards extend the urea .sure to the whole . of the .Under" offices of, the public departments.. WARE, 'stated .his determination, to op ,pose this motion-. He could give an answer- to aLI the Hon. Gentlernazi's, cases. But,:in the -first. .place, - .he would put it-to thocandour.of the lion. G.eutleroan, whether. he would • :not .have acted more consistently_with the..pub.lic interests if-he-. :had .put off this question as his Right llon.Yriend had requested, in the absence of the Noble Lord, who was the RepreSentative of the Government House. The Hon... Gentleman had stated a .4reat deal of the influence of .the.! .Grown, and had also cited several;Statutes. But whit did • those Statutes prove.? . That certain persons were e ztc I uded ,fretn .seats in ,this ifousei and - from-the ercise. of ele,ctive,ftanchise....l3ut.he,denied - I that it.-was• -the con.stitution, of ..this .zonntry. to ,deprive 4-invi : of his , right to -...vote.merely be= •caUse he. vas connected with the .G,overnment: •If .that pvinclple Ivas true, the Hon,Gent. could not stop here, but 'he . must...go on,. as, the_ Hon. Se .cQndcr had . suggested, through the .whole;or the' public offices, and disfranchise themalL—(lear!). This, hi was sure, was a subject of too much irn ipiktance' to Je triated desultory tier tt was cies lof d ) arl jai:led-tory e form 1 whi vire . was unite sure the llouse - mould . .not agree to., w.lehout Mitch- mutt, .mature consideratitin. .He.l 4i4ke41,. was• it possible that the , flon....Member .w 047 , 111-- be -the person to"propose to deprive so . 40any griglishmen .'their -privileges—he who. '.opPosed the...Newlngtoii - Select Vestry' Bill upon -the ex,pi - esV :ground , that-it took away the Fran- :clrises of scAarge a.:body. of Inca'. , -BUt aroma-. sure. of the lion..G cuticula:: was founded altoge-t• thelr 'Von the faise4uppositidn that intluencoarid interfereiice - -were - the .§ame. With respect-to-the. • navy,-the instances were •numberless in which persons employed in it voted for determined Members of the Opposition. He himself vas informed bUtof one per Son -in-his office who had. lany con-eern in elections, -and -Upon inquiry he found that. this . .person -was : a resolute radical reformer. • But finding that he was.-a good .cle-rk,. he (Mr. Ward). never cared about his princi ples. It was true Mere might exist - an influence in a particular ..qUarter.over a 'particular body of electors; but influence was Of that nature; that it grew up uncontroUlably, and it was not a neces sary consequence that because it. existed, it•should also be exercised. Would the Hon. Gent. ,bring in a Bill- to disfranchise the tenants of the- Duke of - Bedford because his amiable Character as a 'landlord secured to him unbounded • infltience amongst those tenants; and yet the affirmative of this was the principle upon which the Hen. Gentleman founded his motion. The Hon. Gen tleman then referred to the Bill which wasintre ducedbl- Mr. Crewe to disfranchise the.. Officers employed in the ordnance, and stated.. several facts with respect to it, for the'plirpose of show- Ina the reasons why it had been subsequently abandoned. He then entered into a history of the elections. of Queetiboriatigh, and stated, that at several" periods the popular -Candidates were able to defeat, the MinisterialOnessuch Was the influence of Government therein. TIT lion. Member, he said, would give the ordnance offi= cers leave to-sit in that House, - but not to votee - at klections. This was an extraordinary princi , pte.--of legislation, to give men who were too, Corrupt to vote out of that House the liberty of. , 'voting within it. He defied the Hon. Gentleman . to show any instance of a man having been dis charged on account of his vote at elections - . In-:, stances of a contrary nature might be adduced.' Captain Dickenson, who was the friend of Mr. Fox, and voted and canvassed for that celebrated man, had an office in'the Ordnance department; of 3or 4001.-a year. He would take it upon him to say, that the majority of the electors at Queen , ; borough were not employed In the Ordnance.— Tbere were in all 292 electors-118 of these were permanently employed in the Ordnance—seven. more occasionally—and four more received pen sions for their services, making a total of 129. These being deducted from the gross number left 163, or a-majority of 34. electors not em ployed in the Ordnance. The Hon. Gentleman then adverted to the cases mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman, And stated several particulars with_ respect to them which either went to contradict the statements of the lion. Gentleman, or were intended to justify the conduct of the Bod.rd of Ordnance. He then noticed the charge of the Ifin. Member, that he (Mr. Ward) gave notice that he would discharge any person in the Ord nance who gave him (Mr. Hume) information. This charge arose out of the following circum stances :—The Hon. Member met him some tinie . ago, and told him he had made a wrong return of one of the powder ships, the Harmony, which was . retutned - at 56 tons, whereas it was - really but 36. It appeared that the Hon. Member had , - 'by the assistance of one of -the - officers, gone him self to measure the ship, according to his oivit, account, and that it measured but - 36 tons. ti ow the ship was afterivardS regularly --measured, and it appeared to be 56 tons, and a fraction more. Ile then noticed. the accusation that some of the officers had let their houses at Sheerness, - and denied the truth of the statement. With respect to charge of peculation against some of the Officers, .a commission of inquiry bad been issued. to ascertain the truth of those charges, and, upon examination,_ it was found that there was not a . single - Charge founded in -truth. - - The Hon. Gen tleman's (Mr. Ifurne's)• motion rested on such cases as he (Mr. Ward) hoped he had most sa-_. i ttsfactorily answered. - - • - , Mr. HUME rose to explain, and was going into a re-statement of his argument, when . The SPEAlttit .hegged he would confine tarn., self to an explanation merely. • . Mr. HUME bowed and sat down. Colonel DAvri and Mr. P. MOORE supported the motion. . • Mr. TIERNEY said, he would . trouble the House very .shortly ; but a few words were called for, lest ,his, vote might be misinterpreted. It was out :.of the power of any one to come to a vote unless an inquiry were in the first place instituted to try the state of the facts, as disclosed at both sides pf,the House.. He should be as unwilling .as any man to disfranchise any part of his fellow subjects—and he conceived nothing so advanta geous- t0...a1l parties as fairness in the representa ..Lion. The upshot of . the question was, the re presentation of that Borough..was in favour of the Government. Should then this Borough belong to .the OrdnanCe? distinetio'n was taken between influ.ence ap&l.intv•ference, and that was very fair ; but ir~ the ..result, though interference ;was legal acrd influence illegal, yet the condition of Queen borough was stich as that it now completely- be . - joii&ed to the 'Ordnance. He . was not for restrict ing the influence °tithe Crown too rriuch, but he must say aye or,no on the present occasion, and he slloOd, certainly say aye, according to thedic fates of his - better judgment.. Officers of the EK• vise and Customs were very wisely excluded"from voting nt election's, because if Government dill gen4 applied, themselves to such an unworthy object, they. _must necessarily influence' too many . boroughs.... 'fie would not disfranchise any man unnecessarily . ;„and if the Bill were,brought in, as al present ,advised, he §hould merely restrict its. operation to Queenborough. If other places were . simi/arly situated,. he should of course give a, similar Tote. Though Sheerness also was. _much s depcnding on. employment from Goyernment, it would be too hard to say, persons so, employed should not have the right of voting, or that any two Ordnance can didates could walkinto this House without any ecfectual op.pOsition. He. threw - entirciy out of his recollection all that had been said as tomany previous elections for those places; but if there were then 1.55 Pl'acemen in the Ordnance, he could skew the. numbers were now the same be , fke Any anitiog,/ could beestablished..fie could not go fuohsr .into,, this question - without going into, that ..6f Parliamentary Beform, a subject which, of all. others, he was..at this moment anxious to avoid, especially as it would so shortly .come before the House. In bringing the Bill in, he should say aye; but in the subsequent stages the should, as :at .preSeii . t,.. advise canfininci , its. :operation to the Borough.of Queenborough... 111r..B.txnt;t contended that the principle of the 81.11, were. it entertained by the House, •could not be 'confined to .Queenborough nor to the :Ordnance departrnent ; it would extend a great deal further; it-would be . applied in the next in stance to the navy and to others.: It was im possible to separate the present question from the true, general subject of Parliamentary - Reform. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by saying that he could not : ap.pr.ove.,of a u2easure which went to disfranchise, without adeqUate cause, a number of his Majesty's subjects. Buns, in his 'reply, repeatet4 that the objects of his Bills were to put •the civil servants of the OMnauce, as to their right of voting, on the same footing with the servants of the Excise Department. He produced. several official docu ments in answer- to the charges of mis-staten%mt made upon him by the Secyetary-of the Ordnance. He further stated, that there were 147 freemen in Queenborough, who received, 14,7661. of the public money: Others - connected with that Borough,. were in placeswhich amounted to some live .or six thousand more ;,arid an the whole, the Borough of Queen borough, in salaries, gratuities, and allowances of fire and candles to its freemen, .cost the country no less.than 25,0091. a year.— (Hear !)— . llr, WARD - ekplained.—The • Ilofise' then divided, when .the nittobers . were-- • - e: • For Mr. Hurno's motion , - ea - Againit it - 113 Majority - - - SCOTCH MALT. -The CHANCELLOR of the . EXCIIEQr Ell moved, that the Petitions from Scotland, complaining of the,lViaLt Duty, anti of illicit. Distillation, be re ferred to a select COmmittee.---41r. MO:VOL op posed the,motion;_ttPon the ground that England and Scetlatid ought,,asregaided the duty,' to be upon an equality. -lle . .hoped-to see, in a future Session, the tax overcome by the united efforts of both countries.—Sir GEORGE CLERK, sup ported the motion.—Sir R. FERGUSON said, he knew the course' he was about to take was unpo pular, but, as he believed the Committee was proposed, not with a fefeience to the merits of the measure 'itself, but as a boon to the Scotch Members to vote with 'the Minister, he would oppose the motion.—Mr. MA CKENZIE denied that his vote was influenced by the promise of a boon. After some further conversation the House di vided, when there appeared— For the motion - - - 53 Again4t.it , , • - - 17 Majority _ —36 On our re-acfmission to the Gallery-, 'We found Mr. M. .A. TAYLO_II.-on' his legs, contending- that: the Petitions from cUrnberland and AVestmore-.. land, respecting Agricultural distress, ought to lie 'referred to a Select .Committee,_ as. well as:those front- Scotlancl:;..au'd .re understood him to have moved an Amendment to that effect.—T CITAW 6ELLott Of the tketibil.un said - - that the Scotch Petitions referred :to a. particular bonus, of which they -had been deprived- and , not to the Malt 'Fax, or anyjgeneral 'regulatiorf.'=-After spine ther, observations from Sir It.. 7 rergUsson,' Mr. Gordon, Mr. Mouck; Sir M. White Ridley, Mr. Rennet, G.'. Mr.. IV:. Smith, and M -r. Lushington, the A-mendnuent , was. negatived. •• -- - wtiaras AND MEASURES.:. Mr. D. GILBERT, after fl.w observations on the subject of the inquiries carried on before a Commission appolntd'for 'tht . .purpose relative to the ancient and most approved standards of weights an& measures f ::rnoved: for : the appoint. men of a elect Cofrimittee. to whom the report laic! befoi:4:0101IOn . shOula Feferred; as well as all proceedings for ascerta'ining the lenp,-th of thepeAdelnin., anir th.g . they de report•their oh er4a ti oii*, : t ri4,4,4 o the Ilouse.—Ordered. CASII PAYMENTS. Mr. TitsitixOttilsr- brought tilYthe.lieport of the c . 9mmittee., • pu.the..Banlc Cash Payments Bill, Mr. J . ..g.i.trit , ,liti;*that as the supposedinten flan of-thelTank se -1 Eq-land not to issue one poundm9.tps,..aft.er.,4v -next, had Created. much anxiety among the country bankers, frorw : au•ap.. .prehe'rthi'aiiihat the Bank might - not issue more Specie'ilian the atnint.: of their one .pound . notes, he wished - to:ltnOw whats. the intention was ihafrespecti' • - • • The CH . ,6-.CELLOR of the ..r;:cIir.QUER could not conceive the nattite of. the danger to beappre- : hended.. 'Phi! one:pound - ,notes 'being replaced would, ; he wolte thought, leave the' country bankers inthe_sathe situation as before with 're .gard tothe.payMentatheir own mites. It was, however, the intention to have notes-in readi.pess, in case any inconvenience should arise, but the object was to 45, without them it possible.- • Mr.-,J.• SNrrn admitted,-that the explanation was p , .rfe6t.ly . satisfactory; - Mr. RICARDO pressed himself to the same.. effect.--,After a feW words froni'Mr. Brakes, Abe Chancellor of-the . .Exchequer, and. Mr. 'Mon*, the Resolutions Iv( re agreed to, .and the Bill ordered to be, read the third time this day. The Timfier.Duties' Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday. some Petitions, from Clerks in the Irish Courts of Justice; praying for compensation in conse quence of their loss of fees, through certain new arrangements, were, presented, and )►dying been assented to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, they weredarclered to lie on the table.—,Adjourned at ILALF-4.IFTEn. •ON C f_!'CLQSIc• LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCETrY, Aram 12. DAVIS V. HIS GRACE 1 - 11-tjDli3lE . OF •NAII.LI3OIIOII7DII. Mr. 'Timm' statetHris was an application ou the part of the plain tifithat the .service• of.the order of • sequestration against the lioble,defendant, direct ed to ,certain commissioners, to levy on - the goods of the noble defendant the sum of 1931. declared by the Master' report-to be due to the plaintiff, on Mr. Penneger, his Grace's . Solicitor, might be considered „good 'service. Ile had an affidavit that the order of sequestration was served on Mr. Penneger, and that he undertook to show cause why the orde;.Should not be made absolute. The LORD CRANCELLOR.—That service v .. 1 .11 not, do j there is nothing attached to the rank of a Peer that ought to - deprive hiin of the right of personal service. •• Mr. Ilium—Then we must endeaVOur to find the Noble Duke, and serve him per . sonally.--- Motion refused. SCOTCH BURGHS. •• , , strOttli,by the -AG'REGATE • - t0.14118i1771/M roof PCBLIC . BO bl.E.S . tif - the CITY of ED1N131.340-1," 'their ILESPEC'rI VE C ONS TIT CB N • Minty's Cire.rEL, l lB2l. It will be.in the recollection of'all persons intereitedlYthe object with which 'the Aggregate CoMmittees 'were particu larly charged,-.-the attainment of a more liberal and -exilf!.;ht-- ened system` f town ptlity,—that the- circumstance whiehle4i to the original appointment of Committ ee s by the-various:Pub lic Bodies - of this city, 'was the gratifying conduct of the late Lord Advocate of Scotland, in having recommended to the King in Counciloo grant an alteration of its Sett to ihe Burgh of Montrose,---conduct for which his' Lordship received -the I eertfelt thanks of most of the Burgesses of Scotland. At the first meeting of the Aggregate Committees, the course which they were to pursue for the attainment of • th e object in view was maturely considered, and it appeared that 'tins could be accomplished only in one of three ways. Ist. By an application to the Convention of Royal Burghs, to which the unanimous consent of the Town Council and-cor porations was necessary. 2dly, By an application to the Bing in Council, as had been done in the case of Montrose, for which it was necessary'rhilt the Burgh, as iu that case, should be disfranchised I and, idly, By an application to Parliament, for which, at that time, - there was no precedent, and which application there Was no reason to believe would then be fiivourably received. The first of these was the one to, which the attention of'the Committees waS primarily - directed, but it was not in `thei r power to ascertain, without considerable delay, whether the necessary consent would be given or not. In the intern, 'it appeared to be material not to allow the opportunity to be lost ilk disfranchising the Burgh, which 'was efibrded by certain errors, committed in the election of Magis trates at the Michaelmas preceding.—The disfranchisement of the Burgh would have 'given an opportipity'of having recourse to tne Privy Council for a new Sett ; Nia, at all events, the Coininittees conceived, that they would grant a poll election, by which a Magistracy might be appointed, who would con cur with the Burgesses in endeavouring to procure an improve ment of the Sett of, the Burgh. While, therefore, the Committees • gave instructions that a process for reducing the election of 1817 should be commenced 'without delay, they at the same time directed application to be made to the Town Council, requesting to know, whether 'that Body would be inclined to concur in an application to the pro.. per quarter, for such an alteration in the Sett of the .13urgia as might be mutually agreed upon': Whe Aggregate Committees at.fhe same time intimated, that it wafby no means their wish that the process of reduction should h.: followed tut s And thnt it would immediately be abandoned, if ;he object in view could be attained by an amicable arrangement. All attempts, however, at an amicable arrangement having proved fruitless, the. process was proceeded in with all possible dispatch ; and it is only necessary here to say, that the result has been such as to chew that the objections ;originally taken against the election of 1817 were completely well founded ; 'And that the Committees availed themselves of every favourable op portunity to renew their assurances to the Magistrates that they were ready and willing to abandon all -legal proceedings, pro vided only that the Town Council, upon their part, would con cur in the necessary measures for 'procuring an improvement in the Sett of the Burg. The interest which the proceedings, in the Burgh of Mon trose and in this Burgh excited, gave rise to numerous petitions to the House of Commons from the Burgesses, and from most ,of the Corporations of the Royal -13urghs e and such was the -strength 'of the prima facie case made out by the petit:inners, • .that Lord Archibald Hamilton succeeded in carrying a misiou for the appointment of a Committee of that Hon 1-louse to in quire into the grievances complained of. or th e e ti p i r a o n ceed to proceedings in in di te t t h q e i y i ate v r e ,l l3 t a i e s:nut su v ecesiarjr h as to her ß e es trd t o in m g prove beyond the possibility of doubt or denial, the existence of evils far more serious than had even been alleged by the pe titioners themselves, and of a nature which no person now care Pretend to.say do - not require to be redressed. • Another great and important benefit has been secured tattle cause of Burgh Reform by these legal proceedings, in the in terest which has been created :n the flouse of Commons itself in this important question, and which cannot-fail to secure toit the mature consideration of thataugustassembly; itlieneveivX shal'i be himight.fairly tinder their view. hile the law process was in dependence, several importsvt changes in the 'state of the general question of Burgh Reforto 2Onk.tlace; which tended materially to alter the view s o f the Committees, and to render a change in their measures c_xpe dient. , In•the first plac4., the - BUrghof Aberdeen v•as disfranchised. by-a decree reducing the election of Magistrates 'at Michaelmas .N 1 7 .; but in place of a warrant fora poll election bang grant ed by the Privy CQuncil, the old Magistrates were restored. In the second place, by a similar event, the Burgesses of In verness Were enabled, in- the year-lillB, to-apply to the Privy Council for 4 . p011. election, but the case of that Burgh has not yet been - disposed of, and it. c -.ltinues to the present day to be g . tyerned by interim Managers appointed by the Court of Session: lii the third place, it never was by any means clear, that the. Privy Council have the.legal right to alter the Sett of any /loyal' Burgh; as was done in the case of 'Montrose. ;,.and eerstur But' gesses of Edinburgh raised an action in. the Court' of SessiON, to have it found and declared that they did not possess than . But the existeriee:ofeuis.pOwer \was rendered still more doubtful by the opinion lately expresSzd by the Lord President of the Court of . SessSion, that the alteration granted to Mon" trpse - was. altogether illegal, and that the altered Sett might V .redueed and set aside. _ These circumstances appeared to the Committees, and to thos o legal advisers - on whose • opinion they relied, to render the roes' complete success in the..eensting aelion of little or uo • avail while some persons were of opinton, that it might even ha Y' an. „ injurious effect upon any ulterior. proceedings-That.- inig b .L; adopted, as thtel4egisiatere.'rnight peobably dot - aim to - o ter the consideration of th e t erms o f it nevi Sett while. the 1 3 '- u t,„. - . was disfranchised, as•then th e p ro p er offi cers did no t e%i.' 4 ,7: *oilmen the Co r p ora t e . r i g ht s elf .the • .I.jurgh as e c i ntradis° l l,l guished front - the peculiar rights :of. , the .Corporations, ce" be attended to. ot The Aggregate .Committees...liseing: steadily foll Owed ° the iliwlprocess, so long as it appeared to theinAhat the franchisement or, the Burgh was - c 4.10.00. ted to to a sato:, factory result; andhavingeonstantly - :assUred the - M 3 agistrates , 7 : their idlow-citizens, not only that they • were swilling, but tb",,, they were' anxious to relinquish' it, provided they could, b. , other means, with the' consent of - We Magistrates, acc °l '. t , plish their object, they conceived that it would :be b iu „:, expedient, most consistent, anal Most .honourable thern,,,` i4 well as most satisfactory to their constituents, to abandon V:` o , 'proceSs, convinced as they were, not 'only that it would not , 1e in any shape aid them, in the attainment of an.alteration.Of Sett of the Burgh, but that, in point of fact, it operated are serious bar in the way of their ulterior' proceedings. "With !:; ( 1. gard to the-request with which they bail 'formerly • acce, - 4 5 -n 4l lc l their propositionfor a settlement with the .51agistratese—thut . .should concur in an application - in' the proper quarter fbr. alteration of the Sett, the :Committees were priaty well vinced,. that such consent would either nbt be granted at a 0, 0 ,.. - 1 1 • that, if it were granted, the parties would - agree only to minor points, .to - render that course nlore injurious that'o sirable ; and that it was far better to refrain fro m u rging, 1, ,condition, in the confident hope, that whatever was. just and " pedient •woula be granted by:Parliament. They were. moreoyer doneons, as •citi.ren - of :F.dinburehl terminate the dissensions and discord which these legal Pw cce ,ie ings oc'easioned, its soon as they were convinced that no bets` ciat resnlywae to be expected from them. ll They therefore adopted the rhonsitre of 'appointing 3 STL •11! Committee, to confer with a Comrotttee of the Town Cono',o, which has led to thew:eon being conipromistd-and witl,id r sse on the coof,ition of . 11001. of expences 'being-paid by the gistrates to the pursuers. • .mo ° • The Committees do now therefore . lay before their co° 4 ` : ',,ced this-Report of their • proe eedings• t and 'being', fully e°l: p oet , - that the stage at which they have now arrived-is - a.trlo t „ i is ; 6 ' ant one, ants thatethe-state of matters is now more proP —. ., - ,,, e ioe , the wishesl of their fellow-citizens than at any Rainiere-zojoit they strongly razornmerld that iroanediate and earnest. appl =e , t o f should be made to Parliament for - ah alteration of the the Burgh, by all the Publid'Botlies of this city, mearn 'should forthwith be talon. for matting a Bill , this alteentien raay be eflixted.". „ The Committees hope that this 'example' -411 be tb", ° ` t hey , the litwgesses of every Burgh . in the kingdom -;tv to ir "' .on their part, authorise. some peraans 'in ibis L• . !jur e'' , and ti-.. - a 'AI to the ci•aes of the several disteicts -of 1 - 1 _ 0 ,41 that fo.toe grievances complained of being . adequately, e necessity being admitted of re-Moving many t on er ly: nn eVils, these - Burghs may prepared to' state tl _ .in which they conceive -that this can hest.be accomplisbe g r. Oa the I le, is , ist., in Carmarthen-ztreet, Ilia La.lY of Joseph Browne, of a son. OD IVetlnes day, the 11th instant. at - Newiejton , Home:rsharni a,cd 7 1 4, forigitr)i.of .114ti r garGt' s ' Southwark. " ON.: Printed by 'CAR:74I'A IRS, of NO 29 ;, 6: 5 , (?rmond-:;trect; queen-lcitmyt ; by SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South ATO-iten:street;" at Tor. 9FrIcE No. 112 Strand; whet? . ADv isE,i ORDERS, LETTERS, Su.. (pult-paki) must be ae.El:co'24l.