The Sun. — London, England, 1803-03-29 00:00:00

rtspre — ting Sir James SillitllarCZ'S Alin Uity ; which b 6 ,11 ., read, the Noble - Secretary moved a Corte. spooding Address tl His Majesty on the - occasion, IliCh was voted by their Lordship.; nem. disc. and the Lords with White Staves ordered to wait upon Ills Majesty with the •sone. Some documents respeding an Appeal from Ire. land were presented at the Bar, anti'ordered to lie on the Table. Earl O'Nx IL, one of the Irish Representative Peers, viraiiSWorn, and took his.seati.. Lord Aur'ro. AND, after remarking .generally upon the great importance of the .subjeCl, moved that the Revenue Accounts presented from the Treasury on Friday last, be printed fur . the use of the House. He Was aware that this prodeeding, fit:4n the voluminous - nature of the docuMenta in question, would be rather expensive; however this ,consideration would only operate in such a degree, as to bear no Comparison. against the utility de. livable from haViog Accotnits such itnpottance, and which would throw such alight upon the gene_ ;al subjea. The Motion being Made as above, it was ordered accordingly. The Noble Lord also observed, that upon looking over 'the Bank Restric tion Bill, which stood in order for a second reading this, evening, he perceived that the commencement of its operation, was so dirant as the first of June. There could he no necessity, therefore, for at all hurrying the Bill through its different stages in 'that House: Thos circumstanced, and with a view of giving time ,for the farther consideration of the subject, ,he was inclined to suggest the propriety of postponing the order for the second reading un til the Recess, and named the first Tuesday for the day. After a few farther observations to this effedf, 'his Lordship moved accordingly. • Lord KING seemed to entertain no . objection to what was proposed by the Noble Lord, hut talk the opportunity to announce his intention to move• for the insertion of a clause into the Bill, to the effeCi, as we understood' his Lordship, of obliging the Diredors of the Bank of Ireland, after a 'certain period, to provide for the 'amount of their own Notes, in Bailc. of Engifind: Notes. A regulation of this kind, his Lordship seemed to think, would be prodottive of very salutary effeds, and partial.. lady tend to ameliorate the important 'concern of. the Extkange bet Ween those parts of the United Kingdom. -The Earl of LIMERICK generally vindicated the condufi of the Bank of Ireland Direnors ; Ile' anticipated the favourable 'esient of a discussion thereof,. and obserVed that the result would prove that they were deserving of praise instead of cen. sure, Tbr itfaro4l of SLIGO agreed with what had fallen from the last- Speaker, and observed, chat with respeet to any proposition from the Noble Lord, tending really to ameliorate the concern of the ExChange between the two Countries, it would certainly be favourably received by the Absentees, as well as by other persons interested in that con. sideration. The question was then put, and the Bank of Ire. land Restliaion Bill was ordered to be read a se. cond time the first Tuesday after the Recess. Lord PELIMAY rose to move for the second read. ing of the Ititth. Militia Bounty Bill. The Noble Secretary stated the outlines of the roeusnre, and . the causes which led to its adoption : The leading feature in the provisions of the Bill was, Ito enable the Government of Ireland to extend the Bounties payable to .Militia.mcn to four guineas, it such cases as they found an advance necessary. His Lord_ ship observed, that the Committee on the Bill would afford Noble Lords a regular opportunity of dis. cuising any of its provisions, He, then moved, that the Bill he now read a second time ; which being done, the Bill was aftertyards ,. : coMmitted for -to morrow. Some routine business was then disposed of— after which an Adjournment took pluce. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MARCH 28. THE SrFAKER took the Chair at three o'clock, when several. private Bills were read and pasied ; and several Members had leave of absence, from indisposition. A Report was brought up from' the Committee appoin'ted to cry the merits of the Chippenham Eleftion, stating, that Mr. BRooNs was not duly elided, and that Mr. MAITLAND was duly elected. The Clerk of the Crown Was tiler' ordered to amend the return accordingly. A Member was sworn in and took his seat. • The Bill for building a new Theatre in the City of Glasgow waa read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time. Mr. flAwatNs BROWNS moved the Order of the Day to be read, for bringing Stephen Brooks, who was guilty of gross prevarication before the Not. tinghatn Committee, to the Bar of the House, in order to receive the censure of the House, and his discitsizze, TheQ,uestion was put and agreed to, and he was accordingly brought to the Bar. S P .4.1 C Stepllen Brooks, a Select Committee appointed to try the merits of the con. rested Elation for Nottingham, have repotted to this House, that you being called as a Witness be. fore.them, have been guilty of wilful prevarication, and 'the Tribunal before which your offence was committed, is entrusted to cry questions of the highest 'concern to the Privileges of thia House, and . the Franchises of. the People ; but neither the wisdom with which it has been established, nor the spirit of pure Justice with which its powers have been administered, would be of any avail, if offences like your's were suffered to go unpunished. Your casei's beet) loaded with circumstances of peculiar aggravation : within two days ,before you were committed, the same Committee had reported to this Hook, another Offender, guilty also of preva; rication. You, with this:warning and example be-. fore you, incurred the same guilt ; and this House marked its sense of yoat incieenleti crjminaltty by an nexit, a greater degrec,ol, ignominy to your punish. meat : instead of placing you in the custody of its trwn OfEcers, it tiansfet red yoti to a Co - mmon Gaol; the couttition _which since that time you have ex. prbssed, has induced this House now to consent to sequences of your punishment do not cease hare— they will follow you through the test of your life-- you are Hien below the con mOn level of your fd. low-subjens, and your reputation for ver,ieity is lost ; you can never appear in a Court of Justice with unblemished credit, to sustain 'yaw rights 'or' those of others, and you have tti• exile& that 'you - will ,be scorned and shunned by the very party whom you have thus criminally endeavoured. t o sui port. The House ha's ordered you to .be dis. •charged, and you are discharged accordingly, pay ing'your feee." The Order of the Day was read for taking into . conaideration the Woollen Manufacturers' Petition. An Hon. Member moved, that the said Order he discharge& and that the consideration of the Petition be postponed to Friday. • Op the question being put,: Admiral BERKELEY said, he thought no time should be lost in forwarding a measure so necessary to the saffyof the people: riots had taken place in his neighbourhood in consequence of not having at present the means which •the Petition proposed, and which the. Bill would effeCt, if sanctioned by Parliament. He therefore ItOped, that no further -delay would take place, but that every means' may be takep to render all parties agreeable, with all the expedition possible. - Mr, INILHOUSI rose and observed, that the Hon. Gentleman-had: told the House, that tiots had taken place, which the measure now before the House would in future prevent ; but he had an op_ portunity of being acquainted with every circuits. stance relative to the present business,• and he could assure the House, that no riot had taken'place for' a considerable time past ; he lived in the neigh. .bourhood of Gloucester, and had many. opportunities of getting the beat information on the aubjeti ; he :therefore thought, that the - lithe asked for would by no means tend to roduc6 any thing disagreeable, and he thought it a measure of that importance, that Aufficient time ought to be allowed fur • its ma ture Consideration. • : Admiral Bane et.ty said a few words in explana. Lion. The question was then put, and the Petition was ordered to be taken into consideration on Friday next. The Greenland Whale Fishery Bill was read a third time and passed. The Catholic_: Oath Bill was read, a,aceOpd time, ; and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The Committee of the whole House on the- Irish :Laws Suit Bill was postponed to Monday , nekt. On the motion of Laird'EtisloN . , the Order of the-Day was read fur bringing• James Trotter to the Barof the House„ who had Wilfully absented him. self from the Commit tee .appointed to cry the merits of the Dunternillite E!etlitsn. , • The SPEAKER said, before he put the question, !be thought it his duty to inform the House, that 7the . Prisuner was to be brought to the Bar of the House by tke' . Serjearit at Arms, who is to stand there with die Mace, and that no Gentleman could, put any question to the Prisoner but through the medium of the Chair. It was therefore necessary for those Gentlemen who had any intention to question the Prisoner, to. furnish him with the questions they wished to be put to hint, as he did nut mean to put any question to hint on his'u'vn account, having no authority to do so. • - The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUEI: ,said, that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Tt t, shoilld state the points on Which' he Meant to rest his Motion ; at present there was not sufficient be fore. the House to warrant a punishment . equal to that. Which was moved for on a former evening.' Mr. TIERNEY said, he had no in-tention to put any question to the Prisoner, through the medium of the Chair=; all he meant . to propose wa4 that James Trtutter may be heard in•his-defence. The ,S /IK. then addressed the Prisoner— " James Trotter, a Selest Committee of this House, appointed to try the merits of the Dunfertnline Elec. firm, haae reported, that you were summoned by the SVEAKEICS Warrant to attend the said Coin. mit tee, aril nfterwards, by :an order from the Com, mittee, both which you. have wilfully,negleCted to. obey. What have you got to say in your de fence lis defence was ordered to be taken down -in wri . tiag, it was - accordingly done, and read . by the Clerk,' - which • i 3 as follows That he Was not at home for ten days previous to the time the first summons- was left with his fically, and when . a second notice was left at. his house, his wife 'did not inlbrin him Of it ; he, therefore, left his dwell iog, ignorant. of his having been served, with a second - summons; and he added/ that he was ex- tremelY : sorry- for the offence 'he' had committed, and Would have come up to London at hit (IWI . I CX. pence, if he had known thedangerous consequences in not attendit - to the tummont." -- , • The Prim : l,ler wai then taken from the Bar, by order of the SPFAKVR. Lard EUSTON raid understooditwa in tact st lte he custom of the House, for any person placed situation of the Prisoner, to be called to the Bar on the motion:of a Member, to receive a severe,aepti tnanat for his offence,.and then dischatged on paying his fees. The.SPE,4KER.said, the question now befOre the House was, whether James Trotter should be discharged on paying leis fees ? Mr, TIERNEY said, he could not help obseev. i.ng, that the punishment Trotter had Already re . ceived, was by no means 'adequate to the offence. Thete Was a similar ease on the ReCords Of the House,,which stated, that AlexanderlVlorris, in the year t 796, had wilfully. neglected to.attend a Corn. mince agreeable to the summons he. received for thit purpose, in consequence of which - he Was taken into custody and btooght to the Bar, and the House committed him to Newgate for the. offence. He , could not but think this a case inpoint. James •Trotteritad evidently conceded himself from t h e Committee, for if Gentlemen would observe, - the 5p LAll,:b Warrantmia dated on the ad of Febru.' ary, the Chairman of the Committee's Warrant on the roth of the saute month, and the fawner never mddehis appearance till the zest of Mara, It wa y i 11111:W411011411 the Minutes should be laid before the douse, and then Gentlemen would better judge of the conduit of the Prisoner., the desire of the 119 - 11. Gt nth:in in, i l '.. * ;v.i'et.:; !lie N'lii.l.ltc:R of the Committee hod belore the House, As it %vas contrary to Cllitoni, a:itl Avould operate as :1 1., Id precedent. ". , . '17 , ;. x I'EzIKER said there was nothi'il , - improper 4: iri reading the IVtittOtes mentioncti by the Hon. Mernb , r. :-- '-' - ,'—'"'—' Mr. R/MGGE observed, th;it the iutroduZlion of the. Minn . ! es would he higit y iityr.Tet, and that Extra 1s front the .evidence given before the Coin. mittee. had nothink to d4i with lilt ixr•fs*it question. The Prisoner was placed before she House as a per. son guilty, of an offence, and tilt-refire there was not any reason Jgitit7 to . prove his guilt ; that held al. ready been done. Mr. T. IERNEY said, he surely ought to be al lowed to read the Minutes as a part of his speech. it was his wish that the .Minutes should he read, in order to form a proper judgment of ihe c a .e now be. fore the House. fle found gr6at y in his pre, sent situation to please several Hon.. Gentlemen, as : to his manner of. addressing the House on this question,. He again reverted to the case of Alex ander Morris, which he considered H case in.. point, and the punishment the House had iriiiided on him, as an example to 'others, evineed , Inuch wisdom. that thiS man.now before the House bad wilfully negleeted to attend the Committee, .was beyond all doubt : he heard what he was about : to say, - from ,good authority, that 41 Witness for Sir John Hen. derson was ready to prove, that the Prisoner offer ed' soot. to keep our of the way. This offence was too gross to 'pass unpnni bp thereforhould move, That James ratter be sent to Newgate for six months." SfiER/D/iN said, it did not appear to him `as necessary to offer any additional proofs of the Pt i.. saner's guilt—he had aekoowledged his fault, and very candidly told the House, that he ,hould have obeyed the summons had he' known 'the bad can sequences which would attend his improper condal this, he said, was the comtnoolanipage of persons, who have been made sensible e.r• the oiftnce theY have committed. It was now nete:,:„try . to ir~f}tt3 sortie punishment on the Prisoner as an example to - 'others. 71.,e Lord AD VOC AT.O of S;COT/. /1 said, it, was his wish that the House should ;‘.'t with mode ration, a nd on a cool consideration of the case; he had no doubt but the House would (scat the prisoner with lenity, notwithstanding the Gentleman opposite to hint had painted . the prison er's condoet in the blackest colours. He e. as ready. ,to acknowledge titan the -prisoner had done 'Wrong, and he was glad to tee that the House • was determined to punish 'pet-,tAis • Wilily of any offent.4 that went CO iiijore any of its Members. Rut before punishment was itdlikled, it was proper to be waster of . . the case : he said, the SPEAKER'S Warrant was dated on the 2,.1 nf an d t h e Prisoner received it On the 7th of the sane month, and by the purport of the Wartant, he was ordered appc.araiNC,9ll.k . foUowin i; tUy, • : - at the 1-louse of Commons, a distance el4oomiles. was unnecessary to make an excuse lot - his not be i,„ g i n London, at the time „mentioned in the War. rant, as the dist:w.ce was beyond human power,tone- Ic o mplish. The poor mon w•holtneW nothin of the rnitatelij a Sr Warrant, thought; , f 5. he could. ' be in in a short time, i t ryasnO.csn-: sequence, consequently lets his house On business, which has nceasiculett him to incur the: displeasure of the House. The case which had been mentiooed Was AI very ditl:rent ate by the Hon. Gentleman, Adexantler Morris was acquainted wiih the nature of . the offence, and it was clearly proved„ that, he . negleaed to attend the Committee, for which offence, ilea was very i!roperly seia to •New 'gate. But this poor man "re.ddes in a part of' the .country where he had no opportunity of learning the . nature of the warrant, as being of. rethed habits, he did not suppose it of any" con;;equctic'e, partien. larly when he fOund it impossible ,to com ply with . the meaning of its letter, in so short a time. He 'hoped the House would take into consid.:ration the 'siMplicity of the man, his family, and , 4 ituatiop life, as every day's confinement in. London would •: :injure him much, as this eras a tithe of.year his vierts were required on his.larm.' 'Ho thought this was . it'case. where indulgence might bz,giaitted, as ;the objed before•them was a par, ignorant man, ;who did not know the meaning of' t)ie Warrant. Mr.HAWKINSIIROWtiE said few': words. - Mr. ie. Dum.m . s reemintiended to the House to be merciful rather than severe with the prisoner, who •I had said in his defence that' he ,did not 'know the consequences of not attending to*the order of the House ; this arose from. his ign'orance in not- being acquainted .. .with the nature of the warr.int, and,(or this offence the Hon.. Gentleman opposite 'to him would tvish to send the prisoner•to Newgate for six moutho . lie could not but think the Hw. Gentle r:lm wished to push his principles of justice too far. The poor man had been ,brought no trout his, hum, and locked up it the top Of this, '1 lot.ltie Shuttle Worth, who had been' guilty of grows 'rication, was disehargrd. I thought his off9)el :deserved the most Severe eastiption b,O he found Gentlemen hi.at now ::he%vo difi;;;L:lWe t.f opinion s and tharisotier, whose n . ; ca,inned his guilt, was to be bent to pristur"-- f oehOe \:l , l:fidiint) a ::false`Witriess, who had irnAted the L' , .ymmittee by.his - tross prevat Ica tiuns, cocci tf.'d - a re primand & vm the Howie. This did n'm ac'eord with "Itii sem itnents, and he hoped the f.f.,il,:t .01'ew every icdttlgenee in tlwit ver to tie Vrisuner. Lord,DUNLOIr said, the ,question before the House I,s, what punislanent might to l> it.tiiii*ted on a nun who had cominitted such an offence. ;It was certainly an important question, and deser vet; much consideration. But under all tht! circumstance:4'bl the: present though 8 0 14 : 7.c:cm punishment had been infikied to prevent a repetition of the of. fence. The rase, he said, was very dif'rerent with . respea to- IVlurns ;— i t. was clearly proved last Ire knew, the nature of his offence, 80(1 therefore he ad. ded insult' to the dignity of the,liouse, by Petting , its Order and Liter But he thoOght the case of a Mr.-„Sitick applied more than the on: mentioned by Mr. Ti Lltt; Xy, Where a' contest. • ed eledion jiati been determined 3 u cOtlimitte'e, without the evidence of Sirick,,Whn k ei .,t. Out of the way, eigisegtiptiroile of Petition:;s . was precluded from hawing the benefit of his evidence : Hofts«, and theltecordi would spew that aLlce was not sent to Netvgate for the offence, but tva! kepi in cuytody a short tim:,- th en censured and dis. y 'K charged. Mr. FOX said, he was astonished that 'any Mem- her in that House would sanelion the by the ti' f . -.1)1e Lid, as it was necessary to puniSh offen. tiers of this description, for the,supportOtEle4tiorl Laws, and the dignity of the Hoitses.,The.4l , o 4 4 rerjury w.ts not worse titan the offence now the sub., Alehate, .and Gentlemen might beg the indui. genre' of the House to Istgranted to offenders, a nisaY :that ti es-e is no, precedont for the Motion : he woolti . ask; if the:House of Commons could not punish the offence now complained of ? The Prisoner had saidi he 'knew- no dangerous consequences that would %follow his conduct, but:he ought to know, for the example of others ; and unless it is severely punish:ed, a party "" of the way, till the business of a Contested Eke.may in future send witnesses at any tim e non is over, and be able to calculate the exalt expence 'of keeping the Witnets in "confinement, and persons ! careless as to the light punishment that will accom. tany his crime, and in the course of a week or t ,vo, he able . to return to his friends, with an ample c , ro• _pensation for being locked up in the House of Corn- • mons.—That it appeated•upon the face 'of the re' ,port, the it.famous conthaof the Prisoner is beyOnd all doubt, whether the minutes are read or not; and he believed that the subpoenas of that House were similar to Ahe itilstptinas of the Courts of Law, andt therefore, some' heavy penalty ought to attend those:: perso l s t isias negled, to obey them. CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUEI !said, he. confessed that he felt considerable anttietr.; upon thiS subjet% He certainly was not disPgiew to proceed with any degree of severity or ri&nor:' beyond what the -occasion called for ; 'hut he also' s felt. the necessity of preserving the authority of 0 4 ' :11ousek i llnd he. also felt what was due to a Com.; mit tee such as the present ; and when the Chairmatt of the 'Committee -recommended' .3 proceedingi cettainly catoe with great 'Weight. Ifa ny was enteilained with regard to the punishment tte, be upon, this•man, the - leaning of his mink he tO stiript the oeinion of those who had amp:e. means of judgingopon 'the subject. . But as clic' /-lottse might hav e th e he t a ne s i k roin e : d i ; it ; G icw : e n s ri a .etioe n e s 3re s e,ntinai t pol l i e g : s i: st i ner s ti,c o s koitio.rmsuspend tulle opi n . ma the it juclg' Men t.---Firs.onlessed that. when .this stibjea was fir!' -brought forward, he was astonished that a proP ol i tion of this !kiiiefliatt not been' made. If he CQUi , a not have access to suct . materials, he should Or . ", tairdy accede to the proposition made by the moan Of the 'Corninittee—But lie 'could not shut his eyes.to-theisineveilingiv.ofthat. Rouse in cases wines - appeared to him to be similar. to the presents—ln th e case of Alex. Morris, he was committed to New: gate, but there was certainly some degree of dit:' ,fetence between that case and the present; he hid . not aCkn ,, Wledged his . offence, beti,les, he was re siding iu this town, and had nut undergone the,tle• ;gree of pifoishineOt which - has - beeo already the Pri'soner the present instance. -.-- `But though these considerations might operate upon , `the rompaSiitin of the House, it should be recolk- 4 1. edshat, her wasuld not appear 41fans.H 1 :fourns i t• r i t lielifintro4mt therefore'cotild not °relate in 1 3 °. s / T e e)tatnple in future times. Wi th re g aj! ' i " ! ignorance of the crime ; 'ease tiiriek, it undoubtedly was not in p:)int ;,ri e soner pleaded ignorance of the conseonenco. l i e di Present' only wished to ask the Ilot.r.x. to pause bid°!er, they inii4cd their judgthent. shonla pr . opt:se to get rid of the present irititin_ns. : miter by proceding to the Orders of the Day, fey nvgativ-it'g it, ori what would be,much more agree able to !lion, by the Noble tord's consentiug to withdraiv it, II the. Noble Lord should consenr the preset,- ~e to withdraw it, he would be aw:ste t hat he would be it hiring is forward,' if he. tlvnight prol'ets .On .another occasion. Mr. , POSE s a id, b e w a s 'of opinion that this question he as well decided by the house by the Commiiiee. H e wished to observe t hat be _ knew nothing o f t : i i s ! case, , but what he hal l heard iii' that liause. Pi e had a lw a ys understood it tO' a . fundatnentat rule of J ust i ce , that a person gh oul ' • not benefit by keepin g witnesses out of die way. It had been stated that Perjury was a greater crime than the one for which this man was no A' ICI be Poe nishedi undoubtedly, morally speaking', it was a more enormous ofFznce, than that of a witnesewils. fully Dissenting 'himself. But he believed that it, very seldom happened that a man either served - self or his party by Perjury, because when he Cattle into Court, it was almost always possible!eithet to extract the truth, or else to deten him in his false , hood ; but it was impossible to foresee or totuaril against the consequences' of a Witness being kept out of the way. It .had been stated. by a Noble Lord (Dun I. ) that' there was a' case in point in whiCh the.person had been dismissed with a repri. tnantl, bat if this man was dismissed with such a ponishrtvmt, and with aoexpenee, perhapsi'of sot• it would really he an cecouragement to others to com mit the same offence. He was thtrefore,of opinianr that cal;ing this wan to the Bar and reprimanding hint, would by do means be a sufficient punishment.. It had been urged in the course of the debate, that the COnf law were armed with poWets to pet. SVitnes)es w!n did,, not attend, but he had I:ntg thcl74itt it a great defea in our Laws; that the Courts of I.aw had not powers sufficient fir that purpose. lie Maid had opportunities - as a Grand Jut v tnstt',ol seeing that if a Witness whose name was on the Lic4 of the 13ill,'Ilid not attend, the only punishment was, that he forfeited his reeogn' , .zance ; therefore, it a person was rash enough to keep a' Witness out of th e way, the ends of . .},nia might be defeated. lb'''. • was not an opinion now taken up for the first time —he did not wish to punish this man more Oa f ' , was necessary : to. deter others front committing similar offences ; but he really thought a reprimani at the Bar would not he suffiaent. Mr. GEO. rANSITTART said, the two' mcndation of sue Committee was resolved upon, before this Min had teen heard in his defence, boi that defence was that so inconsistent and evasive OM there. would 'be an end of the. authority of tiou-e, if he did nor undergo a further punishment. Lord Ef:SI.QX said, he had not stated, t hat be