The Sun. — London, England, 1821-06-22 00:00:00

to tbe amount of 40s. the penalty of death would, in that case, be too severe for the offence. But add . one or two circumstances, and see how the case would stand: Suppose that he had so en tered an unprotected cottage, and stolen the - whole savings of an industrious life,. was that an offence in which severity could be complained of ? No man had said that benefit of clergy ought to be extended to those who committed burglary, but the circumstances of breaking in or breaking out, and of perpetrating. the act in the night time, constituted the only difference, and there *ere tlartY int - tanCes in WhiCh the mischief to the in , dividual and the public was greater in the for mer case than in cases of .burglary. The best - way, therefore, as it appeared to him, was to leave. the selection as it was left at present, to the disCretion of the Judges-. Their Lordships vvjere - aware of a case in which one servant hatl handed the property 'of his master over to another serv ant, so that they could be at no loss to imagine aggravated cases of the description which these Bills attempted to visit with a lighter punishment. Ills Lordship denied that prosecutors and jurors were unwilling to act, though he admitted, that to the honour of the country there existed a great anxiety on all hands that - the laws should be administered with the greatest lenity. For those reasons he. could not give his consent to ;liter the existing laws. • . the' Earl of CARNARVOii said, he had not heard one word in answer to the argument drawn from the increase of prosecutions for robberies in . bleaching grounds since the punishment was miti gated ; and maintained that while the laws were continued in their present severity, the-y could not answer the ends of public justice. He had 'ltiinself abstained from prosecuting in one instance for - that reason. Lord SJDMouTII observed, that the very fact. of the increase of crime in late years, was drawn from the increase of prosecutions; and uniOs the advodates of these Bills could show that while crime was increasing prosecutions were stationary, the principle on which their ad- vocacy was founded must fall to . the ground. The gr - ott incentive to crime consisted not in theun- certainty of prosecution, :but in the chance of es - capingcapitaFpnniShment,and the insufficiency of secondary punishments.-11e could state cases in which the increase of punishment had dimi nished the offen.ce, and particularly with respect to the commission of'rohberies upon rivers, which since the capital punishment was annexed, had almost ceased, through the exertions of the Tbaines'Police. :Feeling the importance of pro tecting .the property of. h;s fellow-subjects, he dare not' agree to the motion, which would ope rate as an encouragement to crime. Lord CAI . ,THORPE in•-support of the Bills, as they went toreinove incOnsisteneies,in.the and did not reflect 'upon those concerned iu the administration of it. Lord Krvcr thottght, that the disproportion in the convictions stated by the Noble Viscount was an argument in favourof the Bill, and not against it. The.late increase of crime was ad mitted upon all hands ; but he lamented that there" was a disposition to prevent any improv meat in the law upon the part of those who were at the head of the. Police and the administration of Criminal Justice. The Marquess of LANSDOWN replied briefly. After a few words in explanation from the Lo o GIIA,NCELLOR- and:Viscount.SI DMOVTI3, the House . divided Contents r- - - r - Non-Contents - - - - Majoiity against the Bills - - ' Adjourned, - • 110 USE OF COMMONS. 27 _lO A Messenger from the Bank of -England presented an Ac wont of the Number of Forged Bank Notes which had been .presented for payment during the last year:—Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. The Sheerness Lands' , Bill and the Navy Property Bill ware read A second time, and ordered to be .committed to, morrow. 'The Report of the White Herring Fishery Bill Was received; and the Bill ordered to be read a third time-to-morrow. . -The House went into a Committee on.the Scotch Malt Du ties Bill ; the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Scotch Distillery Drawliack Bill went through a Com mittee, and th,e Report vas ordered to be received to-morrow. . The Fur Trade Regulation 13i11 was read a thiid tine, and passed. APPROPRIATION BILL. The CHANCELLOR if: the, EXCHEQUER moved the. second reading of the Appropriation Bill. Mr. CREEVEY objected to`the further progress of this Bill .at present, first, because the Supplies of the year heel not yet been all granted ; and secondly, because a great revolution in. sentiment on this subject had occurred amongst Hon. Members opposite, since the beginning of the Session, who ought to have an opportunity of discussing the matter. . _The:CHANCELLOR of the .EXCHEQUER' observed, flint there was no Grani of SuPply. remaining to be voted which Could affect the Appropriation Bill. ' If the were read a second time.now, there would be an opportunity of. discussing itbefore the termination of the Session, either on going into the Corninittee, oron the Report.' ' • • The SPEAKER :reminded the Hon. 'Member for Appleby (Mr.. Creevey) that no Supplies were included in this Bill till it had'passed through the Committee, arid it was riot till after that stage of it that it was in feet an Appropriation Bill. The Bill was then read- a second time, and ordered to be com mitted on Wednesday.. • . 'CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL. • On the motion for going into the Committee on the Consoli . daVel,Ftind , , . . RENFELL, seeing the Right lion. 0 entleinini oppo site in his place, wished to call - his attention to the expediency of troaking some arrangement: by 'which the' deficiency 'in the .Consolidated Fund, which -„in,, the last quarter amounted to .A.V.080,000, might be got'rid of altogether. Why was the Bank coiled upon to advance only £8,1100,000, when the deficiency at the, end of every quarter amounted to 8 or £9,000,000? .It-was, however, a most disgraceful situation for this country, that the Gozerninent shoUld, at the end of every, quarter, find itself to- Mily unable to pay the public creditor, unlesS the Bank chose • • to,advance the money. He was- aware that the Right Hon. Gentleman would contend that the present arrangement with the - Bank had this economical'renult, that the Money mit of which the Bank . was to be paid in the succeeding quarter was -' gradually deducted from the debt, and..that the interest payable to the Bank was diminished as the growing produce of the Con solidated Fund wiped off the debt. He would put it, however, thi the. Right Hon. 'Gentleman, whether there'was any reason ,why the balances might not ,be. made available to the public service, and the interest saved in some other way ? The con ' .dition of the Governinent at - the end of every 'quarter; With re spect wits- ability. of paying the public creditor, was a stain upon , the character and credit of the country., • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that if, the Government took credit flit a larger sum than £6,000,000, as' was recommended by the Hon. Gentleman, every such in , creesed advance would of course add to the deficiency of the COnselidated Fund at the end of the quarter. It was a more Convenient and economical arrangement to have recourse to the . 14ank, than to increase the deficiency of the Consolidated Fund ; by - borrowing from the growing produce. M. RICARDO thought the grievances complained of by his lion. Friend deserved the most serious attention of the Right • lion. gentleman. If it should, so happen , that the ,Bank of Xnglano were too crippled to be able to afford the usual advance, 'what' would be the state of the country when it should' appear • that the-dividends could not be paid ! The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. admitted, that'it would be desirable to remedy this evil ; he had often turned it in his mind, and various plans had been referred to him, but he had never found any praCticable. If the Hon Member had any to suggest, he should be extremely happy to give it his attention. He did not conceive it possible that the difficulty sapposed by the Hon. Member, of the failure of the Bank to supply the quarterly advance, could Occur, as there was a running account regularly kept up . between Government and the Bank. Mr. GRENFELI,, asked if it Was everlikely that we should be in that independtpt situation as to be able to extricate our selves in case of the Bank not being able or Willing to make the usual advance ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that to remove any apprehension the words of the Hon. Gentleman might create, he begged to state, that if such a defalcation on the part of theßank were to take place, he should have no dif ficulty in procuring the advance from other sources. The Bill then went through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday: HAWKERS AND PEDLARS. Mr. LITTLE ON presented a Petition froth . the Retail Traders of - Waverhampton, complaining d certain persons, having no fixed abode, who exposed goods for sale 'on market days, whereby they. were enabled to evade the Duties on Hawkers and Pedlars. Colonel WOOD said, that if the part of "the country from Which he came was not supplied in the manner complained of by the Petitioners, they would not be supplied at all. He hoped no measure would be hastily introduced oh this subject. Mr. LITTLETON said the grievance complained of was carried to an immoderate extent in the district of the Peti tioners. After a few words from Mr. M. A. TAYLOR, the Petition was ordered to lie on the table. AGRICULTURAL HORSE TAX. Mr. CIYAWESTi - ov;iii;Tilieifou7e7resoiveitself intd a Committee on the Agricultural Horse .Duties Repeal Bill. Colonel WOOD trusted that his friends, the Welch ponies, would be included in the Bill. He should propose that a clause be.introduced to include all horses, mares, geldings, and mules employed in conveying coal or slate .to and from the mines, in carrying lime, sea.sand, and other menure. Mr. CURWEN hoped the Hon. Gentleman would not press the clause in the present Session: The CHAIRMAN said, it was not competent to the Hon. Member to propose the clause without a special instruction to the Committee. Mr. Alderman WOOD said, he claimed exemption for a large - number of horses in the County of Cornwall; if the clause proposed by the Ifou. Member were admitted. After a few words from Mr.fiRENFELL, the Bill was conimitted, and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow. MANCHESTER ORANGE ASSOCIATION. Sir J. NEWPORT bespoke the particular attention of the House, and of the Noble Marquis opposite, to .a subject of great importance and delicacy, on which he wished to receive some informatiOn . , from the Noble Marquis. He alluded to statements which had appeared in most of the Daily Newspa pers, of the proceedings of a Society at Manchester calling it self an Orange Association. According to these statements, it appeared that this Association was connected and formed one of a number of Corresponding and Officiating Societies: It had regular officers with particular functions attached to their ap pointments, and its Members were bound by some secret obli gations, and it was in all respects so constituted; as to come within the description of the Acts of 37' and 59 of Geo: 111. against secret . ..ocieties. The circumstance was more deserving of at tention, and the more to be regretted, as it was given out that persons of high station were Connected with this Assoeiation, and as it tended to establish In this country a system which h a d been attended with so many disastrous consequences in Ireland. t was stated, that a personage, of no less consideration than his Royal Highness the Duke of York, was at the head of this Association. Without other authority for the truth of this part of the statement than the public Newspapers, he should be led to conclude that the MeMbers of. this Association wished to make an appearance of being connected with authority; or that his Royal Highness had been surprised into the loan of his name by false representations, to an illegal. Association. He could in no other way reconcile the thing to his mind, and he wished for snore authentic information on the subject. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, he had to express his acknowledgments to the Hon. Baronet for having acceded to his wish in-postponing to notice this subject on a former oc casion, when he felt that he was not prepared to give him any answer. In the interval he had been enabled to communicate with his Royal Highness on the subject, and he could nowaf ford that answer by his Royal Highness's authority and direc tion, which he had no doubt would prove highly satisfactory to the House and the Hon. Baronet. In consequence of a letter addressed to his Royal Highness in February, he had been in duced to acquiesee in the request to have his name placed amongst the Members as Grand Master of a Loyal Association at Manchester.. He gave his assent to the request to this effect, from an idea that nothing Political entered into the, object of the Association, and that his appointment_was merely honorary, in no way involving him in political proceedings of any descrip,-. tion. ,The moment, however, that the legality of the Associa= tion became questioned, - lie conveyed to the Committee, in the most specific terms, without imputing any breach of the law; pr impugning the Society, his desire that he should no longer be considered as belonging toit.—(Hear, hear !) Sir J. NEWPORT felt highly gratified, as he was sure the House did, at the statement of the Noble Marquis. He was too well persuaded of the Duke of York's attachment to. the laws of the country not to be convinced that he would act as he had done. He hoped, as it was obvious the Association was illegal, and in violation of the letter and spirit of the Acts, that the Law Officers of the Crown would take cognizance of the matter. Mr. W. SMITI - 1 presented a ,petition from the Manufae turers. and Dealers in robacco•of the City of Norwich, 'against the Tobacco Duties, 8i11. 7 -Laid on the table.. - The Isle of Man Duties Bill was coinmitted.--Report to morrow. A Message from the Lords announced their Lordships' assent to, certain Bills (for which see Lords). GENERAL DESFOURNEAUX. An lion. MEMBER brought up the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on the Guadaloupe Claims. Mr. P. GRENFELL begged shortly to call the attention of the House to the subject of the paper which related to Gene ral Desfourneaux. There was 'a claim of this Officer's which would probably be moved that very night, and it was necessary for the House to know the nature of it. In 1794, when the British took possession of Guadaloupe, they entered into an agreement with a Mr. Adaille, a French Gentleman, to pay him a certain sum for the use of certain hospitals,- which he had previously to the occupation by the British let them at the same price to the French. The English were driven from that island six weeks afterwards ; and, upon that bccasion, two of these hospitals were burnt. Out of this the claim arose, and General Desfourneaux was only one of the representatives of Mr. Adaille. •Mr. BROGD.EN spoke to order. He did not think the Hon. Member had a right to enter thus into the merits of the case upon the mere presentation of a paper. • The SPEAKER over-iuled the objection. Mr. P. GRENFELL went on to observe, that there was no evidence to prove whether the buildings were burnt by the French or the English ; and; upon the • whole, •Et hoped the House would see the propriety of rejecting the grant. Mr. MARRYATT said, lie had been along time in Gua daloupe, And never ..heard of • General Desiburneaux's claim, and he'hope,d it would not be granted. AFFAIRS . OF SICILY . Lord W. BENTzNcK feeling his own incapacity to do justice to the motion he had given notice of relative to Sicily, would willingly have de ferred the task to another, had he not felt that the active share he had taken in the transactions which ultimately led to what had placed Sicily in a worse condition than when Great Britain first interfered with it, imposed the task upon him as a point of honour. He had only there fore to request that the cause might not suffer from the weakness of its advocate.—(Hear, hear!) —He begged to assure the House, on his honour, that he undertook the motion without the sug gestion of any individual whatever. He had no desire to bring on a useless discussion on matters with which he had been connected, and which therefore his vanity might induce him to think were of more interest or importance than they really were. Since he was in Sicily he had had no communication with an; , of the 'natives, and his present motion arose solely out of a deep in terest he felt for the concerns of that people * with whom he had been so much connected for merly, He -wished, if possible, to obtain for the Sicilians that degree of liherty and'those privi leges which they formerly possessed, and of which this country had in a great measure gua ranteed the continuance. If the antiquity of a claim. gave any value to it, he was the advocate of rights 3 as valuable as those of the holy Al, 'lance ; for the, rights of the Sicilians Stood . upon the antiquity - of , „ centuries. When he left Sicily, the Noble Miiigness opposite had desired him to requiies twO - Condition's from the Govern ment with 57es-Pect to the Sicilians. The. first was, that no inhabitant of .Sicily should be ex ;posed to perSeCution .for' - his political opinions : and the second . was, tha4l4 - -Sjciliantssliould not be placed in a worse condifiOn with regaM to their political rights than before we had posses sion of the island. From all he had heard he was - convinced that those conditions had been grossly violated ; and it was' actually incumbent on this country to interfere. to cause the obser vance of the stipulated conditions. He had no means of judging of the course taken by this couritry, but by the instructions sent out by the Noble Lord opposite to Sir William A'Court. Those instructions, he admitted, were drawn in precisely the same spirit as he should him self have drawn them, and he was, there fore, the more surprised, that the acts of the Sicilian Government had been ,so contrary to them. It would be in the memory of those who heard him, that in 1805, the Royal Fa mily of Naples were driven from that capital to seek refuge in Sicily, and for ten years following remained there. During the whole of that time the island was in our possession ; and besides a fleet, we had there 25,000' troops. During that time also, we furnished them with subsidies to the amount, at - different times, of 1,500,0001. All that we obtained in return . for this' was nothing but distrust, hatred, and hostility. For six years the affairs of the nation were administered by the Neapolitans, but from the Moment the Sicilian Ministry was- appointed, all things took a change for the better. The native army, which till then had' been useless, became available for all the purposes of active service. The old Constitution of Sicily had existed for centuries, and had been respected by every Monarch in Europe. They had a Parliament, though an imperfect one, but they enjoyed many privileges. :The Parliament met every four years, had the power of imposing taxes, and appointed a Commission to superintend the collection of the revenue and its apprOpria tion. When the new Sicilian Ministry came in they wished. to provide a remedy for the abuses which. hail crept in during ,the years 1811 and 1812. Three, bodies here made in the State, and the Noblemen of country had the glorious dis tinction of being unanimous in the surrender of their feudal rights.—(Hear, )sear-!)—It was agreed that they should adopt, as far as-they were able, the British Constitution ; and accord ingly they formed the three Estates with Lords and Commons. This Constitution lasted till the year 1815. In 1814 the King resumed the reigns of Government, and took the oath to ol.) serve the Constitution. : The -Noble Lord then .went into the. particulars of the instructions, hav ing been sent out by the Noble Lord (London thorry),in September, 1.816, to Sir W. A'Court, so that it appeared there: was ,some mistake in the original statement made by him as to 1815. The Noble- Lord next sheaved, that the Sicilianpeo ple had of old cherished an .antipathy to a com bined form of Government with, the Neapolitans, which feeling was--evinced on the breaking-out of the Revolution at Naples, when the inhabitants of Palermo struggled-for their independence, and were attacked by the-Neapolitan armament, with whom, after a.strong resistance, they. capitulated, and were allowed to refer the question of the in dependence of Sicily to the Parliament ; but the capitulation was violated.---He referred to the justification of himself published by General Church, which, he stated, had completely proved the innocence of that officer, to an indiscretion of . whom that insurrection - in Palermo had.been in - if- - properly attributed. He then referred to the financial arrangements in Sicily, in contravention . of . the constitutional practice, as the King had, by his Decree of 1816, fixed the permanent ex. - - pences of the State at a maximum of 1,847,687 ounces, according to the • Budget .of 1813 ; but the fact was, that in 1815. and 1816 another Budget had been voted in the. Parliament of only 1,400,0001., which, he contended, ought to have been the one chosen by the King, if he did esta blish a permanent expenditure ; but as that ex penditure was no longer to be watched over by the Deputation of the Parliament, as constitutionally provided, there was no check, and the actual maximum could never be known. There was; in fact, no security, as the King was a despot, and his acts without legal rontroul. But the King had taken merit to himself for having consented to the abolition of the feudal system ; that is, for having consented to the abolition of the - last re straint on the Crown; for it was to be recollected that the Barons •had voluntarily given up their. feudal privileges, but it was by way of .compact with the King that he should surrender part. of his prerogative ; but this condition was not per formed, and ,he asked if the rights of the Barons ought not to be held as sacred and inviolate as those of el)e Crown ? Ile -would not trouble the House with: any further remark than-'to repeat that his object was to endeavour to regain 'for Sicily the constitutional . rights and privileges. which belonged to her of ancient right, and of - which she had been so unjustly deprived.— (Cheers.)—He concluded by moving, " That an Humble Address be presented to his Majesty, humbly representing that they had the great mortification to learn, that attempts have been made to reduce the privileges of the Sicilian na tion in such a degree as might expose the British Government to the reproach of having contributed to a change of system in Sicily, which impaired the freedom and happineSs of the inhabitants, and , humbly requesting that his Majesty would be pleased to interfere, to prevent the evils conse quent on such a change, in such a manner as the honour and faith of the nation absolutely required.". • The Marquess of LONDONDERRY admitted that no person could possibly be possessed of greater information, from local advantages and-his lauda-- ble researches into this very important subject, now for the first time developed to the House, than the Noble Lord who so ably had depicted .the transactions of the last five or six years in the Island of Sicily. He could not, however, help regretting, for many important reasons,. that the attention of the House should only now have been directed by the Noble Lord to the subject of these complaints. It was now rather too late for the Noble Lord to expect that he could, with any hope of success, direct the attention of Par- Jiament to the imputed, arbitrary conduct of the -Neapolitan Government towards its own subjects. 'With the tenor of thesinstructions,themselves, as issued by the;British C.Thvernment tavur •n* er •tneer, liie - A101;ie Lord' ad Ai tted-hesstastssati and had professed he could scarcely wish to have improyed them in the letter or spirit. The trans actions to which the Noble Lord had alluded, had occurred above five years ago, and whatever might have been the conduct of the Court of Naples then, if it were intended to question their policy Or justice, the topic should have been dis cussed (if ever it ought to be discussed at all 'in that nouse,) at a period when the recollection of the facts were fresh, and might have fairly been made a subject of observation and examination. lie might, he thought, confidently appeal to an Hon. and Learned Member, (Sir J. Mackintosh,) who was, he had little doubt, as devoted a Pa triot as any Scotsman could be, or Sicilian either —(a laugh)—Whether, with all his zeal for the independence of his nation and its Parliament, he would be disposed at the present day to ran sack the history of the time when the Union of Scotland with his country was effected, for the pur pose of promoting again a separation of the two countries. Nor would it be likely that in that House there would be found more than one Irish Gentleman, and one there was—(A laugh)— who would for a similar purpose take up the latent embers of the popular feeling, which dis played itself during the negociation of the Irish Union, or probe afresh those wounds which the mellowing influence of time had very generally healed.—(Hear, hear.)--There were two consi derations of great importance in the discussion on this question—the first would depend on what were our Declarations whilst there ; the next, on -what we ought to consider to be our duty upon leaving the island. It was a subject not lightly to be regarded, that up to the moment the Bri tish -Government issued its instructions, all Eu rope had been convulsed by the ambition of France, which aimed at nothing less than the• subjugation of every State. One object of those instructions so issued was to concilate the esteem and confidence of the people of Europe who had yet any national independence to maintain, -or might be likely to be assailed by the French Em pire. Under such circumstances, our instructions were -a source of hope and consolation. He, however, would observe, that although we had entered into a guarantee with the King, our Ally, to protect his dominions, we had entered into none with the Sicilian people themselves. 'Portu gal and Naples were the only instances of na tional guarantee on record. The occupation of Sicily, it was fully stipulated, should not lead to any views of territorial aggrandisement on the part of this country. When our army arrived the people were contemplating the framing of a Constitutiou for themselves, and the only ground Of our interference was to enable the then unset tled form of its Government to work practically, so as not to interrupt the measures concerted for the defence of the island from the attempts of the common enemy. The 'Constitution which the Sicilians had adopted, he however considered al. together, inadequate to the purposes of good go vernment; and although the Noble Lord had considered that period the ;olden age of Sicily, every man there, from the Prince to the peasant, was of opinion, that the Government, as s it was constructed, never could stand, or was good for any practical purpose. Previous to our leaving the island, the instructions alluded to were issued through Sir Wm. A'Court, with a view to rouse them to a sense of their situation, and the neces sity of providing a stable form of government for their own protection. After, however, the two Houses of Parliament had worked for above twelve months at the task of modelling the Con stitution, they gave it up as altogether hopeless, and acquainted the King they had relinquished the undertaking. Was then England to he bound to provide or make Constitutions for every other- country with whom we happened to have the slightest political connexion ? Ile thought it highly creditable to this country that she was easily excited to sympathise with the - Situation of other countries in their political embarrassments, but he had always been of opinion, that any such interference on our part under such circumstances was more likely to defeat than promote any such desirable object. Indeed it might be an admo nition to the House as to the folly of any attempt of ours to dictate a Constitution to the Sicilian people, that the Noble Lord had confessed that, though at the head of 25,000 men, he could not Make his voice be beard or respected in the palace of the King of. Sicily. From the nature of our close connexion with that island politi cally, and even commercially, he had thought when he, with others of his Majesty's Govern ment, framed the instructions alluded to, that it was almost impossible that this country, could easily disentangle itself altogether from its' con flexion with the Government and, people of Sicily. To his utter astonishment all complaint was omit ted down to the present ,period. With respect to the state branch of the question, the Noble Lord had, he thought, expressed'himself rather too strongly, and too much in the language of complete decision as to the interests of Sicily, however long he resided in that island. The Noble Lord would give him leave to say, that the situation he filled there was rather of a mili tary than a political nature,,ani though from cir cumstances he was sometimes called upon to act in the latter capacity, he could pot pay homage to the opinions of the Noble Lord, when he now constituted himself supreme judge of the politi cal interests of that country. The Noble Lord having had no communication on the subject with any of the people of Sicily, having had no com mission to bring this complaint before Parliament, it was rather hard now, after a silence of six years, during the greater part of which the same causes of complaint existed, to bring forward a subject involving the policy of a Foreign Govern ment, and a criminal charge against the Govern ment of this country ; particularly when the system complained of had ceased entirely. What was the nature of the charge ? That the British Government - did not interfere to procure-a Constitution for Si- cily at least as independent as that she anciently possessed, and to prevent her union with Naples. This Government at no period, before or after , 1 the occupation of Okily, bound itself to inter fere in all the chains Olt might take place there. It was, very e fel- the Noble Lord lko t iress up-the,ancie - n stiNtionlS l / 4 Sicily, or 'Cos iori, Ad in en r - ottern those gorgeous habits N/ith which he arrayed it in the course of his speech. But if they looked to the dispatches sent home in ,3812, and the state of the Government of that Island, as it existed up to 1813, it would not appear that there was any reason why it should stand better in the estima tion of-that.Houseor the people themselves, than any thing that followed. There was a Parlia ment lie would admit, but then it seldom -or never met, except•when summoned' for the purpoSe of voting taxes, before granting which it had the privilege of making conditions.—(Hear ! from the Opposition.)—But to dress up the. Constitu tion of Sicily, antecedent to 1813., as an indepen dent one, as a system of Government calculated to secure the liberties-and - prosperity of the peo ple, was only a rhetorical flourish, which any lion. Member was perfectly at liberty to intro duce in the course of debate. Ile must protest against the notion that the 13ritiSli 'Government was pledged to perpetual interference—that they were to thrust themselves forward to oppose or modify - every change that might be attempted.--- Nothing more was ever contemplated than some special case for interferente ; but they never could for a moment assume, or suppose they/ had a right to assume, a general jurisdiction over the affairs of Sicily. With respect to the course taken -by this Government, it appeared to him the most wise and politic she could have pursued Under all the circumstances. When Sir W. A'Court, a gentleman of considerable talent, and possessing in an eminent degree that know ledge necessary for' the situation he filled, had communicated the change that was in contempla- ' tion, Government, in answer, laid down the ge neral principles which they thought most advis able to be acted. on, and which, he must observe,- were indorsed by the Noble Lord hiniself, Sir A'Court stated those principles to his Molest,' the King of Naples, in the presence 'of his Ca binet, explaining them as be proceeded, not in- 5 public_or authorised capacity, or in the language of dictation, but as a private individual s; and be must say, that in the conduct of his. Majesty there appeared nothing which could lead to 5 ' suspicion that he meant any thing offeniive or in' jurious to the interests of Sicily. It was never the intention of the British Government:to pro" pose a Constitution formally and authoritativell to the King of -Naples, or to interfere in the de tails of a subject which required more local knowledge than they'could be supposed to pos' sess. His Majesty the-King of Naples used every means that were left him of effecting the chang e in'the most conciliatory manner, and - it was 11 ° 4 until 'no other course had been left hith that he took the - power into his own hands. The Nob le Lord having never till now, 'after a lapse of s l ' years, made any, complaint, none - having- -bee it ever heard from the people of Sicily, excel,' - indeed - from one individual ; the system-col i plained of no longer existing, the -Tense mus t see the ridicule it would bring on -the Govern' menu to call on - his Majesty to interfere under suc h circumstances.' lie did not mean tci advocate -0 ' system, but the-question:to he considered - wa!" -whether it deteriorated - the state of the Si c . i ft lions so obviiisly- as to present to . - the'Ori ti ::, Government an adequate necessity for that i.nf e ference, which under pectiliareircumstances l.°Y , had bound themselves to. Whatever cl' ai might be attempted, he never conceived that ti le} , Were to exercise their judgment on all the a t e ; fails, if 'the leading principle were such 0 51 b, Sicilians ought in fairness to be satisfied vet to kle begged - to call th - eattention of the trouse 4 the arc Mint sent hcinte by Sir -W. AlCour t, i; what was passing,- to shew- that the British 0 e , vernment bad no reason to apprehend that t' .l , interests of the Sicilians were lik e ly to be c° , 0 ,0 prorniSed.--[Here the Noble Marquess read se extracts from - a communication of Sir W. A' ( -%`_ : ?,. 11 stating, that the nominations to offices of State • iuo were soon to take place, and that they' Inc t he , all those who took part.with the British, tha t „t King of Naples was not to raise taxes n. tho the permission of Parliament, that from th e .`49 racter of those -who were to be raised to otli ` o ,l all ,danger of re-action would be removed,:cii that the King was actuated by the best tions.]—That Sir William A'Court did not w all interpret the views of the King of Naple s . tie d respect to Sicily, and that he had ad/not-0014 the Government in mildness, there- was st to, ground of presumption from the very Cir c . ,,flt stance: of no- charge having- been 'ever brolu-eof againstthe Government for five years. He baa •, A r' entered into a defence of the line of conduct P d ot sued by his Majesty's - -Government. 1,0 0 ~0 0 the transaction itself, be must say, that be see nothing on the faCePT the change 1 03- '; - prove injurious to the people of Sicily 11 ,,ilief c interests of the Island. in whatever vieli 03re° might be considered. - The mere' circunt s l. l, ' a union created no alarm in his mind. r j of now dead to alarms raised upon the g rog° c on' political anion between tyro - neiahbourit'g OP .t it tries ; experience rather led hiM to ,hope A g might be conducive to the. interests to the other part of the question which the 0.4 0 4 Lord seemed to dwell upon With, much in' the - degradation of Sicily from the rank e _ he r t o , dependent country, so far from. degrading 0.01.(1 the rank of a mere province, the uni°",,, , , ,3 no t rather appear to - elevate her. Scotland ' degraded by ber union-with Englant."- for, 14 1 !' rather a gainer by the t transact,i.oifir. , belOng e ` the compact, every thing in Scot," cou ld ac' to Scotland, and as much more ' ( i laug h ') quire in the other parts of the ernP' r-- .. • 311 —Neither. did he see any rause - P a r l i ament, for it. r -to complain about their . woe e rie-eting 0 the Sicilians preserved, and with a chance blew than it did before, vottna inontit before except for the purpose of for t wag a gai i ner,. ,in every other respect Sicily • In leavioc 1 ,1 ,feudal., rights were abolished. the •11 11 island therefore, the °ply question for it never was aasem _4; I I