The Sun. — London, England, 1822-06-26 00:00:00

l _s. -.- 1-7 - 4 • I 44; f rA4' . t, k fi +~ ?; ~. ~ ~~, il.lr' • * z ,,e 0 '6' rrt? ri lia (1 NUMBER 9309.] E3t ROYL-EXCHANGE - ASSURANCE OFFICE. ablished by Royal Charter, in the Reign of King George . , the First. , _ June, 1822. PERSONS, whose annual Premiums fall due are on the 24th instant, are hereby informed, that Receipts tl e- pow ready to be delivered at the Company's Offices, over 11) 1 ,:" ) ,, /al Exchange and in Pall-Mall, as well as by their re stir '" 1 Agents in the" several Counties ; and the Parties as ti ed are requested to apply for the Renew* of their Poll ttet I , °ll or before the 9th of July next, al the usual Fit . - li v e , - "aYs allowed for Payment, beyond the date of each Po --Y, will then expire. * t • SAMUEL FENNING, Ju . Secretary. -thesAlw Attendance is given, daily, at the s Offices, for 41,Ssnce of Buildings, M4rchan , and Ships, ;a .41l 'age Harb our, i n Dock, or wh i le B u ildi ng , f r L o s s o r Da bY 13Zatitie ire • and also fordthe Assurance of, and granting ;Lives. 14;:e's.li•Fire Policies will be issued free of Expence o the As - d Iv where the Annual Premium amounts to • sir tut ard,• • •t nit ITISH FIRE OFFICE, STRAND and CORNHILL. STABLISHED iti 1799 for: Insurance' of -ch a „,, Houses, Buildings, Manufactories, doods, and Mer elti."l:4_ize, Ships, Vessels, and other Property, on the most 14( , I ,"ble terms, and on principles affording solid and per eat security to those insured. ' • DIREcTOits, &C. • Hon. DOUGLAS KINNAIRD, Chairman. 'lt C HARLES FREENIAN, ESQ. Deputy Chairman. Si r n• the Vice Chancellor Neill Malcoln, Esq. Pn Cox Hippisley, Bait. Williatn Marsh, Esq. Wigram, Bart. Thomas Maude, Esq. :1 0 . 11 p .: ' I n ur A io g i n , e E w s , q. E . . George a Mills, Esq. Richard C. Plowdeny Esq. S. 13 ehb, Esq. John Soane, Esq. Ja i C ockerel', Esq. G. H. Sumner, Esq. M.P. llenr Deacon, Esq. Robert Taylor, Esq. ra4cis PreLng, Esq. James West, Esq. RICHARD BARNES. Sec, 411,41 z •OLI.) TWo PRIZES of £20,000, and THU{ I'Y-FIVE O THER CAPITALS in the LAST TWO MONTHS. rip : -e 'N CAP[TALS must be DRAWN in the 1,, First Ten Minutes, the 16th NEXT MONTH. 1 , 0 ,7, %ole Ten may be gained for a Risk of Nineteen ThatT s for, by the plan adopted, a Whole Ticket will ulti 4, is e l only cost 11. 18s. and a Sixteenth only Four Shillings, r expla i ned in the Schemes which are given gratis. 4: co 'cliets and Shares are sellins , by BISH, Stock-Broker, io thehill, and 9 Charing Cross : and by his Agents C ountry. ' , present Price of a Ticket is 211. 18s. and if returned on or 4 befored,, 261 4 JULY, 201. maybe received back, though it ntay ttio 4 wn a Blank, small Prize, or undrawn ; so that the n ' th e ... th at can be l o st is 11. 18s. after havingliad a chance for all 1 74 ,en Capitals, which must be drawn, andfall those which nap I. Uti draw n ; an d th e mos t w hi c h can be lost by a Sixteenth 1, 4 d? r Shillings •. other Shares in proportion, 'after . having . Tti,sante cha ' nce as the Whole Tickets. . . e. o Schem e contains Two of L3o,oool—Two of X 20,000 ! , 4 &o. Consols and Money. :Ms:* Th e Pri ces Of Stolcs are affixed hourly against BISH'S a n ia Cornhill, by which tit Hue- may see the Hu . • To be in the Downs, 7th .July. FOR CALCUTTA DIRECT; • THE Fine SHIP WOODFORD A 1, Bunten 600 Tons, lying in the East .% India Export Dock, ALFRED CHAPMAN, Commander. . . fti am For Freight or Passage, apply to. the Cont- Al A r,at the Jerusalem Coffee-house, or to JOHN CHAP. nd Co , 2, Leadenhall-street. . PV-' d 'tY was published...io be continued MOUthly; evo. r 2s. 6d. ~. E . 0 OUN C. 14 - of TEN, IN a. I. LORgDANO. We have decided. Doe E. . We ! ten L ot. a s ensNo. The Ten in Council.— Loup- Mu:ON. Iz l._ - Meeting of the Council—Origin. CHARACTEnS; Tie P is r esident—Clericus—The Squire—The Cosmopolite— IV rroiector-The Merchant—the Political Economist— cil Soldi er -T he Travelle r—Uthanus. Plan of the (Arun -1.---beclaratiop of the Council to the P eop l e o f E ng l an d. . 40 4 "4 " ; Printed for the Proprietors, and 'Published by `amen, Old B o nd-str e et. INT-- • ENTION to PREVENI' NiILDEW in every•kind of / r ,„ CANVAS for SAILS and STORES. "' l ‘ SHIP-OWNERS of GREAT PRI TAIN are respectfully informed, by Messrs. and. CO. that before the Peace their method of tswv E NTING MILDEW in SAIL-CLOTH was most suc hoati'llY tried un d er th e di rec ti on of.the Admiralty and Navy Wle L `' s io all parts 'of the Globe,—the official documents of • N e e . are in their,pOssession. It has lately been used for the AtiP' 4 ot Service in the East and" West Indies, the Com t of j i `''„and all parts of the Globe. It has had . the sanctio n . Art, e President of the Royal Society, the Secretary to . the . Ow n " a nd Sciences, together with the. Commi ttee . Sh!p- I4 ti c "' s of London : . its Effects have not-failed in a single in impr ; every kind of Canvas to which it is applied is greatly s °l - ts c ' ve d in Colour and Strength, the Scotch and Browner is I t w hether ma d e o f H em p or Flax, , (the former of which itow'e s trongest); are rendered more pliabl . e—take less tha n a gei are - more easy handed, and less subject tfi Chafe ar e c '„ 4 "9 unprep ared Canvas. New Arrivals and Testimonials t he I,, nti nualleoccuiring—all of which prove that, by nsing or ate `ss• costly 20 per Cent. may be saved in the lqij e qetice of Equipment, exclusive of increased Durability, ! l le -' fr °ol several Testin:onials in their Possession, appears durible that of Unprepared Sail-Cloth,. and i, requires Repair.Uit The Expence is ss. per Bolt, which for a whole , 'ifS ails in a Ship (.4'150 Tons, does not exceed 121.—A1l ~L o av d a „ l 'tot to thei Warehouse,Alderinanbury, Zay s be returned to any part of the Town in a . fe . w ' 1, 4„", e same Length and Breadth as at first, Stamper in will1; n o their Name, &c. If 20 or more Bolts, the Freight N. ;defrayed back to the Outports , D ario' -- "Several Pieces of Sails, which have been tried in ut se -s Parts of the Globe, as well as all the Documents, may wkitiei,"t u ndergone Warehouse.—lmproved Scotch Sail-Cloth, "les, "`" the Process may be always had at gild Chalmers and Guthrie's, Idol-lane, Tower street, '---. ..l l &_ ta nnn's, ' 7s,•Queen-street, Cheapside. SELECT ARTICLES. ti4EPARED only by MESSRS. BUTLER, Ito R e No. C hemists, 4, Cheapside, St. Paul's, and tt io ege nt - street, nea r the Argyle Rooms, London; Eilinburglic and Sackville-street, Dublin. \-onat-421 EXTRACT Of SARSAPARILLA, (Simple and *4 4e - e .. " ftd), for ,making the Decoetionf, and particularly l eot io ,"`ed to the Faculty for its portable couvenience and Dtau, Apil• RIEN T SODAIC POWDERS, forming an agreeable i-az a ritr and at the same time acting as a mild and pleasant Aeidit've, relieving Heartburn, Bile, Indigestion, Nausea, eiq n i n the Stomach, &c. ZIONAVNATED SODAIC, GINGER BEER, and LE -9eve a--E POWDERS, for producing the much-esteemed r le of the same m Vend ed 'PEI). KALI, for making Saline Draughts, recom '4 it s b y the Profession for its convenience, as more certain A.gPeration than those prepared with Lemon. - .4tibirt,ZlLlAC TINCTURE of TURKEY RHUBARB, a warm J:lep ts alit Laxative, -adapted to Gouty Constitutions. ',our :,`,'RESCENT EPSOM SALTS; the disagreeable fin °Qviate'd'''ch generally accompanies Epsom Salts, is greatly 14"til•in this preparation, besides which, only half the e r l / 41 ,.,y . is required for the dose. i i) f r attgl i i ltF .'TE JUICE of LIME, foe Punch, Limade, Saline L .Tellieso ther purpose where the flavour ern o .. , or any islblaEPL„requirqd, OPODELDOC, an - excellent application for 'lletes,."2, (allaying the irritation), used also with much cases c.if . Rheumatism, Sorains, &c. BITTER TINCTURE, a very agreeable acr,,ecollumended in Indigestion, debility of the Sto . Co N ,,-• flstrin'oriND TINCTURE of POMEGRANATE, as an ing Itj en t mach used in Affections of the Bowels, inclicat vp„'"tation Diarrh 'TABL:E . c ?“' C•pt Tar, too P O WDER, and ASTRINGENT . i is for the Teeth and Gums, much approved. "tesrs:.;;.,a,lciove Preparations. when Genuine, will have LER.'S Name and Address attached to-them. - efr,enk i - 1 t- . ,t. is - .C.:-. 'f• ~),.... '`.... ~.., ~0, ~,,,„ .4.. i -,..(,,„ / PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, JUNE 25. This day their Lordships met at half-past four o'clock. NEW BILLS. Mr. BROGDEN and others brought up from the Commons the Kilmainham Hospital Bill, the Irish Window Tax Repeal Bill, the Insolvent Debtors' Act Amendment Bill, which were read a first time ; and a message announcing.that the Commons had agreed to the amendments made by their Lordships in the Sheriffs' Depute Bill. CORN LAWS. Petitions against the - Corn Importation Laws Amendment Bill were presented by Lord REDESDALE,Lord CALTIIORI'E, and the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, from Owners and Occupiers of Land in the various parishes in the Counties of Northum berland, Suffolk, and Dorset.—Laid on the table. Lord CALTHORPE presented a Petidon from the Inha bitants of Bridewell Precinct, in favour of the Bill for pre venting Cruelty to Animals.—Laid on the table. ARMY AND NAVY PENSIONS. The Order of the Day' having been read, - The Earl of LIV.ERPOOL, in moving the second reading of the Bill for relieving the country from the charge for the half-pay of the Army and Navy, should briefly state the grounds on which he thought the measure entitled to their Lordships' approbation. It would be in their recollection that in the various discussions which had taken' place respect, ing the Peace Establishment, it had generally been repre sented as .too considerable and too expensive. It had been contended, on the other hand, that its magnitude arose from its including charges which did not fairly come under the na tural character of a Peace Establishment, such as the half-pay for the Army' and Navy, •which alone exeeeded the whole amount of the Peace Establishment at the close of the Ameri can war. Under these circumstances it had occurred to his Majesty's Ministers whether it would not be advisable to transfer that charge from the Peace Establishment to the Na tional Debt, as it had been done by the French Government, and as it was in fact a matter of bone fide debt. The magni tude of the sum which had, thus grown out of a war of twenty-one years' duration, made it a natural consideration whether any relief could be given to the country by an, ar rangement with the parties themselves, either by ,purchasing their half-pay for smaller annuities of a marketable nature, or by the pa,yment of a fixed sum at once. There would have been nothing unfair in such a proceeding, for, had the parties consisted of a few individuals, they might have been assembled in a room, and the offer submitted for their option. This had been the first idea : but when Ministers had looked to its execu tion, they had found it impracticable from the number of indi viduals concerned, and the circurnstances,in which they were placed. For it was not to„be forgotten that those individuals might be recalled into service, and that those who should refuse to serve would lose their half-pay - altogether. The plan, though founded on,a sound'principle, was therefore abandoned as not capable of being executed ona large scale. The next idea was, how far is was possible to farm the amount of the half-pay, and whether it could be done on terms advantageous to the country. —But here another objection arose to the half-pay being paid through any other hams than those of the Government. It had been therefore thOught adviaable to take on a given number of lives a given sum to be paid each year, either by a public body becoming contractors or by the scheme now proposed. Such had been the origin of the present measure ; and the measure for . their. Lordships to consider was, whether the bargain was advantageous to the public, without which it ought not, to be adopted. He contended that it was : The five millions of half pay were as much part of the National Dekt as the 1300 millions of which it was admitted to be composed. The proposed plan would, at the end of the 45 years, leave' the country exactly where it was; the liquidation of the National Debt would not be postponed for a single day on its account; whilst the 5 mil lions would decline in a manner to make ,relief progressively greater than it would be at present. It had therefbre been de termined to take an average sum of 2,800,0001. for 45 years, which would go, an decreasing till the end of that period. For the first 16 years, the advantage would be. on • the side of the public, after that in favour of.the Contractors. He considered this arrangement to be just and equitable, not only to the pre sent generation, but to posterity, as at no period would a heavier burthen be imposed on posterity than that which we took upon ourselves. It was besides the only mode of coming at once to the diminution of the taxes. Had the five millions of half-pay been kept' on the present footing-, the same falling in every year would have been so small, that it would. have_been diffi cult to apply it to the relief of the taxes. Government ,would, therefore, have been under the necessity either of postponing relief from- taxation to a longer period than would be just to the country, or by some measure like the present, though on a more -limited scale, to anticipate the larger fallings in. He had already shewir - that no greater bur then would be thrown on posterity than that assutned -by our selves ; but even if that were the case, the country would have been placed in a better state to bear it than it now was, by the ,operation of the Sinking Fund and its accumulation by com pound interest, which -in ten yeaxs.would raise that Fund from five millions to seven millions and a half.' He held a paper containing the calculation on which the measure was founded, which calculation had been made in the Three per Cents. at 75, or 3 and I. There was, besides, n provision to meet •any new half-pay which might arise. There was no man who could look at the state of the country and the taxes which it had to bear, who must not wish that the National Debt should be reduced in every mode consistent with the faith due to the public creditor. But their Lordships must not look to the present measure, or to any reduction of the taxes, as likely to afford any relief to agriculture. He did not believe that any reduction of tax ation which could be proposed would have, the least effect in relieving agriculture. The people reasoned as though the tak ing off of a tax from the payers would yield unmixed benefit. That was not the -case : loss might be incurred in another quarter, and no general relief be produced. The Noble,Earl, illustrated this doctrine by the example of a measure which had met with universal approbation, the reduction of the Five per Cents. It had enabled Government to repeal 1,400,0001: out of the Malt Tax, and had beea protluctive ot advantage to the consumers of beer ; but it had also taken from about 150,000 individuals one-fourth of their income, and had de creased their means of consumption to that amount. It was certainly desirable that the Peace Establishment should be fixed as low as possible, but in doing so many individuals must be turned out of employment, and a valuable branch of con sumption must be destroyed. So far from the reduction of taxes being calculated to relieve Agricultural distress,'he. con ceived that the only measure, and he confessed it would be in the end a fatal one, which could have a direct effect on agri culture, would be a great increase of the public expendi -ture. If that expenditure were augmented by ten millions to morrow, the benefit to farmers would be immediate, though purchased with an ultimate loss to the country. He believed that the present measure would prove useful, not so much in the way of relief, as in contributing to remove the artificial state in which the war had placed us, and bring us back to a natural state. As it was unavoidable in time of war to contract a debt, so it ought to be the object of all Governments in time of peace to reduce' that debt. This would be the effect of the pre sent Bill, which he therefore moved should now be read a second time. --- The Marquis of LANSDOWNE did not rise to oppose the measure. Having been one of those who at the commencement of the Session had strongly recommended the reduction of the taxes, he could not withhold his consent from a Bill Which would have that effect, at the same time that the observations with which it had been introduced by the Noble Earl rendered it necessary for him to qualify his consent. There had hither to been two, modes of proceeding with respect to public burthens : either to increase that which you bore yourselves in order to relieve posterity, or to remove the weight`from your own shoulders and to place it on those of posterity. It had been reserved for the Noble Earl to act on both systems at once, by creating a Sinking Fund of five millions, to extinguish so much of the National Debt, and in the course of the same Session adding 2,800,000/. •to - that debt! This Bill created a set of Commissioners to sell annuities in the market, % whilst there was another employed in buying them up.. The fund market was affected by the same circumstances as markets for other commodities. What reflection would the most com mon farmer make, if on going to the corn market he should find an agent purchasing torn for a Gent„leman who had not enough of it for himself, and on moving a little farther shOuld find another agent selling corn for the same Gentleman who had too much of it ? What would he think of his sanity ? And yet only. change the names of Agent and Steward for those of Trustees and Commissioners, and it would be found that his Majesty's Government were exactly in the situation of that Gentleman. As something was to be gained in the exe- _ 4 4 1 ik 1 /2 1 , 1 , 11,-.44w.) - IV-7/ _ - cution of the bargain, fie wished to know why the Public should not deal for itself, and obtain whatever advantage might be thus produced ? On - a fernier Occasion a proposal had been made in the House, which had not been well received, - to en able the Commissioners fOr the Sinking Fund to take the bar gain in behalf of • the Public. Notwithstanding the disappro bation then expressed, a clause had been introduced into the present Bill, giving tiepin that power, and he hOped that they would avail themselves of it. Considering the object of the Bill to reduce 'taxation to be both legitimate and useful, he ' should give it his support. He should not follow the Noble Earl in his remark, concerning taxation, further than to say, that if his principle were carried to its fullest extent, it would not signify if the whole property of the public were absorbed by taxes, as it would revert to them in some other -Shape.-- There was another point which had been alluded to here and in another place, and on which be expected to have received . some explanation from the Noble Earl. It was 'known that a correspondence had been carried on between 'his Majesty's Go vernment and the Bank, respecting -a renewal of the Bank Charter, on condition of its giving up that monopoly - which prevented the establishment of Joint Stock CoMpanies, con sisting of more than six partners out of the metropolis. It was also known that that corresponderice*ad. come to a - close. Now, as za..step had yet been taken tv carry 'tire -proposed plan into exectition, and as. he considered the proffered con dition-as totally inadequate, and even detrimental to the pub lic, he trusted that the arrangement would be 'abandoned al together. The Earl of LAUDERDALE agreed with the sentiments often expressed by the Noble Earl opposite, that the sudden check given by peace to the_ increased demand occasioned by war, had been the chief cause of the distresS experienced by the country. He then took a view of the Measure proposed. It would, put annually 2,800,9001. into the liandS of Cominis sioners, who would pay 4,800,0001: into the Treasury, whence the Money would go into the hands of indiViduals, who must expend it in procuring the necessaries of life. Upwards of two millions would thus be taken from rich men; and given to those who would go to market, and create a demand with it. The effect would, therefore, be most salutary. But it would' be entirely counteracted by keeping up a Sinking Fund Jf five millions, which acted on quite a different principle ; for the money paid to the Commissioners for that Fund, instead of 'going into hands that would spend it in the market, would be locked up in the purchase of Stock. The - Funds might be raised in that manner ; but would the Noble Earl 'raise the Fimcfs,by taking from the people five millions; which it would otherwise have spent in the purchase of commodities, at the -sonic time: that he ackndwledged that the ; great want of the country was ‘ a demand?' Why should he refuse to give up the Sinking Fund, and thus increase public industry and. consump tion ?' In, the time Of Sir Robert Walpole, the City dreaded 'nothing more than the establishment of the Sifting fund. Dr. Price had drawn Up three plans of a Sinking.Furid . for 111 r. Pitt, and had alivays said that Mr. Pitt had taken the worst. By suspending the action,of the Sinking Fund for a time, the' Noble Earl would increase the expenditure and consumption of the people to the amount of five millions. He would also augment the revenue, and thus afford fresh 'facilities for re ducing the taxes. The Noble Earl then said, that he had made a set of calculations in the Three. per Cents, - at par, to try the correctness of those on whiCh the 'present Bill was :founded, •and that he had discovered an error amounting to more than. 100,0001. in the latter. The-Earl of LIVERPOOL had no objection to submit his calculations to the Noble Earl, who he trusted would furnish him with his, in return ; and if there were an error, he should be most happy to correct it. He contended that the five mil lions of the Sinking Fund would not be laid up, as the Nate Earl seemed to think, in a - blue or a green box e but would go into the market to purchase Stock, and from thenee into tie 'pockets of the community. Suppose the operation of that Fund should raise the Three per Cents. from 77 to 90 ; the Stockholders would dn something with that increase of capital. Thay would lend it at four per cent. and it would be employed either in manufactures or in public works, roads, bridges, and. would - produce- that very augmentation of activity and con sumption which the Noble Earl wanted. The real effect of the Noble Earl's principle would be, that the - country should run into debt interminably.., This might do well if -there were no possibility of future wars ; but-as - long as we' must look to an alternation of war and peace', we must also endeavour to'' diminish in time of peace the debt contracted in e time of war. The Country was in as -prosperous a state as any other; but if it were to go on contracting debt interminably, there must come a time at which it must baundone. - . With respect tathe objection of the Noble Marquis, that the present Measure was inconsistent with the operation of the Sinking Fund, he would ask if it were more so than reducing the National Debt 'with such a Fund, as it had been done in tine- of war, and raising large loans at the same - time 'every year? As to the question put by the Noble Marquis respecting the Bank, he eduld only answer that it was not his intention, during the present Session of Parliament, to make any proposition for the renew a',Ofthe Bank Charter. • The Earl of LAUDERDALE explained. • Lord KING} had heard a great deal about a Sinking*Fund, but wished to know whether there was one or not, for until 'the nine or ten millions due to the Bank were paid off; the money raised tinder that denomination must go to the discharge of that debt; and the country pad no Sin - king Fund at all. His Noble Friend had exposed the absurdities of the present Bill, but the principle which it contained, that of reducing taxation, covered a multitude of absurdities, and he should not oppose it. The Noble Lord 'contended that his Majesty's Ministers would not have'made the small and inadequate reduction which had now taken place, if they had not been compelled to make it, and he hoped that before a year were passed, they would be compelled to carry that reduction four timer further than they had done. , He then complained that the Bill had no preamble to explain the grounds on 'which it was passed, 'and expressed his intention, on its next stage, to move an amend ment to supply the deficiency. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE having explained, The Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com mitted on Tuesday next.—Adjourned. , WEDNESDAY, JUNE .26, 1822. ROUSE OF COMMONS. Mr, S. WORTLEY presentid a Petition from the Cutlers of Sheffield and vicinlty, prayingfor the removal of all restric tions from the West India. Trade, for ad valoreni duties on colonial produce, and that East and West India sugars might be allowed to be imported on the same terms. The Scotch Distilleries Bill was read a third time and passed. The Stamp Duties Bill went through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received on Wednesday next. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. Mr. HOBHOUSE rose to present a Petition, which he de scribed as being of a very singular nature. It was from the brothers of a person named William Sidney Smith, who had been apprehended in 1820, charged with robbing Mr. Middle. ton of a watch and seals, wtio had been found guilty and trans ported to Botany Bay for life, and yet after all there appeared the strongest probability that the robbery, had ,been committed by another person. The evidence had been wholly circum stantial, and it had been that of Police Officers. Mr. Sheriff Parkins, who had seen the robbery, ,had at the same time doubts of the identity of the robber. The police officers had sub sequently declared thatthey had never heard any thing amiss of Smith ; they bad not seen him take the watch and seals ; they had merely seen him jammed in the crowd, and they had ap plied to the prosecutor to save his life. Mr. Sheriff Parkins and others had applied to Lord Sidmouth, the then Home Secretary, who took no notice of the matter. Smith had been transported for life, and at the opening of Parliament. another person had been apprehended, tried on the 22d - of February, and found guilty of the very offence for which. Smith had bben transported. Ap plication had again been made to the Right Hon. Secretary, but with no greater success than .before. The Hon. Gentleman hoped the House would do something for an unfortunate man. Mr. Secretary PEEL said, the Petition no doubt involved a case of considerable importance, but from a sense of duty he must decline entering into details. He must state; how ever, that the case had been tried before the Recorder, that the Jury were satisfied of the guilt of the prisoner, am tkAt the Counsel acquiesced in their decision. The case was xib sequently referred to the consideration of his predecessor, Lord Sidmouth, and, after the most mature consideration, his Noble Friend was of opinion that the law should take its course. Similar application had been made to him (Mr. Peel), but he concurred in the opinion of his Noble Friend.— There was one fallacy ran through the whole of the state ment of the Hon. Member who presented the Petition ; for the prisoner was indicted, not for stealing the watch, but for having been amongst the gang; and although he might not have actually. committed the robbery,. yet there was no evi dence to prove that he was not an abettor. He could only further add, that the case had undergone the consideration of two Seretaries of - State, and with that observation Le should leave the matter to the decision of the House. • Mr. CR BEYEY thought the case stated in the Petition ex ceedingly strong. • Mr. IL BENNET complained of the conduct of the Officers, alleged that they trafficked in oaths, and expressed a wish tha the four ruffians implicated in this trial should be brought be-t fore the - 11 ou Se. 'Mr. W. SMITH supported the Petition, and observed, that persons as solicitous to form an impartial opinion as the Right Hon. Gentleman the'Secretary for the Home Department, were fully convinced of the innocence of the Petitioner. Mr. Secretary PEEL explained. He did not wish, by en tering ihto the case, to establish a precedent, which, every man wouldurise.e admit; would be most injurious to the principles of. j - Mr. HOBHOUSE brought up the Petition. The present -ease was not' the establishment of a precedent, it was so.pecu liarlymarked from the very fact, that the four witnesses on the trial had Made an affidavit of the innocence of the Petitioner.— From something that had fallen froM the Right Honourable Secretary, he perceived that he had not fully investigated the subject. His object in presenting the Petition was not to. in stitute any proceeding on it ixl Parliament, but to induce the Right Honourable Secretary for the Home Department to renew his inquiry into the facts—(Hear, hear !)—The Petition was laid on the table,. and ordered to be printed. 1 - IY 44.- A 4 I • 0 COTTON MILLS. Mr. W. - SMITH begged to put a question to the Right Hon. Secretary for the Home Departthent, in consequence of information he had received relative to the reluctance of wit- nesses to give testimony as'to the violation of that Act, which limited the labour of children in the Cotton Manufactories. He wished to know whether it was his intention to take any step to enforce the law ? Mr. Secretary PEEL observed, that the information was im perfect. If it should be proved that the law was violated, he should feel it his duty to have the subject referred to a Committee for an examination iuto the facts,and on their repori,ifnecessa7, submit the propriety of adopting certain measures to remedy the defects of the Stattite. EXTENTS IN AID. Mr. W. SMITH moved, that there be laid before the House a Copy of a Rule made on Saturday last, by the Court of Ex chequer, respecting the issue of Extents in Aid.—Ordered. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from certain Inha bitants of Camberwell, being Protestant Dissenters, praying for an alteration in the Marriage Service.—Ordered to lie on the table. A Message from the Lords here announced their Lordships' 'Assent to some Bills. THE LORD ADVOCATE AND PUBLIC PRESS OF SCOTLAND. . Mr. ABERCROMBY, on rising to bring forward his pro mised motion respecting the conduct of the Lord Advocate with reference to the ScottiA Press, observed that he felt it neces-, sary to request the indulgent attention of the llouse, although 'the subject of his motion was of a local nature, as it was con -meted entirely with Scottish affairs. If however he. should be able to shew that the Learned Lord opposite, and his col leagues,. had sullied the dignity of their offices, not .only by connecting themselves with the press, but, through that con nexion, by a systematic attempt .to calumniate individu'als, and to affix stains upon their character, to which no man of honour could patiently submit ; and if he could shew that , this practice had been sanctioned and countenanced by the Learned Lord, and that by his instrumentality the forms of law had been perverted• for bad motives, he-bad a right to expect that the House would not remain altogether passive on the subject, even though it referred entirely to the affairs of Scot land.--(Hear, hear !)—He stood before the House in the cha racter'of a public accuser ; and if he could assume such a cha racter to gratify party feelings, there was no term of repro ibation sufficiently strong which could be applied to his con duct; but as he conceived that it was in Isis pOwer to shew that . a gross attack had been made upon the liberty of the subject, and that the law'had bin perverted for oppressive purposes, be thought he should abandon his duty by shrinking to bring the subject under, the consideration of the House. He should state nothing to the House without flue ceasideration .a.but as it was necessary for him to conorrent-on thealifferent facts, as.. he proceeded, lie - trusted that any expression he might utter not altogether warranted by the facts themselves, would not be attributed to any improper feeling. lie 'would himself be the first to retract such, an expression. -His motion was in sonic measure connected with the late trial of Mr. James Stuart, .but he should rely as little as possible on the proceedings respecting that' trial, though he thought there, had been in the course of them, much • harsh. and unnecessary, delay.— After explaining the delay which 'had taken place in his own motion, and which he stated to have been .occasioned by the proceedings against Borthwick at Edinburgh, the Hon. and Learned Member proceeded to state that he should first bring under the notice of the House the powers which were by law entrusted to the Lora Advocate of Scotland, in virtue of his office. He should then state the facts with which the Learned Lord and his Colleagues were connected, and the transactions in which they had been engaged with regard to the Press of Scotland ; particularly noticing the oppression„ which he cons tended had been exercised ,in the case of Borthwick. Up on these he should not ask the House to come to any definitive opiniod at present. He thought - he should make out a case which would irresistibly call for a Committee of inquiry, and not until the House should be in possession of the Report of that Conimittee, would he ask them to come to any ultimate decision whatever. First, then, addressing himself to the powers entrusted to the Lord Advocate. In his person were contained the powers of the ancient Privy Council of Scot land • powers which, before the Union, were exercised by the Lord Justice General, the Lord Chief Justice Clerk, and other high Officers. Those powers were claimed for the office of Lord Advocate in the year 1804, by a Learned Lord Who then held the office, but who waa now the Lord President. These were extensive, not to say dangerous powers, and he did not mean to say that the Learned Lord would ever at tempt to exercise them. One of them included the power of superseding the criminal 'jurisdiction of the country, and bringing the accused to trial before the Council as a special Court. There was scarcely any great act act of outrage or in justice noticed in the history of Scotland which was not refer able to the exercise of those powers. However, the Learned Lord was in practice /the public prosecutor. lie could bring a man to trial without the previous sanction of a Grand Jury ; and though his power was partially re strained by an Act of Parliament of the year 1701, or daining that he should bring the' accused to trial within 60 days, he had the power , of postponement, by various delays, to the extent'of 140 days, the whole of which time he could re tain a man in custody without bringing him to trial, although that man might afterwards prove to be innocent of the offence charged against him. It was true that a private individual might commence public prosecutions; but this right was shackled by so many restraints, that it was seldom or ever put in force. The private prosecutor was liable to pay all ex penses if he failed, and for them he could be compelled to give security. He could be compelled to swear that lie believed in the truth of the accusation ; and, above all, he could not prosecute at all, unless he could shew that he , had sustained a personal injury from the offence. This was an outline of the powers placed in the hands of the Lord Advocate. The Lord Advocate and Solicitor-General were of course appointed by the Crown ; and the former had the privilege of appointing Advocates Depute to represent him on the several Circuits, and to exercise many of his powers ; and he might here inform the House that his motion related to the conduct of the Lord Advocate, the Solicitor-General, ,and two of the Advocates Depute. The House and all thinking men would agree with him in saying,. that in proportion -to the , magnitude - of these should be the vigilance of the House and the public in noticing their exercise. Tt should be observed; too, that in some instances the office of Lord Advocate was a judicial office : so that if there ever was , case in which great tempers great forbearance, and judicial dignity of conduct ought to be united in the same person—it was in him who filled the office of Lord Advocate. Above all, they had a right to expect that he would never interfere in any matter which he might rea. sonably think would come beibre him in his judicial capa city. If, for instance, he. observed the dissemination of li bels, seditious or blasphemous, or tending to any breach of the peace, and especially to that which might end in murder, it became his ddty to interfere to punish the offender, or, to pre vent the mischief. Unfortunately, however, his (Mr. A.'s) charge against the Learned Lord, was of a crime of commission, and not of omission. He charged the Learned Lord with having used his patronage, his money, and the sanction of his high of fice, to the encouragement and maintenance of a regular system of calumny, in the shape of libels on individuals ; a crime ren dered the more grave and serious when it was remembered that the Learned Lord was also a co-existing Secretary - of State for -the Home Department, inasmuch as he was the regular official .. t . PRICE SEVENPENCE. communicant with the Hon eSecretary. upon all matters respect ing the internal government of Seotland. He should here in form the House, that since the Union, Scotland'having lost its Parliament, the principal attraction in its capital was the Bar, which could boast of having among its Members men of first rate talent and education, and of the highest possible charac ter, and those, of course, possessed considerable influence in the country. The number was from 150 to 200 ; and it was to be observed that the Lord Advocate had the patronage of 80 places, to be distributed among Members of the Bar; The House, therefore, were able to judge of the good or the ill Which might be winked accordingly as this patronage was Well or ill directed. He should proceed to inform the House that in the year 1820 there was a paper in Scotland of very Ilited circulation, called the Clydesdale Journal, which -was after wards removed to Glasgow, under the name of the Glasgow Sentinel. It was set on foot by several Gentlemen in the neighbourhood, but it 'was nearly expiring when the Lord Advocate and other Mientleinen gave it - their support in a cir cular letter, recommending the paper, and atating their wish to promote its circulation, with a view to counteract the ef fect of many publications which were distributed . ahrough tlv. country, and addressed particularly for bad Purposes to the Understitudings of the lower classes. ' This paper was signed by the Learned Lind on or about the 2§th of Novem ber, 1820 ; and it therefore became a natural question, what was the spirit in which this paper was conducted previous to that day ? Were its principles correct, and was it judi ciously conducted, so as to warrant the approbation of the Learned Lord if, indeed; under any circumstances, he ought to haVe' lent his support to any publication of a poll- , tical tendency?—(hear, hear, hear.)—He (Mr. A.) had seen extracts taken from the previous numbers of this papa"; and he declared that they contained libels against individuals as . . gross as could possibly be 'mapped. .They imputed motives of baseness, .disloyalty, and treachery, to many respectable -individuals; and, among them, to Members of that' House re specting their conduct in Parliament: This was particularly remarkable, upon an occasion wherein the majority of the House had agreed with the proposition of the Member who was the principal object of attack. 'He meant his Noble Friend ; the_ Member' for Lanark (Lord A. Hamilton). The conduct imputed to those:respectable individuals was such, that, if true, it disqualified them from keeping the company of Gen. tlemen. He would not, however, ask the House to take his opinion as to the character of these extracts. He would give them much better authority. He had a letter written by one of the Gentlemen who had supported the Paper, in answer to a letter from the Editor, requesting further assistance. The Gentleman said the Paper had been much injured by the inju dicious and improper attacks it had made upon individuals. This was the character of the Paper given to it by one who had been, and appeared to wish to be, one of its supporters. ' The House were tob,well acquainted with the melancholy result of the 'support which had been given to it by the Learned Lord ; the death of Sir Alestander Boswell; and the deplorable afflic tion of his widow and children. Copies of this recommendation 'of the Lord 'Advocate were sent round to many persons con nected with the GoYernment, or likely to entertain the.politi cal opinions supported by the paper. Seeresy was enjoined, and each person was expressly directed to, return the letter sent to him. Above 200 of these had been distributed, and only two of them were not returned in conformity with the injunc tion of the letter, One of there two was addressed to a highly respectable Nobleman, who, it seemed, did not think it worth his while to return the letter; and the other was addressed to an equally respectable Gentleman, who, from careless- habits, had neglected to return it., All iis time it was to be observed that a Mi. tefaydon, the Sheriff' Depute of Lanark, a Alernber Of-the legal profession, was the principal" writer in the paper ;- and by virtue of his Office, he, of course, had judicial power in the County. 'He challenged the Learned Hord to deny, that lie knew this fact at the time he signed the recommendation.— : (Loud Cheers from the Opposition Benches.)—This - Mr. Hay don, therefore, in his judicial Character, Might notinrpsobably have had to decide upon proceedin g s brought against the Paper, for the very articles written by himself. Would the Learned Lord, he repeated, deny that he knee the fart of 31r. Ilaydon beihg the:principal writer in this Paper in November, 1820-? - --4The LOed AdvoCate here, as was understood, denied that he knew it.l-o-At• ear eveffrarA/We Tiatedori knew that the 'Lord Advocate had Signed it.—fOlieera.froin the Oppesition.)=LThir Mr. Ilan - don had allowed himself , to be the author of the most'ecalidal ous libels in that paper, in the writing of which he war - coura,ged by the. aignatare of the Learned Lord: He now came to the notice of a paper more geherally known by the public. Ile meant the Beacon; the history of a hich paper was shortly 'this. In • 1821, a Resolution at Edinburgh , had 'been frothed, professing to establish a new Paper to be etlled the " Beacon ;" and every entleayoue. was made to obtain signa tures to the Resolution ; and a number was obtained, greater, he believed, than that ever obtained for the 'eatablish -merit of a Paper in that part of the country.' As' many - as 800 names were obtained; a number, which he was satis fied; could be attributed only to the active interference of the Learned Lord. It was proposed to 'open a banking ac count, to Meet the expellees which would necessarily. be. in curred in the working of the Paper ; and the House of Sir W. Forbes and Co. was applied to for that purpose. That House however; declined opening the account without a guarahtee to answer any loss which might be sustained by answering the demands of the Paper ; and on this occasion, a bond or_ gua rantee was . entered into, signed by several persons, Whbse names he had in his hands ; but he should only mention thenames of those who held officiateituations.'First, there was the Learned Lord a then the Solicitor-General, who also held the judicial situation . of Advocate and Sheriff Depute for the county, of Perth ; Mt. Hope, an Advocate Depote • Sir Walter Scott, a Home Sheriff Depute ; Mr. Hoe Drummond, a Member of that House, and. the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. • He would, he thought, be able to shew that theSe Gentlemen had made them selves praprietors of the Beacon. The language of 'this paper was, in substance, that those who' subscribed it wished to countenance the paper and its principles, but to disclaim 'all 'liability beyond which they stipulated • so that if the receipts ' of the paper fell short of the expenditure, the subscribers became bound to pay' a rateable contribution. This was, therefore,. a current bond of credit for the paper, and was of course given, in the hope that the subscribers would not have to pay any thing, though undoubtedly they did net expect to receive. The paper, in fact, was altogether set up by this bond ; and by withdrawing their names, the subscribers might at any time have put an end to the paper. So much for the matter of pecuniary account. The next question was, how was this paper conducted ? He would in . this case also not ask the House to take his opinion. He would give them better autho rity. One of the Gentlemen who signed the bond, .disap proving very much of the way in which the paper was con ducted, wrote a note of-remonstrance to the Editor; anti this not being attended to, he withdrew his name, and never afterwards suffered the peper to be brought into his house. He (Mr. A.) Might select many of the libels inserted in this paper; but he should not go through them. Some of them were in imitation of the ancient Scottish songs, and might not be intelligible to :the English Members. They night, however, very safely be Cha racterized as groas, vulgar, and such as could never be written by any person who had a right to call himsella Gentleman.— These libels caused the publishers of the paper to be pursued by some of the individuals who were libelleu and led to an inquiry as to who were the promoters and supporters of the paper. The moment the Learned Lord and the others were discovered, it was found that the paper could not exist. It scarcely survived the discovery of its supporters.—(A laugh.)—On this discovery, however, a correspondence was opened between the Learned Lord and some of the Gentlemen Who had been libelled in thepaper ; and as the answers of the Learned Lord to the applications made to him on this 'subject, formed a part of his defence, it became important to consider it. And here he admitted at once, that if the defence set up by the Isearned Lord was sufficient in either a legal or a moral point of view,' there would . be no foundation for ihe motion which he (Mr. A.) should submit - to the House.—He should requestthe attention of the House to the letter of the Learned Lord, in answer to the'application from Mr. James Stuart:— The Learned - Lord said, that he had never any intention to give countenance to the circulation of libels, still less to that of libels on individuals. That the suppOrt he had given to the Beacon newspaper referred •• entirely to the political principles of the paper.. The Learned Lord, it was true, professed to disapprove of attacks upon private character ; but let the House only - look at the character of the Sentinel newspaper, which had been pre viously countenanced by the Noble Lord.—(Cheers from the Opposition.)—Let them look at' the principles of that paper . . since it had received the support of the Learned Lord. Unless the Learned Lord could shew that he had token steps to prevent the Beacon continuing its libelous, course, he - mukhe considered as a supporter. of it. The Learned Lord must be : jUdgdar ether men would be judged ; and it appeared that the paper in eel) had owed its existence and its death to the Learned Lord. The' Learned Lord, in his letter to Mr. Stuattaoontinuet!—,he 5 sa ,5 7 0 g O 104 ge oi ? 11 7 ' tbc go' / f hi s EA' -ilO