The Sun. — London, England, 1804-05-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF, PEERS. fit I DAY, MAY 4. COUNSEL were finally heard relative to the Ap. peal from the Court of Chancery, Richardson v. the University of Oxford, viz. Mr. ERSKINE, at considerable length on the part of the Appellant, in The LORD CHANCELLOR quitted the Woolsack, and made a variety of observations upon the legil bearings of the case, as it :hen stood, for the consi deration of their Lvdships ; these resolved into the question, Whither the Court was right in granting the injunetion, until the case came to a final hear ing / He continued to entertain the opinion he for ynerly did, as to the decision of the Court below, which he considered to be well foutided. The Noble and Learned Lord moved accordingly, and put the usual question for a Revisal of the Decree. Lord ELLEtrsortoucx rose and delivered his opi. pion upon the case. He agreed in what was laid down by his Noble and Learned Friend. After a few observations from Lord GRANT -LEY, the LORD CHANCELLOR and Lord ELLENBOROUGH spoke severally in explanation. After whtch the question was put, and the Decree ordered to be af firmed. The Bills upon the Table, chiefly of a private or local description, were forwarded in their resptaive stages. _ _ _ _ Three Reports were made by Lord kITALINC HAM from the Committee of Privileges, which were confirmed by the House. The Statute Duty Bill, the Militia Officers' Qua lification, the Leicester County Rate, and a few private Bills wore brought up from the Commons by lord W. RUSSEL, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. KECK, and other Gentlemen; these were severally read a first time. After which the House adjourned till Mon.. day. HOUSE OF COMMONS. FRIDAY, MAY 4. l'ETz-rroNs were presented from the Debtors con. fined in the County jails of Norfolk and Stafford. Ordered to lie on the Table. The Leicester County Rate Bill as read a third time, and passed: Mr. BANK ES brought up the Bill for ereaing a new Court House in the City of Westminster. Read a fist time, and ordered to be read a second time. On the Motion of Mr. VANSITTART, the English Loan Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow'. On the Motion of Mr. VANSITTART, the Customs Duty Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday next. On the Montion of - Mr. VANSITTART also, the Excise Duty Bill was read a second time, and or_ dered to be committed to.tnorrovi. The Irish Loan Bill was read a second time, and ordered to he committed to.moriow. The Statute Duty Regulation Bill was read a third time and passed. brought tip the Report of the tom. mittee on the Irish Currency, which was ordered to lie on the Table, and to be printed. AYLESBURY ELECTION, Sir G. CORN EwALL, in pursuance of an Order of the Day, moved, that the House go into a Com mittee nn tie Aylesbury Election Bill. On the question being put by the SPEAKER, The Marquis of TITCHFIELI) rose to give his negative to the measure. He did not think any sufficient case had been nude out, of a nature to war rant a proceeding such as the Bill %vent to provide. A great deal had been said in a farmer discussion, on the evils arising from Corruption in Elettions for D7lembers of Parliament. He was ready to grant all . that could be said in this respell, but the argument, he thought, did not apply in the present instance, as it had not been by any means proved that the ma jority of the Elettors had been guilty, as pretended to be stated. It was merely a supposition, for Which. there was no sufficient evidence before the House. A number of tl►e Eleaors having been guilty of Corruption, could be no sufficient reason for depriving the rest, who were innocent, of their rights and privileges. Unless, therefore, a proper Case against the Borough, as such, could be made out, he could not give his assent to the Sr BAKER'S leav ing the Chair. Sir G. CORNEW ALL supported his Motion, and contendd that the Bribery and Corruption hail been so open and flagrant, that there could be nu question as to their existence. Ally. ROSE was of opinion, that when cases of this nature occurred, provision should be made ac cording to their importance or exigency. Instances of this kind occurred on the Journals of the House as early as the reign of Charles 11. The Honour. able Gentleman here.went into a detail of several cases of a similar nature, where the Legislature had thought it necessary to interfere. The case of Aylesbury, if possible, was more aggravated than any of those cases. Not the smallest regard to de. cency had been observed, hut the Corruption car- Tied CT in the most avowed and public manner. The belhnaa had been employed to give public notice of t h e ;;;;;Ds that would be given, and so great a num loe; :IA assembled at the , public-house for this pur pose, that the bellman on his return could not get admittarhce. Fifty of Mr. Be NiT'S voters, it appear ed, had'raken money, and of 417 who voted oh other side, a very great ni jority had received money. As a proof of the general Corruption of that Borough, the people were extremely` indignant at another Gentleman who pretended to be a Candi date, without at the came time offering them money. Mr. FRANCIS did not think the measure pro. posed by the 15111 the most effectual way of checking the evil complained of. Had it been the"purpote of the Bill to deprive those of the right of voting who had ahuAed their Privilege, or did the punishmtnt, by extending the franchise, fall only on the present persons who were deemed guilty, there could per. haps be little objedion to the measure ; but as it mist affe6i those to come also, w'ho coati have no shale in the corruption complained of, lie would give his vote against the Motion, Sir yOHN NEWPOATcontended t that t h e Bill went to remedy the evil complained of; by providing; a pure body of EleCtors. Those who do not exercise their right of Eleaion, by a wise Aft of the Legis- ' lature are deprived of it, and ought not the House much more to take it away from those who bad made a bad use of it. it had been stated, that the Preamble does not' justify the Bill. The Preamble, however, stated, that if some remedy be not applied, the evil in all probability will go on. In acceding to the Mo tion, therefore, you as from the opinion of your Committee. The instances of corruption, on which the opinion of that Committee was founded, were of a very open and flagrant nature, and were by no means of a new standing. John Wilkes used to say, that the people of Aylesbury were very good friends to him, for they had always his guinea to any other man's twenty shillings. Would the House therefore leave it in the power of every pretended Reformer to say, that they were either unwilling, or had not within themselves the power to reform ? It was un necessary, he thought, to multiply instances in which the House had interfered in similar cases. He would admit of influence arising from family connexion with a Borough, and from benefits or patronage of long standing, hut deprecated that influence which arose from money only, and by which a man, who had never seen the Borough before, assd who could have no interest in its welfare, might carry the Elettion against those who were its natural proteaors. Mr. HURST was decidedly against, the Motion. Its natural tendency, he thought, was to unhinge the Constitution. From the grounds on which the fran chise of a Borough rested, he argued, it could not be legally and constitutionally taken away, more than the privileges of that House. The greater part of those besides, he insisted, who had taken the money, were not voters, but belonged to the mob. Would they, therefore, take away the rights of the Borough, because the minor part of the voters may have been guilty of a misdemeanour? He resisted the idea, that Mr. Brut had nothing to recommend him but his money. He knew that Gentleman, and believed there never was a better man. He was a merchant in the city of London. Instead of being objection able, he thought a mixture in the representation of the Country must be attended with advantages. • Mr. ROSE disclaimed every idea of saying any thing to the prejudice of Mr. BENT. He meant only that that Gentleman had nothing 'to recommend him at Aylesbury, and insisted, that, in ope instance, out of two hundred and seventy Voters, two hun dred and twenty had taken money. Mr. LEIGH said, he would give his vote in the mean time for the Committee, but unless the fill un.• derwent some changes, he would think it his duty to oppose it in its future stages. Sir JOHN NEweoiT explained. The MASTER of the ROLLS, in a very able and argumentative Speech, opposed the Motion. He complained of the Supporters of this measure having so often shifted their ground. He wished that the Gentlemen would abide by some principle, and let that principle be fairly stated to the House. Instead of this, however, they at one time support the mea sure on the ground of delinquency : it you oppose them in this, they tell you that it will prevent ,cor rupt pradices hereafter. Ile wished them either to maintain what they alledged to be the fact, that the majority of tlae Voters have been guilty of Bribery, or to adhere to the other principle, that it would prevent it for the future. He observed, that accord. ing to their mode of reasoning, they made a Corpo rate Body of the EleCtors, which they really were not. He adverted to the case of Shoreham, and shewed from the peculiarity of the circumstances, that the interference of Parliament became there necessary. But should the Supporters of this mea sure, he argued, go on the ground of Misery and Corruption, then it will follow that the Minority can forfeit the Rights of the Majority. But so far from this, be did not ,see that even the Majority, acting individually, as they must do here, could with any justice, fothit the rights of the Minority. But Gentlemen said again, that increasing the num ber of Voters could be no hardship on those who had the original Franchise, as it was only giving them more assistance in the exercise of a duty which they owed to the Public. This was certainly going .upon a principle very different from any otherßo rough. Reformer he had heard of but even on this ground it could be no punishment, which they also professed it to be. After having viewed the ques tion in various other lights, he coucluded by oppos. ing the Motion. Mr. DICXENSON argued at some length in oppo. sition to the Learned Gentleman who had sat down. Mr. WINDHAM, with his usual ability, opposed the Motion. Mr. C. WYNNE spoke warmly in favour of the Motion. The House having divided, thcre appeared for the Motion 72, against it 56. The House then went into the. Committe.% pro forma, and asked leave to sit again. The House went also into a Committee on the Militia Subaltern Officers Bill. The Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. Adjourned till to-inorrow. PRICE OF STOCKS, THIII DAY AT TWbLVE. o'oLotrc. Consols - -56 i 1 Otmiium - 4 pr, THE SUN. SALEM QUIS DICERS VALSVg AUDZAT ? LONDON, MAY 5, iBo4. WE feel it to be our duty, in the present most in. teresting situation of affairs, to caution our Readers against giving credit to the various rumours and speculations which are afloat respeting the new Administration, because we can assure them °P on unquestionable authority, that no final arrange. ment has yet been made. At the same time we have no doubt, from the information of which we :at in possession, that we shall very speedily have it in our power to congratulate the Public upon the formation of an Administration embracing such a portion of talent, energy, and rank, as will entitle it to the perfea Confidence of the Country at large, and the respea of all Europe. Yesterday morning His MAJESTY walked in the Queen's Garden. About twelve o'clock His MAJESTY gave au diences to the LORD CHANCELLOR. and Mr. AD DINGTON. Yesterday, about one o'clock, HER MAJESTY and the PRINCESSES took an airing on the King's Road. Yesterday the DUKES Of CUMBERLAND and CAM. BRIDGE dined with HER MAJESTY. . His Royal Highness the DUKE of YORK held yes terday a Military Levee at the Horse Guards, at which sever,:l General Officers were present. Lord HOBART and the SECRETARY \ at WAR had each a long conference with His Royal Highness. Captain GREY, Commissioner of Sheerness Dock. yard, it is said, is to form one of the new Board of Admiralty. A Letter from Folkstone, dated Thursday even. ing, contains the following information :—'' The report of guns was distinctly heard this afternoon from the French Coast, near Boulogne ; and the' weather was so clear, that we could observe three Brigs and two lugger-rigged Vessels come out of Boulogne Harbour, and run along shore, as it is sup. posed for the purpose of getting to sea. Only one of our Ships has been seen off Boulogne, and she drifted with the tide. The wind has got round to the S. E. to-day, and the Convoy under Dungeness are ob served getting under weigh, for the purpose of sail ing before dark. For the first time . this season, a great number of lights were descried last night upon the- French coast, which it is supposed arises from the French Troops having encamped there within this day or two. We cannot otherwise account for this circumstance." Mr. ER ANC Is's Speech, in the House of Commons, on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor-General and Military Commanders in India, displayed solid reasoning, as well as great moderation and candour. He very shrewdly observed, that it General W EL- Lest.Ey was to be praised for the gallantry and judg ment with which he defeated ten times the number of troops under his command, his success by no !pearls justified those who had sent him upon so ha zardous an enterprize with such inferior force. At \all events, he very justly remarked, that nobody should be included in a Vote of Thanks whose con ;101 might be hereafter the subjeft of inquiry, and possibly of censure. Political Observers may at present find much amusement in noticing the gra f tual progress of the Ministerial Papers, from unbounded praises of their late Employers, through the whole art of trimming. They are at present very evidently preparing to render the same servile homage to whoever may _ . succeed. The whole indeed excites a mournful re fleainn in minds above such base venality, and that wish to support those who will best support their Country. Such has teen our condua respeling the illustrious Statesman who, we trust, is abdut to re sume his former state, to enlighten and invigorate the National Councils, and give confidence and se. entity to the Empire. JOSEPH BONAPARTE bas done wisely in quitting Eh! Senate for a command at.Boulogne, as, in case of any forMidable commotion at Paris, he will be out of :be 'way. Considering the critical state of the CHI Et CONSUL, in consequence of his murder of the Duke D'ENcti lEN and Pt CH EGRII, and his designs against IVIoR Etip, who has done so much for the Republic, JOSEPH BONAPARTE may be though; to have aaed upon the provident systtm of- the ;:tr.7.t, wrio run from g falling house. It is said that M. arro, the French Minister at Munich, having found much difficulty in devising the" necessary expedients for arresting the Emigrants in that city, suspected of, being concerned in the late Conspiracy, wrote to them, expressing his wish that they wouki :line with him,' in order thit he might have an opportunity of hearing from their own lips, a statemem of the grievances of which they complained. Not suspeaing his base design, they accepted of his invitation. After dinner, he jocosely told them, that, he had yet another repast fc.r them, which corvisted in having them all bound together, put into a carriage, and instantly sent off prisoners to Paris," The new coinage of Crown Pieces from Dollars, is now going+. on with all possible dispatch, at Mr. BoLTON's Difint, the Soho, near Birmingham. With, in these fete✓ days, three waggons loaded with dol lars were sent from the Bank, under a proper escort to that place, each waggon containing about seven tons weight, where eight presses are employed at the same time, each of which will strike 66 in a minute, giving the impression on both sides at one stroke, ars are so simply constructed as to be worked by time man, without the smallest danger, the piece discharging itself from the die, when another in stantly slips in its plare. His Majesty's head, and the reverse, are done in a masterly style, forming a very beautiful coin, and will be extremely difficult to counterfeit. On the night of the zfist of April died, his Serene Highness the Reigning Duke of SAXE-GOTHA. Last week, on pulling down an old house that stood at the East corner of Sr. Martin's-lane, Lewes, in Sussex, belonging to Mr. PAINE, tallow.chandler, the workmen discovered under the heitrth of the kitchen, in a chalky soil, a hole, about four feet square, filled with wood ‘ashes and light mould, which excited their curiosity, and led them to its full gratification, by emptying it, and finding at the bottom, fifteen feet deep, a silver ring, ornamented with heart beneath a rose, or some other flower, and the mouldering remains of the coffins of two children, ;which, as the building was ancient, it is presumed must have been there deposited several centuries, and probably thus deep,, for the more effectual concealment of some atrocious murders. On removing the rubbish from other parts of the prtrnises, two silver coins were found, one of ED- W 4 " l and the other of IV A VA L, Iv t, vr 0. FALMOUTH, MAY this day, the L h Aratella Packet, PORTEUS, with Mails of t he IBT inst. for the Leeward Islands, and ;he rovorsbco Packet, DODD, with two Mails for Lisbon. Also sailed His Majesty's Ship Piwvt'r, of 14 guns, with the outward-hound Newfoundland Fleet under convoy, viz. Unity, Hebe, Friendship, Success, Prickle, Spee d y , Y : covety, Quicksilver, Lord Nielson, Providence, 13etsey, ° mouth Packet, Daniel, Success, Harmony, Bird, E Culledor. And the American Brig Rower, Capt. WAlffi for Fyal. PORTSMOUTH, MAY 4.--Arrived the Spid 4vill and Merlin Sloops of War, from a Cruisie ; and thc Precvojante Store-ship from the Downs, with sa e ' ral vutward.bound vessels. his The Amelia Frigate, Capt. Lord PROSY, made a Signal to Convoy the Fleet to the W e5C Indies. DEAL, MAY 4.—Arrived the Basilisk Gun-b from the Nore ; Geod-will Lighter from Sheerness' and three Transports, No. 31, No. 18, and I•T°. from Deptford; and remain in the Downs, wi th tilc Ships as per last. iCet , ' HARWICH, MAY 4,—The Post-OlEce - -c Lark, Capt. DELL, arrived last night after P sr° with the Hamburgh and Bremen Mails frcml 4 ° lfil. c . Mr. Sc Haw, one of the King's Messengers, c am Passenger with Dispatches. Remain the Lady Nepean Packet, with the G et ' tenburgh Mail of the rst instant ; the Lark Nc. l " er : . Pegasus Frigate, Swift hired Armed Coact) ar. the Hecate Gun-vessel. SHEERNE S S, M AY 4 .—Arrived from .a C iZCI the I"speaor Sloop of War, Capt. MITCHELL, all the Escort Gun-brig, Lieutenant PEASE, tO refi t ' : Sailed for the Downs, the Rind Armed 511° Capt. STUPAR r. The Atalanta Dutch prig, lately eaptur ej the Boats of the Scorpion Sloop, will not be purc h _ l as by Government, owing to her being ircin.fasteri" d 0 Capt.‘TowßY is appointed to the comma . „• — n a the aqyal Charlotte Yacht, and also to the cornoiog, of the several vessels stationed for the defence ; the ThaMes at Gravesend. Engle, 74 guns, Capt. CoLaY, is The of to ha fitted imme.iiately for the reception of Admi t THoRNRoRoUGH's Flag. th e Capt. WOoDLEY LosAcx is appointed to command of the //dew Sloop, recently launched "I' Yarmouth. • Lieutenant CARPENTER is axpointed to she ono ' mand of the Milbrook Schoorier, and I' ieutenant ; MITCHELL and KING to command the Llag g ht) Blazer Gun-vessels. The Warrior, of 74 guns; is ordered to be Vrg j pared for immediate service at PlYbouth. Letters were yesterday received at the Adinitt, ty, confirming the account of the loss of t hea C N D da.stan Store-ship, by fire. The Officers and Cre7 except four Seamen, were saved, st The Experiment, from Demerara, is arrived i ; Liverpool; she sailed from Demerara on the 'V March, and arrived at Barbadoes on the 2o(h. e CHARLES GREEN and CommotLre . Hooo were th i ef fitting vat an Expedition, supposed against Surirwriii Th; Experiment sailed from thence on the 2Zdt nri the 25th, to the windward of Dominica' sr.o., the Brig Drake, Capt. kiNG, who informed hleic that two Tobago Ships had been captured hY. ; , t tp t Grand Decide French Privateer, and carr ied ,i n to Guadeloupe ; and that another prize had. g ot b r at that Po:1, which having perceived, he sent lit Ding, co cut her out, which they were in the aa ofdlate when a train of powder blew the after-Ta rt a ship up, by which accident some of the D' people lost their. lives. The inhabitants of Barbadoes have plif: 11 :10 1 : vessel of 2+ guns; and given her to Govehre llt Sir joHN DUCKWORTH has ordered her to a , to she the Barbadces, and appOinted Capt. Nou —g rank of Post Captain, and to command her. of Bre' On Friday night last, the j angf R a thoff' w ith men, bound from Ostend- .to Marennesl ladefina too coals, was wrecked on the' Goodwin Sinad„' aster of tally lost ; the crew were saved. The aet this Vessel had his cargo on board six rpnnwns and had been detained during..fhar in ''''tand' . Harbour, under different pretenceS , 00tWit115 an ing the most favourable winds have const : offered for his sailing. On Thursday las t s ail t remptory order came down for him t° hits though the wind was then contrary. 1 -1 10 00 remonstrating, he was told he had on ly twelv e , allowed him to depart, and if he did no t avail self of that indulgence, he would no t be perineum* to sail for six months more : under those cs_r fatal stances he was obliged to put to sea; and rlw The congo se erst er n e c p e or t t o s, hi t m ha h t a t s h b e epeenoapsleaibr Oesstteanttanalibtes neighbourhood, are in the utmost clistresg• tv ote soldiers intended for the Invasio n of Engla,.copi forced on board, with no other h o p es than L'"' ficure and death, should they ever put to sea* __ The ship Warren Hastings , in ving up the fl y ri H oogly, unfortunately struck o n a sand. 'of heeled over so much as to be in iMminent da nger be being lost. Mr. WILLIAMS, a Gentleman on g o , Bencoolen Civil Establishment, who was a P l i ss p e g . senBe4.3 jumped into a small boat which was aa ° ,7: side, followed by several othr persons ; but sca, I : 6c , ly had the ,boat got clear of the ship, who" It yg er fore any came involved in the vortex of a violent eddYtd• be, Blown head foremost, and every per Vin erk slle ° assistance could tae afforded thou.