The Sun. — London, England, 1817-02-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. I !OUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY, Fan. 19. The {louse met at three o'clock, and proceeded to bal'ot for a Select Committgo for considering the Wootton Bisset Election. At half past-four, when the Gallery was opened, we found Mr. \Vyn4ue censuring the'abstuce of iVfembers, who were, nollq.be found when their names were call ed 01. e x t, Thb SrrAimt 'observed, that nothing could be done, but that all the names which appeared as defaulters should he , reported on Friday. WINDSOR ESTAIII,IiIiMENr. Sit 11. IllettoN gave nntice:, that on Friday, the 28th instant, he.should move .that a- - . Committee , appointed to ingoire isrhatt reduction can . be made in the WiIUISM! Establishment, consistent with the dignity and comforts ot.his Majest)% - CALL OF THE lIOUSE. The CHANcstd,on, of the' D.,k(citecluEß gave notice lie 04)011 move on Friday that the House be cidled over. Lord G. BruEsvoan appeared at the Bar, with the Answer of the Prince Regent to the Addresses respeet,ing per3ons uii Foreign Missions, &c. AftrktY ESTINIATP.Is:. -Lord PALM: 41811)N*, in , onswer to a (pleatiOrl froth an lion, Member opposite, said he . should have 1,0 pininnic, in :tit, Ceona%ittee of Supply, temporary grant of 500,0001—0 n account of the Army Establishment, the total amount for the year being 2,600,000/. Several accounts, previously moved for, were presented, _amongst which was one of the num ber of Commissioners of Bankrupts, another of the number of Licenses granted to Country Backers in 1816, and one of the Humber of pri soners under sentence of death in Netvgate. Lamarobt moved, that a humble Address be presented to - the Prince Regent, praying for copies of any dispatch frotaLord Castlereagh to his Majesty's Minister at Lisbon, in 1814, touch.. ing the expences of his Mission. The Chancellor, as we understood, Was not awase,that there, tvould 4 dm, any objection to the Motion,- but suggested to the, lion. Member to de fer it till the Noble Lord should be present. ASSESSED TAXES: Lord CoCtiltalsta, as Wt understood, wished to know whether there wOitltt be any objection to grant an account of innis 'flue to the Crown from certain Receivers-General; and also an account of ull.Levies of .Distress made for recovering the Assessed and Property 'hies during the last yeiir ?, The CHANCELLOR of the:M(OIE3IIM said a few words in answer, which the confusion in the Gal lery rendered totally inautliblo. QUESVION OF ADJOURNNIENT. The Cti,%Neci,Lott of the..ExentiQuEit moved that the 'louse, at its rising, do adjourn till Friday. - Mr. Bnouon AM said, he was sure the House would do him the justice to believe, that he wool() never wish to preclude any arrangement for the accommodation of bis Majesty's Aliuisters ; but he could not give his'consent to such aceommoda tioo at a time like the present. Circumstances had happened since Monday ti hid) called for the most serious attention of that Honse---circuno. stances, indeed, which were as is - nportant as any that had detoured during the Session. Last night, for reasons which every one could guess, instead orMinisters honouring the House with their at teudttoce, they kept away, knoWitig that their absence 'night be fatal to the ballot, a n ti thus the whole business of one night was completely lost. He was aware they might plerol the excuse of their absence oil public business, but there was no reason of a public nature that, could be olleged for the losiunr, of another day. His Hon. Friend's motion (Sir M. W.Ridley's), stood for last flight, but as the House did not meet, it could not now be brought forward till, further notice .had been given ; and if an adjotiiirtnent took place.over to morrow, another Hon. Geutleman's motion (Mr. CorWen's), would he debated on Friday. On Monday they would have to consider the Report of the Secret Committee, and the consequence Nymild inevitably be, that they would have to put c,a . a 1110 st important and delicate question in many points of view (th a t of the number of Lords of the Admiralty), to an almost indefinite period. e'er, if the Noble Lord hi-the-blue ribbaud,ar tiny one of Ilk Majesty:B Ministers, would assert, that they really intended to have had it House last night, he would be satisfied. Dieir absence, however, List night, afforded one ground for comfort and c o nsolation to the Howie and the country. It ',hawed that the report was without foundation, that Measures of IA pressing I.lllt tire were necessary to be resorted to. An alarm on this bead must now he et an end ; for if the Report of the Se crct had contained any matter that might call for the least innovation on the laws by rights. And Fibril ieti of the people .were pi coveted, it was impossible that Ministers could siterifice tcvo night,s in this week, and postpone fulfilling their intention: _ The CUSNcut,Lott of the EXCHECWER declared that every mode had been taken to enforce the attendance of Members, but it did not. succeeth— fic regretted,that any delay should have taken iihe e ; but lie believed it was perfectly well known what manner his Majesty's Ministers siere'em ployed yesterday, previous to the ordinary time of public business; they were attending a very im portant investigation before the t'rivy Council.— Ile cQuld not see any reason regarding the future proceedings of the Mime that should operate against the ordinary respect ever known to be paid by tie House to the day set apart to be kept us. the birth-day of her Majesty. It was quite 11- dkrulons to suppose that any inconvenience could arise hum the deferring the motion of the Hon. Baronetots the subject itself, even without any motion upon it, would soon come before the House in the plans of retrenchmed to, be examin ed, Would any man then say., that it was of any consequence whether the number of Lords of the Admiralty might he discussed this week,,or in a.fort night, or a month. heure ?—(Hear, hear, hear I)—If any difference could he Ina ne about rendering it necessary for the lionsti to sit to mortow, it would unduubiedly be this, ~that the ] Report about to be presented might be taken into consideration to•morrow ; but it was known that it would ‘ take a day or,two to print, so that it could.m.`4l); considered night.--. He before Monday night.. a:4,l:nor aware that then be any °kin tion,to.Consideringthe Honourable Baronet- 1 .3 mo'-' tion' Ouirny'other'ilay after Monday. Mr. CALCRAFT thought it of great importance that this motion should come on as soon as pos sible. He suggested that an arrangemeot.of more convenience might be formed, if the lion. Gentle man. (Mr. Ourwen) would concede his day to the Hon. Baronet. He thought it was not usual for the House to adjourn ott the occasion of her Ma jesty's birth.day, though he knew it was on that of his Majesty. He was not certain that this WAS the feet, but he believed it was not, usual., He trusted that the llou. Gentleman would postpone his motion, that that of the Hon. Baronet might take precedence of it. Lord CASTLEREAGIT said, he would always be glad to rnee: any arrangeute►it for the accommoda tion of the public- business ; but it was ,►,►either right nor necessary to alter the practice of mark ing that respect for the celebration of the birth-day of her Majesty, which had always been shown by the House. If a choice were to be ►trade by the House, as to the , priority of the two motions, it , would be a most unfortunate one, indeed, if that were selected which related to a reform in two offices, in preference to the consideration of the whole of the Pour Laws of the kingdom. But he was confident the [loose wi , uld show t►teir pre trrence to the latter, as there was nothing which exacted a greater pledge front them to make every thing give way, unless, indeed, it were what related to the vital safety of the conntry.--qtlear, bear, hear !)---It must necessarily be a question of an extended and elaborate nature ; and if the House expected any good to grow out of it, it could not be too soon brought under consideration. He suggested that the attention of the House oughr to he called to the guLstion of the two offices on Tuesday ; but he should lament' if the subject of the Poor Laws were postponed, to give way to a question respecting the seven Lords of the Admi ralty, which number had existed ever since the Itevolution.—(llear, heal !) Sir NI. W. ftIDLRY declared, that his ideas lay under gt eat confusion, it he were not correct in considering the question of the Lords of the Ad miralty to be one of the greatest im portance : and on this account he was sorry it had nit fallen into other bands. But he should consider it a derelic tion of his duty if he hesitated to bring it on ; and he should therefore really feel obliged to the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Curweu) if lie would postpone his motion. Mr. CUKWEN said a few words, and as far as we could understand, the arrangement agreed to was, that the Poor Laws should be debated on Friday, and the Admiralty question on Tuesday. The question for adjournment over, tomorrow (this day), was then put and curried. In answer to Sir M. W. RIDLEY', Lord CASTLE. REAOH said it was intended to take the Report of the Secret Committee into consideration on Monday The Members chosen .by ballot for the Electiot Committee were called to the table to be swurn They were--- M r. Leader ' Itarfurd, Lacon, Mr. Fitzhugh, Mr. T. Es-lc:mat, Mr. G. Junes, Mr. Bastard, Mr. Fuullits, Mr. liatrst, Mt*. Round, Mr. It. Abercrombie, W.Thornton, Mr. C. Harvey, Sir J. Mackintosh, and Lord W. Russell. COMMITTEE. CP SECRECY. Mr. B. BATIIIIIIST appeared at the bar ‘vitli the Report of the Committee of Secrecy, to whom cer tain papers laid before the Hous e by command of his Royal flightless the Prince Regent bad been referred. On the Motion of Lord CASTLEREAGH, the re port was mitered' to be read, and appeared to us to differ but little in substance front the report presented on the preceding day to the House of Lords. It commenced by ntatirig, thnt the result of the inquiries instituted by the Committee had been to convince them, that attempts bad-been made in vari ous parts oldie countryand metropolis .otakeadvan tage of the present distresses of the labouring classes, by teaching them to look for immediate relief from plans of Parliamentary Reform. These reforms were made to consist chiefly in universal suffrage, idiot the election of Representatives by ballot. Un der cover of these schemes no doubt, however, could remain, that many of those who were the most active in the support of the ostensible object, contetnplated nothing less than the entire overthrow of landed, and extinction Of funded, property. These projects were indeed unequivocally avowed by an association of persons who professed a set of principles comprised in what was commonly denominated. the. Spencean plan, front the name of a visionary writer of that name, who published it about 20 years ago. At a meeting of these persons, held within the last month, the question was discussed, whether the ,success of a Reform in Parliament - was not likely to produce more evil than good ; and it was de cided that it could only, be productive of disad vantage to the true interest of the country.. It was further resolved, that no Constitution had ever existed, and that no man could tell what was. The landholder, however, it was clear, was a monster who ought to be hunted down, but that the fundhohler was a still more mischievous Member , in.the Community. At these meetings the most blasphemous doctrines were freely propagated, amid as they were generally of a convivial character, :hey seldom terminated without songs, in which he most profane and seditious topics were intro laced. Parodirs on the liturgy had been repeated it chorus on these occasions : but in more delihe a►e Inortients the arts resorted to were chictly di reefed towards distressed labourers, soldiers, wand disbanded seamen. Their doctrines were tircalated to a great extent by means of cheap publications, and handbills distributed gratuiteusly. Some of these parties ppeared to have entertain ed, for a considerable time, the project of raising a great power by means of a popular instirrection, and overturning, by physical strength, some of the most itnportant establishments of the country. In furtherance of this design, Committees bad been appointed in different quarters, 'in the preparation of a force which should be strong enough to overpower the guards on duty, and to possess itself of the artillery. The Bank and the Tower were to be the first objects of the assault, and the construction of a machine had been pro jected, which should have the effect of imped ing the approach of the cavalry. This latter pro ject appeared to have been relinquished, and, previous to the intended rising, it was judged ex pedient to ascertain, as far as might be possible, the strength and number of the Conspirators.— For this purpose it was resolved that a general meeting should be advertised, and - the map of London was carefully examined, that the most spacious and convenient spot. for •the assemblage. of a large multitude might be selected. The place at length chosen was Spa-fields, and the minds of the populace were industriously prepared for the occasion by placards, stimulating the most violent and even sanguinary excesses ; one of them uj follows 4, BRITONS TO .ARMS " The whole Country units the signal from. London to fly " to Arms ! haste , break open Gunsmiths and other likely " places to find Arms ! Run ;111 constables who touch a man " of us ; no rise of Bread ;' nci Regent ;• no Castlereagh, oft " with their heads ; nu Placemen, Tythes, or Enclosures; " nu Taxes; no Bishops, only useless lumber ! Stand true, " or be Slaves for ever." " NAL—Five thousand of these Bills are up in the Town, " and printed ones, with further particulars, will appear in " due time." The leaders of the intended insurrection al ready began to erect the tri•cul►►ured tiag, and to assume other symbols of the French Revo lution. A Committee of safety had been ap pointed, consisting of twenty-four persons, and the names of particular individuals had been ad vertised as proper objects of their hostility. It appeared to have been determined, that no vio- lence should be employed at the first meeting; but the opportunity WAS not k)St of appointing a second, at which, previous to the commencement of the ostensible business, the most seditious and inflammatory harangues were addressed to the peo ple assembled. The interval between the two meetings had been employed in conveying the in telligence of a second meeting being about to take place to all the most populous districts in the kingdom. One of the Committee diScharged all the immediate expences, and active prepare tions were made for seducing the soldiers frog► their allegiance. The barracks bad been recon noitred, and an accurate account taken of the dif ferent gunsmiths' shops, and of the arms which were likely to found in them. Pl►eras were like wise adopeti for seducing sailors, and get ting possession of the shipping, by bolding out the hOpe of high rank under the new Government. For the accomplishment of these objects no great quantity of arms appeared to have been provided, but n sufficient supply was proabahly expected from the spoliation of the gunsmiths' shops and warehouses. One person, however, had been employed in the manufacture of pike-beads, 250 of which he hadixctuallyexecuted and had been paid for. On the day of the second meeting above al hided to, a general invitation was circulated by printed hand-bills and var►ous ensigns, exhorting the populace to rally round the tri-colour flag ; and a waggon was brought to the ground, con taining a certain quantity of ammunition, The mob proceeded thence into the City, where they broke open several shops for the impose of seiz ing arms,..and manifested a. desire to make an,irn mediate attack upon the ToWer, in the hope of being able either to overpower or to seduce the garrison ; but frOm a subsequent belief that their numbers were insufficient;• appeared to have laid aside this design. An attack was however made on the City Magistrates, a shot fired, and a tri-co. loured flag displayed. However improbttble the success of these pro. jects was in the estimation of the Committee► they had yet no doubt of their having'bi!en deli berately entertained by a set of desper►ate men.— The excesses which luul-been committed were clearly not the effect of any sudden explosion of popular feeling, nor were produced by the unau thorized arts of a single individual. The design had been common to many, and had beets enter tained with the most confident expectations of success. The information which had been sub• mined to the Committee with respect to similar excesses in other ports of the country, bad led demo to the conclusion, that one great source of mischief and delusion had been the formation of', ertab, societies, assuming the name, oftereae in the metropolis, of Hampden Clubs; stilt principle of which was to multiplttbelnul only in all the great towns, but in evetifs, The object professed by these association': Parliamentary Reform on the widest boill i i the Committee could no t hesitate to °l ' h ol their members, who consisted chiefly tlf!,.: bouring classes in the manufacturing ill; expected and avowed that they aime d id /1 4, tif tIO short of revolution. The prin ci p leT cean plan were widely dissentinstedi sliti„, ~. published which directly attacked the it , . tion of all loyalty and all rale° ~,,.. 1 been proved, that they talked freely OP; molition of churches, as well as 0 4 1,, -' vision of the land, of which it was t i g t 4 moo for individuals to mark out their 07i Ttene a t, livlisoleltheeoa:irvatttrylcimi ashamed se t e rigloge n ,i rieitittnnsago..eni Spa-fields ailuAo) T iatsnl 1 generally efic e oees y plsicidieattisiphi boasted, ohtaatnal capture bote;f been whennntti the ete ( 1 1 : : : i t 1 1 : Cl eie ; them, that the day abhorred '7, 7 l it of t p a p ti e l g s e e y re n d er t ai o r 1 )::?: far distant. At Manchester the newes t, t . confidence of theantnicuitplerd'ofltililecYi .r4P14:1 I , ' , the able-bodied men were dietingsis4ki names of those whom they supposed° enemies were registered in wilut tile !, " a " Bl a ck Book," and the words .. v ets ' be steady," u nderstood to be the g eA le .., nal which they would at, some tim e :.. upon to obey. had lately receivedl‘si:earnyyl.rZoncetrisl7:9l(l:"l modes had been taught extensivelPca.to: the implements, of husbandry tit ' diens ,1 . l'ons• The clubs alluded to had 4 e4P tit , as far as Glasgow ; and the Contruittr; ' y et i . niutously of opinion, that under Eber t 0 . Reform in the Representation , t he °t/j , e4 , o of r was the overthrow of the existing 1 0 iiii,.. vernment itt this country, Th is the/ e y to , to be a fair and necessary inference 6:001 formation whieh h a d been l a id 'befor e t a ei; they had declin e d to Collllll llo i C itte in a n B,r( l f the evidence on w hi c h they foot led Ili t "lent ' from an apprehension of danger "14 , , published ahorol!ildtits,ttilelievaiiicldaluntaitlashi,isstarinnadot administration ; jat prejudice,beliefiti e . tll i s in t e : 0 70: ; o to mn ti ii e tte rn e an w n e tu re ct i t ta ir p in f:Y in tll- 0 ° ii t c i o o l n u l fi , h n e t e l C d tat the disaffection aPPe sreu I. 11. and tol l t ', districts, where distr e s s was the mGst ba tl°7 lnd that even the re , t h ere bad heed ' "' seri exemplary fortitude in the suppor t d i r?",, tions, and in resisting the arts put 7:4 0 0 1 . for the purposes of inflammation and,root! The contagion, there was reason to ON; reached few or none of the agricollOto and it taught to be added, in floe' n , r 4 10 / nuniber of those who had been seth ice "; 0 0' very powerful cause of their dseonte°ol, extreme distress under which theY l ‘ b° ,ol o4 the same time they felt it their duff " it o ell' the House, on a f u ll considerati on aft ' 0 0 activity of their leaders, the dangeroll" or" ' and irreligious doctrines promulPit(l , t el, d gil them, and the design deliberately rc' nc hi l t I V forcible destruction of all propertY' 1, i s 00 11 was of an extent which the exi sting.law• strong enough to control. i ths, e t th ri g i r. "' Lord CASTLERBAGH then moot., should b e printetl, and taken intoconsiiruolP Monday next, which was ord ered seca,an tip Mr. GOULBVIIN gave not ice.of a lum °tireitslo and amend an act Of the 43d of ,„P• ca ue l ' it jetty, respecting passengers leaving tiv- t ol, , board foreign ships. In 11303 he st g ° O f :, • been found necessary to lay restrictienetotri,4l, leaving the country, and under 1110'01 no ship was allowed to carry I nure 1 I v Pe?, number of persons. The alterati°teat, of ado posed was to allow the same numbe!oo to go out to time colonies in foreigo'sll.le be allowed on board transports. - ~.. t i PROFITS OF THE DAO"' ..,,oF Mr. GRENFRI.I., On calling the s tten , t elg erl. l ll began 14 , stoo l House again to this subject, eottotlo ittltit, that the circumstances of the end of the last Sessions bad Woo° „ o res t o that it he 1111(1 no other inducement t,`" tio ps I t . , it he should consider the num ber of Pettit 110.70 crowded the table to be s ufli::ion t ',.bertft e ft sl recollected, that he had taken the ' l , O O O I two last Sessions, of calling iti c 811 : 1 00 11 , .., House to the leading pecnnierY t r t!"tbd P rl i tween Government and the Balk' Oreconotoloi ' f i'itmdiiring such a princiPhe ° f t' 0 00°, 1/ 0 0 0 retrenchment, as, while it secure w ort: vantage to time public, should d°, l ,t ° ibot° 4 l .1 great national establishment, u r . ff itOrr i , O r d press his statement into as eha r- bs erfOr t ift` i , possible ; and he should begin b l i,,:Coa' n r Ku ids object was to move for a oe. -- the oa ti ,r inquire into this subject, as being_. - st isote lo t i Pi' We mode by which it could be i": he 00,14, 4 01 0 ; ba d said. when he first broligh t ,Ifesed I I ': ward, that he was aware he 6" ;:ling ll 4 4LY. self to irritable, if not hostile " fit t ' ciC of c pe at ik part of a very respectable bo° Y na tive n p rectors of the Bank, in their qo be o atit . ' l But it should be recollected, thet