The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-06 00:00:00

4 :entlentan (Mr. Littleton), and it no easy to Pro-
claim throe as the resolutions of the comity at
Large. lie said that the poor of Stoff.oddote,
so
fir from being oppressed by the present system of
duty, bad co.Ls really cheaper. As to the t fort
of the I loopurable Gentleman, hr did by on in-sits
blame lota ; it wens, he rniKlit conceive, 111. II Illy,
but he (Mr. Laiubtor.) felt it equally his dti,) to
oppose him. •
Alr. I.ITTLFTON said, the 1100. Gentleman has
imputed motives to toe a hack--
Mr. LAIIIBTON—" 1 beg to say that I have im-
puted no improper tunties to the I 100.
—quite the contrary, for I have said dirt be cotoo-
diced it his duty to art os he dol."
Pin.l.ll's 6131 any 1)P11101, in the least
'acquainted with prdrical • commits., intro know that
it is nowise to hie a tax on the inAtistry of the pee-
ple. He said that massefarteries were est..l.ll.litil
in coal countries, because of_the f.c,hiy of pro-
curing that twers•ary article; and if' any duly were
110 w in lltllonerd on coals, it would have the err..
oftect of destroying those mann Nebo Ws.
Nothioc. lw said, was more fallacious than to talk
of the ennaliz Ilion of coal duty. Ost some acirles
maniofailorrd, the ditty on cualkittutilit amount to
li.lf ; on slime to 5 per cent. It would not 1w
an
egos's! slims —it would be the greatest possible
ins/rainy of duty.
Alderman ‘Vuon said, that the Citiz-ns of Lan-
do., did not set k to hare the tax imputed on others
tether only wish. d to get aid of a very heavy tax
on themselves, lie said that he understood, from
Ow hest information, that the etpializ dial, of coals
woolsl not summit to more than • duty of 4". 0"
the ton; all they wished for was • Committer, Ind
this was teri-teil by Gentlemen on the oplimile
interest, and a elements' was attempted to be lamed
egainst the appointment of a Committee, merely
I)..catiiie they knew that it could he proved that the
ohject of the Citizens of Loudon was reasonable sod
just.
Petition ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. LITTLEToN persented w I'vtition from the
enmity of Si istrorrtl against the Insolvent Debtors'
A, S.

tin' or I.I3IEIIICK ELECTION.
Mr Ast•c•ouse pressentell a Petition from
'ft t tiering li►re, E-tl. the lore toriitiorling
Member, against the electors's of this City. Ile
0.:111, dual loootreorer Orem Mr. Itore's 0111 r might
lw, arol iudrsd It was • easr of preirlior h•rd.hip,
p.t lu 41,.1 Ivo mean to rigid the authority of the
Sell el Colson' ter, "tor to eiepate it drvisioso ; hot
he am% sox no% to e.,11 the attention of the Ilotm
iss the &cis. ~,,, B.r that Coonmitterb in order that
►rose mesons's sorght he adopted to prevent the re-
c.orrysice nl• is c.tie to he one of extreme hardship,

as it is sir hoot • precedetil.
S r ,Jinx NESTIMMT out Ole nest this W:I•4 a Me of
;17 eat rwieri.y. and, in his the !loose was
called on In ,flake some regisl4 • that might settle
a point so likely to lead to public inconvenience.
The ir MHO,. of the Act of 1796, 1w said, extended
the City of Limerick. The county books were
o:rlittrril by the Sheriff to the Clerk of the Pence,
1') I. main with him as the cantos of the public
v. cords of the county. The poll-books of the last
ripening had been delivered by the Returning-
Officer to the Clrik of tlw Peace, and that r
was I gilt Over (rein Ireland, and examined before
the Conimittre. It had been said, that the Sherifir
had not 'tern brought before 11w Committee; hot
it die Sheriff-, irt,e.iiist whom .I r. Rice complained,
h 341 hero guilty of tiny neglect, it 'N.:• certainly not
just to virat ham with their iniscombiet. The ob-
jection tlw C ntittre mode was, that as the poll
clerk vets riot produced, there was no evidence
Out lily IHNA• Were in Nct the genuine poll-books;
hut this oa,•the first invtatice vrliere such au objec-
tion pretaileal ; and if it were to become an este.
1.11.1wil rule, it would expose the Iri.h Petitioning
Alrisibera to vast iticouve:iirsice anil enormous ex-
peter, for retry single poll eel k on the election
should iii such case be produced before the Com-
mittee. Ile hoped that the House would establish
a uniform rule on this point. so that there may not
be as matey conflicting opinions as there are Cum.

toil Irev.
A 11enili. r, whose name we could lint learn,
laid drat the case of the Petitioner was note of ca-
tionic haritslitp. Ile countried entirely with the
prayer of the Petition, and he email suet reflect
without pain on the necessity the Committee must
have lilt iu mating the decision which subjected
Mr. Rice to so much hardship.
Colonel !lenity said, he hoped some Legislative
enactment would be made upon the subject.
A Nietolief of the Committer said, that as sit-
ting no the Committee whose decision had been
so much condenuird, he would say, that no Com-
l.:nitre ever api•ointed had a greater disposition to
da justice ; at the Name time he was free to admit
tier excessive hardship of the Petitioner's caw; but
to the decision they made, they felt thesuorbres
litmus' by the law of evidence. There was uo evi.
deuce before them that the poll-books were genuine,
and though the Petitioner requested that the Com-
mittee world apply to adjourn for ten days, to
enable lino to practise witnesses from Ireland; yet
the Committee felt, the' in yielding to this if-
quest they would have dune injustice to the sit-
ting Nlenohers, who had wituesses iu Loudon at
F rest expense.
Mr. AocacnostoT said, that hr had been ac-
cused of Illiberal expresh s w bringing forward
this subj. rt ; but there was no occasion of his life
less I.kely to disturb Into than this, because he
hoped that bringing forward this subject would
the House to adopt some iorariable rule that
mould g..veno every future case.
Mr. W. ‘1 s N suggested the propriety of with.
olrawmg Ihe P. tition. It appeared to him that the
emnethiiig like censure ou the
Committee, and he did nut wish to see a precedent
this maitre recorded int the Journals of the
!louse. Ile slid not inopot., any ldante to the Prti-
limit r—lie wits guilty of oti act of negligence—m
rut having htnupht before them the Poll Clerk,
Ins case wuuiit hare been injuted ; for what was
liiore mound 111 suppose, than that the evidence
witch bail he... received 111 other cases would have
been so divot,' in this ? The Committee, however.
had thought o,hs ramie, and though he lamented their
becein,c it bore severely on the Petitioner,
I he cut. II our prove of the present proceeding.
The Petition was then ordered to be printed. It
states—
et un the 6.st (lay of the present Session of Psili•

merit, a P. tilinn was received by the !loose, panto. g a dr
m eeeee ration of she sight of election, and e planturg of an
undue retort. for the Conaly of the City ul Linirtirk.
Tirol the Peritioster entered into the recog.mig owes re-
el •rl law, nutter the several OM lilts passed in the 214th
nod 53.1 seam of his present Mei sty'. reign.
That the Petitioner served a polite on the tiltior Pleas•
bre, apprizing him that it was tatetimled to apply f. r a t
eeee to take vvldencr in Leland
That a S:•l. et Committee liaeirre been appointed to try the
merits of Pleb Penton', the statements and lists were ex-
changed on Friday, the 27th of February.
That in order to prus•e the Petitioner's right as 3 randi-
darr• to proceed, the poll. books wire prolloced in the hood.
of the tours. officer—the. Town Clerk anti Clerk uf
Peace for the City of limeritk.
That the Kelorning Officers were proved I. have rreeirial
the poll-hooks at the immediate close of the last elm (lion,
an•l to have 5.1410 after delivered them to the Town Clerk and
sit of the l'eace, as Ilne proper racelos.
'that she poll-hoka were tendered to the Select Commit.
Ire by the Town Clerk and Clink of time Peace, in the same
state as when be had received them, and with the still of the
lietstruing Offirerm unbroken.
That stn evidence, or even Suagestion was offered, to strew
that the 1011-books had ever been out of legal custody.
That in every Irish case since the U 1311113 torch evidence
had been uniformly received anti acted upon, as statical to
lour Iwnticate the ball-books.
Tloni it swot etheless appeared meet io amh Select Com-
mittee to reject this evidence as insufficient, and to refuse
the Petitioner any opportunity of producing the witnesses,
whine ■tteod:owe was rearm-lend n ry by the strict cults
now fur the first time at, enforced.
Thot however deeply the Petitioner lamrnterl a determi-
nation whim It In IP affected his own hopes and sitters acm, and
has prevented a large and respectable busty of Electors I.
bliss( their claims before the douse of Common., nod from
oblatwing a redress for the injustice of a hich they complain,
still the Petitioner bowed with 'Omission to the authority of
the Beier% Committee.
That the Petittoirer email not but feel more strongly the
hordthips of I.i* situation, when he considered that he, obey-
ing every enactment of the Legislature, eel ry stauthog or.
der of the hippie, and pursuing the uniform course uf
usage and precedent, was yet excluded from the remedy
be had sought to obtain; whilst other Petitioners, who have
'realm cred the positive enactments uf statutes, and aho are
therefore limed by tie ordinary construction of law, are
yet, by the etpritable jorisdiction uf Parliament, admitted
as Petitioners at the Bar
That the Petitioner beg, here to represent moat strongly
the door.' ions cousternueoces to which the d.ctsimos of the
Siefert Committee mnst inevitably teat, by subj• cling Irish
P.lttioners to pecnliar diflteattles add enormoua (sperms;
by investing returning-officers with a most arbitrary power;
by counteracting the intentions of the Legislature, in pro-
viding for the examination of evidence in irelaati ; and by
pliscoug the claims of Petitioners and the rights of Electors
at the mercy of a single Deptity•Sheriff, ur
Tsar Petitioner begs humbly to suggest, that, if all Re-
turning lacers were bMllid to insert the 'rinses of all Cau•
&olefin, and the fact of a pull, in the inslessi sires of et torn ;
and that inch relent, duly sinlwatiratol, weer made evi-
dence of all the allegations it corstaineil, the cads whirl'
hove pressed on your Petitioner with such III'EUILIF sere ray
would ri.r the futitre be obviated.
lie therefore prayed, that the House will take the pre-
mises into consideration, and will make thereon ills It usdrr
as Is. their wisdom should seem meet.
%Ir. It, SUM ta ER COMplaitieti of the time taken
up iu private bliainetia, nod if the want of proper
arrangemen►, by which means great public interests
had bell. stnipriidtcl.
The SilEssEit agreed in the justice of the Ater.
ration made by the lion. Member—it was ter.
tainly true. that in the paper of private business,
Pet tiona were printed *hid) rehired illtogetlwr to
public business, and that in consequence of this it
was impossible to know when the public business
might come on. He could only say, that if the
House considered it necessary to meet at an rather
hour he would cheerfully agree to any arrangement
of that kind.
The Report of the Committee on the Petition
for Lighting the City of \l'estminster with
was brought up, and leave given to bring iu a Bill
accordingly.

SCOTTISH BU RG HS.
.Mr. BENNETr presented e Petition from the In-
habitants of the Royal Burgh of Whithorn, pray-
ing for • reforinatiort in the government .r the
Royal Burghs of Scotland.—Read cud laid on the li
table.
Mr. CLIFFORD presented • Petition from Ban-
don Bridge, against ally further exten►ion of privi-
leges to the Itoinan Catholics.
Sir H. Pamir:Lt. understood that the two former
Petitions from the same place were only copies of
that stow presented, which was the only of ignial, the
only one that had ever been at Bandon. fle would
be glad to have some explanation on the sult4ect
from the lion. Gentleman.
Mr. Curium) made a very brief reply, not au-
dible in the gallery.
The Petition was read and I MI Oil the table.
MOCK AucrioNs.
Mr. Alderman WAITIIM A N presented a Petition
from the town of Ipswich against mock unctions.
Ile said, that • Bill on this subject had hero pre-
pared, which carefully avoided every far objec-
tion. There was, he understood, one objection to
the Bill ; it was that it would deprive the Soli-
citor of the Excise of certain free ;hut he submitted
that this ground way not a wise *me upon which to
resist a measure capable at once of correcting
many abuses, and of improving the reveitue.

.

r

from eximiniug and arratitiiig gn extensive .0 or
letter, he had received on the question—lae%ide.,
e%-
s,rrt•nrots had been for snot,. tune carrying oil, 00 a
Ihrge scale, till the result of which was kimwii he
wn. nowilhog to commit himself, by adopting any
ti ate plan. Ile hoped, lioweier, lie should he
enabled ht come to a decision in it e COllll,O of next
week, and to state his sentiment• to the [louse.
Mr. WAI.I.Act: hoped a fill would be brought
forward, embodying the opinion, of the Coconut tee,
so far a• would be practicable, ivitliout
the dillies which he should oppose.
Mr. CALCRAFT feared that whatever measure•
lie might propose to the Committee would not
meet the approbation of the lion. Gentleman, as
lie had dissented from every thing suggested ly
him before. Ile knew that with respect to the
abolition of the duties, they were iii the same state
as in last year ; and that the revenue was not in
such a condition that they could be given lip witl
out an equiv dent. Next week, however, lie should
submit a motion to the House on the subject.

VOTERS' OATHS.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS gave notice of a motion fur
the 19th of March, for the imposition of a certain
oath tin the voters in Boroughs at Election•.
It staP Ihru agreed, that the House should at its
riping adjourn till Monday next.
ROYAL. HOUSEHOLD.
The CHAtick:i.i.uit of the ExcifEerns moved,
that in consequence of ►he absence of the Noble
ViPcotint (Lord Castlereagh), caused by a severe
foully offliction, the Committee on the Royal
Household Bill, which riool on the orders fur the
(lay, should be postpotied till Monday se'tinight.—
A greed to.

EQUERRI ES AT WiNDsoit
Sir A I.EX AIS DLit Hope !not pont (I. teir Ille Rum.
arson, his 'notion for the continuance of six
Equerries on the Royal Estaahli,hmr•ul at ‘Vittchtor,
till Slototty

DEL
The defaulters at the Ballot of yt slerday were
repotted to the House, and the Meisthrr• eihsesst
were ordered to attend on Tuesday, and some on
subsequent days.
ARMY FATIMATEs.
Lord PALMERSTON said, he should, on Monday
next, state to the House the number of the Forces
intended to be kept up for the current year—but
as the Finance Committee h.d not yet been r so-
allied to snake any Report, he consid .red it more
convenient to postpone the consideration of the
Army Estimates till after their Report should be
laid en the table.
Mr. Ca I.CrtAF r complained of the delay which
had taken place its the sittings of the Koonce
Committer-. Towards the end of the last Session,
he had moved in► the Committee fur accounts of
drawback► and homilies and other heads of expen-
diture, to the amount of eleven million., upon
which, if i:.vestigated, he had hoped a great saving
might be effected; but from the Welles% of the
Session that could not be done. Ile loped an early
meeting of the Committee would take place, for
otherwise there could be no sati-factory result from
their !Alums. The Storekeeper-Cleocreil'i accomits
lie had also heel' desirous to examine into ; the
Committee having been of opinion that it was
" much larger than was necessary." But unless,
he repeated, the Committee met early, no beot-
ficial effect would follow their :oopoi.llment.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHLQVUL agreed.
that it was desirable the Committee slaeuld Inert as
early as possible, to commence the important ob-
jects for which they had been appointed. The
meetings hail been postponed on account of the
most active Members having kern I.bociotpiy
rn-
gaged on other Committees. Ile pledged himself, •
however, that Ito time should he lo•t, sod lie
hoped a meeting would be held ill the course of
next week.
51r. CA LCRA FT said, that the presence of the
active Members alluded to by the Right I Inflow-
able Gentleman, wee by no means necesrary to con-
stitute a meeiing, merely to snake an order for the
prodoclio:i of pavers.
The CHANCELLOR of the ELICHEQUER had no
objection to producing the papers the honourable
Member wished for.
Mr. TtEntki EY could not conceive why the Noble
Lord, to whom, he believed, the Right !honourable
Gentleman at used, cnitlil not be rriiret+esiteil in the
Committee by somebody eke, unless the Committee
was intruded not to look to the interests of the
people, but to carry into rili:ct the views of the
Government.— ( I Icor, hear.) —lle was cone as-
tonished that though the Committee had been
appointed a mouth, the Chairman hail not sum-
moned them fora single meeting. It proved, how-
ever, the correctness of has opinion on the sitter tn-
utility of the Committee—the whole was now lITOVtd
to he a mockery —( I leur J —it load never meant
any thing, it rill not then miscall any thing, and it
never would mean any thing. Nothing e thectual
it would be dime till the Ilun•e took the affair into
their own hands.— ( hear, hear.)


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