The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-03-17 00:00:00

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY,

ACHARITY SERMON will be preached
Neat SUNDAY Morning; the sorb hottest, at
BROMPTON CHAPEL, by the Bee. JOHN OWEN,
A.M. Carats Erni Lecturer of the Parish Claurch, Fathom.
Prayers at Eltotta.
ANNUAL COURT OF DIRECTORS.

Aquatic 9alliwatiou, Sm. i.e.
Dirmu.t.c I Restored to Life,)) Paroelsill •
Happiness tad to the State, burhns
pronoiterl. 3179. Pre' "I".
Fifteen Thomuled asisessislare Weil rerarded.
oftsheriptior.s, &c. hathioft at Baron Diminish's!, Fehr
soft Chateris. ; Dow* samiCes; Druessoacde; mad se Ns.
il, Spital-square.

MPERI.IL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—WomsDAT, Maze* 16.

The Ellri Of 111117ST/A and Lord NORTHLAND tee
t►e sobs sad t►rir watt

The Royal Marine Mutiny Bill was read a third time sod
paawd.
Mr. Wnaaron, and a deputation from the Commons,
brought up several Sills for the continuance of ,main du-
ties about to expire, awl the Irish Sugar Duty 8,11. They
wen severally rot is first time.

CRDEbS IN COUNCIL. •
A conversation 10PIL between Eurh LAVD[tDAbt
and B ATUU rektificto the operation of the Orders is
Council, is prevent* jut Importation or French colonial
produce into Europe, bat width the first Noble Earl ex-
pres:d Iris iosbilit) to procure the infurmatiou be suited
414 that subject.
ADJOURNED DEBATE ON A QUESTION OF
PRIVILEGE.

Lord GRENVILLi declaredhis unwillingness to
trespass on the attention of the House at the pre-
nut moment, being rather anxious to hear from
the Noble Lords on the opposite side a statement
of their opinions, on a subject so essentially im-
portant to the privileges of the 'Louse. He con-
s:WNW by moving the order of the day for resum-
ing the debate on his former motion, for the rt-
jection of the Bill founded on the Orders in
Council.

Lord Hawitesar air declared himself a firm and
unalterable friend to the privileges of that noose,
and an strongly was he impressed with the necessity
of upholding them, that if he could he convineeff
that any measure, however urgent in its nature, or
important in its effects, in any degree violated them,
he would be the last man to persevere in pressing
it. Bat upon the present wanton, after a very
accurate research of precedents, after a serious exa-
mination, in which he was aided by persons most
competent to afliird assistance, lie was fully COD-
winced that the House had, in various instances, re-
ceived and sanctioned bills of aid and supply, al-
though such bills contained provisions and daises
different from and foreign to their object. The
standing order on which the -Noble Baron had
grnunded his motion, was entered upon the roll of
that House in the year 1701. Ili order, therefore,
to furnish the House with precedents, by
which it should dow regulate its opinion,
he had selected • cases cotemporaneoua with
the passing of this Order. and others also which had
taken place in more recent periods of our l'arlia-
meatary history. In the 6th of Queen Anne, a
Bill of aid arid supply was accompanied with refo-
lations purporting to affect the Charter of the k.ast
India Company. In the 9th and loth of the same
reign, in similar bills, there were inserted clauses
for regulating the Charter of the Bank of England.
The Noble Lord then proceeded to state the in-
stances in the present reign, which, in his opinion,
fully met the objections of the Noble Damn (Olen-
vine), as they proved that it had been as well the
principle as the practice of Parliament eimisooisa
saris Dills, although contaiuing provisions totally
foreign to the professed principle. He luid parti-
cular stress upon the Consolidation Bill, a hich,
thoush a measure of supply; also iiirolved in its
consideration the gnat Commercial Treaty, aiul the
Irish Stntup-duty Bill, which had introduced into
its provision' the enactments against newspaper
printers charged with libellous offences. The No-
ble Lord concluded a very long and able speech.
lnv declariug his inteilion to oppose the rejection of
the Bill.

Lord F.asetxx did expect that the Noble Set te-
tary would have concluded hir long discourse by
moving for the repeal of the Standing Order ;
because if the arguments he had adduced, or the
instances he hail brought forward, were to have
validity, they must operate to prove the impror
priety of tint rule. The question was, whether
that rule was a wise and expedient one ? and if it
was so, then their Lordshi pa *ere bound otu t of regard
to their own privile.vr, to support it. The speech
of the Noble Secretary resolved into this alterna-
tive: either that the precedents he instanced did
not apply to the case in point, and in that view
there was an end to his objections; or that, if at all
applieable, their proved too much. For the•hf-
teen months he had set on the Woodeock he felt
it his duty to do, what he •was aware his Noble
and Learned Friend (Load Eldon) was ever anxi-

eus to, do, studiously to guard the priwikies of.
that Howie; tet,'eveu in that short period, he bed
opposed, and ►ucceeded in rajertiog a very im-
portant Bill, bemnse it trenched *pon thir very
identical order, which seemed UMW) IU the °plow..
of the N nide Sec,•etar, , to have lost Ml of lit
concluded by declaring it the duty of that [loose
to support its own privileges, by acceding to the
motion of his Noble Friend.

Lord Mu LGRAY r. was iiiduord, frosts the acknow-
ledged talents and ingenuity of the .Noble and
Learned Lord, to expect, that he woull at least
have supported his use of conduct by aoine dis-
proval of shit strong and pointed illustrations of
his Noble Friend (Hawkesbury). Instead of hav-
ing that hope gratified, he found the Noble Lord
alone depending on a case, where he himself,
as presiding im the Woolsack, thought proporsto
decide upon that rule, end reject a Lill seat up
from tilt. other House of Parliament. Did he
consult the House on the propriety of adopting
that system of proceeding, or was the queation it-
self submitted to the discussion of the douse?--
Indeed, he could not see 00 what grounds the
Noble Baron (Grenville) could, in a dictatorial
manner, make such a proposition, especially on a
Bill so important to the general• interests of the
country, and so particularly called fur by the hos-
tile arid violent menaces of France against the
existence of British commerce.

..... .
Lord HOLLAND, in an animated speech, answered
the observations of the Noble Lord who preceded
him. He denied the inferences he had drawn, as
well as the comments he had made on the conduct
of his Noble friend, when he had the' honour to sit
on the Woolsack. It was not because he had felt
it his duty to reject a Bill at that period, that the
precedent was now insisted upon. It was made by
the decision of this House, the measure of their
Lordships. and the subsequent concurrence of the
House of Commons acknowledged the validity and
practice of th privilege. It was arientml to flat
House to support its privileges, but if ever there
was one more vitally important, it was on such
measures as the House was restricted front the ex-
ercise of any option. The House of Commons re-
jected any Bills for imposing duties on the subject,
if any alteration was made by their Lordships,
and thereihre the benefit and importance of pre-
serving this order wu considerably enhanced. -His
Lordship concluded by observing, that it would be
for the benefit of His Majesty's Ministers, that the
Bill was rejected, for if it poised it would destroy
the country, end in the end it would be the ruin of
its authors.

Lord MULGRAVII quoted many ',wettest' to
spew that the Bill did not interfere with the pri.
viler:es of the Ilouae. _ _

Ifiseaust Stomouvu observed, that the qtievtiou
was. whether the Bill was a JIM of Aid and Sup-
ply? As, if it was, the introdaction of a clause of
indemnity into it, materially did away the Stand-
ing Order of the [louse of 17114.
Vis,cunt Mem tt.LE argued that the clauses
for indemnity were necessary and consonant parts
of the Bill.

The Earl of LAI'DIMPALE supported the Mo-
tion for the rejection of the Bill, and said the
House, if they passed it in its present form, ought
to give up being a part of the Legislature of the

country'.
Lora GRICNVILLT, in a very able and eloquent
speech, replkd, and observed, that he expected the
Noble and Learned Lend on the Woolsack
have given his opinion in a ease where the privi.
loges of the House were called in question.
Lord Expo m spoke in support of the Bill.
. .

Earl GREY said he war never wore surprised
than to hear the arguments of the Learned Lord on
the Woolsack, it be might rail them argumeats.—
He expected sometlinig original from into, if it
was only doubts.
The Earl of LAUDIRDAIst said ti few words in
explanatios ; and the Question Leing loudly called
for, the House divided, when there appeared, for
the Motion of Rejection

Pretest IS—Presit 14
A gainst it, Presiait

Majority is favour of the .....
• At THREE O'CLOCK this morning the Heusi
adjourned.

110VSE OF COMMONS.

Lord W A LPOT r brought tllp tlu report of the Committee
appni•ted to examine the contested Election fur the Borough
of Malden, *loch stated that the Sitting .Metuber, Lard
Headley, was unduly elected; sad the proceeded
to he.. ►is seder to t►e Clerk of t►e Crows to make oat •
mew Writ file the Election of • Member to serve in the pro.
taut Parli•sent, is tlw rooms of his Lordship. ,