The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-02 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS. WEDNESDAY, Manor 1.

NATIONAL DEIIT.
The Annual Report of the grosv amount paid into the Treasury
by the Conunissioners of the National Debt was brougnt up, ►nd
bid on the table.

KENSINGTON CA NA Ir.
Mr. BYNG brotight up the Report on the Kensington Canal
Bill, and moved for leave to amend the sante.
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
Mr. W. PEEL presented a petition from the inhabitants of the
town of Tronworth. in Staffordshire, praying her the abolition of
slavery. He said, as it was not his intention to take any part in
the debate which was expected to take place that night relative to
the cordition of negro slaves, he would say a few words in refer-
ence to the petition which he held in his hands. It was numerously
and respectably signed. The petitioners approved most highly
.of
the resolutions entered into by the House itt Inn, and were desir-
oils that the principle of those resolutions should be carried into
effect. They did not urge the immediate and sudden manumission
of the negroes, but wished the House would adopt such measures
as woniti lead to their emancipation. They went a step further
than other petitioners who had preceded them ; they were willing
to contribute (if called upon) towsrds indemnifying any loss that
might be sustained in forwarding that measure of relief towards the
slaves in the West Indies. There was one point to which he would
call the attention of the House. As the law of evidence at present
stood in the West India Colonies, the testimony of a slave could
not be received concurrently or in contradiction of the evidence of a
white; so that ff 6 merttftlid been annoritted lit the presence of
one white and several negro slaves, the testimony of the white only
could he received as evidence of the fact, and should even this
white he the brother of the murderer, it was only by his evidence
that the culprit could he convicted. This was certainly a great
grievance, and, in his opinion, called upon the House for interfer-
ence. He concurred in the opinions of the petitioners, and he
trusted the object of the petition would soon be effected.
Similar petitions were presented by Lord Althorp. from Ketter-
ing, in Northamptonshire ; from Rowell and Desboroueh, by Mr.
Ilyng ; from lirentford, by Sir Thomas Acland ; from Devonport,
by Mr. Drummond ; from Falkirk, by Mr. Tremayne ; from Iles-
; ton, by Mr. 'Nodal° ; from Birmingham and its vicinity ; by Mr.
• Curti is, front Cliff- Lewes ; by Mr. Wyvill. from the city and vi-
trinity of York ; by Lord Lowther, from Appleby, in IVestmor-
I land. aid from Stowmarket, in Stiftlk, by Mr. Chaplin : from South
from Holbeach, bong-Sutton, and Halcsborough ;
Iby Mr. Dickinson, from NViveliacombe ; by Mr. Hume, from
I Kingston ; by Sir IL Ferguson, from Burntisland ; by Mr. Len.
ears, from Ipswich, and front the Protestant Convocation of I)is-
seoters the same place ;by Mr. Legh Keck, from Butter-
rth ; by Mr. Allen. from Pembroke : by Mr. Whitmore,
from Oswestry ; by Mr. Woilehouse, from Norfolk ; by Sir
Philip Mositraye, front the city of Carlisle ; by Mr. W. Smith,
from Ports,' tonth.
Mr. FLEMING presented a petition from a meeting of the in-
habitants of the Isle of Wight. assembled at Newport. praying for
the abolition of slavery, and a reduction of the duties on West
(nein produce: also from Gosport and Eornsey.
Mr. Om tiv,/ presented a petition front Ellesmere; and Mr.
WHITMORE front Oswestry, to the same effect.
CORN LAWS.

Mr. !It'll E presented a petition from Stockport, praying for an
alterstim in the Corn LAwa and also for the abolition of slavery.
lie s!titi the petition WAS signed by between two and three thousand
persons t they complained that while the price of labour was at the
lowest tate that of bread was at the highest. He agreed in the
views of tile petitioners, and hoped the House would take the sub-
ject into their most serious consideration.
Similar petitions were presented by Mr. Pym, front the county of
flmford ; by Mr. Gooch, front Colford ; by Mr. Stuart. Wortley,
front Tenterden ; by Mr. Legh Keck, from Hinckley.
SILK TRADE.
Mr. FLEMING presented a petition from the silk-manufac-
turers of Overton against the importation of French silk..
SCOTS LAW.
Mr. DODSWELI. presented a petition (u we understood) for
I the repeal of two Acts of the Scottish Parliament relative to assault
and battery.

SALARIES TO CORONERS.
Mr. GOOCH presented a petition from the Coroners of the
county of Suffolk, praying for an increase of salary.
CASE OF MR. WELLS.
Lord MILTON presented a petition from Mr. James Wells,
residing in some pert of the Isle of Ely, complaining of being
treated as a lunatic, and preying the House to inquire into his case.

IRISH
Mr. 0. LAMB presented a petition from the boat owners and
fishermen of Bungsrvon, complaining of the state of the tisheies
and the use of trawl nets.
PRISON AMENDMENT BILL.
Mr. WOD.E HOUSE moved the second reading of the Prison
Amendment Bill.—Ordered to be committed to-morrow.
PUNISHMENT OF HARD LABOUR.
AI r. GOUT BURN said that. two Acts had passed last Session,
apportioning the punishment of hard labour to certain offences ; it
was his intention to bring in a Bill to aasimilate the law in both
countries.

MOTIONS P( /STPONED.
Mr. S. WORTLEY moved that the motion of the Hon. Mem-
ber for Stetford, relative to private Committees, should be deferred
to the 9.h of March.—Agreed to.
Mr. WII IT MORE put of his motion relative to the Corn Laws
from the 13th to the 111th April.—Agreed, to.
Mr. M'Oi)EHOI TS E begged leave to postpone his motion rela-
tive to poor-rates, which stood for this day, to the 14th instant.—
A grt eel to.
Mr. F. BUXTON presented petitions from the city of London
end its vicinity, from Norfolk. Norwich, Edinburgh, Sheffield, and
several other places, praying for the abolition of slavery in the
West Indies. He wished more particularly to call the attention of
the House to the petition from the city of London and its vicinity,
which was more numerously signed than any that had ever been
prevented on the subject, it having received the signatures of no
less than seventy-two thousand persons. After stating this fut. and
enumerating the several petitions he had received from other parts
of the kingdom, he thought be need not occupy the time of the
House by attempting to prove that the public felt a very great and
lively interest on the subject. lie could not, however, allow this
opportunity to pass by without askiii,r the Right Hon. Ghmtleman
opposite (Mr. Canning) what was the course which ilia Alejesty's
Government meant to pursue with regard to this qnestion ? Per..
' ceiving as lie did that the public mind was exceedingly alive to the
condition of the negro slaves, he trusted that the Right Hon. Gen-
fiction would state explicitly whether any further measures were
intended to be adopted by his Majesty's Government to aceom.
plish the object an universally desired. Ilefore lie (Mr. F. Buxton)
sat down, he wished to state to the House the precise position la
which this subject at present rested. In the year 18.23 the question
was first agitated, and he had the honour at that time of submitting
to the House a resolution declaratory of what he conceived to be
the real feeling' ci' every Christian and, every freeman with respect
to slavery; at that time, however, it wan stated by his Majesty's
Govesameat that the question vas oae of so mach importance, of