The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-05-15 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

To t►e third ►eadinq of the Wiltshire, &c Canal Bill, Mr.
WN•1111.T011 objected, and moved, as an amendment, "'that
it s►sold be read a third time this day t►ree mout►s."
Lord POIIICINESTeR supported thu original motion i and,
after some disrussioo, a division took place—
For the Amendment
Agatust it

Majority
The Bill woo accor•liugly read a third time soul pencil
Sir Jowa NOWPOIIIr gave sulky, that he would take to-
morrow her ►es "notion relative to Sir George Slier.
A Committee of tlw House, on the subject of Foreign Salt,
was agree.' to for to-sourrue.
Mr. Wu •irroo toured foe, sad, having obtained leave,
►emght up a number of Papers relative to the Trade and
Gterersisorist of the Island of Trinidad —Laid on the table
The Excbrirer Bills Bill, and t►e Einbeoslement Bill,
third

mere mail • , time mid passed.
Yr. Wet o brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on &tempter Bills, jec. which sae laid on the table,
mad ureteral to be printol.
THE CATHOLIC QUESTION.

Mr. GRATTAN, in conavquesice of the nee.. •
absence of a Right Hun. Friend of his, who was to
support him in advocating the cause of the Rotitatt
Catholics of Ireland, postponed his notice on the
subject of Catholic Eimuicipation, which stood for
to-murrow, till Friday next.
EAST INDIA COMPANY.

M. A turrs74prvstnteelairetiW;iii from the East
India Company, claiming Lgoo,uoul. as • debt due
to them by the public.
The CuAul eLLOn of the EXCHFQUEII signißed
the concurrence of the Majesty's tiovennuent in
the reception of this petition.
The petition was then brought up and read by
the Clerk. It gave ■ history of the Committees on
East India Affairs in 1905, 8, and to. Del:Lived
the Cnnspany'a obyections to the rules and prin•
ciples acted on by those of the two Ginner years,
and cunplained, last, from the nature of their in-
strut-boas, the sitting Committee did not conceive
itself entitled to esaintue into their present
The debt was demanded as arising from expenwra
paid by the Company in late Indian wars and ex-
peditious, for the common good of themselves and
the public, and from their costs in subduing Cry..
loci, which had since been annexed to the natioual
possessions.
The petition haying been read-
111r. AVM RN moved, That it should be referred
to the Committee on India affairs to examine into,
and report upon the same, with their opinion.
thereon."

Mr. Cativry was surprised that the E.ist India
Comeany could mike any demand like this upon
the public. Their accounts had been referred to
• Committee in toed, which reported, that the
auto owing by the country to the Company was
2,300,0001. Of thin sum two millions had been
paid at different times. In 1808. another Com-
mittee was appointed, which, from some mode of
argument of several •ble Gentlemen, and, among
others, of the Chairman (Mr. Grant), were induces]
to swell the balance of 300,0001. to I..Stin,oool. On
that occasion, the Member for Bedford (Mr. %Whit-
bread) had asked if these accounts were now finally
dosed and it was not denied by Gentlemen on the
ether aide, but that they were so to be understood.
The Company, however, even after this, now
agent came forward to claim 1,900,0001. as a debt
from the public, though, three months ago, when
they came to ask for • loan. they had not such
a elem. He conceived it to be a desperate at-
tempt, on the part of the Company. to get that by
petition, which it would be hopeless to get by bring-
ing a Bill into the House, on which there would he
too many opportunities of discussion. It was tow
four years since any discussiou had taken place on
East India affairs. or since there had been •
Budeet. All that the House, therafbre, knew of
India, was from the petitions of the Company.
From these they learnt, that, in tar, the Company
had to burrow two millions. In inOS. they re-
ceived 1400.0001, in payment of the public dgle;
and in 1809. the receipts were not equal to the es-
peaditure. It was now impossible. so near the
sad of the Session. to omit to a full discussion
as the affairs of India. He would not, however.
oppose the motion; and concluded with en obser-
?sties on the Company's dividends being Ini per
cent, which was more than the law authorised.
Mr. GILANT maintained. that the Company had
nitwit claim to what they now asked ; a claim they
bad never forgot or abandoned. Though they were
silent to the question put by the Member fur Bed-
ford, yet that did not imply conseut, as there was
at that very• time • report before the House, one•
quivocally insisting on these very claims. They
now appealed to the justice of the House to have
their demands examined, and if anything was
found to be due to them, to hare it paid. The
Company had never subecribedlo the doctrines of
the Old Committee, in 1805 ; aad. evea now, if
they obtaised all they asked. they would not be
half compensated for what it had cost them in ware
and expeditious for the country service. With re-
spect to their ditidends, they hal never divided
more than they were entitled to do on the profits,
by Act of Parliament.
Lord A. HAIHLTON expressed himself astonished
at this petition. He had formerly objected to the
grant of money to the East India Company, unless
the exposition of their affairs was laid before the
House. He now wished for that exposition, before
bi- granted any more. The whole accounts and
trump:none were laid down and closed by the
Committees in 1805 and 1808. and hr was sur-
prised, after hating read their report., that the
Rigiit Hon. Gentleman oppr..ite. on part of
Grisernruent, should lee found to assent to any new
claim.

The CIIIVICILLLOR or the EXCHWER eeptait.cd
%hut tn. conduct had been on the former payment
et 1400.0001. Ile assented to receiving the pre-
neat petttisin. because he was informed that the

Company thought their claims inequitably det i lid
against them, unit that the Conintitteeitiow pitting
on their affairs were not itnpuivered to inquire into
the justice of this allegation. lie thought it but
fair that the matter should be exatniued by the
Committee, and, un whichever side it was—justice
done. . .

Mr. WHITIIRRAD reverted to the question he had
asked in 1808, when the snine Gentlemen were
Chancellor of the Exchequer and President of the
Board of Coutroul as now, and it was understood
that the Company's claims were finally settled, and
balance struck. They ought not, in his °Militia,
after this, be suffered to come with other demands.
It would lie most disadvantageous to the public
were the Company to be allowed to plead as an ex-
cuse, that they had always a current account, and
that having been 'twat s dissatisfied with the deci-
sion of the Committees of 180.5 and 8, they might
re-open it whenever it appeared most convement fur
them to do so. Much had been said of having the
doors wide open to petitioners—they were to-day too
open to this, which lie considered a very improper
petition.
Mr. DUNS*, SAUNDERS said, that when the
question was asked by the lion. Gentleman (Mr.
Whitbread), he, concluding upon the doctrines
laid down by the Committees, had believed that the
Company's accounts were closed. But it would be
very hard, if, ou the lion. Gentleman's theory, the
Company, or any party who thought themselves
aggrieved, should not be allowed to state the
nature of that grievance. Many persons thought
that the rules and doctrines laid down by the Com-
mittees were very hard on the Company. The
Company had never ceased to complain of them ;
mid the origin of this petition was the incompetence
of the Sitting Cotriniittee, us now constituted, to in-
quire into the grounds of these complaints. With
respect to the observation, that the Committee in
MIA had swelled the debt from 300,0001. to
1.500,0001. it must be recollected, that they had
many addaional accounts and claims before them.
The house would not shut the doors against persons,
supposing they had a claim on the public. They
had not done do with a Gentleman. (Mr. Pal.
finer,) who, fur twenty years, had preferred such
claims from the Post-Office, and they ricotta not do
it to the East India Company. As for the ex position
mentioned by the Noble Lord. it would be added
as an Appendix to that report of the Committee now
sitting.
The question was put and earned.
CREESES gave notice, that he would, ti -
moirow, move for the Reports of the Counuitke
ou India Affairs, in 1805, and MOS.
MAJOR CARTWRIGHT'S PETITION.

Mr. tViii Tette AD said. he lied in his hand a pe-
tition on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, per.
porting to be the petition of the Undersigned
Freeholders of England." When put iu Ins hands.
he, not holding the opiiiious iiiiplited to him by
Gentlemen on the other side, that petits, in what-
ever terms they wt re couched. ought to be received
by the House, had read it over, to see whether or
not it contained any thing of offensive language ;
that ifit had, the iiiilividual, whose composition it
was, might have altered it in such a manner that
he could present it. That individual ass a person
well known. for the share he had taken in
those questions for mauy years. It was Major
Cartwright, who bad spent the greet. r part of
a long and laborious life. in put „oho( the great
design of restoring the British Constitution; and
who, whatever difference Gentlemen might feel,
from his political opinions. must be ackuow.
ledged to be of the utmost worth and inte-
grity in private life. This was the same Gen-
tleman. whose Address to the King the Right Hun,
Secretary (Ryder) had not thought worthy that
mark of attention to read it to Its Majesty. But,
it appeared that the Court of Admiralty thought
this Gentleman amore worthy a mark of honour
than the ftglit lion. Secretary ; for. they, out of
pure repent, had appointed him to the rank of
Master and Comm iuder in the Navy. now he our
upwards of 70 yeas vier, and 54.) years since lie
had left the sersi.e as a -Lieutenant. Front what
be had ever sees of the public %traitors of this
Gentleman, his language always appeared to Le
decorous, and it had invariably been so in his public
or private letters to him, (Mr. Whitbread), whether
approving or condemning his conduct. He con-
sidered it to be decorous in this petition, and there-
fore he presented it, though it contained opinions
with menv of which he agreed, some of which lie
doubted, soil from smite of which he differed.
The petition was brought tip and read by the
Clerk. It was very long. and set mu by stating.
that the late proceedings of the House, ou the il-
legality of which, hr conceived there could be hut
one opinion, had brought the question of Parlia-
mentary Reform more immediately to issue. It
referred to the decision of the House on the night
between the 11th and 12th May last, on the charges
brought against Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Per-
ceval, which it characterised as a fliwant outrage;
as when seats in the House were bought and sold,
Englishmen were bought and sold—sod this prac-
tice it asserted was past endurance. It then wee thru'
the common topics of the profligacy of eellingurats,
and the audacity of vindicating it ; the likeable
the House assu aaaaa tic higher powers thou belonged
to it—higher than the united Parliament or the
King himself. It laid down what the House ought
to be. to be entitled to the reveren:e of the people,
and argued, hypothetically. that it might bethe re.
vase. sod abandoned to every vice—as sesta to be
trafficked in by unpnocipled sharpers—unfaithful
‘liiiisten---Ainatic Nabob,. 4c. in proof of thus,
it cited the Nabob of Areses having purchased
seats for seven or eight of his agents. and the agent
of a French, King's Mistiest. (we believe Madame
da Barre:, having • seat in the House. By ibis
means, the Constitution miest be murdered, and.
unlike the King. who never died. as one succeeded
another a ithout a bleak, the Constitution. if it once
r fell. a otild never resuscitate. Froinithea doctrines.
it argued the necessity of a radical Reform, and
concluded by condeinuing die employment of a
standing army, as had beets done in taking Sir F.
Burdett. I • infer the Civil Government. the country
would acquiesce, but under the military it was rank
despotism.
Mr. WiIITOREAD moved, " That Vie petition
should lie eu the table." - -

Tke CMAIICELLOR of the Euneguigu, from the
Meat laud downier it coutaiuctit I.ad selected oue

or two passages. which, iii his opinion, rendered it
unfit lot the House receive. .1-le then noticed
two passages; the first, in which the House was
accused ota "flagrant injustice. past endurance, as
an outrage upon an Englishman;' and the other,
stating that "of the illegality of their proceedings,
the petitioners conceived there could be but one
opinion." For these, among many others, he
thought the ilouse mast reject the petition, if they
were not content to he uceused of" flagrant injustice,
beyoutl endurance." mud to herald that there could
be " but one opinion of the illegality of their pro-
ceedings." He also noticed die extreme length of
the paper from a single individual, not as anobjection
to receiving it, but to sheer hew iliconvtment it
would be to load their Journals, by encouraging
such folios.
Mr. WHITBREAD sold, he was sure there was no
intention on the pert of the petitioner to offer insult
to the House. If he could guess any thing from
hie demeanour, conversation. ar.d political life, he
could not have such an intention, as his great am-
bition seemed to lie to have his opinions recorded
—recorded, not according to the new-fangled
doctriue of the Kight Honourable Gentleman op-
posite, who would refuse the petitions of the sub-
ject, and would not open the doors wide enough
to admit those which, from the windier of the
grievances they complained of. were too long for
the clerk to read, or him to attend to. He then en-
tered into a jnatification of the words " past endur-
ance," as applied in the petition to the proceedings
of the House. Might net a House (unlike the vir-
tuous one he saw around him) do an act that was
past the endurance of the people ? (He was aware
the petitioner had applied it to the present House.)
And could any thing he more desirable than
that the House should be apprised of this by •
petition, before any thing toward* redressing
themselves broke out among the people.—
The vote of the I lth and kith May was most dis-
gusting to the people. mud their dissatistaction
might. go on in progress till tots late to be coo-
trouled. Was it then toe intich to say, that these
proceedings weie past endurance? A person on the
rack might say sii, and Isis executieners might go
on tormenting hue, tilt the unhappy wretch, by
expiring, proved the truth of his assertion ; and so
might the Honse eontnair to yr% and harass the
people. who said it was past endurance, till the Coo-
stitution, expiring. proved it true. Past endurance
was a common expreision, when duly thing bore
heavily upon persons. It might be applied to the
income tax, or the assessed tuxes (so grievously col-
lected). Hurl, if used in an appeal &Oust them, it
wool I be too much. for that rearm'. to reject the
petition. It was only figurative, for 'the matter of
which it compianied, the vote in tavour of Lord
C.istlcreagh and Mr. Perceviii, had, in fret,
b-en endured. Tin re was, therefore, no impro-
priety in that expression. As for the other. ques-
tioning the legslay of their proceedings. was it
not enough for the Holier to entrench themselves
behind their privileges, aid say, No Court. no
other House, iio Kiiig, shall question our proceed-
ings? Were they also to tiny, the people Asti not
al:oatetl to gitr,! their opinions ? For himself he
could not be persuaded that that was proper, which
every branch of the Constitution, but that which
issued it, refused to acknowledge. A Habeas Cor-
pus would bring the matter into Court ;and, in fact.
their plea in bar world bring the legality of their
warrant under cognizance. Many able Lawyers
were kuowu to disown its legality. and, under all
these circumstances, could they reject a petition for
doubting that which was. sub Sudice, for decision?
On these grounds he conceived it to be impowilale
to reject the petition fur questioning that which,
till tired and set at rest, and even after that, might
be questioned.
The Cue NCELI.OIInf the Exc tit:4mm explained.
It was not for doubting or yeestioising their privi-
leges that he objected to the petition. It was for
directly asserting that there was but one ripiiimi;
tlitt they were illegal. and the acts of the Huu-e so
outrageous, as to be past endurance.

Mr. BRAND maintained that it was the undoubt-
ed right of the subject to question every art of
authority of the House, or say other branch of the
Constitution. He would, therefore, be sorry if
the petition were rejected on that account. He
was entering into a justiticaton of the words “ past
endurance,' but applying it to a passage where they
did not occur, he was corrected, and, after acknow-
ledging bisector, iota winch he was led, from Dot
beating the petition read, but only the comments
of Mr. Whitbread, he concluded by giving his
support to the petition, were it only to hare it re.
corded in opposition to the H.-solution of the House,
that their privileges were not to be quystioued out
of Parliament.

Mr. Henna was not surprised at the mistake
into which the Hon. Gent. had fallen, seeing he
had only heard the comments of the Hon. Gent.
(Mr. Whitbread) on what had fallen (rota his
Hight Hon. Friend (Chancellor of the Exchequer).
His argument was not that the petitioner questioned
their privileges, hut assvrted there (-meld be bat
one opinion of their illegality. The other passage
he conceived to he decisive If the House endured
to be told, that their treatment of the prople was
past endurance," they would deserve such 'meta
meat.

The gallery was cleared for a division.
roe she wog ion AI
Apkun
Shia sty —7l

Mr IlenAT But Tit preseated a prtitios from lb* pre-
prieiors of *be Glatatirgansbire Collieries, sr►icb be tutored
should ►e real, and referred to a Select Ciestatittee, to rots-
stile, and report their upialua thereupus.
After some disrs..inn, in which Lord A. !twurrsrt, Mr
Lablioek, Mr Jarul., Mr. D. Giddy. Hr ILoliurst, Mr Hall,
anJ Mr Atlas, took part, As Hesse drttdr•J upuu t►e
ywtstiva, alien tits re !mama,

Fur the wain&
Against it. 43
M ajoi si y —l

11w Cowne.ttre .nno‘teardingly appoionril
Ketones of the twined Bounties titre preeruted, snd or-
dered to he on the talAr.

Lord A. SONTASET gave notice. that he tvould at a N-
itre dap. WlOwe for Certain pawn rela!tug to I Ain
Mr. BLACIIIOIIII Mamma fulf him to bring i• • 11,141 to
aoseod so abatis of the •ad Act of His iirrsrut •tojr•tF,
pertain,' the retailing of tan .11 L.ar ithout I.rettse..
G. oiled