The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-04-02 00:00:00

CRIMINAL LAW.

Mr. NAM presented • Pciiiion from Leicestrr, praying
for • rewilisuu of the Criminal Law,.

Mr. S Woatt.av recarutc..l a a.milar Petition from Brad.
ford.

Lord ESIIINGTQW presented a similar Ptlltion Awn P!)-
mouth Duck.

Referred to the Committee no the Co imiorl

Mr. MAUSTIFLop brumgbi up doe Ito port of the cum.
mittee uu the Frame Work Knitter's Pciiiiou.—L4l,! um it
table.

COMMISSIONER.; OF RANKROFTs.

Alderman Wont) presented a Petition from the I.9.elnita
and Traders of the City of London, praying th ilit• meet
iii of Creditors Laura the CommissiuLers of traoLsopts
might not be removed from Guit iLah, as the C.:y of 1... N-
. had offered to Government, free of exp. new, a 'once of
ground, the present site of Blackwell Ilall, where a
commodious Cotirt could be • .11. It had be..n sup-
posed that be had made a charge against the euumn.e-
stoners, fur eutertainiug au initiation to bemuse ilwir
meetings hum the City. The fact %sits, he 1,. Ilf ve.l
they had such au intention last Session, alien a Bit Moll
brought in (or the purpose, buts tor fun i her cousiderati...., Ito y
had abandoned it. At a public meeting which he outwit..,
he mtrely slated what be knew, that the only interest th.•
Commissioners had in the removal was titer cutiviiiiel.c. •
as, if they met in Fustiest's Inn, it would be near. r the
Court of Chancery. But that Was one reason why he ish-
jectid to the alteration, !memo... Ihise Grellem.o
thin inflows be uccupisd iu their ditieseet Cuut-te, iusitool
of being ready to perform the public duties of it situa-
tion.

Aldernlarl WAITIIIIIAN said, the plan of a removal sp.
peareil to him to be altogether so trillium, roils, sisal hi-
could nut helot his suited to belleire that the Genii. o h..
iftroduced Ibe billijt.Ct ruirriatired a serums iittistituu of
carrying the plau tutu effect.
Mr. WIAOTTEIILItY amid, be thought he had guarded 16.1.•
self against every intpusalion of acting h nail) ur
deratrly, when be moved fur a Select Conirmitee, f..e
whom every c ITURlSlatlee Collelt Ord with the re ti 1114
be Pr' invealigalid„ Ile regretted, ton,
there a malt., he any impressions forced ou the r„l,h, „„,„,
of an inteutiou to effect the removal surrephio.o.iy, otos
without fair and due cousiili rat inn of every Ilimg iiiai finial
be urged for mid against the plat..
Aldstimau Woou wished tbe Cumniifsiouris to Ite exit.
mined ou the subjrt s.
Mr. WIROTTIttLIA said, he !utilised many of Item were
at prescot en Circuit. Ile was, however, max,..... that pti -
sous should be examined uu hob sides saf the
Pctitiou laid us list table.
Mr. S. WiraTt.tlf presented a Prtition (tom Stiikelep
against snuck suctions.—land to the tams
Oti the emotion of Mr. liUstitsaus, T. G. Esti-ow' sit
VV. Al. Pitt, Este. wire 111111V/ea to give tVith sat I ht 1..,ri•
Untie Committer uu the state of list Gauls its ilie United
Kingdom.
Mr. W. presmsted a Petition from she pariah of
SI. ASISIICW by the Wantrotre, 1.4111114.., i ru. 4,11,c
the stipends astir 4-tooloo Cleo cit.—labia oat the SAM.
Mr. H. CLlvas pr. sessteil she Report of the rmigrons of
the House of Industry, relltive to Fever.
MrssroXert from she lauds lartmeht tip Clitheroes Di-
vorce Bill, which was read the fii SI time.
Mr. J. W 11111,144111. team the Committee on the Falticatiou
of the Pone, permuted a digest of the K. bons So the 11.:,/ re •
Isr Letters issued by the Select COMlliillte uu die Lam:a-
llow s,( the Pour, tu ISIS —Laid uu the table.
CLAIMS ON FRANCE.
Sir J. Nrwpossy moved —'• That ass humble A.lttrem lata
presented to me Prince Regent. pray isle that he will La
-+apm:ifybg she
jsilcg
riuf clutairaussi
pt

f

. •

inertial claims, laotleel rtsims, and chants fur moveables,
poi Is as fortottire"—Orth red.
SCOTI'IqII BURCIIS.
fir firttGitsow Ism Prillinns from the +own
of flao4unhos, rinv 1,-.r • reform iu the Muds of (het:
Matiorstrot. Thr Per tttttt rs route forward in run-
,..outeore of the slnieniriat 'Haile in stoat Howse by the 1.4.r.1
Advocate of Setiatod, ilott tlw people 01 that country wive
"went with the pr...nt Ugh CM Ili the Miro from
his b the IN lino.. I.IIIIIP. 1111.11. wr.. Hot ons i 111116.1111.11.
1.4 0.• poor. I %rept ihe l'own Colored and Iligtstrattes, who
ma not the rui•tinz

.....
TNTAIINS'IFIt ELECTION PETITION.
The Srvitott-it issformo.l iloo. Biome, that Socioltro Arlter-
ro oan wool ado,' r, lobo, an Ibe 171 h ur f11.or1•h. ...... 1.1
4 •ili.ll 4.1 looolue clorti..ta stool rr lam for the Coy of %Vest.
11841 1141 rittelool itilo 11l orlorct of
1,... Po 'Mao, pal tantoi 110 the Arlo of Ihr 4%111 lino. 111.
end Geo. 111. c. 71, fas the rave 116011 of CUP-

I, 0,11 11:Irct lops
lir mdrr for Ming the said nii:iou into eotisulerstort

Wli
LANA 1:10111IRE ELECTION PETITION.
lir. A. nil:perm soured that the tooehlrearloo of Ilse
I soarlothire Election PellOw) dionl4l 1
tatsl,ololl4llO. 11 el r-
pfOCertliPr, POW prodill, nlaUre lu the election, *or

dr carol
Loll A. HAMILTON said. Ant OW grail rcaoon for Doo-
- Ilse consideration of the !Petition was, that S;r A. I.
d'udismite, who had petitioned ou,tniust the ottani, hod Rho
1 roupcht an actives, relative to *rune or the voters, in the
Carol of *osiers. If the Petition were refrtred to a Com.
mime. the Howse wriald he placed tos pilioalion—if the
Committee derided that neither he nor Sir A I. Coe/wane
were daily ekelrel, it might barren not to be a fiind derision,
nailer the An of Parliament, sine, that whirl, was rr(nrrrd
to the Cowl or SePsi 4444 might Iw can.'" by"I'l""1 to lb'
world
II 'tore of Lord.. where • decision directly the
perhaps he oloorne,r
Ihe I.ODD ADNOCATIr of SCOTLAND wished to know
whether the Noble laved Ilealerll the consideration of the
I'i-tither In be put air for a definite lime, or mild the ques•
lion was derided by the House of lords.
Lord A. lIANII.T. *snit, as fir as lie was coneerne I, the
period war nut eery materiel. Ile only wi.lred the Ilunse in
he Idinerel in pllssenonis of the farts. 'the (-I.e was a new
41111 e. It MIN 1111.4 whether there had lwen a oltse election—
the qui%lioo was, whether an individual was qualified to .11
in the Mast al all.
Mr. Naives was of 111110011 that, alien dnua the ('aim.
had derided, any objection of tire 4,1 I A,..1.4
Willed be entirely inefficient The Petition might thoref..re
It, pest off Gir such immutable lime as would meet the run-
- -

reuiriire of all parties.
The cousideration of tre Petitius irat pert ponea, sine die.

PnicoNERS IN ENGLAND AND ITALEs.
Mr. W t.s7natv rose to submit a motion, to which
etejscitoo, he believed. would be mode. It was
b.r *. sis Adams, to the Prince Regent. requestisig
tlint he would be pleased to order Gott there should
lie laid before the House returns of the ',umber of
Trimmers in the Urea gook in E•tgland and
%Vales, on the 61st of October, Tummy, nod
NI/arch last." Ilia object was to thew, that if a
more frsqaent general gruel delivery look place,
ilte total mention of prisoners confined at any one
'time in the g:ols of England sod Wales might be
diminished in the pmportion of nearly one-half.
'niece be first mentioned the subject, he bad re-
.ceired worn, from Kent, Essex, Suffolk, and
Sussex, and lee found, in each county, that flee
prisoner% between January and him+, very nearly
1100,led the number in gaol on the 14 of the pre-
October. In the county of Kent, there
were fifty-fear persons in promo on the 14 of
'October. On the bit of Januory, the number had
increased to 108—aud, on the 15th of March, to
174 ; consequently, if the gaol delivery took place
en tlw 14 of Jonnory, the nomher of persons in
gaol would he diminished in that proportion. It
was a subject of great importance, sod required
the deepest consideration—slid, when the papers
were laid on the table, he would rabutit atone
'specific proposition to the Howe. founded on them.
Ist lookiog to the documents cm their table, it
would be seen that, in 1817 and 1818. the total
monlier of persons coiumitted in 'England and
*Wales vas 13,000—0 f *Iwo" 2,000 were either nut
prosecuted, Of the Bills preferred against
thew
%erre thrown out--and 2,600 we're acquitted. 'thus,
11.etwteo the month of July and the Lent Assizes, a
great mmilwr of I,rrsnns, against "%lions no charge
was brought, or no hill of indictment was found, 1.4(1
tweet 9milined for three, four, five, or (veil six
nineiths. This was n serious .evil, and whatever the
difficulties were that stood in the way of s rented
they might to he met and overcome. it was
the height of cruelty to contne persons for such a
length of time between the periods of their com-
mittal and their atrial. It was dating that interval
that their motels see corrupted.—(Hear, hear.)—
At first, they viewed their situation with horror,
and, therefore, a 'steed confinement might hr
salts-
• toy. But, 'Awn they remained long In gaol, their
• minds became familiarised to their situation, their
teelimrs were hardened, and their ntoras degraded
and corrupted— till at length, the great Pin! of
• justice, the dread of offending against the het.,
was wholly removed. Tt was the prompt eat,-
cuton of the law, and the immediate tirlion.i-
stratinti •jitstuee, that could alone be metal.
--111 tor, hear, hear.)'--if there were, to meet
this evil, a greater number of gaol deliveries, per-
-11411. it would be necessary to increase the Humber
Et Judges—but the House would recollect, that
the C miitee of lest Session, in their Report un
this :object, recommended such a measure. The
(teittleman concluded by movitig—
t. an lossuble Address be presented to his Royal
Ili;hnesit tlw hisser. Regent, praying, that he will be era-
pleased to give Akron'''., that there be Imi.l before
this IlUsise a room of the total isnmbrr of Prisoners that
were confined in Ilse differeut ols of England and Mira,
rommitted fur trial at the Lent Assizes, prior to the lst of
tscsober, the Ist of January, and the Ist of Mardi last—
alien the Lent Assist's shall terminate, a return of the
molds. r and ages of she Prisoners, male and female, severally
trod in earls Couisty,sprcifying the stairs of each COMDlillat,
al.o the crime wills whirls each person was charged,
end the in welter passed on those who were found guilty.
Al.'., a ietn..l of those diseliaigid fy psocloinstion, and
boor list a 11,.0% no bilk had beets found, wills the dates
. r nnatuilma ill, in like aeassurr, and the crimes with %hash
lilt') visite (Imp
1.11141 CasTLEIMAGtI sold, he had no objection
to the motion—wiles was agreed to.
Till?. HON. W. 11. W. Qum.
The Moo. A. Eti.l4 gave notice, that, on
!Monday nest, lie would move that an hurnl.lc Ad.
dies* he pei-enticl to the Prince Regent, preying
that lie would tar glariou.ly pleased to remove the
Hon. Wyndham fjoise from the. office of (*risks
buildup um of the Comity of liiiirrick.—(Hr ie.)
Nit J. AIACIOnTOVI suggested that 'rut slay,
would lee more 11111Ilt 111114.
said, ilie imam') ought to be bolt.
posied moil tile !lon. Member was premed. Ile be-
ter let, town.
to. I 100. 1.. .1. t: t. Is earl, he 111'1 is i t,/t.i•A:•

ton to lake an early flay :icier the for In,

motion.
Mr. ASERCTIOSIIIY obseived, that, accordiiq to
the usage of the Honse, there was sop necessity for
the presence of the I lon. Member. since he could
not he heard on the mutp-ct to which the'imlice re-
ferred. lir concrivol it would be better to dispose
of die mutter now, install 'if postponing it till
after the holidays. It would lie most nonleasant to
have such a motion hanging (is cr the 1i ruble'
Prlembreo head for t,iy en,,si.lerable time.
Mr. I ANKrs said at few words, the purport of
which we could mint collect.
Mr. PEEL count not s:ly whether Mr. Quin huh
eluittrtl London fur lit hoot. If he had tint, lie
ctnu•rtved till optima attending iu his place shouhl
be given to If Its hail gl,ne to Ireland, it
*wild Ire its well. perhaps, to postpone the motion.
Lord Ctsri.EttEActs thought the question ought
to he speedily decided. Tuesday he conceived
would be a propyr day for it on.
The notice stands accordingly for Tuesday.
sutITII AMERICA.
Sir W. Dr. CIIVSPIUNY wits anxious for infor-
mation, on a subject of considerable importance.
It was well known that ships were chartered in this
country, for Spain, null that when they arrived
there, they took $llllllllll.OlOll and troops on hoard,
and sailed for South Ant. near. They were com-
manded by liritisli Masters, and were navigated by
!bilis!' crews. It might be said, that these were
rowdy mercantile proceedings—but it was evi-
dent, that the fitting out tlinse vessels might be
looked on by the South Americans us acts of hosti-
lity, authorised by this country. Ile hoped the
policy of such proceedings *mild be well co►ni-
tlered—and that, at th•' present tune, when hr knew
.1 deputation was coining from South America to
this coiiiiiiy, in order 111 throw open to Great BA-
Ism 11w commerce of that extensive empire, Govern-
ment would not sutler ut.y thing to be clone that
could be looked upon as the olispiing of a hostile

feeling.
Lord Cas?Li:at:atm said, as for as he under-
stood Ilse question, there was nothing in the law of
this country to prevent person• front engaging in
inch transactio;:s, its a mercantile point of view.
Of cour,e, they acted at their own peril.
Sir W. or. Causs.tr:N IC inquired whether any
instructions had been issued nos the subject ?

Lord CAsTI.I.ItVAr:III said. instructions were given
to British subjects to ',restive the strictest neutra-
lity, and lie knew of no instance in which they had
been brol•en through.
SCOTTISH BURGHS.
I,nril A. flAsitr.ToN presented two Petitions,
loom Pittersweem and the Royal Incorporation of
Surgeons of Edinburgh, calling on the House to
investigate and reform the present burgh system of
Scotlind.—Laid on the table.

BURGH OF ABERDEEN.
Lord A. Ilairtil.Tort, in rising to bring under the
consideration of the House the case of the burgh of
Aberdeen, said lie ft It it necessary to apologise to
the House for having postponed the question to so
late a period. Ille•regretted the delay, which was,
however, occasioned by circumstances over which
he hail sto control. 'Pile longer lie had considered
it. and the some 1w heard on the subject, the
deeper was his comiction that it was a question of
the utmost importance. to Scotland sod to that
Ilouse. IL lore I.e stated precisely what his motion
was, in order to obviate all misconstruction, lie
would distinctly dechre what it was Ito. It was
nut connected with Parliameotary Reform in any
settee of the word„—(Csirs of Ikar, hear.)—
It wlis not, what it might appear to be, a matter of
local interest, confined to the burgh of Aberdeen,
but was of immense importance to every burgh, to
every burgess, to every town. sod to every person
scattered over Scotland, who respected the honour
of the country, and was anxious fur the doe admi-
nistration Of justice. It was cwt altogether intro-
duced into that House voluntarily. 'the complaint
he had to make on behalf of Aberdeen could only
Ilie rediessell by Parliament—there was no either
competent tribunal to appeal to. The people
ef that burgh must either suffer under a serious
; injury, or appeal in that House. It Was neces-
sary, brfore lie stated the case, that he should
lay before the House an outline of the go-
versituritt of the Scotch burgles, as contradistin-
guislied front that winds pt evaded in Etiglallii.
That government was managed by self-tlected
Magistrates, as they were styled. Those persona
were elected for one year, and they were then,
ipso turbo, out of office—but they elected their
successors. They knew from the Petitions Olt the
table, that those self-elected Magistrates in Council
a ere puramotrin to all authority within the burgle.
Whatever wrong they ioilictrl, in that character
and enliven)", aas without redress. -Ile meant
with resoect to the dilapidation of funds, the over-
looking of silttstii,, and sill those numerous subjects
of complaint to which the Petitions referred. If
the appointment of those self-elected Magistrates
at the end of the year, was illegal, it was reducible
by the Court of Session. This, however, did not
invalidate what he affirmed, that redress could not
be procured, because, it was only reducible when
some of those self-elected Magistrates made an ap-
plication. lit Michaelmas, 1817, SA election of
Magistrates fur Aberdeen took place, winch was
irregular, and, tit a certain extent, illegal. A com-
plaint was made by two of the individuals elected,
and thus, by this casual rireunistatice, the case
which he was shout to state, gross and injurious as
it was to Aberdeen, was brought before Parliament.
The Court of Session having decided the elector')
to be illegal, the text step to be taken was to make
a new appoilitmeot, by applying far a warrant for
establishing the legal Magistrates. There were Pe-
titions presented by the Magistrates, there were
Petitions by the Burgesses, and Petitions from the
Incorporated Trades,. fur a renovation of the burgh.
Those Petitions were submitted to the considers.
lion of the Law °them of the Crown ; they were
in fact Petitions from those who were guilt) of im-
proper ',metiers, on the one hand, amid those who
looked for the renovation of the burgh, on the
other. Amid the (Town ordered a warrant to issue
to the old ill;igi.itratts to elect, whirl* was virtually
to annul the decree of the Court of Session, and
to shut the door against reform and redress.—
] Ile did riot know who were the Ministers of the
Cure er that advised this measure ; lie was to
suppose the Learnt d Lord (the Lord Advocate)
1 tor the other sale. "I Ire I loose would be tortilla!
" to jtidge of the APADAtt arildeti by Ministers,

when the papers submitted to the Pair., Comiell
and the Lsw Officers of the Crown were furnished
to the House. The case was one of ii gross and
scandalous natter; it was a case of gross intsm4•
11,046•111elil 31111 shore • t the part Of the Magistrates
of Aberdeen, which would illustrate the system of
Scotch Burghs ; it was a system of iniquity,
Irmo& and injostire, whirl' it was difficult to de-
r-I:rile iii adequate terms to the House ; it was :1
system radically defective, grossly unjust, tool
grossly mischievous iu 311 its consequences—milted
so tote!' to, that if any gentlemen were called on
to originate a system must likely to generate sots-
maitagement and abuse, they could not fOral.nist•
more completely fitted for these purposes. Was
it not then, he asked, time to institute some in-
quiry into these abuses ? But this was not the first
time that itemise wets attempted. Thirty years
ago complaint* lord heeu made on this subject to
the House. The House referred these complaints
to a Committee, and that Committee reported, that
the evils complained of, the Petitioners proved to
have existed. Why no further step had been taken
was greatly to be deplored. The wor sotto after broke
out, and at that time there was an influence in Scot-
land, which he might say was almost despotic-.-an
influence which ruled with an imperious sway, and
which disregarded, anal was able to defeat the Pe-
titions of Burgesses soul the Reports of Com-
mittees. 're that influence lie attributed the
fort, that no redress had been given. soul no sub-
sequent measure had teen adopted. The best
way to see how the Ministers acted was, first
to learn what the Petitions stated. Some of
the Council themselves bore testimony to this, that
it was impossible to restore the burgh in any re-
spect, or for ally set of men to do justice in the ad-
tuitiOration of it, unless the eystem of the govern-
or it was altogether changed ; yet the 'Minis-
ters, or the Learned Lord, thought it wise and
right to grant n warrant to put into the bands of
the very men who committed those abuses the od-
iniuistrution of the burgh. Ido not, said the No-
Isle Lord, ask the House to judge of the eystem
by any statement, what he asked the House was, to
judge from facts. The burgh system in Aberdeen
dissolved in its own rottenness; it was not from
power—from influence—it fell not from city cause
hut this, that it radically dissolved from the rot-
teniters of the system itself. The Ministers of the
Crown, however, surrendered into the very hands
that created those abuses, the administration of
the burgh. The burgh, in fact, died of rottenness ;
it was found to be in a state of bankruptcy, and fur
what sum ? For a sum of no less than two hun-
dred and thirty thowand pounds!—[llere the Lord
Advocate was observed to smile.]—tle (Lord H.)
did not know why the Learned Lord 6110111(1 smile ;
he saw no come fur levity in the statement ; he
could assure the Home that no event within his me-
mory excited more surprise or indignation in Scot-
land than that ; and noise was snore likely to lead to
mischief. It had been the opinion of many per-
1401Ie that the inhabitants of the town were liable to
the payment of these debts thus incurred by those
self-elccied Magistrates ; he would wish on this sub-
ject to hear the opinion of the Noble Lord. But
what matter was it whether the burgesses, who were
:about lieu in 'mother, were liable to the payment
of these debts, or whether the creditors, who amount-
ed to uhout 600 more, were to be defrauded of their
money ; its either case the mischief, disgrace, and
injustice was the same. But if the Learned Lord
would give his opinion, he hoped he would tell
the /louse who were to he the ultimate losers—
whether the burgesses, or the unfortunate cred.tors
who advanced their money. He had stated the
:mount of the debt—he would now state that at
the last electiou, the corporation were found defi-
cient in 2,0001. a-year of the interest of their debt.
Thus they were situated, without the means of pay-
ing the interest of their debt, and without the hope
of paying the principal. He would not, lie said,
trouble the House with going iii i t early into detail;
the House would credit his statements, it' not con-
tradicted at the other side. The fact could not be
disputed, that the corporation was indebted in
430,000/. ; they were deficient in the interest of that
debt in 2,500/. annually ; end further, that of this
debt the burgh lied borrowed a sum of 57,0001. to
pay the interest of the debt. But this was not half
the mischief. It was the custom of the burgh to
call an annual meeting, to whom the state of the
accounts should be submitted. The House would
hies, with indignation, that before that meeting tint
one shilling of the enormous debt of 230,000/. was
stated. The existence of this debt was never men-
tioned at this meeting—(/oar, hour)—and the
fact all of a Sudden burst upon the surprised and
indignant minds of the people. This debt was
contracted under a system, and this fraudulent
conceolment was made by men whose conduct the
Learned Lord seemed solicitous to defend. Ile
would now state another fact, one which he took
much pains to ascertain, which lie was informed of
from the best authority, and which, in his heart, he
believed to be true. Ile had to state to the House,
that of the debt of 230,0001. a greet proportion of
it was contracted by those self-elected Magistrates,
by means of false, forged, and fradtileist minutes.
Gear.)—ln the very odious practices, be
elated, the whole junta could not be got to agree--
a select few were found to protest against them.
So gross and so oppressive were the frauds that had
been committed, that oft some of the Magistrates
retiring from office, they recorded their sentitnents. In
1817 nu election fur Aberdeen took place. Nineteen
Magistrates were appoiuted, and wily six accepted
id (hie office ; and so gross was the mismanagement,
that some of the Magistrates put a public declare-
tutu on record. it stated that they were desirous
to express their sentiments loud opinions of the
embarrassed state of the city treasury, and on the
mode of election ; it complained of the want of
prover checks and of itijurious concealments.
Such was the substance of their declaration,
and if he huh ilo other document, lie thought
this retold ulone would be enough to induce
the House to accede to the present 'notion. They
say that nothing short of a radical divulge could
rumor the fair uffinitlistration of the town, sod they
recommend to their survivors to promote r rem,.
ration of the burgh. It was clear that when they
talked of a system of conceelment, they alluded
10 the fact he had already stated tespeeling the
Corporation debt. He would now state ouother
declaration. At the election, two Gentlemen elects
cal were so struck with the gross and iiijotrions this.
inamagesnent 01 the burgh, as to hate TISISSrII to

oreept of the office, or to hike
,the noir', till they
recorded their seritimenta. Ile would state thew,
mill he would leave the Learned Local to reconcile
them with the Kraioing of the warrant. They
refused to reedit alter, unless upon the dwar-
fism that their • colleague* would concur with
them for the rer„,malion air the burgh. 1 helm
Groileetten strongly and pointedly expressed their,
',luton on the disgraceful state Ix this burgh.
Every candid maxis muss sgree in the view they took;
but it ws4 impossible to slide their subs/Tient •estri-
duet without exciting the highest disgust and in-
dignation. Tlwse vet y men who refuse-41 to accept
(Ave, lint oil the condition or having an effort
made for the reformatinit of the hurgh„ were the
first for having that odious, corrupt, and dis-
graceful system continued.-(/tear, hear.)—They
lent their names and their authority to defeat
the action before the Court of Session—au in-
ettince of baseness and hypociisy which could riot
be exceeded, which went to the disadvantage of the
burgh, anal the discredit and dishotiour of theru-
selves. liViratever might have been the cooduct
of individuals, it was the most distressing rif till to
state, that all the acts of the Corporation—shut the
conduct of those individuals, who by mismanage-
ment had created an enormous debt—who had im-
properly concealed that debt—who basal PerPrt"4lol
all the abuses of the system—tel. first effected to re-
form, and sifterwards promoted tbit,e abuses—could
justify their conduct on legal ground.. lie did
not know whether, with an effrontery peculi err to
guilt, they would, if brought to the lute of that
!louse, declare that they were self-elected—
that they had coos:refid enormous debts—that
they had promoted ewirmous abuses and then,
with a bold and daring insolence, say to this f louse,
we have been guilty of these practices, hut we defy
your authority—you calmest Call 11, to 31a account
for our conduct. The fact was. that as long as the
Magistrates agree among themselves, HS 'frog as
they continue the system with unanimity, the law
cannot reach thent ; it was therefore the vieure tie-
cessaiy to call for the interference of Parliament.
The Leasued Lord and the other Mintsters, though
they thought it vase and decorous to grant a war-
rant fur Aberdeen under the circumstances he stated,
had the year before taken a directly opposite course
with respect to the burgh of Montrose: the Court
of Session had disfranchised that burgh, taut a
warrant was grouted to the burgesses to elect—wit
only was that grouted, hot an additional bow), that
was, a change in the set itself—the set means the
constitution of the burgh. Ile quarrelled not with
this proceeding—he thought it was right in policy—
but how could Ministers defend themselves in this,
that in the case of Montrose, one differetit indeed,
because infinitely weaker, they had granted redress,
whilst to Aberdeen they refused that redrew, and
confirmed the appointment of men who had been
guilty of so much fraud and injustice ? Such sit act
IllUbt excite the astonishment of Eugland, and excited
the indignation of Scotland. It was a proceeding
that could not be defended ; there was not. as single
precedent fur it front the Union down to the pre-
sent hour. Ile did not ask the House to pi donative
any censure on 11iiiisters ; all he would ask was
the production of certain papers, that the
House might see ou what grounds Ministers acted.
But perhaps Ministers, looking oil those abuses
as unworthy of their attention, would not think it
worth while to grant the papers lie asked for.
Ile would not be surprised if Nliiitsters resisted the
production of those papers. During his txperierice
in that House, lie had found that 'Unread!, always
refused the production of papers that would he
likely to criminate themselves; it Was not unna-
tural to suppose that Ministers would resist Ins
motion—they had already acted in e manner dis-
creditable to themselves, and must uttjust to the
Constitution of Scotland. Ilad the conduct of
Ministers, with regard to the burgh of Aberdeen,
been confined to that burgh, however usicomititu-
tional it might he, it eutild still be less aggra-
vated than when the plitietple extend+. and leare.,
in fact, all the burghs in Scutlatid at the lett
of the Minister. They might as well have fixed
upon any other individuals in the conistruitity,
howsoever separated from A herded', us those
they virtually aopointed by their warrant to
the old Magistrates of that burg!). 'Elie conse-
quences of the proceeding was hi every way itijurious
and unconstitutional. There were at that moment
two burghs, the burgh, of Edinburgh and Inver-
ness, which were disfranchised. lie saw indeed a
Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Dundee) opposite,
who was 111 that blouse as if he were the Repressor-
tative of one of those burghs ; but it was *or fact
disfranchised ; and the Huuse might filial (a dose
perhaps trot altogether without precederit), that
though there was a Member there were nu elec-
tors.—(4 laugh./—lle wished, however, to be
uu-
derstuud, that in what lie hail said as tu A her-
ded', did not ref:r to till the burghs in Scot-
land—but the system was radically bad ; and
where lie found practices differetit, it oar not
beessuse the system was better, but because the
men were better.—[Here the Noble Lord referred
particularly to the burghs of Glasgow and of King.
horn, in the latter of which the Magistrates yielded
to the feelings of the people] —The miematiege-
mem of Aberdeen had excited much discord
amongst the people. lie would mention one in-
stance, which gave a melancholy proof that the
possession of office there was almost triconsistent
with fairness or liberality. It was the Case of two
persons who joined in a Petition las,otinst the system,
iijo) iirg smell pension% us guild burgesses. The
first act of the new Magistrates iris to deprive those
turn of their paltry pet:slim.. II - mull state an-
other fact, to rhea tine soil' dr slate of dm-
fiddler, of 01111111. OA coidtality. he policy of
the Learned Lord established tla 1;:e Low.' of A hies.
deem A meeting some tittle prior Bail been held to
consider of a new rate of asst ssmerit. It was 8184,5 to
be a meeting of the inhabitants, mat that they had
ugreed to the mode of assessment. When the
principal and most respectable inhabitants heard of
that meeting they called Knottier 'meting, and
disclaimed having sanctioried such u ptoceeding.
He hail, he feared, detained the House. Ile put it
to the common sense of the lions', to their cutest'.
tutional feelings, whether abuses so gross as those
he had mentioned ought not to lie corrected—even
to Gentlemen opposite he wiitild uopeal-e-he would
address them as jurors, and as men of birth and of
honour, he wits convinced they would have repro-
bated the system. The Noble Lord said, that
sieve the Iteeelutilio 11.1*11 to the present t:tue,
steer, etas sAls

there were thirty precesleuit• fur issuing systrals..
(24 of whirls were for the loom:4 of pull w•rtsso •
to the burgs...els to elect, and six to Vie old eissin
ell to elect ts new : bust of throw sit there W 55 un

precedent whatever, tinder circurnstativ.. •iinh st
attend the present case. The. Noble Lord eon.
cludell liv untying fora copy of the warrant it,turit
fut-the Election of Magidtrates for the burgh 'cif
Altertleeo for the year !MIS.
The Lou/ nvocATE said, that the conduct
of Ministers WWI troth legal and prudent. 111
contended. that if the code wad at all to he
tipster), it wm its a Court of Law. Ile eat I t!,
Noble Lord declaimed all idea of Parliatnent.
irm ; hot he appealed to the Floury, whethe.
the Noble Lord did not go widely into that geed.
Lion. fle had taken the dame view that 1,14 Pre.
, decedors had on the same sishject m 1788 out 17,3.
The Noble Lord had gone du for as to awn. thdt
I a warrant of the saute 11:411111 as that ',Matti Litt

year to Aberdeen. was not to be tumid to the
whole course of Scottish history. But it was rattle;
unfurl au ,le that (me precisely similar hut sli•Vil
issued to the very same burgh in the year 174,
when the Magistrate.: hail been roosted from lie
town by the rebel., and rendered 141 their :dorm%
incapable to reeelect themselves.—(Cheerirnee
The case of the Intr,:l4 of Montt ~e was thine di(.
ferent from thst of A berdeeti, fur iu the forms,
the whole Nl44444.traey hurl r• knell to commit as
act of self44l4sprilitieaiiiin, v 47. vlinto,444g, their *UV.
CeSillrti by ballot, a mode alwa3s held Illegal, and
which peel, Chides 11. was conspell.d to admit 14
be so in his letter to Parliament. Hut the Maxi..
irides of Aberdeen bad only fallen into it trivial err—.
The two cases, theteinte, ttooll oil clearly tlifreteld
grounds. The riolite Lord had vallial upon aliun.
lets, or rather into Self, to St r on what growls
the Crown hail exercised the power in queatioa.
lie had tint gore the length of ossertiog that Ile
exercise was übsetutely illegal—but lie gave his (ma
opinion that it was. Nor he was really too Merl
airs
Noble Loid on the ground t it her of strict law, or
of the diseretion rerogest.tal by law—and hr hoped
the !louse would excuse the neces.orily dry sail
tedious emit orgittnentation he felt himself
oblegeel to cuter into. fit all the Petitions prelbelit-
rd to the !loose ou the subject, nod all the ob.etta.
boos mode thereon, and the alleged evil. of die
burgh system by tint Nolde Lutit. or others who
thought wish huu, it was cote:tootle essuined the
the right of election of Magistrates had beeti vested
in the Crum 'has Council and burgesses, previous
to the Act of 1469, which, it was said, first re-
stricted the right to the latter. But that whole
allegation was founded iu the most gross and pays.
lute igitoraitee.—fifeur.)-411 a paper lie held in
his hand, drawn op mid signed by some gentlonne
of tile scotch bar, a hose talent, mid laariong
Ile
was as ready to udniit as Gentlemen opiassite, 11151
who, lie supposed, had colleeled all the mats/Imes
no the subject, it was inferred front some old ii.
cords, that the right of electing the Magistracy 'sat
been, antecedent to die era he had guesstimate
placed in the hutgesses at huge. Now Brady hail
laid down, to the great dispute respecting the char-
ter of the City of London. in the year 1681.
the words taken by the gentlemen lie had alluded
to, to bigiiify burgesses not to imply the citizeu.
generally, but the governing part of the Corpora.
tam. The lion. Geittleman then read Rh extract
from an Act of Cenincil of the biorgit of A berdera,
of the !tear 1591, is Inch stated, that
the ciistoin to continue the Istgist rates in office till
• the time of their death ;" rod goed, that the Act
of 1469 hut been passed with the intent of reale•
dying that evil and rendering elect animal, but
by the V4111%1 persons as before. TIM, he soul, ap-
peared from the title of the Act, " An Act pro-
viding that Common Council. hi' elected :Annually,
mid by the Magistrates." it altered the term of
continuing iu office from tile to it year, but laft
the right to elect in the same persona who had pos.
tressed it before. 'mitred of being of a restrieoir,
it was of Rh enlarging uature, and extended
the right of votiug, instead of contracting
The lion. Gendeinan then took a ieview of the po-
litical circumstances of Scotland in the several
reigns, from the year 14(19, to the Revolotioet, sod
contended, shot in no port id that interval had the
statute of I-169 been complaieed of, as an aboidg-
ment of popular sighte. At the period of thy
Revolution, the state of the Scotch burghs as,
brought ali:Tetly under the cmisideration of the
Canircution Parliament; and one of the first act.
of the new Government was to remedy their Ames,
not by abolishing the Act of 1469, but the Stasis,
regulations introduced under James 11. (ol Eng.
land), and to cull in the whole of the liiirgeatesi I'
elect the Common (7ntiiiril—(ifelte, hear, flow
the Opposition Betiehes)-11,1t 11.,n it was et•
pressly limited to that eirt:11011, oust the great
and patriotic men who composed that COI,"
thw, 11411 virtnally auk nowledgesl the validity
of the statute. Theis cause die Uniust, in 1707(
when the rights sil the mild Estate, had linen
settled ;mil ; and he wialied to lima wht•
tier ots that occasion the Act was objected to in alit
quarter. The Itebelliosi of 1745 followed when ll.'
whole attention of hue Goveruswesit.sma directed to
the laws which gave the Nubility ea tanteiwi.laille
degree of power sit the expense of the people ; yiii
though the Act abolishing lies instate jerrwliehon,
let in Ilse whole of the subjeitts the Act of tato
was nut once mrs.tioned. 11 lien the great ery
Parliamentsly cnin•rienced
then it was that the bfireesses tit imported all.,
roulid out the grievatice• el toe Act. Thews was toots
sit,ele itistatice of a poll election 4061 the yea
I 169 to 6131 i-f 16t19. Front the latter year to tie
time of the 1 mi ... there were bottle:en tostaiteo
ill applications to the Scutt It Privy Council, I'l
warrants of ulmolottnent, boon burghs whose Caw
till hail Item reduced by dectaca of Cow IS. Of
these, two variants fur eleeliou liv poll were gout-
ed, because there we. sio Owned in betiog to slims
they might be directed ; itt the to elve
cases, the warrants were for electioo ly -'
the 0
Council. Since the yew 1707, their at-se lae}'
four instances (71 Vo AI trite, issued, of which 01,.
eight were duetted to the toirgesses alone, nod .tv
teen to the burgesses and inhabilaiits--11"'
I
hear, hear, irons the Opp .0/hoof—the whalotaio
baying scot and lot ; so dust the 'titillating folul
a rule would let an near ;Indy thot.sand I'ci'l7"'4
to vote iti Edinhingle tot extemico ineuinpunhe
with the rights t.r the bur,,,e .eg. Now, io Ord
cues out of the sixteen, the 'thole oldie old
ell hail ceavit so crises and the variant was 4".

cosily addressed le the turgesSes at large. Tlirre
sere three wherein the legitimate electors were in-
capacitated from voting or receiving a warrant In
rote on account of bribery owl corruption, awl
three from bribery aloue ; some Councils lost thr:e
capacity to elect by being concerned is. the Itel•. I-
lion of 1713. On that occasion the then boil
Advocate, the Solicitor-General, and the bad JII4.
tice Clerk, being consulted by the Privy Council,
gore their °pianos that it was the duty of the limg
to jam, warrants of election to all pre-existing
LOsielh not disqualified by haring taker, a rot iii
eU Rebellion; but where such disability did exist,
it WAS necessary to base recourse to a popular t
%Unit There, lastly, was .me example of a warrant
for s poll election. occasioned by a double election,
there 'unit's/been two parties in the burgh. 'hie
Hon. Gentleman then cited the audit:lilies of rer-
uns writers to support 11:s view of the question.
He trusted lie had made out the principle, that
where the King was c died upon to issue a warrant,
when nothing had occurred which would legally in.
capacitate the electors, it was his duty to eillurce
the Art 01. 1469, the norepraled law of the laud,
and appoint the old common council to elect ; but
that, on the contrary, where the voters had been
guilty of on act which entirely disqualified them,
Ile oar bound to do what the law authorities and
the Court of Session had advised in 1715 and 1746.
The King had no discretion in the case, but sous
hound by establi,lied rules of law. With respect
toes control over the ex peoditure of burghs. on which
so much had been slid, he thought that the mea-
sure lie had proposed last Ses-ion would have been of
use, and be better than sioiliing, as it at least give
the burghs the right of briuging their cases before
the Court of Session. On withdrawing it lie hid
said hr should gladly and cordially adopt any ex-
prdiesits proposed for rentlerisig It Inure effectual,
and he had deferred giving moire of bringing in a
new Bill till the ttttt non of the Noble Lord should
hare been disposed of, und the duratiosi fully die.
cussed; hut lie now took the opportunity to give
notice that he should m :ve for leave to britig in
re Dill pis the subject to-morrow. The giver.
mesa rerpecsiug the virile) of the dilapidation
of the bungles was must tlwarrUntable. That
event took. place more than u century ago, at
The time Charles 11. gave grants to the. Duke of
Lauderdale, who levied fines in Elinhurgli and
.fiber plagues. As to the grant or the warrant to
Alinitrose and riot to Aberdeen, all he should my
was, that in the former it became necessary, not in
the latter. Ile concluded by stating that had he
nut acted as he had done upon this occasion, he
would have deserved the ridicule of thaw who
wished well to the iot.rests et the country.—
Hear, liter.)
Mr. Hums said, that the Noble and Learned
lord who had just eat down had not contradicted
or contioverted one of the facts er arguments
laid direst by the Noble Lord who made the pre-
sent motion.--(Hear.)—The Learned Lord aye,
that if this application be conceded. it will lay the
ground of Parliamentary esamivation. lie (Mr.
Hume) hoped it would; and it was fur that MIMI
lie gave the motion hip cordial support.—/Hear.)
—What war the state of frainchiee at Aberdeen. sod
thy stature of the debts which placed that town in a
state of bankruptcy ? The debts due by the town
unwonted to upwards of 230,0001.-166,0001. for
sit improvement in a new Direct, and 6.1.0001. for
an tinproveineut in the harbour. An estimate was
made by Mr. Abercrombie, in the year IGO% re-
specting the prajected street, ad that Gentleman
was of opitriuti that the purchases of property to
'clew the avenue wools' ismartut to 30•0001. Au
Act of Parbetnent was obtained to commence the
work, and by it the trusters had only power to
borrow at the outset 110,000/. ; instead of that it
seemed they had borrowed in silence and conceal-
meld 190,0001. So quietly was this amount her.
rowed, that not a trace of the items was to be
found in the Treasurer's books during the last
seicuteen years. He held a letter in his band
hoot • Member of the Council in 1811, who. sus.
Pecling all was not going on right, refused to be
sobservient, and Was consequently not re-elected.
This Gentleman stated, that during the meetings
of the Cistrocil, which he bad attended, not a ward
bred ever bees. stated on the subject of borrowing
motley. though he anbsequeutly found in the ini-
tiates of the Council, that his name was put
`l"isor outtrog other..
,as assenting to au arrange-
ment fur borrowing the sum of 10.000L—(ilesr.)
The Magistrate* in question were good private
homeless. but it was the system. which made their
acts odious, and rendered it impOssible fur their
private inclination* to have fair play in their pub•
lie procerdiugs.--/Heer, hear.)—What formed an
add' ban/slap in viewissg this 'insists's* was,
Ault 51 or she creditors of the woo were persons
who had the management of some of the public
charities. tire pensioners of which were of coons
sleprired of their utensil of subsistence at the claw
of their lives. He knew that the public foods of
the town were note nailer the management of good
trustees. and that in a few years the debt would be
redeemed. In the interim, he was alms aware that
nn improving rate of Interest might he had. but
.his pert would have neTer been viable. if
she old rotten system had nut bet n departed
hum by the trustees. 'Plea gnildray funds were
Also wismainiged, and two pensioners who carne
opens ii. awl espose.t the spotlit, were struck
••ff. as they dish nut appear totlie corporation lit olr.
for their bounty.. It was singular that whet.
pisch practices prevailed sr is. Mindere. where for
17 year. such sum• of money had been mired by the
Allis-irate*. they rhould yet have swami renewed
for the election in the old way. while the Issigessier
of Montrose were allowed to elect by poll. in cros-
s. vetoes. or the Magistritea sufFeriug a i“llot for
the elect' of a public officer to prevent the courts.
won of s public meeting. lie knew shot on the law
she cam a great difference of opin iiiii prevailed,
and even semi of very high legal knowledge had
presumed to hold difirrent opines@ from
le
thy Lord.
rtilv.,cdte. The Honourable Umber statrd
epistles) of Lord Armadillo, and emaciated, that
time right of suffrages was with the billpititta in
the early pyriiiite of {Amery. thweigh it was de-
nied ley the Learned Lord oppovite. If the elec.
ti by 11,11 urre more general. the choice,
would almost ::heat's lath Ippon. honest if sot an
*bit turn. From the date of the Union to a period
of twenty yro-• nfietwarda, mit of 31 warisoils
',lnch our.: isa-d, x were for .Min;;
ley
lie silver knew an instance of • refusat to

•

applicatlon of the burgesses to elect Iry poll,
until this sit Aberdeen. The !Iron. Mein er then
took a rernaw of the enspension of Illi• sight in tile
towns occuirted by the idols on one sir tau owes-
!ions, during the I sat ceoloury, end strewed that the
tater uptroll was mettle (tremens''s(' I.v the internal
'Elie Learned I,orrl had said
reale of the ('1111111)\.
that the tirettesst tystriti ought to he eolitioneif for
the state LI preserviug the public peace isi the
burghs—hot did it isreaarve the peace, or was
not the color:ley the fact. by the seeds of dia-
cmiteut which such a partial system engendered ?
Ile had heard that the Lord Advocate rs cimittiendial
a Petition to he gist up, not by official characters,
brit by inolepentleirt men. la minion of the preramt
system. The letdown 11411 loro rittertipted, soul
out of a laiptel4loll of 10 sir :30,001), only 45 were
got to sign it, the greater part of whom were de-
persolariss 'spoor official prorle.--( Hear.) —lie con-
cluded by vomiting the House to ft Gil seriously
upon this subject, and to piece the burghs in
Scotland upon a more equal mid liberal system than
that which now prevailed.—(/fear.)
The LORD ADIrocATE, in explenatinn, utterly
denied there was any foundation fur the assertion
that lie had promoted the Petition alluded to.
From whatsoever granter it came, it was false and
uisfoundeol. The Hun. Member had been very
erroneously informed in this subject.
Mr. !lulus was proceeding to comment on the
harsh terms used in the Learned Lord's explana-
tion, when the SPEAKER interposed, and he sat
down.
Mr. JAMES FEROUsoN bore the highest testimony
to the character and honour of the Magistrates at
Aberdeen.
Mr. C. FORBES begged leave to state a few facts
in contradiction to the statement of the Noble
Cord who made this metros,. The Hon. Gentle-
man then entered "ow a detail of the local expen-
diture at A herder's, and denied that the town
could, with truth, be said to be iu u state of bank-
ruptcy, for they bud arises to the full amount
of their debt., and dues comoetent to pay the
iiiterest, until the principal could be redeemed.-e-
-los refutation of the charges urged against the
Magistracy of Aberdeen, he felt it sufficient to
slate, that the commerce of the town had very con-
siderably increased. In the year 1010 the tonnage
of the port was only 16,000 tons, while it now
amounted to 40,000 tons.—(Hear.)—Witli regard
to the debts of the town, he alleged that the credi-
tom now received four per cent. for their money,
and would shortly receive five, but, in the mean
time, not a single charitable institution lost a shil-
ling, ssor 'hostel the creditors eventhally lose one
farthing of their just deists.— ( Hear.)—He !o-
utmoded that charges should be brought against
public bodies, Or individuuls, without sufficient
grounds; mud, after paying a compliment to the
integrity and 'idiom of the present Magistrates of
Altertleen, lie expended a determination of placing
Ia i aaa self in opposition In accusations of such a na-
ture. He hoped the Noble Lord opposite would
inure fur the appointment of a Select Committee
to inquire into the conduct of those Illogirtristes,
mud the general gores iiment of the hurgh.—(Cries
V "Question ! question !")
Sir GINDROE hoped the explanations
gives by the Hun. Member who just sat dowse would
hare the effect of relieving the much-injured Ma-
giMratee Irons the gross misrepresentations which
bed been affixed to their character. lie'remarked,
that the question of Parliamentary Reform laid
been most injudiciously and improperly involved
its the subject now before the Hourf.; but the pre-
per question was mine relating solely to the burgh
government of Scotland, which must necessarily be
determined by reference to lege! decisions. On
this point the Learned Lord Advocate had ex-
hausted the enbject, lie, therefore, should be
guilty of great presumption. were he to occupy
use attention of the House in the same hue of
argument. Had, however, Honourable Members
read the Report of the Committee of the House of
Commons nu this subject, it wriald be found that
the tight of election had never been vested in the
burgesses, and that the Council had always, pre-
vious .0 the Uisiou, been appointed for life. He
then took a review of the cases decided on this
pima, and attempted to prove, by reference to
these, that the motion)) practice and principle had
been as he had stated them. NVitli reference either
to the decisions of law. to the constant praCtice, or
to the discretional!' exercise of the prerogative of
the ( row'', the Noble Lord had laid down no ease
to justify the House in acceding to his motion.—
(Question, question !)
Sat JoIIN NlastwELt. couteteled shortly that the
warrant issued ill the case of the burgh of Aber-
deen was integral. Ile trusted that Geritlenseir on
the opposite side of the House would not give their
votes iii such a way, mid to induce a belief that
they were reso;ved to legislate in support of the
private leierests of a Junto, in opposition to those
of a set of people whom lie might especially deeig-
unite us the most religious, moral, peaceable, best
silocaord, and, he might add, the most loyal in the
Ereopire.—(llear, hear.)—The object sought for
by these 'movie was nut a gild reform. but the
establishment of such a form of government as was
dune capuble of preserving the prosperity of the
burgh from being wantonly dissipated.—(llear,
hear.)
Mr. Wir.ocarooca hoped. in a mater of such
deep interest. the House would not think of stifling
the subject, but would suffer investogation to pro-
ceed to the utmost hunts. A statertirot had been
wade. of which he saw too mason to doubt the oil-
theimeity, that the system hitherto pursued was cal-
culated to destroy the best interests of the great
city of Aberdeen, that the practice of electing Ma-
gistrates was unsupported by any legal uuthority,
and that the general system was fraught with dan-
gers to the property of the bough. These truants
had rout beets denied, and they undoubtedly were
of a natuie that 'periled inquiry.—(llror, hear„)-..
I lud such practices taken piece in Earglarid, as
were shown to have happened in the Scottish burgh,
%bat would the House think of it ?—( ifear.)—
Os' such a subject the Eroglibli 11embers were, per.
loo.pro, better calculated to decide thorn those
Itllllle-
dlately concerned ; they eliould, therefore, bring
lull, the coloarleration of the subject their cool
joidinent, mod protect the people of Scodatid front
gone- abalie.—(llear.)
Mr FIN isAy, iu storing term., comletnned tire
esorrpag system, and remarked, that although tire
Lord Advocate of Scotland had attempted to slew

.

01111,ts

that it was supported by the practice since 1469,
he IA not ventured to say it was a Kepi, system.--
(//cur, hear.)
Lord Casat.tattacH bad no intention of offering
hinivelf to the notice of the fluthe on alio subject,
bring pet fectly sittisticif to rest the question till the
ably !..Ilf.f!CII (Jl. his Learued Friend the Lord Ail-
vor•ate- —/ Loud tiughier /loin the Opposition
Benrhes)—hut he could mil avoid remarking mi the
nit:one, t ili,.de of urgutneht used by the sorter side
of the House. Gentlemen founded their arguments
oil a supposed criminalsty in the Magistiati-s,
whereas in fuel no oilier Crillle WAS emiiiiiitird by
them titan that of borrowing trolley --(Bear, hear)
—money which was in fact .imlicd to the improve-
ment of the town, and now because the application
of that money did not tutu out ;is profitable as they
bad anticipated, they were to he cli.d.ged wills mak
vetsation. The (July legul 41efasilt they had commit-
ted was the failure of an election 111 Colll4tlillellee of
the absence of a proxy for a single Magistrate. The
Noble Lord opposite (Lord A. hi•inoltoo) Isiol dis-
claimed every idea of Pal liametituly Reform, but it
would argue great credulity iii the House were
they to imagine that the preseia motion was any
thing else than a motion for Parliamentary Reform,
limier the mark of a reformation in the Scottish
burgh.. He argued, however, by referring to the
Act of Union, that IA reform to the represen-
tation of Scotland could not be entertained by
Parliament collectiv ly ; and that it would be
ce
absurd in the extrem • to suppose Parliament could
enter on the question riutio, which it could nut
undertake altogether. The question was one of
law altogether, but the Noble Lord avoided the
law rod in/wilco., and confined himself to censur-
ing the exercise of the prerogative of the Crnu tr.—
After some further remarks, the Noble Lord con-
cluded by saying he should object to the motron.
•

Mr. M'ILBERFoucE said a few worth, in expla-
nation, and reworked 'lint such itClll hell hero
sltewo to have taken place in the burgh of A lier-
deen, which would not lie Attuned in en English
corporation.—(Cries of " Spoke, spoke !" and
Question, question !"J

Lord A. HAMILTON, iu reply, said, that the
Noble Lord (Castlereagh) had no right to impute
to him the intention of concealing the object of
Parliamentnry Reform under the guise of the pre-
sent question. He kid carefully excluded it from
his mind, and did not choose to be represented
us a hypocrite, seeking one thing under the
veil of auother. He then entered into a review of
the arguments used on the opposite side, and re-
capitulated those lie had previously urged, remark-
ing, that the assertions he had wade were not
answered, and that his arguments remained un-
shaken. An Hon. Member (Mr. Forbes) stated
that the Charitable Institution). had rustamed no
injury, for that they were receiving four per cent.
fur their money. Why should they not? Hut it
was evident that if they had now the power of ilia-
posing of their property they might obtain five,
so that they sustained a certain loss. He hoped
Parliament would not condemn the Scotch burghs
to their prevent ruinous system, but would give
them souse chimer, under lagistrates of a different
character, of ricovering their original prosperity.
The House there divided, when there apoevred—
Far the MutiOn
Against it

Majority for Mioiattrs
Lo► A. HAMILTON said, as the diviaion was so
(very close—/Hear, hear,)—he should now give no-
tice, that idler the holiday'. he 1111011 H 1110VC for the
proeluction of the Report of the Law Officers of
the Crown on this subject.
ALKALI DUTIES. . .

The Alkali liut7;;liill;aareinl the third time,
and passed.
WATERLOO FUND.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
euErwea, the House resolved itself into a Com-
mittee au the Stoking Fund Acts.
lo the Committee, the CuArscet.t.on of the Ex-
tnesivEtt said, his object was to enable the Trustees
of the NVaterloo Fund Society, to purchase, with
greater facility, limy, annuities, for the benefit of
such persons as might he deemed worthy nod de-
serving objects. The Right Hun. Gentlennun then
moved—
'. That it is the opinion of this Committee that the Com-
missioners fur the reduction of the National Debt he em-
powered to grant bin Alumnus, to stand is the name of
the Trustees of the Waterloo Fund Society.
" That it is the opinion of this Committee that all Long
Annuities so granted be charged on the Fond for the reduc-
tion of the National Debi, part of which shall be appro.
petaled to that purpose, any Act ur Acts to the contrary
That it is the opinion of this Committee, that all Au.
minim for litres or years so :ranted, shall, as they fall its by
death., form !tart of the said Fund.
" That it is the opinion of this Committee, that it is ex-
pedient the said Acts be altered and amended."
The Resolutions were agreed tu.—Report to-
morrow.
EXCISE LICENSES.
The House resolved itself Tutu a Committee on
the Excise Licensing Acts.
la the Committee, Nlr. LusittNGTON moved—
“ That it is the opinion of this Commtner, that the addi-
tional duty of 21. 6s. charged, by the RSth of Geo. 111. on
every license fur the sale of gull or silver plate, shall" out
be paid by persons setting gold ur silver watches only.
Agreed tn.—Report to-tnurrow.
EAST INDIA GOODS BILL.
The East India Gouda Bill was read the second
time.
Mr. FORBES wished to draw the attention of the
House to the unequal sod heavy duty at present
Il paid on East India cutton.—( Ihrse, heir.)—lt was
selling at from 3d. to 711. per lb. and yet it paid
the same duty as was charged on cottu.i that pro-
duced 2,. 6d. or 3s. per 117.-8111 to be couintitted
to-morrow.
Adjourned at ONE u'CLOCII.

VIM respectfully re.ininds
his best Friends, the Public, that the Stott Lot.
tery finishes tirinorrow, on which iffy
Three Prizes of f 10,900.
Three Nista of 2,000,
Three Prizes of 1.000,
And 23 other Capitals,
rust be drown Ihsit's OfEers (as visual) love been in
the presesA Lottery more fortrituate than those of any
olive OfEre, as he sold three of ihe ftw Capitals ilrawu
Aral day, sod burs, To-morrow, to be spin pre-militia
for crood furiour. (indrawn Ticket, and Shares are syllimg
at his Otlites,4, coriihiii,siol 9, Chi; inverttes, and by his
arms io dui Csostiy.

7118 mvunntlY AND ,MINORITY
UN TOL iuriettow RVIATING TNN Nell. WYNOIIiNI
41HIN, ON MONDAY NIGHT, 1116110111 211.

MAJORITY.
Alexander, Jamra Edwards, J. Pares, Non. B.
Ai buthout, Right Evans, W. Paget, /ion. C.
Him. C. Faint, J. Palmerstoo, %%set.
Ashloosi, WIF Fin', Hun. Geu Peel, Right lion. R.
Itartisial, !And Fitzhugh, W. Peel, W. Y.
Batikes, 11. Gifford, Sir R. Pella vat, Spencer
Ramo, NI. Glitter', Gol4y Phillips. C9l
Rai ry, Rt. H it. .1. M. C'.it tato lie, .5. Pricy, Hu•i. W. H.
Bast.iitl, .I.,hn I;:iiiis, G. Peering, it J.
Basta, 4, E. P. tioulluirn, 11. Philliiii,e , Pr.
Batsuist, litai S. Genii., A. C. llitp:o. 11-o. C.
Rathiir at. KI. lin. C. t iiattlsn, RI . lin. IL Pi o id: t it, 111. Hun.
Beckett, Ili His. J. Gt., aril, I'. W.
Rective, Earl of Greville, Sir C. Pole, W. W.
Becher, W. W. Grosvenor, Gen. Pruthrrne, E.
Bent, John Harvey, C. R 14141.11, Sir J.
lieresford, Lord G Hill, Sii G. Itoteri A.
Binning, Lord liiilforit,G. Itobillauti, Rt. Hun
!Raw, James H. Holm, a, W. F.
Blake, Val. Iltinitatiy, S. Roclifort, G.
lisonsell, Alex. II iil-e, Sir C Scott, Hon. W.
Bourne, Itt. Hun S. Huskisson, RI. Hu. Sehrighi, Sir J.
Bradyli, 'l'. W. Shane, Sir G.
lirrigden, J. I mica, I. Shepherd, Sir S.
Browne, James Jocelyn, Lor4 Smith, T. A.
Browne, Peter Kingsborough, Id. Satheruu, F.
Butler, 11011. C. Klllueet.ley, W. S. Stsuionin, Sir G.
Callaghan, G. Knox, lion. T. Ste wail, Al. a.
Callhorpe, lion. F. Lewis, F, Stirling, Sir W.
Canning, Itt. His. G. Littleton, E. Tenn y -un, C.
Castlereagh, Visc. Lone, Rt. Hon. C. Tomlin., E. '
Choir, W. Lowther, V iSCII.IIIIt Tinto's, Ed.
Clerk, Sir G. lowthei ~hiliii 11. Titcl.fietil, Morey of
Char, Hun. Rub. Lushiticton,S H. Vaitaittarl, Rt. Bon.
Clive, H. Lyeuu, Hon, E. P. N.
Cockburn, Sir G. Moberly, .1. Vanglian, Sir R.
Cocks, 1i0n..1. Marmilichie, A. ire. Nlastertuu
Cocks, Hon JS. Mackenzie, 'l'. Walker, J.
Culquhuou, Right Macqueeti, T. I'. Walker, S.
Him. A. Marjurthiiiiks,Sir.l. Wallace lit. llun.T.
Congreve, Sir W. Martin, It. Ward, R.
Courtensy, .1. P. Mills, C. Waseetider, Sir G.
Cratthorne, Curd Montagu, Lord F. Westeura, Huu. 11.
Cruber, .1. W. Montgomery, Sir J. Whitmore, T.
Crawford, A. J. Nuurs )))))) Sir It. Wildman, J. B.
Crawley, S. hliirlsitil, Sir S. B. Wiltuut, R.
Cost, Hun. E. Morrill, J. B. S. Wilson, T.
Cust, Hon. W. Moutitcharli s, Lord Wood, C.•l.
Campbell, A. G. Niteniauliy, Visit. Wrintesle y, 11.
Davis, It. H. O'Brien, Sn' L. Will ill y. S.
Dawson, G. Ogle, H. M. Wynn, C.
Douglas, John Orrimaimey, F. Whin, !Or W.
Drake, F. T. Osborne, Sir J. Y01k..., Sir Juan)
Dundas, Rt. Hn. W. Paget, Hon. E.
Tetxtos—E. W. Bootle and W. (uurtruay.

MINORITY.
Ahercromhy, Hu. J. Harvey, D. W. Ricardo, D.
Allen, J. H. Homy wood, W. P. II tckfurd. %Y.
Altborp, Lord Iliirodiy, Ed. Ramsileit, J. C.
Rerun', R. Howard, lion. W. Ridley, Sir M. %Y.
Bennett, lin. B.G. limns., Jos. &Marls, Ah.
Birch, Jos. Hurst, It. Bob:ill!, W. T.
Brougham, H. Hutchinson, lin C. Russell, Loud G.
BlNgi 6. Lun), Hun. W. Russell, RG.
Beaumont, I'. W. Lamb, Huts. G. Sefton, Earl of
Burrell, Sir C. I.:indium, J. G. Smith, John
Cale& aft, John Lloyd, J. M. Smith, How ft.
Calvert, aim les Lyttelton, Hon. ll'. Smythe, J. ff.
Carew, It. S. Mettle, Hon. W. Steuart. Wm.
Cavendish, Lord G. Mildest& R. Thorp, A Mermen
Culelungh, exisar Mackintosh, Sir J. Tierney, Rt. Hiiu.G.
124111. q., T. II Maitland, J. 11. Walpole, Ilini. G.
OIC4IIIIOO, VIIIC. Martin, .1 W•illiinsii, Aid.
Duna's, lion. L. Musick, Sir C. Webb... Lill.
Dmidas, I Lomas Moore, P. ti r Wilkins, W.
Ellis, Hun. G. IY. A. Newport, Sir J. William-, %Via.
Ebringtua, VII.C. N ucent, Lord Wood, Ai I. rams
Ellisshi, C. Osborne, 14. F. Wynn, C. W.
Fazakei ly, N. Palmer. C. F. .1 e11.t.1111
Furls's, C. Parnell, W. ISitielas, list F. G.
Graham, R. G. Phillips, G. R. Willson, Sir It.
Griffiths, J. 11'. Pruby, Huts. Capt.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, MARC!! 29.

Mr. benefit is announced for Wedca s-
day next. Ile will perform on that evening the
characters of Hamlet and Jerry Sneak, being the
last week of Itts engagement iii
The Ludy if the Luke war well performed, to
rather a lull house, on Saturday night. Mr.
Boccrit's conception of Roderick Mai is quite ac-
curate, his reeitutioti 1M very guud, and his acting in-
finitely 'ulterior to that of any other person who has
appeared to the character. Ile was remarkably well
and tastefully dressed, and list combat with lit:-
james (NII'. Coolish!), war adintrahly managed.
Miss W•LSTEIN lit.1)1:d Blanche with her usual
success.
The afterpicce was Paul and Virginia, ill which
the vocal exert of Nlr. IluaN and 311,s I.
1-IAstmEKBLEY highly grattlied Om audience.

Tuesday a Meettaty, of the New Royal Canal
Compatty was held at the Royal Canal Muse,
Broatistone, for the purpose of electing a Durctor
tut the roosts of Peter le Bus, Esq. tlicett-etl. The
candidates were Messrs. Drtsts awl Lamprey—the
founts was chosen by a majority of U.

• &Ads( alyle,-evely way pa ealiar to himself. Ile mat ti
callosg beat day 0/1 the Luta Mayur„all.l brier taiAtiiiiig aa tot
of daunt' will, him, to wlataiaa rash tar a &aril of 6001 *Welt
he had uu his Lordship While lie was feasting haulier At
She hottl, Me Juay., or atone prawn bettlugtaag to bias,
wailed oar 'elle Lord Mayor, to intiotat if tat knew any
thing ireapeetaug shear now, eatlu visilaro• Hie Load
Mayor's aotaarer determined Lis tate; and lie wns 111$101.tly
gle/.11 in ellt/tltly to the Police. %%btu us. his seams .aiiuis
before ilra..Magiatrate, hu jor..Oiett in all. gang that hr was
the son of Sir ttillaain RCM'S/Al, M. wilier of Parliatn.uh, an,
at he rolled it, Knitl.i or She •11:re tar Dev....ll.arei and
Wit he expected a large resnittauce frosts Lou every day
lit lISli familial tett for tail at alit Se.siosit.

LAW INTELLIGANCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, Liscou'Llmei

TruasiAir,llllL 1.

BURLINGTON ARCADE.
(Amt. ind oTHuits r. LORD GEORGE CA,Lig•

DISH, lIIKAIINE, and otoEub.
The SOLICITOR-GP:MERU. shard this wee the
motion of the Phiiiitiffis for air injutictiusi to rrstrs;it

the Ortyrt-esclunt, Hearse., from toprititsg a new
sage frotn mho %Vestall Itechauge, liood.roeet,
into the Burlington Arcade.
, The LORD CosectLi.oe—wis It is so !wig sit,ce
I walked its that part of the towd; that I do n.,t
know where the Burlington Arcade is-=let me sea
the plan of it."
The phut was acesedingly"lsanded up to his Lord..
ship.
The SoLlcietta•Geiteitei. in continuation. said,
that Lord George Cavendish had made a number
' of improvements to Burliugtots House. and p.sts-
eslarly he had erected a member of shop.. Is
weir covered Over, approximating to litssltagion
jj ow. for which mums it WAS called the Btuhug-
tots Arcade; altlsoughit was but one buildsts4 there
were two rows or 010114, one no the east, the other too
themes, elite, and the building roils due with front
Pice.oldly into Burlington (I.lhlen-; in the centre
theme was M coninunliouti passage for thepubhe tL

ihrunglp. The Western Exchange was to WV
west of the Arcade, and was well ithowts to be

place of fishionuble resort. Mr. Weir; us the sur-
veyor and agent of Lord Gatrge Cavendish. was
employed hy his Lordship to let the shops, and .A-
cortlingly he sent a printed circular letter to the
Plaintiffs, asking them to become tenants. Lord
George Cavendish, thinking it was unly au act of
justice to give them the first sifter, as they resided
in Bond-street, and he by building the Arcade had
darkened the backs of their houses, and also he al.
lowed them to make a door freiu their houses into
their shops in the Arcade; but this was all indul.
genet not allowed to any tither of the tenants. It
was a kind of compromise betweeu his Lordship
and them for the injury they reerivs d by th !mole
of their houses being darkened. Plaintiffs hail
various ctanniiiiiications with Mr. Weir, and it was

uniformly mated by him, that although the shops
were to he let tea vamiety of tenants, jewels still eis
be considered as our concerti, to be guided by OM.
trio regulations. It was also agratd that theta
should be bat two public entrais.es, one at the
north and the other at the south end ; the pest
for • single situp was to be 34!. per minim, .t
61. a year for repairing, watching, lighting, &c.
the Arcade; the double shops were to he doulde
mute ; a lease fur fourteen years to he granted
for a single shop on the tricot of a liar t.t.
150/. and for a double shop on the payment
of OCR. : on those conditions the Plaiotiffs be-
came tenants. It was thought twee-mlty to have a
genertil meeting ul the tenants (.1' the Arcade to
settle the regulation*, which took !duce tot the 233
of February lost, at time Thais lied flouxe,
Jaines's, when the regulations, as propnsetl I.y Mi.
Weir, weir agreed to, and a Committee, cons:id-
iot; of six of the tenutito, was 111)1/01111td to carry
them into effect, of which Cos 1111 l ttlre the Phsitaiff,
Odell, ace uppOltlted Chun mutt. The Defenila,..,
Hearer, who is a proton-ter of a slumber of shops,
or stonily, in the %VestrY's Exchange, because the
tenant of the shop No. 14, iii the Arcade, and lied
opened u public passage from the Western Ex-
change to the Arcade, cud it aoptored by the
affidavlts in support of the 'notion that he had it,
cited the public to wake use of the
104110.3:4d
which lie had illegally made. The cousequence
was, that pt:lLVOlib CUIIIC hum the Exchange lobo the
middle of the Arcade, iiistead of bring oblig.4l to
go in and come out tit the doors of its extremities ;
this was most dettimentul and mjulious to the
Plaintiffs, mid put an rod to all the regulations
agreed to by Lord G. Cavendish lessees ;
for instance, there titre two porters alowitited.ui.e a.
eiicli entiatice, to see that tin Mop olio. or disorderly
persona should euter the Arcade, hut Ott..
tioni became nugatory by the pd1.).1,;C of the Dr-
fendatit, Hearne.
The LORD CMANcELLuft...-" If gentlemen *1.1.8
have a taste for walking Humid-street wish to t o to
the Arcade through this passage
will be a difficult thing fur this Court, by tojesuc..
trot), to stop them."
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL contended, that the
Defendant !borne had acted iii gross violation of
the plan laid down for list proper management of
the Arcade ; it was therefore a proper case for the
interference of his Lordship ; amid under the oh.,tu
of the circumsterices, he trusted his Loud:hip otie,a
grant the injunction.
Mr. Pares billowed on the same side.
The LORD CHANCELI.OII—" Where is the agree_
meat for the lease ?"—Ois Its bettig handed up I.
inin, his Lordship said, " I caromt read this, It is
not stamped ; I do not see how We Coll pruered to
this *notion."
The Soi.tcyroe-GENERAL—" Does not your
Lordship think that we beim: put in smasesaioti try
Lord George Cavendish is sufficient ?"
The Lotus CIIANCLI.LOR-s." The leases are not
executed, the contracts are nut staaeped ; and If
you stand on the agreement, Mr. Solicitor, I c. 0.-
uot receive it without it is verified by affidavit."
Mr. WSTMERELL, Coon-el put tile l)efendisios,
said, he objected to hie Lordship hearing any
further relative to the 'outwit, uulrl the
lied verified their case.
The LORD CIMAPICELLuti—" They cannot tires
ceediutr.ifuyroziaTiotEbitegcallt 1 will *lever color'''. on
tub:taps:et
surf
Liu,
rydalic afei;et
ghtseoyi,.Ja:iursutidrur efts:ruts: glisr..4„;:a siscaegie;

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