The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-20 00:00:00

LONDON HOSPITAL ANNIVERSARY,
April 13. 1821.
kin' Royal Highness the Duke of GLOUCESTER in the Chair.
The following Subscriptions, Benefactions, and Donations were
...1.HM.4 to have been received at this Anniversary, and since the
last Annual awing :
DONATIONS.
•

s. if a.
Mb Royal Highness the Sir Wm.Msard . 5 6
Duke of tHounster, Geo. Palmer, Esq. Do. 6 6
President . 50 0 'Joseph Pulley, Esq. Do. 5 6
1/r. Cobh • 31 10 Wm. Curling, Esq. 6 6
J. Rena*, Esq. Seward 31 IV Mrs. R. . 5 5
N. 31. Rothschild, Esq. 15 IS J. Pulley. jun.-Esq. 5 6
llre. Rothschild 10 10 William Cotton, Lag. 5 111
George Byng, Esq. M.P. Henry Lee, Esq. . 6 6
V. P. - . 10 10 Leonard Currie, En. 5 5
Senj. Steadying, Zig. Thomas Smith, Esq. 6 1
Steward 10 10 William Marla, Esq. 6 6
James Scott. Esq. De. 10 11 Chas. H. Turner, Esq. A I
John Curtain, En. 10 0 Column House Agents 5 0
Richard NiehoU, Esq. 10 I lease Cohen. Erq. - 5
Harry Charrington, Esq. 10 0 Sunday small Donations
N. Charrtngton, Esq. of Three Guineas and
Treasurer . 10 0 less, by Gentlemen of
Mr. Alderman Birdt, the Hebrew Nation 79 7
Steward II
stirtera
.1: a.
Thr Lord Bishop of St.
David's 31 10
.1. R. Hunt, Esq. . 31 10
Wri.ey Stoney, Esq. 31 10
Wasey Sterreidii. Esq. 31 10
.1. Marshall, . . 31 10
Ellis Williams, sq. 31 10
Y. D. Whalley, Esq. 31 IV
subsea'
E s.
MariaeSociety - 21' 0 I John Schooling, Esq.
cnt.t.tcrtoxs. •
At the Chapel, after a Sermon by the Eight Rev. the
Lord Bishop of St. David's . L2B Si. 6d.
Thirty Guineas constitutes a (Slovenia for Life--Five Guineas
an Annual 0011111 On

JOHN JONES. Seminary.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.
HOUSE OF LORO-371Mispay, Aran. 19.

SLAVERY.

The Marquis of lIUNTEV prt4eiited a petition from Elgin,
praying for th• abolition of slavery.
Lail BEAUCHA3IP presented a similar petition from War-
enter. _ _ _ - _ . - . __. -

SimiLr petitions were presented by the Earl of Shaftesbury
and by Lord Ilexley.
Earl OROSVENOR took that opportunity of defending the
rincipits of those who 'Riled for the abolition of slavery. It was
r.ot their wish to attempt any sudden alteration in the !linen), such
as it was; but to effect their purpose by gradual measures.
CURRENCY OF SCOTLAND.

The Duke of ATHOL presented several petitions from towns
and parishes in Scotland, against any alteration in the present aye.
tem of banking in that country.
l'hw Marquis a HUNTLY presented a similar petition from
the Fuming Society of Inverness, and several from parishes in
A herdwenahue. _ _ _

Mr. Johnson, from the office of the Chief Secretary for Ireland,
presented accounts and papers, in purseance of their Lordships'
orders. _ .

---Ilii.Crafer. presented an amount of the number of bank notes
stamped In Ireland sines 1790, shstingulshing those of five pounds
a:..1 upwards.
Adjourned at five o'clock.

HOUSE OF C03131C7-ki;7fi-oxEsDAY, Aram 111.

ABOLITION OF NEGRO SLAVERY.

Petitions fur the abolition of slavery were presented from Stokesly
and another place, by Air. Powcer ; from Leicester by Mr.
MANSFILLD ; and from the parishes of Crosby and Rarenscroft
by Lord LowTnii.

Mr. C. PELIJA~I moved Re‘olutions for necriinnally holding
the Parliaments in Dublin and Edinburgh ; but as no one seconded
the motion. it was withdrawn.
CO3IMITTEES ON PRIV ITE DIMS.

Mr. I.lTTiiß.si said, that in hr. _::;;;beiiiretrieHouse his
limo!ottani respecting private Committee,. he wished It to be stn.
deniald that thee were not the same which had been submitted to
the Committee appointed to consider the subject last year. lie did
ro: pretend to have found a means of remedying all the evils con.
reeled with the subject, but he wished only to effect some improve.
went in the coosthution of Committees on private Bills; it would
be impossible to silence all the complaint% made out of doors against
-Committees, but these complainants were not always aggrieved.
Members themselves had most reason to complain, for th.• conduct
of parties out of doors was suehas to render the attendance.,;, Com.
mittees a 01051 difficult and onerous task to themselves. All were
wim dst in a omitin,eu Dm, in tile most mining
eases. the iingants had recourse to every art to protract the
proceedings and to cause delay, and afterwards all the blame of an
unsatisfactory or slow decision was ascribed to the Members. Such
was the course taken, even in the most trifling road Bills; but
when any thing of importance was to be decided, all knew how ob.
stnnte and acrimonious the opposition could become, and that no
expense was spared in order to compass the private views of the
sontending parties. Under such eireunistirees it ass rot to be ex-
pected that either should be Relished, while at the same time they
used every art in their power to harass and torment the Members.
\Vintner might be the cause of those ills, he thought that the
BOWe ought to find a speedy and adequate remely for them.
When speaking of the misconduct of Committees, he did not
think it necessary to particularise any Instance of abuse, though
he felt that he should he warranted in doing so. But if
soy fientlemcn were disposed to deny the fact of such misconduct,
be must nevertheless admit its possibility, and that the measure
proposed was calculated to prevent it. The misconduct of Cora-
/Mlle*/ had been often a subject of attention and of speculation, and
many remedies had been suggested. One plan which bad been
recommended by persons of high character we,, to leave things as
they were, with respect to Committees, but to encourage complaints
to the House, so that the ideas of men might become more refined
and more amenable to the lnfluenye of opinion. Another plan was,
to make at the commencement of every session a universal system
c.t Select Committees, to which were to be referred all motions pre-
vious to their being submitted to Private Committees ; but this
plan wnuld only tend to increase the business of Members;
std when it was recollected the number of Commitees always
sitting—wben it was also considered the number of Honourable
Members always absent on official business, the occupations
a-d the age of others, and the great increase of all kinds of par.
Laments?, business; it would LI evident that the plan, which tend.
ed to retailer the attendance on committees a more onerous thity
than it was at present was very objectionable. There was another
plan, more practicable but lees constitutional than the receding;
that was so refer every Bill to a commission appointed for the pur.
ix before it was sent to the committee; to that course of proceed.
.in., In objected on constitutional grounds; he did object to any
unnecessary departure from established usages. The measure,
therefore, which he wished the House to adopt, as being both the
latest and most practical, with a close adherence to established
',suttee, was to leave the private cammittees on their former foot.
log, but to appoint a select committee of appeal to which the corn.
plattas of die parties, on account of any abuse or misconduct of the
private committee*, should be referred. Under such a system It
was evident that, although the decisions of the first Committee
should be guided by motives of pc/1;onel interest, yet that in the
helert Committee, appointed by ballot, every cause of complaint
would be obviated. But what he was disposed to consider the
principal advantage of such a system was, that it would operate
not only in the remedy of misconduct, but in its proven.
Jim ; tor how was it possible that it would not prevent
&Suer, when it should be known that the proceedings
of every private Committee were liable and likely to be revised,and
that every instance of partiality and undue preference was sure to
be exposed ? It was an advantage that his measure was thunded on
resolutions, because, if it proved either imperfect or wholly intme.
ratite, it was still in the power of the House to modify or reject it
altogether, according to the success of the experiment. One of the
provisions of his measure would be to equalize the number of
Members liable to serve on Private Committees for different coun-
ties. The Members liable according to the old regulations were
very unequal: for Wilts no less than 154 Members might be
cane! upon to sit on Committees; for llerhy only 80; foe Somer.
set 17G; for Leicester fll ; and for Stafford fir. If the House was
pleased to adopt his resolutions by way of trial, he was sure they
would be found to hare done much to prevent complaints, and to
maintain the character of Parliament.
Mr. S. ‘VIIITBREA l) seconded the motion.

Mr. RIDLEY COLBORNI admitted that public opinion was
a powerful corrective. but he did not believe it could prevent the
abuses of Private Committees. Any persons who attended up
stairs might ace how a steady opponent, backed by an ingenious
t:ouosel. might thwart the most beneficial measure, and defeat it
rather by time than by reason. He feared that nothing short of a
compulsory measure would prove an effectual remedy, and that the
Committee of Appeal would be found to be only a waste of time
and money.
Mr. W. PEEL said he thought that any change made in the
constitution of Private Committees must be for the hi-tier. Any
person who went into a Committee room would see sufficient :o ex-
cite his disgust, at, much money was expended, and so much pas-
sion was displayed, in the attempt to defeat measures by delay.
Marty rape:table Members. in consequence, had refused to attend
on Private Committees. The adoption cf the measure proposed
would tree the Members from many vexations to which they were
now subject. It would relieve them front the numerous cards of
invitation, with which he was sure they were all acquainted, and
from letters begging them to vote for certain measures. Ile there-
fore coldially supported his Hon. Friend's resolutions.
Mr. W. WHITBREAD advocated the measure. The only
objection, he said, which he had heard made against It was, that ft
"amid increase the duties of Members, and occupy more of their
time; but his Idea of Members was that they were sent to Parlia.
nom for the service of the country, and that they ought not to
come if they had not time to devote to public business.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that al-
though he had not much experience in private Committees, yet he
was aware that many things occurred in them which were not to
the credit of the House or of the Members who composed them.