The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-10 00:00:00

BEAR-BAITING.

The BISHOP of EXETER pres ented a petition from the pa.
risk of St. alary.la-bonne, praying their Lordships to take some
steps to prevent the practice of bear-baiting and bull-baiting,
which was ordered to be laid on the table.
CLERK OF PARLIAMENT.
The Earl of LI V ERPOI M. rose pursuant to the notice he bad
given some days since, to move for the appointment of a Select Com-
mittee of their Lordships, to take into consideration the duties of the
office of Clerk in Parliament. In submitting this motion to the
House, he was desirous of giving their Lordships the opportunity
of inquiring into the nature of the office, which ought to be exa-
mined into with reference to the wants of the House, as connected
with it. and with reference also to every other circumstance in-
volved in it. Ile was confident that their Lordships bed a full disc
position to do justice to the subject, and would give it the at-
tention that it an much deserved ; and therefore, without any
further remarks, he would move, that a Select Committee be ap-
pointed, to inquire into the duties of Clerk in Parliament, and re.
port thereon to the House. The Noble Earl then read a list of
Peers, whom he moved should form the Committee.
Earl (IROSI'ENOR observed that he was aware that a very
great saving to the public would take place on the death of the
very respectable gentleman who at present filled dia► office; and
he hoped that care would be taken, subsequent to that resat, to
give effect to the arrangement mode with regard to that office. lie
could not help adverting, now the subject was before the House, to
the office of Chief Ilemembrancer of the Exchequer. Some regu-
lations respecting that office had been agreed upon. but no
them, it still remained in the state in which it was origi-
nally. t" No !" prom Lord Liverpool). Ile repeated, that the
Alice of Chief Rcrnembrancer of the Exchequer, under the re-
gulations he had alluded to, was absolutely abolished; but then
it was atter* ants said that it was connected with other offices,
an' —add no; be abolished till they were. lie thought it would
to convenient course (as we urderstood the Noble Earl, but he
iiinike in a tone of voice alimat inaudible below the bar), to refer
this office, the Clerkship of the Pelts, and the office of Chief Jus-
tice General of Scotland, to this Committee, as they were similarly
situated, and cenie under die regulations which had been adopted
by their Lordship..
The Earl of LIVERPOOL, in reply, remarked that his motion
referred to one particular office, and therefore it would be most un-
usual and inconvenient tin the attention of the Committee to be
drawn to others which could not be regularly brought under its no-
tice. The fact was, the Hemembrancer of the Exchequer was an
office of great importance. end had duties of high consequence at-
tached to it. It wool trite a Bill had been brought into Parliament
to regulate that and other otiices. and a power had been given by
law, to the Gorda Commissioners of the Treasury, to fulfil the in-
tention of that Act ; send the Clerk of the Pella had been actually
done away with tinder the control of that law. But the Renieni.
brsncer of the Exchequer was a most important office, and it was
necessary to regulate it before any arrangement could be entered
into with regard to it, not only on account of its own intrinsic im-
portance, but as it was connected with other offices that could not
IA abolished until it was placed under a course of regulation. The
Noble Earl, however, he thought, had no cause of complaint on
this subject ; for the Barons of the Exchequer had appointed a
Gentleman pending the arrangement regarding this office, who per-
binned its duties without a salary.
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