The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-02-06 00:00:00

WAYS AND ME.IM.

On the motion of the (71t s Net-Limit of the Eat-
on ut:Ett, the House resolved Itself tow a Com-
mittee of the whole (loose, to consider of the
ssa)s and means of raising the supply granted to
Isis Majesty. In the Committee, the Right lion.
Gentleman moved the Annual Malt and Laiod
Taxes, which, after a few words from Mr. Et.t.tsost
on the subject, we believe (I'm the lbw. Gentleman
spoke in a very low tone), of Exchequer Bills, the
motions were agreed to.
The House then resumed.—Report tn-morrow.
AELEGED ABUSE OF A CHARITABLE
IX/NAM/N.

Mr. BKOUGHAM said, lie held In his hand a
Petition from the Minister, Elders. and Inhabitants
of the pansh of Moffatt, in Scotland, the sub-
ket of•• charitable foundation. Ile might to
mention, that the Alinister slid Elders composed
the vestry of the parish. The Petitimiers, amount-
ing to the uoniber of 300, had taken the prevail-
liar. in order to prevent an objection. which was
sometimes made to Petitions, whet, they were sign-
ed by Persons under or. from °penning lig:Host
them, of adding to each signature, the age of the
person subscribing. The Petitioners stn:: d, that
in the year 1639, a Reverend Gentleiiiii, Doctor
Johnson, who had settled in London, bequeathed
the aim of 1,000/. sterling. to Lord Johnson. the
eldest son of the Marquis of Annandale, to he laid
out in the purchase of lands, the rents and profits
of which were to be appropriated, in the first place,
to the payment of a yearly sum of 25/. to a school-
master-2illy, to the payment of between 10 and
13/. per annum to at, usher.--and sdly, to the pay-
ment of between 7 mud 8/. annually to a wilting-
master. The master nod usher were to superintend
the education of the boys it, the grammar-school,
and the writimmester was to be confined strictly
to Isis variation. A sum was also set apart for
the erection of' the necessary buildings. The.
Petitioners had every reason to believe that the
money was laid out, in the first instance, strictly
in accordance with the terms of the devise.
A school was established, and a salary paid to
the master, except in some cases where, from
circumstances that could not be .well understood,
the situation was allowed to remain vacant fur seve-
ral yevrs together. The Petitioners next stated,
that, instead of the *tumid salary brit% paid to an
usher specially appointed, it was handed over to the
parish schoolmaster, Mind, was evidently a devia-
tion from the terms of the devise, since the parish
schoolmaster had ti salary iiidepetident of what he
thus received. The Petitioners also set forth, that
the third salary, intended for o writing-master, was
never paid at all. The overphis of the profits of
the land, after those three points were provided for,
were directed to be applied to the relief of the pour
of tlie parish—lent the Petitioners stated, that no
part of the profits of the estate had ever been ap-
propriated to the inaniteronice of the poor, and that
110 OCCIMIIII could be obtained of what had been
clime with the overplus of the profits, or with the
lands that had been purchased. They added, that
it w..s a great hardship to be deprived of these
means of education, particularly as the willowy
Means, at piesetit ill existence, were insufficient fur
the population. 'Flue Petitioners further lepreiwitord,
that the same benevolent person, Dr. Johnson, who
wit. probably connected with a Scotch congregation
in London, had bequeathed an midi:Moil 1,0001.,
which was to be laid out in land, for the purpose of
for "Ill' g a rum!, for an exhibition for eight poor
schol,iis in the University of Edinburgh, four of
whom were to be educated in the parish, aud were
to he elected without favour or affection, the terms
of which devise had not been complied with. The
1'1110(111er% prayed generally, that the House would
cause inquiry to be made into these circumstances.
Thr Petition having beau rend—
Mr. W. Dour:Las rose and said, that no person
was more ready than himself to piny to the Learned
(;entlrmaii the tribitte of gratitude for the general
ettention he paid to subjects of this nature, and
the benefit which he &Minded to institutions that
requirr rl his assistance. With respect to the Pe-
tition that bad been just read, lie could not give an
explicit answer to the particular statements which it
continued ; but this he knew. that, up to the pre-
sent period, a sum of money had been annually
paid to a schoolmaster. Ile could not, however.
say whether a subordinate master, and other as-
sitants, lied been appointed. The allegation, with
respect to persons to he sent to the College of
Edinburgh were not correct—for individuals were
in fact sent to that College, and supported there.
He had always understood that )rung tarn were
sent to that College on Dr. Johnson's exhibition,
under the pruvisious of his will. The present pose
sesaurs of the estate, who held it under an Act
passed with reference to the Marquis of Annan-
dale's property, were well known for their scru-
pulous integrity and honourable feeling.
Lord BINNING said, that benig very nearly con-
nected, by the ties of relationship mud friendslitp,
with the tinnily adverted to in the Petition, he
wished to make sonic observations on it. Certainly
no direct allegation was made against that family.

yet it was ient,,r,,ibl,:for 311 Wit3l bid head the
Petition read, without driiseio4 this inference, that
it did, in fact. contain 411 iii(firect accusation, lint
lie would venture to s:iy, that there was nose, of
iialividnals, lest liable, nil just grounds, to such an
than thou: who sere thus treated. Ile
‘tolild not s4y :illy !long ahnrtt the tietwl cf the
Petition, not haviii4 been h. !sue- awore of it. But
lie thought the Learned 4;entleinaii would baste
exercised 3 sounder discretion, if he had withheld
it, moil the lion. Member fur I)iiinfries, who was

nearly l'ollllertf•ti Klitt this property, had arrived in
town, o here he was immediately exuccied. Per.
lia;is the Learned Gentle-m.6u would, too that cum,
( have f-crivtd such information as would have in-
duced hin. 10 think that there was not much to this
accusetoiy statement. What lie rose chiefly for the
Purpose of stating was, that this was neither more
nor less than au allegation that property wits mi...
appropi need. It was consequently a subject fit
for a Court of Law, and not for the House of
Coo-moils. Whatever had been said by the Lrarw.
ed Gentleman and others, with respect to the delay
expertenced in the Court of Chancery, could not
apply here. It was not necessary for the Peti-
tioners to have gone to that Court. If the griev.
aver acre well founded, they ought to have gone
to the Court of Session, and sought redress there.
Mi. W. Douct.As said, the Learned Gentlrtnan
had, two days ago, mentioned to him that lie was
about to present such a Petition, and asked, who.
Cher lie (Mr. Douglas) could afford lino any
in-
forrnahoi rtspecting it, before he laid it ou the
table. Ile (Mr. Douglas) had seen a person from
Moffat, who told him that the Petition was signed
by the Clergyman of the parish. The seine person
told lion that the salary was paid to a schoolmaster,
and also that young mei, were sent to the Univer.
sity of Edinburgh and supported there. The
money, lie believed, was left entirely to the discre-
hots of the representatives of the Annandale family,
and that dismetiots he believed was exercised in a
wise and hiAlile I .... nurable manners
Mr. Ilituntitism said, the Hon. Member who
had just spoken furnished Min a ith an answer to
what had Wire from the Noble Lord.—! fleur,
hear.)—But lie begged to observe further, that he
had also communicated to the Hon. Member for
Edinburgh the fact that lie meant to presint this
Petition—and, Laving so acted, lie thought that lie
hail dime quite enough to prevent evrn a suspicion
that lie meant to proceed covertly or unfairly.—
(icar, hear.)--lie would atww say a word, ooh
respect to the duty of a filember of Parliament,
who via,. called on to preseid it Petition. It ap.
peered from what the Noble toed bail stated, that,
besides the point, which it *as considered necessary
for him to be acquainted a itli, when called on to
perform such a duty, that, bring, eo ipso, a Member
of Parliament, lie was boom, also to know who
were the telutiuns of the persons to whom the Peti-
tion referred, before be presented it.— Ileor.)—
lie (%lr. IL) was censured because lie did not know
who was the mpresentative of Lord A imandale„ to
whom, it seemed, the property had devolved.—
Ileor.)— Bey ond that, he was required to know
whether the trineseeitaii yr was a Member of that
House.—/hear, hear.)—lt was considered a great
want of knowledge on hues part, because he was
not acquainted with that, of which, until the Noble
Lord stated it, he was completely ignorant, namely,
that the Hon. Nlenther fur Dumfries was that repre-
sentative— (Hier, hear;—and lie was equally biota-
ed, because he did nut knoa that that Honourable
Gentleman was expecttil in town, and was on his
way thither.—!Near, Lear, hear, and /wisher. )
Reilly it was rely hard because a Gentleman was
not pusses,eil of all this knowledge, local and ge-
neral, public and particular (for it went even to
the journeys of au individual), that he should there-
fore be accused of acting secretly and sinfairly.—
(llcar.)—Tne Petition was laid am the table.