The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-24 00:00:00

tect aliens trying to rrAke their GOUT try free. If the conducted
themselves according to the laws of this country, they had aright
to stay in it. No measure had disappointed him more than the
present Bill, because he had hoped aid expected a more liberal
system of policy from them. If the Right Hon. Secretary for Fo-
reign Affairs would say that he approved of the Dill, and state his
reasons for such approval, he should be relievnd from great anxiety
upon the subject, for he thought that Right Hon. Gentleman could
not consider it in aceoedance with the British Cni,stitution. As the
country had changed its foreign policy, the !louse had a right to
know from the Right Hon. Secretary for Foreign Affairs his retsuna
few continuing it. It had been originally stated, that the Bill was
our required for a limited time; and he wished to know tram the
Ht: Hon. Secretary what view of the circumstances of Europe be had
taken that made it necessary to his mind ,o continue the measure ?
The system that had hitherto been punned was odious. (The House
'hewed marked symptema of inipatienee.] In consequence of
Gentlemen being extremely Testiest'', he should be obliged to begin
with the statement of the Right lion. Gentleman. (A laugh.)
Ile was aware that nothing was so unpleasant as for Gentlemen to
be summoned suddenly to vote on a particular question, and to bo
kept long.ir than they expected. (Laughter.) Some of those
Gentlemen were affected with a violent coughing, which came on so
suddenly that it became alarming ; and he thought on that ac-
count they would be much better at home with Or it families.
(Mitch laughter.) It appeared really a serious epidemic. (ton.
tinued laughter.) lie wanted, notwithttanding all the interrup.
tions that he had met with, the Right lion. Gentleman (Mr. Can-
Woo) to state the grounds on which he O.:login the Bill necessary,
end he hoped that he would favour the House with them. An-
other Right Hon. Gentleman had stated, that circumstances had
chatted since the year II;l3, when he voted itaninst the Bill. He
would tell that Right Hon. Gentleman what change had taken
place--he had changed from that to the other side of the Houte since
lAIB. (A laugh.) Hut he eared not what that Right lion. Gentlemin
or the Right Honourable Secretary for the lime Department might
say he wanted to hear their Right Honourable colleague the Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs. Ile had more dependence no that Right
Honourable Gentleman than on either of his Right Honourable
Friends on his right and left, for his conduct had been hitherto
liberal. and if he would state his grounds for continuing this
measlier, the Houle would then sae how far it could place confi-
dence in him. In moving that the BiU be read a tiro time that
day sia months, he hoped to hear from the Hight Honourable
fi.ferr.ary for Foreign Attain, some remarks upon it ; lie hoped to
be interned by him whether it was the Iva time that the Right
Honourable Gentleman would deem it his duty to support the
introduction of the Bill on a filtlap Occasion, or whether this was
the last time it would be propolied to the House? He had as yet
heard no case made out in support of the cline and therefore he
should move that the Hill be read a first time that day Wm months.

-3i7.l4etXtary CANNING said, that the llonoura.ble Member!
had such winning ways with him (much laughter) that although
he had avoided, In the previous discussion, offering his senti-
ments, sad was still Inclined to put off's reply, he could not resist
tram satisfying hint, disposed as he was to be silent at preseut
on the subject. He could not be expected to enter into the
question fully then; but thus much he felt bound to say, that
under the present circumstances of the country, with the modifi-
cations that had been proposed, the Bill ought to be posited,
and in a future state of it he would deliver his sentiments.
Whether the power was conferred by statute or not, or was
inherent in the Crown, he would not then stop to inquire;
but to lay down the principle that a community could not
hare the power to regulate her intercourse with foreigners, was
monstrous. That the right must rest somewhere, becould not for
a moment believe would be seriously denied, no matter whether it
enia-ated from the executive or legislative body. If a single
ncion could exist without the power of keeping foreigners under
such regulations as it might deem necessary, he would say that there
was one community strips of all its natural rights. Then came the
policy of acting upon that right ; and no that point he had nn hesi-
tation in saying that this measure in the present instance should
be acted upon as liberally as safety at home and a due discharge
of duty abroad would admit of. The measure he hoped and
believed would not be long necessary ; but such • crisis had ex-
isted with regard to this country, as had made it absolutely ne-
cessary ; and the time was not quite passed away when the mea-
sure could, with safety, be given up. SVhen he hail more strength,
and a better opportunity presented itself. he would state his opi-
nions at greater length. (Hear, hear.) The House then divided
on Mr. Hume 's motion, which arose on the Bill being brought up
fora firs; reading.
For the Motion, 126 I Against it, fig l Majority, 60.
On our returned to the Gallery the Bill was read a first time,
and ordered to be printed, and read a second time on Friday.
COUNTY COUR'fet BILL

The second reading of the vas postponed to
Friday pelt.

NEW COURTS OF LAW.

Mr. BANKS, in moving fora Select Committee relative to the
New Courts of Law, observed, that he should have three dames of
opponents to contend against "-Ist. Those who approved of the
buildings "Idly, Those who had no taste for architecture; and
:Idly, Those who would say that the expenseha.i been incurred, and
therefore the new buildings ought to remain. The Honour-
able Member then entered into various statements relative to
the improvements at 11'estotinster, which he strongly censured.
There was a noble public building in an unfinished state, and so
beautiful was it in proportion, and so grand in design, that he con-
sitlerrd it as inferior only to Westminster Hall. (We understood
the Hon. Member to allude to Somerset House.) He had no
doubt but that sufficient nom might be found on the left side of
Westminster Hall to erect Courts of Justice in, by destroying that
noisome 1 tam eight, the Esehoques Office, and she trumpery
buildings that looked to the Thames ; and by completing Somerset
House, and removing the Exchequer (u ice to that building, all
objection would be overcome, and the eye no longer offended by
site present excrescence. In conclusion, he submitted a motion,
that an estimate of the expenses to be incurred by the erection of
courts of justice might be referred to a Committee, accompanied
with a plan of the projected buildings, in order that they might re-
port their opinion to the House.
dir. A. hLLIS made a few observations, we believe, in support
of the motion, but from the noise that prevailed, he woo quite In-
audible in the gallery.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER began by stating
that his present situation was at least a novel one. He seldom ad-
dressed the House but for the purpose of procuring them to vote
expenses; but his motive in rising now was to restrain them. He
recollected, and he spoke it with some degree of shame, that three
or four years ago, when the House was called on to vote away its
funds for the purchase, he would not hesitate to say, of the noblest
works of art that had enriched this country for many years, the vote
was ("pored on the score of economy and the impoverished state of
the finances of the country. He did not think that those grounds
for caution had as yet completely subsided, yet be found those who
then opposed that vote foremost in requiring of the House to go to
a most unnecessary expense in pulling down works that were now
nearly finished, fur the sole purpose of building them up on the op-
posite side. These buildings bad been contemptibly spoken of as
excrescences. Wherever they were erected they must continue
excrescences. And, if built on the site that the Honourable
3lember for Cafe Castle proposed, they would be attended
by the inconvenience of completely overlooking the Speaker's
house, and he thought scene regard ought to be felt far his
comforts and privacy. Many of the observations which had
been lavished on the architects he thought might have been
spared. The Chancellor of the Exchequer here entered into a
very high eulogium on Colonel Stevenson and Mr. Soule, under
whose plans and superintendence the buildings had been erected.
lie stated that another very serious objection had arisen against
the buildings being erected on the left side of the Hall, which was
the time which must necessarily be consumed in constructing
them in that situation ; and the lemons and lectures that he had
received front his lion. Friend the Solicitor-General and the Hon.
Member for Winchilsea on the delay that had already taken place,
was one of the principal inducements with him to urge dispatch in
their erection, as the anxiety of the legal body to have AS few
impediments in their way as possible in the conduct of their busi-
ness was very natural. (Laughter.) Foe three reasons, therefore,
he was not prepared to give his support to the motion of his lion.
Friend, which had for its object the pulling down of these build-
ings, metre draw down the whale weight of the censure of that
House as men so eminent in their profession es Col. Stevenson and
Mr. Soong were universally allowed to be. He would not sit down
without expressing his °maim of the liberality that Parliament
bad recently shorn in voting large sums of money fur the im-
provement and decimations of the metropolis and the country, but
he did not think that this was a question in which any further In-
terference en their part was called tor.
Mr. H. GURNEY made some observations in favour of the
motion but we could not catch the exact import of them.
dir. W. R kNKES said, that the object of the present motion
was not to east any slur on either of the gentlemen who had been
mentioned, and he admitted that the difficulty was to say too much
in their prime; bit he certainly thought the question ought to go to
a Committee. He had resided much abroad, and in consequence
of the civilities that had been shown to him while there, foreigners
had often requested him to point out the sights worth seeing in
London. (Laughter.) He took a pride in dwelling on the archi-
tectural beauties and antiquity of Westminster Hall and various
other public buildings, but he should feel shame in dwelling
on such deformities as were then under discussion. lie should
therefore vote for the motion.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH rose to vindicate his Hon. Friends,
who were absent, from any undue motive being attributed to their
anxiety for getting these courts. Ile did not mean to speak with
disrespect of any one in fact he was relieved from the painful
feeling with which his voce on the present occasion would have
been accompanied, by the explanation given by the lion. Member
lot Cambridge, which denied that any impeachment of the profes-
!renal talents of the two gentlemen who had been named was in-
tended; he therefore felt la hesitation in deciding on the vote that
he should come to, as be never heard a motion for an inquiry I
ushered in such a straight-forward and moderate manner as had
been done by the Member for Col Castle. And all the objections
that had keen urged against the motion were no more,than so litany
grounds fur young for a Committee.
Mr- W. WILLIAMS made a few observations, in which he
',wed, that he thought the exerescense might be removed without
ennh expaise.
Lord 0. A. If CAVENDISH haul never heard of any plan that
'44 'menthe' to substitute for the present erections, but he thought
bat at the question had undergone so much discussion, it was no
name than fair that the Committee should be appointed, or else
l'e town would be inundated with unsightly buildings.
Mr. MIME suggested, that tha best way of avoiding such a
dilemma in future would be to refer all questions of public build_
until to a committee, before they were begun. He certainly should
l';',elsort the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the objections taken
Y to the appoiatment of a committee. lie thought that Mr.
snsne had been very unjustly sod severely handled.
Sri LONO objected to the mode of referring every question
°r Public buildings to a eolnmittee ; he concluded by eulogising
the characters of Mr. Sane and Col. Stevenson.