The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-10 00:00:00

TAMWORTH ELECTION COMMITTEE.

Mr. Ley appeared at the bar, snit presented the
reduced li►t of Members to
to try the furrits of the 'l'atr►wor%h Elec-
tion Petition. The Clerk called over the follownie,
',viscous crinposing the Committee, and the Mew-
ber• were accordingly 'wormed the table :
Itgallhowitusrell
Si► E.O'Brien
Richard Nlagettnits
Duo. J. Sowers Cotiot
Johw Mitt
Lord Itt toy Hutton'
8010 it Shaw
Jottu Duckworth
TINGHAM PETITION

Turd Graves
Robert Wyndham
Edward Ikuuy
R. Ellisou
R. I'% ire
Hut.. TN.,. Brand
IVai.

. .
Mr. I y apttrur..l aI Ilse bier with Iry roll.,.ving lilt of the
ft-Littera ...wore for tlw Committer MI the Nottlugli.ou I'e.
mom. 'll.e Me mire's, no their nrnlcs were mu' ovet, le&
vp.r..l le. iller table wool wrre swore..
'nuts Gi imstuu E.lcuuat Sir J Chclly
S.itelnir 1.. Fall. r klaitlAnd
Artintr Huss Htuattliwuetb G. Trotty,ito
Julio P. a, .e Luke % bola
Sir beirrrircr Pant Hon. Herr oleo R. Pakrolrata
Moo. C. C C. Jeakinsca Lord Vo.rousit Foil:Aube
DAruri. G.lhrrt Sir Joint Oslorlur.
U. Flaw Res Luttrell

BARNSTAPLE. ELECTMN.
Lord CIA'VE appeared at the bar, %Olt the Ile-
port 64 the Select Comm;ttee apponittil to ivy the
Intent of the Petition of Sir U. 'FI re.
sptctiog the Beriish.nle Election. He -tarns it wars
the opispon of the. Committee. that Site llanaswh
Maisel, Lopes tsah not duly elected, surd Mr. F. M.
o.ont &miry wag duly elected, and that the election
of Sir 11 Lopes Was+ void. The Committee further
'planted, that mother of the two Pentinas pre.
*tilted were frivolotot or vetatieus. Lord Clive
then 3d,lrrs.ril the Nient:er US follows'—
••
sill Nl%O 41lievird by the Stleet Committee
to report to the ',louse, that Sir AL AL Lopes,
through his agents, was guilt) of bribery end heat-
ing iltir;h4 the list Eleetinti for the Borough of
Carom:title, and is therefore iiicapaclueed from sit-
ting its the present Parlintriebt. lam :dim desired
to stir., that, in the course Of the proeeediogi
)40.1r 4:to:nature, such !I getietel system oh bribery
and cotrtilkiioll Wai 41116(104A in the proceedings of
thSsi bnintixh, sto to trader it impomildr fir the
Committee to ckise their 110 without
sitbwit-
ttng the same to th a 144bUtt) 111 Ult!er that the. Wore
at 141 take such procroillogs as in its wiident it
rut; lit think lit to adopt upon the iihirloture 44 0:4
tirciimitairces to which row Committee ailvc.rt."—
/(Pie, beer.) filtort was then brought tip
rem!. It meit.ly echoed the statcinerit given
; r Lord Clive. It was received itr,rtottltrei to be
011
Lure§ CLIME— " I sin also directe d to move, that
the insists to of the vihetiti, taktn before the Coln-
illitter lw Iststme the I botay."--Agyed tn.
Ti.e Node 'Aid 'two brought up the miffilles
irt th- evidence of the Baritstaple Committet.

They were hut! on the 'table, end ordered to be
puttied. 7. •
Lord-Cf.twit—" I beg leave now to move. Sir,
that the Speaker sin nut issue 1114 warrant fur the
elections tIT • Hawaii to serve its Parliament fur the
Borough of Barnstaple nail thia day ventsight.
It is obvious that I snake this Motion the tom-
*
pose of enablig eave a
of consideringn theM nemborsatin-a otofh elide's Jurertunits the
Committee, and adotaimg such measurer as they
shall think lit, before a new writ be issued."—
(hear, hear.)
This motion was mireed to.
PRIVATI BILLS.
The SPRARIER remisided the House, that as Mon-
day would be the last day for receiving pric.te
Bolls, he hoped the Howe would enable hunt to take
the Chair on Wednesday and Friday neat at half-
past three o'clock.
DEFAULTERS ON Ttir. FORMER BALLOTR.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ea-
eittevEtt, the names of defaulters on the former
ballots were called over, and they were ordered to
attend on Tuesday next.
The SPEAKER suggested, that it would be ne-
cessary for the Hon. Members whose names had
heels called over to attend before the ballot on
Tuesday, for if they did not ensue in wall the doors
were opals after the ballot, they would lw liable to
the censure of the Hume. • If they did tint attend
before the ballot, the order of the House, which
was uhvicr.ly to compel attendance, would be per-
fectly nugatory. (i/ear. )
Mr. %Vvs?‘ said, that the attendance must he
evidently before the ballot took place. If after-
wards, it availed nothing. He recollected Sir Win.
Yonge, who had been locked out, answering
through the door, hot that sort of attendance was
disallowed, and he was taken into custody.—([fear.)

CATHOLIC QUESTION.
Mr. GRATTA N gave notice, that on the 22d April
lie would a motion to the House respect-
ing the disqualifications which his Majesty's Ro-
man Catholic subjects endured, as the laws now
stood.
CHANCERY. SUITORS.

Mr. M. A. that on Wed.
needay, the 17th instant, he would submit a motion
to the House respecting all sums invested in the
hands of the Accomptant General of the Bank, on
account of suitors in Chancery.

PRISON DISCIPUNE.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY presented a Petition
from the Inhabitants of Whitby, in Yorkshire, pray-
ing dud, at alteration be made in the state and dis-
cipline of prisons.
This Petition was referred to the Prisons' Corn-
miller. _ _

Mr. Bus Orli' rove to prevent a Petition from
certain Prisoners at Perth, preying for an alteration
in the present system of prison discipline. The
Hon. Meintier riluerved, that since the excellent
work of Mr. Gurney and Mrs. Fry, respecting the
prisons in the North of England and Scotland,
no man ought to be ignorant of the state of pri-
sons ill that part of the empire. In one part of
that work it auuld he seen that two parsons, who
were under confinen►rut for small offences, were
put into ilia none room with a man of notorious
had character, who was charged with loonier.
The Petition was referred to the Prisons' Com-
mittee.
SCOTCH BURGHS. _ _

Mr. MActicorsZi reWe to present a Petition from
the incorporated body of Haminermen in the city
ot Edinburgh, prayilig for a remain of the system
of Royal Burghs in Scotland. The Petitioners
were, lie will, a loyal, creditable, and intelligent
set of people, and they prayed a repeal of the
borough system iii Scotland as at present exercis.
ed. Ile did not mean now to state Ins sentiments
upou the subject to which this Petition referred, as
a better opportunity would slimily arrive, on the
motion of his Noble Friend (Lord A. Hamilton),
who was indeed prevented from submitting it
earlier to the House, in consequence of a domestic
eventa motion which would involve the whole
state of the grievauccs of which these Petitioners
'complained, and which was well calculated to throw
• full light on so important a subject. lie would
take this opportunity of attracting the attention of
the House to thee upproaching motion of his Noble
Friend, than which none more momentous or iin-
',num'', us affecting the rights and liberties of the
people, has been discussed here since the time of
the Revolution.—(lieter.)
The Pttittun was brought up, and ordered to be
printed.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS' ACT,

Mr. J. MIWIII plestostv.l:ll'lliti illl thAtin certain Persons
in Kuiptuu ncaimat a rrvir.il of the Insolvent 1h bture Act,
Lord CrIVE preseideil a Petition (ruin Ludlow, in the
fuaisty agaiii.t the revival of the bistalveist
Debtor.' Act tie na inestut furni.—Laid on the table.
Sir .1 MI'S GRA itAn presented a Padilla, Sigßed
by 1,500 of the principal Shopkeepers and Traders
in the Parish of Mary-It-bone, prii3ing that the
insolveiit Debtors' Act way nut be renewed—or
that if it was the inteidioti of the Legislature to
prolong a measure of this kind. that care should be
take,' to prole(( the honest creditor front the frauds
of the dishonest debtor. The Ilououtable Baronet
said, that there was not oLe of three Petitioners who
had not Lieu defrauded by the effect of this Act.
''his Petition was laid tin the table.

Mr. fltrov.:6llAni rose to present * Petition signed
by el very large huniiier of merchants and trailers
iu VVesturiiist,r, sgasis4 tier mitt's, of the Insol.
relit Debtors' Act. 11' concurred to a certain
earcist in the tosindation of the c plaint made by
the Petitioners egainvt the operation of this Act ;
he thought the system ought to be revised ; hr
thouAlit the machinery of the Art might be much
Unproved, such that more effectual means might be
taken to cuss k fraudulent debtors. The principle
of tlw Bill was good, and hr trusted it would be
tootle as complete as possible before any new Act
were agreed to.
The Sot.tcprou:Ctiscatt. stated, that the oh.
jeer of his Right lion. mid Learned Friend (the
Attorney-General) wan not to re4.wid the principle
of the Bill ; hr never hod any such intention. His
object was to preserve the principle of the Bill, in
the application of whateves new arrangements may
be Accused necessary by that Committee to which
he meant to submit the subject. The details
could then he discussed, and the objections COMM.
tiered cinch wire made to the operation of the
turnstile. It was never the intention of 1r; Hight
Holt. and Leaned Friend to move tor a renewal of

the Aet, without a Preparatory investigation into
the effect iif the existing-measure.
Mr. Alderman Wattatuan rose merely to ex-
Press a hope, that, in the formation of the Com-
mittee alluded to, a due proportion of mercantile
ieirl practical men would he named. This was ac-
tually necessary, for it could not be expected that
the general class of him. Members of that House
could sympathize with the sullerers through the
operas' of this Act, owing to their nut having
access to that sort of information which practical
men could command upon this subject.
This Petition was lent on the table.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, he hail to present en-
other Petition, which was in favour of the exist-
ing law. It was from the Prisoners confined in
the Castle of Lancaster. The Petition was couch.
ell in moderate and temperate language. The Pe-
titioner' did riot deity the existence of abuses in the
operation of the Act, though they prayed that its
principle would not hr abandoned. They prayed
that this principle would not be lost sight RI in
any alteration which the Legislature might think
tit to adapt in their revision of the law as it now
5t00d...-This Petition was laid on the table.
Mr. Batructiast said, he had a Petition to the
same effect as the last, from persons confined in the
King's Bench Prison. They, after praying the
[loose to maintain the principle of the measure,
while they amended its details, observed that seve-
ral erroneous calculations had been made respect- ,
ing the sums of money which were represented as
lost by the operation of this Act. The Hon.
Baronelippposite (Sir J. Graham) had said that all
the I, o persona who had signed the Petition
which lie presented, had been defrauded since the
passing of this Act. This must be a mistake, for
surely it was impossible that fourtreu ur 1;500 per-
sons in one pariah could have suffered during that
period.
Sir J. GRAHAM said, that such was the statement
made to him by the deputation who waited upon
him with the Petition. fhe general phrase among
fraudulent debtors heretofore was, to pay in hills
upon Lord Nliora or Lord Hedesdale in three
months—they now heart in lulls of the same
kind upon Seijeiao Kiiiiiengton. Ile condemned
the measure in the moss uomiditied terms.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL it WUS neces.
sary for him ;o make a few otot.riationis, in couse-
quence of what fallen ham the Min. Baronet. He
understood the Hon. Baronet to state, that the
Clerk of the loirolvent Debtors' Court was ap-
pointed to act as the general assignee of the credi-
tors—that no other assigme .vas appointed—and
that no dividend was received. No man was ever
more completely mistaken than the Flom Baronet
was, when hr made this statement. The clerk was.
nominated pr.:visioind assignee, unit received w hat-
ever proceeds were derived from the property of
the debtors, when they came up to be d.scharged.
But the moment the creditors elected from their
own body an assigner, he delivered up to him all
the property he had so received. From this very
rule, as well as from others laid down in the In.
s.dvent Debtors' Court, results the most beneficial
had arisen. The sum produced, considering the
number of debtors, had not perhaps been • very
large one—hut it struck the Learned Gentleman
who presided in that Court, that it would Ise
an important point to secure the residue of the
property of every debtor, whatever it • might
amount to, for the benefit of his creditors—and,
to effect this object, lie had appointed, under
the Act of Parliament, the receiver whom the
Honourable Baronet had mentioned. By this
regulation, iu the course of last year, the sum of
15,0001. the aggregate of small sums, had been
placed in the hands of assignees. It was, there-
fore, the greatest mistake on earth, to suppose that
the general assignee had the slightest control over
this property ; be had nothing whatever to do
with it after the assignees were appointed. The
principle was not new ; since, in caws of bank-
ruptcy, a Commissietwes assignee was always
appointed. Mach blame, the Learned Gentleman
observed, was jaunty attributable to the assignees ap-
pointed by the creditors themselves, if they did not
receive as much from the estate of their debtors ss
they ought to do. The fact was, they did not act
with that spirit and perseverance which they ought
to do. De should abstain from any general (Meer.
'rations, 119 a period would shortly arrive when the
whole subject would come regularly under dis-
cussiou. _ _ - -

Mr. BROUGHAM, in common with his Learned
Friend, deprecated a premature discussion of this
subject. When a Committee was about to be op-
pointed to consoler it—v.hen it was allowed on all
hands that an alteration in the Act, still preserving
the principle, was necessary (a position which he
readily admitted)—and when the minds of trades-
men, as well as of poor debtors, were in a ferment
—the most wise end convenient course would be
to delay eny discussion whatever on this measure,
until it could he examined in a Committee, where
the real facts of the case would be developed.
The Honourable G. Lasts expressed his hosti-
lity to the measure as it now stood, since, its his
opinion, it opened the door to the greatest possible
Baud,. He agreed, however, in the propriety of
abstaining from discussion, at thuresent moment.
l le trusted, when the subject came before a Com-
mittee, that it would undergo the most serious con-
sideratton—atal that such safeguards would be de-
vised for the benefit of creditors, as would effec-
tually prevent them from becoming the victims of
fraud in future.—{ Hear. hear.)
The Petition was laid on the t.ble.
VENHYN ELECTION
Sir C. &mitt,. moved the Order of the Day,
for resuming the adjourned debate on the motion—
" That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire fur,-
ther into the existents of certain corrupt mid illegal prac-
tices which appear to have prevailed in the }Borough of Pen-
ryo, previous to and during the Isle Electiosi, and to report
their opioion, together with their observation+ thereupon,
to the flame:"
The dun. Baronet observed, that he did not mean
to take up any considerable portion of the time of
the Hooey. The minutes having been slamd us
read. the House was in possession of the grated
featucea of the case—and it was his intention. if lie
succeeded in carrying two prefatory Resolutions,
to move for leave ►.o bring in a Bill for the better
regulation of this Borough. His first Resolution
would be—
" That it appears to this Home, that there was the most
ofthrtions bribery sad corruption in the laid Election for
blembera to sirec in Parliament for he Borough of Pewit";
and farther, that sack practices am not wee our casual fa

eie said Rorough—lievinz hren hetire touttelit mailer the
notice of this HousP, in 111. with 180, by a %weir! Ke-
pi/el from Ilse %i hit It tried tlx merits of the Peti-
tion of John Treveiiion, owl Gibers."
recottilltr‘ohoism, would For--

a Tina it kth opinion or Ihl4 House, that the said bribery
and corruption nquire the mutt sellout consideration of
Parliament."
Anil finally lie slionild move—
That l.•arr bi glycol to hob., In a Bill to prevent bribery
and corruption in the yarrows. of Members to arise in Par-
liameot to, ili.• Borough of Pimp, "
Tlie Spt.thiElt—" It is the %kit or the lion.
Botoipet lint to orillirirro the inn: ion for a Select
'Committee, after .Melt. it will lie open In the
House to adopt whatever proceediii;.! tilt), pirate."
The [notion fora Select (.7oniiiiitter was then
withdrawn, and the Ilou. Blooliet hrolm.ed his
Resolutions, which were agreed t.'. lie then moved
tin leave to hring ut a Bill, of the nature he had
Mr. W. WYNN moved, " That the Petition of
John Trevaiium and others, pieseuted to that
House in 1607, be re-panted."—Agreed to.