The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-08-04 00:00:00

FAST INDIA ACC MN IS.

Mr. CREEVE4 pursuant to his notice. rose and
said. the nbjesi of his motion was to have the East
India Accounts laid before the House in a different
form from that in which they now w,re. la their
present form. it was imp .ss'.ble that any Cling could
be better calculated to keep the House in the dark.
'they were now made up in rupee,: and pigod.ss ;
whereas, it they were made up in British currency,
they would be easily comprehended. And he un-
derstood that it they were made up in that way,
upon the ezzess of the revenues in civil and military
charges, there would appear to be a deficiency 0:
about two millions. He concluded with moving,
" there be laid before the House au Estimate,
in British Currency, of the probable Revenues and
Charges of the East Indies, including the Supplies
to Bencoolen, Prince of Wales's Island, and St.
Helena, for the Year Ido6-7."

Mr. bUNDAS had no objection to the motion ;
but it did not appsar to him to be necessary to put
it in a different shape from that ut last year; which
WAS made out in tile customary manner.
Atter a few words horn Mr. CREEVEY, the
motion was agreed to.

INTERFERENCE OF MAGISTRATES WITH LI-
CENSED VICTUALLERS.

Mr. SHERIDAN prefaced his observations by
reading the Petition he had the honour to present on
behalf of the Publicans of the cemnties of Middle-
sex and Surrey. It contained the strongest reasons
for the measure which he was about to propose
to the consideration of Parliament, and rendered
it unnecessary in him to make further observations.
The Petition complained of the insecurity of the
property of Publicans, the oppression to %Audi they
were subjected, and the iu.a.levacy of the Court of
King's Bench to atf red relief. In the present stage
he considered it unnecessary to say much. He had
inquired and looked into the circumstances con-
nected with that trade, nod he was prepared to
prove cases of the most intolerable ha' dittos). ; and
which, if once known, he was convin..ad the feel-
ing of Parliament would be to provide the proper
remedy. Upim the seioind reading, he would prove
to the conviction of the House, the existence of
this most crud and griading oppression, where
the property, the bread, the dependence of respeitl-
able tradesmen, and thou numerous lansilies,depend•
.d nor only upon the secret el. cision of Magistrates,
but frequeutly upon the private will of one or tn..,
of that body. Ore object of the dill. which Le
asked for leave to bring in, went only to tire exant
of direCting Magistrates to state their decisions in
open Court, and empowering the parties aggrieved
to have the benefit of an appeal to the Court of
King's Bench, or to the Qrarter Sessions. In call-
ing upon the interference or the Lcgislature, he was
convinced that the Magistrates themselves, and
here, without any invidious distindion, he brgged
not to be supposed as confounding the respea-
*We. patriotic. and truly useful Country Magi-
stracy, who performed gratuitously the duties of
their office. with a paid pnlice establishment, com-
posed too often of the servile tools of a corrupt Mi-
nistry, would feel peculiarly gratified in being
treed from this arbitrary discretion. He then
moved for leave to amend the 3'2.1 of Gen. 111. with
respea to the granting of licenses.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought it was imperative on the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman to state the reasons for the measure, on a
motion for leave, rather than on the second reading
of the Bill. If oppressions existed, or if there was
proof of improper condua in Magistrates, the Court
of King's Bench was the proper place for the dis-
cussion, where the redress or tire injury arid the
due punishment would follow. He considered it
rather going to an improper extreme to charge with
cruelty or oppression. or to speak in such brush

terms, of a judicature establisnment, which, al-
though paid, had yet under its care the peace and
tranquillity of the metropolis. He wished to know
from the Right Hon. Gentleman, whether it was
proposed to confine the operation ot the proposed
Bill to the counties of Middlesex and Surrey, or
whether it was to extend over the whole country
Across the table, Mr. SHERIDAN said. si I
will tell you presently."—(4 hargh.)
Mr. SHERIDAN replied, that lithe Right Hon.
Gentleman had attended to the allegations of the
petition, which he had teal, he would have found
that nue til tar great evils complained of, and which
his proposed bill went to iemedy, was the inade-
quacy of the Court ot king's Beach to afford relief,
where proof of wilful rilflo mow cauld not be made
out by the publican wbu appealed, and where the
injury was committed against him from caprice,
inadvertence. or political bias. When he observed
that he would answer the Right I lon. Gmtlernan's
question. as to the extent ot the measure, presently.
it was not out of respell that he then declined ex-
planation, but because he Lad not derided fully or-
on that point. Originally he did n t ',uprise t
extend it beyond the counties of Middlesex and
Surrey. but he had, in the interniediate period, r.-
carved numerous mannauiticatioili, proving the ne-
cessity of its extension throughout the country.—
But the objedians of the Right Han. Gentleman
were not to the extents but to tie wtio:e prinwiple of
the Bull itself. He (the Chancellor of the Ex-
cheque.) was astonished At the manner in winch ths

establishment of the hired hingisarmy was %Haled
to ; a Judwature, forsooth, sanetioned by PAti!.
mem ; but sanitionod, the House wield rezollel
under a strong influence of *lowly and suspici,i,:
Therefore, when it was attempted to convey to the
House. that these paid Magistrates mere upon
the
same grounds as the respellahle Magistracy ot
country, the Right lion. Gentleman certainly ',17,
got the nature ot the proposition which the Pol.ct
Aet carried into execution.

The Marquis of TI ITHFIELD was happy t)
bear testimony to the condo& ot the Magi sttatr .
ot the County of Middlesex, of which he was Ltd
Lieutenant. He knew that mane complain"
sa ide on the chary of a bias is the withhol Jing
Lic•rses ; bat. in the cases he inquired int),
believed the pail Police Magistrates did ri.lt
teeters-.

Mr. STURGES BOURNE wished to
wh ther tie pr posed Bill went to the gr,intia;
Licenses, or merely to redress where there was 4
suspension of the otiginal grant ?
Mr. S'i It does not interfere o':;1
this right of the MaAistrates with mina to an
ginal grant, but merely to provide Licenses, sr11:!1
were once granted, from being improperly with.
hel,L"

Mr. ASIII.EY COOPER—" Sira rise only to ask
singlc question-11 *es the Right 1-ln Mmtse,
mean that hil Bill siiutiLl extend to SurreT and
?"

Ii .SIIER ID A N—s, With submission, the H.
Meinis hit asked twa questions, ai 1 mit o ;
but I will answer with the same htevity with w t.idt
he puts them—l mean the Bill to mitteail to Surrtr,
and why not i" (4 geftr.;l t,bgh.)
Mr. COWER-0 Nir, I am a Maitre fs
Surrey, and I see no reason for coo?! Surr:!•
with Middlesex, and thereLnd 0bj..1.:: to :lie in..o-
vation."

Mr. SHERIDAN—a Sir, am also 4 ildo;4.
trial for Surrey, and 1 a•ttnpt: no ir-or ;t '1;1 n•
it the worthy Magistrate wdl holt to thr
pose to amend, he witl ti::d th4t Barry 4r..1
dlesex are therein coupled, diatin3ui>hed tmn ail
other counties in England.
Mr. A. et_inkt —•• ii r, I was not aware ni
that circumstdnce, and it certain!y al er. th-
Mr. Si lElill);01—••Th: d rsouraY2
candour does him crelit, ao.l hereto.: I to ,;
regret his ignorance of t!.a dCI iie
Lyon it."