The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-05-06 00:00:00

COAL q.

A Petition was presented from the Inhabitants of the
County of Huntingdon, for a repeal of the Duties on Coals.
—Head and laid on the table.
GAME LAWS.

Mr. Cullman said, he had a Petition to present from
several Inhabitants of the Hundreds of Desborough, Stoke,
and others, in the county of Buckingham. It complained
of tee practice of establishing large preserves for game, by
landed proprietors, as destructive of the right of the fall
enjoyment of property by the occupiers of land adjacent
thei eta, in consequence of the frequent trespasses thereon in
pursuit of game. It stated, that when the occupiers endea-
voured to drive the game off their land, they had their dugs
destroyed by traps and other instruments. It further stated,
that the owners of preserves themselves, or by their game-
keepers, actually supplied a greit quantity of the game
sold in the metropolis, the profit of which traffic was enjoy.
ed by them, while the odium fell on poachers. The Petition
_prayed the House to secure agriculturists from such oppres-
sion. The Hon. Member said he must heartily concurred
iu the prayer of the Petitioners. If it was his lot to sit
among a Jury trying cperson indicted for murder caused by
a spring gun, he should certainly feel himself bound in con-
science to bring in a verdict of guilty.
The Petition was read.
Sir C. Busamt. advocated (as we understood) the prayer
of the Petition, and objected to parts of the Bill pending
fur legalising the sale of game.
Sir C. Muscle defended the provisions of the Bill. He
said it vested the property of game in the holders of leases
subsisting at present, but enabled landowners to make a
reservation of such property in all leases to be granted in
future.

Mr. Mums said, that his object originally in bringing
the question of the Game Laws before the House, was not
in much to facilitate the preservation of game, as to put an
end to the disgraceful practices arm* therefrom, and their
immoral cousiquencts on the lower orders. Auy Petition
representing these pernicious effects ought to be encou-
raged.
The Petition was then ordered to be printed.
Mr. CpßwsN presented a similar Petition from so indi-
vidual whose name we could not hear. lie complained that
be lost 30 or 4W a year by the neighbourhood of a pre-
serve. . _

After some observations from Mr. N. R. Couttittwg,
againct the Petition, it was read and laid on the table.

ELECTION OF CAMELFORD.

A Petition was presented from so individual of the name
of Clavering, complaining of the conduct of the Returning
Officer, in basing modems undue return at the late Electiou
in the Borough of Came'ford.
. .

The Petition was ordered to be taken into consideration
an Tuesday, May 2s.
Mr. BRAND said, he held in his hand a Petition from se.
vend persons most capable of judging rut the effects of the
existing Game Laws. It was from, he believed, all the
Poulterers of London, in favour of the Bill fur legalizing
the sale of game. They stated they were fully convinced,
that in the e►ent of its passing, the practice of poaching
would be suppressed, the revenue assisted, and the fair
trader secured. It was impossible for the 1101114 e to have
more satisfactory evidence of the excellent nature of the
Bill. The Petitioners prayed, that sellers of game might in
testae be regularly licensed, and they pledged themselves
not to purchase from poachers —Read and laid on the table.
On the motion of the saroc Hon. Member, the further Cll4l.
sidcration of the Game Laws Amendment bill (which stood
for tonight), was postpotitd lilt Friday, the 14th met.
Ur. I..trrLETtnt presented Petitions from Wulverhatnp•
ton, in the county of Stafford, and other places in the same
county, against the Poor Settlement Bill.—Read and laid nu
the table.
H ALFORD'S DIVORCE.

Sir E. Kmacmsta.r. moved the third reeding of Hal.
ford's Divorce Bill.

eliptieris PILLLIF.W said he Lad received a letter from the
father of thy unfortunate laity, iu consequence of which he
sh.nold 'strive, shut a clause be added, nicking a provision fur
r support, of 150/. v.)ear during the life of ker father,
and 3:ro/. un his decease.

The SrEAniR intimated, that the clause could not be in•
se►ted till atter the ilatrd reading.
Captain l'irt.t.tr then skived as an amendment, that the
Bill be read the third time this day six months
After mime rental ke from Mr. CURW EN, Captain Pri.Ltir.
and Sir J. M•ctct%7oan, the amendment wax withdrawn,
the uriginal question curried, and the Bill read the third
time.

Captsio PELLEW them proposed the clause beforeqraeo.
booed.

Mr. GIPPS, Mr LUSIIINGTOPI, and Sir .1. Macntnlcsw,
oppooril the motion.
Captain Pp.t.t.gw then withdrew the clause, no an under-
standing that an agreement for a provision for Mrs flalford
had &writ concluded between the parties.—The Bill was then
114111:41.
MA D-HOUSES.

On the molt iiii of 'Air, WYNN. the Order of the Day fur
Ibe further cuiii.iitr iatom of the Mail•huuses Reguiatioo jtrll
Was loostputteil till Froloy seonight.

INVEUKEITHING E1.E1,710N.
Mr. Wm. UOUULAS presented a Pet►t►on from An
Agent of the Inverkeitlsing Election, praying that
leave might be given, from the 14th of May. for
eighteen days, for the conaideration of the lover-
keithing Election Petition. The Petitioner stated
the great distance from Inverlicitliing to London,
end the tbdiciilty there wag of procuring the neer'.
wiry e►'idence before the 14thtortant.

Alr. I'RII4I/011: Om Sitting Member) said, he
lidtl nu intention of inukung any format objection
to Ike Petition; but the house mutt see that if

' the l'eibioner kid not lime tr. 14,,ctire evAence, it
was clearly The election took place
ou the Vl)th of N1.1:•••!1. The election nf
by delegates pr •vnni,ly choeen by each burgh.
There wrre tivt• d-irgetro; the tint war elected oil
the of 31.10: ; the preund ou the 9th; tile
third un the 141/1i; the fourth ou the 16th; and the
the Inth--M, that there WIN little too than
w.uks between the appointment of the lot
tirbgitir anti the 'ley fur toskisag the Prtition tutu
t...ito,kr.i•iutp....a time uulficienily lung fur prefar-
ivg hrrelsomry evidence.
l'etiti ssss was then ordered to lie ou the

NIG Wm. Douni.as then moved, that the cote&
iler4tion of the I nverkeitionig Elec:ion be deferred.
Sir JAMES M ACK I NTOSII %nit!. lie felt it his duty
to oppose the tnotion. The Petition alleged sot
ground for the flume to depart from its ordinary
'Hl:wet-4161w. Petitions id* this nature should
sI-
lege route peculiar circumstances. In his experis
since no prmiositi 0000 of tlii. kind had heels made oil
"ell vogue g grounds of delay Wire
stated—nay, sin iiiforooition was 01... riled to the.
House. It was stated, indeed. that Scotland was
a great way from the House. This fact, he pre-
sumed, the Houm already knew. Surely Scotland
was not on very obscure a country. that the Petitioner
should hod it necrieiary to inform the House of its
geographical IselllAAloll ; but if the ',tricot reason
were allowed, it would be only necessary fur fu.
lure Petitioners to refresh Gentlemeli in the limit&
on questions of geography, to procure delay.—
The second point of information the Peliti 0000 af-
forded was equally valuable and novel. It was,
that the distrwt cootaiimil five burghs. The Red
Book gave them quite as mach information tin the
subject. In fact, the Petition alleged no difficulty
iu the way of procuring evidence, but the thsiance
of Scotland from the House, and the 'lumber of
burghs. The Petition states, that there are " other
causes." Whet are they ? They are not stated ;
and the House cannot judge of them. He would
oppose the ;notion, particularly when he recollected
what fell from the Hon. Gentleman who spoke
last, namely, that nearly two months would live
elapsed between the election of the delegates and
the day appointed for taking the Petition into consi-
deration. Under all the circ 1111 l stances, lie con-
sidered the Petition unwarrantable in reason, and
unjustifiable in precedent.
Lord CASTLERRAGH, in a low tone of voice,
said, that the Petition made out no cause of delay.
After a few words from Mr. WYNN, the motion
was withdrawn.