The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-04-25 00:00:00

any longer substituting this Bill for the Bill of
Suspension, which was passed on account of certinu
inquiries pending. Those inquiries that were then
pending are now closed, and we are new in pos-
session of the Third Relent of the Commit-
tee of Finance, corroborative of their former
opinion; and having such opinion, ure we now
to shriuk from the pursuit of our original
object ? The Lords will say, we agreed to
the passing of a Suspension. Bill, till you (the
House of Commons) should get possession of cer-
tain information ;" and they will ask of you,
• How long have yon been iii poisessien of these
inquiries ?" To delay this measure, therefiire, is
not deeling properly with the House of Lords."—
Since we are now in possession of that tiepin t, we
Ire bound to act candidly towards thesis. If we
Isere not the power of leeching princes discrenosi,
at least let err endeavour to prevent bill 1111WIll, tem-
porising policy. Having, as I conceive, done my
duty, I shall leave it to the House to discharge
their's, and shall conclude with moving for a
similar Bill its that of lust Session. The Hon.
llember then moved .4 for leave to bring in a Bill
to prohibit the gritinitig of opieeti its Reversion, or
fin .1 • t Lives, with the Benefit of Survivorship."
The C94NC61.1.0a of the. EICIMQVICIL "
have always been surprised at the manlier in whieli
gentlemen have magnified the importance of this
measure, by comparing It to Magna Charts, and
anppoeiiig that it iiivolveri in it every thing that
was vital in a state. I certainly hare never di,-
Rinsed my opinion, and 1 here always stated, that
1 never conceived that there was any tiling of that
magnitude or importance attached to it, that was
• given to it either on the one side or on the other.
As a measure of economy I never thoiNlit there
was any thing in it. It will wither weaken the
prerogettve of the Crown, nor 1:41.e any effect iii
securing the liberties of the subject. Having
stated toy opinion as to the little importmice that
can he attached to Bile subject, I shall now state the
grounds why I think it out expedient to wet with
the motion upon the present occasion. We have
1 an Act of Parliament at present iii force, and dur-
ing the iutervul between this time and six weeks
after the coramencemeut of ~e'tt Session, no
grants of reversions can take place, nor any offices'
put out of the ,reach of. either House of Perlis-
' ment ; and ae have already this third Report of
Finance upon our Table, as to which, notice of a
motion has been gives' by an Ilonountble and
Learned Friend for next week. Cutler these dr-
curnstancee, I conceive that it would lie most pru-
dent to delay bringing in such a Bill us this, till
slier the discussion upon dud motion has takes,
blace. It may he attended with imonvenienee to
ring it forward sootier than next session, chile
no public advantage can be stated as likely to
arise from it. lam happy to find the Noble Lord
acknowledges we ere at the present moment in
possession of the best state of the eurtaincion ;
but if so, would it not be limit impolitic and im-
proper to adopt too muddy any reform under even
the most specious pretesices ? It would be better
to keep things as they are, rather than aim at Mt-
prating what is already so gond. I have no other
object in view that, to indite« the House to pease,
till they get all the intisrmation that can possibly be
got, its to the places most limper to hr abolished :
awl to Le tb,liVligi:ea that there sill he sidficieut
time during the stipulated period of next eission,
to discuss cud pass such a Bill as the osie now No-
rris-1."
Mr. Blnnes. 4. Although 1 originally brought
forward this measure, it certainly was not my nitro-.
thin to precced 10 a renewal of it this session, for
the very moan's resigned by the Right Illoilouralile
Geetleinan °Nowak., show sentiments I did not
previounij know upon that subject. At the same
, time, 1 have un Newel to complain of the Noble
I rul, per of say other person, for ague' pressing
the stibjeet npou the Hou-e; for whim a bill of
this kiwi is enwe brotight form..ird, it is public pro-
perty, Held: every Mali has a right to exercise his
understanding. Smote such is his nl I eel-
*stilly wish that he may hate Fetter success ill his
%midi. than it formerly }wad in niter. With tegard
to my own eentiments upon this subject, they re-
main as before, I think the Bill is such as ought to
tie made perpetual. Thinking as I do that six
weeks will be sufficient to go through the Bill its
all its stage.' next session, and that nu ailvaiitege
eau arise Iron pressing it forward somber, I cannot
agree with the motion HOW mai e ; the more espe.
redly as some benefit may be derived from our
rc-
es,iring further itiformation upon the subjed."
Lord Hesse Perry sail, that although the ob-
servutions used by the ltt. Cielbtiellimb
site, were surf, as he hsd matiprinly he
(Lord 11. Petty) could not avoid considering them
extraordinary. He dill tot 'husk the bill celculided
to effect any exteninve relief; yet such relief as it
wide calculated to effect, ought not in his op • to
be rajettid at tido, moment. The lit. Hon. Gee.
Remelt had entitled to the tune in which that mea-
sure was brought forward, hut before he could
drew any nufarvourable conclusion, lie was belied
to state in whet consisted the difference betweeu
tivis anal the other sees* in which the Illeusilre sea
niloptisi unanimously by the House. The Rt. Hon.
Gentleman was obliged to hese recourse to the Or-
ders of the House in defence of hie positioic and had
thought proper to quote a notice of an Hon. Friend
of his !Lii. 11. Petty's,) on the siibject of reversions,
Litt whets they coneidered that that imil the other
House had had a difference upon the eubject, he
ems sore they would see the propriety of giving
sufficient time for the cooeidenitiou. With respect
to the siterious pretence of refis in, about which
the Rigin Honourable Gentleman haul spoke'', he
could only say, that it hail met the uniinisnous cone
carreuve of tie House ; sod if it was calculated to
mislead the country, lie could not help thieking
that the Weld Honourable Gentlemen Mel liven
wanting In his duty to permit it to pato with such •
an universal sanction. All he would say with roe
Ppect to the Bill was, that when brought fore ard
lwfore it lied met with the UlliiillMollll emicurrence
of the [louse ; amid uow, Niter the fullest considera-
tion, he thought that Gentlemen would not niamilmi
it, striaigthened as they were in this principle by
the gesieral feeling and conviction front without.
Mr. Tiganee 'laid, that the House meet • feel •
that the opposition to the present 1,114 amounted
to e contempt for their former decision in favour
of a similar bill, agreed tii utile 11111 l ()tidy in Ili,
coulee of the former session. As to the merit, of


. • • .
the till itself, he hail. no (Towandar of saying any ,
thing in its fume' : at all events, he half nu tiecee;
sity fur it, as there wits not a single, *matured
urged-in opposition to it. In b;s ortionsin that woe
not only a tit time. hat a strict parliarnesitary
time : it was neceitswy tli.tt six weeks' should be
added, as it was passible that•Perliarnent might be
prorogued. The Lord* had opposed the bill upon
this gereral principle, that it interfered with the
prerogutive of the Crows., lie hod heard that due
'Moister was bold enough to say, that he would
oppose the measure if it was for no other reason
than that the Commons had agreed .0., :t. lie
would appeal &chef her it was lint the most come-
meet course, as they had not I;h:tuged their mitals
on the subject, to scud it again to the Lords to
know their °pintos,. The Right Honourable Geri-
tlemee had said, that nothiug %mild lie gamed by
it no the score of economy : he alloised that sin
great m0.1011;11 saving would take plater, but a little
saving would result, mid 'natty of timer little sav-
ings, if pa rsevered in, would finally be productive
of essential benefit. lie also thought that inuch
was• due to public mini mu. Same gentlemen
might wish to apply to it the epithet of public cla-
moor, but the feeling.s of the imbue were not to
be tnisrepresented or trifled auto. Wherever a
constitutional reform could be promoted, they
ought to anticipate the pithlic sentiment, and go
before their wishes in the correction of what re.
gutted amendment. The Gentlemen on the op s
postte side might to give better reasons for post-
poning the monism sir else say; that no reversion
bill should be passed at all. Ile wished to know,
whether the Right flonounable Getat;;.:num menet
to suggest nun,• thing on the third report—(Here
the Chancellor of ,the Exchequer signlficrl that he
did roll—lle did hot mean then to suggest any
thing uf:er remanding, re-appointing, modelling,
and re-itiodcilitig the Committee, he ea, deter-
mined to do nothing, and melting a ould be done,
Tiles.' that side of the House bad taken it up. lie
would ask, was that the way to treat the politic
temper At that moment lie would dish to see
the measure proceed from the opposite side, be-
t:WM: there was more authority to give it effect,
but as they hail refused it it felt up oa this other,
who, with tees powers to enforce, bad Venter era!
to prosecute. The Right lion. Gentlemen see sued
to hint bolder against reform now than lie was, in
the lust session : a circumstance trot east ly,acconnt-
able to those who respected popular opitnons . Ile
wished it to be understood by the country, that
no great relief front burthens, great
alleviation of taxes would or could result teem u;
but then such regulatinus might grow out of it, as
would tend to great reformation and proper appli-
cation of the public expeieliture. did not
think it proper or decorous, that the Lerils should
have only three. weeks to consider the. I•trittesa,
which, in point of fact, was all that was proposed
in be allowed them. If Ministers would pledge
themselves, that atone any day in the iies;. session.
it sr;Ould be made a Ctsninet measure, lie would
agree to any thing they proposed ; hut as far as
they had gone as yet, they had pronotineed it not
worth cliscussion--am opinion in whir!: he could
not join, front the heitelicial conseqoenees which
seemed to sitn to result from it ; stud, among
others, its tetelet.ey to redact the influence of Site
l'iown.
Mr. Pintrant I.leptetniel.
Mr. WRITORRAb &lid, that he would not occu-
py their attention for any length of time; he could
lint, however, help observing, that it appeared ra-
ther extraordinary, that the plain blunt statement
of a plain blunt man should nut have produced the
same effect at one time ;is at 'Mother. The Weis.
tees, it scented. could vote upon that occasion, but
they could not speak. The Rt. lion... Gentleman
lied said, that en Roo. Friend of 11;s was to briog
forward a :notic' grounded uponi the Third Rereiri.
The Reversion fl:11 had herti brought forward befoie
the Third Reprirt was mit, it had (wen that
very little real saving would result to the ',ethic.
It might be true in a purtietibir case, but *twit the
principle was once enforcer!, and the cases added
together, the saving would be found to be consider-
able. The Itt. 1 lon. (halt. hints .1 f feel seised upon
reversions, whirl; ini,iht in some degree 'account
for his relactence to rebequish the principle. it
had beam said that a check aught to be put to the
spirit of Reform ; lest it ought to he explained in
what that spirit was injurious, cod haw it mss like-
ly to act to the disadvantage of the comitry. Eco-
nomy was teamniiieerled ; it wits recommettsled by
a Cosninittee of which lie (the timelier) we, chair-
soon ; and some other arguments must he adduced
to chew that it was impolitic, benne they njected
it on the recommendation of such authority. They
were told that a Shooter of the Croe n (the
Lord ('hant! llor) had said that he would ad-
vise the king to greet reversions, because the
House of Commons weir hostile to it. Pos-
sibly le; oared much to reversions, and wield
wish ta owe more. An 1 Imintirable eaccitleitian
had talked of wide wasting powers, perhaps they
might endure into+ wastnig—ifutelinten endured
much wastine. lbe hoped that the advice given
by the Lord Chancellor would nut Ice adopted. Stich
comm.l was not adapted to the present, nor to any
mate of the country. The conduct of the 3liiiistry
upon that occasion ; their reluctance to enter into
debate upon that question, reminded him of whet he
had beard respecting inotikeys: it wait said that they
could speak if they would, hut they would nut for
fear they should be set to work. Upon the whole lie
was fivnitrahly inelined to the motion, and retunied
his hearty thanks to the Noble Lord, for having
brought it under their consideration.
Mr. CANN IWO amid, that he thought liiinSelf al-
ways at liberty tor exercise his discretion *to to the
period of the celeste in which he thought proper to
tier. The vote he should now give was in exact
conformity with that lie had given before. With
lariat to the question of Reversional, lie did not
think it of such importance us the Noble !Ant seem-
ed to iniuginv ; there was no need of paisiont OH the
oreesion. It *night be said against Reversions,
that they put it mat of His Majesty's power to re-
ward murices, bermise they anticipated grouts ; but
it alight lie urged on the other side that they of-
ferried as atittittlant to the public man by the eon-
"Weenie' that the reward •of his labotint should
&wend to his chtldren ; either side might be
embraced without subjecting the advocate to
the imputation of any unfuir principle. rpm'
he whole, he thought that the arguments in fa-
ts
•