The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-05 00:00:00

FOREIGN SILKS.

Sir JOHN WROTTESI.EY presented a petition from Samuel
Henshar, a silk manufacturer of Newcastle, praying that the
House would not repeal the laws prohibiting the importation of
Foreign wrought Silts into this country.—laid on the table.
Mr. presented four petitions front the ribbon .
weavers of IVorwickshire, against the admission of foreign silks
into this country ; and stated, that so soon as it became known
that the Government meant to remove the restrictions that now
existed against their importation, four or five hundred of the arti-
firers employed in this trade were thrown upon their several
parishts ; and that if the plan were adspterl, it would be the
means of pitting mutt of employ not less than 33,000 workmen.
Mr. 1).1V I.:NM/11T made a few A:serrations of a similar ilia.
ea.
Ordered to lie on the tattle.-
_ .

Mr. EI.LiCE, in presenting a petition from the silk weavers of
CAventry against the importation of foreign silks. stated that, if
this measure Weft' persevered in, the town of (;oventry would be com-
pletely ruined, as it was nouaioui that front the difference in the
prier of lahour and provision, which in France was just one half of
what it was in this country, it would be impossible fur our manu-
facturer.' to compile with those of France.
Mr. HI IIIEICFSONI stated that it was evidently the wish of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to extend the commerce of the coun-
try ; and he considered that petitions similar to the present, were
calculated to throw obstacles in his way.
Mr. P. M(X)KE said a few words; after which the Petition was
ordered to lie en the table.

Mr. DAWSON brought up a ram of the persons on the Home
Circuit, who limitable to ■erveon
FRENCH INDEMNITY MONEY...

Col. DA VI ES one in pursuance of the motion of which he had
given notice, to call for an account front Ministers of the disposal j
of the pecuniary indemnity received from France. The question
had been before the House at a former period, when his Hon.
Friend, the Member for Knareshorough (Sir J. 31aeintash) had,
pointed out the dangerous tendency of suffering large sums of
money to find their way into the hands of 31inisters ; this had been
an ably enforced by his lion. Friend, that he felt it to be quite on-
necessary
for him to enlarge upon it ; and he made it appear very j
evidently that druits of the Crown were under the cuntroul of the
Parlianient, and that Ministers were responsible for their applica-
tion. The lion. Member then went through a detail of the items
of the expenditure of this money, which he thought called for ex- I
planation, but from the noise that prevailed in the House, it was
diff.cult to collect what he was saying but by detached sentences.
One of the items with which he found fault, was a sum of 9,9711.
paid to Canova, for superintending the removal of the works of art
from the Louvre. lie couchided by moving for a detailed account
of the expenditure of the money paid by France to this country, as
its portion of the indemnity agreed to be given.
The CHA NCEI.LOR of the EXCHEQVER said, that the
question now before the House did not an much refer to the right
of Government to dispose of the money in question, but to the
propriety of manner in which it had been disposed of. lie there-
fore was ready to accede to the motion of the lion. Gentlemen,
as he felt that the mode in which the distribution at various times
took place was highly satisfactory, and would appear so to the
!louse, on the production of the papers referred tu.
Motion agreed to.
IRISH CHARITIES.

Sir 11. ' ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; his motion
fir have in bring in a bill to enable the Roman Catholic to pur-
chase and hold lands for charitable and pious purposes.
AUSTRIAN lA/AN.

The Austrian Doan Bill was road a third time, and speed to.
RENEWAL OF OFFICES ON THE DEMISE OF THE

CROWN.

Sir It. HERON rose to move, pursuant to notice, for leave to
bring in • bill to prevent the necessity of renewal of official ap-
pointment* on the demise of the Crown. Ile felt it necessary to
tiner some explanation fin the delay which had occurred in his
bringing hwwsrd this present motion, which he bad intended to
submit two years ago. The reason that he did not submit It then
was, that questions of inure immediate importance were then be-
fore the House, and an opportunity did not offer for its introduc-
tion. When last session he intended to submit it to the I louse, the
King was then indisposed, and motives of delicacy prevented him
hum mentioning ouch a measure during his illness. The subject,
Moog!' an important one, was not very copious, and his observa-
tions 111 introducing it should therefore be few ; and in bespeaking
the attention of the House, he promised them they should be very
soon released from the pain of extending it to him. Formerly, not
only officers, but Parliament itself, became extinct on the demise
of the Crown, but various Acts of Parliament had been intro-
duces. jl, be which the incoevenience of this regulation had been di-
minished. The Act, however, to which he was particularly desirous
of refening the !louse, was that which was framed by the enlight-
ened mind of Mr. Ponsonby, and of which the present Bill was
almost a literal transcript. Indeed, the only difference between
the two bills was, that the Bill of Mr. Ponsonby was intended only
to have • temporary operation, whilst the Bill which he soli.
cited permission to introduce was intended to be perpetual. He
was at a lose to know what ground of objection could be raised to
the present Bill, that was not equally applicable to the Bill of Mr.
Ponsonby. One important benefit it would produce would be, to
do away a species of taxation which was introduced on such occa-
sions, and by which money was taken from those who could fre-
quently little afford to part with it, and transferred to the pockets
of certain high officers, without any regard whatever to their me•
rits or their services. Ile would ask, were not Chancellors and At-
torney Generals sufficiently paid already ? %Vert their salaries not
sufficiemiy large? For his own part, he would not give one shil-
Fag for a useless purpose, but he wished at the same time that the
efficient officers of the Crown should be fairly remunerated. It was
the worst avari:e, the worst policy, to withhold a fair remuneration
from them. But surely it was derogatory to those officers to have
them depend on such a fortuitous and accidental source of revenue
as was yielded by fees incidental to such an event as the demise
of the Crown. Besides the severity of this taxation, and its pres-
sure tin a eke of persons who were not well able to defray It, it
should also be rranembered that those enormous fees were often
paid to persons who were very little deserving of them. For in.
stance, it might happen that these fees, instead of being paid to
such a person us the present Chancellor, who had grown gray in
the public service, might be paid to a person lately come into of-
fice, and who had no claim of public luivire or merit of his own, to
entitle him to them. The Hon. fienileman further referred to the
effict which this Bill would produce upon the military and navy,
and the inexpediency of suspending their commissions on the de-
olise of the Crown. Ile concluded by mating at present for leave
merely to bring in the Illfil,srid,pcmtitted to do so, its merits might
be further discussed at a tenure stage, After its introduction

Mr. CA NS !NG said, that as ihe lion. Itanmet hail confined
himself to a very limited line of remark in introdocing the Bill, he
would so fur tate his example, and be very brief in stating the
reason which induced hint to vote against the proposition. The I
motirm itself assumed a change in the practice and very principles I
of the tionstitinion. For a principle of the constitution wu to
impose upon the King those duties which were most agreeable to
Moo, and to relieve him from those which might he considered as
a hardship. It was therefore host an opportunity was antics!
to a Sort reign on his secession to the crown, to indulge in acts of
kindness, by renewing those various offices which emanated from
the crown, and which could not otherwise be regarded than as
an act .4 favour and of grace. lint how different would it be
if the King. on co tt ing to the throne, found himself fastened
atilt s!in kers of whom he might not approve. This would go to
tLssai I the constitutional prerogative which had been invariably an..
I tteiosl to the sovereignty of tins country, and of wl:ich he hoped it
i might never be divested. The llonotinible Baronet bad said, that
formerly Parliament terminated with the demise of the Crown.
The C:144. suss su Iww, only that it survived the demise six months,
;tau soy public tionfosi 111 l ore political injury might arise from a sud-
den and lines pected dissolution. The same regulation existed with
regard to 'amity public offices, but after a time the right of renewal
as vested in the sovereign in order that he might eteonience his
reign by del% liLily to ingratiate himself at the beginning of his reign:
but if the present motion were acceded to, anti a bill such as must
I.e eonseotient out it passed by the legislature. tlw.i, if the Sere-
! reign wish's! not to continue a Minister or public officer, he could
tint .li. so without degrading him in the eyes of the country. As to
the .%et U.S Mr. Ponsonby in IM7. the occasion was quite different
from the present. Then his present Majesty, the Prince Regent,
was vinually sovereign ;—he was summated by the same Minis_
tern as his father;—he was nominally restricted in power it
was true, but it was substantially the same as though he were
Hoc:reign ; in his regard it was not a change of authority,
but merely a change of Stile. The situation of the Prince Regent
then justified the Act ; the situation was a peculiar one, and formed
no ;tautly' cue at which to ground suck a 11111 as that which the
(lon. Ilanmet sought to introduce. As to the application of the /till
of Mr. Ponsonhy to Parliament, which was, at it ought to be. tempo-
nor y ch an applicatioa was resist etl, and by none more forcibly than
by iiis lion. Friend, the Member fur Knaresborough (Sir J. 31ack-
intosh). So far he ( Mr.l'anning) was disposed to resist the motion
on a band constitutional principle. Hut if the lion. Baronet
would airline himself to a minor consideration. he (Mr. ('anning)
would be ready to entertain any proposition that might be offered
as to the propriety of reducing the stamp-duty at the mental of
titlicelt on the demise of the Crown. lie would be also ready to 'I
consider how far it might be expedient to reduce the fees on such'
occasions, but then a claim fun compensation should be also enter-
tained. lhorcv,r, this 1//e/5 a matter of detail, and it would

time enough to deal-with it when it wax submitted to the House.
The present motion, however, he was determined to resist, an he
would not wish to see any future Sovereign placed in *condition
in which no fornier Sovereign had been placed, by being bound up
to Minister* whom he did not like, or by being obliged to dismiss
them ungraciously, and thereby being compelled to do an act of
disfavour and unkindness, as it were in the very honeymoon of his
reign. (Heir, hear).
Mr. HUME was of opinion, that the principal object of the
lion. Baronet was to take off the stamp-duty. and other fees,
which were uselessly incidental on the demise of the Crown. If
the stamps and fees were done away with, a great and booeficial
object would doubtless be achieved. He wished. however, that the
Annv and Navy might principally he included in any °leisure of
this kind that might be resolved upon. As to the higher offices,
he supposed that the payment of fees by then, would not be as
much thought of, and upon that part of the measure he felt less
anxious.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, that the speech of the Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. ( 'inning) referred either to the form of the griev-
ance than to its substance. The Right Hon. Gentleman hail not
taken into his consideration what was the real object of the lion.
Baronet, namely, the reduction of fees and of the stamp duty upon
them. lie (Mr. Brougham) would recommend his lion. Friend
to withdraw his present motion, anti to bring the subject forward
on Monday, or any other day more eorivenieut to hint. The shape
in which he would reconunend the mot:on again to be submitted
was, that of moving for a Committee to inquire and ascertain the
extent to which this reduction might take place, and the fees which
it was meet advisable to do away with, distinguishing the fees re-
ceived by individuals from those which went to the public purse.
Mr. PIERNEY mentioned, that the Privy Seal and other
offices received very large emoluments on the demise of the Crown.
The temporary Act of "Mr. Ponsonby was a very bent:field Act,
and he saw no substantial reason for not taking it perpetual. He
' remembered that by it he was spared the expense of paying the
fees of a privy-counsellor. Amongst the fees which were at that
time payable if the Act of 3/r. Ponsonby did not pass, were cer-
tain foes by which a friend of his (we believe 31r. Abercnntiby)
would have received two or three thousand pounds. The Right
Honourable Secretary had spoken of the grace and favour of a King
on his accession to the Throne, but it appeared to hint that the
whole grace and favour consisted in tide, that a public officer, if he
wise turned out of place (which was the most awkward part of the
ceremony), had to pay soave pounds, shillings, and pence sterling
for enjoying the aituvon under a new reign. (A laugh.)
Mr. CANNING Anired to have the motion of the Honourable
Baronet read. • •
_

The motion was read seemingly.
Mr. CANNINIi.g.un rose—lt appeared that there was not a
word or fees mentioned in the motion, and he was sure the lion.
!tannin would disdain the assistance proffered him by the Hon.
land Learned Gentleman and by the Hight lion. lientleinan (Mr.
Tierney), for narrowing and restricting the legislative Pleasure he
had for two years meditated npott, and by which he had intended
to amend (lie constitution of the country. lie (Mr. (fanning) ad-
mired the noble ambition of the lion. Baronet who had aspired to
afford that irnpriveseent to the constitution of his country, which
it was susceptible of receiving at his hands. His lion. Friends
who surrounded him endeavoured to degrade him in the eyes of the
country, by trifling with his eomprelientive views of legislation,
and frittering them down to comparatively insignificant propositions.
(Ilea, hear, and a laugh.) Ile hoped the lion. Baronet would
evince a proper sense of disdain at the iin-nner in which his Hon.'
Friends had misrepresented his objects and intentions.
Mr. Intl/Willi% fil—'l'lle Hon. Gentleman has asked a ques-'
tints which required an answer of " Aye" or " No;" he has not
contented himself with having obtained it, he superadds
Now I shall not fall into a 'par error by following his example,
but simply leave the House to determine whether, in their opinion,
the constitutional srgutnent was not raised for the purpose of pro-
teeting the fees incidental on the demise of the Crown.
Mr: CANNING---Really the Hon. and Learned Illentleman has
not fsirly reproiented toy sentiments ; for it is in the recollection of
the House, that, whiLst I expressed my determination to resist the
present minion on convittitional grounds, I also expressed my rea-
diness to entertain any proposition that might be offered on the ex-'
pediency of taking off the stamp duty and diminishing or abolish-
ing the fees paid on such an nccasitn. (Hear hear.)
Mr. LIEN MA N slid nut think that the non. Itsronet intended
by the present motion to interfere with the right of the King in
selecting his own servants. The fees and stamp duty appeared to
him the objects which he aimed to do away with. A statute had
been passed last reign for the independence of the judges, and for
not suspending their commissions. It appeared to I • hat there
were many lithe. officers, such as the con 111 l issioners of
and others he might name, whom it would be inconvenient to sus-
pend in the event of a new sovereign ascending the throe.
Mr. PEElli came to a different conclusion on the fact stated by
the lion. and Learned Member. Ile said that the Judges were
declared independent during the last reign, for a special reason ;
and from this he would have the House to infer that the army and
navy should be exempted from suspension ir. the event of succes-
sion, in a similar manner as the Judges were exempted during the
last reign. Now, as there WWI no special reasons why she army
and navy should be put on a similar tooting with the Judges in the!
Lin reign ; and as the effect of the (till would be to declare them
independent of the Crown, he felt a stronger reason for resisting!
the motion than even he did before the lion. and beamed liende-
man had spoken.
Sir H. II ERON replied. Ile was not satisfied with any reason
he had heard to convince him of the impropriety of this Bill ; but,
at the suggestion of the House, he would for the present with-
draw, it, and bring forward the question in its present or a sub-
situ/U.4 form, etc an earl, and convenient occasion.
....--. _